27
Jack found Ianto laying on his bed, their son asleep in his arms as he cuddled him like a mama cat.
"Hey" Jack sat on the bed at Ianto's back and reached out to rub said back gently "You OK Tiger?"
"Not really. I am so glad Rhiannon came here instead of the secondary place like we had originally agreed. I am glad we sectioned out that fella that I am really not comfortable with but I can't stop thinking about those people left at T3. Just… left. They didn't even bury them, just… lying there in the dirt. God."
Jack knew Ianto was right, it was something that chaffed him too but he didn't know what to do about it. Instead he cuddled into him. Spooning with an arm around him to hold their son too. It felt better, something he could control. Could physically control.
This moment.
"Martha and the others will be here soon, the rooms are ready and… there's not much more to do. I need to calm down as it looks like Zane s feeding off my upset by being snuffly. Babies feel their parent's pain ya know, I read that it affects milk flavour even." Ianto whispered softly "Apparently Toshiko is having the same problem with their little bug. The babies can feel our upset and it is upsetting them too. We need to clam them down, we need to reset."
"Let's just lay here then love" Jack crooned, burying his face in Ianto's neck.
He didn't know what else to day.
As always, Ianto was right.
.
.
The vehicles roared up the driveway two hours later and Ianto was there to greet them, Jack still asleep in the bed now with their son in his little Moses basket with Jack. Ianto stood firm and calm even with his C-Section niggling form all the overworking.
Man had a baby this past 24 hours, needs rest. Like… you tell him.
Holly as looking out the back passenger window and Ianto felt a surge of relief seeing her little face, even if this meant someone had the hard task ahead of telling her that her mummy and daddy would not be coming here for her like they must have intended.
Fuck.
Francine was talking as she got out, the little girl sliding out with her and they walked to Ianto "you worked too hard, look at your face!"
"We need to get the kids situated" Ianto instructed as he watched Rhiannon getting her own kids out of the vehicle she had arrived in. thank god she had read his text to abort site 2, come to site 1.
"We did the usual, changed twice and took three different routes to get here, I am telling you Toto, no one followed us!" she called out with open annoyance. "Was there really any need for this panic?"
"Rhia… don't test me!" he snarled in a low tone that had her hesitating to look at him more fully and then she nodded, clearly pissed at being spoken to like that.
Once the kids had snacks and a DVD on, the adults all settled to learn what had happened after they left. Jack paid I out as Inot stood back watching the faces and their (as hoped)genuine shock. He trusted them, sure. These ones.
The silence was deafening.
"Oh god" Francine finally said softly, her hand going to cover her mouth like she had committed some sin by speaking.
"Yeah. So you understand why we are a little highly strung right now" Jack replied, looking around the room "And why we all need to take a moment. Right?"
"So… what now?" Tish asked.
"Ianto has been overtaxing himself as per usual, to get your rooms ready and you can all take some time to simply… mull over what has happened. The kids are the first priority now and Holly… that poor little bugger is an orphan so we…"
"Her mother asked me to bring her to you." Clive interrupted "But, the wife and I…"
"For now she is with all of us" Jack finished for the man who was clearly uncomfortable with the idea of a little child at their stage of life and it showed. "I don't think it matters, we are all here and I think we need to be here with our heads below the ridge of the foxhole, right?"
"Agreed" everyone answered, nodding as Ianto moved from the room to check the babies who had been asleep in the office.
He found them lying there silently, just sort of… staring at him. Zane, Jasmine and little Darius were all staring at him with their tiny mouths in a thin line. Like they were displeased. He felt a weird feeling as he stared back, then he smiled "OK bubbas?"
They all smiled in unison at him and he felt the tension ease, Zane's hand lifting up like he wanted to speak. Ianto leaned in and kissed that hand, whispering "It will be Ok. Me and Daddy are here and it will be Ok."
Silly I know, talking to a newborn but… Ianto felt better.
"Ianto?"
Ianto turned to find Toshiko in the corner of the room with the screens on mute, still working "Collette and Darren are at the apartment, the CCTV shows hem setting in. We are all safe."
"For now. They can't see from here right?" Ianto said softy and she assured him of that, and then he reached out to bop each baby on the nose, their little noises comforting as they became normal little babies, that weirdness before gone.
Babies are like that. They pick up on things and are very in-tune with their parents. Any upset or anger, can be felt. Even in the womb. Ianto knew that he had to be more careful, only love and happiness around them so they grow big and strong.
Like he knows Owen would have on the outside, to match that huge heart inside.
And still, the thought of those bodies, especially that little newborn in it's mother's arms… haunted him.