31

The kids didn't even notice their father was in a minor tizzy but of course Rhiannon did.

"What's going on?" she asked as she watched her brother tear the house apart like a madman, the children playing a video game simply moving their heads around him as he whizzed around the living room.

"Me cufflinks" Ianto said as he rubbed the back of his neck, "The little dragons. Can't bloody find them."

"They are in the Toby Mug on the sideboard with all your others ones I pick up" she replied and watched him almost run to tip them all out and start sorting. Not worried. Excited.

"What's going on?" she repeated, more calmly now.

"Jack is going to London to film, he's going to be back on The Doctor for a few episodes and as there is no work at the moment he wants to take us with him. Spend the week at a swanky place and do some sightseeing. He'll only be tied-up for three or four days and then we can all do some family stuff."

Rhiannon blinked, thrown as she realised what her brother-in-law was saying, "Wait. He is taking all of you?"

"Yeah, loves the kids. Wants to spoil them a bit" Ianto muttered as he started to put things back in the Toby Mug and his hands froze as he stared at a little earring. "Kayla."

"What?" Rhiannon's' eyes slid to the little piece of jewellery Ianto had now carefully picked up and looked at silently.

"This was Kayla's. I got her the set when Mimi was born. She lost one the morning …looked everywhere for it. Her lucky stones, kept saying she lost a lucky stone in a silly leprechaun voice" Ianto said softly, "Shit. We had been here at the weekend for Johnny's birthday. Ah, shit."

Rhiannon reached for him, the act automatic as a memory like this always brought tears but to her surprise Ianto smiled and clasped it in his hand, "I wonder if my ear has closed over yet."

Then to her surprise he took of upstairs with a look of glee, returning a short time later with the little diamond in his ear. He canted his head to show her, "Look. Was tight but the hole was still there. Epic."

"You OK?" Rhiannon asked uncertainly and he drew her into his arms and kissed her cheek as he nodded, his face flushed with delight and she saw it, a little glimmer of hope.

"Right kids" Ianto said as he released her and turned to them, "Jack is taking us to London for the week to stay in a flash hotel with room service and all the mod cons. I checked and it also has gaming consoles. You each have a suitcase on your respective beds that I have packed with room for what you want to take. Do not…I repeat do not remove the bloody clothing I have packed for you and do not screw anything up, yeah? But you can fill the empty side suitcase with what else you want to take, books, games, blah, blah."

Ianto was flapping his hands to show his level of excitement and the children's faces lit up as they stood, Mica running from the room as Dafyd paused the game and turned to his father, "How long?"

"The whole week, maybe the weekend too" Ianto gushed, "Ever wanted to see the set of The Doctor?"

"NO!" Dafyd's eyes bugged out as he stared at Ianto then he gasped, "That's where I know Jack from!"

Ianto had not let the children watch the series, fearful it might be too scary or too real for their clever brains and now he wondered if that had been a good idea. They were not babies after all "Daf, you do realise my show was a spin off series right? Captain Jack is my boss and I hunt aliens with him."

"Isn't there one episode we can watch that isn't too adult?" he asked his father and Ianto considered with pursed lips. The Pilot was OK perhaps but they all had …ah. Well.

"I will think about it" he finally said to his son, "I've maybe been too cloistering about it. I will go over them and see, maybe the first episode or the seventh with the necklace."

The boy nodded excitedly and then went to pack as Ianto politely straightened the room his children seemed to have wreaked, not even registering he had pulled all the sofa cushions off without their help in his search for the cufflinks.

Rhiannon watched with interest as he started to hum softly, recognising that as something he once did a lot. She hadn't heard him hum since…oh.

Rhiannon escaped and stood in the back yard trying to get her head around her emotions as it started to become clear Ianto was falling in love, if not already there.

She wasn't sure how to feel about that but she was trying to find a positive mood.

Kayla would have been happy for him.