2
"Sir? Do you know what time it is?" Ianto's voice was hushed, almost one of his hissy whisper things when in a stakeout or something and Jack felt a spike of annoyance.
"Why?" he found himself barking "You busy?"
Silence. Jack suddenly had the epiphany that Ianto was nor alone. Three in the morning and he had woken Ianto and… almost someone else. Really? After the Lisa Thing they had not resumed the dabbling and Ianto seemed pissy when Jack flirted with someone else but he had someone else already? Jack felt his ire beginning to peak.
Then he heard a little voce "Uncle? The phone wokeded me up."
"Oh my darling Cariad" Ianto' voice was suddenly normal and …. Well… OK. Not normal. The lovingly gentle tones were so sweet that Jack froze, mid stride across the hub floor to listen as Ianto crooned and a little voice told him she wanted a 'drinkies' as Ianto tried to cajole her back to bed.
"Mama isn't back yet?" she asked.
"No, my little poppet, mama is still out playing with her friends. She will not be far away and will be ever so angry with me if you are awake. You don't want her to scold me do you?"
"Oh no not my lovely Uncle, she scolds hard!"
"Your Nainny did too. Did you know your Mama got the cheek sucking thing from her? I think I do it too sometimes. Such a good way to show annoyance."
Giggling. Like windchimes, soft giggling as Ianto crooned some more and then the sound of a door closing "Sorry Sir. You were saying?"
"Are you babysitting?"
"Er… yes. Me sister is out on the cobbles so I am minding the beasts."
"Beasts" Jack repeated "How many?"
"Two. A boy and a girl" Ianto replied, the obvious pride in his voice making Jack smile. He had no idea Ianto had family. That bloody fake CV still throwing up grenades.
"She sounds lovely." Jack tried.
"She has a bit of my side in her I am afraid. Cute, quiet and deadly."
Jack giggled and settled back in his chair, now in his office "and the other one?"
"David. He's the big brother and very protective of her, he is a good boy. They both are good kids but Mica is… delicate. A little doll." Ianto sighed, then added "Did you need something sir?"
"Just to ask where the file on the Oxterish went, it was on my desk this morning." He asked
"And it is still there, Owen placed the autopsy files on top in a hurry to leave as per usual. I know without even being there to look" Ianto huffed "You know he doesn't give a shit."
"Ah. God, you're right. Thanks Ianto."
"Goodnight, Sir."
"Goodnight Yan" Jack closed the call and sat there pondering, then pulled over a keyboard to look at the monitor and type in a few things, before the screen changed to show a view of the street where Rhiannon's house was. Nice to have control of the CCTV.
Jack panned the camera and saw Ianto's Jeep in the driveway, the unmistakable fake tourist stickers on the bumper. Huh. He drove that around his family, not the Astin Martin? Interesting. He lies to them too? Oh, not fair. Don't judge.
Jack watched the light in the front room flick off and hoped Ianto might get some sleep.
.
.
The next morning Jack was still watching the screen as Ianto moved about below, arguing with Owen over the mess in the Autopsy Bay that had happened over the course of half an hour. Half a bloody hour ya little pisspot… say that with a Welsh accent and it is so cute.
The front door to the house opened and a child shot out, a little girl in a school uniform with pigtails and ringlets, her face rounder than Ianto's but… her face… the nose and the eyes…. Awwww. When older and her face grows into adulthood she will be a real looker.
Then the boy emerged. Larger, plump and surly as he turned back to say something and then shot of the step like a hell hound was about to attack, Rhiannon appearing on the doorstep with a wooden spoon she waved at the boy while some sort of argument happened.
Then she laughed.
Her head back, her arms wide… Ianto. She laughed like Ianto. Clearly this was a game of some sort.
The kids did too, then they headed off for school and he watched Rhianon head down the front pathway to the letterbox like she was checking it. Then she turned to watch her children reach the bus stop.
A good mother.
Jack knew the neighbourhood and it was not a good one, it was an estate with cars on concrete blocks and tagging on the side of old houses, some houses shells that had been partially stripped. Rhiannon's house, however… Was pristine.
Now Jack knew why Ianto was so furtive with money. The Lisa Thing had cost him so much, but part of his pay cheque was still being syphoned off each week. Jack had suspected it to be another Lisa Fund but it continued after her demise so… now he knew.
Ianto was providing what he could for those kids.
And it was not enough.
Jack sat back with things to think about.