Chapter Twenty Four
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So Now You Know – Part Two
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It was late.
Sleep should've beckoned hours ago.
But this had been no ordinary night.
There'd been tears, laughter; tears of laughter - blind misunderstandings and fight after fight after fight - but no winners or losers; the volume of emotional trauma sustained had been equal on both parts, and because of this a new level of understanding had been reached.
For Ianto the whole experience had resulted in one huge right-angled corner being turned; had been a step in the right direction - That light at the end of the tunnel had been glimpsed anew; had never seemed so bright before.
And he had Jack, alone, to thank for that.
Time had passed. Superficial wounds, aches, pains and bloodied nicks - all had been endured, assessed then dressed without a word of complaint - because when it came to owning a body beaten by another in despair, the level of pain experienced was nothing compared to the mental torture of living year after year immersed in a sea of guilt and self-hatred.
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"How you feelin'?"
Fingers already entwined with Ianto's - their hands joined between them at face level - Jack used his free hand to pull the duvet up over their shoulders then brushed a wisp of fringe from the furrowed forehead opposite.
Drowning, with no sign of help on the horizon, Ianto continued to flounder in Jack's show of concern; it hadn't faltered for a second. In the dormer - initially discussing their planned visit to the States, then in the kitchen - over the top of a mug of hot chocolate, and now, with them tucked up in bed for what was left of the night - still those baby blues were fixed on him.
"I'm just disappointed in myself I guess," he shared, sighing silently as a few more uncooperative strands of hair were insistently rearranged by you know who. "And can I just point out that you mothering me every five seconds, isn't exactly helping." he grumbled - though the grumble was quickly followed up with a smile, letting Jack know that the comment hadn't been anger related in any way.
With one swift and noticeably self-conscious movement, Jack pulled his hand away. "Sorry." Sliding it quickly beneath the cover he wasted no time in hooking his arm around Ianto's waist instead, and with one insistent tug he brought them inseparably together in a much less conflicting fashion.
Ianto gave the left hand in his right a quick squeeze as a thank you. "I'm feeling pretty stupid, to be honest," he said quietly, melding into the all-encompassing comfort of Jack's hold.
Allowing the embrace to send almost all visible signs of tension on their way, "I can't believe I've allowed myself to stay obsessed like this for so bloody long." he admitted. "Not that I've ever had any control over the situation of course," was added almost defensively, "And I don't know why, but for the last couple of hours I've been waiting for something miraculous to happen; I keep thinking things should be different now like, each time I think about them from now on, it won't be as painful; it won't make me feel so …."
Ianto paused, accepted that he was becoming distressed again, and forced each inward breath to return to the 'slow and deep' rather than the 'rapid and shallow' that they'd suddenly become.
The show of concern opposite deepened, but with the aid of a reassuring smile, Jack was convinced that his fragile boyfriend was still okay.
Ianto held his breath for a moment and smiled against Jack's lips as a tender peck was pressed to his own. "It's weird," he shrugged as they parted, his shoulder movement sending the duvet up over his left ear, then back down again, "But all the time I was explaining the fucking mess inside my head to you, I was hoping, almost assuming, that by bringing you in on things, I'd be making the problem go away. But that hasn't happened- I'm still alive – and they're still dead - and I still feel like I owe them something." With a tear forming at the inner corner of his left eye, the first visible sign that he was about to become emotional again appeared. "Jack – I can't help it, it still doesn't seem fair that they …"
A firm kiss was pressed to the spot between Ianto's brows and was held there just long enough for Jack to calm him down, at which point foreheads were pressed together. "Yan, hey c'mon, hun, one more big deep breath for me. Come on; that's it, now let it go."
Jack inched away, brushed his fingers through his boyfriend's hair. "I need you to be strong for me, Yan; I need to know you're gonna be able cope when I'm not around, do you understand?"
Features slowly softening, becoming resigned, Ianto nodded his understanding and leaned in with an apologetic kiss which Jack accepted.
Jack pulled back with a sigh and a smile. "I know you're still gonna feel bad, and I know there's no chance of somethin' this huge just disappearin' overnight, but I promise you, Yan, this is somethin' we're gonna deal with together, okay?"
With a mind of its own, Jack's hand had subconsciously made its way back out into the open and was once again attempting to put the world to rights by playing with a few wisps of fringe. He smiled, appreciating both the gesture and intent as Ianto lay claim to 'his' waist instead; inched close enough to ensure they remained snuggled up. "Yan, I get why you feel so guilty," he continued, "I really do. But to move on, you're gonna have to accept that you had no control over what happened that day, and I'm pretty certain you've had no control over what's been going on inside that noggin of yours ever since, either."
Jack lay there rocking his head from side to side. With a new realisation dawning every second, he was still trying his best to absorb and appreciate every little detail.
He heaved an overwhelmed sigh as the most obvious of things occurred. "Christ, Yan ... seven years is a long fuckin' time to be dealin' with somethin' like this on your own."
"Six years, five months …. actually."
As Ianto's abrupt statement pointed out another deep seated issue, Jack's whole frame slumped. "Oh, Jesus," Slowly, his lids fell. "You're constantly keepin' count, aren't you?"
Ianto shrugged, saying nothing.
"And you've been constantly torturing yourself like this every - single – fuckin' day? Christ, what a mind-fuck." Jack cupped a cheek and closed his palm around it. "I'm so sorry you've had to go through this alone."
Ianto shrugged again. "S'no big deal – and I'm pretty sure that figure's right by the way - I can't help counting; it's just something that I do - I like keeping track of things." A small smile was pursed. "I also spent the whole of this last week counting down the days until you were due home from Glasgow - You were late, by the way." he scolded Jack playfully. "You 'eventually', decided to show up yesterday – which I'm pretty sure was the fourth - which must make today Friday the f ….. oh you wanker, Jones! Of course it's the fifth! It's bloody bonfire night!"
As Jack laughed with him, "Actually, we must be well into the sixth by now." Ianto decided, pulling his left arm free to check his watch. "Yep, it's two-thirty," he confirmed, "Which makes it six years, five months and thirty days - they died May seventh 'ninety three – when I was nineteen." Sending his arm back beneath the cover to once more lay claim to Jack's waist, he exhaled a long and resigned breath. "I'm such a sad fucker, aren't I? I think I'm beyond help - I mean, that's pretty sick, isn't it - keeping track of the days like that?"
His tone stern but sympathetic, and certainly not unkind, "Okay, so this isn't gonna be a five minute job." Jack was forced to agree. "But we'll get you through the rough stuff, then out the other side one way or another. The way I see it, you've been experiencing a severe reaction to having both parents snatched away in one almighty hit. Add that to the fact that you were already strugglin' to deal with a mass of insecurities anyway, and, well, it was pretty much guaranteed you'd have issues of one form or another."
"Yes, thank you for that, Doctor Harkness." Chuckling quietly, Ianto kissed the tip of Jack's nose, "And when did you suddenly become shrink of the year, you smart-arsed git?"His eyes began to shine with happy tears.
Jack laughed quietly at the comment; gently brushed his thumb over Ianto's left cheek. "Ohhh, Yan … it's moments like this that …. " A quiet sigh was expelled and a chance taken. "God, I …."
