21

Jack was about to give birth, clear in the way he was walking and his inability to lift Star to his hip, something the little Judoon Princess was pissy about as she muttered in a deep grumbling tone.

"Ianto… what did she just call me?" Jack asked as he caught something in the guttural grunts and realized she was peaking Judoon.

"Vacant" Ianto replied as he stirred the pot of soup "and she is not calling you vacant, she is calling your affection vacant. She does not understand that the blobby is taking too much room already, she sees it as a slight that she has none there."

"God, I can't wait to get this thing out of me" Jack lamented, then looked horrified as Ianto sniggered softly, hearing his own lamentations from his time with Gabriel's gestation.

"Why not a lay on the bed and snuggles, she can then get to you and feel the bub moving too. You know the bub loves to kick her" Ianto offered a solution, the fact they still did not know if it was a boy or girl about to enter the world was a rarity. Owen had thought them mad but they really did want at least one surprise here.

"Gee?"

"Kitchen Mimi" Ianto yelled back, turning to see his granddaughter in all her gorgeous blonde glory, her ringlets gleaming in the sunlight. God he was glad he managed to get them off the Blumanchu before those ringlets were forced into a mess.

"Gee, can I do a sleep over at Matilda's this weekend?" she asked as she leaned over to sniff the soup with delight "She has the new movie of the musical…"

"Argh… go. Don't tell Jack or he will want to go too" Ianto groaned and she giggled as she went to pack and he called out after her "You going now?"

"Yeah, tomorrow is a half day so I can stay there tonight, we go for the two classes in the morning and then have the afternoon as well as the weekend" she called back faintly.

"OK" Ianto shrugged, turning to find Gabriel watching with a silent glare. "Ah, there you are. Good. Martha said she is putting up the new tent to test it for leaks, wanna go over and run the hose on it for her?"

Gabriel's annoyance fled as he was promised not only a good time with a fire hose but also with his friend who was also not only a Super Soldier Child but a fellow Blumanchu lover. They could play all sorts of games.

Ianto did not have to ask where David was, he was no doubt off with Steven as some of the older kids had taken to playing pool in the afternoons… yes… pool still exists. Why not? It's a good fame, as good as darts which also still exist.

Ianto padded through to find Star asleep as he knew she would be and Jack was rubbing his belly with a look of concentration "You know Tiger.. I think I might be going off."

"Oh, really? You want me to get Owen? Or Alice or something?" Ianto asked, knowing the answer but letting Jack be the one to say it.

"No, just the two of us. Here, just us." Jack said with glee as he felt a shift down below and watched the birthing slit starting to form from his belly button to his diaphragm. "Oh wow… here we go."

Ianto gathered old towels and crouched by him on the bed waiting as a little hand came out, the fingers curling like the baby was trying to grab life itself. He did not speak, did not breathe as Jack took a deep breath and then let the slid expand, pushing the held breath down into his diaphragm to push the baby out, now a head appearing and the little face was all smushed up but the button nose was obvious, making Ianto gasp with shock and delight.

"Oh Jack… my nose" he sobbed, reaching out with a towel to grab the baby and yank it out gently, the lover half no visible enough to show it was a boy. Another boy. Another SS Kid.

"Boy?" Jack panted, "I feel … right?"

"Yeah" Ianto sobbed was he lifted the bundle to Jack and then he gathered the after birth into another towel as it slithered out and he watched with wonder as the birthing slit closed and slowly faded away. Wow. Mother nature is bloody brilliant.

"He's so perfect" Jack sobbed happily, not even caring that Ianto was washing him and rubbing him down with towels like he was a horse or something. After all, he would not want anyone else touching him right now. Only the love of his life. Gods… he had not been there for Ianto, he had…

"Look at that hair" Ianto sighed like he knew the thoughts and needed to interrupt them "Like Gabby's. Harkness hair alright."

"He's perfect" Jack repeated.

"I can see that… oh god. Look at those eyes… so cute" Ianto gushed.

"What do you think Gabriel will think?" Jack asked.

"He will be well made up that it's another boy to play with. I think he would have seen a girl as Star's friend. I think he secretly really wanted a brother" Ianto offered and saw the relief on Jack's face.

"We don't have a name" Jack frowned as he studied the little face.

"Well… Gabriel is a little monster of an angel… what is another angel?" Ianto frowned as he pondered "I guess Lucifer would be a bit too far."

Jack started to laugh as he pushed at Ianto then waited for another name.

"There is Michael, but that's Mickey's name and…might be confusing. Raphael is the angel of healing" Ianto considered "Owen for a middle name would mean a nice healing goodness."

"Raphael… Raffy. Oh… Gabby and Raffy. Oh I like that" Jack grinned happily.

And so, Raphael, the great healer of things… entered the family.

Let's hope he does his job.