Solstice.
Standing back Ianto made sure he was well out of the way as Jack backed the car out the garage. It was not often Jack got out the car. Last time was when he had had his cough. First he had got hot then cold then achy. He had to lay in bed lots, sniffling. Myfanwy was not too good either so didn't mind keeping him company. Jack found him loads of things to watch with animals and read to him. But his cough got worse and throat hurt and he had a headache.
Jack said he had to go and see the Doctor. They took the car because he was too poorly to walk. It was the only time he had ever taken Myfanwy out of the house but she was sick too and he made sure she was all wrapped up warmly in a nice blanket. Doctor Singh was really nice; she had listened to his chest asking him to breathe in and out. Then looked in his ears and he had to open his mouth because his throat was sore and he could hardly speak. She told him he had bronky something. She said stay in bed, get lots of rest and drink loads of juice. He had to take loads of different medicines along with a strange puffy thing. You put it in your mouth, there was a whoosh and he had to take a quick sharp, long breath, and he had started feeling much better.
Then the cough jumped into Jack so out came the car again. This time it was his turn to look after Jack. Jack got extra tired and slept lots. Jack was so tired he slept a whole day and night in one go. For once it was a good sleep with no dreams. The best thing about Jack being sick was he got to help. He was so proud he had made Jack a cup of tea. It took him ages to get the mug up the stairs because he didn't want to spill anything. Jack said it was the best cup tea ever. He was so happy Jack liked his tea.
Fortunately he did have help too much because Mary Morgan came. She was Mr Morgan's daughter. Morag came to check that they were all right because they hadn't come to the shop and Doctor Singh had told her they both had the bronky cough. Mary helped clean up the kitchen. She had said it was hard to believe from the mess he had only made one cup of tea. Ianto had explained that the sugar kept jumping off the spoon onto the bench and the milk wouldn't come out the carton proper. After that she came ever day Jack was sick to help out. She tidied up and things and heated up food. He liked Mary; she was nice and she was all fat because she was going to have a baby.
Apart from Mary the best thing about being sick was all the different things people kept bringing them to eat. Chicken noodle soup that was the best nicest thing. There was so much food Jack didn't need to cook for two whole weeks and there were still some cakes in the freezer.
The car was fully out so he shut the garage door and got in. Putting on his seat belt they drove off. Today they were going across to the other side of the Island for a big day out and was too far to walk today so Jack was going to drive. Driving was special because he got to help change the gears. He put his hand on the gear stick and Jack put his hand on his and changed gear as they drove off.
As they passed through the village Ianto put on his music and he saw Jack roll his eyes.
"Do we have to listen to that song?"
"But we are really moving, and it's the moving song," Ianto replied.
"Alright but only two repeats," Jack told him as Ianto smiled and put the song on and sat back singing along. "I like to move it, move it…"
Watching the crowds Constable Dana stood her arms crossed. Of all the places she could have been sent this summer she had to be sent here. She couldn't understand some of her older colleagues' envy when she had found she had been posted to the big Island. She was a city girl not a country bumpkin. She had never heard of the place until she had been told where she had been posted. She had had to look through the records in preparation and found it had the lowest crime statistics in the United Kingdom. Now she understood why. There was no point in stealing anything. Even if the perpetrators did managed to take something without being seen by the keen eyed locals they could never get it off the island. Car theft was almost unheard of. The last serious attempt was a few weeks ago. It has was thwarted when the ferry operator has noted Mrs Grieves appeared to have been transformed into a sullen youth and called the police.
The only crime was all petty, caused by summer visitors and that was mostly drunk and disorderly. This was caused by the visitors underestimating the power of the local bootleg whiskey. It had a legal counterpart which was for sale legally. However the bootleg was the Islands worst kept secret and readily available if you knew who to ask.
All attempts to stamp out its manufacture had failed. Except for overeager and enthusiastic Customs and Excise officers who came over every few years to try and find the stills no one bothered. Little good it did them. She got the feeling that the locals enjoyed the challenge. They geared themselves up like it was an entertainment. In all the years there had only been one successful raid and that had only recovered a single empty barrel and some piping.
She let out a sigh; if only one was planned she could help she would have enjoyed the exhilaration. 'Oh god,' she was so bored she had come to this, dreaming of being part of the customs boys tracking people for tax evasion. She smiled as several locals passed, using the finger to the forehead greeting she had come to know so well. It was idyllic but only if you enjoyed fishing, farming and sheep. There was nothing to do for the police except make their presence known like today. Show your face, smile and wave and pretend she wasn't bored out of her brain.
