42

They were asleep, soft snuffling from the pup that was adorable, matching his father. Shadow was curled up with them on the bed, his delight in the newborn evident and Ianto was so relieved to see no jealousy or discomfort with the fact the baby was a dead ringer for him, like twins. But not.

Ianto couldn't sleep, leaving the room to walk the ship's vast corridors, humming to himself as he explored in case he had missed something. Of course he knew the place like the back of his paw already. But … it occupied him while he felt heebie-jeebies over something he couldn't put his finger on.

"Can't sleep?" Owen asked, standing in the doorway of the Galley, his PJs crumpled and his hair sticking up with a cup of hot chocolate. Suddenly he looked like the old Owen … the one coming up from the autopsy bay to ask for coffee and Ianto felt a swell of affection, reaching out to pull Owen into a hug for a moment, kissing his cheek before releasing him.

"Just a lot in this brain box tonight" he assured Owen "Didn't want to disturb Jack, he needs his rest. That pup drank him dry. Will be hungry soon."

"Pup. Still no name?"

"No. Nothing seems to stick, each time we offer some he seems uninterested, like he's already chosen but will not share. Like Shadow, he is cheeky." Ianto sighed "At least Shadow likes him. He is pretty, right? Sooooo Jack I expect the hero pose while asking for the tit."

Owen laughed and agreed "You know … he is soooo Jack's son … you should call him Jackson. Neither of you have called kids after yourselves yet, you know … Ifan is so proud to have your name. He tells the kids ya know …. I have Uncle's name so I am a good man … like he has to live up to it."

"Awwww, does he?" Ianto smiled softly as he felt affection for the boy who was more like a son to him then a nephew. Ifan and Frank were wonderful young men and the girls … well "Those daughters of yours, they are special too. You and Tosh did a stellar job there Owen. Great providers to the pack."

Owen smiled as he accepted praise without the usual feeling of discomfort. Ianto gave freely, but honestly, he never felt handled by him.

"Anyway" Owen yawned stepping out of the doorway to return to his sleeping wife "If you call him Jackson you can call the other one Johnson. Right? Ianto for Ifan. Ifan is from John? Twins, but not."

Ianto blinked at Owen with confusion "Huh?"

Owen paused at the corner of the corridor, looking back at Ianto and gesturing "Yours. Your one. They will be so close in age … like Irish twins or whatever."

Owen started to walk again as Ianto stood there completely dumbfounded, gaping after him. What a strange thing to say, a weird statement out of nowhere. Ianto entered the galley and opened the fridge, choosing a cup of chilled blood. He placed it in the microwave to take the chill off before adding it to the baby bottle waiting patiently. Pup would need it soon, already stirring in the back of his mind. Owen had been weirder than usual tonight. What the hell was that?

While waiting for the ding he calmly reached for the bowl of meat cubes, popping some in to his mouth like candy and chewing. It dinged and he poured the blood into the bottle, taking a mouthful of the leftover blood. Shame to waste it, can only be heated once and the whole cup is too much yet, in a week or so the pup would take a whole cup but….. Ianto stood with the taste of the blood in his mouth, more cubes of meat already in his hand as he stared at them.

"Fuck"

Ianto closed his eyes and sought through the bond. Each child accounted for, asleep apart from Hope who was on night watch, sitting at the controls watching the camp below through the camera drones with interest as fires grew low. The pup was stirring, could smell the blood from this far away and …. of course he can. He knows where Ianto is … all along there has been the connection. The strength, the ability to connect as if in his own ….. fuck. Ianto looked within himself.

"Hello there. Aren't you a quiet little bugger" he said softly and felt the faint amusement. Yeah. Right. All this time … all this bloody time he thought it was Jack's …. Fuckity fuck fuck. What a clusterfuck of epic … gods. The threat from the Coven … the Zs at Outpost … fuck.

"Holdfast?"

Ianto jumped in the chair he didn't remember sitting in, squeaking as Jack startled him. Something not only rare ... unheard of and Jack took a moment to calm his own shock. "Ianto? What's wrong love? Little one is looking for that Bot-bot you have."

Ianto handed it over, watching Jack sit in the chair to feed the newborn who hungrily lowered the contents and then released the nipple of the bottle to sigh theatrically like he had been so starved.

There it was.

Another sigh of satisfaction too.

Stereo.

Ianto sighed, looking at Jack who was clucking at the pup with delight.

"Cariad? Owen just dropped a bombshell on me thinking I was already aware of something I am clearly just now realising."

"Hmmmmm?"

"You know … you know how with twins … one is dominant. Larger and louder? The smaller quiet one the thinker of the two while the large one the bullish protector?"

"Hmmmmmm"

"One shields the other, protects the other and as such, people sometimes only see one. Think of them as one person."

"Like the Twins. Burn is quiet and clever, Tum is bossy and pushy."

"Yeah. This little fellow here … he is sooo you. Big. Larger than life and full of strength and lovely pizzazz. He will be ballsy and grinny and … ta-da."

Jack canted his head as he finally saw something was wrong here, looking at Ianto as he tried to figure out why he was so pale. "Ianto? Is something wrong?"

"There is a … miscalculation here. We have heard him so strongly in the bond … I was focused on him … on you. I didn't feel or see … one dominant .. the other like a wraith in the shadows. Shadow … he … why he had stuck close to me. Not jealous but … ah …. Protective of the smaller one. Like Owen said … Irish Twins."

"OK. I am lost here. I need it plain."

"I am preggers. I think … I think I have been for … god. I may be half way cooked already. A silent little passenger watching the big brother there for guidance. Feeling no need to speak up or complain … he did it already. Wanted blood…meat...I got it. I ate it as well as got it for you … all this time I have not only been serving you … but my own as well. Another boy sleeps right now thanks to the meat I ate while preparing the bottle, like this one here … they are blooded out."

Jack stared at Ianto. "You are preggers. You were down there with explosives…. Zs and… seriously? Fucking seriously? This guy has been hiding yours? Bullshit!"

Ianto burped loudly, then slapped his hand over his mouth with horror.

The soft laughter in their heads was clearly not the sleeping tot in Jack's arms.

Another was not asleep after all and found it funny that his parentals had not seen him at all, he found hiding so much fun. He was so good at it … they had no idea.

Ianto felt faint.