30

The phone call to Gene in the SUV had been short and nasty, the screaming rage cutting out as Idris went into meltdown over the speaker phone and Ianto pulled into the parking lot, turning to face his child.

"Alfonso is an old friend" Ianto explained, "You remember Uncle Alf, right? He is a special person too. He is so lovely and will want to help, OK?"

Babbit nodded sadly as John sat with him, still raging silently.

They entered the beauty salon and Alfonso was shrieking and waving red painted talons as he rushed to Ianto for kisses, then looked down at Babbit.

"Uncle Alf?" Babbit asked with wonder as the pretty lady knelt to look at his hair.

"Oh my baby, what happened?" she cooed, reaching out to stroke his cheek.

"Bullies cut my hair coz I have a girl inside my heart" Babbit whimpered and several gasps alerted Ianto to the clientele listening.

"Oh! Hell! No!" the large black woman said, her hand waggling as she dug into her bosoms and pulling out a cell phone, "Hell fucking no!"

John stepped outside to take a phone call and his animated hand gestures told Ianto whoever it was, they were being spoken to rather rudely.

"Come here my wee blossom" Alfonso patted a bright pink chair and Babbit gasped as he saw the blingy rhinestones around it.

"Oh! So pretty!" he breathed as he rubbed his fingers over the stones.

"Oh honey, you're a girl after my own heart" Alfonso gushed, "Call me Aunty Floss."

Babbit lit up as a pink cape was flapped and then Walter spoke up, "I want my curls cut too."

"Walt?" Ianto asked with surprise.

"Babs has no curls, I don't want mine!" Walter said defiantly, "Why should I have curls when he can't!"

Walter climbed into a chair and folded his arms.

"But .. I love you hair" Ianto said sadly, seeing that Walter had made his mind up and both children got a hairdo to suit their needs.

The children looked at each other and smiled, Walter's stylish do looked punky and Babbit's fluffy do looked like something Brad Pitt would be proud of. Or Jodie Foster.

"See?" Aunty Floss crooned, "Fabulous!"

"Wow" Babbit said shaking his head and watching the wisps of hair float around, "I look like a fairy!"

Ianto grimaced, then turned as the drag queens started to laugh and Floss patted the boy's head, "Honey, we're all fairies here!"

Babbit grinned and clapped with glee as Ianto smiled.

"You are a good looking man" a woman said to Ianto, "Are you taken honey?"

"Daddy would say so" Stephen said from the floor with Ton, "He says Taddy was his from before the sea knew how to make waves."

Everyone awed and Ianto blushed as he nodded silently.

"How sweet. These all yours hon?"

"Yes, Stephen, Walter, Babbit and Ton." Ianto smiled as he pointed to each child.

"Ton?"

"Carlton, after Jack's father. Babbit's true …um … first name is Noah. I guess you were always a Babs, weren't you?" Ianto smiled at his little love, "My little Rabbitty Babbit."

"I love you Taddy" Babbit smiled as he felt right again with his pretty new hair.

"And I think you are the prettiest baby I ever did see" Ianto gushed as John agreed.

Babbit sqweed and clasped his little hands as he looked into the mirror again and pouted into a duck face so John's cheekbones blew out, his Papa doing the same behind him and everyone sighed at the matching pair.

Yep.

Fabulous!