4
The Team had listened attentively as Jack told them, Ianto twisting in the chair as he waited for the backlash, then looking around furtively when none eventuated.
"How old is he?" Tosh asked with genuine interest.
"Just turned five, started school" Ianto said proudly, his face animated as he opened his PDA and amazed Tosh by tapping onto the screen on the wall, pictures starting to open of a happy little boy.
"Oh Ianto, he's lovely" Gwen sighed, "We were trying to stay out of the way back there, can we meet him properly?"
"Why?" Ianto asked with confusion, this sudden interest in him making him feel strange.
"Well, we all need something to connect to, something to remind us why we fight so hard" Gwen said knowledgably, "I have Rhys. Maybe Little…er…"
"Flynn."
"Yes…maybe Flynn is the reason we are fighting too. Right? Maybe he reminds us that this planet has so much beauty in it" she gushed, then looked around for support.
"Well, he has cool hair" Owen shrugged, "Looked like a sturdy wee lad."
"Thank you" Ianto smiled
"Right, we have a lot of things to think about, I for one have some thinking to do" Jack said as he stood, "Ianto, go home to your little man. He's hurt and clearly wanted you."
"Thank you Sir" Ianto rose and hesitated, "Ah, I can come back tomorrow though, right?"
Jack looked at him and sighed, "Ianto, I told you. It's OK. No one is judging you for being a single parent. Least of all me. Go. Be with him."
Ianto nodded and walked out, then Jack remembered that Ianto didn't have a vehicle so he followed him, "Ianto, how do you get all the way to the estate?"
"Bus?" Ianto said, "Or if it's fine I walk. Sometimes I change from my suit to jogging gear and run. I like to run."
"Let me drive you" Jack offered, "Your sister might have questions and I would like him to see me again so he doesn't find me imposing or associate me with getting hurt."
"That…that is kind" Ianto nodded, ducking his head and Jack smiled softly as he watched Ianto reached for the Great Coat, gently shaking it before turning and Jack accepted it as always.
The drive was in relative silence, the radio filling the void for them both and as they drew close Ianto started indicating the turns until they pulled up outside a house that Ianto sighed at.
"What's wrong?" Jack asked.
"It's a four bed" Ianto sighed, "Their room, Mica's, David's and I share with Flynn. He needs his own room. He has so much stuff and you know how I hate mess. He needs room and…I spent everything on her, everything. How could I do that?"
"You had hope" Jack felt sorry for the young man and felt bad for having thought of him as a superficial toy. A nice piece of eye candy. This man was so much more complex than he had let on, gods, he had a child. Barely in long pants himself.
"Yeah. Now I have a child looking for more than I can provide" Ianto slumped in the seat.
"What about insurance, surely…"
Ianto started to laugh softly as he sighed and looked at Jack, "Insurance from where? Jack, I never got a red cent for Canary Warf. Not a bloody thing. Any wonder some have committed suicide? To have survived that only to be left in the dark, wishing we hadn't been left behind. Our friends, family…gone."
"But…there was supposed to be compensation" Jack frowned as he tried to understand.
"No. Maybe her family got something I don't know. They don't speak to me and I refuse to let them near him as they have tried to nick him more than once. Visitation and then they want to take him for ice-cream, four days later I track them down and have to snatch him at the supermarket like a fucking child molester. He was scared for weeks they were coming to take him again" Ianto snorted, "You think I want to live with my brother-in-law, the homophobic arsehole?"
Jack looked over at Ianto as a small flicker of hope stirred, "Homophobe?"
"Yeah, if he calls me gay boy one more time I might fucking shoot him" Ianto muttered. "The day will come when I still have my side arm, I swear to god I will. Just because I'm Bi, it's no reason to make out there is a joke to be had."
Jack followed Ianto to the front door and Ianto turned to smile softly "Sorry for what you are going to see, she's a but mad this one. Pink is her signature."
Jack stepped over the threshold and blinked as he was assaulted by pink, the charcoal carpet the only saving grace and he removed his boots to enjoy the feeling of it.
"Ianto got that" Rhia said as she watched the man scrunch his toes, "Was me Christmas pressie. The entire house, god but it's lovely isn't it?"
"Wonderful" Jack agreed.
"That factory full of Franklerbs? They were grateful for our help and you told me to clean it up" Ianto whispered "I'm not in trouble for that, am I?"
"No of course not" Jack assured him wishing he had known how sparse Ianto's life was.
Then came a cry of delight and Jack forgot everything else.
Because then came Flynn.