Title: Back Home
By: Jennie-x
Pairing: Jack/Ianto
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Child Abuse and Rape.. (only slightly mentioned)
Summary: Jack recieves a phone call that makes him wonder just why Ianto doesn't want to go back home.

***

Jack stared with a confused expression at the phone that he had just put back on the lever, he knew Ianto was secretive no that was the wrong word, Ianto was private and Jack respected that. Ianto was Ianto and Jack loved everything about him, but some times the simple fact that Ianto was extremely private annoyed him. He looked out of the glass windows that boxed his office above his team, he tried not to smile at what Ianto had said about his office and comparing Jack to some sort of God who had a thing for watching people do jobs that he should be doing himself. He stared at Ianto who was talking in a heated conversation with Owen, and even though Jack knew that if he didn't go down and step in the heated conversation could turn into a heated argument, and knowing Ianto and Owen, some one was going to get hurt, but Jack couldn't help but smile at the determined look on Ianto's face, Jack loved that look, it was his sex face well one of his sex faces, when he was trying to stop himself from enjoying something too much, but he also knew that face came with a very powerful explosion at the end of it, and knew now was the time to intervene.

"What's going on now?" Jack asked, arms crossed over his chest.

"Nothing sir." Ianto pressed, giving Owen one more look before walking off in what appeared to be a strop.

"What did you say this time Owen?" Jack asked, knowing that Ianto walking out had more to do with the phone call Jack had received then anything Owen had said, even though Owen had a way with making Ianto tick more then any one else in the hub, he didn't have the power to make Ianto walk out of a room.

"I only asked him to make me a coffee," Owen smiled innocently.

"More like demanded," Gwen corrected. "Then Ianto told him to make it himself because he was busy, doing Owen's report."

"You're such a grass Cooper." Owen sighed. Jack rolled his eyes and gave Owen one last look before heading to the tourist office, where he knew Ianto would be brooding.

Jack was right, Ianto was sat at his desk, circling a small pile of dust with his finger, something that was out of character for Ianto, usually if he saw one tiny speck of dust he would be polishing and cleaning the whole hub as though the world depended on everything being hospital clean.

"Why didn't you tell me your birthday was coming up?" Jack asked as he sat on Ianto's desk.

"Because I don't do birthdays." Ianto said strongly, not looking at Jack.

"I had an interesting phone call today." Jack said after a few minutes, and Ianto looked up hoping that it was a conversation change.

"Oh yeah?" Ianto asked.

"I didn't know your mum had my office number." Ianto rolled his eyes and stared back at his desk. "But I'm glad she phoned." Jack said realising he was going to have to do the talking in this conversation, and Ianto had to listen. "She misses you Ianto, she wants you to go see her this weekend for the Joneses annual joint birthday meal, what ever that means." Jack said smiling, Ianto just kept looking away. "She said you've not seen her since you moved back to Cardiff, she said every time she wants to see you, you're always here, avoiding her. She made me promise to make you go to this meal, said I can go too and I never miss a free meal, so this weekend, me and you and your family."

"I'm not fucking going there!" Ianto yelled, he had had enough of listening to Jack's pointless talk about his family and how his mum missed him. "No matter what you've promised my so called mum, I'm not going to sit around and play happy fucking families Jack." Taken back was an understatement to how Jack had felt, Ianto never swore in conversation or arguments and it scared him.

"Ianto talk to me please." Jack said, he wanted to know, needed to know what was going on with his boyfriend, they had been going out officially for six months and Jack had never seen Ianto get this emotional over something.

"Why? What ever I say you'll make me go any way." Ianto screamed, "You should have said no, should have said it was up to me Jack because this time it is!"

"Please Ianto, just calm down." Jack said softly, he was pretty sure every one else in the hub could hear Ianto's outburst at least Owen would be slightly satisfied that Ianto's anger wasn't aimed at him for once.

"I'm sorry." Ianto said after a moments silence, he regained his composure and straightened himself up. "I can't go back there." Ianto mumbled.

"Why? They're your family." Jack said knowing he was close to crossing the line, he hadn't expected Ianto to laugh at his statement, even if it was a harsh and bitter laugh that sent chills up his spine.

"Maybe, once upon a time we were a family Jack, but now, I don't think family is the right word for us." Ianto let out a long sigh and Jack just stared at him intrigued to know what had happened that made Ianto feel this way.

"I'm not going to ask you tell to me what happened because I know you don't want to, but what ever has happened in the past Yan, family is family, if I got the chance to see my parents one last time, I wouldn't give that moment up, especially if it meant I could show them that I was doing fine without them." Ianto thought about everything that Jack had said, and then nodded.