"Jaaaaaack."
Caught in the act, Jack's features creased as he began to laugh guiltily. "But you know how much I do, right?"
"Yeah," was admitted with a shy smile, "I think we've managed to establish how we feel about each other - But that's no reason for you to take advantage of me when I'm feeling down. Now, when are we leaving, again?"
A smile broke free. "Would this be you changin' the subject, by any chance?"
Brows opposite were pinched together in a jokey fashion. "Just answer the question, Harkness."
Jack poked his tongue out then laughed his way into his reply. "The flight out from Heathrow's early mornin', Thursday eighteenth, and we come back on Sunday twenty-eighth. This was Ma's idea – she said she wants us both there for Thanksgivin', but personally I think she's just usin' it as an excuse so's she can meet you at last."
"So, I make that eleven days in total, yeah?" A grin was pursed. "I like the way you just assume I can get the time off work – you did the same bloody thing in June when we went to Ibiza."
Despite being guilty, Jack grined unashamedly. "Okay, so it's a major fault of mine; you can straighten me out on that another day." He joked. "But I'm right in thinkin' you're still owed a week from June, yeah? And I figured an extra four days on top of that wouldn't be that much of a problem for your bosses and ….."
Jack paused, frowned as a thought occurred to him. "Hey, I hope this isn't you thinkin' up excuses not to go. You are lookin' forward to goin', aren't you, Yan?" was double checked.
"How long's the flight?"
The matter of fact question took Jack back a little. "Um, ten hours or so, I guess. Why - you suddenly scared of flyin' or somethin'?"
"No, not exactly ….." expression still unreadable, Ianto shook his head against his pillow. "Just checking how many hours I'm going to have to suffer you drooling all over the fucking cabin crew."
A welcomed burst of unbridled hilarity ensued. The moment brought a sense of relief to both men and was only terminated when Ianto failed to stifle a loud yawn.
"We better get some sleep." Jack decided. "Tomorrow is the first day of my new 'rescue Ianto Jones mission'."
"Fool." He was told with a chuckle.
Eyes creasing, and laughing again, Jack nodded that Ianto's claim was bang on. "I'm gonna take care of you, Yan." he promised, suddenly back to serious and intense again. "And I'm gonna make sure you always have a reason to be happy."
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"Jack …. what time do you get back to Heathrow on the twenty … Oh, sorry …."
Allowing Jack to finish his telephone conversation, Ellie smiled apologetically and reversed back out into Ianto's hallway.
Ianto himself had just finished showering and was packing his suitcase; hopefully for the very last time. It'd been packed unpacked and re-packed so many times that Ellie had been on the verge of insisting that he let the woman in the place do it for him.
She still had no idea what'd left him behaving so bloody hopeless of late - it definitely had something to do with Jack; she'd worked that much out, but other than that she really had no idea what was going on between the pair of them. Ianto had been acting differently for a couple of weeks now; he seemed less anxious, hadn't been stressing out quite so much over things that would normally have left him apoplectic.
In short, he just wasn't … himself.
Not that it'd been a change for the worse. It'd been a very long time since Ellie had seen him smile from dawn to dusk - not since they were kids if she were honest - and it truly was a treat to see him looking so happy for a change; she could even hear him now, humming away, totally in a world of his own.
Tiptoeing bare-footed along the hallway, she took a quick peek through the narrow crack where door met frame. In his sloppy Joe's, looking completely relaxed, Ianto was going through his hand luggage with a smile. Unaware that he was being observed, he picked up his passport, flicked it open, then frowned at his photo; the one that he'd always insisted made him look like a wet behind the ears teenager.
"Fucking wanker." He told his own image. Then started to laugh at himself.
Grinning, Ellie silently made her way back along to the living room.
Jack was still conversing.
"And they're definitely not gonna be there, right? Now c'mon, ma, be honest with me; I don't want anythin' ruinin' this first visit with Yan you know what I'm sayin'? I don't mind meetin' them someplace else on my own, but not …. Oh, okay … and you're absolutely sure of that, are ya?"
Hovering just outside the doorway, waiting for the opportunity to approach Jack again, Ellie raised one brow at the tone of his voice. As usual, she wasn't eaves-dropping, just, accidentally over-hearing as she lingered at a considerate distance.
With his next breath, Jack said his goodbyes and as nonchalantly as she could, the devious Ms Taylor wafted back into the living room.
"Sorry 'bout that," Jack told her, turning slightly to slip his phone back onto the kitchen counter, "Got this god-awful auntie and uncle that always turn up at Thanksgivin'. I was just checkin' with my Mom that they weren't gonna be makin' any surprise appearances this year."
Ellie smiled as if she were interested, and nodded that she was ready to hear more gossip should there be any. The explanation did sound plausible enough, though the reason given still didn't seem extreme enough for Jack to have sounded so angry on the phone.
"Els? You wanted me?" Jack reminded as she stood there, miles away, still in a world of her own.
"Hmm? Oh, yeah, sorry - flight details; Yan can't remember what time you're scheduled to get back into Heathrow on the twenty eighth – I told Stef I'd try and let him know before he leaves the yard this evening, just in case he has to let work know the date in advance. Sometimes his boss likes him to work on a Sunday – it is a Sunday you're coming back, isn't it?"
As he nodded a yes, Jack's demeanour became suitably humbled. "It's so good of him to do this for us; I mean, he's havin' to take tomorrow off work with no pay, just to run us to the airport. I'm kinda surprised he offered in the first place if I'm honest; what with him feelin' how he does about Yan and, well …. y'know ….."
"Seems he really appreciated that little heart to heart you two had a few weeks back; when it came to it, Yan didn't even have to ask, in fact, he was on the verge of asking Lals if he could do the job again… but Stef insisted he was going to do it."
Dipping her chin as she prepared to lower her voice, Ellie cupped her mouth; hush-hush fashion. "Between you and me, I think he's become a little bit smitten with Dan-Dan; he's been in a really good mood since he got back from that two weeks stop-over in San An. Poor old Dan, bless him, he's been stuck out there ever since, thinking all his Christmas' and birthdays came at once, but that someone's run off with his present. Stef said he phones every night though – which for him is completely unheard of - so he must really think a lot of Dan."
Jack nodded his approval. "It's about fricken' time, that's all I can say. Dan's been waitin' so long for Stef to notice him - I'm so pleased for him; he's such a sweet guy."
"Yeah, I know I am - Can't help it - But do us a favour, eh Jack? Don't tell everybody … I have something of a reputation to maintain."
Having heard only the tail end of the conversation, Ianto continued to make his way into the living room. Sauntering past his house-guests with a satisfied grin forming, he yelped as Ellie whacked him on the arm. "Who said we were talking about you, my little daffodil?"
Her hands quickly found her hips, and she stood there, trying her hardest not to laugh at the facial reaction her comment had promoted.
Jack snorted out loud.
Ianto poked his tongue out at him then sent Ellie a disappointed stare. "My little daffodil?" It was safe to say his voice had gone up the scale a notch. "Why not my big fuck-off dragon?" he pursued, "Or my muscle-bound war mongering, Celtic god or something?"