Looking wildly about Ianto scanned every face. He was not sure what to do. Jack had been talking just here. But there were so many people he only let go of his hand for a few moments. He had seen the police car all white and red with yellow stripes; it had big flashing light on the top. He was sure he had only looked for a few moments, he had turned to speak to Jack but he was gone. He tried to calm himself down. He wished Mac was here he would know what to do. He looked around but there were just too many people.
He swallowed. Maybe he should go and find the car but there were a lot of people in the way and he wasn't sure he could push his way through on his own. He might bump into them. It was okay when he was with Jack; he just held onto his arm. How was he going to get home if he was lost? He bit his bottom lip as he thought.
He looked towards the police car. Maybe the nice policeman he had met at Morag's was there. Maybe he could help. He quickly scanned around with his eyes. He felt his stomach drop when he saw it was a lady. She was wearing police clothes so he edged forward.
"Can I help you?" Dana asked a causally dress man approaching her, looking like he was about to burst into tears.
"I've lost Jack," Ianto told as he saw the young's woman's face become more animated as she immediately became alert.
"How old is he and where did you last see him?"
"I don't know," Ianto replied shaking his head.
"Well is he a baby or a toddler?"
Ianto heard the question but not sure he understood. Jack was a grown up. How was he to reply? Everyone he knew, knew Jack.
"What's your name?" Dana saw the man take a step back and she couldn't understand why he was so jittery.
"Ianto."
"Surname?"
Ianto looked confused. "I don't know that word," he replied.
"Last name; what is your last name?"
"Jones."
"So we're looking for Jack Jones." Ianto became even more distressed as he shook his head.
"Jack's lost, I've lost him." Ianto started looking around. She was about to continue when she was interrupted.
"It's okay Ianto." Ianto turned to the voice. Dana looked and saw it was Sergeant McCredie who put his hand on Ianto's shoulder.
"You sound like you've lost Jack," he said cautiously.
"Yes," Ianto burst out. "He was talking. I turned around and he was gone," he explained relieved to see someone he knew.
"Point to where you were," he instructed. Ianto pointed to the marquee about seventy-five feet away and saw it was the tea and cake tent.
"Tell you what Ianto, you stay here with Constable Dana in case he's come looking for you and I'll go find him."
"I need Jack, I need him." Ianto said. Sergeant McCredie rubbed his arm.
"We'll find him. You stay here with Constable Dana and she will look after you," he reiterated.
"Okay," Ianto said, uncertain.
Sergeant McCredie turned to Dana. "This is Ianto Jones. He lives with Jack Harkness at Rose Cottage. Jack looks after Ianto," he said as introduction. She nodded her understanding. "He loves mechanical things. See if you could distract him with the police car while I go and find Jack for him," he added.
"What if Jack is lost and you can't find him?' he said his faced creased with worry.
"Yes we will. I bet he's looking for you right now. And Dana don't ask him anymore questions," he said. As he turned away he saw Jack looking wildly about.
At the same time Ianto saw him. "Jack!" Ianto took off towards him and threw his arms around him.
"Knew he couldn't have gone far," Sergeant McCredie noted as they watched Jack embrace Ianto in a huge hug. After several moments he handed him a handkerchief and gave him a quick kiss on the lips.
Dana watched the exchange, glanced about and saw no-one even turned a hair. She took a moment to observe what on the mainland would be an uncommon sight of two men openly showing affection in an inmate embrace followed by a kiss.
"Hug and a kiss works every time," he said with a small smile. Dana looked at him.
"What's with the questions?" Dana asked trying to work through what she had observed.
"Ianto has issues with questions. It's related to what happened to him before he got here and we all take great care not to ask him any if we can avoid it."
"We?" she asked as several questions formed in her mind.
"Everyone hereabouts knows about Ianto, we take great care to ensure he doesn't get upset."
She was about to ask another question when they saw the pair both head towards them, Ianto firmly holding Jack's hand.
"I've found him," Ianto declared with a huge smile
"Thank you," Jack said. Sergeant McCredie took Jack's hand and gave it a shake. "I just turned around and he was gone."
"You did the right thing Ianto, looking for one of us," Sergeant McCredie commented as he acknowledged Jack's thanks with a nod of his head.
"Yes I am very proud of you, you didn't panic and you found help, good man," Jack said as Ianto's smile grew.
"Have you been enjoying the day?" Sergeant McCredie asked him.
"I am, it's my first big day out. We came in the car. We parked over with loads of other cars. Then we walked around and saw all the animals. I said hello to Marigold, she was looking all clean. She had won a big red rosy thing which had 2nd on it."
"Rosette," Dana suggested. Ianto nodded.
"Marigold's a pig," Jack explained.
