Title: The Life and Times of Ianto Jones as Witnessed by a Distinguished Feline (3/12)
Pairing: Jack/Ianto main, but there's a whole lot of everything in the mix.
Rating: PG-13-R
Summary: Moses had a good life. In fact, he was inclined to believe he had an exceptionally good life. And then he lost Estelle. Now he has Ianto, and he thinks maybe it was always meant to be. Witness the life and loves of Ianto Jones through the eyes of one extremely observant feline.
Disclaimer: RTD and BBC owns them...I cry a little on the inside typing those words.
Warnings/Spoilers: Oh...just about everything. Also, there is minor bashing...but it hardly counts, it's from a cat ^_^.
Authors notes: A different look into everyone's favorite Tea-boy, through a distinctly different pair of eyes. Reviews are adored and cherished and I would love to hear what everyone thinks! This part is a bit shorter than the previous two but I promise there is a good reason for it! Enjoy!

**

Part Three: Continued Observation, Findings Suggest the Foolishness of Humans

Now, contrary to most belief, his Ianto did not spend all waking moments at the 'Hub' if he could help it, and he took days off…albeit, Moses was first to admit that those days were few and far between. Nonetheless, they happened. Like one was happening right now, his Ianto flipping through a yellow-paged book and talking on the phone in the middle of the day, dressed in a simple outfit (Moses had since determined what was 'fancy' and what was not…it made a huge difference when it came to kneading or shedding). Now, Moses did not necessarily know what he was talking about, he hardly concerned himself with the worries of humans, even when it came from his Ianto, but he could hazard a guess…and he was not pleased. He narrowed his green eyes on the small, uncomfortable traveling cage resting in the middle of the flat, ominous and dreadful in a way only felines could comprehend. There were only two reasons why this box-of-doom was ever taken down: one, he was being taken on a trip, (which Moses doubted, his Ianto had already had plenty of people over to his flat, he apparently did not need to travel to see others) or he was being forced to see the VET.

Moses inwardly shuddered at the thought, but not enough that his discomfort and unease would be noticed by his Ianto (a cat had to show his calm composure at all times, even when faced with certain doom). He honestly did not think this was necessary, he felt fine, his temperature was normal, and his coat was as soft and shiny as ever…no need for the highly uncomfortable procedure of having the cold stick shoved up his…well, just shoved in a personal space of his. Moses frowned and growled deep in his chest, unable to hide his displeasure at such a thought, and he was apparently loud enough to catch his Ianto's attention, who merely smiled at him in an amused sort of way. Moses did not approve and flicked his tail in annoyance, turning his head up and to the side, effectively getting across his point.

Moses slinked off, crawling under the bed and skulking (certainly not hiding, thank you) up against the wall, wondering what he could have possibly done in a past life (or the current one, he wasn't picky) to have warranted this punishment. He knew, logically, that visits to the VET were helpful in the long run of things; the foul tasting medicine and needles that were associated with these visits could help him live longer or healthier, but that didn't mean he had to like it. His Estelle had hardly ever taken him, only once or twice early in his life with her, when he had been just a kitten really, and he had stayed healthy since then, hadn't he? Then again, his Estelle did not have the strange life that his Ianto had (flying monsters aside)…that probably made a huge difference in the viewing the necessity for VET visits. And, he had done some admittedly silly things during his 'dark weeks' (licking that green liquid off had not been his best decision…and he did slightly worry about that) so maybe this was a necessary evil. After all, he needed to be around and healthy to implement his genius plan—no one else would know how to do it properly.

But that didn't mean that Moses had to be happy about the visit, so he stayed under the bed. He was going to make this as uncomfortable for his Ianto as it was undoubtedly going to be for him (felines were not above being vindictive, even to their loved ones). He could understand, yes, but cooperate? Now that was asking too much.