"Or my lovely, limp-wristed leek …..." Jack suggested helpfully, still chuckling away.
"Aren't you supposed to be in the shower, or something?" Ianto asked him, clearly unimpressed.
With a flourish of over-stated moves, Jack pulled the little daffodil into his arms and swung him downward in a dramatic dip. From the loud squeak coming from the base of Ianto's throat, it seemed pretty certain he'd be screeching loudly with fear if he wasn't already being kissed.
"You have to go bloody overboard, don't you." he gasped as he was returned to an upright position.
Jack took a step back, sending his gaze side-long. "You complainin'?" A challenging brow was raised.
Ianto stood his ground, eyes narrowing with curiosity. "If I say yes, does that mean there's a chance you might do what you just did, all over again?"
"Most definitely."
A grin appeared; became salacious and smut-driven. "In that case, yeah ….. I'm definitely complaining."
Both men smiled knowingly at each other and the same move as before was replicated, only, this time it came without the addition of a surprised squeak.
Convinced that her soulie was completely and utterly head over heels, a smiling Ellie began to laugh.
"Perhaps when you two have finished what you're, um, er, doing, you could let me have some flight details – That's pending you actually managing to prise yourselves apart sometime soon, of course." she added.
The kiss was interrupted, allowing both men to smile at the comment. With a soft hum, Jack kissed Ianto once more then righted them both.
"Oi ... flight details?" Still waiting to make her call to Stef, Ellie stood there with her arms folded.
"Did you let Steve know?" Ianto asked Jack, knowing he was teasing his friend by deliberately ignoring her.
Playing along – as it was something he'd been meaning to discuss with Ianto anyway - Jack nodded an affirmative. "Yeah, he's got all the relevant dates, plus I'm all clear with Phil too - they've got a coupla shows in hand, you know, the ones that we recorded at the start of the run, and I'm not actually due back at Wood Lane 'til the Tuesday, which means I get to lie in bed with you all day on the Monday."
"Jet lag." Ianto acknowledged, nodding at Jack who nodded back.
"Steve?" Ellie wondered.
"Jack's new agent," Ianto told her, "My successor. And have you let Kim know?" he asked Jack as an afterthought.
Jack grinned sheepishly, deciding to hold on to his reply.
"Kim?" Not mystified at all; this time just being downright nosy, Ellie widened her eyes.
"Jack's latest girlfriend - she's a bit on the butch side if you ask me." Ianto told her, laughing at Jack who was in the process of tutting loudly at him.
Ellie folded her arms in a strop. "Okay, what have you done with my friend, my all American boy? There's something seriously not right with him."
"You really need the full details?" Jack grinned over at her.
"Oooh, yeah, now you're talking." Ellie's brows flicked saucily.
"Haven't you got a call to make?" Ianto reminded her. "And you, still need to take a shower." Jack was ordered.
Locating her bag and reaching into it's depths for her mobile, Ellie watched as Jack stepped up close, kissed Ianto on the forehead, gave him a huge hug, then drifted off in the direction of the bathroom.
One day, she decided, scrolling through her list of contacts, she find out what'd changed between those two – and then she'd thank Jack personally for doing what no other person had been able to do in a very long while – make Ianto Jones genuinely happy.
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"Are you sure you've got everything?" Lounging just inside the doorway, Stefan looked back out to his car where Jack was hoisting the second of two cases into the boot.
"Where's my holdall?" Ianto called out from his bedroom.
Stefan looked back to Jack. "Yan wants to know where's his holdall is."
Jack stepped back over the threshold, shivering in just a polo shirt and jeans. "It's in the trunk with mine!" he called out along the hall. With Stefan looking curiously at him, he raised a shushing finger to his lips and, grinning, used a tip of his head to suggest they should hold on for a sec.
"You're standing out there waiting for me to make a joke about Jumbo Jets, aren't you, Harkness." was observed blindly from inside the bedroom.
"He hates it when I say trunk instead of boot," Jack explained, grinning more than ever. "Normally he just makes a pissed comment about us trav'lin' by elephant, not car, but I knew he wouldn't be able to resist an opportunity like this …."
"You're a very sad man," he was told by his approaching boyfriend, who pulled his jacket over his shoulders then began to arrange each cuff OCD fashion around each wrist. "It's going to be a very long flight; I can see that ….." was added with a sigh.
As Ianto diverted off into the living room, Jack caught Stefan's eye again to wink at him.
"Have ya turned everythin' off Yan?"
"Yep." The accompanying sigh told that Ianto was already fed up with the game.
Jack grinned as Stef started to laugh at the situation.
"The tv? The dishwasher? How 'bout the lights, Yan?"
"Yep, yep, yep."
"Closed and locked all the windows in the sunroom?"
"Yeesssss."
"Put the cat out?"
The deep sigh coming from the kitchen was unmissable.
"Jack?"
"Hmmm?"
"Fuck off."
Jack doubled up in fits of laughter.
One brow lifting at the unusual display of closeness and camaraderie, Stefan escaped what was becoming an awkward situation by checking his watch. "If you gotta be there two hours beforehand, we need to make a move right now." he pointed out.
As Ianto appeared, patting each pocket in turn, Stefan forgot his awkwardness to send him a smile. "They're on your head." he joked, tapping his own, hoping the gesture might prompt his friend to do the same thing.
Eyes were rolled. "Don't you bloody start; you're as bad as him! My sunglasses are in my holdall, not on my head - but nice try."
Key in hand, Ianto made his way closer to the front door. "You two can gang up on me all you like, but I'll be buggered if I'm gonna let either of you wind me up today. I'm going to the States, Stef - ever been there?" he sneered gloatingly, knowing full well that his best mate never had.
"For that, you can sit in the back with smiling boy." he was informed.
Making it his mission to fully justify his new nickname, Jack looked directly at Ianto and smiled one of his 'I'm stupid' smiles. As it grew purposefully wider he was sent a disdainful look.
"Shall we just go?" one homeowner suggested with a sigh. "Come on you two - shift yer bent-boy arses - I'm waiting to double lock my front door."
With Stefan leading them out onto the pavement and heading around to the driver's side, Ianto stepped up behind Jack and craftily helped himself to a handful of right bum cheek. Satisfied with the surprised squeak he received as a result, he turned back to lock his front door and grinned as Jack made swift work of repaying the favour - This was both of them getting their short break off to a really good start.
Turning the key in the lock, Ianto decided he wanted to remember this trip for all the right reasons. All anxious thoughts of doom, gloom and becoming depressed, were being put on hold for the next eleven days or so. This was Jack's time – a chance for him to enjoy being with his family after so long. And as for himself getting to go along too? Well that was just a bonus; one that he wasn't about to abuse by allowing himself to become consumed by irrational, self-pitying thoughts or grief.
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"Make sure you get the daft bastard back to us in one piece." Jack was warned as all three said their goodbyes outside Departures.
"Don't worry," Jack grasped Stefan's arm and squeezed reassuringly. "There's no way I'm lettin' anythin' happen to him on my watch."
