1
Ianto was putting his foot down.
Jack stood with a look of surprise as Ianto eyeballed him and said again, "I am not inviting her."
"But…" Jack flapped his arms as he did when confused, "You are the one who invited her into our home. You said you forgave her!"
"And she is still your ex-mother-in-law" Ianto said just as calmly "It is our day. I do not need a reminder of your wife."
"So Dylan isn't invited either then" Jack folded his arms and stared at Ianto with that chin jut that warned of a major snit.
Ianto narrowed his eyes as he saw the power play and knew that if he backed down Jack would crow like the child who got the toy after a tug of war so he decided to call his bluff, "Fine. Maybe I'm not invited either."
Jack was now horrified as Ianto turned and stormed from the room, the Jones-hit-n-run totally blindsiding the man. They were so stressed, what had been a supposedly blessed event was fast turning into something more akin to a horror movie and now Jack stood amongst the fabric samples with his intended moving away from the samples their planner was trying to show them. The business had a little garden attached and Jack knew Ianto would head there.
"Don't go anywhere!" Jack said to the wedding planner who seemed calm as she sat in her own office without blinking at the suggestion she might be the one to leave, maybe saw this all the time, and he ran after Ianto who had reached the tacky garden complete with horrible water feature.
"I am fond of her and am happy to have her at the reception in the afternoon but we agreed, just family for the service on the island. You, me, Dylan and the Cleric who is a cousin" Ianto turned to face him, "We said this to Dylan, we agreed."
"I … yes we did" Jack sighed, "Sorry. I just … she is the closest to a mother I have now and I know we are both stressed with the change in plans. I don't mean to take it out on you, I am bad at exploding."
"I know" Ianto agreed as he looked back at the garden, "Neither of us could have anticipated Andy's accident. Gods, so accident prone. At least he will be OK."
"Yeah, only he could fall from the top step of the local swimming pool and hit his head before going in to nearly drown himself" Jack snorted, "At least he will be OK, if not a bit embarrassed to use that pool again."
"Even more reason not to invite her, he will not be on the boat waiting now" Ianto placed his hands on Jack's chest, "This is just for us. I want to feel safe, I want to feel like we are the only people in the world, don't you get it? Dawn breakfast and service in the waves, then we spend some time there on the island just … being. A picnic and then back to the house where we have a snooze, some… time together… Dylan was going to be with Andy so we could quietly consummate but now we will just have to wait. I don't want anyone else there. Entering the house as a married couple, our home. It should be just us. Dylan can feel important helping us prepare for the guests coming after lunch for a meal and then dusk means they go home leaving us to have a moonlight dance together."
"You really thought this through" Jack smiled. Both knowing it was the thought of the little ones in that house that was really upsetting them, the authorities moving so damned slowly to respond to their complaints.
"We promised Dylan, we made this the plan. Andy has put a spanner n the works as Dylan will not feel safe with anyone else. He will need to see us at all times now" And Ianto saw Jack's face change.
"Deidra could…."
Ianto let his hands drop as he stepped back, "You were not listening at all, were you."
"I was" Jack whined, "I didn't mean it like … hey!"
Ianto walked back in and sat once again, picking up the swatches, "I do not like this red. It is too yellow. More…. Velvety please."
She nodded as she made notes and Jack sat with a look of doom as he released he had just lost the argument they had been having underneath the conversation.
He wanted Deidra there, having her there with Andy out of action meant they could still have some afternoon delight before all the speeches and…. Shit. Jack realised he was being a prick while Ianto made allowances and he slumped as he watched Ianto calmly ignore him.
"Sorry Tiger" Jack said after a while, "Of course she would make you uncomfortable. She is a piece of my past. I guess it also gives Dylan the thrill of telling her all about it."
Ianto smiled.
"I know you were being a twat Cariad, it's OK. We are both stressed, Andy scared us. The fact Dylan was with him made it all the more worse, the first time since the … incident… that Dylan was happy to go anywhere other than school." Ianto patted Jack's arm, "Do not be an arse and I will not be forced to be a grump."
Jack hoped Andy's concussion would be their only speed bump.
He hated disappointing Ianto.
