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Jack frowned as he watched Ianto settling to feed Pip "Just like that!"

"Yes" Ianto did not look up from the toddler who was calmly showing Ianto how many pieces of watermelon might fit in his mouth at one time "Just like that."

"Do I not get a say?"

Ianto finally looked at him and frowned "What is it with you? You've been prickly every since they came. Get a grip will you?"

Jack huffed as he went back to rethreading a bootlace and Pip was finished, his hands splayed to show nothing hidden there, all the watermelon making his cheeks puff out. Ianto sighed as he conceded defeat "Well, I guess I did say empty plate, empty chair. I did start this. Ok. Go on then, get your boots on and we will go see."

Pip squealed around the gooey mess he was sucking on as he wriggled from the chair to run for his little gumboots. Ianto knew they needed more of those, so many little ones here, still coming. Jack saw Ianto's frown and listened to the random thoughts flying about, choosing one Ianto was not seriously clutching at "they might not want quarters so close!"

Ianto looked at him with interest "Jack. Were you trolling my thoughts?"

"I merely caught the fact you want them to have next door. I thought … when Frank and Dean are older… it might be for them." Jack shrugged like he had always thought that not come up with it at a second's notice and Ianto shook his head with annoyance. He really did not get this thing between the two men. Jack was so jealous even though there had never been something sexual between them.

"Look … Kris and Alli need a place down here before the next snap. We start now, it will be home when it happens. Then … if she falls preggers there will be room. Next door has three good sized bedrooms off the main room" Ianto huffed.

Jack glared at his broken lace … another one. "What if she doesn't find a fella to get her up the duff, ever thought of that? He should have his own bloody cave somewhere else."

Ianto's' hand froze halfway to the glass of milk his baby had left, the realisation that Jack thought Kris and Alli were not a couple finally dawning and he looked at him with open annoyance now. Then schooled his features as he saw that Kris was still playing games and for once … Jack was unwittingly deserving "Well Cariad. Maybe she doesn't need to. Maybe… maybe she already has a fella picked out!"

He watched Jack's face change to one of confusion, then he rose, knotting the laces as he rushed after his son who was already toddling off down the tunnel system cooing softly. Jack chased him into the cavern Allison now controlled with Bonnie, the two women firm friends as they built a new forge not only worthy of Kristopher's talents but baby safe.

"Here he is!" she crowed, scooping Pip up "Come test the baby corner for me!"

She plonked the little boy in a huge pen, looking like a waist high jail and Pip looked around with interest, immediately seeing a little hammer and some bits of wood. He rushed over to pick up the hammer and looked at Kris who was pounding out a piece of metal, then thumped his own hammer down. He remembered. Something twigged and he pointed as he babbled softly about things and picked up another piece of wood and built a higher block.

Kris saw and walked over with the piece of glowing metal then after a moment's thought placed it inside the pen where the little man was pointing with authority. Jack took a deep breath of horror as the white hot metal made the wood burn, Pip lifting a hammer to smash it down with eagerness. Kris handed over the cloth end of the metal and walked away, calling over his shoulder "Maybe the playpen is not the right place for him. Looks like he needs his own wee forge area."

Pip was pounding, still intent on making something and a small hook started to grow from the end, the baby twisting and moving the metal until a shepherd's crock was apparent …. Pip sized. He then calmly shoved it through the bars into the running stream and it sizzled, bubbled and settled for him to examine, poke and nod. Then he calmly used it to unlock the pen and wander out.

"See?" Allison giggled "Told you a swing hook was a stupid idea."

"Yeash" Pip agreed "Needs a cross bolt!"

Kris roared with mirth as the baby made the motioning of bolting the gate, then looked around and pointed "That is too low. Bubbas will pull it over."

Kris nodded, agreeing as he raised a bowl of cooling metal shavings he was going to use in a knife block. Pip was right, even with safety gates and such you should always think of little fingers. It had just been so long since there had been any free ranging ones about. He looked at the child again "You know, you are a clever little man."

"Yes" the voice was clear now as he was spoken to by someone older than he had first thought "We are all more than we seem down here in the rough. This is a good idea though."

Allison knelt and pulled to little boy closer, looking into those blue eyes and seeing the age there.

"You wanna know something Pipperoony?"

Pip nodded happily at the lovely smelling lady.

"I like it here too. Want to help me go get some nice blankets of the pen?"

"Furs" he corrected, again the old voice was surprising "We go to the Farm and can get some hides and maybe a woolly sheepskin or three."

She nodded and accepted his hand as he stated to lead her towards the Farm Caves.

He seemed born to it.

Leading.

..

.

Just this one more and don't get used to it! I am glad you all like Kris and Alli. Meretrixvilis and I have LOTS of ideas in our evil brains for this.