Chapter 7

As soon as the boat had dropped them off at the quayside they had headed straight for the SUV. Whilst waiting for Ianto to fasten his seat belt, Jack glanced around the underground car park, confused.

"Ianto? Where's your car?"

"I don't have one at the moment – remember the last one got written off out on the Gower?" Ianto shook his head, wondering sometimes if Jack suffered from attention deficit disorder.

"I said I'd put a claim in on the insurance to get you a new one didn't I?"

"Yep, it's been in your in-tray for the last two weeks awaiting your signature, sir." The tight-lipped smile told Jack that he had screwed up yet again. No wonder Ianto had been making such a big deal about the damn paperwork.

"Sorry, I'll get onto that today, I promise. So- how have you been getting in to work then?"

"Walking or getting the bus. Unless my boss makes me stay overnight that is."

"Makes you? I never force you to stay over-"

"Maybe not, but it's not like I'm up to walking far after, is it now?" Ianto smirked to himself as he heard Jack growl.

"You should have said. I'd have paid for a taxi."

"Yeah – and then put in a claim for it on expenses. I'd love to see how you'd justify that one."

"I'm sure I could have thought up something." A wave of insecurity suddenly blindsided Jack. "Does it bother you, staying over at the Hub?"

"Although it's true that I've slept in comfier, bigger beds and in better appointed bedrooms, I'm happier sleeping there with you, than anywhere else without you."

Jack turned to look at Ianto, taken aback by the shy admission, only to see that he had decided to gaze out of the passenger window. He laid a hand on Ianto's leg and gently caressed his thigh.

"I love sleeping with you, too." Jack smiled as he realised that he meant that in every way it could be interpreted and he knew that Ianto felt the same. His smile grew as he felt Ianto's hand come to rest on top of his, gently rubbing his knuckles.

"Do you think you could try not blocking the entire pavement this time? The neighbours keep giving me hell over that."

"Oh, where's the fun in that?" Jack compromised by only using up part of the pavement, leaving plenty of room for pedestrians to walk past.

Once Jack had parked the SUV and they'd both got out onto the street, their playful banter came to an abrupt end as they both felt gripped by the same feeling of dread. They were painfully aware that their arrival had probably been observed and the fact that they were being watched even as they stood there was more than slightly unsettling. The curtains that twitched were no longer comical intimations that some of the residents found the comings and goings at Ianto's house rather scandalous, they had become ominous.

"Pity we couldn't bring Gwen with us – could have used her skills for interviewing the local residents." Ianto waved cheerily at the window directly opposite his house to let Mrs Evans know he'd spotted her rearranging the ornamental cats on the windowsill.

"You're right, she does have a way of getting information out of people – they feel obliged to tell her everything."

"There are times when it's the only way to get to any peace and quiet."

"That's true. Got your keys?" Jack didn't want to undermine Ianto by opening his own front door for him.

"Yep – aren't you going to check on the cameras first? Maybe even tell me where they are?"

"In the alcove – to the right. Hidden behind that spider's web."

As Ianto put the key in the lock he glanced up in the corner that Jack had indicated and caught sight of the tiny camera lens glinting behind a grubby web, in which the dead bodies of numerous flies were wrapped in greying silk.

"Web's undisturbed – so they probably saw the camera being installed and then blocked transmission. That would indicate that they were already watching my house, before you were."

"Yeah, looks that way doesn't it." Jack hated having to admit that he'd been too late.

"There's no sign of the lock being forced at all – whoever got in, had a key."

The lock didn't appear to have been interfered with in any obvious way. Ianto let Jack in first and noticed that he'd taken his gun from its holster once he was off the street, which was reassuring. They moved in tandem down the hall, Ianto pushing open the doors as Jack swept in, scanning quickly for intruders. Having ascertained that there was nobody waiting for them, they checked the living room first, starting with the bookshelves, looking for any signs of disturbance. They spoke in hushed tones in case there were any bugs planted.

"They could have got in last night, while you were sleeping-" Jack hissed.

"No they couldn't." Ianto shook his head forcefully. "I keep a chain on the front door when I'm here alone at night."

"Thank goodness for that – hang on, you never used to do that."

