Jack walked proudly into the living room. Ianto's hand was firmly clasped in his and he felt secure and happy. There really wasn't anybody else he would rather introduce to his cousins.
Two girls stood before them. They looked identical to the passing person but upon studying them briefly, Ianto noticed that there were many differences between the pair. They hadn't been introduced yet so he was unsure of which one was Amber and which one was Emma but one of the girls had waist length brown hair and the other had slightly shorter also brown hair. Both girls had naturally curly hair and deep brown eyes. Ianto found himself mesmerized by their eyes; they were so different to Jack's blue eyes yet they had many of the same qualities. All three sets of eyes managed to capture him; they were all so open and honest.
Sam had once told him that a person's eyes were the window to their soul. He had never believed him before but now that he could see how pure Jack, Amber and Emma's were, he did. Especially when the person he was comparing them too was cold, cruel and heartless and had piercing eyes. Linda Harkness had eyes that nobody could look into without turning away mere seconds later. They seemed incapable of unconditional love.
Jack wrapped his arm around both cousins as they rushed to hug him. Ianto started to feel uncomfortable as he was interfering with their reunion. He attempted to move away but Jack still had a hold of his hand. He tugged to try and free himself but Jack's hand tightened around his.
"Amber, Emma, I would like you to meet Ianto Jones, my boyfriend." Jack pulled away from his cousins and introduced Ianto. "Ianto, this is Amber." Jack gestured towards the girl with the slightly shorter hair. "And this is Emma." Jack signalled to the other girl.
"It's a pleasure to meet you Ianto." Amber grinned and shook his free hand.
"The pleasure's all mine." Ianto replied and smiled as Amber giggled. Getting introduced as a boyfriend instead of a servant was strange. He didn't feel as if he should be here holding Jack's hand; holding a tray of drinks, maybe, but definitely not his hand.
Emma didn't say anything as she leaned forward to shake Ianto's hand. She merely smiled and went back to standing beside her sister.
"Well I'm glad everybody's finally met each other." Jack smiled around at everyone, his smile faltered slightly as he remembered that he had to tell the twins about why he and Ianto were staying there. "We want to tell you the whole story because we feel that it is your right to know everything so you can judge things in the most un-biased way possible."
"Are you sure you are both up to talking about it? Mam told us about how hard it has been for both of you to deal with." Emma asked. She didn't want either man to break down just so they knew everything.
"I'm prepared to talk about it." Jack confirmed. He looked sideways at Ianto. "Are you okay about it, Yan?"
"Jack, we've already discussed it, I don't think talking about it again is going to make any difference. Besides, once everyone knows we can start trying to forget about it and get on with our lives." Ianto reasoned. He didn't want to look like the only one who couldn't cope with recent events. It would also be the first impression that Amber and Emma would have of him; an incapable servant.
Jack nodded thoughtfully. "We better sit down." Jack gestured towards the biggest sofa and pulled Ianto down next to him as he sat. Amber and Emma sat next to each other and turned to face Jack and Ianto.
"Before you start, does anybody want a drink?" Cassandra asked.
Everybody shook their heads.
"No thanks, I don't think we should have any distractions; this is going to be difficult enough as it is." Jack replied.
"Okay then. I'm going to tell all staff that as long as this door is closed, this room is off limits." Cassandra informed them before she left the room and closed the door with a click behind her.
Jack and Ianto stared blankly at the door as Amber and Emma waiting for one of them to begin.
"Take your time." Emma said sarcastically.
Jack chuckled and looked at her. She always knew how to break the ice.
"Where do we start?" Ianto asked as Jack's laugh died down.
"For the beginning, I suppose." Jack suggested.
"Obviously." Ianto laughed. "But when was the beginning for you?"
Jack sat silently as he thought back to when all this had started.
"I think...the beginning for me was when...you offered me a drink during the first party that you were allowed out of the kitchen....the first time I met you really." Jack answered slowly.
Ianto nodded. "But is that really relevant?"
"Of course it is relevant." Jack replied confidently.
"I think you should just start there then." Amber advised.
Jack looked at Ianto for approval. Ianto nodded. He thought it would be best if Jack started and then he could chip in with information if Jack missed something out.
"When Ianto turned eighteen, he was allowed out of the kitchen to serve drinks at parties." Jack explained. "It was the party to celebrate Cassandra coming to stay that he appeared in front of me and offered me and my mother a drink. I took one and I introduced myself. This party was Ianto's first and he wasn't exactly sure how servants at my mother's house were supposed to act and he offered me his hand to shake as he introduced himself. I think that it was at that moment that everything started. My mother noticed his 'improper' manner and felt enraged that anybody could treat her son like that."
"She did give me a dirty look but I never thought anything of it..." Ianto said, it wasn't really intended for people to hear and he sat quietly as he relived that fateful night in his mind as Jack told their story.
"I got ill the day after. It was nothing serious but the doctor misdiagnosed it and told me to stay in bed for 2 weeks; Yan was made my personal servant, he was the second footman of the Harkness house; it was his job. But I only had a 24 hour bug and I was well again the next day but my mother insisted that she knew best and I should remain in bed for the duration of the two weeks. So Ianto and I got to know each other and our relationship became more than just servant and master. We were good friends and I didn't treat him like a servant. Cassandra noticed something was up and got me alone to question me. I admitted what it was and she encouraged me to talk to him about it."
"I felt the same way and we decided that we both felt strongly enough to try and make this work." Ianto added.
"And with Cassandra helping us, we honestly couldn't see my mother ever having to find out." Jack agreed.
"Until she walked in to see me lying on your bed with no sign of you." Ianto mused.
Jack nodded. They both sat thoughtfully.
"What did she do?" Emma asked.
"She sentenced Ianto to a punishment of seven lashes in front of everybody. I was locked in my room for one night so I couldn't interfere with the punishment." Jack said.
"Do you still have marks, Ianto?" Amber asked. She wanted to see the extent of what Linda had done to her cousin's love.
Ianto nodded and lifted his t-shirt up to reveal a group of nasty looking red slash marks running across his side and round onto his back.
Amber and Emma both inhaled sharply when they saw the marks. "Are you still in pain?" Emma asked.
"Not all the time. It's at its worst first thing on a morning and eventually begins to ease up throughout the day." Ianto answered truthfully.
"Anyway, back to our story." Jack interrupted. He didn't want to dwell on the injuries that he felt responsible for. It didn't matter what Ianto said, he still felt that it was his fault; he made the first move and he went for a walk when Ianto had insisted that he stay in his room. "Ianto came up to see me as soon as he got the chance and I was rubbing some cream into the wounds as he lay on my bed. I was only trying to help him but my mother came in and was livid with the sight before her. She fired Ianto on the spot and took me to the Cardiff Institute the morning after."
"I know roughly what the Cardiff Institute is but what actually happens there?" Amber asked.
Jack paused as he thought about how would be the best way to describe the place that his mother had so willingly sent him. "It's a place where they beat you into a clone of how they want the world to be. They force everybody into being who they want them to be. It's their idea of the 'perfect' person. You're not allowed to be yourself otherwise you will get punished."
A tear fell silently down Emma cheek and Amber gasped in shock. The Institute was an unimaginable place of torture and they were speechless to learn that such a place actually existed.
"Cassandra sent Ianto here and then followed with me not long after. She had planned to reunite us as soon as she heard about what my mother was doing." Jack explained.
"I think that's everything." Ianto concluded.
"Except the fact that my mother still doesn't know that we're here." Jack added.
"What's she going to do when she finds out?" Emma asked.
"I don't know." Jack answered truthfully. "All I know is that I am not going back."