11

Ianto didn't want to get his hopes up but he was still quietly excited as he sat and waited for the meeting to start and when Gwen entered to sit calmly he knew Jack hadn't spoken to her yet. His heart sank.

"OK kids, settle down" Jack said, sounding more like a school teacher than a team leader and Ianto looked up at him with a soft look of question that Jack ignored as he sat, "Everyone start by thanking Andy for the cream buns."

Everyone echoed the thank you as Ianto settled back to watch what Jack was going to do, still not ready to give u on him and as if hearing, Jack reached for his hand and squeezed, "I know you are all as happy as me that Ianto is here today, the coffee is top notch as always love, thanks. Also, since Andy is doing so well I have decided it's time for me to take some leave, Owen is second in command and as such he will be acting Director in my absence. Ianto and I are taking that honeymoon we never got."

"Oh" Gwen said with surprise, then her eyes narrowed, "How long? I only got…"

"Oi!" Owen snapped, "What the fuck are you talking about? You are junior staff, Jack is the boss. He has worked here for more years than I care to know and has years worth of fucking leave saved up. How long is up to him!"

"Thank you Owen" Jack smiled at him then looked back at Gwen, "However it is not any of your concern. I want you to report to Owen once I have finished my weekly reports with him this afternoon. I need to close out all the files on the past few months, including that least savoury one."

"Of course" she smiled, "A terrible affair, best closed and placed in the trash."

"Yes" Jack smiled and squeezed Ianto's hand, sending such a rush of love through Ianto's' body that he was unable to help himself, leaning over to press his lips to Jacks' cheek in an affectionate kiss before rising to get refills.

Everyone watched the rare display of pleasure and Gwen preened as she rose to follow leaving Jack and Owen to talk about ….something that Jack held his hand over during the meeting which Owen seemed excited about given the way he kept looking at the form's filing codes along the top of it.

"Are you sure?" Owen asked and as she pulled the door shut Jack's sigh seemed quite sad. I suppose it is sad, what happened. John bloody Hart. She got to the kitchen and found Andy leaving with a look of almost…terror as he raced for the cells and she looked back and then to Ianto with her eyebrows raised.

"I asked him to check our guests" Ianto smiled, "We did a scoop and run last night and left the miserable sod to cool off and I just remembered him. Never mind, Andy can provide some water and check there is still life."

"A blowfish?" she asked as she accepted the cup of coffee he was holding out, "A weevil? Jack is usually kinder to the weevils."

"No, something else" Ianto said vaguely, "Just…well. Meat when we were finished with him."

"You make it sound like you are going to feed him to Janet" she laughed and he grinned back.

"No, I don't think so. She has standards" Ianto quipped, "Myf might find it a funny toy though."

"Ianto…I…."

"Owen's finished" Ianto said softly, "Gwen…I'm sorry we never seemed to gel. I know you did try."

"Well, one of those things I guess" she sniffed as she turned to leave, "We can't both have him can we. Had to be a competition in the end."

Ianto stood stock still as Jack gaped up in the office, watching and listening to the conversation on the CCTV and he watched as Ianto canted his head and raised his hand to make a mark in the air that seemed to hover then disparate like smoke.

"Babe?" Jack asked down the coms, "You OK?"

"Just a bad smell, soon aired out" Ianto replied as he turned back to the coffee machine, "Coffee Cariad?"

"Yes please love" Jack replied, deciding to ignore the magic Ianto had employed and as Owen asked Gwen to take a seat and roll up her sleeve Jack turned off the camera feed. He didn't need to see what was about to happen, Rhys sitting on the other chair had seen the kitchen scene well enough to be quietly chewing the inside of his mouth as it was.

"So you understand?" Jack asked sadly, "It has to be like that?"

"Yeah" he replied then snorted, "You can't' wipe me out too can ya?"

"Your memories?" Ianto asked from the doorway with shock.

"No, hers of me" he snarled with annoyance, "We fight, bicker, pick and this wedding has been the breaking point for me. The honeymoon was full of you and Ianto, moaning and bleating. Now this…shit. I just want a quiet life but even in London she will find some shit to burrow into. It's her nature."

"I am sorry" Ianto sat and placed the coffees down, "We can do whatever works for you. But what will you tell your family? What is your decision on the future now?"

"Well, I will tell them she had an affair. They will go so dog on her that they won't question it" Rhys said firmly "I will move to a new place with nothing if her in it, her shit can go with her. Then…I guess I will start again."

"At Harwood's?" Ianto canted his head.

"Yeah" Rhys snorted, "Nothing else I can do."

"well…you do cook like an angel" Ianto said softly as he glanced at Jack, "I do so need a help with the kids, the house and everything while pursuing…er…family business….ever thought of being a nanny? My sister is desperate for a housemate to help with the bills, she had two kids, plus my two some of the time. It is based here, you could freelance driving trucks which I know you preferred to a desk and maybe the odd bit of catering for us?"

Jack looked at him with surprise, Rhiannon being the one who did all that then he saw what Ianto was looking at and smiled.

Of course.

With Johnny long gone this lovely teddy bear would be settled in no time.