John rapped on the door to Jack and Ianto's trailer, entering when bidden. He hesitantly raised his eyes to the screen Jack was studying, and relaxed when he realized it was a performance video. With Jack, one never knew.
"Jack, I need a favor," he said quietly.
"Sure thing!" Jack replied, dropping his notebook, lowering his feet from the desk, and turning with his arms outstretched for a baby, all in one smooth motion. "Give her here."
"Thanks, but I don't need a babysitter right this moment."
"Oh?" Jack asked, raising an eyebrow. "Then what can I do for ya?"
"I was wondering…that is…would you teach me how to dance? Properly," he emphasized, seeing Jack's lascivious grin. "So I can take Rose somewhere nice for our anniversary?"
The American chuckled gleefully. "I thought you'd never ask."
***
John was humming and counting under his breath as he entered the trailer. He stopped as he saw Rose curled up in his recliner with a ponderous tome open in her lap. "What you readin,' love?" he asked curiously.
"Oh!" she looked up, startled. "It's um…"
"A philosophy textbook?" he asked, recognizing one of his own well worn college books.
"Well, yeah," she admitted, blushing. "It's just…I want to try to understand the things you do; the things you teach the kids."
John leaned over to plant a kiss on the top of her head. "And I love you for it. But this, what you're doing right now? This is trying to climb Everest alone, with just trainers on your feet." He grabbed his laptop, and quickly placed an order, downloading an e-book.
"You just got me Philosophy for Dummies, didn't you?"
He sighed heavily. "I really wish they'd picked a different name for the series. There's nothing dumb about breaking large, complex subjects into small, manageable chunks of information. Think of this as a Sherpa, and rope, and cleats, all right? Read this, and if you find an idea or a philosopher that you want to know more about, I'll help you. And if you decide that you never want to read anything on the topic ever again, that's fine, too."
Rose grinned up at him, and John very plainly saw the 'I love you' shining in her eyes. After a second, she shook herself and asked, "Were you humming when you came in?"
"Oh, um…you know this place. Music gets stuck in your head," John said lightly.
A bit of baby babble drifted from the next room before she could pursue the topic.
"I'll get her," John offered, passing Rose the laptop.
She smiled at the sound of his conversation with their daughter.
"Now, you hush, Miss Jackie. Your sister still wants to sleep a bit."
Jackie gurgled happily, and squirmed in his arms to be put down.
"I think someone wants to crawl."
"Yeah. Just mind that she doesn't pull Merlin's tail."
"We can out his dishes up on the counter, but I think we'll need a gate to keep them out of the litter box."
"Soon," Rose agreed.
"How's Ace settling in with circus camp?" John wanted to know, as he settled on the floor with his wriggling daughter.
"She doesn't want to dance or do aerials."
"Really?" John asked, surprised. "She seemed to like it well enough when she was watchin' you."
"Said she felt like a sack of potatoes. She really was fine for a beginner, but she got frustrated. Leela's teaching her to throw knives."
John laughed heartily at that. "Maybe we won't mention that to Sarah Jane."
***
The sound of baby babble distracted Ace from the screen of the laptop, and she swiveled to watch the baby happily crawling across the blanket. "Which one is that?"
"That's Jackie," Rose informed her from her spot on the grass.
"How can you tell?"
"Jackie's more adventurous, and likes to be the center of attention. Allie's my little cuddle bug."
"They don't do things at the same time?" Ace asked curiously.
"Not necessarily. Why would they? They're two different people."
"Guess I never really thought about babies much," the girl muttered.
"Would you like to hold one of them?" Rose offered.
Ace shook her head, her face comically awash with horror. "Who's reading Philosophy for Dummies?" she asked, turning back to the screen.
"Me."
"Wow. You're brave. That stuff sends me right off."
"What do you like to read?" Rose asked.
"I like to work in a lab more than read, but I do like books about dinosaurs."
"Well then, we'll keep an eye out for dinosaur museums in our travels. And sometimes, if the timing is just right, we end up near a school that lets us do lessons in their lab for a few weeks."
"They wouldn't let me."
"An' why's that?"
"Because…I sort of…blew up the chemistry lab at my school. That's why I don't go anymore."
"And what were you doing that the lab blew up?" Rose asked neutrally.
Ace immediately launched into a detailed explanation of her experiment that left Rose's head spinning.
"Sounds as if your principals were correct," John observed. Neither young woman had heard him approach, but Allie waved her little hands and smiled for him. He reached down to carefully accept her from Rose's hands.
"They were!" Ace insisted. "It would have worked, if the lab equipment hadn't been from the stone age."
"So, next time, we'll find you a better lab to work in," John assured her, settling down on the grass with his wife and daughters.
Rose reached across him to turn Jackie around as she made a grab for a very interesting - and likely very dirty - leaf.
"Why?" Ace demanded suspiciously.
"Because learning is important. Doesn't matter if it's exploring your world, readin' up on something you know nothing about -"
"Or learning how to dance?" Ace asked, grinning.
John winced. "Wasn't planning on advertising that just yet, thanks."
