Ianto Jones as Witnessed by a Distinguished Feline

by Gecko Osco

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. Janto main...others mentioned.

4. Part Four

Title: The Life and Times of Ianto Jones as Witnessed by a Distinguished Feline (4/12)
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! I'm so sorry this took so long to get out...it was a bit of everything really, but here we are! It's longer too, so enjoy!

Part Four: Wherein Moses Instigates Trouble and Proceeds to Observe that Sometimes Humans Actually Know what They are Doing

Moses stretched out to his full length on the floor, soaking in a wonderful patch of winter sun, rolling onto his back and purring his pleasure for all to hear. He knew outside the flat that it was madness, gift buying and family seeing, and probably a slew of other distracting things that always seemed to sweep up Humans around this time of the year. Yes, outside it was a crazy, hectic world, but here within his Ianto's flat, it was calm and still; truly a wonderful exchange from the 'christmas' time last year when he had been with his Estelle. He squinted one eye open and watched as his Ianto methodically got ready for a day of work, going through his checklist of things to do aloud like he always did. He refilled Moses' food bowl before heading out the door, again calling out a plea (not a demand or even a request, felines didn't adhere to those) to not destroy anymore towels with his kneading or rubbing against, out the door in another impeccably neat set of clothing that had been pressed to perfection.

Moses truly did admire his Ianto's penchant for neatness, even when he came home late at night or very early in the morning (after no doubt mating with a disputable Stomper) still able to look put together, despite the rumpled quality he exuded. Not many Humans could compare to felines when it came to cleanliness but his Ianto definitely could compete with any of them. He was rather proud of that fact.

He stayed rolled in an upside down donut shape (he wasn't entirely sure what this shape was, but it had been named by little Tosh so he decided it couldn't be bad) for an indeterminate amount of time, slipping in and out of a delightful doze. He thought he was quite entitled to a lazy day; his last few had been devoted to brainstorming and plan-revising in light of the twist that had occurred recently, where Humans tried to disastrously mess up his plans. He had watched his Ianto very carefully over the past few days (and had embarrassingly been caught at staring once, which earned him a queer look from his young Human) and had come up with a few helpful observations. Firstly, and probably most importantly, the Stomper was likely very effective at mating, something that Moses had initially doubted but then revised his opinion, judging by the increase in strange dreams (as opposed to sad ones) and the consistent lingering of the Stomper's scent. Besides, Moses was positive that his Ianto was intelligent enough to not continue with mating if it was not satisfying. This, Moses decided was a good thing, because what was the point in his plan if the mating was not enjoyable?

However, his second important observation was that while the mating was good, all other factors leading up to it and all events after it were perhaps not what his Ianto deserved. It had been some time since Moses had a partner (it just wasn't as much fun after he had been 'fixed,' but once or twice he'd been inspired by a passing Himalayan or Tabby) and he was aware of the difference between matings of Humans and felines, but he could understand this. His Ianto always came home, and the Stomper had been noticeably absent since the midnight visit weeks ago…and his Ianto's smile was not as happy as it should have been. Finding a new partner was thrilling and exciting (and since Moses was fully aware that his Ianto was not 'fixed' he knew it should be even more so) and his Ianto should be, as the Humans put it, glowing (cats did not glow, but they did preen more often). His Ianto was not.

This all led to his third important observation, that while the mating was good but lacking in all other aspects, his Ianto was feeling horribly guilty about the mating, leading to long periods of staring, self-deprecating criticism, and hair tugging. It did not take a genius to figure out where the guilt came from, and it made Moses slightly angry that his Stomper apparently did not recognize it, or if he had, why he ignored it. He had not immediately let his Ianto scratch under his chin after he had taken him home, not wanting to disrespect the affection he'd had for his Estelle, and the Stomper should have respected the affection his Ianto'd had for his Lisa. This was the most pressing and troubling of the different observations and the one Moses knew had to be corrected first. The question came to how when the Stomper hardly left the metal home…which is what was exhausting Moses (and to exhaust a cat was no small feat).

Moses had devised another brilliant plan, one that was even better than his previous plan (and no, his first plan had not failed, and had been brilliant in its own right but had been ruined by foolish Humans) and now all he had to do was wait for the opportune moment. He knew the moment might take awhile to come about (especially if the Stomper proceeded to continue to be idiotic and selfish about the whole affair) but when it happened, he was prepared. Which was why he let himself relax in the times when his Ianto was gone, why he did not pursue other enjoyable pastimes like rubbing and kneading dish towels, rodent and insect hunting, and canine taunting (it turned out that there was a Doberman across the street that could see him when he laid in the living room window, and Moses liked driving him crazy). He needed to conserve his strength so that when the moment came, nothing, and he meant NOTHING, would go wrong.

