35
"How long will you be gone?" Ianto asked with a frown, "Overnight?"
"Tad, Anwen doesn't ask for much and this is her Hen's Night" Kara sighed.
"Well, is her mother going to be there?"
Kara resisted the eye roll as she turned to gape at him "Taddy, it's a Hen's Night not a bloody sleepover PJ party."
"Well…it's outside the bubble as well as outside Torchwood" Ianto was nervous now as he glanced over at Jack but Jack missed it as he clucked at the little sleeping Kai in his arms.
"Willem can go with" he said as he cooed, "Isn't the Stag Night for Fergus in the same area? Be nice for them, as a couple."
"Two separate parties full of booze…drugs…"
"Tad! It's a Hen's Night, not a weekend at Cancun!" she spluttered, getting increasingly annoyed and Jack did catch that as he glanced up.
"Hon, Tad might have a point. If there were a problem, say a drunk stripper or something… oh right. You can break his neck, Yan love she's right. All that training? You really think she would forget she is our daughter. Can't cotton wool her all her life" Jack went back to pulling faces at a solemn Kai who had woken with the voices.
Ianto was seething and Willem could clearly see it. As could his brother who politely left the room so he was not in the line of fire, either directly or indirectly. This was not going to end well.
"Then at least let Tosh know where you are going so she can monitor you though their security system where you will be staying" Ianto tried to be reasonable…honest….no hormonal jags….he was being super calm as he scrunched the 'Blankie' robe in his hands, "I will be happy to look away if her and Gwen are…"
"Oh for the love of all things explosive!" Kara stood and closed the argument, "Gwen? Tad, you are the one who told me all those stories about your workmate who stuffed things up and almost got you all killed so many times if you hadn't quietly saved her arse. You think I didn't recognise her once it all fell into place?"
"Did she?" Jack finally looked at his mate and grimaced at the temper in his eyes, (the flare of slight madness only the Welsh have at the old footy match or down the local after closing time has been called in Jack's opinion).
Ianto looked away.
Fine.
Willem realised his brother had the right idea and he scooped up the dog, "Sydney needs weasels"
.
.
.
.
.
"Tad?"
"Have a good time" Ianto said from his daybed, snuggled in with the baby under his robe like he couldn't not see her out and she felt a spoke of annoyance, then felt terrible as she wondered if it might be a smidge of jealousy that her baby brother had his attention.
Well, she didn't want to be an only child right? She also saw the way her Dad was looking at back him as they walked out and guessed there has been some hushed words. Damn. She had caused an argument and she knew her Tad would have conceded reluctantly "Thanks Dad."
"He isn't sore at you, he is just so worried" Jack crooned as he stroked her face, leaning into the Jeep for a kiss, "He likes control I am sure you have noticed this fact. Here in our Slice of Paradise he can relax and not worry as we are all covered by each other, anyone foreign sticks out. Out there in the big bad world everyone is a potential Hitman or Agent."
"I know, but it will be fine" she sighed, "besides, I didn't want to say it as he's clearly pissed at us as it is but I wanted to go looking for a wedding dress, you know, start the ball rolling there."
Jack stalled, knowing Ianto would be horribly hurt to learn she had gone without him, him. The son of a master… bull-shitter. "Sweetie, I think he always thought he would shop for that with you, you know since there is no Mama to go with. He was you Mother as well ya know."
"And he won't let me forget it" she laughed, "It's not like I am buying one, just looking at options. I am not going to every boutique and trying on ten dresses to please him. When I find what I want I will take him and he will see me in it and let me have it, simple."
Jack felt annoyed on his mate's behalf, "You make it sound like he's a Bridezilla or something. When Gwen had the nostr…"
"Please not that again. I know… he got the dress…she looked great…covered in blood…" Kara waved a hand and Jack saw himself, clear as day he saw why Ianto sometimes looked pained before he could school his features and he wondered how often he brushed him off when he was trying to make a point…like he just had earlier.
Shit.
"Kara, be careful, call like he asked and for fucksake come home" Jack said as he stepped back and she gunned the engine, taking off as Willem waved in the jump seat.
"Sometimes I think he should have smacked her on occasion when a pup" a deep voice muttered and Jack snorted as he turned to look at Gino.
"You know … me too."