22

Ianto watched his GrandTad pace the perimeter of the living room, something on his mind and so Ianto waited for him to formulate his question, whatever it may be.

"So. Caden" he turned slowly to face Ianto, "He's a little cuckoo"

"Of course he is" Ianto replied without blinking, "Why else would he look so much like me and Jack when he was born looking different?"

"So you knew."

"I…suspected. Didn't care. He is mine" Ianto shrugged, then grimaced as his shoulder complained at the movement.

"Still hurts."

"Still stating the obvious?" Ianto's eyes danced as he baited the old man and a huff of amusement slipped out before the Brig could school his features to a scowl.

"Cheeky shit."

"GrandTad, Rhiannon has…well the board really, has demanded a meeting" Ianto decided to take charge if the old man was going to circle Caden like that, "I would rather they came here as I do not want to go out there. When I am healed we will do our dance with the devil, until then I intend to stay here with my lovely wee chicks. Besides, it means HE can't come in then"

Caden looked up from the floor with a look of adoration at his parental, then went back to his little game. He was playing cards, like solitaire but was clearly making up the game as he went along, even scolding himself when he decided he had something wrong.

Aunty Evie does that.

"You always were calm" his GrandTad sighed as he sat, finally letting the room settle. Caden started to sing, his sweet high pitched voice soothing as he started to gather up his cards.

"Where is my princess then?" came a soft question.

"Behind the sofa there watching you" Ianto replied proudly, "Been standing there the entire time and you've not noticed her."

The Brig turned and looked at the lamp, finding the little girl standing there leaning against the wall with her eyes gleaming. She wore dull clothing and was almost totally blended in the shadow of the bookcase she was standing beside, the lamp in front taking your eye from her.

"By Pete" he laughed, "You little horror. Wow, I really didn't see you and you are clearly there!"

"Clever sausage, isn't she?" Ianto laughed, "She is perfecting her stealth mode. Quite good, clearly has her Daddy's clever ways."

"And her Taddy helps her no end I bet" came the laughed reply.

"Taddy and Daddy are taking me to get a dog" Alice slid to the sofa and into his lap, "I get to choose."

He frowned, and then looked at Ianto, "Wanna take the smaller Jones Transporter? I would rather you were not skimming in a hover, height might be safer. I can have it delivered today."

"Thank you GrandTad, that would be nice" Ianto smiled, "I really should get us one I suppose. Flying at the third level is so safe compared to the ground traffic these days."

"Sweetling, when are you going to get it through your skull that Jones Consolidated is partly yours now? You own 40% of the entire stock base" the old man sighed, "Your sister and her cohorts want you to tell them you are stepping aside and letting her remain in your father's chair. They are panicking like little children that learn the candy is running out. You are the major share holder as the other eight would have to all work together to overthrow you, with me and my 20% they know that will never happen."

"I assume so" Ianto canted his head and smiled softly, "Of course I don't want the chair, he sat in it after all. I allow Rhiannon to be there since he agreed to retire. His 5% he had left doesn't give him enough strength anyway, she only sits there in my name now, whether she knows it or not. I do want more control over my money though, my accounts should be separate to the business. I don't care what they do with their money but my monthly credits need to be locked down so they can't be utilised by anyone else. Especially my father. As for Balmoral … I want that back. He is still letting that…woman's family live there. I want them gone, I want the castle back."

"Your mother, she seems to have been accepted by the children" he decided on another topic, "Has she spoken to you about him?"

"Only that she was terrified, didn't know what to do when the mistress was moved in and stayed out of fear. He told her that if she left she would die. I do not doubt that, he threatened me the same way, but only if I told anyone what he was" Ianto didn't raise his voice and continued to speak calmly but little hands stopped shuffling cards as Caden looked over at his sister who was looking back with equal silence.

"I have forgiven her for what she allowed him to do to me, as much as I can and accept that she was terrified of him, also beaten down into silence" Ianto rose and walked out the window, looking out at his garden, "If I could feed him to the Panther Plant I would."

"You are so much like my dear wife" the Brig sighed softly as he deliberately let the comments about Ianto's' childhood pass. After all, who do you think really pushed the bastard into retiring and finally relinquishing his hold on Ianto's fortune. Who do you really think Rhiannon went to with that memory stick for clarification. No. No need to speak about something done and dusted. And quite a dust up it was, for an old man he was as surprised as anyone to find he could still whoop arse. No. The boy wanted to act like it was nothing, so be it, "Her passion. You even have her nose, slightly elevated so when you walk in the rain a little drip runs down the side."

"I love that drip" Jack said as he entered and kissed his daughter before ruffling his son's hair, "And that nose is divine."

"Stop it" Ianto scolded, his eyes narrowing as he leaned in for his own kiss. "My only drip is you!"

"Never, I will always love that nose" Jack said as he settled on the floor to pull Caden into his lap, "And Storm here had the same nose. Just perfect."

Ianto smiled as he bit his tongue.

Of course he had his nose, same as his Daddy's brilliant smile.

Lovely little Cuckoo.