He was slipping into perhaps his sixth nap of the day (only slightly above the average number of naps) when the door opened, revealing his Ianto…and three trailing Humans who smelled…different. He rolled up to a sitting positions, yawning largely, displaying his impressive set of sharp teeth, blinking his eyes open to curiously observe the new Humans. Two females and one male, one just a kitten really with impossibly wide eyes, another around Moses' own age (and enough confidence to pretend she was a feline), and an old one with a slightly pinched expression. He wondered briefly what they were doing in the flat, following his Ianto around, and meowed curiously, ears flicking back and head tilting to the side. He caught his Ianto's attention, who smiled at him but looked terribly distracted and hassled.

"Moe, nice to see you haven't destroyed any towels today. Let me just grab my car keys and we'll be off. Of course my driving and car are needed on a day I decide to walk to work..." The last part was mumbled as his Ianto walked towards his bedroom and Moses caught an eye roll.

"Oh! Aren't you a darling!" The little Human hurried over and began petting his head, offering her hand for him to sniff first (he did not know why Humans insisted on doing this, he wasn't some canine) before she began petting him. She looked very sad and lost, so Moses purred for her, enjoying her attention anyway, letting out soft meows for her every now and then. His Ianto came out again, the jingling keys in his hand, as well as his 'nice' coat, and the little Human turned towards him. "What's his name?"

"Moses."

"Isn't he just a sweetheart?"

His Ianto smiled at him in a knowing fashion, amusing Moses to no end. "When it suits him, he can be. I found another dish towel, Moe, in the bathroom. You and I are going to have a good long chat about that later. Do you know how hard it is to do dishes with your fur getting all over everything I dry off?" The little human giggled softly, scratching his ears most pleasantly and admonishing him for being naughty in a teasing way (all right, he was naughty, but hello, feline! It was inherent with his being). His Ianto smiled softly at her, his gaze slightly pitying but more compassionate than anything else.

"You speak to your pets in this time?" The old Human snorted, his posture stiffer than the dead birds Moses used to offer up to Estelle. Moses glared and a growl rumbled deep in his chest…he did not care for this Human. The other female just kept looking around, a look of half interest and half disinterest (it was very contradicting and made him wonder if this Human really cared about much beyond her) on her face. Well, at least the kitten was pleasant.

"Well, only when they're more intelligent than people that happen to be around." His Ianto had a cold, polite smile on his face, the one that Moses saw when Ianto talked on the phone with someone from 'Unit' or when a salesman came by. It was perfect and hard to argue or get angry with, even when it concealed an insult (really, his Ianto should have been born a feline). "Besides, Moses here talks plenty; it'd be impolite to not respond."

The little Human giggled again, and even the older female smiled, finding some interest in the old one's ruffled indignation. Moses stared right at the old man and meowed, an utterly smug expression no doubt being conveyed with his entire existence at that moment.

"Shouldn't we be going?" The older female spoke…which surprised Moses. He appraised her carefully, taking in her stance, voice, and demeanor (she was trying too hard to be feline-esque, and Moses did not appreciate it all that much). She did have a nice smile though, one that was full of humor and life.

"Yes, come on then. Moe, behave, no more dish towels." The little Human laughed as his Ianto ushered everyone out of the flat, shutting the door behind him and locking it with a click. Moses stared after for a few moments before he yawned largely, settling himself on the couch instead of the floor, awake but not so much that he actually wanted to move. He figured that those strange smelling people had something to do with 'Torchwood,' (as so many strange things did, Moses had come to understand), but none seemed especially troublesome (unpleasant perhaps, but not troublesome), so no need to worry, as was normal.

Later that night, when his Ianto had returned from helping to acclimate those three Humans with 2008 (Ianto's words, not Moses, cats operated on a different calendar), he had been praised for cheering up Emma (the kitten), who was both lost and sad, just as Moses had thought. They were all lost, lost from their homes, families, and surroundings, and so much so that the when of their existence had been utterly changed and adrift. Moses shuddered inwardly at imagining the hardships that these three Humans have been facing, and probably still were. As any cat will tell you, and any canine, rodent, and any other Human watchers, there was no worse a fate than being lost, cut away from all that you knew and forced to either adapt or wither away, no one there to help you (unless you were extremely lucky, and even then…it was a bleak fate for any feline). He was happy he could help the little kitten, knowing that her fate was going to be hard, knowing that Moses' own fate would have been hers if he had not taken matters into his own paws. He only hoped she did as well.

