4

Ianto could not wait to show her off so he drove to the lot and parked in his personal space, letting the dog follow him into the madness of a movie set. As he had thought, she ignored anyone she saw as boring and eyeballed anyone she saw getting too close to Ianto. She had bonded with him immediately, perhaps sensing his sweet heart.

Walt was leaning back against a building talking to another man who was smoking nervously when he saw his father approaching along the movie set's street. He straightened up "holy shit."

Everyone stopped to watch Ianto walk with the grace of a gentleman, the cane in his left hand swinging with each step as the huge dog that was almost waist height kept an easy pace with him, her eyes full of intelligence as she constantly swing her head to protect and serve.

"Now that is a dog!" someone said softly behind Walter "Christ… if I saw that coming at me in the dark I would crap myself."

Walter was not listening, stepping forward to pat his thigh in the way he had been taught as a child and the dog responded with a bob of her head in greeting, waiting until Ianto stopped walking to move to greet Walter.

"She's gorgeous" the smoking man said "where did you get her?"

"The local Heddlu Dog Squad. Retired out, see the shoulder damage?" Ianto pointed to the dog's mangled shoulder "she has a slight limp, like me. Guess her name Walty Bum."

Walter was unable to answer, his hands stoking her face as he saw the familiar bone structure of a hero.

"Mi' Lady" Ianto supplied.

Walter snorted, then rose and gave a command, pleased to see her glance as Ianto who nodded and then she complied by taking off and running the length of the street then stopping at a soft whistle from Ianto, swinging to face them. Ianto gave a hand signal and she let her front end crouch, her arse still up in a terrifying parody of a dog about to attack.

Then Ianto gently touched his leg.

She ran like a hell hound.

"Wow" Walter sighed as she came to Ianto's side and stopped, breathing a little heavily as she revelled in the work. "Taddy… you got another Precious."

"Yes, and Mi' Lady is going to …." Ianto stopped talking as Jack appeared around a building and Jill saw the new dog, a loud woof as she lumbered over to inspect the dog. Everyone watched as Ianto reached down and unclipped the harness, letting it fall to the ground thereby releasing Mi' Lady from her duty.

She immediately started to bounce, shooing a playful side as she and Jill rampaged around the people watching.

Jack watched Ianto's face and knew he owed Connor a hug for this thoughtful act in giving Ianto back a little of his younger days. He looked so … alive again.