50

"So" Jack said once he and Ianto were alone and Ianto turned to face him with a soft hum of question. Jack grinned and added "Marilyn Monroe is it?"

Ianto grinned back as he popped a hip "Hello poppet."

"You know… you are the only man I know… bar myself of course… that could rock her dress ya know" Jack pulled him close and kissed him gently, his rough hands softer than velvet as he rubbed Ianto's arms "I love you Mister Jones. Harkness Jones"

"I think I like the sound of that. You know... so many things we never discussed, never agreed to and I know there must be times you want to pull your wig off. Sorry lover, I am just… impulsive." Ianto kissed him back.

"You. Mister plan 'H' in effect… impulsive. Right."

"Well… I did thump Owen that day and scared all of us. I was meant to slap him but the fist closed on it's own" Ianto whispered "remember that? Early on in our relationship when he made the quip about me being the arsehole and you the dickhead?"

"Oh yeah. He flew off his chair like a stuffed toy, but you are surely not the first person to want to lamp him one. He must be used to it by now" Jack laughed gently, their foreheads now together "Anything else on your mind sweet lover?"

"These kids. Will they stop aging so fast once puberty hits? Will they settle? Become good adults? Will they breed? Are they hungry and most importantly… are you not wearing underwear?" Ianto stopped tlkaing as his hands stalled down the back of Jack's jeans and Jack waggled his eyebrows in answer.

"Oh my god, you slut"

"I know! Right?"

"Best get over there and get that bare arse out, I see a paddling in your future young man!"

"Oh Marilyn, I've dreamed of this day."

.

.

"Where were you!" Zane demanded as he finally saw his parentals entering the main room, both faces flushed and their hair mussed as they held hands. "Taddy I was calling for you!"

"Don't be silly, they've been rubbing each other and getting zappy happy" came a reply as Darius rose and rolled his eyes at him.

Laurie didn't speak, just stood to swing at Darius who laughed as he slapped her away. Clearly there was a game of some sort on the go, no anger in their actions.

"Yes, a bit of Grup rubbing" Jack agreed happily as Ianto slouched with embarrassment and he felt his face going red, the other adults all laughing softly.

"Hungry?" Francine asked as she offered a plate of scones and Ianto hummed a he chose one, and then he froze with his hand halfway to the plate. His face one of immense concentration like he had just remembered something important.

"Tiggy?"

"Oh god" Ianto rose and rushed to the lavatory where he threw up the water he had drunk earlier, Jack following to help him to the sink. Jack had not seen this before, Ianto's nerves as solid as a rock and vomiting was something Ianto hated with a passion.

Ianto washed his mouth out with a mouthful of water, then cleared his throat "well… that was unexpected."

"Are you OK?"

"I think it is everything catching up to me. We are sitting there, safe and sound with our prefect, wonderful little aliens and… people have died. There are babies out there… masquerading as toddlers… who likely do not even remember those who loved them first." Ianto choked out, tears now surprising Jack even more.

"Hey... we will love them last. OK?" Jack assured him "and as long as we are here, they will never forget their starts and their prefect lives that their parentals died to give them. Right? Laurie… such a sweet little girl and I have a photo of her mother in my diary. One day I will show her how much like her she looks."

"You… you have a diary?" Ianto asked with confusion, this a new thing too. So many things they were finding out about each other lately.

"Well… I have to write random things in something. You know. Phone numbers, birthdays and quotes I like. Sometimes I even stick receipts in there" Jack said with pride.

Ianto felt the laughter building as he stared at him and said softly "You don't keep it like a journal then?"

"OH god no. A diary is not for that. No. You write numbers things to remember to do and… oh yeah… mileage. I always put down my mileage so I know when to change the belts… what are you laughing at?"

Ianto was laughing too much to explain it to him.

Ianto knew he had to let go of the stress and tension, it was giving him a stomach ulcer.

And Jack was just the balm.