25

Ianto and Tosh were out back in the area where the herb gardens would be.

"We could set it on a raised bed, revolving so in winter it could be inside the glass, summer, it could sit outside and we would have the area it sat in as a nice place for seedlings to germinate" Tosh was talking as she walked along the spray paint mark on the ground.

"Yeah, nice long term plan but we need something now" Ianto pointed to the old bath that leaned against the house, "If we plant a garden in there now, we can build it into the revolving garden later."

The children might love strawberries" Tosh smiled.

"Winter veg, some lettuces, maybe even flowers for colour?" Ianto suggested and she grinned as she agreed.

Agreed, they started talking plants.

Inside, Jack and Owen were going over the plans that had been drawn up as Owen pointed out his desire for a small clinic area in case of triage.

"You know you sound like a prat" Jack snorted, "In case of triage, I need my blue gloves"

"Stuff off!" Owen huffed, "I want my own clinic area!"

"If someone is badly hurt, how do we get them up the stairs Doctor Know-it-All?" Jack asked with a sneer, tired of Owen trying to assert himself now they were no longer living in a hierarchy.

"You know what? I'm sick of this, it's gonna be our space, Ianto bloody said so, so I want it my way!" Owen snarled, "You don't get to be the boss of my own home!"

"Really!" Jack narrowed his eyes as he saw the mutiny in Owen's.

"Really." Owen cocked his head, "After all, you didn't do so well in your home, did you!"

"What do you mean?" Jack frowned, realising Owen was playing when he grinned.

"Well. Last time you were all "Dad's Rules" t-boy had a robot in the basement that almost killed us!" Owen pointed out.

"Ah, come on Owen, in all fairness, you didn't know either and you had daily jaunts down there to the incinerator, right past that door!" Jack grinned as Owen folded his arms. "Besides, she was only half 'robot' as you put it!"

"Touché, but I wasn't bumping uglies with him!" Owen smiled softly, "Didn't you smell the WD-40? All that machine oil must have made his hands soooooo smooth!"

"Oi!" Jack laughed as he pushed at Owen, "Cut it out. He actually always smells nice, I think she might have self lubricated."

Jack heard his words as they came out and groaned as he gave Owen ammunition.

"Yeah? Good Robot Wifey!" Owen giggled. "Spit or swallow? Or did she make him self-lube too?"

"Stop it, he's just outside, he might hear us!" Jack suddenly looked around with shame.

"Come on, you just think he'll remember she was the last lay he enjoyed, we might need to get him a blow up doll or something with all the hormonal grumping lately" Owen giggled and Jack shoved him again.

"Cut it out, you know he's just not sleeping" Jack wanted to defend his mate now.

"Well, he is sleeping next to you, at least you have a big mouth!" Owen was harsh, "Just lay back and … take it?"

"Stop it!"

Ianto was bending over the bath as Tosh estimated the soil needed to fill it when he suddenly stood up and looked through the back window at the two men inside, visble through the hallway doors which were open.

"Ianto" Tosh looked up with surprise as he dropped the bath and started to move away.

"Ianto?" she called but he kept moving.

Owen was on a roll and Jack was torn between laughter and indignation.

"John had sex with a robot once" Jack suddenly said and Owen stopped with a raised eyebrow.

"Could get him one? What about those real dolls? We could get a black one with a suit of armour?" Owen snorted and he then looked over Jack's shoulder.

"Oh come on, any idea what the postage would be on that?" Jack was still looking at the plans and didn't see Owen start to pale. "John said it was … stimulating. Like sticking your finger in a light socket, then sneezing."

Jack looked up when Owen didn't answer and turned to see why he was staring.

Ianto stood in the doorway of the room, a hand gripping the door handle so hard that it was slowly compacting and crushing, going from a brass ball to a crumpled mess.

Ianto stepped away and took a deep breath, then turned.

"Ianto" Owen called out, "Wait!"

Ianto was never one to wait for anything, let alone an apology he didn't want to hear.

Owen groaned and rubbed his face as Jack rose from the chair, his stomach still in his boots.

What the hell had they just done?

He had just heard everything.