36
"The media have it" Toshiko said sadly, sitting by the bed Ianto was curled up in hiding from her, "Stories range from you having an affair to Jack having one and you challenging him on it. There is a range of possibilities, so far I like the one where they say you are a body double like Malcolm and he has learnt that the real Ianto was murdered at the same time as the chopper crash. They are back to saying the baby is a fake and now some think you are transgendered."
Ianto pulled the covers over his head.
.
.
.
.
"Please Owen" Jack begged, the flowers heavy in his arms as he stood on the doorstep "I have to make this right."
"Not sure you can" Owen said loudly "I think you should piss off really. Go smash something, feel better. Then you will be righteous right? You are the king after all. He's just chopped liver. Right?"
"Stop it." Jack hissed.
"Nope. Have me shot. Or is it hanging? Tell me how do you kill those accused of treason? Yeah? Ianto thinks it's beheading or something. I maybe that was the shock talking, he did say a lot of weird stuff about your mother." Owen pouted as he started to close the door in Jack's face "Later"
Jack stood for a moment, then placed the flowers on the step and turned to leave. The press were shouting at him and he was going to brush them off as per usual but then he looked back at the house and took a deep breath, instead turning to face them.
"Someone gave me a photo of two men having sex in my royal bedding. I wrongly thought it was my husband having an affair. I did not know he had given a set of our personalised bedding to one of the staff and that his boyfriend resembled Ianto in body type. The face was turned away so I could not see that it was clearly not Ianto. As the other staff member is my personal bodyguard who I know well I recognised him immediately, took it to mean the wrong thing and reacted like a total arsehole. I accused my husband of an affair, struck our oldest friend as I thought he was shtupping my husband and I startled my beloved so much that he tried to flee the room tripping on one if his infernal cats. If any of you are interested, the baby is fine. Only us that is damaged."
There were a moment of silence as they all gaped at him then a voice called out "Is he OK?"
"No. No, he's not and neither am I." Jack replied sadly "I have tried everything and do not know if he will forgive me for being a fathead. I acted abominably and he is afraid. My love. Afraid. And it's my fault…"
Jack stopped talking as a sob tore at him, and he reached out to scrub his face, not caring now. His mother had won. Her last hurrah and it had been a doozy.
Jack fled with slumped shoulders, totally bereft as he saw his failing in Ianto's light.
Unforgivable.
.
.
.
.
Ianto had watched it on live TV, had sobbed softly at the pain in Jack's face and had wanted to go out to comfort him. Knew he couldn't, shouldn't. Maybe Jack needed this moment, he needed to think about what had happened.
"You gonna race out there with your gown flapping?" Owen asked.
"No. No I … no. Even if you did let me out of the bed I know I am not ready to forgive him yet. I don't know … my head hurts" Ianto turned away from the TV and Owen turned it off.
"I could sing to you but that would be just as terrifying for all of us" Owen offered and Ianto felt a wan smile forming as he looked back at his friend.
"Thank you Owen. This is … horrible."
"I know. Do you have any plans at all?" Own asked as he settled back to watch Ianto pluck at the bedding with shaky hands. Too frail.
"I want this baby. I want something to love, that loves me. I don't know. Quiet. I want quiet. Can I flee the country? Do you think he would let me go or have me arrested at the airport?" Ianto frowned and Owen felt alarm in the question.
He glanced at Toshiko who looked as shocked as he was.
"What about our lake house?" she offered as she tried to think fast "No one knows we own it. Wanna hide you away out there, quiet, secluded and just nature all around. Yeah?"
Ianto sighed, nodding as he decided he missed his fluffs, missed his nice chair and missed the arms of the man he loved… loved still.
What a mess.