"You flying the plane then?" Ianto wondered with just a hint of sarcastic irony coming through. Grinning at the put-out, pinched and prissy look he received in reply, he helped himself to a goodbye hug from Stefan then stepped away. "See you when we get back – we'll have to meet up for a beer." He decided.
"Dan gets back for good next week – well - 'til next season anyway." Stefan told him. "It'll be good to have the whole gang back together again." He slid his gaze in Jack's direction. "That includes you too, Mr Showbiz."
Hesitating over whether to give the blond a hug or not, but deciding in a split second to go with the idea anyway, "Thanks, that means a lot." Jack answered truthfully, his arms wrapping briefly around Stef, patting his back, best-mate -style.
Double checking they had all their baggage items with them, Jack and Ianto bid a final farewell to their chauffeur, waved as he pulled away, then made their way inside the terminal building.
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"Wakey, wakey, sleepy head – time to buckle up; we're comin' into land." Ianto was told with a nudge.
"Sorry …." Twisting his shoulders stiffly from side to side, Ianto stretched out in his seat and yawned loudly. "Have I been out for long? It's all your fault anyway." he pointed out with a crooked smile.
Holding one half of Ianto's seatbelt out for him to take, Jack widened his eyes, faking both surprise and innocence.
"Don't you give me that look …" Smiling, despite himself, Ianto snapped both end of his belt together then looked up again. "Eleven, we finally hit the sack – but who was it kept me awake for another whole hour, knowing we had to get up in another three?"
Jack held up their last pieces of rubbish for the airline stewardess to take, winked as she smiled gooey-eyed at him, then waited until she was out of earshot before explaining, "You said you couldn't sleep, and it's a well-known fact that losin' his load knocks a guy flat out, so givin' you a hand-job seemed the perfect solution. If anythin', you should be thankin' me, not moanin'."
Ianto freed the in-flight magazine from between himself and the side of his seat and placed it in the back of the chair in front of him, before getting himself comfy. "But how is that theory supposed to hold up when the guy giving the hand-job needs to get off as well? Did you really think I'd just nod off while you were fucking your way through your own idea of a night-cap?"
Jack had to concede the point. Head rolling to one side to find Ianto, he was looking a little sheepish as he admitted, "Yeah, okay, I'm sorry 'bout that - I hadn't planned on gettin' quite so turned on myself, but …."
"Sir, we shall be landing shortly. Could you return your seat to the upright position for me, please?"
Jack did as he was told then angled himself out into the aisle, enabling him to ogle the steward's rear as he made his way along to the front.
"Is that all you've been doing the entire time – eyeing up the cabin crew?"
Jack settled back into his seat and looked sidelong at his boyfriend, definitely guilty of something. "Actually, I fell asleep as well." he admitted, leaning in to brush shoulders, revealing, "You got this habit of wearin' me out too."
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"Well, here we are …." Jack waited for the cab to come to a complete halt then reached for the door handle. "….. home sweet home."
He gestured that Ianto, sat next to him looking suddenly terrified, should climb out, then he was grinning, hunching his shoulders, displaying how excited he was to be bringing his boyfriend home to meet the folks.
Ianto was in shock. Hands in his lap, body stock-still, he was staring ahead, straight out through the screen at what appeared to be a movie set. "This ….. is home?" he said quietly, as if almost to himself.
Sat behind the driver, he continued to stare out at the uniquely designed house. "It looks like it should be in a film, or on the telly. You didn't tell me your family was fucking loaded." he felt obliged to point out, apparently not amused by the fact.
"They're not." Jack laughed, stepping from the vehicle, "And to see the place properly, Yan, you really need to get outta the car."
Ianto opened his door and stepped out onto the flag-stone parking spot. The house was set back from the road by about fifty feet, and between the bush-adorned front lawns a neat driveway had been laid. Looking up, starting to feel even more inadequate, he gawped at the mixture of unusual architectural shapes. At top level - one end of the building was rounded; appeared to be an extension of some kind, while the rectangular middle jutted proudly out toward the garden, and over on the right hand side - a double garage had been added with a room above it. It seemed that none of the additions were recent; the property as a whole, appeared time-weathered and very welcoming.
"Here …."
The cabbie had popped the trunk, and Jack was lifting the first case free. "Take this while I get the rest of our gear."
Walking around to the back of the cab, Ianto watched as a couple of cars out on the road passed by. He'd been expecting L.A. to be manic absolutely everywhere, but here, where Jack lived, it genuinely wasn't; the avenue they'd just driven along wasn't exactly tree-lined ,or even overly leafy, but it definitely had that 'quiet suburb' feel to it. As they'd left LAX for the short journey across, Jack had said something about living in the old part of town, or it might've been 'in' the 'old town' - he just hadn't mentioned which area of Los Angeles that 'old town' just happened to be situated in.
"Jackson! They're here!"
Stepping over to the other side of the cab, Ianto found a well-groomed, very attractive; not that much taller than Ellie, woman heading his way. Her long auburn hair had been plaited and pinned up at the back, and if the hint of an accent hadn't given her away, the piercing blues eyes would certainly have done so every day of the week.
"Ianto, come here and let me take a look at you." She continued to approach with a smile.
As she stretched up, hung on with her arms around his neck then helped herself to a kiss on the cheek, Ianto smiled back and tried not to blush as his jacket was fingered and his brow brushed with concerned knuckles.
"Maaaaaaaa …." Wincing, Jack was peering from around the back of the vehicle. "Whoa, hey, I'm lovin' the hair!" he noticed straight away. "What happened to the black? Or was it blonde last time I saw ya?" With a straining noise he hoisted his own case and then the two holdalls out of the way so that the cab could reverse back out of the drive.
Ianto turned slightly to watch him with a smile. Out of the corner of his eye, he became aware of a tall gentleman appearing in the doorway. He had greying temples, but other than that it was just like looking at an older version of Jack himself.
Jack's dad began to make his way over. "Gracie! Put the poor guy down; he's only just arrived! What're you tryin' to do woman - scare him off before he's even set foot in the place?"
"Hey, dad, how are ya?" Jack walked over to meet him half way; hesitated for just a second before going in for a manly hug.
"I'm fine, son. And are you okay? Your mom tells me you been gettin' yourself on the tv over there."
"I'm great, thanks, and, yeah, I got my own spot on a programme on the BBC - I'm still tryin' to get my head around it all, to be honest."
Jack took hold of his father's right arm, tugged like an exited child as he began to lead him further down the drive. "Come and meet Yan. Actually, I'm thinkin' he could with our help right now; mom's already makin' him feel a little nervous."
"Stop insulting your mother behind her back!" Jack was told by his mother; yelling out the order without turning around. "We can get acquainted over drinks once you're settled in." she decided, turning away from Ianto to reveal she'd been smiling all along. "I take it you remember where your room is?" she added jokingly, stretching up to tweak a cheek as Jack reached out for her.
"Hi Ma ….." he scooped her up and swung her around in a circle, nearly making his dad fall over backward in the process.
"Son!" Jackson was laughing as he regained his footing. "Jesus - some things never change." he smiled at Ianto, adding, "Hi, Yan, I'm Jackson, Jack's dad; it's nice to meet you at last."
Ianto offered a hand, nodded, and shook with a smile.
