11

Ianto had a lot to think about, this was not something he could easily break to anyone, let alone a man who was glad his kids were able to fend for themselves these days. Did he even want this? And both being strong Mutes for parentals… this would be another little Mute for sure… would he want that?

As Ianto paced in the streets, unknown to him, Owen was letting the cat out of the bag… or rather… a rat out of the sewer. And it would cause such a fucking backwash of shit over them all.

.

.

"So, Rhiannon's house is almost ready to move into" Jack said as he settled at the desk, watching Owen fuss about "I will miss her meals but Alice is getting better."

"Yeah, me and Toshiko are gonna move back to ours in the next couple of weeks, things started moving quickly once Ianto rattled those blades of his" Owen replied. Then stopped what he was doing to think about the fact there would be bedrooms free. Would Ianto move Stephen into David's room so the room would be free for the baby or just change the one next to Alice's into a nursery where Mimi was now.

Jack looked up sharply from the bobble head alien he was bobbing on Owen's desk, the weekly medical updates suddenly drifting out the window as he sat bolt upright and stared intently at him, opening his own firewalls to do something he had not done since he was in the Academy.

He attempted to read Owen.

A baby.

Definitely a baby… baby Harkness.

Ianto knows… Ianto was going to break it to him. Oh. Really? Was he?

Jack was out of his seat and gone before Owen could turn to ask him if Ianto had spoken to him about anything today and he found the chair empty, shrugging as he went back to misfiling some reports Toshiko would scold for later.

"Attention span of a goldfish that one." He muttered to himself.

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.

Ianto looked up from the book he was placing on his shelf, surprised as Jack slammed into the home office to stare at him. "I know!"

"What?"

"I said… I know about the fucking baby! Owen let slip" Jack snarled now, shaking with rage as he moved closer "And when exactly where you going to… break it to me?"

Ianto was confused by this. I mean, sure. A baby was a big thing but… seriously? "I was going to talk to you tonight after dinner while the kids were abed and we…"

"Abed. Who even says that. You know, my kids and I have been through so much and meeting you was… has been brilliant and I know under different circumstances maybe… but… this is not something I can just shrug and accept. What makes you a primary parental to MY family?" Jack was blustering now as Ianto stood, the book still poised half on the shelf as he gaped at Jack, trying to work out what the fuck he was talking about "I know you like to control things, keep things to yourself. But a baby. A baby? Goram!"

"You don't want the baby?" Ianto said softly, finally getting the reason for the anger "You think… you think a baby is a bad idea?"

"The worst! Right now? A baby could fuck up everything!" Jack threw his arms into the air like Ianto was thick "And I should have been told immediately so I could consider how to fix this."

Ianto gaped further, then slammed the book home on the shelf, thrumming with rage as he stepped into Jack's space and snarled "Well I happen to think the baby is welcome, brilliant even and if you don't want to be part of it… fine. Fuck off."

Then to both of their confusion, Ianto fucked off instead.

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"And he meant it?" Martha asked, watching Ianto pace.

"Yeah… like it was going to ruin our lives. He said it was going to fuck everything up" Ianto scoffed "Like… he doesn't care for his kids now. Alice cares for Stephen like a little mama. Of anything she is…."

"Bastard" Martha bristled, "you know, I have a god mind to grab his gonads and … what is it?"

"I just worked it out… why he is acting like this… and I think he is a bigger Twat than I gave him credit for in the first place" Ianto groaned pivoting to leave as Martha called after him to wait and explain it to her.

But Ianto was running, the horrible thought of what was possibly happening too stupid to take time to share.

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He entered the house to find his sister in the kitchen, standing there with her mouth open staring at Alcie's room and he knew he was too late to stop the fuckup Jack was now splattering all over the walls like a monkey throwing shit in a zoo enclosure.

Ianto took a deep breath and entered the bedroom to find Alice on the bed looking up at her father like he was insane as he screamed at her "TELL ME HIS NAME!"

"Jack."

"Not now. This is between me and MY child!" Jack turned to roar at Ianto with the same volume, Ianto not flinching as he glared back at him, just that eyebrow moving. This seemed to enrage Jack more "You know… this is my daughter and my problem. Thanks for everything, it was all rather nice but if you think us bumping uglies gives you the right to…"

"If you go too far, there will be no turning back" Ianto warned with a finger raised "You need to take a beat and think about the fuck up you are revelling in."

"Baby? A Baby?" Alice was now feeling the emotions and gleaning from Ianto's thoughts "What baby? Why are you thinking about a baby?"

"Your father gleaned from Owen that a baby is entering the family… little rat faced bastard forgot this one can hear thoughts… and your twat faced bastard of a father here instantly jumped to the conclusion that it must be you preggers" Ianto said to her like the slathering beast in the room did not exist "I did not know until today and have not had a chance to tell him. Your father came home, gave me a mouthful about how he doesn't want a baby in this family, how a baby will ruin thing and how enraged he is in general that one is even in the offering. IF he had his way, it would already be aborted… lots of lovely fucking bullshit like that."

"But I am not preggers" she said with confusion.

"I know. You know… apparently your father can not get it through his thick skull" Ianto waved a hand dismissively at the man who had now gone quiet, his confusion taking over as he looked from his daughter to his lover.

"But Owen was thinking about the nursery and…" Jack finally panted.

"Yes, he was. And I could kill him for that, I really wanted to take the time to choose my words and get this just right but clearly, like everything around here… it has to be ruined and blown apart like another meteor shower" Ianto sighed.

"Really?" Alice asked, then she lit up, rising to Ianto "Really? Oh wow… I … what can I do? Oh wow."

"Well, someone is happy at least" Ianto accepted her hug as she jumped up and down on the spot. Then she spun to Jack with horror.

"You don't want it?"

"Sweetie, he thought it was yours. He thought you were preggers and about to ruin your life by having a baby before you got your mutant training" Ianto was now trying to defend him, not sure why.

"Do you think it's a boy or girl… can you tell yet?" she gushed.

"I don't know, it's only about four weeks… another few weeks and I might get a crackle. I did with my first son, he let me know early he was a boy but… each one is different, and I might not even hear from the little bugger until the birth like Jayden held out on me despite me being his dam" he grinned.

Alice placed her hands on Ianto's still flat stomach "Oh wow. I can't wait… I can help right?"

"I would hope so" he laughed as he watched Jack's face pale, the realization setting in and as predicted… Jack asked the stupid question.

"Ianto, are you preggers?"

Finally.

"Yes Cariad… I have the biggest ruination of your life inside me."

Jack stood there then roared with a punch into the air "Wohoooo."

Ianto rolled his eyes as he told himself to be kind to the half-witted fucker, clearly he had a screw loose sometimes.

Alcie started to giggle as that had not been filtered at all.

"A baby" she said happily "Wow."