Jack walked into the archives expecting to find Ianto down by himself logging the important alien artefacts. What he definitely did not expect to find was Iola sobbing into her brothers new suit as he tried to comfort her, "I thought-" she spluttered before she was overcome by another round of sobs, "I know but I'm not," Ianto said soothingly, stroking her hair gently,
"But what will I do now?" She mumbled into his jacket. He shook his head gently and tried again to stop her crying. Jack left the archives confused. What was that all about?
Later in the hub when Jack met up with Ianto he said, "Where's Iola?"
"She went home," Ianto replied. Jack nodded and carefully said,
"Why was she so upset earlier?" Ianto racked his brains, searching for an excuse for her crying like that, "Just upset about...Aaron," Jack nodded but didn't believe a word of it, that didn't fit their conversation. Never mind, it seemed he was not going to get the truth out of Ianto today, "Why don't you go home and see if she's ok?" Ianto nodded gratefully and rushed to get his coat and get out the door. Weird, thought Jack.
Ianto unlocked the door to a dark flat, "I? Where are you?" He called out softly into the darkness. He dropped the keys onto the side table and walked over into the living room. The side lamp was on and she was asleep on the sofa fully clothed. Ianto picked the duvet up from the floor and spread in across her then went into the kitchen and made 2 cups of coffee with the rare possibility she might wake to the smell. He was surprised when she did and passed her the hot mug, "You ok now, I?" He asked. She nodded, sipped her drink then noticed,
"Your home early. Why are you back so soon?" Ianto looked at her worridly and finally said, "Jack knows you were upset," She bolted upright at this and exclaimed, "You told him?!" Ianto shook his head quickly,
"I swear to God I did not," Iola calmed down and took another sip of the delicious coffee, "Well it's over now," she said, her voice full of relief. Ianto wasn't so sure, "You should have told me before, I. I could have helped you," He mumbled. She just put her coffee down and said, "Ianto,"
"Yeah?" He said, surprised she had called him by his full name,
"Leave it," and with that the brunette turned on the tv and flicked it over to Pobol y Cwm. Ianto hated this show. He thought it was honestly the worst show in the world, "You'd rather watch Eastenders, I know," His sister said with a laugh,
"We're not watching that either. How's your welsh?" She shook her head and turned on subtitles, "Rusty," she admitted pulling a face. Iola suddenly looked around the flat and remembered something that Ianto had told her, "Didn't you have a girlfriend?" Ianto sighed, it was only going to be a matter of time before she asked that, "Yes. But she...she died," Ianto could feel the tears welling in his eyes as his sister hugged him tight, regretting she asked. When the pulled away her hair was a little damper than it was before from his tears. Ianto put his around her and she let her head fall on his shoulder. They sat there for a while, talking softly about the 5 years each other had missed with the other. Eventually they got changed into pyjamas and brushed their teeth, "Night I," Ianto said when he had finished, "Night Yan," came the reply as Iola lay on the sofa and pulled the covers up to her chin.
That night she dreamt...
The alarm clock by her bed buzzed uncontrollably at 6am. Pulling her long hair over her face she stuck out a hand to turn it off, "Get up," she heard her twin brother say beside her. Shaking her head he sighed and pulled the covers off her. Her reaction was always priceless. She sat bolt upright immediately and yelled, "I'm up, okay I'm up!" then got out of bed to go to the bathroom. Ianto followed her and gently squirted toothpaste onto his brush whilst she stood on a stool to reach their mums foundation. Squeezing out half of the bottle onto her hands, she began to rub it onto her arms, flinching at the pain of the ugly scars and purpley-green bruises. She tossed the rest of the bottle onto the side counter for her brother to use later. After brushing her teeth and helping Ianto rub the foundation into his arms they quickly dashed downstairs to get breakfast before their dad awoke. Their Mam was already in the kitchen and whispered to them, "Want do you want? Don't tell your father he'll have a hissy fit if he knows I been feeding you brekkie again," Ten minutes later they were finished with their breakfast and at the exact same time their father came stomping down the stairs, "Iola!" He yelled. She looked frantically at her mum and brother who shook their heads, indicating there was nothing they could do, "Where's my cup of tea?" He yelled again,
"I'm sorry I just forgot I will make it now. Please don't hurt me daddy," she said running up the stairs, her voice cracking at the end. Her father snorted and grabbed her by the neck, "What did I say I wanted every morning?" He was holding her too tightly by the neck, so tight she couldn't answer, "I can't hear you," Iola was loosing air and desperately tried to call out, "Right," he father whispered fiercely before throwing her down the stairs. She landed with a thud at the bottom.
Iola woke up frantically tossing and turning, tears running down her face. When she realised where she was her breathing slowed down as she calmed down. The bruises are gone now, but there is still a long white scar that runs down her left arm.
