3

Ianto knew he would regret it as he went back to the shelter and explained. They took him to a room full of pampered pooches sitting in their flash beds and knew he was wrong. This was not for Jack at all, was it.

He was walking out when someone brushed past him in a hurry with a sack. Ianto instinctively swung around to follow the little dripping muddy mess into the clinic where they were cutting the sack to reveal a sad little puppy that had been chucked into the river to drown. Sickeningly there were three little pups in there and the other two were dead. Sadly… their bodies had been the raft for this one who sat silent and clearly shaken.

This was the one.

A reject that refused to give in.

.

.

"Jack?"

"In here" came a faint reply and Ianto entered their bedroom to find Jack on his hands and knees, totally naked while blow drying the little sheltie with loving care.

"Oh my god… what happened?" Ianto asked as he stood there staring at his handsome mate.

"The bastards got out. Across the road into the garden area… I had no idea John had thrown fertilizer but apparently it stank good" Jack muttered.

"Wait… where are the other two?" Ianto asked softly as his eyes widened "Oh no."

Ianto walked slowly to the ensuite bathroom door and stared into his lovely bathroom covered in mud, paw prints, muddy clothes and two happy dogs in the middle of a huge bubble bath… oh… three dogs if you include John Hart who was also clearly naked. Owen was standing outside the bath scolding them like a father would small children and to Ianto's amusement (well he was amused when he recalled it later after calming down) it was John being scolded as Owen lovingly shampooed his hair for him.

"Whatcha got Eye Candy?" John asked as he looked at Ianto and the others finally noticed that he had something in his jacket.

"Something I might need to return if this is how things are" Ianto sighed "I think there are too many already."

"Oooo… oooo… ooooo" John was trying to struggle out of the water as Ianto stepped back into Jack and Jack plucked out the puppy with ease.

Jack held the little sleek creature up and they eyeballed one another.

"Someone threw him and his two littler siblings in a sack and threw them in the river" Ianto said softly "The other two... didn't make it. One was a longhaired one... the other looked to be like this one. Only a mane and tail fluff … apparently they come in all shapes and sizes. The other two had defects in their jaws… this one… well… as you can see his legs are too short. Not good for breeding or showing so… they got rid. They were both tan, he is the only one that is black with the brown eyebrows and stuff. Like a little fuzzy Doberman right?"

Jack stared at Ianto with open horror, then cuddled the pup to himself, "Poor little fluffle. Oh my god, who would …. Oh no. Did he see them dead? Does he know they … oh no."

Jack left the little sheltie sitting there waiting for her blow-dry to be finished, the others still in the stages of getting clean. He took off with the little puppy leaving Ianto to gape after him, and then slowly turn to look at the messy fuckers in his bathroom.

"Right… Owen … finish John and then get the smallest doggie out fast. She will be the one to run for the kid's beds" Ianto sighed, reaching out to seize Myfanwy's collar "Come on good girl, you are with me. Come sit next to Bonnie so I can blow you both at once."

A soft snort from the bathtub had Ianto looking back with a stink-eye to rival any others "Just say it John. Just dare you to say one fucking thing and the blow dryer will come to you next… while you are still in that tub."

John roared with mirth as he held his hands up and Ianto continued to pull at the dog that had no idea that she had been usurped in the eyes of their silly master by a new fluffer bum. Ianto let go of the collar in defeat and rose, walking over to get a towel in the hopes of coaxing her out with it.

Jack now had the puppy in the main room, sitting on the floor as he examined him. "Babe? It's a boy!"

"Oh my god… is it?" Ianto sarcastically replied and Jack roared with mirth as he lifted the pup to eye level "Awwwwww."

"Oh fuck me… is that even really a dog?" John asked as he stood there dripping on the fucking carpet, the towel Owen had run after him with no help… nor were the dogs now free to explode from the bathtub and though the house as Ianto gaped at them with horror.

"It's a … babe? What the fuck it he?"

"Chihuahua" Ianto said softly "He's a bloody fucking Mexican arsehole for my American arsehole."

"Oh my god… an infiltrator" John said with a theatrical flap of his hands.

"Yes, a lot more dangerous than Zee German one over there… or the Scotty one. Yes. The Shit-poo though… what would she be?" Owen asked John who turned to him like they were having a genuinely normal conversation "French?"

"Shih Zu are from China originally" John said softly like it was a secret "I googled it ya know. Chinese and French mix… that little fucker. Did you know... we do not have a single American dog here?"

"And yet, they are all born in America… see? Prejudiced bastard" Owen poked at him "Now kneel so I can dry that fucking hair."

"Swear Jar" Damo said as he crawled out from under the bed "Where's my doggie gone?"

Jack spun to hold out his hands and the little kitten sized puppy was gushed over. Ianto went to change the now wet bedding on the kid's respective beds. For Godsake… what was he thinking binging in a baby to this madness.

"HEY TIGER… WHAT IS HIS NAME… CAN I NAME HIM… SPEEDY GONALEZ…NO… IS THAT RACIST?. NO… MAXIMUM … NO… I WANNA CALL HIM ZEUS…. TIGER?"

"Fuck me… I need to start drinking" Ianto muttered to himself.