Chapter 11
Ianto let out a groan as he began to wake up, he hated mornings, especially mornings when he woke in an empty bed. He had been half-tempted the night before when Jack had been on the phone to ask the man to make a quick trip up to Scotland with his vortex manipulator to keep him company, but he had thought better of it. He wasn't sure what his cousin would do if he wandered into Ianto's room and found him with Jack, Archienius wasn't exactly happy about the relationship between them. Ianto was loathe to give Jack up though, especially not because they were Torchwood, there was no way that he would allow his job to take away his love life. He knew that his job was a lot more important than some others, but that just made his need to keep his relationship with Jack more important. After all the harder you work, the harder you play.
Hearing a beeping he turned to his side, grabbing his phone off the bedside table he opened the text that had just arrived.
Morning 3
J x
Sending a quick text back Ianto pulled himself out of bed, readying himself for the day. He didn't know what the family had planned for the day, but he was sure that it would be eventful anyhow. Making his way to the dining room he noted the family sat around, helping themselves to some of Grandmamma's delicious food. He helped himself to breakfast, querying as he did what the plan was for the day. It seemed that the family were all splitting up to do different things, Pugsley and Pubert were going down to the nearby graveyard for a game of wake the dead and Grandmamma and Aunt Morticia were going shopping. Ianto shuddered at the idea of shopping with the two women and quickly declined when he was asked if he wanted to join them. Uncle Fester and Cousin Archienius had already secluded themselves in Archienius' lab, and Ianto really didn't want to know what they were doing.
Once they were finished with breakfast the rest of the family cleared out of the dining room, leaving Ianto with his Uncle Gomez and Wednesday. Wednesday was sat with her laptop, replying to Owen's email of the day, the phone mere inches from her hand. She was looking rather anxious and Ianto could tell that she was waiting for Rhiannon to phone with news from the manor. Ianto was about to ask her to take a walk round the graveyard with him to take her mind off the coming phone call when his uncle caught his eye and indicated that he shouldn't.
He followed his uncle out of the room when he beckoned him to follow him, they made their way through the building to Archienius' training room. Once inside Gomez threw him a sword and indicated that he should take a fighting stance. Ianto quickly fell into the routine of the practice fight, it had been a while since he had practiced seriously; he and Jack had tried a few hours of practice after the party and Jack's fight with Gomez, but that had been more foreplay than anything else. The dance in which he and his uncle were partaking in was familiar and Ianto had to admit that he missed it, he really needed to practice more often, it wouldn't do for either him or his sword to go rusty.
"She's nervous." Gomez spoke up. "She was asked to join everyone else in what they were doing and she snapped at them all, I thought I'd save you the experience."
Ianto just nodded. His cousin wasn't one who got nervous normally and as a result when she did feel unsettled or emotional she tended to react in a rather violent manner. He had to admit that he was looking forward to watching the first time that Owen manages to annoy her past calming, the man would probably end up hidden in one of his mortuary drawers or in one of the cells.
"Is she still worried about Kitty Cat?" Ianto asked, having noticed Wednesday's hesitation to move far from the phone.
"Yes." Gomez replied. "And about the corpse. The more she tells him about herself the more nervous and worried she becomes."
Ianto was silent for a moment, thinking on what his uncle had told him. "She's worried that he will change his mind about the courtship the more he gets to actually know her. He won't. Owen is stubborn, and when he wants something he will go to any length to get it." Ianto assured his uncle thinking about Owen's desire to get Diane back from the rift, or his continued search for answers for Katie.
Gomez seemed a bit less morose after that, it was obvious to Ianto that the man was worried about Wednesday, to be honest he was as well. Not because he thought that Owen would hurt her, but because he wasn't sure that Wednesday wouldn't hurt herself. She was a proud girl, and was unlikely to ever ask for help, but he knew for sure that she had never dealt with strong positive emotions. He didn't think that she would be unable to cope, she was an Addams, but he knew that the range of emotions that she would come to experience could become overwhelming for her. "She'll be fine." He spoke confidently, as he realised what his cousin would do to him if she thought he was doubting her or her abilities in any way.
"So how is your Captain?" Gomez asked as he thrust his blade forward in a sharp motion that Ianto only just managed to dodge, distracted as he was by the question.
"Jack is fine." He answered, unsure of where his uncle was going with the question and deciding to settle for a straightforward answer in the hopes that the man would come quickly to the point instead of leading him through a verbal dance as well as a physical one.
Gomez gave a small snort at the answer, knowing that his nephew obviously wasn't in the mood for games he asked straight out. "When will the bonding be?"
Ianto paused as the question penetrated his brain, unsure as to why the family were all so concerned about his and Jack's relationship. Archienius wasn't happy that it existed, but the rest of the family all seemed to be trying to get him and Jack to an altar. "We haven't discussed it, but I doubt we will bond though." Ianto replied, unable to sound completely happy about the fact. "Jack would never be interested in something permanent like that."
Gomez shook his head mentally, but didn't say anything. The boy was daft, he had seen the way that the Captain looked at him, and the man looked as though he cut off his own feet to be allowed to spend time in Ianto's presence. The man was not completely stupid and had realised almost immediately that Ianto's family played a large role in the lives of the individual members. He had made sure that he was liked by the family, the man had gone out of his way to be accepted at the party. Not only that but Gomez knew that there was already a partial bond between the two men, Thing was never wrong. He just wondered what the bond meant for Ianto in regards to Death.
