8

Jack did not say a single word.

This was unsettling.

Ianto knew there would be anger, some shouting and maybe tears but most likely a holes in walls kinda thing… he did not expect this…. Silence.

Jack rose and went to the kitchen, the sound of pot lids as he continued the evening meal preparation like Ianto had told him the tyres on the car needed to be replaced for winter.

"Jack?"

"The school has shut down now and Monica is about to drop so… we are going to have a little Christmas thing with the babies and baby-to-be moms" Jack said as he entered the room again with a cup of hot chocolate for each of them "should be fun… without alcohol."

"Jack…"

"No. Until it's a done thing… no. I will not discuss it again I …. No. OK? No" Jack said angry, slamming down the mug so hard that the liquid sloshed out and onto the wooden coffee table that Ianto always demanded coasters on.

Not today though.

Ianto took a deep breath as Jack rose to get the cloth, his anger making his moment jerky.

OK. This is how they were going to play it, eh?

OK.

Ianto can do righteous anger.

OK.

Focus.

.

.

"So… I said to her…. Not feckin pink again! And she burst into tears!" Lara was explaining as she sat with her hands folded over the large belly bump, Monica's only fractionally larger.

"But, it's twins. Can be one of each… why lock it in with a definitive colour if you won't let you daughter in law tell you the sex before popping day?" Jack asked as he lifted Sparky out of his car seat and joined the women in the group.

"That's what I said Jackie hon… could be one of each. God, like I was shooting her pet dog or something. Apparently… get this… HER family only have girls. Ah… what's your son? Chopped feckin ham?" Lana waved a hand "Silly bitch was on such a roll even she was losing the thread of the argument. Her husband looked ready to swallow his tongue."

"Well… the best answer is that Jack wears pink and so can any boy" Emily giggled as she pointed at Jack and the cute pink scarf he was untying.

"Well… Faith chose it. Was worried he might get cold, took her sooo long to tie it I thought it might be a noose when she was done" Ianto said as he joined them and the women all perked up as their handsome Fire Chief joined his equally handsome Fly Boy with Faith on his hip. "Ladies."

"Oh dear god… either me waters went or that deep voice was too much for me in this state" Monica laughed as she looked down at her feet.

"Oh shit… I hope that's your waters Mon or Tippy might kill me for making his wife that exited" Isnot said and they laughed, then Ianto rushed to get Owen.

They told no one of Skippy's troubles.

As agreed.

It did not exist until it existed.

.

.

"Well… we were gonna call him Thomas but I think that's mean. I mean, me having numbers after my name was silly given the fact we are not about to get on the private jet anytime soon so… we went with what we thought was best, what suits him" Tippy was saying as he stood proudly with his tiny bundle of joy in his arms while his wife slept on in the room next door "After some discusion we went with my maternal grandfahter, also Mon's Dad's name. Steven."

Jack blinked slowly as Ianto tried not to take that sharp intake of breath. He didn't know how to feel about that. He hadn't wanted the name, didn't like it but Jack had been so sure and now it was given to another. Was this an omen? Was he reading too much into the dammed thing?

Did it matter?

He was Sparky for life either way… stop it. No he wasn't. Alexander. Fuck.

Ianto rose "excuse me… gotta… ag…"

"Aw, look. The Chief's a little cut up for ya mate" Mickey said with surprise "we all are. So happy."

Jack followed Ianto outside into the cold air and stood next to him "You OK?"

"Box of fluffy sucks" Ianto croaked "I mean… dicks. Ducks. Fuck."

"Wow. All that?"

Both men snorted softly with fake mirth and then Jack reached out a hand "Come on. Let's go get out kids back off Missus Connelly before she gives Faith a bowl cut or something."

As they walked along the street the snow seemed to hang in the air, so pretty and fake. A movie set. That's how it felt to Ianto. The world was not real, none of it was. It was all a big bad dream or something.

"What are you thinking?" Jack asked.

"That I might wake up soon and tell myself that was a stupid dream, don't do it again" Ianto finally admitted "That and… don't cry. Men don't cry like babies in the middle of the street. That sort of thing. The usual."

"Oh. Me too. Snap."Jack said with fake bravado.

They walked on.

OK.