Chapter 1
"Never you mind" she smiled. Ianto Jones, a young boy of five started sulking. He had never liked to not get his own way. "Come on mum! Tell me what you're doing for my birthday!" Mrs. Jones just laughed and picked up her son. He was a small boy, with dirty blond hair, and bright blue eyes. Mrs. Jones is a larger woman with wavy shoulder-length auburn hair, and bright blue eyes the same color as her son's, and a kind smile that said 'if you hurt my children, I will kill you.' She sets about refilling his cup with juice, and laid him back down in his bed. "Now, Ianto, I want you to stay in bed this time. You're sick, and you need to rest. If you need something, I am more than willing to get it for you." With that, she pressed a gentle kiss to her son's head and started to leave the room. "Wait mum" Ianto cried. "Can you sing please? Mrs. Jones smiled and sat beside her son. His room smelled thickly of ointments, and he had several bottles of medicines in the kitchen. As Mrs. Jones sat, she chose her son's favorite son. The next few minutes were filled with mother and son sitting close together as she stroked her son's beautiful hair, and sang quietly in Welsh. Mrs. Jones had many hopes for her son, but her biggest was that he would get well soon. She hoped this combination of medicines would work, and her precious baby by would beat the blood cancer he had been stricken with. As Ianto drifted off to sleep, his mother quietly left the room, to begin her daily routines of refilling all Ianto's pill containers, cleaning, and checking that her beloved son was taken care of.
The next few weeks passed by in the same usual manor at the Jones house. Mr. Jones left for work early, and came home late. Rhiannon spent her days over at a friend's house, or in her room reading and Mrs. Jones spent every moment that she could sitting next to her son, or holding him. On the day of Ianto's sixth birthday he woke his family up early while grinning. "It's my birthday" he shouted. He mum pulled him close to her, and kissed his cheek before getting up and getting them both dressed. When Ianto came out of his room dressed, his mum turned to him. "Don't forget that I'm taking you to the hospital later. I'm sorry it's today, but it was the only day they could get you in" Ianto nods and sulks. Every time he goes to the hospital, it's the same thing. They draw blood, which he can't stand, and then they tell him that he still has cancer, and if they don't find the right combination of medicine, he'll have to start chemotherapy, and radiation. He sulks through breakfast. This was definitely not how he wanted to spend his sixth birthday.
After breakfast, his mum runs around the house, grabbing books for him, and packing a few snacks before sending Rhiannon to a friend's house for the day. Ianto went to his room and grabbed one of his stuffed animals before looking in the mirror and frowning. "Why did I have to get cancer" he thought again as he did daily. Mrs. Jones comes down the hall looking for him, and stops in the doorway when she sees him. It pains her almost to tears to see her little boy so upset. Mrs. Jones comes in, and picks him up before rubbing his back lightly, and taking him and everything they will need out to the car. "I know you don't like going to the hospital, Ianto, and I'm sorry it has to be on your birthday, but afterwards, we'll go out and get ice cream, ok? If you feel up to it, you can choose where we go for lunch."
Mrs. Jones kissed Ianto's head, and watched as he buckled himself into his car-seat. It wasn't until she was in the driver's seat that she noticed Ianto had tears in his eyes. Ianto was holding his toy dog, and had tears silently running down his face. Ianto never let anyone know how upset he was, and it hurt Mrs. Jones that much more when he actually cried. She goes to the back seat, and pulls him into a hug as she wipes away his tears. Before he can stop it, Ianto is sobbing on his mother's shoulder and she sings quietly to him in Welsh before whispering "You've been feeling so much better. Hope for good news, Ianto." She sits in the back of the car holding her son until he eventually calms down. "It'll be ok, Ianto. I promise. You'll be just fine." Ianto nods against his mum and sniffles. Mrs. Jones hates seeing Ianto so upset, but will do what needs done for her son.
Mrs. Jones gets back into the driver's seat and smiles at her son in the mirror. "Anything you want for lunch, Ianto." Ianto looks up at his mum, and wipes his eyes. "Can we go to Fuddruckers?" Mrs. Jones laughs, and agrees. "You have always liked their burgers. Of course we can. We'll stop there on the way back home, ok?" Ianto nods, and picks up one of his books to read on the way to the hospital. The car trip is mostly silent, each occupied with their own thoughts. Ianto sits there thinking about the tests to come, and fears what he'll be told on his birthday. His mum is thinking about the best way to relieve her son's fears, and thinks about the different treatment options that have been discussed. How will she tell Ianto that he has to start chemotherapy, which he knows will make him sick, or tell him that he has to stay in the hospital, and can't come home today? What if his cancer has gotten worse? Mrs. Jones hopes for the best, but fears the worst. She drives them to the hospital and finds a parking space not too fat from the doors all the while dreading what news she might receive today, on her son's birthday.