22
The celebrations were underway, the gifts handed over and the women both swept into the dancing with glee. Ianto knew Rhiannon would tire quickly but for now, he didn't' want to fuss. She was enjoying herself.
Ianto found a chair and settled with some of the women. The music was familiar to him, it was old and pleasant to listen to, transporting him back in time to a place where they celebrated a win on the battlefield, all covered in the blood of their enemies and the battle wounds not even felt for the good strong Cervesh alcohol the Blumanchu make.
Speaking of which, a bowl was offered "Oh... no. No thanks, I can't."
The woman canted her head, the dreadlocks flicking over her shoulder as she looked at him long and hard, the other woman offering a bowl to Jack turning as well, her eyebrows raised in question "You? Toto? Say no? You love the buzz."
"Yes but I am with child" Ianto said firmly, making them both gasp with delight as the man next to him froze, his face losing all colour as he looked at Ianto like he had just shit in a bowl.
"Be his?"
"Yes. Be his… but be mine. Most mine" Ianto replied in the same guttural way they preferred to speak, patting his stomach "He not love me much. He will let me down, he will let baby down and leave me alone."
"Ah, baby… she be failing too."
Ianto was surprised to find that they knew and he shrugged "My daughter will soon take the long walk over the old battlefield to the warm fires of completion… yes. I will raise her children along with mine."
"Sad, I remember her first cries, born here on this dirt" an old one sighed "I thought she seemed too slow."
"Yes. Her time is closing in and I will soon have to let her go. This one in here is now for my heartbeat" Ianto accepted a bowl of juice offered instead, then turned and looked directly as the gaping man, then back at the dancing family members. "so. The sword I wield is yours to either cut me open or protect me Jack."
"And it's mine?"
Ianto snorted softly and went to rise, Jack reaching out to grab his arm "Wait… wait. You know I am a douche that says stupid things when shocked… come on. I didn't mean that, I mean... is it a real baby? No… see?"
"Jack… I will give you so many mulligans but this… this is not something I can easily accept or ignore. You need to get your head on straight, then come talk with me. Right now I want to crack your head open, got it?" Ianto said in a low tone of warning "I am going to dance with my daughter before she is too tired… you… you sort your head out."
Jack watched Ianto walk away and he knew he had to shake it off, he was not only acting like a fool, he was about to lose more if he didn't get a hold of himself. A baby. He sat and let it sink in, the thoughts and feeling of a new life, another little one who would need him. He then thought of Archie who had been absent in his own child's life due to Ianto's stubborn streak.
He had to fix this.
Ianto was right, he had to pull his head out of his arse and breathe some clean air. With that in mind, he rose to step outside, looking at the quiet yard where a lone Loprabit jumped past with a flower in it's gob it had just nicked from the nearby garden.
"Prolific"
Jack turned his head to see an old Blumanchu, so old her dreads were white."Hello old mother, yeah. Proof that something can survive here I guess."
"Yes, they be here first, along with those biter bugs" she agreed, then grimaced as she slapped at another one.
"Proof of water nearby. On the planet Ianto comes from they have ones called mosquitoes. They can carry the blood they sucked in their stomachs, then bite another person and infect them with whatever diseases the last person had" Jack said and she shook her head.
"That one… he is a mystery. Still strong and young yet… so tired"
"His daughter, Rhiannon… she's sick. He is worried, the kids need him and he is going to have to raise them… also… apparently… I've knocked him up as well" Jack sighed, taking a seat next to her "and with my usual stupidity I said the wrong thing when I discovered this impending new life. I am good at that. Being a dickhead."
"I remember"
Jack had not expected that, finally realizing he was sitting next to an old soldier, a warrior he may have fought alongside once upon a time and he grinned "Here we are, at the arsehole of the universe and I am comforted to know I am not alone."
"That's the thin. You are not alone. Never will be, and him… him be needing love, attention and family. Big family. Good man, good heart but bad thoughts something. Sadness in his soul."
"Yeah, I agree. I have to make sure I do not add to it, even if I am prone to brainfarts."
She cackled happily as she slapped at him "Yes, but the make-up rubbing… that is not so bad."
"You hussy" he laughed along with her, knowing she was right.
Fuck it.
Make it right.
Love him.