9

"IANTO" Jack roared as he entered the pool building, running around the edge as the huge greenish blue tail flew up to slap down and the water flew, Warren yelping as he tried to avoid it and Jack cracked open the vial he had run in shaking then poured it into the water. The water started to turn to jelly.

Jack grinned at the jokes forming as the merman once again leapt from the water, this time twisting in midair to land on the pool's titled edge, feet already forming as the tail dematerialized and Ianto stood dripping as his skin rejected the water then forced out the three piece suit.

"Wow" Warren said softly, his first time seeing a Kelpie in mid-transformation and he was smitten.

Jack seized Ianto and hugged him as the water in the pool became a sold jelly block, Warren picking up a pool noodle the poke at it with interest, the inky monster blinking slowly as it finally find itself stuck.

"I am OK" Ianto scolded "You were supposed to watch the kids!"

"They are fine, I locked the doors" Jack waved a hand and Ianto sighed.

"Cariad… what about the two here with us next to a Phantom?" Ianto asked and Jack stared at him, then sheepishly grinned.

"Oh… right. Babans. Babies, right?"

"Jack… seriously. After all this time you know NO welsh?" Ianto grumbled as he turned to watch Warne poke at the jelly some more, his face full of glee now. "It might work out how to break free if you piss it off more than confuse it"

Warren looked sheepish as he slid his hands into his pockets, the noodle now shivering on the top of the jelly block.

"Uncle Jack?"

Jack turned to find Steven there, looking at him with interest. "Hey solider. This is your school? Mum told me you were at the one in town"

"I had a bullying problem, she moved me here" Steven said with a shrug, "Some of my friends from primary are here, it's heaps better."

Jack nodded as he reached out to stroke the boy's blonde hair "Well, I will have to see if your mum needs some more money for the school fees, looks like a nice uniform."

Steven was staring at Ianto, mostly ignoring Jack as he asked "Were you just a fish?"

"I am an ancient species that can take on other forms, yes. A Merman was one of them." Ianto replied calmly "Also… Warren here is a Werewolf."

"COOL!" Steven's eyes widened as he looked at Jack "I knew you were Torchwood, I told mum you were. Right?"

"Yes sweetie, I am" Jack said with open affection for the child who had no idea he was Jack's grandson, the love raw as Ianto felt it flowing through Jack.

How sad. A child that could have so much love, affection, guidance… not even knowing his own worth here. So sad, Alice too indoctrinated by her mother to ever trust Jack to be the father to her he always wanted ot be. Of all his children, those who tuned from him hurt as much as those he has buried for there is still the loss.

"Uncle Jack… is that … an alien too?" the boy pointed hesitantly at the jelly block.

"Yes, an Arigoeriff Phantom. Usually they are quite docile and only come out at night when they are invisible to the human eye but something has upset it, caused it to attack like this. Could be this one is new here and mistook the children's laughter for something else… who knows. They do not communicate that well with us." Jack sighed as he grimaced at the jelly, then turned to find a teacher and another woman approaching at speed "Ah… here is your mother now."

"Jack!" she spat as she got into the pool house "I should have known you were part of this somehow!"

"Hey" Ianto barked with anger "This is not his fault. This is an alien being that attacked the children and would have eaten the three it had bailed dup had we not contained it. Do not speak to him like that!"

"It's OK love, she didn't mean it like that, her mother's voice echoes form her sometimes" Jack sighed as he turned to smile to Steven again "Off you go Soldier, your mum needs you to head back to class now she can see you did not lose a limb."

"Bye Uncle Jack… and… mister…"

"Ianto. I am your uncle's partner. So… uncle Ianto I guess" Ianto smiled softly as he wriggled his fingers at him.

"Really? Uncle Jack?" Steven asked with awe "you are married to an alien?"

"Well… we've not done the wedding thing yet but… yeah. We live together, have a little one… a son called Wick with another two soon … so… actually… you are right Steven. I need a wedding don't I. We need to make if official, do you think so Mister Jones? Wanna get married?" Jack called across the Jelly Block.

"Huh? Er…. I guess so… but if you turn up in a bloody wedding gown I will nut ya" Ianto called back across the building with a glare that had Jack and Steven laughing. Warne had left to check the kids like a good man and Ianto looked like he was in the middle of a photo shoot.

Alice looked at the handsome man in the three piece suit, then at her father with shock "You're gay?"

"Oh Alice love. I would never have pegged you as narrow minded" Jack sighed as he shook his head "when I love, I love completely. Ianto is my love, my beloved. "

Ianto was walking around the pool and stepped in close to say to her softly "And I shall NEVER leave him. I embrace him and his anomaly, even if your mother never could."

Alice looked between the two men, then turned in time to see her son disappearing into the other building, unaware of the animosity now in the pool building.

"Come on Cariad… Wick will be waiting for his Daddy" Ianto said as he walked off and Jack kissed Alice's cheek gently, then sighed as he shook his headm his sorrow evident as he whispered his goodbye.

Alice stood for a while staring at the jelly block, until the UNIT soldiers asked her politely to leave.

What a day.