17

Ianto opened the gate to his front yard and stopped to check the letter box like he was in no big hurry, standing to flick through the envelopes as he watched or signs of life, the shadow across the front window that was only monetary letting him see Jack.

With renewed vigour he walked up the path to the front door and opened it, calling out loudly "ONLY ME JENNY!"

He then stepped inside to find Jack waiting, the smash of lips a surprise but not totally unwanted as they kissed for a moment and Ianto finally pushed him away panting. "Nutter."

"Sorry. Can't help it. I missed you" Jack made a face and then he grinned, stepping back into the hallway and backing down it so he could not be seen from the windows while Ianto now made a show of undoing his coat and talking to 'Jenny' about the chaos on the other street whirr her house was still burning like she was with him in the room.

"No sign of the cats either, Jack is still looking but I think maybe we need to…."

The bathroom door burst in, shattering wood, glass and seemingly the sound barrier as the man roared. He entered with his weapon already drawn and Jack rushed him, taking him outside the house as Ianto ducked behind a hallway cabinet, his heart pounding.

Then he rushed outside where Jack and the man were wresting, calling Jack's name as he tried to find a way to intercede on his behalf but the men were too busy struggling with one another to even register another man in the mix.

Ianto picked up a flower pot, bringing it down on the man's head with open malice, then stepped back as a foot lashed out at him, the man seemingly unfazed by the pain. Shit. Drugs? Or just insane?

Ianto turned as a car pulled up and men poured out. Jack had made the call, his friends were here but they were a moment or tow too late as a gun barked and Ianto spun to watch Jack wrestle with the man the flower garden, the gun in both their hands.

Ianto fell to the ground as the men flowed past him to enter the struggle, now five men on the ground as another crouched by Ianto and asked the stupidest question Ianto had ever heard "Are you OK?"

Ianto lay there looking up and him and replied calmly "Sure. Just lying here watching the clouds with a hole in my Body. Are you fucking stupid?"

The man looked down at Ianto's hip where blood was blossoming across his shirt and showed shock, rising to call for medical help as they finally the Tall Man contained and Jack took great delight in throwing a punch that stopped him completely.

Jack lined up for another when the one by Ianto called out "Medics on the way."

Jack froze, turning to see Ianto and the man clutching at Ianto's side as blood seeped between their fingers then he remembered the gunshot.

"No … oh god… Ianto!" jack forgot all about killing the Tall Man, leaving him to the others as he slipped in the wet grass and he crawled over to Ianto, placing his own hands into the press "Ianto."

"I don't think it's bad… I always bleed like a stuck pig" Ianto said, his eyes slightly glassy with shock as they met Jack's "It's OK. I feel OK. I don't think I am about to die on my front lawn Cariad."

Jack leaned over and kissed him, willing him to be OK. Wishing there was some way he old give his own life-force to him to help strengthen and heal him. "Ianto… I love you. Do you understand me? You have to be OK because I love you and your son is not the only one who needs you here."

"Don't be sappy. That's terrible Next thing you will be pulling out a ring and saying our engagement thing was interrupted… proposal. That's the word" Ianto was a little loopy now with the shock and adrenalin as he giggled at jack and Jack grinned back, taking another kiss.

"If this were a engagement thing… would you be saying yes?"

"Well… it would have to be the right sort of engagement thing. Music, food… alcohol. I always wanted alcohol" Ianto slurred, giggling some more as pain meds kicked in, then grimacing "Fuck man. Don't push so hard my kidney might poop out me arse!"

Jack laughed as Ianto scolded the poor man trying to help and then Jack assured the medic "Ianto is made of strong stuff. He will be OK. He said so. Tell me Tiger... what kind of food?"

"Anything chocolate." Ianto sighed dreamily as the Ambulance officer leaned over to administer some more of those wonderful drugs that took that bite in his hip right away.

"And a ring?"

"Don't be daft. Do I look like a bloody girl's blouse? Nah. Nah… a watch! Engraved, gotta get it right though. That could make or break it, that!" Ianto said with a waggle of his finger and Jack took another kiss as they got the gurney to load Ianto up.

"Got it" Jack whispered as he stroked his lover's face "I got it. And I got you."

"Jack… you sure did." Ianto sighed "you fucking shot me!"

Jack could only follow him meekly to the ambulance as it was a fair call.

It had been his gun after all.