19

Doug was nervously pacing as he waited for news. What had started as an easy morning delivery was now a late afternoon emergency C-Section and as he tried to think of what to do the business card in his wallet seemed to call to him. He had moved them here for this job, no close friends or family, no one to sit with him. Could he bee this cheeky?

He called and spoke to someone called John or something, not really able to focus as time seemed to crawl. When Ianto entered with his entourage it was relief to have a distraction, even if the staff all went a little crazy.

"Any news?" Ianto asked as he came to sit next to Doug, the teddy and flowers placed carefully on an empty chair.

"I had thought… maybe by now but… I don't know. It's taking forever" Doug sighed.

"It seems that way, but remember… it only seems it. Later it will be a weird feeling but you will be OK" Ianto patted his arm gently and a smaller man slid past into the medical area. Doctor Harper? The Royal Physician himself?

Soon Owen came back out and nodded to Ianto "Looks OK in there, she just took a little while to go under. Looks like the little one is a solid size, they are being careful to get him out without bruising him."

Doug sighed with relief, leaning forward to place his face in his hands. Ianto rubbed his shoulders gently "See? It's OK. Going to be a little bugger I think, might give you some grey hairs."

Doug laughed softly "Thanks for being here… I just… we have no family here."

"I just have Jack and his madness. I have a sister, Rhiannon but we don't talk. He didn't approve of the whole 'gay' thing. She didn't know Jack was Jack. Just some fella I was sneaking around with so she let me have it with both barrels. The entire… choose us or him thing. Well… what could I do but loose the family I thought loved me to ensure a family I knew for sure loved me" Ianto plucked at the corner of the chair's stitching "These are horrible things. I must see about some nicer chairs."

"Your mother died when you were young right?"

"Yes. My parents died and I went into the queen's stables. Her daughter wanted me for her stables once she saw Jack getting interested so she could make waves but we were on to her" Ianto smiled.

"So you and the Good King…."

"Oh… love at first sight. We were just teenagers and… wow. I looked up and he was leaning over the gate to the stall looking down at me and… I swear to god the earth shifted and I knew it would never be the same" Ianto sighed softly "We used beards. Lisa for me and Gwen for Jack so people would not know his proclivities. Of course… it's mote now."

"Lady Rhiannon though, you do speak still?"

"Yes, we do pretend to be close" Ianto laughed "Last time we were in the same room though… we had nothing to talk about."

"A lonely childhood then."

"No… not really. Solitary at times but I never felt lonely. The horses… cats… stable hands… time spent in the kitchens… no. I had a huge family, always. Now I am the one leading them instead of waiting for the orders. That's all" Ianto shrugged as he rose to find Owen approaching.

"Congrats, your little boy is amazing. They are getting your wife into recovery and you can see them both soon, everything is good. It all went well" Owen said, then turned to Ianto "you OK?"

"Yeah. Tired. This one needs to come out soon" Ianto sighed, rubbing his belly.

"He's a big one too. You are going onto bed rest next week, right?" Owen asked, then screwed his face up to match the grimace Ianto was starting to give him "Awwww… you hate it, I know. Sorry."

Doug was finally allowed to see his wife and Ianto refused to go in as well "This is your time. Go. I will talk to you later."

Ianto got out to the car and as he settled in the back seat he said to Owen "Never gets old, does it? New life"

"Yeah" Owen agreed with a matching grin.

The vehicle slid out into traffic as Ianto leaned back to burp softly, then grimace "God, sorry."

Owen was laughing as the black van from the side street van hit their vehicle side on, lifting it into the air for moment as Ianto yelped with horror, gripping the suicide strap as he felt himself lift off the seat.

The world seemed to spin and Ianto felt Owen falling against him trying to cover him as a good friend does, a good little brother does…

then it all went black.