21
Ianto was half asleep as he stumbled to the door, opening it to stare at the pale man shivering on the other side.
"Jack?"
"John didn't make it" Jack sobbed, breaking down, "Oh Gods, I couldn't stop him."
"Come on, come in here" Ianto hooked him in, looking for cameras.
"Just me" Jack hitched his breath, "They are still spinning, they don't' know how to explain his death. Oh Gods, Ianto."
Ianto pulled him into his arms, crooning softly as he led him upstairs. He was relieved that the children were in their own beds as he stripped Jack's clothes off and pushed him into the shower, following him without a second thought.
There were no lewd comments, no grins and Jack seemed not to even notice that they were both naked as Ianto lathered the soap and washed away the stench of death. Ianto knew there was something Jack wasn't telling him, his mind going back to the whole, live-die-live thing and he knew deep down that it was a truth hidden in the lie. Jack was able to come back. A true Boeshanian.
"How?" Ianto finally asked.
"Carbon monoxide" Jack said flatly and Ianto let it go, drying them both now and pulling on PJ bottoms before leading Jack to his bed. They settled in the bedding and Jack started to snuggle in, his hands clasping like one of the children so Ianto found it natural to hold him.
They slept.
.
.
.
.
"Taddy?"
Ianto grunted.
"Taddy. There's a man on my side of the bed!"
Ianto opened one eyelid to look at his little girl, her pout epic as she glared at the lump snoring. A grunt and Jack rolled away from Ianto to face the child who was complaining and she leaned in to examine his face.
"Is he a nice man?" she demanded.
"He's my friend" Ianto answered softly, "Yes, he is very nice."
"OK" she shrugged and to Ianto's shock she clambered in and cuddled up to Jack, who grunted again and pulled her into his arms. Ianto could feel Dafyd digging into his back, already having climbed in at some stage and he lay there considering this strange morning.
Rhiannon was soon calling the kids who slid from the bed and ran out of the room as Jack sat up with shock, looking around as he tried to work out what was happening.
"Jack, you are in my bed. We can stay a little longer but they are telling Rhia right now that you are in the bed so she will come raging up here to give me a mouthful about being a loose floozy." Ianto said calmly, "We can lay here and just let ourselves settle, OK? We have a lot to talk about and think about but tight now we can just let the day happen, OK?"
"Thank you" Jack said softly, "Jesus Ianto. I don't even remember coming here, I am so sorry."
"No" Ianto scolded, "A terrible thing happened, you were distraught. Don't be silly, come here."
Jack settled in Ianto's arms as Rhiannon walked into the room and glared t him, her hands on her hips. She looked at the two men and her face softened as she saw something had happened and she stepped closer to the bed, "Yan?"
"Someone we work with died last night Rhia, an accident in set and Jack saw him die so is really upset. There are clothes in the dryer, they stank of death and I had to wash them. Can you go check them for me?"
"Oh dear" she sighed, "Poor man."
"When she sees it on the screen…" Jack started.
"She will think it is a coincidence or wonder but never ask. Like she will see Kayla in the Cyberwoman episode." Ianto assured him, "She never met him, I've not spoken about him so she has no reason to think she is seeing the man. It's OK. One step at a time."
"He took a car belonging to the studio" Jack sighed, "How the hell do we spin that?"
"One with cameras?" Ianto groaned "Shit they have it?"
"Yeah" Jack confirmed reluctantly.
Ianto lay there thinking for a while, then sighed. "OK. Let's say it was my car, he stole the keys from the hook in the tourist centre. Yeah? We agree they can use some footage but not the actual death. They will be spinning as well, do not tell Diane or Emma. If they ask, we tell them he is visiting his son still."
"You don't think they will take it well?" Jack asked.
"Emma is too young to get her head around it and I feel Diane will rabbit" Ianto said as he considered, "She is too clued up, she will work out that she has a limited life here like he did. Emma has a chance, she is young enough if we can get her into a college or something to find a place in this modern world."
Jack nodded his agreement, knowing the studio would agree to whatever played on the screen.
He was starting to realise Ianto was more important to him than he thought he would be, the show not even a consideration now as he laid his head back on Ianto's chest.
He wasn't sure how to feel about that.