Telling his parents about their engagement had made Jack nervous, but the moment a grin broke out over his mother's face he relaxed. His father had patted him on the back, Gray jumped up and down like a mad man, and his mother engulfed him in a hug. He really did have the best family around.

The second half of his news, however, did not make his parents as happy. He'd started by explaining the birthday gift he'd received, and then went on to describe the work that would need to be done. His father's eyes had darkened a bit, as if he knew where the conversation was heading, and when Jack dropped the bombshell he just shook his head and said, "Oh, Jack."

"I don't see why your work on Flat Holm can't wait until after you've graduated university," his mother said, sitting down at the dining table after serving everyone cups of coffee. They'd already begun digging into the cake she had made for Jack. "After all, you won't be getting married for a few years yet."

"That's true, but we want to have the island ready so that when we do get married we can move into our new house right away."

"Son, are there problems with the house you're currently living in?"

Jack shook his head, placing his fork on his plate. "No, Dad. The house is fine."

"Well, I suppose it is a bit crowded," Ianto remarked, sipping his coffee. "At the moment Rhiannon and Mica are sharing a room. By the time she's three she's really going to need her own space."

"He has a point," added Jack. "And if we were living on our own, there will be a lot more room."

"Two mortgages?" Jack's mother asked, raising an eyebrow. "How would you afford that?"

Jack grinned. "Actually, no. Only the one mortgage. And not for very long, either. Since we're going to build our house on Flat Holm we won't need to finance more than the construction costs, and not long after the home is built we'll be moving Ianto's family out there with us."

"And we'll sell the property in which we currently reside," Ianto said, smiling.

Jack's parents looked at each other, then turned back to them. His mother asked, "And your new house will be big enough for all of you?"

"Actually," Ianto replied, "we're going to build the main house with just three bedrooms. Then there will be a couple of cottages for my mother, and my sister and niece."

"That sounds practical," Jack's father said, rubbing his chin. "But what about university, Jack? Are you ever planning to go? I know it doesn't seem important now, son, but a good education is nothing to take for granted. Your mother and I wouldn't be where we are today if we'd not both attended ourselves."

Jack nodded. "I do want to go. But right now, what's important to me is my future with Ianto, and making sure that we're both taken care of. Once the island is ready to be inhabited the costs of taking care of the other house will be gone, and we'll be able to save a lot more money toward our golden years."

"Whoa, whoa, Jack," his mother cried, laughing. "You're only seventeen. You're really thinking about retirement?"

"Yeah," he answered, shrugging, "I really am."

"Will there be a room for me?" Gray asked, his voice tiny.

Jack grinned over at him, ruffling his hair. "Of course there will! You'll be able to visit just like you do at our house now. Except there will be room to stay the night."

"YAY!"

They all laughed, watching the little boy bounce around the room before he shot off into the lounge to watch the television. Jack sighed, feeling Ianto take his hand and looking up at the Welshman. How he'd ever gotten so lucky in life he wasn't sure, but he knew his future was bright as long as he had Ianto Jones at his side.

tw tw tw tw tw

After leaving the Harkness residence Jack and Ianto headed home. They'd not been back to their house since the trip out of town, having wanted to break the news to Jack's parents as soon as possible, and they still needed to do all their unpacking. Jack was glad to be full of birthday cake and coffee, as well, as it meant neither he nor Ianto would need any dinner that night. They could simply relax.

The unpacking and tossing of clothes into the wash didn't take very long at all, and Jack and Ianto made their way into the lounge to collapse onto the sofa.

"I am so full," Jack groaned, laying his head back.

"That will teach you to eat more than one slice of cake, Jack."

"But it was so good!"

"Of course it was," Ianto replied. "And now you'll be feeling it for hours."

"I thought I heard you two come in!" Rhiannon appeared around the doorframe, carrying a large bundle in her arms.

"Hey there," said Jack, bringing his head back up in order to send a smile across the room. "How was your weekend?"

"Pretty good, actually," Rhiannon said, sliding into the rocking chair. "Mica was quiet for the most part, and Mam has been doing well."

"Is she resting?" asked Ianto.

"Yep. She was pretty active today, playing with Mica here in the lounge for a couple of hours." Rhiannon wiped at her face. "You should have seen it, Ianto. It was like having the old Mam back."

"She's doing amazingly well, these days," said Jack. "It's quite an improvement, even just from the time I moved in."

"She really is. So enough about us! How was your trip?"

Jack and Ianto looked at each other before both smiling. Ianto told her all about the trip itself, including what they saw, where they stayed, and the food they ate. Jack chimed in with an anecdote now and then, and then they both began telling her of their future plans.

"Oh Ianto, Jack," she said, wiping her face again, "I'm so happy for the both of you! My baby brother, getting married!"

Jack took Ianto's hand. "You're brother has been one of my best friends since I moved to Cardiff, and I can't imagine spending my life with anyone else."

"Jack…"

"It's true, Ianto." He leaned closer and kissed his cheek, making the Welshman blush prettily. "I love you."

"I love you too, Jack."

At that point Mica woke from her slumber in her mother's arms and began to wail. Rhiannon shook her head and grumbled, "No timing, this one." She excused herself and disappeared down the hallway, presumably to her bedroom.

"She took all that a lot better than my family," Jack thought out loud.

"Oh I don't know. I thought your parents took it pretty well."

"If you don't count the frowns and lecturing."

"There wasn't much of that, Jack. They're genuinely happy for us. They just worry, that's all."

"Yeah, I guess."

"Come on," Ianto urged him, standing and holding out a hand to pull Jack up off the sofa. "I want to go look in on Mam and then I'm eager to just settle in for the night. Work tomorrow."

Jack groaned, following Ianto out of the room. "School and work tomorrow," he grumbled.

"It's got to be done, Jack."

"Yeah, yeah, I know."

Ianto stopped in the doorway, turning around and cupping Jack's face. "I really do love you, Jack. Everything we've decided, all our plans for the future, it all starts now."

Jack smiled, holding Ianto's hand against his face. "Yes it does, Ianto. Yes it does."

~tbc~