27

Bella and Lauren were identical, down to their matching curl of auburn hair at the nape of their necks, their long hair pilled high on their heads in an elaborate hairstyle that clearly showed they must do one another's hair for it to look so perfect.

They were elegant, delicate and clearly thought themselves so, holding hands as they stood looking at the portraits in the main room with open interest, one leaning forward to examine the little children along the front row in the family portrait.

"So many… and two boys" Laura finally said, her sister silent as she turned to face her "What do you think Bella? He certainly fell on his feet in the end. We did worry for a while didn't we?"

Another silent nod made it apparent this was normal, one talking as the other silently agreed. Lauren was clearly dominant, slightly larger and her eyes had a touch of cunning to them that wss missing from Bella's who were softer and more excited.

Tall with long fingers and long necks, they looked like they had stepped from an Edwardian painting with their long dresses and closed necked gowns complete with gloves. Their sister-wife was dressed similarly to them but her clothing a shade darker, being a deep blue to their powdered blue that signified her as the First. This was a common practice in the colony they lived in, helped found actually. Dean jokingly referred to it as the Cult sometimes to piss them off as all the women wore the same clothes like servants. Or slaves. Bowing to their husbands and being obedient little women. Not for everyone and clearly Bella was built for such a life but Lauren was always a rebel, something that clearly both infuriated and excited their husband who followed her with his eyes as he stood back with the other men.

He was older than expected, in fact he and the first wife were what you might call advanced in years. The First had grown to the age where children were not as likely, why he had remarried. He had reasoned that taking the Twins who had made it clear that they were a two for one deal might ensure children, hopefully a son before he wss also too old for that malarkey and forced to adopt from the pool of rejects. The unwanted boys that had birth defects or other deformities that deemed them defective for even service. The jealousy in the First wss evident as she kept glancing back at him, then at Laura who held his attention.

Ianto watched quietly and wondered how they fared as a Hive, the dislike between wives mist make things difficult. But then … he knew how hard the Twins could be to live with. They did not exactly encourage you into their little space. They only really needed one another, had always been that way.

His thought turned to their children.

The First had one lone daughter. Clearly cherished and adored by both the First and the Husband, now a teenager that was almost as pretty as the Twins. Ianto pondered that. The gap between marriages, almost ten years … he wondered if the Twins entering the Hive disrupted that poor child as well … probably. Knowing Bella she would have tried to mother the child, Lauren would have dismissed the child as a threat to her own potential children and the poor First would have found herself in a Mexican standoff with each incoming baby.

Lauren did clearly have affection for the girls … all of them. Ianto had watched her as she looked over to the children playing on the huge mat full of toys, then softening as Bella reached out to check if they were all fine, the oldest one watching over her siblings quietly. The oldest child there, not really a child at all now … seventeen? Eighteen? Of a marrying age herself.

"Rachel stop pulling Miranda's hair please" the soft spoken youth asked her little sister.

"Sorry Heaven-Lee" came the soft reply as the errant girl smiled at her big sister.

Ianto turned to the husband Clay asking politely "The little one ws asleep when I peeked in, what is her name?"

He lit up, clearly smitten with the little toddler close in age to the Twins "Tiger-Lily … TL for short. Yes, she is a spitfire like her Mama"

As his eyes slid back to Laura Ianto understood without asking that the other children were Bella's. TL the only offering from the one he loves most. Ianto sighed as he knew this also meant the littlest one would be the firm favourite, making her a target.

He knew how that felt.

His mothers made no bone about the fact they all found him perfect. Sean had found him a threat and although they had bonded in the end, Ianto knew the first few years Sean did not like him at all. Only the Twins coming along turned it all around when they became allies in trying to fend off those hellions.

Ianto smiled softly.

"What are you thinking about?" Sean asked.

"The Twins and how they would tell lies to try to get one of us in trouble but we always backed each other up" Ianto muttered.

"Laura still likes to embellish" Clay snorted softly then sighed "But she is also very clever."

"I do not doubt that. Bella is so gentle and kind … like someone took a knife and cleaved one apart, one half sweet as the other is sour" Sean muttered then paled "Sorry old man. That's your wives I am dissecting .. sorry. Maybe as wives and adults they have changed from my memories of them as children."

"No" Clay sighed softly, genuine sorrow as he looked over at his First, silently glaring still "They've not changed from that description. One full of life, bluster and cunning … the other quiet, unassuming and soft. Marilyn does mother Bella a bit, Lauren is so … dismissive of her feelings."

"Ah. Not changed at all then" Ianto laughed softly "But together a force to be reckoned with. My twins … I did worry about that but see compassion in Jax. His father's eyes and thoughts but my stayed calm. Jack is not so calm … this flapping hands can be distracting when he talks."

Clay laughed as he decided he liked this man who was clearly not what he had expected him to be. He looked around the Hive and saw why his wife had made spiteful comments and sniffed that her brother had always been spoilt.

Jealousy always made her unattractive.

For a moment to two.