Goodnight Sweetheart 54/?

[missthingsplace]

Title: Goodnight Sweetheart
Author: missthingsplace
Parings/characters: Ianto/Lisa Jack/Ianto, Gwen/Rhys, Owen/Toshiko, Andy/Donna
Disclaimer: I don't own Torchwood or any of the characters ... unfortunately, just borrowing them for a while.
Summary: When Ianto lost his job he knew it was the oppotunity he'd been waiting for but nothing could have prepared him for what was to come when he leased the premises for his new enterprise.
Warnings: Slash, fluff, romance, angst, humour, AU
Spoilers: Anything is fair game
Rating: NC17 for series 

They spent a couple of hours with Rhiannon, talking excitedly about their visit to the house and deciding that they would visit it that afternoon. Rhiannon offered to look after Jenni but Ianto wanted to spend more time with his daughter, after being away from her for a few days and was so happy that she seemed to be comfortable around Jack.

Jack had given her a feed before they left, the small infant holding tightly onto his little finger while she sucked hungrily on her bottle, her eyes gazing straight into Jack's while Ianto watched with a happy smile. The Captain had however declined the offer to changer her nappy and handed her back to her daddy after winding her as instructed.

Once they were back on the road and heading for the house they would soon be calling home Jenni settled off into a deep sleep in her car seat, leaving Jack to once again comment on everything that caught his eye. In the end Ianto told him with a smile that later that day he would show him how to use the computer and introduce him to the internet.

“So what's Google?” Jack asked.

“You type in what you want to know about and it finds the answer for you,” Ianto explained.

Anything?” Jack asked.

“Anything, I don't think there is anything you can't find on the internet,” Ianto chuckled at the expression on his lovers face. “but I'm sure you can try.”

“And you'll show me this when we get home?” Jack asked excitedly.

“I promise,” Ianto replied, laughing and turning into the road where there house stood.

Over the years the area had become more built up, although not in a bad or crowded way. The houses were all different and fitted into the area perfectly. A small shop, a post office and a pub had also appeared, all of which would be useful to the small community.

“Do you think there's anyone still living in the house?” Jack asked as they pulled up outside.

“It looks empty,” Ianto answered. “but the garden looks like it's well tended.”

“Perhaps one of the neighbours is tending to it,” Jack suggested, getting out of the car and waiting for Ianto as he lifted the still sleepy baby from her car seat and rested her against his shoulder.

“Lets go and have a look,” Ianto stated, pushing open the garden gate and starting up the pathway between the neat lawns.

Ianto pulled out his keys and located the one for the house, fingering the metal thoughtfully before pushing it firmly into the lock and turning. It clicked unlocked and he gently pushed the door open, looking into the empty hallway before calling out.

“Hello? Anyone here?” Ianto called out loudly.

There was no response at all to the questions and they moved further into the hallway, closing the door behind them with the daylight that streamed in through the hall window lighting up their way. They made their way through the rooms on the ground floor and finished in the kitchen they remembered so well from their visit to purchase the property.

“It all looks so clean,” Jack stated, echoing Ianto's thoughts and swiping a finger across the counter top which bore no dust at all.

“It's completely empty but it looks like someone is taking care of it,” Ianto said. “perhaps the Swanson's appointed a caretaker to keep it in order.”

“I'm guess they must of done, the idea of their ghosts staying on to do so is a little creepy,” Jack chuckled and then they went quiet at the sound of the front door opening.

“Someone with a key, we'll get some answers now then,” Ianto said, smile on his face as the sound of footsteps came towards them.

“Oh … err … hello?” The woman said, a little startled at the sight of the two men before her and a baby.

“Hello,” Ianto said politely, not wanting to frighten her, she looked like she wanted to run. “I'm Ianto Jones and this is Jack Harkness, we own this house.”

“Really? Oh thank god!” She exclaimed, relieved. “I did wonder when someone would turn up to claim this place, it seems to have been for ever since my grandparents passed away. Sorry, I'm being rude. I'm Kathy Swanson.”

“Kathy Swanson?” Both Jack and Ianto asked in unison, looking a little confused.

“I was named after my grandmother,” she explained, smiling at the look on their faces. “don't worry, I'm not a ghost!”

“So, are you the one who's been taking care of the place?” Ianto asked.

“Yep, I promised my grandmother before she died that I would keep an eye one it,” she confirmed.

“More than keep an eye on it, it looks like there isn't a speck of dust!” Jack exclaimed.

“I would hope not, I come in once a week to clean,” she huffed.

“And the garden, is that you too?” Ianto asked her.

“Yes, along with my partner Mark, he helps me,” Kathy nodded.

“I never expected any of this,” Ianto said, a little amazed that she would take such good care of the place when it wasn't hers.

“Granny was good to me as a kid, I spent a lot of time here,” Kathy explained. “and when she told me the story of the two men who bought the house from her and gave her way too much money for it, along with her being able to stay in it, well … it all sounded so lovely to me and kinda romantic.”

“Romantic?” Jack asked.

“I can't really explain, but I got the feeling it was something special,” she smiled.

“It was, is,” Ianto smiled. “For Jack, myself and this little one to live in and be the family we want to be.”

“You know, it's so weird, but you two fit the descriptions that Granny gave me,” she said, looking them over carefully and taking in Jack's 1940's style of dress. “maybe you two are the ghosts?”

Ianto laughed nervously, they hadn't been expecting this.

“Nope, definitely not ghosts,” he told her. “but I can't thank you enough for looking after this place so well for us.”

“It's been a pleasure,” Kathy shrugged. “but you won't need me any more now, will you?”

“No, we're going to get the place renovated,” Ianto replied. “have the kitchen modernised and get the place decorated, but I want to do something, to thank you for all your trouble.”

“I never expected anything,” Kathy smiled.

“It wouldn't be right, not to,” Ianto told her. “please leave me your contact details and I'll think of something.”

Kathy nodded and pulled a card from her pocket, handing it to him.

“Detective Inspector Kathy Swanson?” Ianto asked, a little amazed, she looked nothing like she was in the police force, standing before them in jeans and a t-shirt.

“That's me,” she grinned. “now, I'll be off and leave you two, three to your house.”

“Thank you again, for everything,” Ianto told her.

“You're welcome she replied, then turned to leave while her mind mulled over the strange thoughts in her head about her grandmothers tales of the two young men that had visited her so long ago and the way the two she had just left appeared to match her descriptions so perfectly.

“I'm probably going mad, but ...” she muttered to herself, getting into her car and heading back to Cardiff.

“Ianto, what if she …?” Jack trailed off.

“What if she does some checking up on us?” Ianto said, finished the Captains sentence.

“Yeah,” Jack nodded.

“Then we'll have to deal with it if the situation arises,” Ianto replied firmly. “nothing is going to spoil this day, lets head upstairs and decided which room is the nursery and which is the master bedroom.”

“Master bedroom, I like that name,” Jack grinned and took the still sleeping baby from the younger man to give his arms a rest as they headed upstairs.

TBC

Comments

[yanto]

kind of curious what the first thing jack will google? always wonderful to see swanson used in a story. will she do some digging into the handsome stangers?