Moses stayed underneath the bed for a good amount of time (enough that he began to question whether he did have to fear a VET visit…but his Ianto was clever so it'd be best to be wary regardless), a sleepy haze settling over his consciousness, making it hard to keep his eyes open past half mast. It had been some time since the night full of tears from the little Human (and the impromptu midnight visit from the Stomper, which Moses thought was odd, even for being pseudo-nocturnal), but things had seemed to calm down some at the 'Torchwood,' the catalyst Moses had decided was the cause for all the problems. The little Tosh had visited more, her mood gradually improving each time until one could never tell she had cried for so long and hard for someone Moses had since learned was called 'Mary.' And she was wonderfully pleasant and quite clever in her own right—Moses decided if he hadn't already committed to his plan between his Ianto and the Stomper he would have attempted one between the very lovely Tosh and his Ianto. But, alas, she seemed much too preoccupied and Moses had already committed himself to his aforementioned plan. Hindsight; Tosh did not smell strange like the Stomper which was definite plus…but at least the Stomper petted nicely (he could be redeemed in the big scheme of things for that alone, smell aside).

A pattern had been established between his Ianto and the little Tosh, varying between days and activities of course, but the basic reason for each visit remained the same. While Moses was an excellent listener (in fact he'd go so far as to say he was exceptional, even when measuring against other felines), he could not offer the advice and comfort verbally, not in a way that his Ianto seemed to need. Tosh could though, and while Moses had been able to discern through his stealthy observings that Tosh had been a part of what made his Ianto so sad at times, they were kindred spirits. Anyone who took a moment to look could see that indisputable fact and they talked and talked, airing out demons in a way Moses could not. But, he didn't mind that he couldn't (he was a cat, not a god…he couldn't be expected to do everything), and he was there offering his comfort for them both when they were ready for him, with purring and meowing and general adorable qualities that would make hardened criminals grin.

Now, Moses was happy to report, his Ianto, though still harboring sadness (but that was completely reasonably, Moses thought, because he still felt sadness over his Estelle) about his Lisa and the horrible events surrounding her, smiled much more often, real smiles that lit up his face. Moses was the first to admit his Ianto was an attractive Human (true he had no idea the about the precise color of his eyes or hair or something trivial as that but that didn't mean Moses was blind either) but when he smiled…he wasn't going to be trite and say it was magical but it was definitely something. Moses had to remind himself to do something nice for Tosh (he didn't have access to much but even he could hunt out a mouse and offer it up to the small Human as thanks); she had helped Moses' plan without knowing, which was really the best possible circumstances he could have asked for. Moses didn't want anyone (even a Human as nice as Tosh) catching on to his plan…from his experience, plans of this nature worked less effectively the more people (or felines, but mainly Humans) tried to take part in it.

Moses' eyes snapped open when he heard a shuffle of feet head across from the main napping room of the flat, making their way unwaveringly towards him, and curled his feet under his chest, 'loafing' as his Ianto called it. He stayed still, watching the feet and their shadows when suddenly instead of feet, he was staring at his Ianto, his eyebrows arched as he stared at Moses, lying comfortably on his stomach.

"You're predictable, Moses, always with under the bed." Moses narrowed his eyes in annoyance at the smile crinkling his Ianto's face and eyes, torn between happiness that he was smiling so wonderfully and offence at being the one laughed at. He opted for indifference (the always happy medium for cats) and tilted his head down, closing his eyes, giving the appearance of sleepiness. He heard his Ianto huff a sigh that was more amused than anything but only twitched his ears in response, making it clear that he was not going to make this easy for Ianto, ensuring a highly uncomfortable upcoming fifteen minutes.

"Fine, have it your way, but you're going to the Vet." Moses tucked his back feet under his rump and curled his tail around his now supremely compact body.

As promised, the next fifteen minutes were not pleasant, for both Ianto and Moses, but eventually, his Ianto won out, closing the cage door with a quickness that impressed even Moses (he belatedly remembered that his Ianto seemed to be the primary caregiver for the huge flying Bat, who seemed very fast, and was instantly stuck by the unfairness of his futile battle). Moses scowled, tailing swishing in a restricted fashion (which really just made him want to swish harder) yowling his displeasure for all to hear. His Ianto ignored him with a poise that was rivaled by none, except maybe Persians, going about the flat, gathering up his car keys, wallet and slipping on a jacket. He gave a scolding look (which went ignored, Moses was going to keep on yowling, thank you) at a particularly mournful sounding yowl, one for which Moses felt no shame over, and picked up the cage. Moses crouched low, internally moaning at the loss of equilibrium as the cage just hung there in space. He yowled again, not heeding the series of barks and yips that were set off because of him.

