47
Martha sat on the edge of the bed as she watched the poor Welshman hurl into the bowl Jack was holding, both men a picture of misery.
"Look, this is not working" she sighed, "We have to start looking at the end game. We want both Ianto and your little fella safe and well. We need to start alternate means of nurturing."
"Wow, you practice that?" Ianto asked softly and she grinned as she showed him her middle finger, gaining a soft huff of laughter.
"I would like to put a shunt in, here in your chest" she reached out to tap the hollow under his shoulder, "Like a cancer patient has for repeated chemos. I can then insert a drip at a certain time each evening, a quiet time for you, Jack and bubs to cuddle while I make sure the extras are going in."
Jack looked at Ianto as he spoke, "It has to be Ianto's decision, I am all for it but if he isn't we need an alternative. I will not force him into anything."
Ianto smiled as he accepted Jack's hand in his own, "It's OK. I am all for it."
"The other thing, I think you need to get some sun" she decided to go for broke, "I think an hour or so outside each afternoon with the sun's natural light and vitamin D."
Ianto snorted but Jack knew where she was going and leaned closer to Ianto, "The garden. You wanted a nice garden area by the graves so you could share some time with Tosh and the others. Why not a nice tiled area, surrounded by sweet smelling plants? A nice table and chairs, in the summer maybe we can all eat el fresco?"
"I'll burn" Ianto frowned, "We would need something like a pergola or awning so I get the light but not the burn, also my son will probably have my pale skin too."
"Agreed" Jack grinned.
"Also, I don't want tiles. They are so cold and so easy to drop something and break it. I want those little pebbles, like … er …" he frowned as he realised he was designing it and sighed, "OK. A table, some chairs, all of us having a time to connect, maybe even an old sofa or something where I can read, or a hammock .. or … some …. What about in the evening? We will need lights?"
Jack laughed as Ianto perked up and started becoming animated, his excitement evident and Jack took his face in his hands, crooning as he kissed him an soothed.
"Anything you want" Jack whispered, "My job is to get it, create it, yours is to enjoy it. OK?"
"Deal!" Ianto grinned.
"Um, I might have gotten a bit ahead of you there" Mickey grinned from the doorway, "Rhys and Andy helped."
Ianto rose and dressed, following him out to find the pathway now defined with fake grass in a pale greyish brown, edged with lavender yet to flower and small garden lights. He walked to where the old table from the first level basement had been placed, along with some mismatched wooden chairs and he grinned.
"This will do for now, right?" Rhys demanded, "Andy can run his wheels on this and come join you, we can build a round rotunda here or a pagoda, you know, whatever and build the garden but you can already have some time out here now, especially with the first of the dogs coming. They need to know this is your spot."
"Yes" Ianto nodded, "You are right, they need to know this is here to find me at a certain time of the day. If we are attacked they must know my routine so they know where I am. I have to be stricter with myself there."
"Three were Special Ops Tactical Squad" Andy said, "The other two are rescue dogs. I'm hoping that the trained ones will guide the untrained. In time we can add more, some smaller breeds to make it appear more of a rescue, less of an attack force."
"Anwen wants a cat too" Rhys huffed, "I think it may end up in the house but we will have to see what the response will be if and when I let her get one."
Ianto looked at the wonderful place they had created, knowing it was not just Andy who would appreciate the even ground soon, his own steps going to falter with the extra weight.
"A round Rotunda" he suddenly said, swinging to look at them, "I like that. Like a wee summer house."
"We can sit that back under the trees there, have this spot for twilight fun." Jack suggested, "We can do anything babe Look at all this room, we can put a sandbox over here, swing set."
"That sounds nice but the animals will crap in it" Andy said without thinking and gasped as he looked at Ianto, thinking he would be angry but Ianto was laughing.
"Jeez Lousie, you beat him to it!" Jack laughed, "Ianto will never allow a simple pit. We have to come up with something covered before he will sign off, nothing like a turd in your child's hand to ruin your afternoon cuppa!"
Everyone laughed as Ianto nodded and then he pulled out a chair and settled at the table, "Well? What are you feeding me then?"
Everyone rushed to oblige as Andy wheeled his chair closer and Anwen scrambled into his lap.
"How are you really?" he asked as he cuddled the little girl that was fast becoming his second favourite person in the whole world.
"Tired" Ianto admitted, "This leach is sucking me dry, I know I have to endure but it's just so damned tiring."
"Well, this is a step in the right direction" Andy smiled, "Look around. How can you not feel galvanised sitting here amongst this?"
Ianto sighed as he leaned back and let his face lift to the sun bleeding through the leaves of the overhanging limbs.
Andy was right.
It was paradise.