5

"OUT OF BED SOLDIER" Jack roared next to his son's head and Gavriel flew out the other side to land on the floor and look up at Jack with open confusion.

"Come on Soldier… up! Uniform…. ON!" Jacky roared then stomped out of the room, calling back after himself "And then I want you to appear for parade!"

Gabriel had seen his Daddy do this with the recruits, the Blumanchu and even some Judoon he had bene teaching soldier stuff to and with glee he rushed to see the clothes laid out. Dress himself? Really? He manged the pants and the top but the jacket had sort of… snap things and he couldn't work it out so he carried it out with the socks and boots to find his father waiting.

"Come on… come on. Out of uniform. That is a mark young man!" Jack frowned, then looked him up and down, before he knelt and held out his hands "Come on Gab-Gab, let's get you squared away before you are marked for being out of uniform mister."

Gabriel was soon there again in full Uniform, complete with a little peaked hat Jack had found somewhere in Stephen's things. Jack rose and looked him up and down with his hands on his hips.

"Right. It works like this. A Soldier gets medals for good works. So… today. I have these stickers" Jack held up a sheet of gold stars "Each sticker on your tunic is an extra minute in the hot tub with food tonight."

Gabriel gave a sharp gasp, his eyes wide as he stare intently at his Daddy, seeing if he was being truthful. Wow.

"If you misbehave, I take one back. Right? Like a demotion." Jack said, pleased with himself.

He then rose "Right. Chow time!"

Gabriel rushed to the table and clambered into his chair, squeaking with glee at the array of food. He chowed down, enjoying it without a single piece thrown around the room. Jack started to reax, seeing that it might be working. Once finished Jack nodded "Right. You can put your plate in the dishwasher. You are a big boy now."

Taddy NEVER let him do that and with glee, he did that. Carefully.

"Right. Come on… time to walk the street and see if there is anyone needing assistance." Jack clapped his hand and flicked his own tunic from the back of the chair and the two stook off into the day with matching boots stomping, matching tunics glistening with freshly polished buttons and a matched look of Harkness Determination.

"Looking good there men" one of the women called out, enamoured with Jack's miniature keeping up easily with the long legs he had inherited from his Tadda.

Yes.

It was working.

.

.

Ianto got home to a silent house. The food on the bench was covered by a cloth and Ianto munched on the lunch's leftovers while putting things away, opening the dishwasher to find a little plate and cup already in there.

He knew what it meant and decide that it was not his army, Jack could do whatever he thought best. They seemed to be OK out there, not a hint of roaring or screaming echoing around the camp yet.

When the front door opened and they both entered, Ianto swung to see the little boy's face red from the wind and his grin so wide that it matched his father's.

"Hey Tiger, we just saw a grown Judoon running" Jack called out "It w epic."

"Epic" their son agreed "He few ova."

"Few ova?"

"Fell over" the boy corrected, still grinning, "Like a belly flop on the grass."

"We helped clean up the mess" Jack said like Ianto would know all about the mess. Ianto decided to go with it.

"Good job. I made chocolate dessert so… good thing. Seems like soldiers need a reward for their service" Ianto said as he turned back for the kitchen.

"A kitty met me for a squish" Gabriel said, following his Tad into the kitchen "And bopped my head."

"Oh nice, that means they like you when they do a little head butt. Well done, kitties don't like anyone ya know, pretty selective." Ianto said conversationally, so amazed at how calm and poised he was being.

"Dadda, Gab-Gab get off the boots?"

"Yeah Soldier, come to Dadda and we can get our boots off. I'll take yours off and you can get mine off. Fastest wins?"

The little boy giggled as he took off and Ianto walked to the doorway to watch with wonder as Jack pretended to have trouble getting the little one's boots off while the child howled with mirth.

Like someone had cloned him and replaced his brain… wow. Jack had really cracked it? "Cariad, I am so proud of you."

Ianto went back in to the food and both Cariads glowed as each one was sure that was a love token spoken directly to them alone.

Yes, this was working.

.

.

"Jack, that was a spark of genius to make him a solder. He loves Johnty and he is a solder, he loved Uncle Archie and he is a solder, he adores us and we are soldiers… what a clever thing to realize. Even his big sisters have uniforms on sometimes. Do you think he felt sort of different to us? Now he thinks he is the same?"

"Maybe baby" Jack said, then laughed at himself for rhyming "I think he just was so excitable and needed focus. Those gold stars. He counts them. Did you know he can count? He had counted to six today, for each if the six stars. Got it right each time he showed someone. So proud if his stars."

"And putting them around his mirror, it will ok so cool when covered like a frame around it."

"I am going to look for other colours too… he might like that. Like, choose each day or something to symbolize them for the day? Blue ones for Blumanchu stuff?"

"Judoon? Are they grey… or silver?"

"Oh man, this is actually fun" Jack said happily, "and I was so afraid that we were sort of getting out of our depth with him. I really needed to take a moment there. God. We make a heady mix of beast. At least with the next one we will be forewarned if it's a boy again."

"Hmmmm" Ianto hummed, snuggling in as he knew he did not want another one so soon. Not for another year or so… if at all. They needed to talk about that I guess. At least, he was being careful with the topping for the last year or so as he didn't…. oh shit.

Boeshanian.

"Jack."

"mmmm?"

"Are you preggers?"

"Wha?"

Ianto now sat up on one elbow looking down on the mate not returning in his gaze. "Were you overwhelmed because you feared another one like him? Because you are preggers?"

"Um…well…"

Ianto flopped back on the bed with horror "Well… shit."

"Come on, by the time he or she is born he will be four. Like… another year and off to school."

Ianto did not answer as he had ben thinking the same thing. One more year or so and he might get some more freedom.

But then… another little one. A precious little… oh god.

Ianto rolled to face him and said bravely "That is wonderful news Cariad. A little playmate for him, someone for him to look after and nurture, protect with his big soldier ways. We must spin it like that so he is not jealous. He will love being a bodyguard."

"Yeah" Jack said happily as he held Ianto tightly, his own fear over the baby dissipating as he tried to be positive too. Both men secretly alarmed.

"Brills."