3

CJ found Ianto out in the garden.

He was angrily tearing out plants and throwing them in the wheelbarrow.

"I thought you liked those ones Tad" he frowned as Ianto reached for another.

"Your siblings have given them all a haircut. I can either have a nice green border for the rest of the summer or I replant and hope the replacements will flower for me at some stage" Ianto sighed and straightened his back as he looked along the row of plants still to be removed.

CJ hadn't noticed the lack of heads and now looked as well. The pretty confetti that had rained along the edge of the garden and lawn was now clearly petals. CJ groaned as he saw what was definitely more than a misdemeanour in his Tad's "book of naughties".

"I'll talk to them" he said, turning to go in.

"Don't bother." Ianto's voice was calm but CJ caught the dejection in it and turned back. "Your father already has. I think they're having ice cream, if you're quick you may get some too."

"Oh Daddy!" CJ growled as he stormed through the house to the kitchen.

Sure enough, his father had a big tub of chocolate ice cream on the table and three bowls were in use. SJ was laughing and RJ was politely asking for more sprinkles.

"Sprinkles" CJ spluttered, feeling more than slightly mad for his Tad's garden.

"Looks like they've had enough sprinkles today Dad! Or did you not see the sprinkles they already put all over the bloody lawn!" CJ growled and Jack jumped as he heard his husband's voice echoing from his sneer.

"That!" Jack exclaimed, pointing at CJ, "Is weird. I've never heard him from you before!"

"This isn't funny Dad!" CJ fumed, "They've upset Tad, ruined his garden and now you reward them?"

"Reward …" Jack frowned as he looked down the table.

"Did not! I told them off and then they were going to cry and …" Jack stopped talking and stared at the tub of ice cream. "Oh. Your Tad told you."

"Daddy, did you not learn with me?" CJ sat and folded his arms on the table, "Taddy can't be the bad guy here. He's out there almost in tears because days of work are ahead of him to fix what they did. You know he loves his garden and they might as well have taken a shit in the middle of this table for the level of distress I can see out there!"

"CJ said shit!" SJ declared as he pointed with his spoon.

"Don't point with your utensil at the table" RJ gave a much better impression of her Tad a she glowered at him, "You are the one who smashed them all with the stick. I told you Taddy would be angry!"

"He's not angry" CJ looked at his lovely little sister, so small and perfect that she reminded him of a wee fairy, "He's hurt. What if Taddy decided to burn you dollies in the fire to see what colours the flames went."

RJ gasped with horror, her eyes filling her face as she dropped her own spoon.

"As for you!" CJ glowered at his mini me, "I think Taddy should confiscate your games!"

SJ stared at his brother with confusion all over his face. CJ was the hero, his big brother and he had never been angry like this. SJ tried to compute.

"Taddy won't though, will he?" he finally asked quietly.

"No! Because he loves you and forgives you, even if you did deserve a smack for hurting his plants and making more work for him" CJ rubbed his face and Jack watched as SJ's face began to crumble.

"I hurt Taddy's plants" he wailed, sliding his chair back and running from the room.

"Nice!" Jack scolded, "Now you've upset him."

"DAD!" CJ roared, "What about Taddy? He's the one upset here. They both deserve disciplining, not bloody ice cream that will ruin the stew I smell cooking."

Jack groaned and slammed his head down on the table as CJ went looking for his brother.

He found SJ out in the garden in Ianto's arms as he tearfully admitted that it was him who had killed the flowers. Ianto looked up at CJ and smiled.

"You took them to task then, did you?" he asked.

"Yeah! All three of them" CJ sat on the edge of the deck with a thump and Ianto couldn't help the snort.

"I hope your Dad didn't try the pout" Ianto said looking down so CJ wouldn't see the humour in his eyes.

"I'll give him bloody pout Taddy dear." CJ smiled, catching it anyway.