32

Ianto returned home without a baby on board, her hand up in his face making it clear that he was dismissed. He heard noise and saw the shoes discarded by the door so he knew who was in the house and he headed in that direction to see if he could head off another problem.

He entered the little flat and placed the shoes he had scooped off the floor in the shoe rack where they belonged, the teenager on the bed not even blinking as she spoke to her friend on the vidcom while comparing dresses, holding each one up for her friend to see.

"Greetings Commander Harkness-Jones"

"Greetings Leena. I love the green, it really pops with your eyes. You should ask this creatin here to loan you her gold strappy heels to go with that." Ianto smiled back at the girl on the screen who DID have manners.

"Which ones?" Alice turned to look at him and Ianto reached back to the rack and removed a three inch pair with gold straps that looked like string. So dainty and cute. "Oh, yes. We are the same size, right?"

"Oh, they are adorable! But you're not worn them out yet? Oh… can I borrow them for the dance?" Leena squalled, "May I please Alice?"

"Sure" Alice shrugged, dismissing something as unimportant to her as shoes. Not like there are a lot of shops out here and she had lost so much in the storm but Ianto had diligently ordered things and the courier vessels had delivered. I don't think it even occurred to Alice how rare those shoes were. Ianto knew she would likely not even remember them if they didn't come home again. So loved and spoilt. She only knew comfort.

"And as for you, young lady. That fiery orange number… I've not seen that before" Ianto waved a finger and she lifted the dress gain.

"We had a Swap Day at school, Tad. Everyone brought the clothes they don't wear anymore or don't like and swapped with each other. That pink thing with the fur for this." She gushed and Ianto giggled softly, the pink jacket with white fur trim was a gift from Gwen that Alice had barely managed to hide her horror at when it was gifted.

"Well, you father will have a fucking heart attack and go on about the cleavage but… it think it's divine. You know… I might have shoes for that" Ianto frowned then exited as the girls giggled and Leena told Alice she had such a lovely parental. Ianto returned in time to hear Alice's response.

"I know" she laughed "I miss my mom; I think part of me always will, but she never loved me the way Taddy does. I think… I think some are meant to be parentals and some aren't. Taddy was born to love us. My mom… I don't think she even really cared."

Ianto entered with the box "I was saving these for your graduation, but I think that would be a waste. We all know I will see something better before then."

She accepted the box and opened it, gasping at the dainty four inch stilettoes that looked back at her, the shoes were made of a translucent material but when you moved them in the light they changed colour, like…shots of pink became hots of red… like glitter.

"Firey. Right?" Ianto asked.

"Oh Taddy… these peeping out with each step, the dress flying to one side with the part halfway up my thigh I will have to hide from Daddy noticing… the boys will drool!"

"And your father will wave his gun in the air" Ianto sighed, both girl shrieking with laughter as he mimed Jack shooting at things. Ianto let himself show to his daughter, her friend Leena seeing a rare glimpse at the real man behind the glower and although she knew many would never believe her, she did have a little crush on Alice's Tad. He was so cute when not hiding.

After Leena said goodbye Ianto sat un the bed and waited, seeing Alice happy and content. He hated to do this but knew he had to.

"Darling. I know you don't like to talk about your mother but… I feel me need to" he said softly.

"OH? Must we?" she screwed her face up with annoyance. "Did you hear that conversation with Leena? Sorry, but I really do not even think of her much now."

"I have a theory. I passed it over your father's head, and he was not sure but you know your Dad. He is blinkered to some things sometimes." Ianto watched her as she settled next to him, her face now serious "Sweetie. Your mother ran away… but it was not you he was running from. Not your father or Stevie either. I think… I think …ah… she was trying to run from herself."

"What do you mean Tad?"

"Your mother presented as a Norm. Always has, right? Your Dad even thought she was a Norm, everyone did. But she isn't. Is she. The latent energy on the box tells me she has a touch of mutism in her. I think… I think when it came out that it is hereditary, and she knew one day you and Stephen would exhibit given the odds with Jack being clearly Mute … I think it scared her. Her secret would be out, and people would know she was one too. She ran away to hide herself."

Alice sat back and considered "Mama is a mutant. Like us. But… is ashamed of it?"

"Not ashamed so much as terrified. I mean, it was not as easily accepted now like it is, not back then. I remember the cruelty of others. It was a scary, horrible time. Your mother thought of herself, her image and how she portrayed herself. She was afraid. Not for you or of you. But for herself."

"I … I always thought, maybe if was me" Alice leaned against him, seeking his comfort and he knew the hardest part was about to come. "It was selfishness?"

"Darling… I saw your mother toady. She is here, on-world and… she is mutant alright."

Alice went ridged in his arms and then drew back to stare into his face "What?"

"She is in the new lot of people arrived. I guess she secured a job here with the scientific team. Maybe… maybe she is ready to make amends and embrace the Mute. She came here looking for you."

"Well… good for her. Embrace away" Alice snuggled back against him "But she needn't expect a fucking hug form me. Whether she ran form me or not… she left me behind. Knowing the horrible feeling of becoming a mutant, the growing pains she could have helped with, prepared me for… been there for. She was selfish. She was cruel and she is not my mother anymore. You are my parental, and you have been more of a parental to me than she ever was."

"I just want you to know that if you do want a relationship with her… eve if it's just a loose polite friendship… it would not offend me. OK? I love you and I know you love me. I will not feel left out or replaced if you want her in your life" Ianto lied.

"No. That's the difference between the two of you Tad. She would NEVER say that." Alice sighed, now burying her fae in his neck as she took comfort from him.

"I love you, jellybean. I could not love you any more if your veins held my blood in them, for my heart holds you so close, so deep within me… my blood has you in it" he whispered in to her ear and she clung to him.

She did not want to see her mother.

She did not need her… not now.

That time had passed.