"She's my friend. She all big and huge and greedy. I've never won a second of anything so that's cool she got a rosy. Then we watched the black and white dogs chase the sheep into pens. They were so clever they seemed to know exactly what to do and made the sheep go the right way. We looked at all the things for sale. Jack bought some books which he put in the car. Then Jack got me lunch, it was a hot dog. I wasn't too sure what that was. I didn't want to eat a dog, hot or not, but then I found it was red sausage in a bun with tomato sauce. It was de-delicious. While we were eating there was a band marching up and down and playing music. It was a bit loud. After that there was people throwing huge poles and hammers and stones. Jack went to get a cup of tea and I got lost, then I found him now, we are here," Ianto rattled out in what seemed like one breath.
"Wow, that is a lot of information," Dana said blinking.
"I like talking Jack says it was hard work to get me to say a word now I'm started I can't stop." Jack smiled at him proudly.
"Now I've heard a rumour there's a certain young man who likes to know how things work," Sergeant McCredie told him. Ianto now nodded. "Now I wonder who it could be?" he asked generally as he saw Ianto take a deep breath and his eyes widen.
"It's me, I help Mac fix things."
"Well would you like a ride? I'm sure Constable Dana would love to give you a spin around the field and I am sure if you ask nicely she can be persuaded to turn on the lights and sirens."
Ianto looked at Jack then to the car and then Dana. Jack nodded and he got in.
"You will wait for me right here?" Ianto said little unsure.
"Right here," Jack told him as he pointed to the ground.
"He's come a long way Jack. Can't tell you what a pleasure it was to see him here today," Sergeant McCredie told him as the car moved forward the lights flashing.
"It's his first big day out," Jack added smiling.
"Aye and Marigold got a second. David Morgan will be pleased," he said as they watched the police car on its way back.
"You look like you've run a marathon Jack is Ianto wearing you out?" he looked at Jack who was looking pale and exhausted.
"No just a summer cold, having a hard time throwing it off." The car drew up and Ianto had his finger in his ears as he got out, a huge grin on his face.
"That was so much fun," he added. "I put my fingers in my ears because it was too loud."
"Well I don't get to use the sirens much on the Island," Dana told him. "So they needed a bit of workout."
"Do you get to use them loads on the mainland?" he asked.
"We use them to get people out of the way."
"I would jump out the way if I heard them," he replied.
"Good man," Sergeant McCredie told him. "Jack, always a pleasure," he took his hand and shook it.
"Thank you for looking out for him," Jack added.
"Yes, thank you for helping me find Jack," Ianto added. Turning they now headed back towards the tea and cake marquee.
"Wow I didn't think anyone could get out so much information in one breath," Dana commented as they walked away holding hands.
"Oh aye when he arrived on the Island the poor man could hardly say a word let alone handle any interaction with anyone other than Jack, so it's a huge step to hear him say anything let along cope with a big event like today."
"What happened to him?" she asked.
"No one actually knows but from what Jack has said Ianto was taken hostage and treated very badly. Torture from the scars on his back; whatever happened was profound, poor man. Jack brought him here so he could recover and it's been hard work. But he is making real progress if he can handle a day out like this."
"And Jack looks after him," she said looking across the field.
"Aye Ianto's his partner, he spends every waking moment devoting his time to ensure Ianto is cared for on every level."
"And this doesn't bother you? I don't mean the caring part, I mean that it's two guys," she asked thinking this was not something she expected here of all places.
"Nope don't care; none of us do. Well there was a bit of a fuss over the renovations to the house to say the least; meetings in the village hall, people vowing they would run them out but then we met Ianto and saw how Jack was with him. Never saw a man so in need of life. It didn't hurt he ran around naked in the local church yard much to the enjoyment of the ladies," he added with a chuckle.
"He what!" she burst out.
"Ianto not Jack," he corrected. "Stripped off buck naked, chasing butterflies so I was told."
"And no one made a complaint?" she asked astounded.
"Only complaint I heard there was no repeat." He raised his eyebrows.
"This Island is renowned for well…its deeply conservative ways," she found herself commenting.
"Well maybe we're not as conservative as people imagine or as closed minded. We are hard but fair people and Jack has earned our respect. And once you become an Islander you are an Islander for life. We look out for each other. Oh, some people will call it being nosey but no one here will lay dead unnoticed for a year, or find themselves without help when they need it most. And any way since young Malcolm, Morag's youngest, came out and started living with Mark over the way we got used to the idea before Jack and Ianto came to live here."
She was about to say more when another local passed putting their finger to their forehead as they passed in greeting and she found herself replying in the same way, thinking about what else she had misread.