55

Ianto was warm and he shifted in the bed, nuzzling that familiar neck as he breathed Jack in.

"Hush darling, go back to sleep" Jack crooned as he rubbed slow circles on his back and Ianto hummed softly, exchanging the nose rubbing for his lips as he kissed his beloved.

"Oh Ianto" Jack sighed, opening the bond to let his love flow over them both and Ianto breathed deeply as he joined the love-fest, pushing against Jack as he felt himself glowing inside from the happiness.

"Wha' time isit?" Ianto slurred softly, still lying with his eyes closed and Jack shushed him again.

"It's early my love go back to sleep it's all OK now."

Ianto contemplated that statement as he drifted in his sea of calm and as consciousness grew, so did a niggle that something was going on.

"Jack?" Ianto drew back to look at him with a soft frown, "What's going in? Why are you so sad? What?"

As he looked into his eyes it all came flooding back and Ianto's eyes widened as he started to struggle, wailing Heath's name as he tried to get away from Jack.

"No! No! Ah god, please, no!" he was sobbing as he writhed, then cried out with pain as his broken wrist complained.

"Calm down mate, that's broken and your nanites are doing their thing, just be still!" Owen demanded as Ianto started to weep.

"Ianto!" Tosh called as she rushed to the bed, Heath visible in her arms, "It's OK, he's here. He's right here. We came to the cabin and got you back, both of you are safe."

Ianto collapsed against Jack, overcome as he reached his cyber arm for the little boy and Tosh gently placed the baby between them in the bed.

"It's OK" Jack soothed, "It's going to be OK. I'm sorry, I didn't listen, I should have talked things through with you, and I didn't know you were so invested."

"Oh Jack, please, please don't take him away, please" Ianto sobbed as he held the baby to his shoulder and the little fingers clutched for him.

"How did you do it?" Owen asked and Ianto looked up at him, tears rolling down his face. "How did you get past the enzyme thing. He should be dead. There is no way he should be this healthy with the blood samples I had."

As they watched, the little fingers slid inside the cyber-skin and Ianto shuddered involuntarily.

"What's he doing?" Owen asked as he craned his head to see.

"He likes to stick his fingers inside the coupling" Ianto said softly, smiling at the little boy, "He sort of … clutches at one of the connectors. It sort of tickles."

"Like seeking a form of radiation?" Owen whispered with awe, "he's gaining some sort of sustenance from you."

"Really?" Ianto asked with surprise.

"Seems that way, I guess because he was born so suddenly and so ahead of time, he's using you like a charger or something" Owen shrugged and Ianto laughed softly through his tears.

"I already contacted the ship" Jack said and he felt Ianto stiffen as he tightened his hold on the baby, "I told them he's not going. I told them that I made a mistake and he was OK here."

Ianto took a hitching breath and started to cry again, burying his face in Jack's shoulder as Jack clutched at him and the baby.

"I'm sorry baby, I am so sorry for not seeing him" Jack whispered, "I see him now, I see."

Jack had held the baby in the back of the SUV as Owen had worked silently on the unconscious Welshman in the back, Tosh driving.

Once he was reassured that Ianto was going to be OK he took the time to look at the little boy, noting the blue eyes and the little nose that had started to turn up into a button.

Heath was assimilating, mimicking Ianto and becoming his child.

Jack cursed himself for his stupidity as he looked down at what was becoming a miniature replica of his love. It was the way of this breed to mimic and infiltrate, like cuckoos.

Then he had smiled.

Jack had melted.

Ah damn.

Now as he held Ianto and looked at the baby between them he knew that whatever steps needed to be taken, they would be made with haste. This little family had to endure, his beloved needed this child and he needed his beloved. Therefore, he needed this child as well.

Whatever Ianto wanted.

He still couldn't believe that Ianto had gone to the cabin and he wondered if it might be somewhere they could go again. If maybe Ianto would feel safe there, if their little family might one day feel like a real family.

He opened the bond again, sending loving calm to Ianto as Ianto tried to bring himself under control.

That's when he felt it.

Faint like a feather's touch.

Heath said hello.