53
"It doesn't matter what has been written so far, it only matters how you choose to fill the rest of the pages" Ianto said as he took Rhiannon's hands and spoke to her with a passionate expression, "The hardest walk to take is the one you walk alone but it is that walking that makes you stronger."
"I never…I mean. What if I fail?" she whispered, "What if I cannot do it alone? What if I need a mate to feel like I exist?"
"Then it was be my task to chose a suitable one for you" Ianto replied with the same calm tone, "I will not see my sister fail. Her pups will grow in this place, flourish. Our kind will renew."
Ianto caught movement and looked over to find Gwen waiting patiently so he rose and walked over to face her. Since this had leered up she had taken a back seat, it had surprised Ianto to find Rhys had been more hands on than she and he now wondered if she was ready to explain the strange fear he smelt from her every time he was near.
"Gwen?"
"Can we go somewhere and talk?" she whispered and he nodded, leading her to the study where he closed the door and gave her space. Gwen wrung her hands as she paced the room like a caged animal, even as the true animal watched without moving a muscle.
"How many of you are there?" she asked as she turned to face him, "I mean…if it did come to a turf war how safe is this house?"
Ianto frowned as he considered the reasoning behind such a question then he answered as truthfully as he dared "Thousands. As safe as I can make it."
She nodded, paced some more and now one hand had travelled to yank at her hair. It suddenly struck him that she was afraid. Something out there, not in here. Something out in the world was terrifying her. She hadn't been hiding from him, she had been hiding behind him.
"Gwen, come sit with me and tell me what is on your mind. Come on, I am ready to hear you" he sat on the sofa and patted the spot next to him, watching her relief as she rushed to sit, take one if his hands and examine it like it might have the secrets to the universe etched in the creases and folds of skin.
"Gwen?"
"I'm….god. I'm preggers. I thought it was wishful thinking and then I thought it was just stress ya know? Me and Rhys not even married. Me Da's gonna kill me" she said in a rush, still examining his hand and he felt his inner self relax with relief as he found that she had no malice towards him and his, she was afraid for herself.
Understandable.
"Gwen, don't be a girl's blouse" Ianto scolded, "Rhys is a lovely man. He will marry you today at the registry office if you want, we tell your parents you eloped a month ago and have been too sacred ot tell them. Flash the ring and they will be so happy that in a few weeks you break the baby news and they will be none the wiser."
Gwen gaped at him, her eyes wide.
"Your mother will go on about how disappointed she is in you for not including her blah blah…you will say that you loved him so much, the recent violence in the city made you a little insane and you wanted to know you were loved. Some crap you know she reads in those silly books of hers. Make a show of contrition then confide in her that you had wanted the white dress and the party too but Rhys was more important than silly things like that. He will take the heat, your Da already glowers at him so he can take some scolding from them for 'stealing' you. He can be the one to throw his arms up and say that a second vow exchange can happen if it shuts you all up" Ianto sat back and watched her start to perk up with glee, "Toshiko can hack the system and change the date on the marriage licence no problem, she just needs the 4 hour window so it's not detected by the courthouse. Today. Tonight. What do you say? A twilight eloping?"
"Oh Ianto" she flopped against him dramatically, "My knight on a white horse come to sweep me up and carry me off into the sunset. Yes! Oh, Mama will not be able to resent that. She can really make the date a week…um….or two?"
"How far along are you?"
"About six weeks?" Gwen grimaced.
"Shit" Ianto huffed, "She might need to change the month back one, not the week. You bloody minx, You know I am jealous. A life inside you, a new life. Hope for a new dawn."
"Yeah?" she grinned, "Do you think I will be OK at this?"
"Don't be a twat. You've not killed Owen yet right?" Ianto said as he rose and she snorted as she agreed.
After Owen, any other child would be a breeze.
Ianto was so relieved that they were still friends. Also, Andy needed to become full time so he could bench this one.
Ianto went in search of his mate ad Gwen sought her own.
A wedding was afoot.
