26

Ianto walked through from the bathroom after his morning wash to find Kent sitting on the floor with another man and a woman in deep conversation with Alice. He froze as he tried to work out how they had got in and then knew with a sickening clarity she had simply answered the door herself.

Damn.

Baby girl needed to learn about security here, so different to her home.

"So, Daddy and er….what do you call Ianto?" the woman asked. Ianto decided to listen and slid unnoticed into a chair, curious as to what they were doing.

"He's my Yan" Alice said as she examined the box of crayons they had bought her. She had all sort of crafty things and they were very nice but she was a Harkness after all and suspicious as all hell.

"And what does Daddy call him?" the man asked as Kent helped her open the packet.

She seemed to consider, then shrugged, "Tiger?"

"Oh" the woman smiled, "That's sweet. Does Yan have a special name for Daddy?"

"Cariad" she smiled as she looked at the lady, her little teeth flashing, "My Cariad. Silly Cariad. Stop tickling Cariad. I will kill you Cariad. Hold me Cariad. He has always called Daddy that, even from before we all cuddle and stuff. He and Daddy love each other and are going to have a big party where I wear a special dress and there will be a cake."

Alice was getting excited now and Ianto was highly amused to learn that she had been planning the wedding in her wee mind, leaning forward he asked "What sort of dress poppet?"

She turned to face him and the adults all jumped with shock, "I want a pink one with sparkles and puffy bits."

"Ah, sounds divine. I suppose shoes to match would be nice would they?" he asked with a serious frown. Alice clambered to her feet, dropping the crayons and rushing for his lap and he lifted her up to cuddle, "And I suppose it must be a chocolate cake for my princess. Huh? Right?"

Ianto was squeezing and gently ticking as she giggled and squirmed, then he kissed her cheek and softly told her she would need a tiara too, all princesses wore tiaras to parties and she squealed as she ran to find her Daddy, "Dadda, Yani said I'm allowed a wee crown thing. You lose! HAhahahahaha, I'm allowed one now!"

Ianto laughed as he heard Jack roar with fake rage, "But what about my crown damn it all"

Their daughter shrieked and Ianto grinned knowing Jack had grabbed her now.

"Cariad, we have visitors" he called as he rose from the chair and those with Kent both breathed in as the graceful quality of the man could be seen, Ianto wafting across the room to call room service. "Yes, there five adults and one beast."

Ianto then wafted back to the chair and folded back down, serene smile in place, "Do come sit. She will not play with you now I'm afraid. Attention span of a goldfish at the moment, everything still so scary and new. We are letting her adjust at her own speed to everything that has happened, it was quite traumatic for her."

"Thank you" the woman chose a seat and Kent sat opposite Ianto as the other man sat by the woman and looked openly uncomfortable.

"This is Greta and Jason. They are from the agency and wanted to make sure everything was OK" Kent said, watching Ianto for any signs of anger but the soft snort of amusement was all they got. Ianto requested business cards and Kent watched them get placed carefully to one side without a glance.

"Hi" Jack bounced in and filled the room with noise as he clambered about the bed saying he had lost his tie and Ianto watched his arse for a while before blushing and looking at the visitors and blushing deeper, caught out.

"Sorry, it's almost hypnotic that arse of his," Ianto stage whispered, "Cariad, it's on the door handle to the wardrobe is it not?"

"Ha!" Jack clambered from the bed and raced over, pulling it form the handle with triumph, "Never mind. Found it!"

Ianto grinned and shook his head, then opened his legs and they all watched Jack kneel between those long legs and hand the tie to Ianto.

"A double Windsor today is it sir?"

Jack giggled and Ianto worked, leaning back as Jack rose and rushed for the mirror, "Ahhh, worth marrying you just for this. I look so posh. 'Carlisle! You're fired' hahahaha 'Get me those numbers by the end of the day Carlisle and don't be an arse about it' hahahahaha."

"Best to ignore him when he starts picking on Carlisle" Ianto said as he rose to let room service in, "That poor fictional man is quite hen pecked sometimes."

"Carlisle, you arse that is the wrong file" Jack said as he shoved his hands in his pockets and grinned at himself, "Babe? Tiger? Do you think I need a new one? This one is a bit …well…grey."

"I think a nice blue one would bring out your eyes" Ianto said like it was a normal conversation to have, "But you know I like me pinstripes too. I have more ties than suits back at mine. Don't know. Just keep buying them, I like ties."

"Me too, that red one of yours that is all shiny, so pretty" Jack said as he finally noticed people sitting there, "Who's that? Oh, you told me there were people, sorry. Tie mania."

Jack finally ploked into the chair next to Ianto and smiled, "Hi Jack Harkness-Jones. Debonair Sauvé sexy god."

Ianto raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

"Debonair?"

"Ha! Gotcha, you agree with the rest then!"

Ianto snorted softly and looked at those all watching intently. He knew why they were here and wondered how far they were going to push it.

After all, they could go all the way.

This was not a game, or a Green Card anymore.

Kent nodded his encouragement as Ianto serenely poured, also knowing this was something this was in the bag.

Right?