1

Ianto was later and he was never late. This small fact really pissed him off as he left the elevator and headed towards his apartment. He fumbled with his keys and was about to insert the correct one when he heard the banshee wail of an uncooperative girl.

"Myfanwy" he yelled as he struggled to get the door open "Stop that!"

He slammed in and caught her as she launched herself at him and the sitter slammed past as she raced to leave "This is the last time Mister Jones. She is so undisciplined for a five year old."

"Sorry" he called after her "I will pay you an extra tenner!"

She didn't answer but even if she had, he would not have heard her over Myfanwy's squealing.

With a sigh he opened the door again and led her outside to the park. Hopefully if she burned off some energy she would settle down a bit.

He was aware that this was becoming a habit.

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The elevator dings and Myfanwy was first out, the mud she was tracking with her feet making Ianto grimace as he raced after her till scolding her for being in the duck pond. As they neared his apartment he saw her stop, change course and disappear around a corner.

"Fanny… no!" he yelled, running after her and turning the corner to find a little girl sitting on the floor in tears with Myfanwy trying to comfort her.

"Hey sweetie" Ianto crouched and tried to comfort her as well "What happened?"

"Mama Locked me out" she sobbed.

Ianto knocked on the door and waited for someone to answer, listening for a sound and after a while he sighed "Come on. I am across the hall here. Did you just move in or something?"

"Yeah… me and Daddy. Mama came and locked me out" she sobbed some more as Ianto let her into his apartment and then groaned as Myfanwy raced for the sofa, leaping onto it to bounce and leave muddy footprints.

"AWWWW FANNY!"

"She's funny" the child sniffed.

"She's naughty is what she is" Ianto huffed then smiled softly "Right. Settle there."

Ianto watched the huge red setter move over for the child and sighed as he knew sooner or later the licking would start. He called the super for the building and got nothing helpful. The new tenant was Heddlu? At least he had a name.

Ianto rang his mate and asked him and was told that yes Andy did know the Captain. "He's a captain?"

"Nah, that just what everyone calls him on account of his old Great Coat. A Captain's coat."

"He wears a Great Coat" Ianto said slowly, now thinking of the picture of a soldier he kept in an envelope. Oh god, a right big problem of him and his solider fetish. Oh man. He asked Andy to tell the Captain where his daughter could be retrieved from. Then he made her a sandwich and let her have the TV remote while he waited.

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The pounding on the door had Ianto rising to answer and the man who slammed into his apartment was large and imposing. Ianto could not help but think there was a lot of slamming today. He rubbed his shoulder where the door had hit it as it flew open and then sighed, following the man into the living room where the little girl was now crying in his arms while Myfanwy watched with her tongue lolling out. The man glared at Ianto like he has abused the child or something, then rose with her on his hip and stropped out without so much as a single fucking thanks kiss my arse.

Ianto gaped at the doorway for a beat and then he went to the drawer under his collection of things, pulling out the envelope and the picture of the WWII soldier standing in his Great Coat on a cold morning out on the moors as the mist rolled around him. Uncanny. Weirdly uncanny likeness. Maybe… an ancestor? Weird. Ianto placed the envelope back in the drawer under the hank of sage.

"No good deed" Ianto said to himself as he closed the drawer and turned to his muddy dog "Right you… bath."

Myfanwy's legs gave out as she slumped in a tantrum at the dreaded word she hated the most in the entire world. Well… that and confiscate. She knew that one too, far too many great toys gone as punishments.

Damn it.

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"So... he didn't even say thanks?" Andy spluttered with anger as he accepted the can of Brains Ianto held out to him.

"Nope. Never spoke once. Just did this Vulcan death glare" Ianto said as he sat with his own can.

"Where's Fanny?"

"Had a bath" Ianto said like it explained everything and Andy snorted, rising to go into the bedroom and say hello politely to the huge creature that sat in the wreaked bed glaring at him.

Andy returned to the living room and sat again "Cold."

"Yep. I warned her that if she got in the lake with all that duck shit it would mean a bath but would she listen?" Ianto scoffed "Noooooo."

In the bedroom a howl started and Ianto sighed before yelling "That will not get it back ya know!"

Andy raised an eyebrow.

"She waited until I was leaning over the tub and yanked me in. I took her rubber duck" Ianto explained.

"Not the glittery one. Aw, come on mate. That's her fave."

"Exactly."

"You know… if ya told people they would not believe it. A dog. A bloody dog" Andy shook his head and then took a good gulp of beer.

The little black cat that slid from under the sofa to glare at Andy had him choking on his beer "Fuck. Shit, sorry Janet. Didn't know you were there."

"Uncle Andy is a potty mouth… yeah" Ianto crooned as he petted the sleek arched back then gave Andy a look he knew well.

Andy took another swig before reaching for the wallet for the swear jar.

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The pounding on the door was so familiar that it was like déjà vu but this time Ianto stepped back before he opened the door and letting the man in, the coat swirling around him as he entered Ianto's apartment.

"I wondered when you would come for it" Ianto said as he picked the little pink jacket off the hook and handed it to him "Is she OK now?"

"Jack Harkness" the man blurted sticking out a hand and as Ianto accepted it he felt something he did NOT expect.

Oh no.

They stared at one another in mute shock. Ianto now knew the prayers had been heard, his wishes granted and the spell cast and bound. His request for a man like this one, a good strong man like this one… oh fuck me sideways. What had he done?

This is his soul mate?