12
Jack sat staring at Ianto until Ianto blushed and looked away.
"When I hid with Lisa, on the Tardis" Ianto started, then stalled out and sighed.
"Tell me" Jack prompted.
"It was under some grating, there was this lovely golden glow and it seemed to be so warm and kind and … why are you looking at me like that?" Ianto asked as he watched Jack pale.
"Under the grating, you mean under the floor of the flight deck?" Jack whispered, his grip on Ianto now quite strong.
"Yes, next to the console thingy. She didn't seem to mind, even lifted the grate for me to drop Lisa in" Ianto pulled at his hand, fear starting.
"The heart of the Tardis, you saw the heart of the Tardis" Jack whispered.
"Only some tendrils of gold and some …. Oh. Is that bad?" Ianto was now tugging as he looked for an exit.
"No, no, baby. No, I don't mean to scare you" Jack assured him, "It's just, well she is a powerful thing, the Tardis."
"Don't I know it? Her bloody translation unit took a liking to me as well, not only can I understand any language spoken or written, I can hear things. Snippets, like whispers but with you, it's so strong."
"That's because of the time I spent on the Tardis, I guess." Jack shrugged, "She always did like me. Maybe it connected us on a deeper level."
"Hmmmm" Ianto's eyelids started to droop as he fought fatigue and Jack felt like a first class heel for keeping him up when he was exhausted.
"Would you like me to stay? Just until you're asleep?" Jack watched Ianto's face carefully as he spoke, hoping for a positive response.
"Could you … um … stay?" Ianto looked imploringly at him, "They don't attack when there is someone else with me. Not when I sleep."
"So, they only go for you when you are on your own?" Jack leaned back as he considered. It made sense, Tosh was alone when she was attacked as well.
"You don't 'ave to," Ianto stammered, taking Jack's silence for a negative response.
"Hey, I would love to stay and if you don't mind, I'm so tired I might stay over for the night" Jack said as sincerely as he could and he kept the leer at bay, "A nice cuddle and snooze might do us both a world of good."
Ianto's face lit up and Jack was again taken with his beauty, knowing he had made the right decision as Ianto nodded enthusiastically.
"I'll … I'll show you to the …er, facilities and such" Ianto was flushed.
"Best we stay together, I'll hit the head while you get ready and then we switch, that way we're in the same room" Jack was getting the hang of this and was rewarded with another small smile of relief.
The bathroom was also stark, but the large cupboards swung out to reveal a much organised cabinet, including spare toothbrush.
"I always keep a spare, in case Rhia needs me to take the kids" Ianto explained, then stalled out again.
"Rhia?"
"Rhiannon, my big sister. She has two kids" Ianto turned and looked at Jack with worry, "They're not in my file. Not to trick you, I just … I thought I might fail and didn't want them to become collateral damage in the clean-up."
"How often do you have them?" Jack changed the subject.
"Er, once a month or so, usually a weekend or public holiday" Ianto took the carrot with a look of gratitude, "Not so much since … well. She's a bit miffed with me for being so distant, but I've been kinda busy with …. Other visitors the last few months."
"So this isn't constant, more like a coming and going?"
"Yeah, I can go months even years being unharmed but then they seem to get stirred up again and come to poke and prod" Ianto laughed softly, "I used to think, when I was a kid like, that I was being abducted by Aliens because I would wake up with marks on me like needle marks and sometimes even stitches like they had operated."
Jack looked at Ianto and felt a slow boil coming on at the thought of his entire life being fraught with such deception, the need to lie so strongly.
"There was another, once. In the next room. A girl, with red hair and a sassy constitution. She was pregnant and they wanted the baby. Apparently it was important to them" Ianto struggled to think of the name.
"Another abductee?" Jack was tuned in, "Another victim?"
"Pond? She was in the next room to me, strapped down, it might have been a dream, and this might all be a dream but Emily? Amy? Amy Pond? Something like that, she seemed too real" Ianto sighed. "Told me her daughter would be called Melody. Pretty eh? Melody Pond. Silly the things we dream."
Jack ran a hand through his hair as he settled in the crisp white linen and watched Ianto nervously change with his back to him, unaware that the sight of that bum was so very nice.
PJs spoiled it but Jack smiled as he remembered the feel of those taught buns in his hands.
"Goodnight Sir" Ianto whispered into the brightly lit room.
Jack huffed, then pulled Ianto into his arms, kissing his forehead and settling with an arm protectively thrown over him.
As Ianto drifted off Jack tried to think of why that name meant something.
Melody Pond.
Why was that tickling at his memory?
Something from the Time Agency?
Weird.