8

Ianto held the door for Owen as they left the bathroom and as the door swung closed Ianto turned in time to see the other cubicle door open and a woman stager out, followed by the tall handsomely chiseled man that followed as he did up his pants and she straightened her hair, looking more than slightly …well … fucked.

Ew. In a toilet stall? Must be one of the whores.

"So... your mother was not pleased with a male?" Ianto asked Owen as they perused the grazing table.

"That's just it… they were due to get a breeder for the purposes of an Heir when she fell preggers with me. She was sure I was a girl so didn't care, a breeder obtained and what do you know… I come out a weedy little prick. She was irate. The breeder still had not produced and she realized my father was deliberately keeping her … a fight broke out and my father left in a huff. I was not yet three. He never came back. A terrible accident when he crashed his Hover. The breeder was named in the will for a large sum, left us without that heir. All that was left was me and I got it all. Mother was incensed." Owen stopped talking to roar with mirth at his own life.

"I played second fiddle to my sister. My only comfort is that she escaped the Brood Stables. Oh. Look. Raspberries" Ianto lit up selecting a few and popping them into his mouth with a flick of his wrist. "I ate such dull food before becoming a Breeder. I love berries."

"Not good for breeding, too acidic" Katherine hissed from the other side of the table.

"Really? Five of my babies thrived on it… my main craving the entire pregnancy" Ianto replied with a bland face and Owen watched with interest. This was not a normal Brood Mare. This man had… presence. Owen grinned as he enjoyed the floor show.

Jack had noticed as well, moving around the room to stand by Ianto and watch as another raspberry was lficked with ease. Then he felt a hand on his arm "Jackson. Do you have a moment?"

He sighed as he turned to his daughter's nanny. Gwen looked slightly disheveled.

Ianto noticed a swell and turned to her, saying in a low tone "Get back to the kitchens if you want payment for servicing that man."

Jack blinked as she gasped, her hands going to her hips as she glared at him "I will have you know that I am Nanny Gwen!"

"Really? So… that was your husband with you in the cubicle?"?" Ianto asked innocently "Oh. I guess it makes sense to both be staff."

Jack followed Ianto's gaze to John Hart who was walking along without a care in the world as Ianto added "Mind you…. He could have used a bedroom, there are so many. Must be embarrassing to service him in a toilet stall. OK … take some food with you."

Jack blinked and then started to chuckle as he watched his child's nanny start to flush with anger. He said to her "Good thing you are a free agent. And that Alice is going to love her new brother… and whomever I choose as their other parental, eh? Go on Gwen, get mated to Johnny now."

"Oh shit me a brick sideways" Ianto blurted out as he noted Jack's bristling, his workhouse mouth getting away from him "did I just dump her in it?"

"No… that was amazing!" Owen laughed happily "I like him Jack."

"Oh boy" Ianto sighed "Now I am so embarrassed."

"Don't' be. Owen is right … she was asking for that" Jack smiled "Come on. Let's leave the young ones to their party. Wanna met my daughter?"

"Alice? Yes please" Ianto enthused, lighting up to show how pretty he was as his eyes danced.

Jack led him out to the elevator, taking him up to the West Wing where they could hear faint music. They entered the nursery to find the little girl at a piano with a look of doom as what must be her music teacher scolded her for having fat fingers.

Ianto saw the child's display as she wailed "but it's a boring instrument!"

"Goodness, a boring one?" Ianto said softly, used to his sister's tantrums to see one coming as he slid on the piano stool next to her. "Not at all. Here you need to learn how to play it… how to make it work for you and then…."

Ianto started to play. The years spent with his mother and grandmother training him now shown as he played a dainty little music box tune, then switched it up to something energetic, then lightening it to a lullaby which he sang to as he serenaded the little girl who was transfixed with wide eyes as Ianto won her over.

He finished with a flourish as she clapped and cheered, more energized than she had been in days.

"See? Imagine… there are duets on this as well. If you learn it, we can play together, our hands sharing the keys and our music turning into a pretty little mess" Ianto crooned "My… I think you would be good at it. Lovely hands, those fingers long like mine see? Such a pretty girl must be good at singing too. Oh, I can't wait to sing with you."

"Oh Daddy! Just when I think you cannot bring me anything better than Doodle Bug!" she gushed as she picked up her little dog to squish "You bring me …. Him!"

"Yes" Jack agreed as he grinned widely.

He had found a rare pretty, hadn't he?