Grabbing hold of his own case and holdall; grinning at Ianto as he did, "Speakin' of rooms ….." Jack started, "About Yan ….."
"Son, I think we're way beyond worrying which room your boyfriend is gonna be sleeping in, don't you?" Jackson interrupted, coming up behind to usher everybody else inside.
Feeling his cheeks heat up, Ianto closed his eyes and prayed for the paving beneath his feet to slide apart and swallow him whole.
As his arm was patted, he chanced lifting one lid and found Gracie smiling up at him. "You'll get used to us, mab, just try not to overthink anything any of us say and you'll be fine. Now, you go with Jack. He can show you where you'll both be sleeping, and if you're lucky he might even give you the guided tour."
"Have we got that long?" Ianto heard himself joke, looking up at the size of the place, again.
"We'll meet up in the garden for drinks." Jack was told by his mom as she helped herself to another kiss, then both parents headed for the kitchen, leaving the new arrivals alone in the huge hallway.
Ianto's bottom jaw had hit the floor again. Mainly because of the size of the staircase, but that didn't mean he wasn't impressed by the light and airy space as a whole, or by the oak flooring, or the many light fittings, or the large dining room that he'd just gotten a glimpse of through the door off to his left.
When he'd been growing up as a young child in Cardiff, his parent's house had had just a small area at the bottom of the stairs to welcome visitors into - Jack and his family had a space almost as large as his whole apartment back in London in which to receive their guests.
His gaze followed the curve of the wide bank of stairs leading up to the next level. "You quite sure your family's not loaded?"
Jack laughed at him, brushed a reassuring hand up and down one arm. "Sorry if that was a bit overwhelmin' out there," he smiled, "I guess meetin' the parents for the first time is always a bit intense."
"They seem really nice. Your mum looks really young, and you really look like your dad." Ianto smiled back at him.
Still distracted, he gave the entire area one final quick once over
"Well, at least you know what you've got to look forward to, y'know - when I get old and grey." Jack joked, gesturing that they might like to make their way up the sweeping staircase.
Both lost in thought – both well aware of the long-term implications of Jack's last statement – with suitcases and holdalls being carefully carried, they made their way up to Jack's room.
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"Me? Nohhhh. Definitely not!"
Appalled that Ianto could even have suggested that he might've been a precocious child, Jack slumped back in his seat, sulking and pouting.
Ianto caught his eye and winked, making Jack smile coyly and look away.
"Well, son, it looks like someone might finally have gotten the measure of you." Jackson observed, nodding his approval at Ianto, who laughed then took a self-conscious sip of his lemonade.
"Would that be you blushing over there, son?" Gracie chuckled as Jack looked away to hide his reddening face. "I can see why he likes you, Yan," she smiled, "There's not many people can get him in a tizz with just one look."
"Okay, for the record, I am not in a tizz, and we are now goin' to unpack our gear – so you can talk about us all you want without showin' me up." Jack scowled.
As his mom stood, preparing to clear away the glasses, Jack pulled her into a hug and squeezed her tight. "It's so good to see you Ma."
"And it's good to see you too, son." Accepting a kiss on the forehead, Gracie looked over to her guest. "And it's lovely to finally meet you at last, Yan." she smiled.
"Likewise." he nodded, acknowledging both Jack's mom and dad.
"What have you boys got planned for tomorrow?" Jackson wondered, calling them back before they could make it inside, "We've got this damned wedding to go to on Saturday, and your mother still hasn't found a dress she likes. We we're thinking of heading over to the Amo tomorrow if you fancied joining us. Is there anythin' either of you need to get for this damn event we can't get out of?"
"Weddin'? Whose weddin'?" Jack sent his dad a loaded wink. "I thought you an ma tied the knot in Cardiff? Are you tellin' me that all this time …"
The instant change in Jackson's expression told that he meant business. "Son? Button it. You might be a bastard at times, but you're definitely not that kind of bastard."
"So who's gettin' married then?" Nudging into Ianto, pleased that he'd been able to goad his dad like that, Jack stood there chuckling at Jackson's expense.
"Your cousin Ashby; she's got herself hooked up with this young kid from Chicago. How the hell she met him I have no idea, but your mother's convinced we're gonna get a load of Caponie style hoods turn up to the reception and blow us all away with machine guns. Ain't that right!" Jackson called out to the unimpressed woman shaking her head at him through the kitchen window.
"They'll be doing me a favour if they take you down, Jackson Harkness." she shouted back, leaving Jack's dad opening and closing his fingers in a 'that woman never shuts up' motion.
"Come on," Jack laughed, turning Ianto on the spot, "Let's go check if we've got anythin' suitable to wear for a possible massacre."
-o- -o-
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"So up here, that's, six bedrooms; three en-suite, and two family bathrooms."
On their way up, Ianto had been given the full guided tour. He'd stood there stupefied in the huge dining and living spaces downstairs, and felt at home in the kitchen and utility, the latter of which was part of the extension to the left of the house. It was situated below Jack's bedroom and came complete with a small shower room, a loo, two, three seater sofas; had doubled as a crash pad for the boys since they were young, and was almost as big as the huge kitchen next door, itself.
So that had been the ground floor – which Jack was still insisting on calling the first floor – and just minutes ago, a quick whizz up and down both sides of the top landing on either side of the stairs, had completed the tour. Jack's mom and dad had the largest room right in the middle of the house; facing the top of the stairs, and Gray had the room above the garage; deliberately away from Jack, so that they could cause less mischief at night.
Still waiting for his tally to be acknowledged, Ianto looked away from the view through Jack's window – from the never-ending garden, the tall trees around its circumference, the smaller ones dotted about the lawn, the pool up the top end and barbeque area with enough seating for a family of eighty.
"Yeah, that sounds about right," Jack told him with a smirk, "But there's only one bedroom you need to be interested in." Leaving his bed, he slipped his arms about Ianto's waist and pulled him in tight. Lips came together with a grateful sigh from both men; the comforting kiss had been a long time coming, and was much needed.
"How long have your family lived here?" Ianto wondered, pulling away to look around Jack's large room; at the long bank of fitted wardrobes, the ornate light fitting up above, the vintage Star Wars posters on the wall; the old acoustic guitar on its stand in the far corner.
"Moved here when I was about six, I guess, somethin' like that."
Outwardly, Ianto tried to appear interested in the helping of back-history, but his mind was remembering another conversation, a conversation that'd taken place on a certain beach in Ibiza. "So, this is the home your mam dragged you back to when …"
"When I totally fucked everythin' up you mean? Yeah." Jack confirmed, looking ashamed as he turned away.
Ianto pulled him back to face front, then into a hug. "Sorry, I shouldn't have brought it up …."
"Hey, let's see if we got somethin' smart enough to go to a weddin' in." Jack bolstered, heading over to one end of his closet and pulling the door back on its runner. "If not; looks like tomorrow we're goin' clothes shoppin' with ma!"
-o- -o-
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"Well don'tchu look just the prettiest thing, honey?"
As the assistant sauntering along the women's aisle, nodded at the hat sat on Jack's head, he swiftly took it off and re-sited it on the mannequin he'd taken it from.
