23

"Ianto?"

"Office" Ianto yelled back, now accustomed to the yelling in his once quiet house. He didn't even cringe anymore when replying in kind. The baby slept in the bassinette by his desk like there was not trumpeting elephants nearby.

"Hey, there you are" Jack entered with a wide grin.

"Yes, surprisingly I am right where I said I would be. I did not know this was negotiable. Maybe next time, eh?"

Jack blinked, then started to laugh "As long as you are naked next time."

"Oh. Naked Hide N Seek is it?" Ianto leaned back in the chair to accept a kiss, then he watched Jack lean over the bassinette to croon, his finger touching the hair of their daughter ever so gently so as not to wake her. "ahhhh."

"What did you require, oh sexy god of mine?" Ianto finally asked once he had his fill of love in the bond.

"Well… Toshiko and Owen want to host a party this evening. Like… just for no reason" Jack said like it was sheer madness. "They are inviting a few people and wanted to know if we could come too. "I said I didn't know, Astra is not an evening mingler."

"Well… she does like daytime socializing. We've not really tried evening parties… might be a bit much. Tell you what, we each take our own Hover. If she gets fussy, I can putter home and you can stay for the entertainment. Get him to play Twister or something, I am sure he will cheat as much as you do."

"Gasp" Jack said… yeah… he said it theatrically as he clutched at imaginary pearls, then roared with mirth. Again… baby did not move. Used to the foghorn too.

"Go on. Accept the invitation for us. Alice and Fen might want to go over to Rhia's. Hell… if Fen wants to go to Dad, Alice might want to come with us. She is old enough to start socialising with the adults." Ianto waved a hand to shoo Jack away like a fly.

"But what will I wear" Jack flounced off and Ianto shook his head. For an Alpha... he can be such a bloody Diva.

.

.

Fen was already sorting a sleepover and told Ianto as much, Alice shocked and delighted to be invited to an adult evening, eyeing the baby until Ianto explained that he was responsible for her and if she fussed, HE would leave with her. Alice would be able to stay with her father.

"But what will I wear" she flounced off and Jack pointed after her.

"Look at that, what a bloody Diva."

Ianto closed his mouth and his mind so Jack could not hear the spitting of mirth.

Nutta.

.

.

"Hey, glad you could make it" Owen said, his grin wide as he reached out and simply snatched the baby away, leaving Ianto to laugh softly and place the baby bag on the floor by the door.

Alice entered with her father and looked around with delight as there were only adults there. Astra the only child. Finally, she felt like a grown up. It felt… nice.

"Everyone, those of you who do not know, this is my gorgeous daughter Alice." Jack said pointedly pushing her in front of himself "Be warned. Ianto and I are very protective, and she does know self-defense."

Everyone laughed and some moved to welcome her, the delight on her face enough for Jack to see that Ianto had been right. She was ready to be one of the crowd.

Later, as Ianto changed a little wet bum in the baby's bedroom that awaited a Harper sprog, Toshiko entered and settled on the edge of the bed "Are things OK? Jack was in some pretty deep water out there for a while."

"Yes. We are… sort of treading water right now. It's a good spot and we need to sort of reestablish some connections, gather strength before we move forward into the next stage" Ianto nodded.

"And the next stage is?"

"Well… hopefully the fucker puts a ring on my finger, and we finally dispense with the fear of splintering. He needs to declare that I am his, he is mine and we are one. Then… I think… we are moving from the deep towards the shoreline." Ianto nodded.

"Is there anything we can do?"

"Be his friend. Owen is a good mate and sometimes he might need to vent, to ask what he is doing wrong or what he thinks about to do next… Owen is a good sounding board. For all his Mad Man posing he is a good man," Ianto replied, not knowing said Mad Man was behind him with a bottle for the baby. "Owen is sort of like the brother I never had. I think as kids, we would have been diabolical."

Toshiko looked at her mate who was beaming as he gently shook the bottle and made himself known "Bot bot? Jack was almost here and that made mare Donna got hold of him for a dance."

Ianto canted his head "I don't hear music?"

"No, why he was a little rattled" Owen said, thrusting the bottle at Ianto then lighting up as the baby was thrust at him instead.

"Go on, you are the godfather, feed your beast." Ianto said, "You must be a pro by now."

Owen looked at Toshiko with raw joy, setting to croon and feed said beast who's little eyes were crinkling to show her amusement. She liked him too.

"You know, he has never been happier." Toshko said once they had left the room "You and Jack are good for him too. He needed to belong to something, always felt like…"

"Imposter Syndrome is what it's called. I suffer it too. Like… we don't belong here and sooner or later someone will look at us and ask why we are here, all the things we love will disappear. Like we are faking it." Ianto admitted "But Jack… I feel his genuine feelings."

"And there is a shoreline."

"Yeah, and it's pretty there… closer every day."

She hugged him without thinking, glad when he overcame his shock to hug her back.

Owen was not the only one who gained from knowing these two men. She had brothers now too.