9

Gwen is beside herself, yelling and threatening as she watches Jack carefully carry Ianto to the SUV. Owen doesn't help with his explanation of what happened and Jack knows she will shoot someone any minute so he calls out to her that Ianto is in pain and needs some comfort.

Ianto's glare makes him grimace and whisper an apology as he throws him to the mad Welshwoman and her need to mother someone. He is soon swaddled in more blankets than he could stand and his polite yet firm thank you finally stopping her from finding more.

Owen is so besotted with his new pet that he doesn't even poke fun at Ianto who looks like a burrito.

Almost.

"Alright there Burrito Boy?" he snort as he clambers in awkwardly, the baby in his arms and he is clearly not about to let her go in a hurry.

"Itchy" Ianto grumps, wanting to wash off his pain and fear, stinking in his clothing.

"Soon be home" Jack promises, "Gwen, are you OK drive?"

Gwen is again excited, clambering for the driver's seat and they are soon speeding along as Gwen plays with the radio. Owen is nodding in and out of sleep with the pup in his lap but Jack will not scold, after all he was up all night watching over Ianto with open affection. Jack still finds their friendship weird. Full of hostility and fighting yet so affectionate. He wonders if he and Gray might have grown to this form of brotherhood.

Once at Base Ianto is carried to the guest quarters where Owen and Jack carefully clean him as he protests that he wants a bath, or at least a shower god damn it.

"You need rest" Owen snaps, "You are exhausted, your body is working overtime and you really need a drip and some sleep."

"I stink, please Jack please don't put me in the clean sheets, I am covered with blood." Ianto begs and Jack sees the truth in Ianto's face.

Her blood.

The mother.

"OK" Jack sighs as Owen huffs and whisper 'Pussy' before going to run the bath.

"Anything else?" Jack asks as he gently pulls the remains of the shirt off the poor Welshman's back and Ianto groans softly, then looks over to the pup who has snatched the scrap of material, pulling it under the chair Owen had been sitting in.

"Poor little thing, all she has left of her mama is the bloody clothes" Ianto is on the verge of total collapse, so tired and sore that he wants to cry so he steels himself and stands as Jack argues and he walks to the bathroom where Owen is turning off the water, turning and cursing softly.

"Shit, it looks so much worse in the bright light" Owen admits, pulling Ianto to one side and running his hands over the poor damaged body, "Scars on scars. Good thing you heal well and the Kirrsom salts like you. They don't heal everyone ya know."

"So you tell me every time" Ianto replies, his voice not so raspy now as he lets Jack help him into the water, then he lets out a soft cry as he loweres himself into the heat.

"Shit too hot?"

"No Owen, perfect thank you" Ianto leans back as Jack places a rolled up towel behind his head and lets the water kiss his wounds, his hands balling with pain. Speaking of…

"That wrist is broken isn't it" Owen says more than asks, "You can stop hiding it now. Crisis over, we have time for you."

"Yes, I heard the snap" Ianto admits "The same break as always I think."

"Well I can't just fix it" Owen mutters as he checks the pup then goes to start mixing plaster for a cast, "You broke that one so many times we need it to knit naturally."

"Joy"

Owen sniggers as the dry tone that always tickles, clucking at the pup until it emerges pulling the t-shit pieces. "Ew, really?"

It walks out of the room dragging the mess and Owen shrugs as he follows, "What the hell. What do I care, it's dry. Burrito boy can't complain."

"Owen I heard that" Ianto roars, then grimaces a his throat complains, growling as Jack leans over to kiss him gently, his hands soothing as he washes Ianto with the gentle intensity of a good mate.

"Thank you for letting him keep her" Ianto says softly, "I know you did that for me."

"Always" Jack says thickly, not looking up from the thigh he is examining, "Anything Tiger."

"Then can we go public?" Ianto asks, "I don't want to hide, I don't see the point. They all know, they all see that I can't live without you. You must. Cariad look at me. Us. You and me. Can we stop pretending and just be a couple."

"I hate that word"

"I know, it is a word that means future pain" Ianto knows as always, "But it is worth the pain to know the pleasure, right?"

Jack looks up through his lashes as he now massages the foot he has hold of.

"I love you. All of you, best, worst and wobbly bits" Ianto says with a wave of his hand like reciting a shopping list, "Even if you do cut your toenails on the edge of the bed."

"Where else would you do it?" Jack frowns as the old arguments starts, then he grins.

Ianto's laughter is soft as he holds out a hand and Jack eases him from the water, helping him dry and move to the folded back bed. Soon Ianto is snoring softly, fatigue winning out as his body tries to heal the parts Owen couldn't and Owen gently casts the wrist under a scanner.

"Next time, can it be Hawaii or Barbados or something?" Owen mutters softly, "These bloody family vacations suck dad."

Jack sniggers as he shoves Owen gently, leaning in to check Ianto's face for discomfort.

That was a close call.

"Owen? Where's the baby?" Jack asks as a faint yell is echoing up in the main Hub. Myfanwy's screech loud.

"Ah shit!" Owen gasps as he listens to something crashing, and he walks to the hallway and yells up the stairs, "Rhonda! God help me you stop doing whatever you are doing you little beast!"

Owen could have sworn he heard laughter.

.

.

.

.

That's it for now. Maybe was a part 1.

I will see.

Love you Rhonda xxx