Already in fits of laughter, Ianto turned away and pretended to be checking out the scarf rack. "Just checkin' it out for size." he heard Jack joke behind him, then a hand grasped his arm and he was being dragged from the store.
Back out in the atrium, having been getting up to mischief all afternoon, both idiots burst out laughing.
"I told you she was looking." Ianto told Jack, who was bent over double, wiping his eyes as he continued to roar. "And that's what you get for fucking about with women's clothing." Ianto added with a finger-wag. "You're lucky she didn't catch you with the fur stole - how much did that fucking thing cost again?"
"Ah, c'mohhhhn, Yan, don't be such a lame ass - it was only a hat she caught me with – she's not gonna call the cops for that!" was protested with a tantrum threatening whine. "And what exactly is your problem anyway? You tellin' me you don't approve of men wearin' women's clothes or somethin'?"
"It depends."
Leaving Jack behind, Ianto began to walk along. Stopping, he gazed in the next shop window as it appeared.
"Okay ….. depends on what?" Jack caught up; stood shoulder to shoulder then looked to his left, eager to hear the reply. This wasn't something he'd ever discussed with Ianto - who certainly liked his men to be on the prettier, rather than ruggedly handsome side - but he'd never hinted at anything deeper.
Just as Jack was imagining that his boyfriend probably found the idea of cross-dressing distasteful, "On whether they're built like you …. or like a lumberjack." he was told with a grin. Then Ianto disappeared into the men's outfitters without another word.
-o- -o-
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Despite much protestation, dinner that evening was delivered. It turned out to be the second takeaway of the day; Jack's dad had treated them all to lunch on arrival at the mall, after which, both parents, plus son with his boyfriend in tow, had gone off in separate directions to get togged out.
Ianto had seen plenty of things in Jack's wardrobe that would've sufficed; some of the stuff from when Jack was younger would've fitted him perfectly, but Jack had found too many memories waiting behind those louvered doors, so a complete new outfit each, it had to be.
Ianto helped himself to another piece of heavy loaded, stuffed crust and nodded as Gracie continued to explain to him that, although she was strictly a Welsh lass; having been an official resident since the seventies, she was quite happy to become immersed each year in the Thanksgiving tradition.
She did have one stipulation, though … which was that the week leading up to it, she always insisted that someone else do the cooking - because she'd be doing enough to feed an army come the Thursday.
Hence, the interesting array of pizzas scattered about before them now. Jackson had been seconded to do dinner tonight, and failed to see why he should spend time in the kitchen when there was a perfectly good door to door pizza delivery available.
Leaving Ianto with a smile on his face, the fire gave a crackle and he inched closer, bringing some extra heat to his bones. He hadn't really thought it necessary; seventy degrees in November was plenty warm enough for him, but as the temperature had dipped outside, and late evening had arrived, Jack's dad had used the excuse to light the big fire in the main living room. Jack was enjoying tossing the odd log on here and there – obviously happy to relive a moment from days gone by – and the flames jumping from those logs burning down were sending a calming atmosphere flickering around the whole room.
"Where'd'ja say Gway wasssss?" Jack asked through a mouthful of anchovy and olive topped dough.
Gracie made a point of swallowing first, and gestured that next time her son might like to do the same. "He's been staying at Shauna's this week, but he'll be there at the wedding tomorrow; I know he's dying to meet you Yan – the man that tamed his big brother."
"Actually," Jackson cut in, "I think you'll find he said 'tamed his 'stupid' big brother'."
"Shorrrrrrrna?" Jack looked up inquisitively, ignoring the fact that everybody else in the room was laughing in his direction. "Who's she?"
"His latest girlfriend." His dad told him, grinning as he went in for another bite.
Jack failed to disguise his disappointment. "Girlfriend? But what happened to the pizza delivery guy?"
"Oh, that was months ago!" Gracie scoffed with a laugh.
"One feel of stubble and Gray ran a mile." Jackson delivered with a loud bark.
"Jackson! For pity's sake you old fool, how about next time, you try thinking before you decide to open your mouth – I'm sure these two lads don't need to hear you joking about things like that."
Jack and Ianto, still seated on opposite sides of the room, began to laugh at each other. "It's okay," Ianto told them, "We say much worse in jest, don't we, Jack."
"Yoosfeekforyahsllllf." was responded defiantly.
"Jack!" Across the room, Gracie sat there shaking her head at her eldest. "Will you please learn to swallow first!"
Jack swallowed, and turned to his dad. "Is that what you say when …"
"Don't even go there ….." he was warned. Then with a grin, Jackson winked at his wife and helped himself to another slice of pizza.
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"Doesn't she look lovely ….."
As Jackson sat there on the pew next to her, obediently nodding back at his wife, Gracie turned to the two men sat in the row directly behind her. "Doesn't she look lovely …." was repeated solely for their benefit.
Ianto already had a fit of the giggles going on, and he looked down at his thighs so that Jack's mom couldn't see.
"Yeah … real cute." Jack agreed, leaving Ianto wondering if he'd said it just to shut his mom up for a while.
Up front, the bride reached the prospective groom (who wasn't holding a violin case), and the small chapel's organ died an abrupt, if melodic, death.
His head bowed, Jack turned it slightly, caught his boyfriend's gaze and winked at him. Ianto rubbed the side of their legs together and winked back.
After a moment the minister began to speak - welcoming everybody along; thanking the Lord for giving them good weather today, that sort of thing, then he began to read from the small book in his right hand.
"As we join together on this fine day, to bring Ashby, and Al, that one step closer to finding perfect happiness …"
Ianto missed the rest of the sentence; Jack had lost it at 'Al'. Sitting there, elbows drawn back, miming machine gun fire, he was trying his best not to laugh out loud.
Gracie stared back over one shoulder and glared very mother to son – like, in his direction.
Ianto looked up again, determined to be respectful and pay attention to the happy couple's nuptials.
"And also …." the minister was continuing, "Let us not forget the many things that the lord Jesus has taught us ….."
Ianto nudged his and Jack's legs together again then leaned a little closer. "I didn't know that …." he whispered as quietly as he could.
"Know what?" Jack's mouth mimed silently back at him.
"That Jesus had a tortoise."
Jack snorted. It came out really loud. And everybody heard it – including the minister who cleared his throat before carrying on.
As she turned this time, Gracie's look was thunderous. Wiping the tears from his cheeks, Jack kept his head down and pretended not to notice.
Satisfied that Jack's mom was, once more, otherwise engaged, Ianto angled himself back over. "Always cry at weddings, do you, Jack?"
Nodding his head, Jack looked away; his whole body shaking as he tried to laugh without making a sound.
-o- -o-
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"You're no son of mine, Jack Harkness."
Gracie faced front and made a point of losing her scowl for the camera.
"It was Yan's fault … he started me off …."
Jack followed suit; looked up, forced the corners of his mouth as far out to the side as they would go, then looked back down again.
His mother seemed even less impressed than before. "Still blaming everybody else I see, son …"
"What?!" Jack stared down, incredulous, at her and tried to work out why he always managed to get the blame. Even when Yan had gotten himself blind drunk at Tom's get-together, it was himself, and not Ianto, that Maria had given a telling off to.
