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"Taddy?"

"Hmmmm?" Ianto looked up from the instruction manual he was reading, the small robotic toy on the table waiting for life. Like the box full of them at his feet.

"I'm bored."

Ianto sat back and regarded his son, then asked "What are the others doing?"

"Keeping busy."

Ianto was intrigued and slightly alarmed. Keeping busy. Like… what were they avoiding? He raised an eyebrow and Zane grinned widely "No baddies. Just… Anwen is talking to her mama, and we do not want to be part of the conversation."

"Ah" Ianto understood now, and knew this little toy could wait "Well… I was going to check the sprinkler system in the new tunnel house so if you know any volunteers who wanna get wet…"

Zane lit up, running off as he yelled over his shoulder like a mini-Jack "I need me togs!"

Ianto walked to the doorway and watched his son race across the yard from the 'tool shed' where Ianto liked to tinker… well… OK… it meant Jack tinkered here too and there was less tat at the dinner table in their home… to watch the other children erupting from places to run for their own swimming gear.

Rhys had been waking past and glanced up at him as he leaned on the doorframe. Ianto smiled and said "I said we can check the sprinkler system out in the tunnel house, they are preparing to get wet."

"We checked it yesterday and it… oh. Something up?" Rhys was quick.

"Your ex is getting an earful methinks".

Rhys snorted and then clapped his hands "I will go find Andy, he knows where all their towels are."

Ianto watched him wander off, each child having their own special towel for wet games as it was important for them to all have individual things they did not have to share sometimes, and knew Rhys was happy. Andy made him happy. It was good.

Ianto knew all about a good man making you happy.

.

.

Anwen stopped walking, the river babbling along happily as she pointed "Here Mama. On the riverside, we shall have a picnic."

Gwen had been pleasantly surprised when Anwen had asked for her to go for a walk the picnic basket handed to her like there was no need to explain and now as they settled Gwen was also slightly delighted that Anwen was speaking to her in full sentences. As of late… talking had been scarce.

"So, that's a new dress" she decided to start with a positive note.

"Papa Andy made it."

"What?" she couldn't help the squeak.

Anwen looked at her witheringly, then sighed "Mother. Papa Andy and Daddy Rhys are together. A couple. They care. Papa can sew. Not as well as Taddy Ianto, but the best knitter is Daddy Jack. He is making us all lovely cardies and sweaters for the coming winter. We all got to choose our colours from the big basket of wool and there were three designs to choose from. Mine will be red with little white splashes here and there like snowflakes. Taddy Ianto said he will embroider some of the white blouse collars to match in our colours. A special outfit for Christmas."

Gwen sat there not sure what to say, this all news to her. "When had they all decided this?"

"They do not have secret meetings behind you back" Anwen laughed with glee "Mama, you are sooooooo needy. No. One of the other girls lost her cardy so we went to ask if there were more. Found Daddy Jack with some patterns and he said he knits; we chose a pattern each and then he showed us hi wool stash. The others all came and chose too, so it is fair. If one of us gets something special, we all do. That's fair. Some of us get a real special thing that I just ours, but we might share it. Things like clothes, shoes… the new bikes Dadda Rhys and Papa Andy are putting together… they will all have our names on them, so we don't have to share but have one each."

Gwen had never heard so much words from her child in one go and she nodded, looking down at the food.

"You know, if you stopped trying to assert yourself, or insert yourself, you might actually realize that we don't NEED anything from you. We WANT to do things with you sometimes. You are just so angry. Some of the boys want to play with you too but you only seem to focus on me. You can't do that. You need to start thinking of us ALL as your baby. We are. We are all one, we all need love. Maybe then you will see that you have worth here and are needed. There are not enough mamas for cuddles sometimes. Some of the children don't have their birth parents here. You can still be important. You are my mother. My Mama. I choose to share you… you must share too."

Gwen nodded, sipping for her bottle of pop as she considered things, then asked "But… you still want to stay with me?"

"Mama… I want YOU to stay with ME" Anwen said, and Gwen saw her own annoyance in the smaller face "Mama, listen to me. I need to be here. You don't. You are not showing any worth to the group other than making me happy. Please, it takes a village to raise a child, sez so somewhere. Stop being My Mama and start being the village."

Gwen knew Anwen was trying to help her, trying to make her understand and she also knew that somehow, she was failing to keep her happy. She promised to try harder and knew that there was only one thing she could do at this stage in the game.

Ask for help.