**

A very disagreeable couple hours later found Moses' Ianto being unceremoniously called in, the bits and pieces that Moses could discern told him that not only was it serious, but also involved 'Torchwood' and dead bodies. Ah, Moses thought as he curled up on a couch (he had not suffered the VET in vain…his dinner had been both delicious and full of seafood goodness), 'Torchwood' the cause of destruction and mayhem, he was getting accustomed to his new life. He hadn't even been surprised, but honestly, dead bodies and suspicious circumstances? He was a cat and that just screamed 'Torchwood.' So, after a tiring day (wherein it was determined that he was PERFECTLY healthy, like there had been a doubt), his Ianto was out the door, calling out a warning to be good and not to scratch the curtains or couch (which had been recently added to the list of things not to do).

That had been several hours ago, more than several, Moses was sure, and the sun had set twice now, and Moses was not only displeased, he was starting to get worried. And, as a cat hardly ever felt worry (it just wasn't worth it, Humans would be much happier if they adopted this feline philosophy), it made him both agitated and yowl at the door even louder than probably the situation warranted. He knew that such an action was pointless and not likely to bring his Ianto home any faster, but he couldn't seem to help it. It just seemed like the appropriate thing to do.

He prowled around for another hour or so before curling up on the couch, to worried to muster up hunger or interest in anything (i.e. tearing up curtains and couches in rebellion) and hoped that whatever was going on with this 'Torchwood' was not hurting his Ianto. Or maiming…or causing illness…perhaps abduction of some kind…Torchwood seemed very flexible that way. He finally was able to settle down enough to sleep (honestly, he couldn't remember a time when he had been too worried to sleep!) and had fitful dreams until he finally heard the door to the flat open. His eyes snapped open and he meowed in excitement, chastisement, anger, and general giddiness, hopping off the couch and prancing towards the door.

His Ianto looked very tired as he shut the door, loosening the already somewhat a skewed tie from around his neck. In fact, Moses thought his Ianto looked thoroughly unkempt, which was somewhat unusual for the neat Human and had a very odd look on his face. Moses halted his meowing greeting and instead observed his Ianto with a critical eye, sharp green eyes roving over the wrinkled looking jacket, the slightly mussed hair (which looked like it had been much messier and groomed incorrectly into a respectable state) and the distinctly odd flush in the face. Then he sniffed the air.

And he knew.

His Ianto reeked of the Stomper, practically had an aura of it surrounding him (Moses was reminded of the way a dog urinated over territory; canines, honestly) and with the rudimentary knowledge he had of how Humans mated, he could hazard a guess as to a factor of why his Ianto had been so late. Moses was torn between feeling elated at this positive step in his plan and annoyed that the Stomper's smell was now around him without even being present. He opted to meow in a manner that clearly stated 'not-only-were-you-gone-so-long-but-it-was-for-something-frivolous-didn't-you-know-I-was-alone-here-love-me-now!' which snapped his distracted Ianto out of whatever trance he had been in. His Ianto sighed in an apologetic manner (and all was forgiven as far as Moses was concerned, but he wasn't about to let his Ianto know that yet), ran a hand through the messy hair before scooping Moses off the ground.

"I was a bit late, wasn't I? Sorry, got locked in the Hub by a dead woman who apparently planned the whole charade while being a living woman, nearly lost a teammate, and then proceeded to make perhaps the biggest mistake of my life. Fucking fantastic two days, but I'm sure you want to be fed so..." Moses sensed that whatever had happened was now suddenly not what Moses' plan was trying to achieve and decided his purring and silence would be of best help.

Ianto set him back down and strode (which was more of a stumble really) into the kitchen, fetching down a can of wonderful moist food (twice in a week…perhaps it was all right if his Ianto was late home if his guilt brought about more moist yumminess). Moses followed faithfully, half in anticipation for food and half out of support. He had a good grasp on how his Ianto went about things and knew he only had to wait a little past the mutterings and cabinet rummaging before the entire story of what had occurred the past two days came tumbling out in a half coherent jumble that was heavily laced with sarcasm (ah, an emotion cats knew all too well). And sure enough, sitting patiently on the tile while his Ianto did just what Moses predicted, after an appropriate time of cabinet rummaging, it all did come out. All sorts of things about Suzie, Gwen, a glove that was a 'right pain in the arse,' and a ridiculous proposal that involved a stopwatch (whatever that was, Moses had not a clue, but he deemed it immensely important to the story).

