4
Ianto was kneeling at a window ledge painting the wall when he glanced out and saw his parents pulling up, a soft sigh as the unspoken agreement not to come here was broken.
Ianto dropped the brush into the pail of paint and rose, wiping his hands as he listened to Mica call out with delight, Daf no doubt opening the door to let them in. He had this weird image of vampires standing on the doorstep not able to come in until invited like a black and white silent movie but he knew his kids would welcome them with glee.
"Mam" he said softly as he watched her checking Mica's hair while she cuddled against her and he felt a stab of anger as her nose wrinkled, sniffing to see if it was clean. Daf was talking ten to the dozen about a nest of eggs he was watching covertly so he thought with the usual childish bumbling, and the seagulls who would soon hatch.
"What can I do for you?" Ianto asked, hoping it sounded polite and his father snorted. Well, maybe it was not as polite as he had hoped but this was his home. Kayla's home.
"You've not been answering your phone" his Mother said in an accusatory tone, "We got worried."
Ianto looked over at the answer machine and then walked over, cursing as he noted the absence of flashing lights. "Dafyd? Can you see why the phone is not plugged in?"
"Ah" the boy had the good grace to look ashamed, "I unplugged it to plug in my camera to charge. I forgot to plug it back in. Sorry."
"The phone needs power to work, without it there is no ringtone" Ianto said calmly, already forgiving him as he reached down and plugged it all in. It rang almost instantly and Ianto swung, then remembered the answer machine had cyberspace backup in case of a power cut. He waited for the download to complete and then touched the button.
His mother.
His mother asking why he hadn't answered.
His sister-in-law.
His mother demanding he call.
Ianto tuned to look at her as the next one seemed to linger, she had not hung it up before his father's voice was clearly audible telling her he was probably busy bumming someone while the kids were shut in another room.
Dafyd looked at his grandfather with open shock as Mica asked, "What does bumming mean Taddy?"
Ianto raised an eyebrow as he eyeballed his father.
"Ianto? Damn it man. How the hell can I get you a job if you are out with those kids beachcombing or whatever ya twat"
Ianto swung to stare at the phone then he lifted the receiver and rang his Agent.
"Sorry Larry, phone problems" Ianto smiled, "What's up."
Ianto listened and then paled, reaching for a chair and he sat with open shock.
"Darling?" Meg asked as she watched her son place the phone carefully on the counter and take a deep breath.
"They picked it up" he said softly.
"What love?"
"The show. Torchwood, Jesus wept, they picked it up" Ianto said, his face lighting up, "Mama, I got an Alt-reality TV show!"
"Oh darling" she said happily, "Well done."
Mica had been fiddling with her tablet and she gasped, "GrandDa, you said a bad thing. Taddy doesn't have a boyfriend. Or a girlfriend. He had Mama and she died. That's not nice to say to Tad. If he wants a boyfriend then that's fine too. Taddy needs someone, Mama has been dead for years now. Taddy needs love too."
Ianto was slowly coming back on line and realised the conversation, rising and clapping his hands, "Right, enough of that. I don't need a girlfriend or boyfriend. I have you two. If I do get a girlfriend or boyfriend you will be the first to know, after all, you come first OK?"
"So it might be a boy?" his father asked, Ianto swinging to glare at him.
"Is that all that matters to you? What the old regiment might think?" Ianto was angry now, his great news ruined by his father's distain. Like a small child bringing a handmade gift only to be told it was ugly.
"Come on Liam" his mother rose, gesturing at the door, "We can see they are OK."
"Of course we are" Mica said with a frown, "Taddy remembered to feed us and everything."
Ianto started to snigger at the honest face and his mother smiled as well, "Sorry love. We didn't mean to come in here and make it sound like you don't know what you are doing"
Ianto walked them to the door and his mother turned once more, "What about them? If you have to go to work, who will mind them then?"
"Rhia" Ianto said firmly, "Like we agreed when they were born, Kayla and I agreed. Always Rhiannon as their carer. That doesn't change."
"Well, I would love…"
"I know" Ianto said softly, hoping his hand on her shoulder softened the next words, "But not around Da. OK?"
She sighed as she stepped down and turned back to face him, "He's been sober for nigh on twelve years love. He's not that man anymore."
"He was always that man" Ianto said as he looked past her directly at the man in question who stood watching them and he said softy, "An alcoholic doesn't get cured Mam. He just gets dry. It won't erase the reason why he stopped."
She nodded and moved towards the car, Ianto's father glaring at him over the roof of the car as he called out, "We love the bones of them ya know."
"Yeah I know Da" Ianto replied as he turned to go inside, "Shame about me though, eh?"
His father stood for a while before getting into the driver's seat to leave, no doubt his heart heavy with regrets. As was Ianto's as he stood inside the door rubbing that damned neck that never healed properly and ached before the rains.