-x-

Saturday came too soon for Ianto, he woke up in his bed, Jack sprawled across him sweat and sex filled the air, Ianto smiled as he thought back to his early birthday present Jack had given him last night, he sighed loudly and stared over at Jack who was staring back at him with a small smile on his lips.

"Happy birthday." Jack whispered as he placed a soft kiss on Ianto's lips who just smiled in return. "You know if you really don't want to go today, we can just stay here, just you and me." Jack said once he realised what his boyfriend was thinking.

"I said I'd go Jack." Ianto said strongly as though he was trying to convince himself that he was going.

"Just remember, you're not going to be alone, I'll be there with you every step of the way." Jack said, not knowing if it was the right thing to say as Ianto hadn't given him any glimpse of why he didn't want to walk into his childhood home.

"I know." Ianto smiled. "We don't have to leave for another hour and a half, so let me just enjoy my birthday morning." He said as he let himself be held in Jack's strong arms.

-x-

"I just want you to know, what ever happens, this isn't me." Ianto sighed, "What ever happens today, I moved away from it a long long time ago." Ianto mumbled shakily as he stood with Jack staring at the small terraced house on the outskirts of the city.

"I know Ianto." Jack smiled and squeezed his hand and they both headed for the house.

Ianto knocked on the door and Jack realised just how scared Ianto was as he watched his hands shake, and he suddenly wondered if coming here was the right thing to do, but as the door opened he knew it was too late to go back home.

"Hey mum." Ianto said uneasily as he was pulled into the embrace of his mother.

"Oh Ianto, I've missed you so much, you're so skinny you've not been eating properly again.."

"Mum!" Ianto said sharply, "I'm fine."

"You must be Jack." His mum ignored Ianto's last comment and Jack held out a hand for Ianto's mum who shook it firmly. "Thank you for bringing my son home." Jack didn't know what to say so just flashed a grin. "Do come in then." Jack looked at Ianto who stepped nervously into the house that held so many bad memories.

"Ianto!" Jack smiled in amazement as a female around seventeen came rushing up to Ianto, she had long brown hair and amazing blue eyes, she wrapped her arms around Ianto who hugged her back just as tight.

"Emily, breathing can't.." Ianto laughed as he pulled away, "You look all grown up." He forced a smile that only Jack realised was forced.

"Happy birthday big brother." She smiled, "So whose your friend?"

"Jack.." Ianto smiled.

"He's Ianto's boss." His mum said. "Come on you're making the place look untidy every one into the living room." Jack couldn't help but smile, Ianto had got his cleaning talk from his mother, not to mention the looks.

Ianto looked up at Jack, a silent apology in his eyes as he entered the living room where every one looked up at them. "Ianto, didn't expect you to show your face here." Ianto sighed and looked at his father who was perched on his chair, a can of beer in his hand staring at Ianto.

"Believe me I didn't want to." Ianto mumbled as he stepped a bit closer to Jack who smiled.

"I'll introduce you're friend then Ianto if you're not going to, Jack this is Emily Ianto's younger sister, and Bill and Gareth Ianto's older brothers." Ianto's mum grinned as gestured for Jack and Ianto to sit down on the sofa, Emily, Bill and Gareth looked up at Jack and smiled.

"Nice to meet you all." Jack smiled.

"So who exactly are you then?" Emily asked.

"I'm a friend of Ianto's." Jack smiled.

"Actually, he's my boyfriend." Ianto smirked looking over his dad who choked on a sip of his beer, today was worth it just for that Ianto thought to himself. "I need a drink. Jack?" Jack nodded with a smile.

"I'll help." Gareth said smiling at Jack and walked out after his younger brother.

-x-

Ianto and Gareth walked back in the front room laughing and carrying drinks for every one, Ianto handed Jack a cup of coffee. "Its decaf." Ianto mumbled a bitter tone in his voice as he took a sip of what looked like fruit juice. Jack couldn't help but grin and put the non touched coffee on the side.

"So, its a joint birthday?" Jack asked as an awkward silence filled the room.

"Its my birthday too." Emily grinned, "Well in three days but its like a tradition, ever since I was five we shared a party."

"Only because Ianto didn't have any friends to invite to his party." His dad said rather darkly.

"Maybe it was because I was too embarrassed to bring any one home." Ianto snapped back, his dad remained silent.

"So, Ianto, how's work?" Bill asked not bothering to look over at his father.