"I know, but you surprised me once too often walking into my bedroom in the middle of the night smelling of sewers, with blood all over your shirt. I thought if I put the chain on you'd at least have to call first which would give me some warning. But it's been a while since you've done that."

"That's because I take you with me when I go weevil hunting these days." Jack raised his eyebrows and grinned lasciviously at Ianto.

"You're such an incurable romantic. Words can't express the delight I feel knowing that you want me bleeding and stinking of sewers, just like you."

"But the adrenaline rush is so much more fun when it's shared," Jack whispered into Ianto's ear as they completed their search of the living room.

Ianto led the way to the kitchen and pointed at the pine table.

"Ok, this is where I found the pawn. It was there when I came in last night."

"Why didn't you call me?" Jack looked at Ianto sharply. If he'd have known he would have taken him back to the Hub and not taken 'no' for an answer.

"What – to say that a chess piece had invaded my kitchen? That a pawn had fallen through the rift and was wanting supper? If you recall, at the time I knew nothing of Gates' threats." He glared at Jack in an accusatory fashion and was pleased to see him cringe in recollection. "And anyway, I thought it had something to do with you."

"Me?"

"Who else did I think would leave cryptic messages for me?"

"I don't do cryptic-"

"Bollocks – you're the epitome of cryptic, you are."

"Enigmatic maybe, mysterious… it's why you love me."

"Is it? You sure about that?" Ianto raised his eyebrows and moved closer to Jack.

"What is it then? By the way - you didn't deny loving me." Jack leant forward to steal a kiss, slipping his tongue between Ianto's lips and, meeting no resistance, deepened the kiss to show just how he felt.

"The coat –" Ianto was slightly breathless as he came up for air, which made his accent stronger and even more enticing to Jack. "I told you before, it's the coat I love." Ianto fondled the lapels and stroked the shoulders to emphasise his adoration for the garment.

"And what about what's inside it?" Jack took hold of Ianto's hands and tucked them inside the coat placing them on his hips.

"You have to ask?" Ianto slid his hands further back and lower down, grasping hold of Jack's arse so that he could pull him in towards his own body, until they were standing flush together in the middle of his kitchen. Both men were now breathing heavily, their responses heightened by adrenaline flowing in reaction to the danger they could sense.

"Shall we check upstairs?" Jack whispered huskily into Ianto's ear.

"We should do."

Although he was reluctant to retreat from the heat and security of Jack's coat, Ianto knew they should at least finish searching his house before giving in to their needs. He was aware of the potential risks that the associated vulnerability brought with it, but those were almost outweighed by the strong desire he had to drag Jack into his bedroom to make good use of a decent sized bed. The physical side of their relationship provided an outlet for the tensions that built up from the ever present threat of death that their jobs entailed. Jack needed sex after death, his own or that of others, he said once that it grounded him in life once more. Ianto needed it when his own death seemed to be looming, it gave him something to want to stay alive for. It had been a while since they'd made love.

Ianto led the way up the stairs, holding on tightly to Jack's hand as they made their way to his bedroom. On the landing, Jack motioned for Ianto to wait until he'd checked inside first. He pushed the door open and looked behind it, waving his gun at the wardrobe and the chest of drawers. Seeing nothing amiss he returned his attentions to Ianto, who was staring at the bed in horror.

"Hey – what's the matter?"

"Jack – there's something there." Ianto pointed towards the bed.

There was indeed an odd shaped bulge under the duvet. Jack told Ianto to be ready to pull off the bedcovers on his command and then to stand well back. Meanwhile, he aimed his gun at the suspicious looking lump, there was no way he was taking any chances.

Ianto flipped back the dark blue duvet to expose one of the pillows, on which rested yet another chess piece. This time it wasn't a pawn, but a knight. As they moved closer, the two men could make out a dark stain on the pillow case beneath the knight – a dark red stain soaking into the pale blue cotton. The impact of the white horse's head lying in his bed, surrounded by what looked like blood, made Ianto blanch and sway on his feet.

"Oh fuck." He felt as if the room was closing in on him, darkness encroaching on the peripheries of his vision.

"You OK?" Jack reached out quickly, wrapping his arms about Ianto to keep him standing.

"Haven't you ever seen The Godfather, Jack?"