25

He was tiny, perfect and angry as all hell.

Ianto was watching little fists shaking as he seemed to scream silently at them all and then Ianto found the little one being scooped up and thrust at him.

"Quick… skin!" Khan demanded as he pulled at the scrubs and shoved the baby down into Ianto's arms "He needs contact, warmth and a heartbeat."

Jack held Ianto and the baby was between them, Ianto's tears were for joy now as he let his sister go and clung to his little one, Jack placing his forehead against Ianto's and crooning down at the baby that calmed and screwed his wee face up. Against the angry scar tissue sat a little pale hand.

"No jaundice, good" Khan told them happily, "Looks like we got him out in time, no lasting damage."

"So" Ianto looked over at the cooling body of his sister "Rhia?"

"I want this little one to stay for the rest of the week, at the weekend you can take her home for burial OK?" Khan said softly, the plans to bury her with her husband part of their birthing plan as the long term routine for Quinn had been discussed already.

"So, let's see" Jack whispered and Ianto leaned back a bit, allowing Jack to pull the scrubs and look down at the tiny little skinned monkey that was pouting up at him, little eyes blinking.

"Ahhhhhh, your button nose" Jack whispered with adoration, in love within seconds.

And those Harkness eyes" Ianto added, a soft sob as he leaned against Jack and then Jack knew what was happening, cursing as he struggled Ianto to a chair. "Tiger, language."

"Tip your head against me love" Jack encouraged Ianto to lean back so his head was against Jack's stomach and he placed a sterile pad against Ianto's nose stroking his forehead lovingly as he administered to his bleeding nose.

"My hero" Ianto sighed, letting his eyes flutter shut as Khan gently reclaimed the baby and got him more cleaned up, weighed and such.

"The DNA?" Khan asked, a little tube waving at them.

"Does it have to be blood?" Ianto asked with worry.

"No, this swab goes around the inside of his wee mouth, that's it" he assured the delicate man and Ianto looked to Jack who nodded.

"Get it over with, she no doubt has spies already banging those fucking drums for her" Jack sighed, "We have the upper hand, we have the baby."

"Yes." Kahn smiled, "Congratulations on your new family member. He is small, but perfect. I want him to stay here for monitoring, a wee bit of oxygen in the crib and he looks good. A short few days and all going well he might go home for the burial."

"Really?" Ianto asked, "But he's prem."

"Prem doesn't mean uncooked, just medium to well done" Kahn laughed softly, "He is stubborn."

"You know, he does sort of look like a wee Quinn" Jack said after a while, "I really like that."

"Good because I already decided and no backsies!" Ianto said, Bunny shinning through as he grinned happily at the wee cherub in the incubator.

"I thought Rhia would linger" Jack said softly, "I thought, maybe an hour or so as she sort of winds down but she was ready to go. She was gone in a single sigh. Like, she knew her job was done."

"You think?" Ianto canted his head, "It felt like that for me too. Like she was so tired and she finally lay down."

"Maybe that's why they call it being laid to rest Sugar" Jack crooned, reaching to rub Ianto's knee affectionately. "How about I go home and grab our bag huh? We forgot it, go figure. Terrible parents already."

Ianto smiled softly, turning and placing his hand over Jack's as he pouted for a kiss, their lips lingering as they shared grief, pleasure and fear all in one mad moment. Then Jack left the room knowing Ianto actually wanted to ask Khan something.

"He does have Jack's eyes, right?" Ianto was worried now, Jack's mother in the back of his mind cackling, "I mean. This is a wee Harkness."

"Ianto" Kahn sid softly, "I looked at her records, she stopped the birth control when she flew out here but she also had a pregnancy test done before leaving Wales, standard physical and stuff. She was not with child, I look at this wee one and he is the right size and weight for a baby of thirty eight weeks. I promise you, he is not older."

Ianto relaxed, "Sorry. I just…my mind likes to punish. Cruel bitch sometimes. Of course he's a Harkness, look at that pout."

"Ianto, my advice is to enjoy him" Kahn said as he passed the DNA test to the waiting nurse who took off with it clutched firmly, "Enjoy your life and stop letting others influence your thinking. To hell with them, life is too short to sweat the small stuff."

Ianto smiled as he nodded.

His own advice huh?

He decided he should take it.