Chapter 2 – Play Date

"Mum says you can come o'er tomorrow if you wanna."

"I'll ask Mam."

"Yay!"

X.x

"Yes, that sounds fine. Thank you very much Christine, Ianto'll have a great time, I'm sure. Thank you – we'll be able to get the wedding plans started." Ianto had no idea what his mother was saying, but it sounded good.

"Mam!" Ianto's eldest sister, Alice, had a very whiny voice. "Why're you marrying him? He's a dickhead, really, he is." Ianto didn't know what that meant, either, but he could tell from his mothers' shocked face that it was probably a bad word.

Mum had used them a lot when Dad died, leaving them with 'financial problems'. Ianto didn't know what 'financial problems' were, either.

"I've explained it all to you before. I love Stephan and he loves me -"

"Yeah, right. Spare me. He has money, and we need money. Dad died not even a year ago, and you're getting re-married. I am not an idiot."

"Go to your room." Ianto's Mam looked worn-out, and there were tears in her eyes.

"He's so religious… He psyched out at Sophie, when she told him that she was an atheist."

"Please, Alice, darling, leave me alone."

"Fine."

Alice left the kitchen, headed for her room.

"Ianto?"

"Yes, Mam?"

"How would you like to go to Jack's house tomorrow?"

"Yep!" Ianto nearly went to his room to think about what was going to happen tomorrow, but then he remembered something. He turned around and hugged his Mam. "Thanks Mam."

X.x

The Next Day

"You be good now, Ianto. Have a good time, and be polite to Mr. and Mrs. Harkness."

"Okay, Mam. Bye!" he said, waving to his mother as Mrs. Harkness drove him and Jack to Jack's house.

Soon they arrived at a big house. A very, very big house. "Whoa."

"Come inside" said Jack, "I'll show you my room."

They walked up the stairs, Ianto clinging to the handrail, not used to stairs.

"Here it is" Jack stated proudly, opening the door.

"Wow" was all Ianto could say. "It's all yours?"

"Yep!"

"Look, I still haven't shown you the best bit."

They went back down the stairs, Ianto still cautiously, and ran outside. "Mum and Dad said me an' Gray could play here, but I'll let you, too."

"Thank you." Said Ianto, remembering his mothers' instructions to be polite.

"Come on, Yanno, it's got a see-saw an' a slide an' everything!"

Christine looked out at the two children, and smiled.

"Look, Robert. Aren't they so sweet. So innocent. His mother's marrying Stephen Numacker. The poor child."

"I can't imagine anyone would like him, let alone marry him."

"What, Ianto? Oh," she said, laughing. "Stephen." She sighed. "They have many financial problems. Nari, Ianto's mother, she doesn't know what to do. But I don't know…"

"Stephen Numacker… He's that very religious guy, right? Did a door knock talking about the evils of homosexuals and all that, right?"

"Yep, that's him. I'm worried he's going to be too oppressive for little Ianto. The other children already have enough spunk to get through, I think, but Ianto…"

"Well, we'll always welcome him here."

"Yes."

"And that's all we can do."

"I guess it is."

Okay, it's a little slow. But it gets better… (I Hope :) when they get to the teen years it'll get better... (again, I hope :) constructive criticism is loved and cherished!