**

Moses was keeping watch (there were plenty of suspicious looking pigeons and stray cats wandering around outside the flat, and Moses had a responsibility to protect his Ianto's home) when his Ianto burst through the door one night later that week, anger etched into his face and looking quite chilled, as if he had just walked home unexpectedly with insufficient coverings. Moses did not jump off his perch at the window immediately, letting his Ianto toss his coat off and mutter angrily about stolen cars and cankerous old men. He knew when his help was appreciated and when it was not (and this was most definitely the latter), and also that if his Ianto was going to be stomping around, it was best if his tail was nowhere near. He didn't want to exacerbate the anger his Ianto was feeling by scratching him (which would have been regrettable, but Moses could not be faulted if it involved his tail being stepped on) so he stayed put, watching his Ianto and waiting.

To Moses' surprise, his Ianto did not drain of anger, instead he stripped angrily out of his suit and put on the loose coverings his Ianto preferred to sleep in, marching straight into his room and slamming the door, lights shut off in his wake. Moses stared after him, wondering what in Bast's name could have happened at 'Torchwood' today to create such a mood within his Ianto, but tried not to dwell, knowing that his Ianto would feel properly contrite for shutting him out of the room in the morning (Moses wasn't really sure why he had shut the door…it was not like there was anyone else here but them, but Humans were quite strange when upset…). Instead, he turned back to watching the streets, his sharp eyes following anything and everything that looked as if it didn't belong, driving thoughts of sleep away (felines were naturally nocturnal and Moses felt the need to remain vigilant in his watchings every now and then, indulging the 'wild' side of his soul).

And then, many hours later, Moses saw something immensely perplexing…something he had been waiting for but was surprised to see at…was it really two in the morning? Moses meowed against the window, his tail swishing excitedly as he saw the tell-tale coat flap as the figure turned to enter the apartment complex, no doubt making his way up to the flat. He debated whether he should preempt the Stomper and wake up his Ianto, but Moses decided it would be more conducive to his plan if the Stomper woke up his possibly still angry Ianto. So, he waited on his perch, as patiently as a feline could manage (which was quite a lot, mind you) and sure enough knocking started against the door. Moses glanced towards his Ianto's shut door as the knocking continued, meowing in greeting as a very tired looking Ianto stumbled out of his room and blindly switched on lights. His Ianto's sleep-clouded eyes fixed on him for a moment (no doubt confused on why Moses was still out in the flat, not in the bedroom) before blinking owlishly at the knocking (which now sounded much more like pounding…Moses thought that was more fitting the Stomper anyway) at the door.

Moses watched his Ianto unlock the door and open it, revealing a very unkempt and upset looking Stomper, something clutched in his fist, something that glinted in the soft light of the flat. His Ianto stared at him, the sleep fading quickly from his eyes and posture, moving to one side with a soft "good evening, sir," letting the Stomper stagger in. Moses watched as his Ianto steadied the Stomper and walked him over to his kitchen table, wordlessly heading to the cabinets and bringing down a pair of coffee cups (Moses thought it was much too early for this yet, but his Ianto was odd about his coffee) and started a brew. The Stomper smiled softly, offering silent thanks before he closed his eyes, rubbing at his temple with a few pale fingers. Moses did not think the Stomper looked good, not in the least, his eyes looked feverish and too bright against the pallor tone of his skin. Moses had seen and was familiar with death…it appeared the Stomper was as well.

Moses hopped off his perch and made his way towards the kitchen, nose twitching as the smell of the dark liquid hit him, taking up position beside his food bowl, looking innocuous enough and sure to fool his Ianto and the Stomper. His Ianto placed a cup on the table before the Stomper and then took a seat, still looking quite sleepy and disheveled and waited (if there was one thing his Ianto had in abundance that Moses admired, it was patience). The Stomper took a big gulp of the most probably hot drink and wordlessly handed over the object in his hand…his Ianto's keys. That would explain the disagreeable disposition, Moses pondered…he knew enough about Humans to know how important those shining bits of metal were to them. His Ianto took them, a question plain on his face, but he remained silent. Moses was practically out of his skin in curiosity though and wished that, for once, the Stomper would be talkative (and Moses was amazed he was wishing for this at all…he usually talked far too often for a feline's liking).