"You always did the same with Gray when you were both young …." Haughty expression in place, Gracie whipped her head around to look deliberately in the other direction.
Jack got the message – his mother wasn't at all happy with him. "But ….."
"Son, I don't want to hear another word out of you for the rest of the day, you hear?"
As his mom walked away from the group, leaving himself standing there opened mouthed; feeling something of a child, and his dad grinning at him like a fool, Jack began to stomp after her. "Jesus, ma, I'm twenty nine years old ….."
"Make that nearly thirty …." she reminded him with a quick look back.
Jack's face dropped, and as Ianto approached, having stood to one side while the family photos were being taken, the 'nearly' thirty year old, just glared at him.
Ianto covered the last few feet with his palms raised, "Don't look at me, old boy …. I didn't say a word."
-o- -o-
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"So, you're from Wales, huh?"
As a guy, the dead spit of Jackson, only older, gazed, intrigued, down at him, Ianto nodded that he'd heard correctly.
"From Cardiff … like our Gracie, that's right isn't it?" was posed in an accent very similar to Jack's.
"Yep, I grew up not far from where Jack was born." Ianto confirmed.
"And you're Jack's …. manager, right?" was asked cautiously.
Ianto had been warned that although nobody had a real problem with Jack being gay, nobody ever acknowledged the fact in public, so to the outside world, Ianto Jones was here purely to assist Jack with some career moves.
"Yes, have been since May." Ianto fibbed convincingly – even though both he and Jack's uncle knew it was a blatant lie.
"That kid brother of mine used to tell me that Wales is wet 'n' windy; no matter what! Is it still that way twenty years or so later?"
"No, it only rains on a Tuesday and a Thursday now - we've come a long way since decimalisation." Jackson's brother was a tall guy, he had at least five inches on Ianto, and as he stared down at him with one brow lifting in confusion, Ianto was beginning to wonder if teasing him had been the brightest idea to follow.
It was a couple of seconds later that Jack's uncle got the joke and began to laugh. It was an instant stream of loud gaffaws - and it was getting louder by the second.
Ianto found himself concluding that the man was definitely related to Jack.
Still laughing away, the amused man turned on the spot. "Hey, Jacko! I like this kid, he's real funny!"
Jack's dad nodded his agreement then carried on talking to another distant family member.
"Hey y'uncle Bob, d'ya mind if I cut in for a sec?"
As uncle Bob grinned, nodded, then wandered off, Ianto smiled at the cute guy now stood before him. "Oh," he exclaimed quietly as he was pulled into bone-crusher of a hug.
"You're Yan, right? Man, it's so cool to meet you at last; Jack's done nuthin' but talk about you for months."
"Gray?"
"Ooops," a hand was extended, "I guess we should do this properly, I'm already in trouble with mom and dad for turnin' up late."
"Hi, Gray, it's nice to meet you too." Ianto told Jack's brother, playing along to try and get the young man back in his parents' good books.
Jack chose this moment to reappear. He'd said he was going for a quick pee – that had been thirty long minutes ago.
"Hey squirt!" Jack stood there, arms opened wide in readiness. "Gotta hug for ya big bro?"
"Nice of you to drop by …." Gray joked before going in for a hug.
Hands slapped backs in a manly fashion. "How's the second best lookin' guy in the family doin'?" Gray was asked.
"Well as dad's top of the list, I guess that makes you third, huh?" he joked back, grappling with Jack as they began to play fight.
"Oh, god help us, the terrible twosome are back together." Commented Jackson on his way over. "Yan, I can only apologise and point out that I didn't actually give birth to either of them."
He was slapped from behind and grabbed hold of his backside with an "Ow … steady woman!"
"They're both from your loins, Jackson Harkness, and they definitely take after you." Gracie scolded him.
"Loins? Ugh!"
As Gray stood there giving an over-exaggerated shudder, Jack held one hand in the air. "Okay waaaay too much information, ma."
Deciding he could've picked a far worse family to feel at home with, Ianto stayed where he was; quite happy to stand there laughing at all four of its members.
"You've met Yan at last then?" Gracie confirmed with Gray as she was hugged by her youngest son.
Nodding he pulled out of the embrace with a smile. "I'm lovin' the accent; it's kinda cute, y'know …. how he sounds like you."
Ianto looked at Gracie. She looked straight back at him.
"Ever get the feeling you've just become part of the evening's entertainment?" she frowned.
"Care to get a drink, fellow Celt?" he wondered, extending an elbow in her direction.
"Lead on …." he was instructed, "Let's leave these barbaric Colonials to entertain themselves."
Heading over to the bar with Jack's mom on his arm, Ianto looked back with a smile. Jack nodded, clearly pleased with the situation, then went back to joking with his dad and brother.
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"You're worried - thinking about the last time, aren't you, love …." Coming up behind his wife, Jackson encircled her waist, gained a gentle hold as they stood there watching the scene outside together.
Two days had passed since the wedding from hell – but back in the Harkness household both family and house guest were still managing to bond much better than anyone could ever have expected; especially for a first-time visit.
Staring out through their kitchen window, Jackson and Gracie continued to take in the sight of their eldest son laying back in his favourite hammock with his boyfriend lying in his arms. As they rocked gently from side to side, a loving hold was being maintained; Jack with his arms around Ianto's chest – Ianto with his arms crossing over the top of Jack's - and they were talking incessantly; laughing constantly.
"They haven't even noticed it's started to rain." Jackson pointed out with a wistful sigh.
Gracie heaved a silent sigh of her own. "I can see how happy they are together, Jack … but I can't help worrying about that boy of ours."
"Doesn't have to be the same as last time …." he pointed out.
Feeling far too emotional to voice her reply, Gracie opted for a shrug then settled back fully into her husband's embrace.
"Well, I'm stood here looking at those two now," he told her, "And all I'm seeing are two young men that've fallen head over heels in love with each other."
"Oh I know, yes, they have - I can see that," Gracie agreed. "I'm just hoping that love will be enough to see them through … they've got so much stacked against them." She added.
Jackson wasn't for budging. "Jack's a grown man, my love. Yes, I know he's a sensitive soul, but we're going to have to trust him to get things right at some stage. All I know," he concluded, "Is that since meeting Yan, he's definitely changed for the better."
As the two young men out in the garden decided to share a lingering kiss, Jackson and Gracie decided it was time to give them some privacy.
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Monday evening had turned out to be a total riot. Jack's uncle Bob, the one from the wedding, and his wife Pearl had turned up out of the blue, and for the next four hours they'd revealed every embarrassing detail of Jack's childhood that they could recall – from him getting his head stuck in a broken fence when he was ten, being bitten by a pet rat he'd been trying to check the sex of, and being stalked by an obsessed girl from school when he was fifteen.
Jackson had joined in by delivering the story about his son riding a bike with no brakes down a hill; ending up in the smelly, stagnant pond at the bottom, and a tipsy Gracie had whispered to Ianto on the quiet, that she'd once walked in on her son while he was having his bottom 'kissed' – at which point Ianto had mentally added the already revealed incident by Jack himself, to the teaser's list of 'facts' rather than those that he claimed might be 'fiction' – Not that Jack had ever described the act as bottom kissing, of course.
