"We're here," Jack said, stating the obvious. Ianto nodded and handed him several of the bags before taking the rest. They reached the dock and Ianto saw the captain settle down with some sort of trade magazine. The man never left the boat if he could help it. He turned his attention towards the path and followed Jack upwards to the main entrance.
The door opened before they got there and Helen stood just inside to greet them. "Good afternoon, gentlemen," she said to them, a huge smile on her face. "Oh Ianto, you brought my favorite!" She wrapped her arms around Jack and gave him a mighty hug. Jack laughed, his pensive mood momentarily forgotten by her greeting. He stepped out of the way and she gave Ianto a similar hug.
"He followed me here, much like a stray dog," Ianto said with a grin before giving her a kiss on the cheek. He ignored Jack's protesting comment. "How are you, Helen?"
"Fair to middling," she told him. "But much better now that I see my two most favorite men in the world." She laughed over Ianto's comment that she really needed to get out more so she could have a better selection.
"I'm holding you up," she said as she moved back to give them room. "Oh, you two are going to be looked on as Saint Nick and the Easter Bunny rolled into one," she commented as she noticed the amount of parcels that they were carrying. "Best get inside before they see and storm the corridor."
Jack and Ianto made their way down the dimly lit hallway and into the common room. The surprised murmurs from the residents met them and Ianto moved forward to the table in the center.
"Hello everyone, how are you today?" He asked. He got a few greetings from those residents who were more open about speaking in public and a few of the shyer people came up one at a time for a quiet hello. Jack stood back and watched Ianto for a moment. Ianto put down his packages and came back to retrieve the ones that Jack held.
After he had put the bags down, he went about the room and visited with each person who was in the common room. Jack was listening to Helen's update, but half of his attention was on Ianto, and the gentle way he had about him when talking to each of their injured residents.
"Hello Candace," Ianto said as he sat down next to a woman who had been working with some clay by the grilled window. She didn't really have the manual dexterity to make anything, but working with the clay helped her regain more movement in her hands. She glanced at him before looking back down again, a slow blush creeping on her cheeks. "What are you making?" She just shrugged, unable to speak. But Ianto treated it as if she had said something. He reached forward to help her, wrapping his fingers around hers and together they molded the clay into a column.
"Looks like a vase, what do you think?" Ianto asked and he saw her lips twitch towards a smile. Ianto smiled encouragingly at her. Candace had been a resident for several years by this point, and he always spent some time with her, knowing how shy she was. He chatted at her for a bit, not expecting her to reply before pulling a gift out of his pocket for her. Her face lit up as he put it in front of her, and he helped her unwrap it. After a few more minutes with her, he leaned in to kiss her cheek before moving on to the next person.
Helen stopped talking once she realized that Jack wasn't even paying attention. She chuckled as she noticed that his eyes followed Ianto about the room. Her laugh distracted him and he turned to look at her.
"Does he always do that when he comes here?" Jack asked in a low voice. Helen nodded.
"Yes, he does. Spends a little time with each resident before talking with the staff," Helen said. They watched as Ianto went back to the table and looked through the bags before bringing a book over to yet a third resident who clapped with delight at his gift. Slowly he made his way about the room, chatting and spending time with each person who was there. Those that could speak would talk to him eagerly, asking for news of home and their families, if they had them. Jack just watched in amazement.
When he was finished with everyone in the room, Ianto then went back to the table and put the remaining items that he had purchased in a single bag. From there he went to the rooms where the residents who didn't feel comfortable being amongst others. Jack moved aside to let him pass and they shared a glance before Ianto paused to look at Helen.
"Is this a good time for Jonas?" He asked quietly and she looked at her watch.
"It should be. Go on, love," she said and he gave her a smile before heading left down the corridor towards the man's room. Jack had a troubled look on his face as he watched Ianto walk down and knock on a door.
Ianto heard a faint answer and he went inside, closing the door softly behind him. He didn't want Jack to watch since he knew how much Jonas being here bothered him. At the sound of him entering the man inside turned around.
"Ianto," he smiled and Ianto came forward to give him a hug. "How are you?"
"Well, and yourself?" Ianto asked him. Jonas ran his fingers over his bald head in a nervous gesture.
"Well enough, considering," he replied. "Where are my manners? Please, sit." Ianto took the chair leaving the bed for Jonas. "Were you able to get it?" Ianto nodded and Jonas broke out into a broad grin. "Thank you!"
Ianto reached into the sack at his feet and pulled out a DVD box set. It was Jonas' favorite football team and he never had enough time to watch them play, so Ianto had brought him the previous season to watch when he could. He handed them into the man's large hands and watched as Jonas caressed the box reverently.
"How's my mum?" Jonas asked him and Ianto told him that she was well. She had started a counseling organization to help others who had lost their own children, as well as a fundraising charity in his name. Ianto didn't go into the details as he thought that Jonas didn't need to hear it. His heart went out to this boy in a man's body who had lost his life to the rift. They chatted for a few more minutes before one of the attendants knocked on the door, signaling that it was time for Ianto to leave.
"Enjoy the matches," Ianto said as he stood up. "And if there's anything else I can bring the next time I come by, just let the staff know and I can do that."
"Thank you," Jonas said. He was trying to control himself and it was proving more difficult, as Ianto noticed by his nervous twitching. "This will be enough." He carefully put the DVD box in the desk drawer so he wouldn't damage it. "Goodbye."
"Goodbye, Jonas," Ianto said. He gave Jonas a last pat on the shoulder before leaving. Closing the door behind him, he took a breath to steady himself before moving to the next room. Some of the residents didn't want visitors, and for those people he left their gifts with the staff to be given to them later.