"John's dead."

It was spoken so quietly that Moses had to strain to hear, spoken more like an exhalation that carried all the weight of the world than an actual statement. Moses could see the surprise and shock on his Ianto's face that mingled with a kind of sympathy, one that did not understand exactly but could feel nonetheless. He wracked his brain and recalled that 'John' was the unpleasant Human from the previous day; and while Moses may not have liked him, it was still a shame that he was dead…life is life, as Moses thought (which was ironic really considering canines and mice were part of this as well, but also a common belief among felines…circle of life mentality and all that). He glanced at his food, contemplating whether now was the time to instigate any part of his plan or if it would be better if he nibbled and wandered off, leaving his Ianto and the Stomper to themselves.

Moses shook his head of such a notion; even if the Human's death was hanging over them, his plan was foolproof. He went back to pretending to eat; his ears twitched back and listening carefully as his Ianto offered and awkward condolence and let the Stomper satisfy his curiosity with the little information given. He waited as patiently as a cat could, surreptitiously glancing every now and then as a very strange story was woven about what exactly had happened to the sour John and his Ianto's car (Moses thought there were one too many holes within the Stomper's story to be entirely credible) afterwards. As exhaust fumes (whatever that was) were extremely dangerous to Humans, his Ianto would need a new car…which should have produced more anger than was shown. Moses shook his head internally; his Ianto was much to accommodating when it came to the Stomper (Moses knew that if it had been his favorite napping spot that had been ruined, there would have been unpleasant moments soon to follow).

Moses perked out of his musings when he saw his Ianto rise again, heading back towards his counters with empty mugs, glancing down at his empty water bowl and he readied himself. Moses had made sure that his water dish was in a near constant state of emptiness (it was extremely important to his plan, and he suffered the trouble of having to use his litter box much more often gladly), just in case the moment to implement his plan came. He had to wait for the precise moment, just when his Ianto was least suspecting of him doing something naughty, just when he thought he'd be safe to walk over the water…just when he would have no idea of what Moses could be capable of when not napping or hunting down cockroaches. The Stomper made some comment about how Moses was doing, but Moses did not have time to listen, his Ianto had started to walk over with a full bowl of water…and then Moses struck.

He darted playfully at carefully balanced feet (which, of course was all part of the plan, he was very serious in his mission and had no time for games) with an unusually high pitched meow, making sure to weave in and out, just to be efficient in his goal. And, as Moses had brilliantly predicted, his plan worked perfectly (like there had ever actually been a doubt…a felines dedication and ingenuity should never be questioned, period). He glanced back and watched as an amusing scene came to pass, with water being flung up and spilled all over as his Ianto lost his footing and started to go down, completely caught off guard by Moses' brutally effective attack. And, just as Moses knew would happen, The Stomper was out of his seat in a flash (the Stomper moved very quickly when properly motivated, Moses had deducted), catching himself in the downpour of spilt water (which Moses skillfully avoided), but catching his Ianto around the waist and using the counter as a balancing surface for them both.

Moses was not one to give into smugness, but right at that moment, he was entirely smug at the complete success his plan achieved.

Now, Moses was aware that if he was spotted now, that all would be lost, so he shuffled out of sight, but kept an eye to make sure the Humans didn't spoil his plan further. To his delight, they didn't. His Ianto, looking wet (from the water…there had been quite a lot of it) and slightly embarrassed and more than slightly flushed, muttered a soft thank you to the Stomper, who, after a quick survey of the body in his arms, smiled and laughed. A real gut-wrenching laugh that stamped out any melancholy in the air, one that doubled when his Ianto scowled and muttered that it wasn't that funny. That cats were devious little buggers (Moses preened at the compliment) and to stop laughing. A laugh that lowered and changed its timbre, turning downright scheming as it adjusted the way arms held what they had been protecting and slipped into a smile that chased away the dark look in the Stomper's eyes.

"You're all wet, Ianto."

"I—well, so are you…"

"So I am. What are we going to do about that?" Moses could not see exactly what was going on, but he heard his Ianto gasp and mutter out a few intelligible words. He could see the shaky inhalation that followed and the mouth that attached to his Ianto's…he took that as an excellent sign.

