15

Ianto knew she would continue to be trouble and in the end… he was over this fighting thing. Not good for the baby ya know. He simply let Gwen make her life a misery and watched from a distance while keeping a regal air about himself.

"I feel sorry for Gray. I thought she might be the one but… she's not that shiny" Jack said after a while, watching the poor girl following Gray like a kicked puppy. "Mama usually has better judgement."

Ianto blinked, looking over at him and biting his tongue before thinking of a good answer "Maybe she fooled your mother. Her good heart."

Jack nodded, and then grinned as he looked at Ianto "Was that sarcasm?"

"Well… she did kill your first mate … tried to do for your second one sitting here next to you… she did seem to have a set idea of things. Not like her to make a mistake" Ianto said blandly.

"Well… I think she has to go" Jack sighed "I keep forgetting… it was like a fog."

It was the pendant. Ianto knew this now. Each time Jack started to feel the wrongness of his mother the pendant was correcting him. IT was now just a haze and most likely Jack would never fully get what had been happening.

Ianto chose to forgive for this, the witch's power clearly strong.

His was stronger.

As she found out.

He must have been grinning a bit because Jack reached out and took his hand, raising his hand to his lips then whispering "you look a little evil there darling."

"Thinking of the fun we had last night in the … room" Ianto winked and Jack laughed loudly then settled back. Ianto let their hands remain joined. He also decided to let the pain of what had happened go. This was beyond Jack's control. He knew this now and also knew Jack must have fought it at times to love him despite his mother's wishes.

"How is our little one doing?" Jack asked.

Ianto patted his stomach gently "sleeping. Like his big brother over there."

Jack looked over to watch Jax sleeping in the lap of the nanny, his little arms thrown out as he snored softly with her rubbing his chest lovingly. Him. Jack looked back and closed his eye as he reached out to touch Ianto's stomach, then smiled.

Him.

"It's a boy!" he breathed with delight.

"Do you think so? I do too… for a day or so now… I felt… yes. Oh Cariad, now you've said it I feel it stronger… yes. It is a boy" Ianto leaned over and kissed him "Clever man."

"I am hungry now… some fresh fruit I think" Ianto said, lifting a hand and laughing as the plate of fresh fruit appeared as if by magic, the servant blushing as they mentioned thinking he might want something sweet.

"Ah… we have such a wonderful family supporting us" Ianto smiled as he thanked the man who bobbed and blushed happily.

"I might go for a ride later, you up for one?" Jack asked.

"Actually I might be a lazy sod and go nave a kitty cat nap in the sunshine. You go... the girls might like to get their ponies out for a gallop too… especially if their uncle Gray is going too. They are quite smitten" Ianto laughed.

Jack kissed him and went to see what the kids wanted, in the end even strapping the little boy on his back and Jax was suddenly wide away and squealing with glee as he really liked horsies ya know.

Ianto went to the garden for the large sheltered corner with the willow tree that covered the seat he liked to snooze on. The pillows were already there along with a rug and again he felt loved by the staff who were fussing something fierce now. So nice.

Gwen was nearby weeding.

"Hello Gwen, Jack is about to clatter off on the horses with the kids, why not go with? He might like that. Rhys is going with them ya know" Ianto said as he settled and smiled when she rose to rush off and join the fun.

Ahhhh.

Peace at last.

Ianto closed his eyes and was soon asleep.

.

.

They were in a rush, yelling and laughing as they took off out of the courtyard for the huge open fields and more than one stable hand put down their tools and went to get something to eat now the Master was out of the house.

No one thought twice about the open stalls to be cleaned out yet.

.

.

Ianto was drifting, more asleep than awake and he felt a shadow fall over him, cutting off the warm sun and making him feel quite chilled. He opened an eyelid to see someone standing over him and he was about to auk what the hell was happening when they gave a shrill shriek and whoever it was got jerked back. Ianto sat up and looked on with horror as two horses attacked the woman, clearly not liking that pendant in her pocket either.

He yelled and stable hands tried to get control and finally Ianto rose, calling out as he lifted his hands and the horses stopped, panting heavily as they seemed to wake from some trance, looking around and calmly wandering back to their stalls as the woman lay on the ground groaning in pain from the biting and kicking she had endured.

"Well now Grace… you do seem to have bad luck lately" Ianto said as he motioned for someone to help her.

Somehow he knew Gray would not mind this ... ah… accident.

Things were working out nicely.