57

"Did you mean that?"

Jack turned to face his husband as he finished settling the baby in his crib and was surprised to see hesitation in Ianto's face.

"Mean what?"

"That …I'm still …you know" Ianto flapped a hand at himself. "I'm still fat, still pudgy. I need to really get back in shape and …"

Jack was across the room with his mouth plastered against Ianto's before he could finish self-depreciating himself.

"I find you the most alluring creature I have ever seen." Jack assured him, "I want to lay you here on the bed and lick every inch of skin, I want to lube you up and rub all over you like …"

"Uncle?" a little voice had Jack looking down as a cheeky little face looked around the doorframe, "What's lube?"

"Anwen" Jack spluttered as Ianto started to laugh, gripping the doorframe as his knees went weak and Jack growled as he scooped up the child and rushing her out of the room before she started to squeal, his fingers ticking as he leapt on the sofa with her.

Ianto padded over to adjust the blankets, knowing Jack always forgot that their son got hot and would push them off if they were not folded back from his chest. He turned to find Maddy in the room with another drinking vessel.

"Oh!" he said with delight as he reached for it and glugged it down, licking his lips with delight, "Never enough."

"You require more?" she asked with surprise and he smiled as he told her he would drink two.

She laughed, a strange haunting series of grunts as she stroked his cheek and he stumbled to the bed, falling flat on his face as he started to snore and she gently rolled him onto his side before leaving him to burn through the special powders in the drink.

Ianto woke to the sound of his son calling out and he stretched, yawned and padded over to croon and lift him to his breast, enjoying that pulling feeling as his wee bug drank with such fury that Ianto wondered if the wee beast might rip the nipple right off.

Ianto walked though the house finding it quiet and heard shouting outside that showed everyone was trying to train the dogs. Again.

Fools, the dogs didn't' care about where they wanted them to poo.

Ianto undressed himself and his mite, then slid into the hot pool and sighed happily as the hot water crawled up his body to cocoon him and his wee bit on a hot cuddle. Tucker was full and gave a lusty burp and then, to Ianto's delight, a loud bubbly fart came up from below and Ianto laughed as Tucker glared at him like he had done it.

"That was all you little man" Ianto giggled, "Quite powerful in every way yeah?"

Tucker blinked and then grinned as he snuggled in, enjoying the nakedness of them both and the sensation of floating as they drifted in the serene chamber.

Maddy watched intently as her little one's eyes slid to find her and he raised a hand to wriggle fingers, then settled again.

Ianto was already stronger, feeling his oats s they said here and she knew that within the next few days he would be tearing his skin off with the urge to fight with someone.

She moved into the lower level where Rex was working out in the gym and without any warning she shoved him in the back, propelling him into the wall with a bark of pain. He spun to respond and they were soon exchanging blows, Maddy careful to be gentle.

Then he laughed as he held his hands up, showing he was done and she watched as he grabbed a bottle of water.

"Brother will want to spar soon" she informed him, "Within the next days ahead. Inside the week."

"Really?" he turned with surprise, "He seems so … tired."

"Healing" she said for the umpteenth time, "He is almost done with that and will want to tone himself again. He has things to do, a whole world waiting and is already feeling a need to defend. In order to be a defender he must heal and he must fight. You are his sparring partner. You will be the one he challenges first as you were once a threat. In order to feel safe, his bug to be safe around you, he will feel the need to attack you. Please remember that it is not personal and he will be horrified in himself for attacking you but he will. Not today, not tomorrow. But soon, my brother will rear his head and focus on you as a possible threat. The memory of her, her taint on you will remain until he washes you clean in combat."

"It's funny but I do understand you" Rex sighed, "I need to prove myself to him as well. To all of them, they accepted me and I feel like a cuckoo."

She canted her head and pointed a long taloned finger at him, "Remember, at the end. when he has you beaten yet you still struggle that you are not a cuckoo, he is. Remember. He is what you believe yourself to be and see yourself in his gaze. Only then will you accept. As will he."

She walked from the room and he stood for a long time staring at the space she had possessed.

His skin continued to crawl as he went over her words.

He was under no illusions that he would be the one to yield in the end.

He just hoped Ianto would offer him his hand to help him rise afterwards.

And not break his fucking neck.