"We—I—oh God—"

"Now you sound like you're chattering…can't let you catch cold, can we?"

"That—that would have a negative im—impact…the Hub would get overwhelmed with pizza boxes-ah."

"Well, we should take of that then."

And then Moses heard a respectable growl escape his Ianto and the two Humans were stumbling and crashing around, making all sorts of strange noises. Moses watched after them (they made a few detours before making it to the bedroom, like the table top, the couch, the bathroom door…) deciding that male Humans mating looked like tomcats fighting, but in a more pleasant manner. He carefully escaped the wet tiles of the forgotten kitchen and settled on his favorite napping spot, not affected at all by the escalating noises echoing through the flat, basking in the success of his plan.

You see, Moses had witnessed something about the Stomper in the short intervals he had seen him, and from the mutterings of his Ianto, something that caused him to revise his original plan. The Stomper was different, different from all other Humans (smell aside, although Moses now had a reasonable explanation for that, and that made him more accepting of the Stomper in some respects) and so had to be treated differently. The arrangement between his Ianto and the Stomper left many things to be desired, Moses knew that, but he also knew what it would take to beat that sense into the Stomper. He had seen the evidence of it; in the Stomper's eyes as he saw his Ianto (Moses was willing to share a little bit, just this once) slip and trip, when he held him and felt relief that he wasn't hurt after dealing with losing someone that very night, when he heard a familiar voice and humor that told him that nothing had happened, but showed that something could. And, if something could, why waste time pretending feelings don't exist when, inevitably, they always do? Feline logic proved once again how much cleverer it was against inferior Humans.

Yes, Moses' plan went perfectly, and he had no doubt that both his Ianto and the Stomper would be there the next morning, would completely forgive him for tripping them up, and would be smiling. Santa Clause, Smanta Clause…the Fat Man in Red had nothing on Moses.

**

As predicted, the Stomper was there the next morning and there was plenty of smiling and even though his Ianto scolded Moses for causing such a mess, he still scratched under his chin in a most wonderful way and gave him small scraps of cheese (a most wonderful treat that his Estelle had never given him…he now did not know how he lived without it before) and a smile. The change in both was easy to see, and even though Moses knew that the others who worked for the 'Torchwood' were facing their own problems, at least his Ianto had a small bit of peace and comfort.

The next few weeks passed in a hazy shroud of calm, Moses happily watching his Ianto and the Stomper, and occasionally his Ianto and the little Tosh (who seemed very worried about Owen, who Moses remembered as the Man in White). And it was during these hazy weeks, one particularly nice night that involved a little voyeurism on Moses part (he couldn't help it, he was curious how Humans went about mating; living with his Estelle had not provided such an opportunity…and he was surprised to see that Humans were very innovative) and then a relaxing moment with Moses resting sleepily on the windowsill. He heard his Ianto and the Stomper discussing odd and not so odd things in their own languid moment (Moses thought discussing the wayward Owen in bed was strange, but he had been less and less surprised by those things the more time went by), and then a tone shift caught his attention. He lifted his head and looked over at the Stomper, who in his distinctly debauched appearance still managed to look like the 'boss.'

"Remember that project I've been working on? The one on Flat Holm?"

"The one you forbade Suzie, Owen, and myself from discussing or researching in the Archives in a blaze of anger and coffee spewing? Yes, I think I can recall that project."

The Stomper smiled in a rueful, playful manner at the exhausted and sardonic response before he visibly steeled himself (something Moses was privy too, unlike his Ianto who had buried his head in a pillow) and tightened the brief but telling haunted look in his eyes. "That's the one. I want you to come with me tomorrow, to Flat Holm."

His Ianto pulled his head out from the pillow and stared at the Stomper, a very strange expression on his sleepy face. "You do? May I ask why?"

"I thought you wanted to do more than coffee, as superb as it is, and admin. Besides, the project would probably benefit from having two people working on it." The Stomper's reply was flippant, but Moses could detect something deeper, something that sounded like trust and a final forgiveness, which fully shocked his Ianto out of any sleepiness. "What the project is…I can't ask just anyone to help. But you, I think you'd be perfect, as much as it's not fair to ask you to help."

"Jack—of course I'll help. You know that."

"It's not pretty, Ianto, Flat Holm. It's just—it's just not."

"A lot of things aren't."

