2

"Oh shit" Ianto sighed as he watched the little boy disappear ahead of him, the inner halls of the embassy usually containing the little bugger as the doors were kept closed. He followed him into the meeting room to find Archie laughing as Gabriel clambered into his lap, the others in the room gaping at the child.

"God, sorry Archie love, he got away from me" Ianto apologized as he reached for the boy who then screamed and clung to Archie.

"I want Unka Arch!"

"Come on Sweetpea, he's seen the platter of food on the table. Leave him here and he can listen in and scribble sone notes for me. Care to be my secretary little man? I need someone to take notes" Archie crooned and Gabriel loked at Ianto with triumph.

Yeah, he had several suckers in his repertoire, and they all danced to his tune. Harkness in this one for sure.

"OK… but remember love… he's wily"

"So were you as I recall… such a lovely kind of crafty mind" Archie winked and Ianto shook his head, those in the room all now with their jaws on the floor as Ianto leaned over to kiss the old man like a lover and head off.

He had no idea what he was doing… this was not their daughter… oh no.

This was a Harkness child.

Snigger.

.

.

The Blumanchu were all talking at once and the Judoon who were there were barking over top of them as Jack tried to get some semblance of order out of them, Ianto suddenly roaring in Judoon for silence as he entered the area.

They all froze.

"Alright then" he said in Galactic Standard "I heard something about the new quarters, the low level fighting in the mess and also… a Fuckerat?"

As they all started again, he raised a hand and said in Jadoon "a Fuckerat?"

The Judoon all fell silent.

"Wait... this is all because of a Fuckerat?" Jack added like he was an echo.

"Apparently, one of these twats brought their pet Fuckerat to dinner, it escaped and the ensuing fistfight that somehow eventuated as someone tried to kill their beloved pet has ended with the entire mess hall demolished. Some Judoon sized holes in the walls as well as Blumanchu… and a few human ones too." Ianto sighed.

"Where is Gab-Gab?"

"Archie fell for the eye thing and stop calling him that. Sounds like a fish" Ianto said as he accepted a piece of paper and groaned "Jesus on a rolling pin… this is not …. Shit. OK. I will look at the budget, in the meantime we will need to get a marquee up for the… don't give me that face!"

"I don't know if I like the fact your ex has our kid." Jack pouted, Rhiannon's father something Jack was still a little jealous about.

"We will be cold" the men groaned, looking at the Blumanchu with annoyance.

"Not if you let them build it, they have those fire pits… imagine cooking your own meat" Ianto said and everyone started talking at once, this time with excitement.

"Right. My job is done" Ianto grinned.

"So, what now?" Jack asked.

"Now I sneak along to peek in at the Gabriel Effect" Ianto ginned taking off with Jack following, and some Blumanchu who wanted to see what their little Whitemanchu was up to. Yeah, they had nicknamed him that.

They got to the corner of the hallway and Ianto motioned everyone to be quiet, stealing along like a silly cartoon character and soon all of them were creeping along on tiptoe. Judoon are not built for it and they looked like thy were about to topple over a few times. They slid along the wall, they crouched under the window and made it to the door, Ianto cracking it so they could see in.

Gabriel was on the table dancing, singing a song in Judoon that was pitch perfect as those sitting around the table laughed and clapped.

God, all he needed was for them to stuff money into his pants.

Jack then saw and he pushed past them into the room "Gab, what the hell. You know you are not allowed on tables."

"Not a table, is a desk!"

"It is a desk, please speak properly" Ianto sighed as he entered as well.

Gabriel placed his little hands on his hips, stared at his fathers and then said in his little sing song voice with perfect grammar "well fuck me dead with a cucumber, you two are a couple of old foggeys are you not?"

"Gabriel!" Ianto gasped with horror as Archie started to laugh.

"Oh my god… that sounded just like Rhiannon" Archie spluttered with glee "remember her telling off her teacher for wearing white after labour day? Oh god, I don't know where she even got that from."

"Oh man, I had forgotten about that, but that unfortunately was pure Owen as even the Londoner whine was recognisable" Ianto replied as he watched Jack finally managed to seize the boy who screamed like he was murdering him.

"Stop it" Jack snarled as he struggled to hold him.

"Oh well… I guess he doesn't want the hot tub when we get home" Ianto sighed softly "We can always have it Daddy, he can stay in his room playing and we can eat some chocolate in the hot water… do you want bubbles?"

Gabriel froze in Jack's arms, the little brilliantly blue eyes rolling to bore into Ianto as he considered his options and then saying softly "Sowwy."

"Excuse me?" Ianto raised his eyebrows "Was that a word?"

"Sorry Taddy Dear."

Jack laughed into the boy's back and he carried him off, the child now limp and cooperative as he asked if he could choose the bubble 'flavour'.

"They are so much fun at this age" Archie sighed softly as he started to sort out the papers scattered about. "Thanks for sharing him Sweetpea."

Jack looked back at Archie from the doorway with a withering glare that only made him chuckle more.

Oh yes… he remembered this stage. Ianto still let him be part of their life then. And he also knew Ianto's limits.

Jack was ALMOST there.