2
"Oh, Mister … ah…."
"Jones" Ianto said softly, another bugbear for these uptight women being the fact he did not have his husband's name. He had explained that Jack kept his name for his employment and at the time, Ianto had kept his as he owned a family based company. Of course, his cousins would have REALLY shaken the trees if he had ever invited them here. Come to think of it… Christmas was going to be interesting with the Jones Family loose in the streets.
This thought made him smile and the women saw how handsome he was when not hiding behind a scowl, so they decided to let it go. After all… not the same for men I guess. This was their first openly gay couple so… they were trying to be open minded.
"So, do we have a layout?"
They stared.
"A map of the green for the day? What goes where… how much room each thing needs?"
"OH! Yes! A Blueprint" the mayor's wife said slowly like he was thick. Ianto smiled and accepted it for what it really was. A thick bitch in charge.
Within minutes he had noticed a few… ah… tweaks were needed and two hours later he left the place feeling like he had been mauled by lions, the women all pleased that THEY had sorted things. Although one did say softly to another "He is so clever. I had no idea we could fit the Rose Society out there under the veranda for the raffles and the presentations. So much nicer to have an elevated area."
"He speaks so well, clearly his mother raised him well" another agreed.
Ianto walked along the street to where he knew his husband would be, stopping outside to lean against a lamppost and watch the others head for their homes, dusk setting in.
"What's for Tea Tiger?" Jack asked as he stepped out of the Police Station and pulled the door closed, hearing the clunck that told them both the lock had engaged. One of the cute things about this village is that even the police have a none to five job, bar an emergency. The phone lines automatically switch to Jack's cell phone at 5pm. No one on night shift. The other two officers already home with their respective families.
"Crockpot been on all day Cariad, the corned silverside will be falling apart." Ianto answered without turning around, still watching as one by one, the street lights came on.
OK, he did enjoy that part.
The streets were wide, the grass verge either side had trees and bushes, and some even had gardens and pots of colour. Like a storybook place, or a movie set. It had shocked him to find the place not ticky-tacky like he had expected.
They walked along the promenade… the promenade… sounds quaint. They did NOT walk hand in hand, no… that sort of thing did NOT happen in this little picture perfect village. Don't' be ridiculous. It was enough that they walked in step.
They turned the corner to their house, a mere three houses down from the station, on the corner. The front door however, faced the other street. Ianto liked this though, not standing on the front step and seeing the police station. He might set fire to it with his mind if that were possible.
The smell of the corned silverside filled the house and Jack groaned with delight, knowing Ianto would have all the vegetables in there as well. And whole onions… yummmmm. White sause with onion mmmmmmmmmm.
"I just need to zap the peas in the microwave while I make some sauce and we are ready. Go wash up and let Cujo out" Ianto called out as he headed to the kitchen.
"Ianto, you know her name is Janet!" Jack called back, still annoyed that Ianto hated the dog so much. He had no idea Ianto did not like dogs, the dog part of the job as it was a police dog… semi-retired of course but still able to intimidate. It never occurred to him that Ianto did love the dog, got it all the best food and toys, walked it on the moors… no… it was the job it represented that made him unable to let go of his annoyance.
"Myfanwy is still pissed" Ianto called back, his huge fat cat on top of the large refrigerator glaring down at him in agreement. Ianto clucked at her and then shrugged as she spat loudly in reply. A bottle of his pills shoved over the edge with open malice.
Just another night in the Police House I guess.
.
.
"How long will you be?" Ianto asked as he watched Jack pack the suitcase with open concern.
"Three days, come on" Jack sighed "you will not die in that time. The Fete is coming, you can focus on that, yeah?"
"Oh yes… such joy" Ianto dryly answered as he rose from the bed he had been sitting on "You need the blue tie, not the red. The blue is more official."
"God… yeah. That's right" Jack muttered as he swapped out the ties.
"Hang on… three days… or nights?"
Jack froze as his brain caught up to the question and he grimaced "Ah… well a day travel each way… the seminar is two days… fuck. Yeah. Sorry, it's four isn't it? Gone Thursday afternoon for set ups, it starts Friday and concludes Saturday afternoon…. Too late to come home… yeah. Sorry."
"So… there we go. Four days alone in this mad place… yuck no… they will descend like jackals when they realize I am here alone! I will come with you!"
"And the fur kids? I can ask Gwen to move in if ya like, since you don't' want to care for them. See? Why we aren't' getting any of our own children, even if we do find someone willing to adopt to us." Jack muttered then again froze, this time because the bedroom door had slammed as Ianto had stormed off.
Clearly it was the wrong time to bring up the other Heddlu officer in the village who had not made a great first impression with Ianto. And the kid thing… yeah. Jack knew Ianto wanted kids, had been the holdout when he proposed and only promising to look into adoption as an option made it possible to move forward.
Then… Cancer. No agency would touch them now. Surrogacy is the only way and they can only hope the cancer treatment is yielding a positive outcome for that too. All in all … Ianto seems to be losing more and more of who he thought he would be.
Damn it.
And then Jack remembered the date for the scan and knew he was really stepped in it. Friday was scan day and prescription refill.
Shit.
Ianto hated going to that clinic alone.
Good one Captain!