22

They headed into work and Jack was content to rifle through the glove box like one of the kids, pulling out random things for inspection. Gods, he was such a child.

"Bubblegum!" he crowed, shoving some into his mouth and then pulling out a photo of Ianto and a pretty blonde woman who was looking at the camera with a look of annoyance.

"This her?" Jack flapped it at Ianto and then examined it more closely, seeing Ianto's relaxed look of amusement.

"Yeah" Ianto nodded, not looking over as he knew what photo he always kept in there.

"Small. Funny, I had this image of her big and buxom like her sister." Jack said with wonder, "But she is so little. Sweet, like … ethereal."

"Yeah" Ianto smiled, "She was my best friend."

"So. Was she your first?" Jack asked as he placed it carefully back in the envelope he had found it in.

"Girlfriend? Yeah" Ianto nodded still watching the road, "Back in high school. Before her was a boy called Darren but me Da found out and there was hell to pay. We were only 12. Gods, hadn't even kissed. Just held hands and stuck together like we knew there was something there. Me Da beat me senseless after seeing us walking hand in hand from the bus stop. Whacked Ren a few times as well before he managed to run."

Jack was still, looking at Ianto with new interest, "So your father disapproved and Kayla was acceptable to him?"

Ianto laughed softly, "Actually we got it right. We were mates. Friends all through school and she wanted to help me get past the rumours and such. Especially with Ren's family moving away after me Da wouldn't stop hounding them and their 'pofter' son who he was sure had raped me in the bushes or something. If only they knew, right? We were together for almost two years before she finally said to me that I had better kiss her and get it over with. We knew then that we had both been idiots and were married the following spring."

"Was your Da always violent?"

"Only when bladdered" Ianto shrugged as they stopped at light and he turned to face Jack, "I don't talk about it. He beat me and me Mam, he was a horrible person and one night he…got arrested and he dried out in prison. Mam forgave him and thought I should too. I try but sometimes I look at him and want to stab him. Mama can tell me he's sober as much as she likes, wax lyrical about the changes in their life together, that's fine. The rule remains that he is never to be alone with my babies and I will never let him touch me."

"What did he do" Jack whispered, "The night he went too far."

Ianto turned and looked at the lights, moving off as they turned green and Jack thought he was going to ignore the question, then as they turned for the studio lot he replied "He still maintains to this day he doesn't remember. At the time he told them he thought it was his bedroom and I was his wife, but he…tried to hurt me. He strangled me as he tried to get my PJs off and I could feel his…I …"

Ianto stopped in his designated park and rubbed at his face, "I don't talk about it. Never have. It's my memory and my burden to know my father was capable of such animalistic behaviour. Another reason why Kayla and I agreed Rhiannon was to be our child minder. Mam loves the bones of them but I will not let her take them, won't give him that opportunity. Maybe I am being unfair but life is unfair. I don't want my kids to know that feeling of…of…self disgust."

"Not your fault" Jack said softly, "How old were you?"

"Thirteen. It was about four months after Ren had moved away" Ianto sighed, "I was not a little kid, I was old enough to understand what was happening and it's only the fact I fought back that saved me from having even worse memories. Sometimes I wish I had killed him. Sometimes I used to wish he killed me. Others, I want to believe Mam."

"And deep down love?" Jack whispered.

"One day I fear I will kill him" Ianto looked at Jack and let him see his eyes, the red tint to them almost like a fiery halo around the iris in the sunlight they had to negotiate to get to the doors.

Jack felt a chill running down his spine as he knew Ianto's father would not stand a chance against his Vampyre son and death can be very slow and painful with these creatures.

But who was he to judge.