11

Ianto felt strange walking into the 'new' house like this and was still pondering the fact on the back porch when he felt himself getting hoisted into the air.

Jack carried him in and placed him down as he gaped at him then burst into peals of laughter that had the others running for upstairs where the kids had been claiming their rooms. Lucia stood back at the base of the stairs watching as the two men embraced and kissed, the tenderness in Jack's face not lost on her and she felt both sad and happy for them as she saw that Jack was content.

"What happened to your wrist?" Mica asked, too damned smart and crafty like him not to notice.

"Well, I went to see about a …"

"DOG!" Alice screamed, racing past them to grab the old sheepdog that looked more than lightly startled by this turn of events and the kids were soon arguing about names and where he should sleep.

"Wow." Ianto said dryly "I appreciate the concern!"

"Excuse me?"

They turned to find the good Samaritan, "Sorry, I followed you but I realised I didn't check the dog. I am a Vet and I forgot my patient."

Stan soon told them what Owen already had, the dog would be OK, just bruising and a sorry heart. "Mind you, the best medicine seems to be administered already. He loves kids."

"Name?"

"Stan, did I not say … oh. Right. Monty, Monty Dog!" Stan laughed at himself and Ianto liked him all the more.

"So … it's not apparent from the road we are here?" Jack asked.

"No, if I hadn't seen you turning ahead I would think SJ still lived here." He assured them as Ianto learned the nickname for the lovely lady who he owed so much to.

"We made up the master bed, go have a lie down before you fall over" Tosh said gently patting Ianto's am, "You are so pale."

"Someone tried to kill me, killed someone else" he whispered back, "Ask Owen. Not an accident."

Her smile faded as she stared at him, then swung to seek Owen out finding him in the master bedroom waiting for Ianto. He didn't believe he was OK and would not until he checked him over properly, not content for a brush off.

Ianto entered to find Owen hurriedly explaining what he knew and Tosh stood gaping.

"Go tell the other two without the kids hearing" Ianto grunted as he settled on the bed and let Jack unbutton his shirt with a kiss for each button to soothe. God, it soothed.

Owen tutted at the bruising on Ianto's hest, heading down to his hip from the seatbelt but Ianto didn't. That belt had likely saved his life, giving him the chance to reach for the grill instead of being slammed across the seats.

Owen left them alone, Jack curling up on the bed beside Ianto who was soon in a troubled doze.

.

.

Jack sat down on the roof of the lifeboat and cradled Ianto in his lap. Murmuring to him. Running his hand across his face. He did not dare to look down at his chest. The bubbling blood he could taste trickling from his mouth and the pain told him more than he wanted to know about his injury.

Amazingly, he was conscious. He looked up into Jack's eyes. He was somewhat surprised not to see the terror that typically accompanied such wounds. He saw love. A lot of it. He also saw the power he had detected from the minute he met him: the psychic and spiritual power to hold himself together, even under the spectre of Ianto's' impending death helped Ianto tap into his own well of strength. Ianto was holding onto consciousness with every ounce of strength he could muster, wanting one more image of this Adonis.

Jack said, "We're taking you to the hospital ship. Hang in there."

Ianto put his hand on his as it caressed his cheek and blew him a kiss. Jack returned it with a real one, tasting his blood for the second time that day.

He didn't want to die.

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Ianto started to sit up, panting as he clutched at his chest and Jack blearily woke, rising to an elbow "Tiger? You OK?"

Ianto blinked away the dream that had been so …so… real. Real. It was a memory. That moment, the look of devotion in Jack's eyes … Ianto turned to face him and saw the same look of adoration.

Ianto's shirt was open and flapping but Jack never once looked down from his face. Didn't matter. What he loved was shifting behind those twin storms.

"Tiger?" Jack whispered "What is it lover? Remember something about the accident?"

"That I love you" Ianto managed to sob before he collapsed against him, feeling those arms of steely safety clamp around him and Jack crooned as he ran his hands over him, soothing and loving as always.

Jack did not know what was happening but as Ianto shuddered I knew it was something he could not control, only be there for so he made the most of it, whispering how sexy and strong he thought Ianto was, how wonderful and alluring. How lucky he felt to have him in his world.

Somehow it seemed to hep and after a while Ianto went limp, kissing his throat gently as he sighed.

It broke Jack's heart.

Every small step backwards in Ianto's recovery would.