11

"But why?"

"Mom, the city is in disarray and the looters are going nuts out there. I am needed back there" Jack sighed as he watched his mother try to hold the table. The fact Ianto kept eating his pancakes like nothing was happening did not help, this reminding Jack that Ianto had long since grown used to his mother's verbal attacks. Today it was Jack, most of the times in the past it had been Ianto.

And he had not noticed. All the times Ianto had berated him for not being on his side and he had told Ianto there were no sides… of course there were sides. Jack saw that now. Too late of course … like everything… he saw.

"Well, I understand HIM going in with his deadbeat friends that will need to be bailed out but…"

"MOM!" Jack barked louder than intended and Rose gave a soft giggle. "Those so called deadbeat friends are the ones who got us out of there!"

"Steady on there bro" Gray said as he cleared his plate "Mom is just Momming."

"I know but… Ianto is not my husband anymore… something our MOM had a hand in and she does not have the right to attack him anymore, he's not obligated to take her shit just for me."

"Jackson, language. There are children here!" Mother Harkness scolded.

"Don't worry Nanna" Steven said happily as he cut more pancake "Taddy sez Daddy talks shit all the time when he thinks I can't hear."

Rose giggled some more.

.

.

Ianto stopped the SUV and sighed as the other one ahead of him had it's driver's door open and an insanely angry Captain storming towards the roadblock with open malice.

The drive back into the city was taking longer than expected, even by Ianto's estimations and he knew Jack was going to cut a bitch soon if they didn't get this smoothed over. Then he saw who was behind the barrier and relaxed, stepping out "ANDY!"

Andy leaned around Jack and smiled "Toto! Wait… this is your fella? Fuck he is usually more dapper than this. I never seen him in a green shirt before. So NOT his colour!"

Ianto laughed as Jack swung to gape at Ianto, then back at Andy "Andy…. Davidson. Of course… I didn't recognize you in riot gear."

"Yeah, we are being selective about this end of town, you toffs have a lot of high-end shit to snatch. But since it's you Toto… GUYS, LET THEM THROUGH, THE PONCE IS WITH TOTO" Andy turned his back on Jack dismissing him and Ianto got the pleasure of seeing Jack's jaw drop at the insult.

Was kinda satisfying really.

"I told you that green shirt looks horrible on you, you look sickly" Ianto said as he wafted past him back to his own SUV the Hoodlum Clan had provided and settled to watch Jack turn slowly on the spot with confusion.

Ianto considered, then tooted the horn and did a parody of Jack having road rage, complete with gnashing teeth then sat back and laughed as Jack gaped again.

Then he got in his SUV and they went through the barriers, the men waving at Ianto as he gave them all a shit eating grin and watched the Rearview mirror as the border closed behind them again.

Jack headed for his offices up the top end, watching Ianto peel off and disappear as he headed for the compound where the fucking Hoodlums lived. For some reason, he felt a spike of annoyance and… well… concern.

It was three hours later that Jack was driving back towards the roadblock and was relieved to see Ianto's SUV already there waiting for him, Ianto was standing there with a container of donuts, feeding those working there. Of course he was. Sooooo Ianto.

God, that man cares so much… stop it. Not your man anymore.

Ianto smiled and waved … got in the SUV and they headed home.

Home.

Not your home either boyo.

.

.

Everyone was happy to unpack the food and extra things both men had picked up, Alice glad to find her CDs and player included on the back seat and he looked at Ianto with open gratitude before looking uncaring about the entire thing as she turned to face everyone else.

Jack watched as well, realizing Ianto had been into the storage lockers and the fact he had not only been in his but the Harkness one was more amusing than anything. Fucker could pick any lock. Bloody hoodlum.

Then Steven saw the fishing rods and whooped "Grandpa… look. We can go fishing!"

"Fish? There's fish in that lake?"

"Of course there is. Taddy had a whole truck of them dumped in there… it was so cool to watch. Like… whoooosh" the little boy made motions with his hands "And sploooooshhhhhh. Taddy lets me feed them off the end of the pier sometimes."

"Wow, very descriptive" Ianto patted his son's head "Now put them by the door so you can indulge later."

"Indulge" Steven repeated in a silly voice, his little legs pumping as he took off.

"Cheeky beggar" Ianto said softly then added as he picked up some boxes "Cariad, can you grab those ones for your mum?"

Then Ianto walked off and left Jack turning to watch him go, the dropped term of endearment one he had once been so used to hearing, and to find Ianto dropping it now and then felt… sad. Nice but sad too.

He had lost something that he might never rediscover and yet it was so close, his fingertips brushing against it, causing little electric shocks against the kin… close.

But walking away.

Again.

Jack took a deep breath and then decided to do something he should have done a long time ago.

He followed Ianto.