38

The house was perfect, Ianto was showing his OCD tendencies as he walked around moving, rearranging and critiquing until even he was satisfied.

He had been quietly worried that he might have nothing to do once he finally admitted the completion of such a project but instead he discovered his days full of adventures with a lively and extremely clever little girl who did exactly what he knew she would once he enrolled her in the Frontline Schooling System. She excelled. Alice was at the mental rate of a five year old, the learning rate of a six or seven year old and Ianto was so proud as he sat with Jack and listened to her teachers gush about her incredible learning capacity. She spent four hours a day during the week at the special learning facility for gifted children and in the short time that she had been enrolled she had moved to the top of her class.

Ianto was also secretly overjoyed when the teachers commented on her humility and kind heart.

Jack also knew who to thank for that, his mate proving to be not only a wonderful parental to their children but Mavis' brood were also learning quickly as Ianto let them sit in for Alice's afterschool talks and homework sessions that he knew were over and above the usual curriculum.

Alice was a wee star.

Ianto currently sat in his reading room, Jack of course has nicknamed it his Rumpus Room as it was his own personal space like Alice's room directly above him. Cheeky. It was as large, spacious and personally decorated to suit the owner. As hers was full of life, toys and bustle his was refined, ordered and 'fuddy-duddy' as Jack had dubbed it with all the old style leather and books, dark burgundy tones and dark stained wood.

Caden was laying in the sun by the large windows with two little bugs the size of Labradors watching covertly, thinking Ianto didn't know they were in the room and he was letting them have their fun as they slunk around a sofa to get closer to their 'prey'. The baby could clearly see them and his face kept splitting into a huge grin as they made eye contact, his affection for them as large as Alice's.

"Hey Tiger" Jack entered and bounced over to peer down at the little man who cheekily waved a hand to say 'hi' right back, Jack's snort as he leaned over soft and full of pleasure. "And Hi to my little Storm."

"Did your brother get away OK?" Ianto asked as he closed his book that he hadn't really been reading and watched Jack pluck at his trousers so he could kneel and give the baby a closer inspection.

"Yeah, he's off. I don't like him going so far away, it's a long flight but he was determined to represent the family" Jack shrugged and Ianto bit the inside of his mouth. The argument had been a long one and Ianto was still smarting from Jack's anger at Gray being the one requested for the away position. He was a single man, of course he had been chosen to represent Harkness Inc at the Colony Talks. Jack had naturally not thought it through and when he had stomped and complained he had inadvertently indicated his annoyance that the new family had somehow held him back.

Ianto was letting him work through it knowing that within a day or so the words he had blurted would come back at him and he would realise what he has said so he was not about to rub his nose in it. He was getting used to Jack's 'brain farts' as he called them and also knew how upset he would be when he looked at the wee one currently holding his arms out gleefully for a cuddle and realised he had blamed him.

"Alice coming home soon?"

"Yes Cariad, Rose is picking her up for their wee shopping trip, remember?" Ianto placed the book down and patted his knee, Jack crawling over to lean against his legs so Ianto could card his fingers though the hair while the baby cuddled into Jack's chest like a limpet.

"Oh yeah, she's growing" Jack smiled, "I see more matching stuff, hey. Babe?"

"Hmmmm?"

"The surrogacy thing? She does mean it. "

"When he is a wee bit older, yeah? The gap between him and Alice is a nice one, they both get time with us without us overlooking one. I think when he is two and a half … three? We can look at it then, yeah?" Ianto said gently, "Alice would be nine or ten when it comes and not feel like we are replacing her as well. You know she has started asking questions about why she doesn't look like me. If the wee one does, it might hurt her now."

"I hadn't thought of that" Jack looked up adorningly at his mate, "You're right. It would also give us time to do those renovations to the lower levels you think I've not noticed."

Ianto grinned, "You know me Cariad, always room for improvements and Mavis' friends did need the work. Our own bunker is not that mad an idea is it?"

"No, after last time? No baby. I think our own bunker is a perfect idea" Jack turned to look at his son who blinked back steadily as he agreed.

Jack held the little boy against him and closed his eyes ad he listened to his husband's gentle voice start to sing and as the baby went limp with delight so did Jack.

Below in the command centre a bug tapped at a light board and clicked something to a friend who scuttled over to tap at it too the one red light annoying the hell out of them.

A creature with long furry tentacles slapped at the side of the console and the light blinked, flickered and turned off, the green on above it lighting up to fill the board with green.

Across the console every light was green.

They went back to work.

.

.

.

..

So ends Green Card, part one of the series. I am still not sure if I will call it a Deck and name each instalment like it is a card in a deck or use colours in the titles but I have two options for part 2 that is already starting in my head. Gods, help us.

It will either be….

Ace of Spades

Or

Red Alert

Maybe….. see ya.