52

Jack gaped at Ianto as he hung up his coat.

"Five hundred dollars?" Jack spluttered, "You just gave the homeless man in your shed five hundred dollars?"

Ianto turned to face him with a frown, "I thought I said that quite clearly."

"Christ on a crutch!" Jack sighed, "What next. Gonna fling it out the window as you drive around Cardiff?"

Ianto straightened his back as he watched Jack fling his arms about and felt a spike of anger.

This was his money, his and Lisa's old money, his decision.

"I might use the next five hundred to get a tattoo!" he finally said, watching as Jack froze, then turned with a look of horror.

"I loved me Mam, maybe a love heart with her name" Ianto walked towards the kitchen trying to pretend he didn't know how horrified his husband had become.

"What about another Welsh Dragon?" he called out as he got to the doorway, "A whole family of them!"

Jack finally twigged and stormed after him, "Very fucking funny, I just don't think that was the best way to help him. What if he's an addict, you might have just killed him!"

Ianto slammed the kettle down, steaming already.

"How bloody stupid can you be" Jack raged, not noticing Connor's look of surprise from the table as Em removed Ton from the room, "You can't just waste our money like that!"

Ianto now looked out the window as he seethed, "Our money."

They had always agreed that Lisa's insurance money was separate, to be used for fancies.

Ianto's happy money.

"What if he follows you home, what if …."

"Well I know he didn't" Ianto swung to face Jack, "I checked my rear view mirror like you taught me, in case of a tail and I can assure you, he didn't run down the road after me!"

Connor snorted and rose, deciding to flee as Jack swung to glare at him.

"Don't be so bloody pedantic!" Jack huffed.

"Well don't be so bloody chauvinistic!" Ianto snapped back, "Upset because I spent money that won't even be missed on something I wanted when you buy shit all the time! Like I purchased a new purse from housekeeping!"

"Oh! Shit is it? You won't want your birthday present then" Jack stomped from the room and Ianto slumped.

Jack was almost to their bedroom when he stopped and cursed, turned and headed back.

"Ianto, I'm sorry. That was childish" Jack started as Ianto looked up from the dishes. "I went straight to arsehole, didn't I."

"It's OK" Ianto said sadly, "You're right. Silly to spend money on someone we don't know. I just … it was Lisa's money and she would have given it."

"Of course she would have" Jack sighed, trying not to roll his eyes as Mama Lisa's halo shone.

Ianto turned back to the dishes and Jack considered some more, then wandered to the main room, finding Connor in there watching TV.

"Hey." Jack flopped down.

"You two OK?" Connor asked without any preamble, "That was a bit … shouty."

"Yeah, that's how we used to communicate, I always wound up hurting his feelings and feeling like a shit, then doing something worse" Jack sighed, "Counseling saved us. Well, that and the boys."

"We talked about it" Connor nodded, "after the breakdown, Em and I agreed we needed it. No explanations needed brother."

Jack smiled as he patted Connor's leg and they settled to watch TV.

John's screams from the backyard where he was tied to the tree by Captain Babbity Bum wafted faintly around the room and both men grunted and agreed to ignore it.

Best not to take in Captain Babs in full flight.