14
Tam fell into step with Ianto and John, letting his hand slide into the crook of Ianto's arm and Ianot grinned as he felt the excitement thrumming from the boy. Finally came the whisper "I think he is too."
Ianto surmised that Tam was referring to Sam. Both boys were with male partners, something that was also not seen as weird, that the partners were both called Henry. Both had red hair and both Henrys worked in the engine room. Henry Sam and Henry Tam as they were known, were also … of course… almost identical even though they were not twins. Cousins. Yeah. Mad.
"You've not discussed it with him?" Ianto asked, John leaning around Ianto to look at the boy and raise his eyebrows.
"Hello Uncle Johnty" Tam smiled as he was used to this man and the problems therein "No Taddy. I've not asked him but… this morning I wanted the pickled onions in my salad And you know I hate those… I looked over and he was adding them too… looked horrified."
"Ah. So… you need to take it up with him, he may not be aware or is and too afraid to see if it's real" Ianto sighed "Of the two of you, you must be the one stepping forward for a change."
"Scary" the boy said, then the grin became pure Jack as he added "And so cool. What if we whelp on the same day?"
"Whelp… oi! Don't' call it that. Like a litter of puppies is coming?" Ianto scolded as John roared with mirth ay the humour that was so Boeshanian. Then John got the thread of the conversation and took a breath.
"You've fallen in cutie? Wow… oh… Jack will be so pleased. He was so sure that the regen gene was not picked up… if the womb is maybe that is too." John said as he continued to keep step.
"That is something he worries about, the fact so many die, even Alice will in time… if one can regen like him then.. yeah." Ianto said with unusual flustering. Tam knew there had been unrest between the men and he chose not to speak.
As they neared the room John was heading for he said softly "blessings be."
"Blessings be" both men replied as John swung around the doorframe and disappeared, Tam asking softly if things were OK.
"John and I had agreed to a truce. We are going to be here for a while and in the same colony for a long time… we need to be family once more as we have been before. For all the ups and downs of our relationship… he is a good soldier and protector." Ianto shrugged.
"I will never get used to that" Tam said as he tuned to face Ianto at the doorway he had been heading for "Uncle John has always been there and sometimes good, sometimes bad. Like that annoying little brother always in the way."
"Your father did have a little brother. He lost him when they were still kids, before I even knew him. John did. John knew the bother now long since gone. In a way, he is a connection to Gray for your dad and that is why I will always accept him in the shadows… your father feels a love for John that is… hard to describe. And for that… he will always get another mulligan."
"A Mulligan. Yeah… so Dad loves him but not like you."
"Yes. Not like me and for all my anger and hurt… I do hold him in the palm of my hand. I know that, he will never leave me. Our bond is… unbreakable. Don't worry darling, we will always be here… and always be part of one another's life."
"Like John?"
And him too" Ianto sighed deeply now, nodding as he agreed that it was always going to be this way.
John a part of the ethos.
.
.
"Oi oi, you're up early. Shit the bed?"
Ianto smiled at Rhys as he popped up from behind a hummer "Hey Rhys. It is after eight."
"Shit… is it?" Rhys looked shocked then laughed "I wanted to get this gearbox sorted."
"This one we got from the last stop?" Ianto refused to call it the Gwen Dumping like some were, looked at the hummer that was like a hover but had huge tracks on it like a bulldozer, this ran on the ground, not above it. That's what they called it, the planet they had dumped Gwen on with relief… the last stop.
"Yeh, this baby is capable of carrying three to four time that of a hover" Rhys said with glee.
"If it goes."
Rhy laughed, knowing the ribbing was in good hour as Ianto never scolded for things like a brainfart. Met his mate? Yeah. Rhys patted the machine's hood and said contently "By the time we have somewhere to colonize, we will have the heavy lifter!"
"Well, I trust you" Ianto shrugged moving off to leave the man to it. Such a grease monkey that one, and a man of his word. Gwen gone seemed to have released his mood more and it was now a common thing to see him laughing and grinning widely as he willingly engaged in conversation.
Her hold over him and been more intense that they had realized and Ianto was doubly pleased she as gone. Even if the colony she had decided to hop off and join were not so happy to see her coming down the ramp.
Ianto had added extra grain to make up for that.
