21

That evening Jack waited like a naughty child in the principal's office. He knew he needed a good telling off and knew Ianto needed to tell him off but at the same time… that twist in his gut as he feared the worst, made him want to bolt.

"Right. She is down" Ianto said as he entered the room and looked around "Where are they?"

"Both in their beds, went early with their tablets. I told them… I told them we needed to talk and make some new rules."

"How did that go down?" Ianto asked as he settled gingerly in a chair.

"Alice told me that if you throw me out, she does not want to leave and if you would adopt her or something."

"And Fen?"

Did this sort of glare thing I had never seen before. You know, I think he is turning Mute, I swear I felt the sweats coming on." Jack grimaced.

"Well, he did hear her in my womb, he is growing to be Mute." Ianto settled more, the rug over his legs now being plucked at.

"Ianto…"

"NO. I go. This is My house and I get to go first."

Jack closed his mouth. This was new. Ianto was not just being assertive, he was being… dominant. The words were not just being said out loud into the air, but in his mind as well. Ianto was completely owning the moment.

"First of all… either you start providing finds towards this house or get out."

"Wha…"

"I am still speaking. Shut the fuck up."

Jack closed his mouth.

"Secondly, I want designated times for family time. I don't are about the fucking rosters, I don't care about John needing help with an array, I don't care that Owen wants to show you a new bug. I want designated times where we are here, as a family for her."

Jack nodded, learning not to speak.

"Third and most importantly… we seek family guidance. If we are to be a family, we need to find a rhythm that we can all dance to… for her."

"Can I speak now?"

"Yes. Go on then, give me your best shot!" Ianto settled back, his eyes hooded in a way that was almost predatory and Jack felt a rush of love and lust for him, trying to tamp it down and focus.

"Firstly… what do you mean… provide finds. There is the joint account…"

"For you and your kids. I don't get any of that. It does not pay for the food on the table or clothes on their backs. They use that as their pocket money. You have not paid towards the purchase or upkeep of this house at all."

"Huh? No, I gave you access to it, I mean… I did, right?" Jack asked then knew from the silent glare that he had not. He hadn't? He meant to; he was sure he…. Fuck. "So, all this time…"

"Hmmmmmm"

"OK… ah… I will fix that immediately and make sure you are the second signatory on the account. What is mine is yours love." Jack said with a horrible feeling now, god. He was a fucking leach. He had ben living if Ianto all this time… he had been sure he had given Ianto access. Fuck it.

Ianto did not speak, hearing Jack's thoughts and feeling a little better knowing it had been just another idiotic Harkness brain fart, not a deliberate thing.

"Secondly" Jack continued "Ah… what was that? Right. Family Time. Yes. I agree. We all eat together at the table each night, we have a family meeting once a week for anything and… and… ah… one weekend a month is to be family thing like… a day hike or picnic or something?"

Ianto was surprised by this and let it show as he nodded.

"Third. Yeah. Family Guidance. Yes. For all of us as well as for you and me. I think… I think also individual counselling might be good. The kids need to get over their mother and… I know the boys and Lisa are still here in the house. I think… you can find a way to relax more with those ghosts too."

"Do you really feel that?"

"Well, yes. It was her house, right? You lost the first baby by her in space flight, but Jayden did live here. That was his room. She laughed here, you made love to her here. She is in the walls; her scent is in the curtains… I feel her here too."

Ianto sat back to consider that, he had not known that. Huh. That was a surprise to him to learn that Jack felt her. But his babies… they were in him. No mater where he lived, they would be with him. He could not simply leave and build another house.

"I don't want that" Jak blurted as he caught the thought, "I mean… I love this house. I love this home and I know the kids do too. And it has proven itself as a safe zone… I don't want us to leave. Maybe… just… some redecorating and… sort of… letting go?"

Ianto pondered this, then a little cry began in the other room.

"Shit, that wasn't long. I will get her." Jack rose and rushed off as Ianto considered things his fingers drumming the arm of the chair. He knew he had just woken her with his feelings all over the place, bloody hormones. It is not unknown for a Dam and child to have a bond that remains unbroken after birth… it was this way with Jayden too. Only once they grow to be proper little children, the independent stage starting do they relinquish that bond. Jayden never did. Did not get the chance to grow up.

If Astra was to, if she had any chance of being a strong independent person like her namesake… Ianto had to make sure they all worked together.

"So?" Jack settled back in the chair, their daughter now awake and clutching the tiny little winged soft toy thing he had offered her, her eyes drinking in the shiny material. An Old Earth Dinosaur I think.

"A trial. We will take it week by week. At each family meeting we will report on the week as a whole… if we ever reach a point where the weeks are all negative and it is clearly not working, we will ok to take maybe a separation time or something."

Ouch.

Jack took a deep breath and tried to look positive as he answered "Whatever you think is best love."

Ianto felt it and nodded, knowing deep down he might not be able to live up to that particular threat but at the same time… he hoped it would never come to a thought of separation where it was tested.

Jack had to step up.