A short while later, one ashamed and little less drunken mom had begged him not to say anything to Jack, explaining that she didn't want to cause any further embarrassment than she already had for her son. Ianto, however, suspected it might be more a case of her thinking of her own levels of humiliation, should the subject be regurgitated for a more lengthy and detailed moment of discussion; Jack, after all, hadn't been exactly reserved when revealing the fact himself all those months ago.
After their guests had left, the in-house carousing had gone on well into the wee small hours, and when they finally made it to Jack's bed, Ianto had been grateful for the opportunity to cuddle up and just nod off. Jack had had other ideas of course, but after a jibe from Gray about not making too much noise, that had left him feeling mortified, Ianto had decided there'd be absolutely no shenanigans going on at Harkness Manor, as he'd now officially decided to christen it.
Jack had seen sense in the end - well, it may have been the threat to sleep in one of the guest rooms that had done the trick – but eventually one tired Welshman had been allowed to get some shuteye. Also, on this particular night, as in the four previous, he'd been treated to a new show of Jack's sensitive side; had been made privy to how completely and utterly overwhelmed he was to have his boyfriend by his side. Each and every night since they'd arrived, he'd checked that his boyfriend was feeling okay, then had confessed the same thing over and over again – that he couldn't believe how lucky he was; that they were actually there, at his parent's house, together – and that it was a dream come true for him.
And Ianto had believed him, each and every time.
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Spooning in another mouthful of cereal, watching Jackson attempt to make pancake mix over by the stove, Ianto wondered what they'd be getting up to today. It was Tuesday, so they still had two days to kill before Thanksgiving and yet another influx of family members.
For something different to do today, Jack had hinted that they might go check out his parents' other home in nearby Redondo Beach, suggesting they could make sure the last lot of holiday makers hadn't trashed the place for them.
On hearing about this second property, Ianto had again accused Jack of having a 'loaded' family, and again Jack had denied it, saying that later on in his career, his dad had been involved with the designing of some technical gizmo for a certain aircraft, and that when he took early retirement he'd been given his share of the development fee plus a hefty bonus as well as his pension lump sum - and that was all before the monthly payments had started to come in.
Rather than leave the money sitting in the bank, it seemed that Jack's parents had decided to invest it in property. The house they'd settled on, directly opposite the beach, had since paid for itself twice over, and Jack said he'd ask if the next time the two of them came over for a visit, hopefully in the summertime, they could stay at the beach house, rather than at Harkness Manor.
-o- -o-
The man with all the big vacation ideas, was currently running late for breakfast. After only a few hours' sleep, he'd woken feeling very grumpy and had insisted that he needed to stay in bed in order to become human again.
Ianto himself had seriously considered nodding back off, but in the end had decided it would be rude not to go down for breakfast, especially when he'd been made to feel so welcome.
"You make time for breakfast back home?" The chef at the stove wondered over his shoulder; cussing loudly as the egg he was trying to crack with one hand dropped onto the tiles below.
Ianto made a point of hiding his smile. He had no intention of upsetting his host; Jackson was one of the most genuine, most welcoming, gents he'd ever met. "Most days," he told him, "Though it's rarely more than just a bowl of cereal or a couple of bits of toast."
"Jack get his own breakfast ready over in the UK, does he?" was the next question.
Ianto looked up from his spoon and just stared, rather deliberately, at his host.
"Stupid question?" Jackson guessed.
"I'm his second mother," Ianto laughed, "He'd be lost without me."
Grinning, already having guessed as much, Jackson turned back to the stove.
"Honey … Can you get that?"
As the doorbell rang again, and his wife's dulcet tones made the same request for a second time, Jackson sighed, wiped his hands on the dishtowel tucked into his apron, and made his way out to answer the door.
"Any chance you could go chase up that lazybones son of mine?" he asked over his shoulder, "I'm waiting to toss a few pancakes."
Wiping excess milk from around his mouth and leaving his spoon resting neatly in his empty bowl, Ianto left the table and followed Jack's dad from the room.
-o- -o-
"Hi, sorry 'bout this - bit of a crisis going on with mom and dad right now." a woman's voice informed Jackson as he pulled the door inward.
"Hello honey, come on in. So what's up – and where's the little fella?"
Jackson opened the door a little wider, and as a flustered, yet very attractive blonde holding a small cowboy hat, stepped over the threshold, a tiny lad dressed in a tasseled suede waistcoat and chaps, with a toy pistol in each hand, came charging in behind her.
"Peeeowww! Peeeowww! Sorry old timer, you're dead!" he squealed at Jack's dad, then took aim again, this time pretending to shoot down each of Gracie's many vases.
As he ran further into the reception area, Ianto stared, transfixed, by the little boy who seemed suddenly intent on shooting him dead instead.
"Hello, stranger. So what's your name pardner?" he demanded, finally deciding to holster both weapons. "I'm Bobby, but I got four names really – two little names – and two BIG names - Robert Jackson Donohue-Harkness!" Ianto was informed. He'd already seen the family likeness, and Jack had once mentioned having a young cousin called Bobby, so it now seemed obvious that this was who the young gaucho must be. It also seemed that Jackson, as a name, played a big part throughout the whole of the Harkness clan.
"Sorry, Gracie …" the boy's mom told the lady of the house who was walking in from the garden curious to see what all the noise was about. "… but dad's gone down with this mystery illness, and mom think's we're both gonna get it too if we make our way up there today." As she paused to wince; her mouth twisting uncertainly to one side, "I kinda promised Bobby we could come see you and Jackson instead. Hope that's alright ..." was explained.
"Grandpa Donohue's gotta bug up his nose!" everybody was informed as a small finger shot up the inside of a nostril.
"Bobby, stop picking your nose!" his mother insisted, horrified.
The index finger from the boy's free hand, was instantly wedged inside his other nostril.
"Oh, I give up!" his mother huffed, clearly having had a bad day already.
"Well it's obvious he doesn't take after his mother." Jackson noted
And this was when Ianto's life became suddenly bizarre.
Jack finally decided to make an appearance. As he began to make his way down the staircase, Jackson looked up at his son and muttered something which definitely hadn't been intended for young ears. Gracie then stared at her son and turned an unpleasant shade of white, while the young woman stood next to her followed the older woman's gaze, then closed her eyes in despair.
And the small cowboy, with his arms opening as wide as they could possibly go, shot up the stairs yelling an excited, "Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!"
-o- -o-
-o- -o-
IJ JH IJ JH IJ JH IJ JH IJ JH IJ JH IJ JH IJ JH IJ JH IJ JH IJ JH IJ JH IJ JH IJ JH IJ JH IJ JH IJ
-o- -o-
-o- -o-
tbc.
-o- -o-
A/N : Any of you out there wondering where 'Bobby' has suddenly appeared from – he was first hinted at way back in 2012 - at the end of chapter 14 of the first part of this story, and then again in chapter 39 - out in Ibiza, during an evening around the pool.
Jack's involvement with the child will be explained in the next chapter, and I hope the earlier lighthearted elements to this one, made up for the fingertip-swing of an ending. …. bwb.