Chap 25

Once Jack had explained to Gray exactly what the problem was, as he hadn't quite understood what Rhia was bellowing through the repeated slapping, he was mortified at his stupidity.

He carefully placed the bushes into the tubs Jack had pulled from the bushes. He had dumped the spring bulbs out without a second thought knowing that the daffodils and freesias were not as important. As they saved the roses, Jack named each one. To find one for his beloved niece was so awful. He had almost killed Melissa's rosebush.

He hadn't known about the miscarriage and Jack had quietly talked about Lisa and the first baby that she had lost soon after their wedding. He told him about the family's dislike for Ianto and how they had loved each other despite them.

The lost siblings that never had a chance, to the brother he had seen murdered. Gray had known absolutely none of this, none of it had been in the file he had read on the family, and he finally saw Ianto in a new light.

As they were finishing Ianto came out onto the deck. Jack was saddened to see the evidence of crying and Ianto stood there wringing his hands as he watched Jack watering the freshly re-planted bushes.

Jack rose from where he had been holding the hose, handing it off to Gray and he walked over to the decking.

"You OK baby?" he asked softly and Ianto nodded silently.

"See the tubs? We'll let the poor things recover and then we'll replant the garden." Jack soothed and then he had a brainwave, "We'll horseshoe the garden around the pagoda. Then we can have special moments with our loved ones. A wee breakfast table means we could even start the day with them in summer! Yeah?"

Ianto nodded again and finally looked at Gray.

"Ianto. I'm so sorry, I never knew what this garden was and I know I should have …" Gray's voice tapered off as Ianto turned and walked away.

"God! He's never going to forgive me now!" Gray wailed, his final act was a coffin nail in their relationship, he was sure of it.

"Give him time. He's more upset than angry" Jack sighed, "He needs time to chew it over. It's OK Gray, he'll forgive you. Maybe, I will too."

As Jack followed his husband back into the house Gray gaped at where he had been standing.

Ianto was standing inside the doors staring aimlessly at the nearest sofa.

"Gorgeous? You need anything?" Jack asked as he slid his hands over Ianto's shoulders from behind.

Ianto turned to face him and sighed as he slid into the embrace Jack was offering, resting his head on his shoulder.

"Such a lovely day. Suck a calm, happy day and idiot out there spoils everything," Jack murmured as he rubbed Ianto's back and rocked him gently, "God, I wonder how much drugs he took while undercover. There has to be an explanation for his brain damage somewhere."

Ianto snorted softly and relaxed into the hug. Jack began to hum and they danced a gentle waltz.

Gray came in to wash up and watched his brother comforting Ianto and saw, once again, how much love there was between them. The garden fiasco was going to take a while to live down and his glowering wife who was advancing on him was not going to let him forget it in a hurry.

Noah started to snuffle from the sofa and Ianto went to release him from his seat. Cuddling him on the sofa, Ianto whispered to him softly what had happened. Walter had been wandering about and listened as well.

"Uncle Gray hurt the roses?" Walter frowned.

"He didn't mean to Bug." Jack assured him as Gray face palmed on the background. "He wanted to give us the awesome pool and didn't know the roses were special."

"My Mummy's one is OK though?" Walter gasped with growing horror, "Mummy's special one?"

"Yes darling, Jack reached out his arms and Walter hurried for a hug, "Mummy's roses with be pretty again. Big yellow ones … for remembrance, yeah?"

"Yup" Walter popped the P.

"Mummy was so pretty and so are her roses." Jack said quietly watching as Ianto kissed Noah's wee nose. "Mummy will always be with us so we are always loved."

"Uncle Gray didn't hurt the Mummy Rose though"

"No my dearest wee man. We're all OK. Nobody's hurt. Not me, Taddy or Mummy's Rose."

"No. Uncle Gray might be if he doesn't buck his ideas up though!" Rhia said from the kitchen doorway and Gray sighed.

Sofa tonight for sure!