Moses watched for another few moments but then decided that whatever they were discussing was either beyond him (which he doubted, but it was possible) or didn't concern him (the more likely candidate). He slipped his eyes shut and drifted, heedless to the rustling and moans that began yet again.

**

Whatever his Ianto and the Stomper had discussed concerning the 'Flat Holm' place, had apparently been every bit as horrible as the Stomper had warned. His Ianto had walked through the door and plopped on the couch, patting for Moses to join him, which he wasted no time in doing. He had a faraway look in his eyes and distracted finger petted down his back, seeking something in the normality of petting a feline. Moses was worried, so he purred loud and arched under his hand, pulling every adorable trick he had in his arsenal in order to crack a small smile across his wonderful Ianto's face. Eventually, it worked, and Ianto gave Moses that smile, picking him up and sitting him on his knees, hands under Moses' front legs and lifting him to eye height (now normally, Moses did not condone such manhandling, but he endured it just this once).

"It was a bad day, Moses. All those people…"

Moses stared in response, purring so loud it now echoed slightly in the room (maybe that was an exaggeration, but it was certainly loud!). His Ianto set him down, so Moses could now comfortably curl up on his lap, and stroked him softly, the faraway expression back. And then, something alighted in his eyes, glancing down and meeting Moses' eyes with a contemplative look.

"How'd you like to go on a trip, Moe? I promise it won't be to the Vet."

Moses did not know how to respond so he just meowed softly, fluffy black tail swishing rhythmically in time with his heartbeat behind him. Apparently that had been enough of an agreement because the next thing he knew it was the following morning and he was crammed into the dreaded cage again, yowling his displeasure. His Ianto ignored him (as he always did, insufferable Human), but he did give Moses a sympathetic glance when the car stopped, which Moses was puzzled over. Five minutes later, it all made sense and Moses was cursing his loyalty to his Ianto, curled small in his cage as it rocked with motion that one could only associate with something as awful as a large body of water. Moses was supremely happy he had opted not to eat that second helping of breakfast that morning (although, he supposed if he had and then proceeded to vomit, he could have the vindictive pleasure of watching his Ianto clean it up).

After what seemed like an eternity (no, that was not melodramatic…it was entirely warranted), the terrible trip was finally over and even though Moses was still trapped within his cage, at least he wasn't on the water-crossing car anymore. He watched through his metal door as his Ianto traversed over rocky terrain, until he finally came upon a graveled path, still yowling, but no interspersed with heavy panting. His Ianto owed him his life for putting him through this. A large, metal door opened after asking for some identification (the word 'Torchwood' was involved…somehow, Moses wasn't surprised that Torchwood was the root cause of his suffering) and then Moses was inside, surrounded by a dark, tunnel-like home. He wondered what in Bast's name was going on…and felt a bit more curious than angry…not that he'd ever let his Ianto know that, though.

"Ianto, back again? We're still trying to stabilize Caroline, the poor thing. I'm not sure what good questioning her will do right now…"

"Oh, no I'm not here to check on Caroline…no, I brought a friend of mine who I thought might be able to help." At this, Ianto lifted the cage so Moses could peer at a kind-looking, dark-skinned Human, her eyes appraising him, also unfazed by his pitiful meowing.

"Is he behaved?"

"As much as a cat can be. He's friendly though and loves to be pet. I just—I wanted to help, thought this might do."

The woman smiled and motioned after her, walking down the dark hallways, his Ianto following after without hesitation. Moses stopped his yowling as he watched frail and broken looking Humans being led and walked around, kind Humans smiling at them encouragingly. He peered through the holes in plastic up at his clever Ianto, wondering what exactly he had planned, and even more, what it had to do with him. The dark-skinned Human stopped in front of a door and smiled softly at his Ianto, inclining her head slightly.

"This is Abby's room. She's not as bad as some of the others…I think it'd be best to start with her, don't want to startle them anymore than necessary with something new."

"Thanks, Helen."

She nodded and opened the door, stepping aside, letting his Ianto walk through before following after herself. Moses felt the cage settle on solid ground (blissfully) and then he saw his Ianto's hand at the lock of the cage. He meowed excitedly and swatted at the hand with his paw through the metal bars.

"Abby, dear, this is Ianto, one of Mr. Jack's friends. He brought someone who wants to meet you, can you come out and say hello?"

