34

- Jack

Things settle into a routine, Rhiannon about to go before the court and Ianto's father back in prison… Ianto seems to have got his mojo back. I hope this can continue as my kids feel the lightening of the place.

We are still at the holiday house… the country estate as the kids have named it, Mimi commenting that all we need now is a horse, with those wild eyes that makes me worry that she might have one on back order on my credit card of something.

George was here earlier with some last minute things as Ianto nods and glances at me for some support. Owen and Toshiko will come mind the kids, Gwen a good woman with her fella Rhys will be here on their day off too, Ianto feeling more confident knowing there will be some man power in the place. By that I mean Gwen and her gun LOL

I just hope he can remain calm, a panic attack would not only horrify him but would give them satisfaction. He really wants to be strong, calm and make them feel like they are not worth being upset over.

Now that I know the connection to the Jones Family on the other side of the tracks, I am digging gently. Clive is a great guy and he had helped me learn more about the family, the photograph of Ianto's mother helps spectacularly. She looks to be roughly the same age he is now, the same eyes and the same smile. Her hair is blonde like Mimi's and I see a lot of her in the little girl now. Her face is full of cheekiness and joy, the hands her chin rests on as she leans into the camera are dainty, long fingers like Ianto and I see the ring. The ring on my finger now.

I am getting it restored and blown up… the photo not the ring…. a nice large portrait for the main room. It will be a surprise for him, I know he does not have this one and probably does not even know it exists. I have arranged for Owen to put it up while we are at the courthouse so it's there to comfort him when we get back.. like… here we are… safe and proud of you. I mean… you know what I mean. I don't have a flowery mind like Ianto and I know that if I ever looked into his thoughts I would be lost in five seconds, so many programs going at once… like a maze.

But he will like this. I am sure of it. He is wearing his safe tie. The one he wears when he is not sure of himself and that pisses me off so I spill my coffee as we get in the vehicle, making him change into the only one in the glove box as we drive, making sure there was no time to go into his wardrobe… sometimes I think he will never emerge ya know.

The only tie is a red one with little black paw prints and I snigger softly as he glares at me. I know he likes this one and I know it was one his kids chose for father's day… for me. He will wear it.

We will sit and listen and wait our turn. We will hope for the bet, stay quiet and wait. They will both be put back in the jail and we can go home. Ianto will stop grinding his teeth and tapping his foot so hard I have to rest my hand on his knee so the judge does not think he is stroking out over here.

It will be fine.

Until I see his father standing there like a little old man clutching a bloody mobility walker, tearful eyes of the elderly as he pitifully cries that his daughter made him do it. She is violent, she is cruel. I want to stand and shout that she is the product of her environment… he made her…. But my hand stays on Ianto's knee.

It had been a lovely morning, a great drive full of wonderful affirmation but now as we sit here I want to shoot him. I want to rise and shoot the prick in the forehead. I have never felt this before, not in all my years of service, nothing all the work I have done with the scum of the universe in front of me have I felt this level of… righteousness.

For Ianto I would kill them all.

His hand is on my knee now.

The table turns as he steadies and stills me, helping me school my features so the killy killy die die look is gone and his father can stop staring over at me with open fear. Just a preliminary hearing, they will both be placed in holding. Good… at least they are both still in custody.

The drive home is in relative silence… as in… thinking of daddy and sissy silence. I wonder if he is also imagining a bullet in their respective foreheads too. No. No matter how cruel, he will forgive and forgive and forgive, like a good punching bag.

But then… if he did not forgive… what chance do I have?

I love this man.