33
"What do you mean?"
"I mean Cariad, its time to go" Ianto repeated.
"But… what happened to taking a fucking breath?" Jack whined.
"Rhiannon pucked off to meet up with her gormless pucker. Only a matter of time…"
"Pucker?"
"You might be dropping the F-Bomb around our kids but I am trying not to!" Ianto replied and Jack finally remembered the two babies asleep by the bed they were currently snuggled in.
"Shiiiiiiivers"
"Nice save" Ianto whispered, his lips brushing under Jack's chin "I mean… I don't feel safe."
"Awwww" Jack whined, feeling so annoyed that he could not speak for a moment, then he asked "So? What now?"
"Ever been on the canals on a houseboat?"
.
.
"OH WOW! I WANT THE GREEEEEENNNNN ONNNNEEEEE" Owen was running for the two large house boats sitting by the walkway, his hands flapping while Toshiko stood with the baby in her arms rolling her eyes.
"I wish Lucia had come with" Ianto said softly, adjusting his grip on his own baby, the other one asleep on Jack's chest. "She is gonna meet up at the next berth, right?"
"Yeah, she was immovable on her decision to meet up with her people. Her job might be on hold but she still wants to make sure it's there. She knows the risks and if she has any doubts, she knows how to signal us" Jack assured him. "Three days."
"I just… now we have these little bits, the thought of leaving them for something hurts but the mere thought of maybe not being able to come back… she knows that if she is compromised she can't come to us right? Alice will be cut off, right?"
"Yes Tig, she knows. She is prepared for an up to three month cut if needed. I don't think she really believes me about that but she did agree" Jack patted a tiny bum as he clucked at the sleeping Laurie Love.
"So, I guess Owen leaving us the pink and purple one has nothing to do with us being gay, right?" Ianto decided to change the subject as two little girls screamed past, their hair flying as they clambered onto the House Boat he had just pointed at.
"Well… it is a little bit bigger" Jack offered.
"Two bedrooms so we can have one with the babies and the girls can have one too, bunk beds in theirs so I am guessing Alice will want the top bunk. Lucia will be happy in the bottom one, the girls can share once she gets back" Ianto smiled, watching Jack take off to check out the boat.
His skin was crawling. Like literally uncomfortably itching like he wanted to rip it off with his finger nails. He knew it as the menopause, his body rejecting and changing. He looked down at the baby in his arms, those eyes staring straight back with such calm, such love and need.
He felt better.
It was worth it.
.
.
"Jack?"
"Hmmm?"
"Can Owen pilot one of these vess….. oh shit"
Jack turned from the view ahead he had been quietly puttering along toward to watch the boat behind them slowly make the hard turn they just had. Slowly. Really…really…. Oh shit. After two hours of putting, Toshiko had apparently relinquished the captain's chair to feed her baby.
"TURN!" Jack roared, leaning over the railing as Owen waved energetically with both hands. "TURN THE FUCKING WHEEEEEELL! YOU IDIOT!"
Toshiko was suddenly there, her mouth going with some curse words no doubt as Owen was shoved out of the way and the bow finally started to turn, she gave it some wellie and they were around the curve in the river. Owen's laughter echoing around the riverbanks.
"Oh god" Ianto flopped back on the seat, the babies still asleep in the Moses basket strapped on the seat beside him.
"Here it is" Jack pointed and they moved into a quiet little cove that they had decided one once Toshiko had used a drone to check out the waterways ahead. It had been a sharp turn (that they did not realize Owen would fail at) and you could not see it from the main river course. Not mapped and clearly private property's entrance once upon a time, before it all became overgrown. They could tie up and sty here for days… literally weeks I guess if they have enough food… just peace, quiet and the things they liked the most… no way to reach them from the riverbanks unless it was obvious.
The cat clearly did not care, liking the water and she proved herself to be a boat cat at heart, laying on the roof of the cabin to sun herself while the dog ran circles around the bottom bloody cabin with wide eyes.
Yeah, they WOULD have to walk that beast occasionally. Ha ha Jack! Ianto could claim his C-Section incision hurt any time he wanted without a jot of guilt. Ha!
They tied the two boats tightly together, lashing along their sides to for a pontoon style situation, the matting over the bull-works so they could easily sit and swing their feet over to cross between boats meant they were once again together as one family. The kids loving the idea of being pirates.
Ianto was pleased.
Jack could see this, and he was relieved as Ianto's mood seemed to brighten. While Toshiko donned a bathing suit that showed her post-birth body still rocked, Owen helped in his own board shorts. They placed sensors, camera and other crapolla around the river banks, the entrance, even one up above them in the boughs of a tree.
Anything coming towards them day or night… they would know.
Ianto had returned to their below decks berth, the large bed filling the room as Ianto crawled across it to collapse with fatigue. God that had taken it out of him. He was fucking spent.
Jack happily made bottles up with Toshiko as they talked formula, nappies and other baby related things.
Owen watched the babies and marveled at them while he offered snacks for the older two.
It seemed almost… normal.