29
"Are you sure?" Gwen asked for the third time as Rhys rolled his eyes.
"Yes, John was honest in his acceptance of the rebuff" Jack answered, "We can all relax. Take this as the holiday is appears to be. I wanna go fishing, I wanna hire a speed boat and try some speed on that water."
"Oooooh" Kara squealed, "Water skiing, I love speed!"
"Now you know why" Ianto smiled softly as he watched father and daughter gush.
"Well I think we should get back" Gwen huffed, Rhys rolling his eyes some more behind his wife's back as they all tried not to react to it.
"Well you go them Mama" Anwen said calmly, "We can all do without the adult supervision, just Kara's Tad will do."
Jack looked around then realised he was being included in the children needing the supervision and he sniggered as he looked at Ianto, "what do you say. Gonna spank me if I'm bad coz I can be like super bad sometimes."
"Ew" Kara grimaced as they all laughed but her eyes were dancing with mirth.
"Well, if the kids don't need to be back I guess the rest of the week might be nice" Ianto sighed as he thought of the mess he had to go back to and Jack caught it.
"Your house"
"Yeah, I don't know it it's worth fixing or just bulldozing" Ianto grimaced, "Maybe best to find somewhere else. Kara is grown now, doesn't need the big yard or anything. I just liked the studio there. It's trashed now."
"Well she's militarial now, only a room for her to visit on furlough needed love" Jack agreed, "What would you like? I see you in an old lake house similar to this one with a dog and nice gardens, sitting on the dock fishing while wondering what time I will be home from the meeting I left for or whatever."
"Oh do you!" Ianto huffed, "Moving in are you?"
Jack shrugged as he looked away, his intent clear as Ianto considered the comment and found it appealing.
"I'll need a boat house" he said after a while, "Your souped up piece of speedy shit underneath a wee studio or something for me. The house back up the rise where it won't flood and I would need to pick the dog…and its name. Never letting you name anything."
Jack fake pouted as he bemoaned his artistic flare being squashed but they all saw the glee in both men as they calmly agreed to live together.
"Here?" Fergus asked after a while, "A few properties around the head for ale."
Jack roared with mirth as Ianto sighed and looked at Fergus, "Never offer him anything with head involved."
"What do you think? Wanna go look?" Jack snorted.
"Boathouse and overhead…stop it…room for my studio" Ianto said as he slapped at Jack without looking in his direction, "What is there?"
"I'll go check it out and get back to you" Fergus said as he rose and Anwen followed him, off on their little mission.
"You are really going to do this. Just like that? Mister three options for the evening meal?" Kara asked with surprise as she looked at her Tad.
"Yes" Ianto said calmly, "Baby, a lot of that was boredom. With Jack I am never bored, not one to dither. We are really doing this. I like that dog he's dangling there."
Jack laughed softly as he settled back and watched his daughter try to look pleased for them, her confusion clear and when she went outside he followed her.
"Hey sweetheart, what is it? Think it's too fast?" Jack asked gently, "Or we are too old? Look at us, in our prime all over again."
"I guess it's just weird. Tad was always so set in his ways. It's weird to see him just throwing caution to the wind" she shrugged.
"Ianto likes order, he likes things orderly. Always has. We have known each other for so long, this is not a big thing for him. He can find a pace with me that works, he always did. You never knew the man I did. This old foggey routine is something he's stuck in I'm just waking him up" he assured her, "He's still going to insist on napkins and place mats, I will make him insane cleaning the guns on the kitchen table with newspaper laid out, he hates newsprint and he will complain constantly about the Great Coat needing attention but you and I both know he will love it."
"But it's so remote" she said as she looked around, "Less people, less noise oh. I see what you mean. Simple."
"I once spent thirty years in the mountains with a woman I loved, we raised two strapping boys and it was wonderful. A death put paid to that" Jack sighed, leaning back, "First reset and I could never go home. Fell off a bluff, how stupid was that. My boys grew up married, times changed. No idea where they are now."
"Isn't that messing with timelines or whatever, sewing your wild oats back here?" she asked.
"We all do" Jack shrugged, "The Time Agency frowns on it but it still happens. What can I say love, oops?"
She snorted as she realised he was pointing at her and then she laughed softly.
Thank the stars for the occasional oops.
