19

The party was underway, children spewing from doorways like little terrorists as Ianto found sitting in one place was preferable to trying to walk around while they were still in the excited phase of the sleepover.

David had wangled two friends, Mica had five actually … making the poor little house burst at the seams with nine….ah…well …. Really eleven children who knew better and Jack and Gray roared and screamed while racing around as well.

Rye took it all well, wide eyes as the bay watched them running past, clinging tightly to Ianto's' shirt for comfort and Ianto knew he would seen snap once the cap guns came out, not fair when they were all enjoying themselves so he took his little one outside to the cool air of the coming evening. He walked to his 'retreat' as the rotunda was now being called, settling in there with a blanket over the bub on his chest and a book. It was lovely that the solar lights worked so well and by the time "FOOOD" was being screamed he knew Bonnie was there with the stuff she was bringing from work as well as the pizzas.

Net time he looked up Jack was there, smiling down at him "Hey handsome. Gotta eat."

Ianto smiled as he shifted in the seat, wahtcing jack place donw a plateof food and a tall glass of orange juice. He chose a slice of pizza and started to chew thoughtfully, hping to appease the man but Jack erched on the edge of the low siding to wathc him.

"The girls are deciding if the little room you have for them is a fairy house or princess castle. The boys are happy with the toy airplanes. They are building them like crazy. Where the hell did you got those kits?" Jack asked, the kitset planes something Ianto knew would go down well. Good thing he got ten.

"Mr Southeran had them out back, when I said about the party he showed them to me. Lovely man, did you know he lost two boys in the military?" Ianto asked "He has a daughter left."

Jack canted his head. "South… really? You ARE making friends. He's a bit standoffish."

"Just doesn't like strangers. Protective of his little town" Ianto nodded "Loves Rye. Kept calling him Rye Bean. I don't think you get Rye in beans, the Rye grass is from a seed but he seemed to think it was right."

Jack laughed softly "Maybe it's a new jellybean flavour yet to take of?"

Ianto joined the laughter then sighed "Someone needs a nappy change."

"I'll do it. Time to come inside out of the night air anyway. Come on" Jack said, talking a kiss as well as the baby and Ianto resisted the 'sure dad' comment as Jack started to leave.

"I will be right there Cariad, just going to move the flower pots out, it is going to rain tonight."

Jack didn't know how he knew that but didn't question it as he is always right.

.

.

.

.

"SO … OK. That is ….ah….weird" Jack said slowly as he looked at the room, the boys frozen in mid-dance with their boxers on their heads and a toy plane each held high like some offering to the gods.

"We are boxer pilots!" David said indignantly "Do you mind!"

"Not at all old man" Jack gave his best British accent "Do carry on!"

Giggling as he closed the door and stood outside the room listening to the weird noises resuming that must be aircraft engines in warped brains. He then headed up tp the other room of weird. Boxer Pilots? What?

The girls were painting one another's toe nails, but not all one colour. Each girl had at least three different colour choices being put on by another girl in a weird display of contortionism that had him thinking of those silly pictures where you don't know where something starts or ends.

"Yes?" Mica asked imperiously.

"Just cheeking the princesses are Ok, and you too my queen" Jack said quickly, diffusing a possible meltdown and Mica grinned at him showing he had misread it, she was only playing.

"Is Rye asleep?"

"Yes love. Snoring away for the night. He might sleep through again if we are lucky but up here you will not hear if he decides on a three am feed or something. Ianto did a good job here." Jack said as he looked around the room, pink organza everywhere with fairy lights and it was like being inside a genie's bottle.

"Good night Daddy Jack" Mica said as she turned back to the friend's nails and Jack felt an irrational feeling of tears pricking as he blew a skis and closed the door before she saw.

Daddy.

She said it without any fanfare or fuss, just made it clear that he was now. Her Daddy. Felt good.

"Hey" he whispered as he entered the bedroom where Ianto was already resting in bed, finishing that book. Damn that man can read. Jack padded over to peek in the cot at the bay "Mimi called me Daddy."

"She did?" Ianto smiled as he saw the joy in Jack's face.

"Daddy Jack."

"Well … good. About time. She called me Taddy the other day and my heart stopped for a while. So glad she is feeling loved and we are clearly doing something right" Ianto placed his bookmark carefully in his book and opened his arms as he added "not sure about the Boxer Boy though."

Jack rushed into them with delight.

Something soooo right there too.

.

.

.

.

So ends this segment. Not sure about the next one, still chewing on it. Thinking … we being those mountain folk down for something, eh?