27

"Douglas!" Ianto said as he watched the man enter his private quarters, the nervousness coming off the poor man in waves. Douglas' wife followed with her baby in her arms, her eyes wide as she drank in the opulence and power she had seen out in the main rooms. Ianto's private rooms were, of course, homey.

"Your Majesty, may I present my wife Maxine and out little boy Cleric."

"Majesties" Maxine curtsied, hard to do with a bundle in your arms and Ianto huffed as he gestured for her to stop.

"Ah… what a lovely name" Ianto smiled, then levered himself out of his armchair with a grimace, then a wave of his hand as Malcolm tried to help and got slapped back "I am not a fucking invalid. I have to move, good for the healing. Those who make the mistake of not moving about can sometimes find their bodies healing in an unsatisfactory way!"

"Well, that's me told" Malcolm said with a grin.

"HEY!" Jack yelled as he entered, then stopped to grimace as two babies screamed with shock and terror at the loud noise.

"CARIAD!" Ianto roared, then stopped, reaching back to place his hand on the arm of the chair and take a deep breath "For the love of chocolate! Must I retrain you about volume levels with EVERY baby?"

"Sorry love … you know I am excitable" Jack grimaced.

Maxine was staring at Malcolm, then Jack with wide eyes. Then she blinked, and looked between them again.

"Malcolm is my double, isn't he… to tell you the truth, we are brothers… well, half. Daddy dear liked the help a little too much. We are going to start telling people, silly secret to keep I think. Dad loves us both." Jack said as he flopped in a chair and then saw that she had a baby, leaping up to rush over "Awwwww…. Boy or girl?"

"Boy" she blurted as he snatched it from her and sat back down to croon at the little one with delight.

"Don't' mind the king … he has too much caffeine in the mornings as of late… still getting into baby sleep cycles." Ianto smiled, motioning them to sit "Douglas, I hear you caught some flack for what happened. I know you had nothing to do with it."

"I should not have rung you, you would not have come out" Douglas said as he leaned forward to reach for Ianto's hand without a second thought. As he held Ianto's hand his wife's eyes widened once more.

"Douglas, we all need someone sometimes and there is no shame in asking for help… you asked for my friendship, I gave it. This was not on you. They were after Jack anyway … had it been him in there he would no doubt not have remembered the hidden gun compartment" Ianto said softly "thinks happen as they do, with or without our beating ourselves up about it."

"You have a … healthy... way of looking at things" Douglas said as he sat back.

"Not the first or last attempt on my life, why fear what I cannot see coming … when I have so much to see that I can rejoice in" Ianto replied as he patted the man's hand.

Jack rose and handed the baby to its mother "Blessings. So lovely. Where's mine?"

"Granny" Ianto rolled his eyes "He will want the breast soon and she still has not managed ot cajole me into a wet nurse."

"I don't know why she insists, did with each baby like you might relent this time" Jack flapped back again "Max?"

Can you not hear the cheering? Max and Mac are on their horses showing off for the stable hands. John is no doubt there with them too ..tha t poor little Cora strapped to his chest like a pimple." Malcolm laughed "Who would have thought, John bloody Hart… a nurturer."

"For the right babies. He is a royalist" Ianto said sternly, then laughed with Malcolm.

Jack noticed the poor woman still looking between the two men with interest, their matching teeth and laughter un-nerving.

"Mal is my brother, but you've guessed that. My father dipped his wick and there is… six or seven months between us? Close enough not be the twins we appear to be. We have always known each other and he has always been close to me. Ianto … well … my one true love. The woman my father is with now is my old nanny… Malcolm's mama. Like I said, we are going to publically admit it now. This family is in need of being transparent. This royal tradition of secrets and lies has to stop, this generation will do so" Jack sighed as he rubbed his face, and then lit up as the Queen entered with her newest great-grandchild in her arms. "Milly!"

"He's killing it. 'My-Lor' not 'Me-lar' for the pronunciation" Douglas said softly, and then added "But it is a nice nickname all the same."

"I give up, the press caught it and it's done now. At least it's not another mix of initials. Max, Mary and Milly. I see Mary being a real tomboy that fits Mac more I fear." The Queen huffed as he leaned over to kiss Ianto's forehead "Are you Ok poppet? You look flushed."

"Happy to see a friend Granny, that's all" Ianto said happily "Douglas here has a newborn too, look."

She made the right noises then wafted off, Ianto watching her go then swung to Douglas "She is off to check the to older ones. No doubt will scold Mac for riding bareback again. These kids have given her new purpose."

"She has such fire, Mac." Douglas said happily "a formidable little general."

"Yes" Jack agreed as he considered "One day she could lead an army. After all … she has me around her little finger."

Ianto winked as Douglas agreed.

"Yes Sire, but my god babies are amazing, isn't it grand?"