4

Jack stood at the door with a look of pure discomfort, the little boy swinging past to race up the stairs that were familiar to him even if they were still foreign to Jack. Ianto reached for the suitcase in Jack's hand, trying to hide the anger there as they both knew Ianto had clothing and such here for their child and had no need of extras.

Jack pulled it back so Ianto could not reach it and said softly "He has the bloody rocks in here."

Ianto paused letting his hand fall to gape "The rocks. But, it's been at least six months since the rock thing."

"Alice was overly made up about you letting her go with Luce this weekend and sort of… crowed too much. Stevie got offended on your behalf and now thinks she is including him in her hatred of Joneses since he has your name too." Jack sighed "Hence… a return to the pet rocks."

"Fuck" Ianto huffed then turned to let Jack follow him up, the unspoken agreement that there as no way he could carry a suitcase full of rock up these stairs with his back. The entered the living room and Jack placed the case down to look around, the bookcase mocking him in the corner and he looked away quickly to find his son in a doorway.

"This way Daddy, come see!" the boy enthused.

Jack followed him into the bedroom and paused in the doorway, shocked at the woodland scene hand painted on the walls. The bed was plain wood and the quilted cover looked like…old shirts… oh. Jack's old shirts. Ianto had turned some of Jack's old shirts into this so their son could be cuddled by his daddy at night…. Oh.

"See? So you can cuddle me when I sleep" Steven gushed then he patted the bed, then pointed "And the rocks can live there enow! With the water!"

Ianto stood in the doorway watching as Jack opened the case and handed each rock fervently to the child who placed them along the wall by the hand painted creek "See Daddy? Rocks on the water."

"That is very clever of you" Ianto piped up "Good work there."

"They can live here and be happy and safe" Steven at back on his heels "And Alcie can't throw them away anymore."

Ianto's smile slipped, then he cleared his throat and walked from the room as Jack asked their son what he meant, to be told Alcie was coming into his room and taking the rocks, telling him they were silly and throwing them out the upstairs windows when he tried to get them back.

His daughter was bullying their son. Fuck.

Jack didn't want to leave the room, didn't want to face the man waiting outside but knew he deserved it, stepping out to find a cup of coffee thrust into his hand and a silent glare as Ianto took a moment to let Jack's balls shrivel slightly before turning away like he was not important.

Jack always hated that, the way Ianto could just freeze him out in one look.

"I didn't know she was doing that" Jack said as he entered the living om and chose a seat, sitting not to look at the bookcase.

"Shame the Nanny didn't pick it up… sorry au pair. Your mother pays that girl good money to raise your children" Ianto said like it was no big deal and Jack felt the sting there too, Ianto's repeated offers to give up work altogether to raise the kids now a joke thrown back at him and his having to resume said work since the pre-nup had been so savage.

Jack did feel badly about that, some of the hidden thing even missed by his lawyer's brain and he knew somewhere his mother had done this. She had somehow fiddled with those pages to add things here and there that they had signed with love and exactment thinking it was the one they had hashed out together.

And that bookcase still mocked him. He had wanted to give the books back when he realized even that was up for grabs, even as his own wealth and inheritance had been protected, Ianto's hadn't. That was… cruel. But it was the way Ianto had agreed to everything like it didn't matter, had given things that he knew deep down must have been a ghastly cut to his heart, Ianto had been steadfast in his calmness.

"Alice is thankful that you agreed to the swap, it's a band she wanted to go to for ages" Jack tried to change the subject even if the conversation was only in his head to start with.

"Better she have a weekend he enjoys rather than treats as a battle" Ianto agreed, placing the food on the table and then the little cup of juice for the child who would join them shortly.

"Feels weird, the hand off always being at their school" Jack tried for something to say.

"Everything and nothing feels weird anymore" Ianto said with the same infuriating calm "After all… I am the unfeeling monster that didn't accept your affairs as part of our marriage right? So cold, distant and unloving that you have to fuck anything that offered… hey buddy. What's this one called?"

The change had the retort dying on Jack's lips as their son entered the room and looked between them with obvious discomfort.

"It's OK love. Taddy and daddy are not fighting, just talking" Ianto promised as he held out his arms "If we were fighting he would be throwing things at me again."

Ouch.

Fuck low blow.

But true.

He did tantrum when cornered.

And he was so adept at putting himself in said corner.

Jack shut up and enjoyed his husband's… er… ex-husband's baking.