21
Owen and Tosh were relieved to find Ianto home with the boys, Josh also pleased to see them as he hugged them and babbled about his stay with the oldies.
"Wait, I thought your Mama was dead" Owen frowned as he looked at Ianto over the pretty floral centrepiece.
"Well, you know how I had this Cyber-girlfriend in the basement?" Ianto said in a slow voice like Owen was thick, "So I fudged a few things on my records so you didn't know my real past? No Grandparents listed same as no parents? Me Grandys are still alive."
"You bastard" Owen spluttered as he turned to Jack, "You knew, right?"
"Nope" Jack grinned, "Not even invited them to the wedding, he wanted Plan B. They were his Plan B. His Fallback in case of Shit Fitting the Fan. Whatever that might entail. There would always be a bolthole nobody knew about and was not recorded anywhere. Alien invasion, Zombie outbreak or something. Arsehole of a husband that needed to beg and plead for forgiveness in his saggy boxer shorts on his knees."
"You cheeky bastard" Owen said again with a shake of his head.
"You know Owen, I do love you and Josh is in his bedroom choosing his bedtime story so I shall let it slide but please remember this is not the Hub, this is my house and here? I am the boss" Ianto said softly, "Mind your manners."
"Sorry Mom" Owen grinned, "Na, you're right. Gotta watch that. Habit."
"Why I forgive you every time" Ianto smiled softly back, "But not a habit I want for the boys."
"Fair point" Owen nodded as he buttered another read roll to mop his plate.
"Oh my god, how can you fit any more!" Tosh sighed.
"Daddy?" a little voice called and Jack lit up, passing the baby to Ianto and rising to go please his little soldier.
"You know, if I didn't have Tosh here I could give him a run for his money" Owen said though the home baked roll and Ianto canted his head in confusion.
"I do a good hand job ya know, also…good with foot massages too" he mopped some more gravy from his plate as Ianto started to snort with mirth. "I would never forget about you in a crisis either."
"Why Owen, such a wonderful offer" he finally was able to speak, "If not for Jack and Tosh in the way, eh? We shall never know. You know, I shall cherish that knowledge. Always."
"Yep" Owen said then burped, patting his belly with happiness, then another burp.
"Dessert?" Ianto asked and Owen sighed as he turned to Tosh.
"See?" he said pointing at Ianto as he rose to get the cheesecake, "Marriage material."
"Yes dear" she said with a soft smile, "So are you."
"Yeah, we should get hitched I suppose" Owen burped again, slapping his chest then making a noise of glee as he saw a chocolate mousse coming as well.
"Well, I guess that about sums it up" Ianto said blandly to Tosh. "I hope you feel as lucky as I do."
She giggled as she nodded and then they listened as Josh begged for another book, Jack giving in as always.
Sucker.
Jack smiled as he settled with his son and vowed to never miss a thing.
Not ever again.
Tosh followed Ianto to the kitchen, "Is he really forgiven?"
"Almost" came the soft reply, "He has forever to atone. Maybe…maybe one day I will put this behind me but for now…for now I am on the road to forgiveness."
He smiled as he reached for the bowls and looked to the bouquet of roses Jack had bought him and presented lovingly as he whispered another apology for forgetting his place, his promise to never forget again.
After all … he had eternity.
.
.
.
"So…when you said I had forever to atone…" Jack said softly and Ianto smiled at him with that loving crinkle at the corner of his eyes.
"Jack…I don't know what to tell you" Ianto sighed, "All I know is that all my life I felt something amiss. I searched for it…everywhere, in others, in the old ways, in the new…no matter what I did I couldn't quite grasp what was missing. Lisa, well. She was still new and shiny, pardon the pun, I knew she was not the right fit but she was close. Close enough that at the corner of my vision I could see it…that…thing that I needed."
"But it wasn't her" Jack whispered leaning forward so his hands could grasp Ianto's their knees sliding together, "Tell me darling."
"Jack" Ianto sighed, suddenly tired, so damned tired.
"I'm sorry" Jack said softly, "I know I have so much to do here, so far to go but…we go together, right? As long as it's together I can deal with this…self inflicted punishment I must now endure."
"Oh Jack" Ianto said again, this pain evident as he reached out to cup Jack's cheek, "It was you. I was walking in a black and white world, like those old silent movies. I thought that was what the world was. Then you came hurtling in like a fucking mad hatter, slamming into my psyche and knocking me on my arse. I didn't know what to do, how to react. The world was suddenly in Technicolor and I was no longer blind to the beauty around me."
Jack swallowed thickly as he saw the honesty in his beloved's face.
"Jack…I...Gods. This road ahead is a long one, gods willing, and no matter where it takes us it will be us. You and me. The moment our footsteps matched, our strides equalled…it was you. Only you. I will always forgive you, no matter how deeply you wound me. But I would rather you didn't."
"I love you" Jack sobbed.
"And I you, Cariad" Ianto smiled again, "So don't fuck up, yeah? My mantra is 'I am the one which whom not to fuck' and yours can be 'I am the one who is righteous for my family' then we can take on the worlds. Just don't ever let me down again, you break my heart."
"Never" Jack said with wide eyes.
"Never is a big word…like forever is" Ianto warned, "Do not pledge lightly Jaxton of Boeshane."
"I will always listen, even if I do not like the words" Jack promised, "You will always have my attention."
"I, Ianto of the Wildlings, accept that pledge. Remember that." Ianto warned as he leaned back, the speech suddenly accepted and Jack blinked as if the room was suddenly brighter.
Whatever had just happened, it had changed everything.
.
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This is where I shall end this one, I know in the original there is more but I would like to tackle that as a third instalment…you know I like things in threes. Plus Jack has A LOT more apologies to make.
Also, I will go a bit off the reservation to the original as I have more bloodlust and evilness in my soul than my dear sweet friend PCJanto.
Also….
Heh heh heh…
Nah, not gonna tell ya.