"'Lots of things you can do with a stopwatch,' honestly. What the fuck is wrong with me?" Moses wisely chose not to comment and happily began munching his dinner. He was still listening though, ears flicking back and forth with his Ianto's uncharacteristic fidgeting around the kitchen. "And could he have been anymore smug? Duw…that is never an attractive quality, even for him. You'd think he was sacking the House of Vestal Virgins…bloody moronic, self-absorbed twat—I wonder how he'd feel on a day with nothing but decaf…"

Moses recognized a threat tantamount to death when he heard one, but unsurprisingly he felt no pity for the Stomper. From his Ianto's ranting, it seemed like whatever mating had occurred between them had not necessarily been the most pleasant experience (now that did surprise Moses; the Stomper always seemed in heat, he'd assumed that meant he had to at least be good at mating). He finished his delicious dinner and started cleaning his face, licking a paw and using it (in the correct way to groom, may it be said) now only peripherally listening to the continued ranting, now moved on to how Gwen always seemed to get herself into trouble and the ensuing problems this caused and paranoid dead coworkers (again, Moses had more proof why it was so much easier to NOT try and understand Humans). He paused in his cleaning when he heard footsteps echo out of the kitchen, a heavy sigh that sounded much to world-weary for such a young Human, and a distinctive plop of a body hitting cushions of a couch.

Pausing only for a moment (mourning his only half-completed cleaning), Moses quickly made his way over to his Ianto, taking in the clearly troubled posture, slouched over, head resting in upturned hands, elbows resting on his knees. And his suit was still horribly wrinkled, a sure sign that all was not well. He mrowed (a different kind of meow that is both more empathic and forceful than a usual meow) and leapt up beside him, rubbing his head with a considerable amount of power against his Ianto's leg. This earned him a chuckle and a bemused look from between threaded fingers, a rueful smile spreading across his face. Moses mrowed again and settled on his belly, tail twitching against the back of the couch and his head resting on his paws near his Ianto's knee. He purred deep as his Ianto scratched behind his ears, under his chin and stroked the fur down his back.

"Sorry, you must have been lonely. Cooped up here all by yourself—it's not like I meant to though, is it, so no grudges. Although, I don't see any decimated armrests or drapery…I'm a little surprised."

Moses meowed softly, almost sounding like a kitten again; content and pleased his Ianto was no longer ranting (he was much more pleasant sans muttering and glaring). Moses let his eyes slip closed, feeling relaxed for the first time in what felt like ages (but apparently had only been two days…Moses was going to have to work on his paranoia it seemed). He knew that with the rhythmic rumbling of his purrs and the quiet atmosphere, his Ianto would talk through things (as that seemed to be his method of calming down, much like Moses' was finding a good scratching surface and having at it) more rationally.

And then Moses would know just how much the Stomper had fussed with his plan. Honestly, Humans.

**

As it turned out, the Stomper had fussed with things quite a bit, so much that even Moses was a little puzzled over how to backpedal to an acceptable level of comfort for his plan to succeed. Perhaps he was confused because he did not have the entire picture of what had happened (not being in the metal home and all, a place he sincerely hoped he would never visit again), but he knew that whatever had happened, while perhaps very satisfying on a primal level, had been disastrous on all the other levels. He spent the next two weeks trying to figure out if things were truly bad (as his Ianto was obviously mating with the Stomper, his smell lingered something awful) or if he could even do anything. Over those weeks many things happened, including something about an eye, bananas and a rather forgetful Human named Eugene…

But let's face it, that was barely even worth mentioning in comparison to the very real drama and problems going on between his Ianto and the Stomper.

**

Some three weeks after Moses had first discovered his Ianto had preempted his brilliant plan and decided to start mating with the Stomper, he had decided that not only was none of this his fault, but he was going to fix it the first opportunity he had. He felt he was going above and beyond his calling as a feline (he had noticed a few white hairs on his tail while cleaning and realized with all the power of a bite to the jugular that he had only been with Ianto for five months…it seemed incredibly longer), but he truly believed that not only was his Ianto worth it, but that maybe the Stomper was too. But only because his Ianto thought so.

TBC...