2
The party wound down and Ianto seemed to perk up.
Jack relaxed as that soft smile came out, Ianto playing with Babbit and Ton on the floor.
Walter sat regally in his chair, his drink in his hands as he told Em and Connor that he was over nappies and glad Ton seemed to be getting the potty idea.
Em blinked as she looked over at Connor, his mirth obvious as he listened.
"Walt, you do know the twins will both be in naps" Connor giggled.
"Oh god!" Walter said dramatically, "Babbit can learn to do it!"
"I will too!" Babbit snarled, climbing off his confused Taddy, "I will love the babbas and never act like they are in the way or unpleasant. How dare you say such things when they can hear you in there!"
Walter looked shocked as he turned to Em with a look of open apology.
"If you don't want to be part of the family fine, don't sit there and act the bloody lord of the castle or whatever!"Babbit snarled, mixing his metaphors.
"King of the castle or Lord of the Manor dork brain" Walter snorted.
"Walter!" Jack barked, "What the hell!"
"Nobody understands me!" Walter roared, slamming down his glass and storming off as Ianto sat on the floor with his mouth open.
Jack turned to look at Ianto, "What the hell did you say to him in the bathroom?"
"Me?" Ianto squeaked, "He did the bloody talking."
"Well, someone's upset him" Jack said as he scooped up a confused Ton.
Ianto blinked again.
"Excuse me?" Ianto asked slowly, as if trying to focus.
Jack stopped walking and turned back at the tone he heard and saw Ianto blinking, then he silently went into the bathroom and checked his pills. He took them from the bathroom and dropped them into his bedside table drawer.
Ianto had followed to talk to him and was subjected to the humiliation of watching.
"We agreed if you started taking drugs again, you would start NA" Jack said without turning around.
"I have a head coming on and am out of mine" Ianto said softly.
"Owen's out there, ask him for some, he must have something non-addictive" Jack said angrily, "Fuck Ianto. When you need to keep your head, do you really want to start this?"
Ianto shook his head silently, not trusting his nerves.
"What did Walter want?"
"For us not to fight" Ianto said, his voice breaking as he looked at his feet.
Jack deflated.
He walked over and sat next to Ianto, placing his hand over Ianto's on the jigging knee.
"It's gonna be OK, might be a bit hairy but we will get through this" Jack said softly, "I promise."
Ianto snorted, "Walt said there's no room for those anymore."
"What?" Jack asked with surprise.
"Promises" Ianto said softly, "Apparently we don't keep them anymore, my son doesn't trust them."
"You have never broken a promise to me, or him. What the hell is wrong with him lately!" Jack huffed.
"Hormones?" Ianto asked softly, "I don't know."
"Well, Stephen never acted like this" Jack rose to leave and Ianto was once again left with a verbal slap to breathe through.
Wow.