17
The bump was huge, the baby squished for room and complaining so loud they could all hear it.
"Come on June-bug, poor Taddy needs some sleep" Ianto said softly as he rubbed the bump.
"We are not calling her that" Jack said as he sat on the edge of the bed, rubbing his hair with a towel as he watched the large bump… on the bump… move.
"Why not?" Ianto asked jokingly adding "June-bug Loraxia Harkness Jones sounds sweet."
Jack did not catch the humour in his mate's voice and was shielding form a long hard day working so he did not take the best step in responding "My child will have a name of my family. Like Alice… Stephen… all ancestors. A Harkness."
Ianto looked up from the bump with surprise "Excuse me? Don't I get a say?"
"I am the father, that's how it goes." Jack replied, then spun as he caught the anger in Ianto's voice, opening his shield to find too late that he had misstepped.
"Look" Jack shuffled over and leaned in close "I am there for each birth, as is the Harkness way. I hold up the bub before the cord is cut and I declare the name from the list… it is always done that way."
"So… if you are not there I can name her?"
Jack started to laugh as he now saw the cheekiness in his mate "That's right. If I miss the birth of our daughter, you will get the right to name her."
"I will hold you to that" Ianto replied as he kissed him softly.
"It will never happen. I will NOT miss her birth" Jack said confidently "I would be a pillock to even be apart from you near her time."
"Words of wisdom."
.
.
"So she said… this Thursday onwards… tomorrow after school" Alice was talking to Jack as Ianto entered the living room to flop into his chair and groan softly. In the last two weeks he had started feeling so over the entire thing. Alice automatically rolled her eyes at him and then turned back to her father.
Jack seemed to consider.
"Thursday, just the one night away?" he finally asked.
Ianto turned to look at him and opened his mouth to remind him that he was working Thursday night and Alice might be best at home with him when Jack said "And Ianto will be the first to complain that I am working, and you need to be here for him. Sorry love, it's up to him if you have fun or not."
Her face dropped as she shot a look at him and Ianto was now the heel. Shit, thanks Cariad. Ianto shot a look at Jack in response then said calmly "I can ask Rhia to come keep me company, or maybe Toshiko."
Alice lit up again "Please Daddy?"
"Just the one night won't hurt" Ianto said, trying to keep the annoyance from his voice as he was again ignored. He would never truly be a parental to Jack's kids, would he.
Jack caught the thought and glanced back at the retreating bulk of his heavily pregnant Dam. Instead of thinking through the problem or even comprehending the problem Jack did the usual "Come on Tiger. Don't be pissy. I would say don't have a cow but our daughter might be a right cow if your mood swings are anything to go by. You sure are the right size!"
Ianto stopped moving. Did not turn, did not speak, just stood there for a beat then continued out the door and Jack cursed softly at himself for a flat joke.
Or a fat Joke.
Shit… did he just insult him?
Jack groaned, rubbing his face as he pondered the fact Ianto was damned near impossible to please these days. Why they are called Dams? Damned hard. Bloody hormones had him moody, whingey and picky. Like a highly strung horse boxed for too long.
Ianto stopped walking along the hallway as he caught that thought as well, the weight of Jack's annoyance pushing against his shoulders and with a soft sniff Ianto tried not to have a crying fit. Those really annoyed everyone and he wished he didn't have them too.
He was being a cow lately with his needy diva behaviour.
He vowed not to complain anymore.
.
.
"I can't sorry love, the boys are having a sleepover."
"Boys?"
"David and Stephen, along with the boy from school… Damien. They are all having a little camp-in or whatever they call it in the living room."
Ianto blinked slowly as he learnt that Stephen was also going to leave the house tonight, leaving Ianto all alone. "Did Jack OK this?"
"Yeah, Stephen will be here for the long weekend, no school Friday remember?"
"Right. Yeah, baby brain… I had forgotten." Ianto replied, now wondering if Alice was only having one night away or not… no Friday school… of course.
He ended the call and rang Toshiko only to find that she was filling in at the medical center for a doctor who wanted the long weekend off, her and Owen both going to work for the duration.
They all knew he was due any day and now there was going to be the next three days as a weekend holiday… holly shit.
They had forgotten?
.
.
"Jack, did you remember this weekend is a long one with Friday being a holiday?" Ianto asked as he walked into the bedroom to watch him pack a bag "Jack?"
"Yeah, the kids are really looking forward to it" Jack replied, rushing to throw another pair of socks into the kit bag.
"Well… it is also my Due Time" Ianto said softly "And we agreed that you would not work."
Jack sighed theatrically "You've not even dropped, and WE never agreed to it. Just because you demand something like a bloody Diva, it does not automatically make it a law."
Ianto was hurt and Jack turned to face him with anger now "Look, you need to stop using this baby like a weapon. You don't always get your own way in this family just because you can shit out a baby!"
Ianto was stunned.
Jack turned back to his preparations, muttering to himself internally that Ianto was just like Lucia always wanting shit from him with not even a blowjob lately.
Ouch.
Yeah, there had been no sex for the last two months, Ianto was too uncomfortable and tired all the time with HIS child in his belly.
"Fine" Ianto said shortly, turning to storm from the room.
"Great now he will cry" Jack sighed to the now empty room.
Tears prickled and he cursed the bloody hormones that made him seem so bloody weak. Jack being all alpha fucktard in response.
Well… fine.
He didn't need anyone.