Just Imagine...

Not-So-Mighty

Sam had picked up Gabrielle and Samuel from school and brought them to Tosh and Owen's house to wait for Jack and Ianto, who were at the hub meeting with a UNIT official. Sam and Owen were currently locked in an arm wrestling match.
"Are you trying?" Sam asked nonchalantly.
"Would you shut up?" Owen laughed through gritted teeth.
"C'mon Dad!" Samuel piped up, "you can beat Nauntie Sam!"
"Don't be too sure about that." Sam said, and Owen grunted as she slammed his hand on the table. Sam laughed triumphantly and leaned back in her chair with her arms behind her head.
"Can I try??" Samuel piped up.
"I wanted to go next!" Gabrielle protested, pouting.
"Well Samuel can go first," Sam murmured, "and then you can go, Gabby."
"Okay." Gabby sighed, still pouting and looking amazingly like Jack as Samuel took his father's place across from Sam at the dinner table.
"Here we go," Sam said, grabbing his little hand in hers, "three. Two. One."
Sam tensed up all the muscles in her arm, but didn't try to overpower Samuel. Instead, she pretended he was winning, grunting and grimacing and slowly letting her arm fall towards the table.
"Dios mío," she puffed dramatically, "Samuel, you're so strong! I don't think I can beat you!"
Samuel was giggling, eager at the prospect of winning. Behind him, Owen rolled his eyes affectionately at Sam's performance. With one last massive huff, Sam let her arm drop to the table.
"Ya got me!" She exclaimed, panting.
"YAY!" Samuel shouted, turning to Owen, "did you see me, Daddy?? I beat Nauntie Sam!!"
"I saw," Owen murmured, picking Samuel up and holding him close, "good job. I'm proud of you."
"My turn!" Gabrielle exclaimed, scrambling onto the chair Samuel had gotten out of.
"I dunno," Sam murmured, "I'm pretty weak after Samuel beat me. I'll give it a try though."
Meanwhile, Jack and Ianto were on their way over from the hub with Danny-Caradoc asleep in the back seat.
"We could've just asked Gwen to watch him," Jack was saying, "she would've been happy to do it."
"Jack?" Ianto cut in, "we're not doing this."
That shut the argument down just as they pulled into Tosh and Owen's driveway. Ianto carefully unbuckled Danny and carried him to the front door, not wanting to wake him.
Danny had been a distraction all afternoon and had refused to sit anywhere but Jack's lap, even during the meeting. Of course, the UNIT official they had met with hadn't minded at all and made a big fuss over him, but it was definitely easier to work without the kids at the hub.
"YEAH GABBY!!"
Samuel's shout from inside the house snapped Ianto from his thoughts, and he and Jack gave each other a concerned look before Jack opened the door and stepped inside.
Sam was still arm wrestling with Gabby, wheezing and puffing as she let Gabby smack her arm into the table.
"I WIN I WIN!!" Gabby shouted.
"I died," Jack murmured, laying a hand over his heart and falling to his knees, "I died for real this time and went to heaven."
Ianto rolled his eyes affectionately as Gabby jumped out of her chair and raced over to them.
"Daddies!" She exclaimed, "did you see me? Did you see me beat Abuelra??"
"We did," Ianto murmured, smiling as Gabby hugged Jack, "that was amazing!"
"You got a strong kid there, Jacksie," Sam said, grinning at them, "you better watch out or she'll be picking up the house and carrying it away!"
"You idiot." Owen muttered with a laugh, still holding Samuel in his arms.
"Welp, I should get home," Sam said, standing up and clapping her hands together, "Jayjay's probably waiting for me. Give Tosh my love, Owen."
"Bye-bye Nauntie Sam!" Samuel called, waving as he and Owen walked to the door to watch Sam, Jack, Ianto, Gabby, and Danny leave.
"So how was the meeting?" Sam asked Ianto as they walked to their cars, returning Samuel's wave.
"Hellish," Ianto admitted, "this one wouldn't stop crying unless he was right in Jack's lap." He poked Danny in the belly, who let out a baby-giggle.
"Aww," Sam cooed softly, "he just wanted to be with his daddy. Alexa was the same way with Jay when she was that age."
"Did you let your kids win arm wrestling matches against you back then too?" Ianto asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I didn't let them win!" Sam protested, "Gabby and Samuel really beat me back there!" She winked, and Ianto chuckled.
"Then I guess you're not so mighty after all, Sam Ryder."