6

Jack helped hang the lacy curtains over the windows, the painting taking his eye and he stood looking at the pretty little angel with interest. Finally he looked over at Ianto who was kneeling as he helped stack some books in the little bookcase that had appeared from somewhere. "Tiger?"

"Hmmmm?"

"Is this our Ruby Jean?"

Emma swung to look as Jack again looked at the painting and said "She is so damned pretty, look at her. A little angel come to earth for a while… I bet she lit up the entire room each time she entered it."

"Yeah. She did" Ianto smiled softly "First time I saw her I thought I was dying. Must have been… eight? Nine? I knew then and there that I wanted to marry her. She laughed at me and said 'sure' then ten years later… we did."

"Then came Charlie… you must have thought Pearl would be as easy a birth, her death must have been horrifying." Jack shook his head sadly "Such a waste of a wonderful person, look at the cheekiness in her smile."

"I thought I was going to die. I slept on her grave for days…" Ianto stopped talking, looking away as he sighed "Henry would carry me home once I had lost consciousness only for me to drag my way back when I woke up again. I just wanted to be with her. I am ashamed to say… I thought about taking my own life to be with her again but… the children needed me."

"Of course" Jack pulled him into his arms "you bonded, it would have been unbearable to lose a part of your soul like that. I am so sorry."

"I think that is why I stopped painting, I saw her everywhere, felt her hair flinging in my cheek as she leans over my shoulder to check my strokes with that little giggle before she grabbed at me to make me swipe the picture then shout at her with fake annoyance… it was our little thing." Ianto laughed, pointing "That stain on the floor was a paint well. By the time we were to our senses it was sunk into the wood. I think we made Charlie that day. A good day."

Jack sighed softly "It's weird how the worlds turn. I was…. What… in the service then. While you tow were making babies I was on another planet in battle, watching those around me die. I thought my life would never be fulfilled, that I would die there in battle. And look at us here and now. Like the Gods decided they had punished us enough for a previous life's crime or something."

"I am sorry for the suffering you undertook for us, for our freedoms but when you look at those little ones you know you did it for them, right? You kept our sector safe" Ianto pulled him close and it was like they were the only people in the room.

Emma saw and felt the love there, pleased her brother-in-law had found someone after the devastating loss of her sister.

For her brother had been blinded with his own grief but she had seen.

She had feared him taking his life, hearing him admit it was scary. Seeing him shine once more was something she hoped her sister knew. Helped with maybe, bringing this handsome man this way.

.

.

"Painting eggs?" Dickie asked hopefully, looking at Charlie with wide eyes.

"Yes Dickerson. We will boil some eggs and then paint them before they are left for the Easter Bunny to hide in the night. Then after breakfast we seek those eggs and the one with the most eggs in their basket wins the biggest piece of Easter Cake" Emma said, the unspoken truth was that everyone wild get cake anyway.

"I want mine black!" Dickie said "then I can find it in the grass."

"But I might find it first" Charlie warned "First in, best dressed mate."

"I will lamp ya!"

"Will not." Charlie laughed "You know if I won I would share my cake anyway."

"Fair enough" came the reply and soon they were watching with glee as Emma slowly lowered the eggs into the boiling water with a large spoon. She knew it would have been easier to put them in while the water was cold but for some reason the kids loved seeing the spoon disappear in the steam.

"Aunty?" Duckie said softly "Can I have the big one?"

"Yes, there is one big one for each of you" she replied, so pleased that the little boy chose to call her that as well, like the other two children. Sue had so much love to give and it was going to be so much fun.

The giggling filled the room as she placed the large Gooseril egg on a spoon and lowered it, the thing the size of a grapefruit. They tasted horrible but the shells were so pretty with natural swirls in the shell.

Emma was having the time of her life.

Damien was sitting at the table watching with interest too.

Ianto's plan was working.