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Ianto was walking into the big house when he found Poppy's desk sitting in the front porch, pushed out of the office.
"What's this out here for?" Ianto asked as he walked in to find Sean and Liam moving more furniture out.
"Gonna paint this and turn it into a sunroom" Sean said as he turned to look at his brother.
"But… but … it's Poppy's office" Ianto spluttered, "He always sat at the desk watching over the children playing out there in the garden!"
"Poppy isn't here anymore, I am now" Sean said firmly, "This is my home and we need space. The kids need somewhere to play when it's too cold out there!"
"That's what Stronghold is for" Ianto replied, bristling straight back as his brother pushed his hormonal buttons.
"Look little brother, things change. Nainny said it was OK, she didn't mind. It's not your place to say otherwise, OK?" Sean pronounced each word, "I didn't see you and Jack moving in here to care for her."
"Care for her…care for….what? She's not infirm!" Ianto was not drawing back with obvious anger as he regarded his brother, "you told me you were helping Mimi and her young man with the kids. Now you are tending to the poor old lady?"
"Look, I know you are preggers and have a heightened need to protect but everything is fine here little brother. You go do your wolfy thing all you want while I keep things under control here" Sean said in a sing-song voice as he taunted his brother. He expected a comeback, that snappy sarcasm he knew so well so the look of hurt crossing Ianto's face as he turned away was both unsexpected and a surprise.
"Ianto?" he called after the retreating figure but Ianto was gone like the wind.
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Jack knocked and Sean steeled himself for a right bollocking.
"Hi, Ianto said something about some of the old furniture being moved about? We have room for it over in our house, he even wants some in Shangri-La though I have no idea how we will get it there" Jack said with that usual happy grin that had Sean even more worried.
"Um, all this" Sean pointed and Jack turned to look with his face showing surprise.
"Poppy's desk? Really?"
"Um, we are changing things about a bit" Sean nodded as he saw Kev approaching with Vic and Art.
"Hey, what's up? Ianto seemed to have a bug up his butt the size of the tank" Kev said amicably, "Said we needed to move stuff for him?"
"Yeah" Jack shrugged, then he turned to speak to Sean and caught the look of discomfort. He was about to ask why when all hell broke loose inside.
They entered to find Nainny in full explosion, her arms flapping as she screamed at her grandson's wife, "What makes you think you have the right to change anything? We've lived here for… his things are mine and… how dare you!"
"Hey, Anna take a breath" Jack tried to soothe and she swung to him, her eyes flicking from person to person then settling on Sean.
"This is what you and Ianto argued about isn't it. This is why he's upset. He knew this would upset me. My husband is dead, not his memory!" she spat, "How dare you."
"Nainny, we told you we were going to convert a front room" Sean spluttered.
"A front room. Not the office" her voice was calm, super calm and Jack saw where Ianto had got that scary ability from to sound like he was discussing the weather while letting you know a body part might be removed.
"Right, what do you want Anna" Jack said calmly and she slumped.
"I want him" she sniffled, then turned to leave, "I guess soon I will be with him again, right? What does it matter now. Go on Sean, do as you like. You always were a cold shit."
She left and he stood staring into space for a while, then sighed "I guess I have to put it all back now."
"Too late, you've ruffled her feathers and his fur. It's done. Come on boys, the furniture outside is to go to Shangri-La, Ianto wants it all. He would rather have Ifan as well" Jack motioned and they went to get a transporter for the move as Sean looked over at his wife, Clara's face showing her own distress.
"You said she was OK with it" she hissed.
"I thought she was" he replied.
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Ianto sat on the seat for a long time as he watched the small creatures play, the warmth of the sun unfelt. He knew Jack would be looking, didn't understand about this place of the in-between time.
His Grandfather never came to sit beside him.
Ianto felt so alone.
