54.

Gray was laughing at the programme.

Ianto wondered what it was and wandered through from the kitchen to find a show about naughty dogs as Gray shrieked again.

Jack came pounding into the room, still dripping from the shower as he looked around frantically, then saw the show.

With a wide grin he went to sit and Ianto cleared his throat.

"Huh?"

You're dripping everywhere and just have a towel around your waist" Ianto pointed out, "not even one of the bigger ones."

Jack pouted and Ianto sighed as he wandered off the collect a bath sheet and Jack's robe.

Jack let the towel drop and stood naked as a jay bird as he dried himself and joined Gray in laughter. Gray turned and saw him, frowning and looking at Ianto, then back at the telly.

"What is it babin?" Ianto asked.

"Jax has no fur on his chest, but you do" Gray pointed out.

"No, Jack is from your time when body hair is a thing of the past. But in this time, we still have hair in other places."

"Like where?" Gray asked with interest.

"Well we have hair in our armpits, some men do on their chests … well some do, and hair around their sexual parts." Ianto explained as he sat on the sofa.

"But you are not from here, you are from the future too!" Gray pointed out.

"But I am of this place. As a Timelord, I am of everywhere and anywhere." Ianto said cryptically, "Each regeneration could be from any time or even race. I knew a man who regenerated into a Shermit"

"Really? A Shermit?" Gray's eyes bugged out at the thought of a Timelord that looked like a purple giraffe.

"Yep" Ianto smiled and leaned forward.

Gray leaned forward too, waiting for Ianto to continue.

"You should have seen the size of his collar. A real bug-bear to wash" Ianto said with wide eyes as he leaned back again.

Gray sat as he tried to imagine it and then a frown slowly formed as he realised he was being played with.

"Tellon?"

"Hmm?"

"You bloody liar!" Owen's voice came from the child.

Ianto laughed as Gray rolled over and slapped at him as he snorted at the joke.

"No, always human, or humanoid" Ianto finally said, "I think we are related to humans."

"We are human, we are from earth originally, right?" he looked at Jax who smiled at Gray affectionately.

"Yes, we are the fourth generation settlers on the Boeshane Peninsular" Jack agreed.

"Tellon?" Gray turned to him with wide eyes, "in the telly vids people have grass lawns and gardens. Is that normal here?"

"Yes, humans like flowers and grass to picnic and play on" Ianto agreed, "They like to run around with a dog and throw sticks at it … oh ... For it. Apparently the dog brings it back."

"Will we get one of those?" Gray asked as he wriggled over to hook his arms around Ianto's legs and rest his head against his knee.

"What? A dog?" Ianto looked at Jack who looked just as surprised.

"No, a house with grass and flowers" Gray whispered, "But a dog sounds good."

"Oh. Um, well" Ianto looked at Jack who had gone very still.

Ianto felt himself start to wilt at the rejection and instead looked back at Gray.

"I will have to think about it" Ianto said softly as he reached out and stroked his boy's face, "I don't know if I can afford one just yet. Maybe G-Pa can help."

Jack cleared his throat and Ianto looked up.

"Well, I have plenty of money and maybe I could get us a house" Jack smiled as Gray gasped with delight.

"And a dog, Tellon? And a dog?"

"That would be up to Jack" Ianto said as he rose and Jack looked up with surprise.

"Don't you mean all of us?"

"No. It would be your home when I am not there" Ianto shrugged.

"Why would you not be there?" Gray demanded, "Jax! Why would he not be there with us! He is my Tellon. I don't want one if Tellon doesn't live there too."

"Well, of course Ianto would live there too" Jack rose and looked at Ianto with a soft frown, "That's what I meant. A house for our whole family. All of us."

"I thought …" Ianto waved his hand helplessly.

"You thought I would take him from you." Jack sighed, "That I do not love you. Still, I have to prove this?"

"I don't doubt your love" Ianto stepped towards him, "Only my place in your future. I thought you would want to raise Gray as yours and I see us having many arguments about our different views with regard to him."

"Ianto, I love the make-up sex" Jack grinned as he watched him relax, "I want you in my bed, in my home and in my life until the black bleeds from the abys."

"Oh Jack" Ianto smiled, stepping into his arms.

"Yay!" Gray yelled from the floor, "And a dog. Right? Tellon? A dog?"

Jack groaned as Ianto laughed softly into his neck.

And a dog.