Jack ran towards him and fell to his knees
"Yan baby I'm so sorry, I promise I'll never ever say anything again, just don't ever leave me I love you so much"
"I'm sorry too Jack" he said with tears in his eyes. Jack kissed them away and pulled Ianto to his feet. It was then he noticed the glazed look in his eyes
"Yan are you alright?" he asked
"Woods, don't like them, cannibals were coming," he said and slumped into Jack, he caught him with his good arm and lowered him to the floor. His eyes were completely glazed, Jack recognised the signs. Psychic Shock. He was so scared and traumatised by what had happened in the Welsh countryside, when he realised he was lost again in woods it all piled onto him, his brain started to shut down. Jack reached into his mind
"Come on Yan stay with me"
"Tired, want to sleep" came the answer so clearly in Jacks mind but distant
"No Yan don't leave me, come back to me"
"Just let me sleep"
"YAN NO, anchor to me, you need to stay focused you need to come back to me"
"Too dangerous, can't anchor can never anchor Cariad" said the voice so distant Jack was having a problem hearing him
"IANTO" he screamed
"Jack too tired, I just want to sleep, let me sleep," he said
"Yan, please anchor your mind you need to clear your mind before it kills you"
"But, its forever"
"We are forever Yan, I love you please Yan I love you, we are forever Yan I promise"
Jack felt his mind reach out and touch his, the calming presence of Jacks mind in his started to calm Ianto down. Gradually he started to pull himself back from the dark place he hid. He pulled back to the one thing that was constant and always there. Jack.
Jack sat on the floor hugging Ianto to him; he could feel the life coming back to his mind. He was going to be alright.
"Jack, is he alright?" asked Andrew putting a hand on Jacks shoulder
"He will be, we need to get him back to the guesthouse"
"Step back Jack, I'll carry him," said Michael
"No I can manage," said Jack stubbornly
"How, you've only got one arm you can use Jack, let me carry him for you"
"I can walk," said Ianto suddenly
"Yan" sighed Jack and kissed him
"Help me walk Jack," he said again
"Alright" Jack stood up and with Michaels help they got Ianto to his feet. Jack put his arm round his waist and Ianto put his arm round Jacks shoulder. Michael came up and took Iantos weight from the other side and slowly they made their way back through the woods to the guesthouse.
Aggie was waiting as they reached the guesthouse with a very cold and exhausted Ianto. She bustled them upstairs to their room and started bossing everyone round.
"Jack get him in some dry clothes" she turned to Andrew and Michael
"You two with me in the kitchen" she said and bustled them out the room
Jack slowly sat Ianto on their bed and undressed him. Neither of them slept in any clothes, he stripped him down to his underwear and helped him into a t-shirt and into bed. Ianto didn't argue, he was exhausted.
Aggie was in the kitchen furiously boiling kettles; she pulled out 2 hot water bottles and filled them up
"Right I'll take these upstairs, you two make a nice strong coffee for Jack and an earl grey for Ianto and bring them up, poor man must be freezing getting lost in them woods" and with that she was gone
Jack sat next to Ianto on the bed and pulled him to him, he could still feel Iantos connection with him. He was still traumatised but slowly coming back to him. Suddenly there was only one thing he wanted to say
"Yan, remember in the woods when I said we were forever"
"I remember, don't worry Jack I know you only said it to bring me back I won't hold you to it" said Ianto sadly
"That's just it Yan, I want you to. We are forever, I don't ever want to leave without you" said Jack planting tiny kisses along Iantos jaw
"What are you saying Jack?" he whispered
"Ianto Jones, will you marry me?" he said
Ianto pulled away from him and looked him in the eyes.
"You're not messing around are you Jack?"
"No, I'm serious Marry me Yan, please"
Ianto threw himself into Jacks arms
"Is that a yes?" asked Jack
"Yes I'll marry you Jack," he mumbled into Jacks shoulder
Jack tenderly pulled his face to look at him; Ianto had tears in his eyes
"No need to cry Yan, I love you and I always will" he said and kissed him
"I nearly lost you again today Yan, that's never going to happen again"
Ianto was about to say something when there was a knock on the door
"Come in" he said instead
The door opened and in came Aggie carrying the water bottles.
"Right you, undressed and in bed with him. These will get you both warm, the boys will up in a minute with a hot drink"
Jack looked at the formidable woman standing in front of him and knew immediately she was not a woman to be argued with
He obediently got up from the bed and took off his greatcoat, she took it from him and turned round
"Hurry up, I won't turn round til you're in bed" she said
Jack stripped as quickly as he could and slipped under the duvet with Ianto.
"Alright you can turn round now Aggie," he said
Aggie walked over to the bed and placed the two hot water bottles under the duvet at the bottom.
A couple of minutes later Michael and Andrew arrived with hot drinks. Finally satisfied they were all right, Aggie left Jack and Ianto alone and ushered her nephew and his partner from the room.
"Thanks Andrew" said Jack as he reached the door
"You're welcome, we'll talk tomorrow" said Andrew and closed the door.