Moses tried to dart when the cage opened, but was thwarted, (Humans and their fancy thumbs…) scooped off the cold concrete and cradled against his Ianto's chest. His eyes rapidly looked around his surroundings, taking in the bright colors and colored pictures along the wall, before he was set down on a soft comforter. And then, he saw her. She was a little thing really, about half the size of his Ianto, swamped in an overly large sweater that had much too much shiny substance on it. Her eyes were wide and stared at him, practically the only thing recognizably Human from her face (or at least Moses' sampling of normal Humans…he knew he couldn't begin to think he knew what they ALL looked like). She had strange markings inked into her skin, traveling up her entire neck and wrapping around her head, hair shorn to a narrow strip down the center. She had similar markings on her hands, so much that Moses had no idea what he skin originally was, light or dark. He stared at her for a moment, appraising her in a judgeless manner before he deemed her safe enough to pet him. He meowed kindly and welcomingly, stepping close to her and sitting primly next to her.

It took more time than Moses was used to but eventually that shaking hand touched him gently, like a whisper against the tips of his fur. He purred and nudged the hand, meowed in a soothing manner when she flinched slightly, but returned her hand, slowly gaining strength in her strokes. Moses lay down next to her bundled leg (he assumed it was a leg, it was hard to tell with all the blankets) and closed his eyes, purring loudly and meowing softly in contentment when she scratched softly behind his ears.

"W-what…what's his n-name?" Her voice was raspy and harsh, but Moses had a feeling it was from disuse. He could practically feel the happiness from his Ianto at the sound of it.

"Moses, but you can call him Moe, if you like."

"Moses…like th-the Moses w-who led the Jews f-from Egypt? W-where they were prisoners?"

"That's the one. I think he likes you, he can be a picky bugger in who he lets scratch his ears sometimes."

Little Abby didn't say anything, but Moses squinted his eyes open and saw her smile. He thought that was more than any silly words could amount to say.

He stayed with Abby for a little longer before he was shuffled into the cage again and led somewhere else, someone new, someone just as sad and frightened as Abby. Moses saw, meowed for, played with and let hands pet for seven different Humans, and each time one smiled or didn't run and hide after a few minutes, his Ianto smiled that much brighter, the faraway look leave his eyes bit by bit. Moses quite enjoyed himself (what cat didn't like being fawned over?) and was exhausted by the time he was put into his cage again, sensing that they were about to leave (felines had moments of precognition, thank you). He slept for most of the journey back, something he was blissful thankful for, and when he was let out once again in the flat, he curled up and fell asleep on the couch, purring loud and contentedly for his Ianto to hear. It wasn't until later, after a dinner which he slept through (not unheard of for felines, but pretty rare still), and after hearing the tell-tale stomp that he woke up enough to be aware of his surroundings.

His Ianto let the Stomper in without question, speaking succinctly about Owen and something to do with 'weevils' and Nappers (a fiend that all of the animal kingdom despised) taking said 'weevils' for a moment before Moses saw THAT look enter the Stomper's face. Moses lifted his head heavily and blinked at the two, tail twitching sluggishly.

"Helen called me. She said that you went back to Flat Holm today, on your day off, and that you brought Moses. She said that she'd never seen some of the victims respond the way they did to that damn cat." The Stomper had a bewildered and grateful look on his face, which seemed odd to Moses, used to the confident swagger.

"When I was nine, I had pneumonia. I was in the hospital for an extended period of time and was miserable for most of it. But, there was a nurse there who had a dog, a very friendly, smart chocolate lab, and she would bring him to the hospital every Thursday and Saturday so he could visit with patients. I cheered up everyday I saw and played with that dog, and I saw others did too, others who were much worse off than I was. I figured it couldn't hurt to try and help those people the same way. I don't have a dog but…well, Moses is possibly the friendliest, smartest cat I've ever met so I thought he'd do."

The Stomper stared at Moses' Ianto for a moment, seeming to absorb the sight of him in, until he placed his mouth over his Ianto's. Moses had long ago deduced that this was the most common and possibly meaningful way that Humans exchanged their affections ( much like cats nudging their heads together, or against hands and arms to Humans), and that this particular press of lips was somehow different to them both. Moses felt a swell of pride at them both (mainly his Ianto, but he felt it for the Stomper a little too) because this time, they had done this on their own, no tripping or clever plans but their own.

Moses yawned largely and settled his head back down, breathing in deep once before he let his sleepiness reclaim him, happy that his Ianto was so clever and, for once, the Stomper could be as well.

TBC…