9
Ianto huffed as he tripped down the steps to the backyard.
Damned frost was making everything slippery and he had specifically asked Jack to salt the path last night so he could get to the glasshouse. He was worried about the orchids, intending to add some more straw to their beds as he hurried in the cold afternoon.
It had happened almost overnight. The cold snap blanketing the garden like icing sugar. He had bloody asked … three days in a row he's told Jack it was coming and … whoops.
That was close! Ianto giggled nervously as he regained his footing, a hand to his chest to calm his heartbeat.
He went down hard with the next step. A strangled cry of fear as he lost control.
The concrete path wasn't just cold and slick. It was bloody hard. The back of his head made a resounding crack as he slammed it back, grunting with pain.
He lay in the cold staring up at the blue sky as he wondered what the hell had just happened, then it came back to him. He fell, like an old woman.
The cold had seeped into his bones, biting and painful. It felt like he was being immersed in flames. God, must get up.
With a snort he tried to get up, only to find he was stuck. For some reason he was stuck to the frosted ground and he groaned as he struggled to free himself.
"Taddy!" CJ screamed as he came upon his Tad, laying prone in the frost.
"Hey Bug, help your old man up will you?" Ianto laughed as he reached up a hand, "I'm bloody stuck down here."
"With that amount of blood, I'm not surprised!" CJ huffed, pulling Ianto up to his feet.
The frost made a sound like ripping and Ianto turned to see a large patch of frozen blood on the ground.
"Shit, the hose will be frozen. Go get the kettle" Ianto demanded as he felt the back of his head for a wound.
"Tad" CJ said softly and Ianto shook his head.
"Yeah. You're right, I'll have to boil the big pot to have enough water to wash this way before your father gets home."
"Tad."
"CJ please, just, just do this, OK?" Ianto turned to CJ and he saw fear.
"Oh Sweetie, I'm OK." He assured his son, "I can't even feel a bump."
"Tad, you've been out here nearly two hours. Dad will be home any minute with the minions and I'm telling you right now that I am not buying this!" CJ growled.
"Buying what?" Ianto frowned with confusion.
"You were so still, your eyes staring like that. Like Dad that time the car rolled on him while he was doing the oil change!" CJ was shaking and Ianto reached for him but was slapped away.
"No! Don't cuddle this better! You were dead. I know dead and you were fucking dead!" CJ was shouting as he shook and Ianto looked back at the blood stain with horror.
"Oh my God, do you think so?" he turned back to look at CJ with wide eyes.
"Tad? You really don't know?" he asked softly.
"Of course not." Ianto snorted, "Last time I was dead, your father knew but I never realised until later!"
"Last time?" CJ gaped.
Ianto was addled, not thinking clearly, "Lisa killed me the day she went nuts. If your father hadn't brought me back to life I … shit. CJ!"
"Taddy" this time CJ was the one reaching out, taking his father into his arms. "It's OK."
"Lisa was damaged. Affected by a piece of alien tech and she went crazy. She threw me into the hub pool where I died. Jack couldn't bear it, he kissed me and transferred some of his energy."
"Is that why you don't age?" CJ asked and Ianto considered it.
"I never thought about it. Shit." Ianto went to sit and CJ grabbed him before he could hit the ground.
"Easy Taddy, let's go inside," CJ soothed as he heard the growl of the SUV creeping up the drive.