7

"Hey"

Jack looked up from the sofa where he was settled with the kids, his face lighting up as Ianto entered then changing as Lucia and Alice followed him into the room. Alice saw him and ran to him with glee, getting pulled in for a cuddle.

"Hey punky."

"Daddy!"

"Me and Lucy are gonna go try the restaurant downstairs, anyone coming with?" Ianto asked.

"We just ordered food" Rhianon pointed to the huge trolley of food that had just been delivered "Raincheck?"

"Sounds good."

Alice is already tucking in with the kids and said around a mouthful of food "I wanna stay here."

"She's cool" Rhiannon shrugged "Go on. You three go have a nice time. These lot are gonna make a fort out of the cushions when they are done eating and we are gonna pick another movie."

All three kids sat together, Alice seeming happy to be with other kids.

"Wow. Colour me redundant" Lucia huffed with fake annoyance.

"Come on. I want a steak" Ianto said, pushing Jack to get some shoes on.

They headed down and ate like a normal threesome of friends, talking about a new school for Alice, the bullying her current school was not addressing and the need to find some place quiet for her as she is such a delicate child.

"Mica is the other end of the spectrum" Ianto said after taking a sip to clear his mouth. Even if Jack talked through food like a neanderthal "she is so loud and boisterous, she scares other kids who do not understand that she is so happy to see them."

"It's a wonder they clicked like that" Lucia agreed.

"So. You are getting antsy, what is it?" Jack asked Ianto.

"You know me. I don't like confrontation. I have to have a conversation with me sister and the last one went so well we didn't speak for almost a feckin year." Ianto huffed.

"Come on Tiger. You just need to pretend she's me and give her some leeway."

"Some. Cariad… the urge to thump you is so strong I wonder sometimes if you're on a spectrum somewhere too" Ianto glowered and Jack roared with mirth as Lucia looked from man to man, seeing the raw love there.

She was glad Jack had found it, even if she was a little sad in her own search. All those toads she kissed, not a single prince. Jack was too much of a Jack the lad, not a prince or king. Curious now, seeing that what he was really looking for was a prince of his own.

"Right. I am going up to have the hard yak" Ianto rose, pulling a face "Oh god. Where did that word come from. Owen. Bloody little pissant has infiltrated my word synopsis. Ewwwww."

Lucia laughed as Ianto left them and Jack turned in his chair to watch until Ianto had left the room, then turned back to see Lucia watching him, his huge grin fading "What?"

"Nothing. He looks good on you."

"Yeah" Jack sighed, not even a dirty comeback as she was right.

He was good allll ovvverrrrr him.

.

.

"Where are the kids?"

"In the room, apparently the bed has massage things all three are in their grundies on it. Little man here… dead to the world. Such a lovely wee man" Rhiannon stroked the little boy's hair and sighed "No mama. Like us."

"Yeah. But you are no husband either"

She leaned back and made a noise in her throat, knowing he was going to ask sooner or later where the feckless bastard was. "That barmaid, Brandy. The one you warmed me about and I told ya to wind yer neck in that just because your missus has a wandering eye…. Well. That one. OK, you can say it."

"No. We both told each other so" Ianto sat heavily "So what now?"

"Now I am divorcing the fucker and taking the kids. He left me a drunken note telling me he wishes me and the kids were never born, that we were the ones dead in a fiery plane crash. Just before I had to get on a plane to come look for what I thought would be your body. Lovely huh?" she signed.

"You still got that? It might buy you a lot of sympathy in court, help keep the kids from him" Ianto pointed out.

"Yeah, I kept it. It's in my bag along with the passports, bank statements and such in case the fucker tries to take out all the money… well… what I didn't already take. Fucker." She spat.

"Good girl. Mama didn't raise no fools… expect for in love" Ianto smiled, taking her hand "Look at us. Both had our hearts ripped out by those we thought was our forever. Not look at me. I was there to scatter her ashes… and then kill myself."

Rhiannon reared back like he had expected her to, he as glad the thump he half-pie expected did not come as well. "So? That's why the lawyer rang me with instructions about some storage locker… ya plonker."

"So. Him. Just him. Only him. I think… always him" Ianto said dreamily "Finally… finally I know what love is and it's so fucking corny and stupid and… wonderful."

Rhiannon relaxed as she looked around and said with a nod of finality "And we have a future. I need you. The kids need you. We will be OK."

"Of course, it will all be OK. I got you sis" Ianto pulled her into a hug. "You flew around the world for me… what sort of brother would not see the commitment there… and brought along two whingy kids. Man. What a woman."

She giggled as she cuddled in, those arms so much like their dear gone Grandy's.

She knew it would all be alright.

Ianto said so.