3

Ianto was in the school classroom, singing softly as he encouraged the children to join in. Learning that they still feared punishment for subversive behaviour had hurt him to the core and he was determined to let them feel the freedom of being themselves.

Loudly.

"Come on" he called out, the guitar suddenly banging out the tune he had been quietly plucking and several children rose from their seats to belt out the song, others joining as one or two continued to look horrified. In time they showed they all knew the subversive song about a rainbow and as they revelled in sharing it other parentals entered with interest as Torchwood piped the sweet voices around the vessel.

The lesson over, Ianto packed away his prized guitar, rising to leave but finding his way blocked by a large man he did not know, someone from engineering who did not socialise.

"I want that" the man snarled as he pointed at the guitar case.

Ianto blinked, then realised he was not in uniform as this was down time and he glanced over to where Indigo was asleep in his little capsule, being doted on my many who were not looking in his direction then he looked back to the man who had no idea who he was addressing in such a rude way.

"No"

The man blinked, then snorted like he thought Ianto was joking, reaching for the guitar case as he shoved Ianto hard in the shoulder to bounce into the wall.

Ianto pulled the guitar case back and Ianto knew it would take the knock in the sturdy case as he swing it up, catching the man in the gut then he dropped the case and followed though with a right hook that spun the man into the wall, following it with a body slam against him with a snarl of rage "Ever touch me again and I will cut your fucking hand off then shove it up your arse!"

Then the man was gone, two of the other parentals having seized him and they were dragging him from the room as the children looked on with open fear, Ianto kneeling to address them, assuring them he was OK and the man was simply rude. "He needs to learn manners. No one will harm him but he will get a talking to. I will not abide rudeness on my boat, OK?"

"YES SIR" they all bellowed and he rose with a soft smile.

"Well done, tomorrow I will come back and maybe have a new song for you to learn, yeah?"he offered and they cheered as he nodded to Alice, then lifted the guitar case again, walking out to place it on the small travellator sitting outside the door, turning to find Alice behind him with the capsule. "Thank you love."

She smiled as she handed the baby over and watched her … parental… lock the capsule in place beside the driver's seat and Ianto turned, kissing her cheek before sitting behind the controls to power along the corridor "See you at evening Mess?"

"Yes Tad" she said happily watching until the small vessel like a golf cart in steroids turned a corner, then she went back in to address the children.

"OK. Who can tell me what they are thinking" she challenged, as she did most days. Hands went up and she chose.

"Taddy Ianto should have whomped him harder!"

"OI that's my Da!"

"Your Da is a dick!"

"OI!"

"Stop that" Alice scolded then snorted as the man's son finally shrugged and admitted his Da had been a dick.

"Yes, but not all his fault. He never leant did he. You are so lucky, he did not know this sort of good time as a child. We must give those with less manners some patience, they have to learn, just like us" she nodded "Why he is going to tell the Captain and let it go. Don't worry Hevvif, your father will not be punished for this. He did not know Tad was Number 2. He was not in uniform and as your Da has to learn please and thank you … my Tad will forgive him."

"Your Tad?"

"Yes. The Captain is my father, my real Dad. Now he and the FO are a couple, bonded and together, he is my other Parental now. He is my Taddy. Just like Indigo. Just like Mica and Dafyd are now my siblings. Steven does not have to call them uncle and aunty though, that would be too weird." She laughed as the children saw the funny side and laughed as well.

As they do, they accepted this.

Alice looked to the doors and hoped her father did not lose his shit at learning Ianto had been challenged. He was his after all and so precious, with or without the added baby aspect.

She looked over at her son who was re-enacting the attack with Dafyd and smiled softly, feeling that slight burn of sorrow that her own mate had been so lacking.

Why couldn't she be loved too?