52

It was mid afternoon and the children were sitting in the meadow, the wild flowers waving around them as they had their lesson outside, Alice sitting happily in one of the old armchairs that had been carried out.

She felt huge even though she knew she had so far to go, barely showing but quietly excited to have had to go select larger clothing already. Goddess, she felt like Mother Earth sitting there with all her babies and she grinned down as she asked them to start telling her a poem.

Kev was kneeling by one of the walls quietly listening as he watched his kids glow with delight and he knew he had lost them. They now lived in the 'collective' a big room below that was like a huge padded cell, covered in mattresses and bedding where any and sometimes all children slept together like wildlings. For some reason this pleased him as he knew it was pack, tribal to do this and they didn't need him anymore. He had done his duty and brought them home.

He was running his fingers over the smashed plate titling on the wall when a shadow fell over him and he looked up to find Tish standing there with two bottles of pop.

"Ginger beer?" she said offering one.

"You're shitting me!" he huffed, accepting it gleefully.

"Nainny has a bug, she has kept it alive for years and each spring she cultivates more" Tish sat on the low wall that formed the raised garden and he settled beside her.

"School time?" she asked as she noticed the calm for a change and then he watched a pack of dogs lope past calmly with what appeared to be the remains of a rugby ball in the jaws of the leader.

"Mental" he muttered affectionately.

"Yeah" she turned her head to watch the dogs as well, smiling softy, "They miss Ianto. He runs most mornings before dawn and they go with him. Me too if I can get up early enough. Sometimes he waits for me if he knows I want to talk about something."

"I can totally see him doing that" Kev nodded, then took a swig and made a noise as his head almost blew off.

"Yeah, she makes it so strong sometimes we get exploders."

Kev started to snigger as he got the image of exploding bottles and people running about with buckets trying to save the overly gassy pop, "Totally see that too. I watch them, the Joneses and Sean seems like the old man but Ianto…he's a horse of an entirely different colour."

She grinned at him, "He describes himself like that too!"

"Nainny, she has this…mischief in her that seems to go unnoticed but sometimes she pinches my butt!" Ken snorted and she choked on her drink as she got caught mid swig.

"Shit, you OK?" he patted her back as she gulped for air and she waved a hand embarrassingly.

Finally she had her breath back and most of her dignity, then he went and removed a pristine handkerchief and wiped at her chin.

Awwww, really?

She opened her mouth to tell him she was not a child when his lips slammed against hers and the world seems to fall away as she was catapulted up into the heavens, her eyes fluttering closed as they kissed.

Then he was the embarrassed one shuffling his feet as he muttered about taking a run around the perimeter.

"Kev" she said softly, "That…wow. Flattering."

He snorted, "Yeah but this is where you tell me you're taken and to stop following you about like one of those puppy dogs, right?"

"No" she giggled, "This is where I tell you I was starting to bust a boiler thinking you would never come close enough for that to happen that way you follow me and skulk about like Ianto does."

Kev glanced up and saw the amusement in her eyes, her hand sliding onto his thigh as she leaned in, "Also, it's been seven years since it all went to shit and apart from a few drunken moments I've been alone. It been so long I don't know which one of us gets tied up anymore."

She was propositioning him.

In broad daylight as dogs played footy and children chanted 'little Bo Peep' in the background, bees buzzed about and Jack was distantly bellowing that someone had taken his favourite hammer again…this goddess was offering herself and he was so tongue tied he could only blink.

"So?" she raised an eyebrow and he nodded meekly.

"Hay barn? That's where Ianto and Jack take daytime fun" she said as she rose, as if discussing a picnic, "Even have a mattress up there . Hope you're healed and had a good breakfast because I intend to use and abuse, mister!"

Kev was running, chasing her as she let out a whoop and several heads turned to watch the courting display, Jack leaning against a building with his hands rubbing the bump as he said softly to his unborn "Finally. Thought he was never getting his leg over there. Ianto will be so pleased."

Then Jack checked the time and swore softly, hurrying for Tosh and the control room below where she had set up since children had started asking how far Tanks can shoot things. He had to check the lunchtime readings with her.

Bloody Bartholomew, she was a wily one that kid.

Jack knew she would be a fine soldier one day.