"Good." Ianto replied simply. "What about you?"

"I got fired." Bill shrugged, "They didn't like the fact that I knew more then the boss." He said answering Ianto's silent question.

"See your still big headed as ever." Ianto smirked.

"Only way to be." Bill laughed. Jack couldn't help but smile.

"Why don't you all get settled, and I'll go sort dinner." Ianto's mum smiled and headed to the kitchen.

"I'm going to go out for a bit, I'll be back for dinner." she winked and walked out of the room.

"She's off to see that David again." Bill said and he and Gareth headed to help their mum in the kitchen, leaving Jack, Ianto and his dad alone.

"So, you're gay." His dad stated.

"Yeah dad, I'm gay." Ianto sighed.

"Always knew you'd turn out to be a bit funny."

"Yeah because you raised me to be perfect didn't you dad!" Ianto yelled and stormed out of the room, grabbing Jack's hand on the way, he led him upstairs and sighed as he pushed a door open.

"Its still how I left it." Ianto mumbled a pained expression on his face as he sat on his old bed. Jack stared around Ianto's room, posters on the walls of various bands, books, comics, magazines and CD's were still on the shelf, it was a shrine to Ianto's child hood.

Jack sat down next to Ianto, not saying anything but just being there for him. "Right there," Ianto pointed to the corner of his room, "Is where I cried myself to sleep every night after my dad would come home drunk, after taking his anger out on me." Jack felt his arms snake around Ianto holding him tighter then he had ever held some one. "This is the bed that my father raped me in," Ianto continued, tears now falling from his face as he reached into the draw pulling out a brown wooden box, he opened it and held out a small pen knife, "This is what I used the first time I tried to kill myself..." Jack felt his heart break a thousand times, then he remembered the words Ianto had just spoken.. the first time.. "That's the poster I used to cover the whole in the wall that I had made when I punched repeatedly at it.." He said gesturing to a Rocky poster that seemed a little out of place.

"I'm sorry Ianto." Jack said as he wiped his own tears away. "I should never have made you come here."

"You didn't know." Ianto mumbled, "No body did."

"What about your mum, your brothers and sister?" Jack asked a little shocked.

"I never told them, I think a part of my mum always knew she just never spoke about it, Gareth and Bill were in college they didn't have time for their awkward younger brother and Emily was too popular to remember she had a family." Ianto said, but he didn't sound bitter, he sounded emotionless and that's what scared Jack the most.

"I wish you would have told me." Jack sighed.

"Wouldn't have changed anything, if I was to tell you then it would have just brought these memories back, even though they've never really gone away. But I'm glad I came here today Jack, because now I know what I'm not missing, and I know that I've got something I would never had if what happened in this room didn't happen." Jack didn't need to ask what, because he knew what Ianto was saying.

-x-

"Yan, dinner!" His mum shouted, Ianto grinned, he was wrapped in Jack's arms after a very heated make out session that could have gone to be something more if it wasn't for Ianto's mum.

"Come on." Ianto grinned, and Jack grinned back as he got of the bed and held out a hand for Ianto who took it, their fingers fitting perfectly together as they walked down the stairs.

"It looks great Mrs Jones." Jack grinned as he stared at the feast like meal that was in front of him.

"Yeah it smells good too." Ianto smiled, his mum grinning back for the first time in ten years she could tell her son was happy.

"Well tuck in." She smiled and the room was filled with silence as every one started to eat.

"Yan, how long have you been gay?" Emily asked and Ianto removed the fork from his mouth and stared at Emily who was grinning knowing she had embarrassed her brother in front of his hot boyfriend.

"I don't know." Ianto laughed.

"Okay who was your first boyfriend?" Gareth laughed, joining in on the lets make Ianto suffer a little game.

"Jack." Ianto shrugged. "I wasn't gay until I met him." Ianto said simply. "Anything else?"

"I have one." Bill grinned. "How old was you when you lost your virginity?" Ianto stared hesitantly at his plate, his father's eyes were glued to his.

"Fourteen. I was fourteen." Ianto said strongly, looking over at his father venom in his eyes.

"Right that's enough of this dirty talk at the table." His father said sharply, every one turned to look at him.

"Dirty talk?" Ianto asked, raising an eye brow, he felt Jack's hand on his thigh and knew he was only trying to calm him down.

"Ianto." His father said strongly. Ianto went to say something but Jacks hand made him shut his mouth. The meal was finished soon after and Jack's hand never moved.

-x-

"Thanks for coming today Ianto," His mum smiled, hugging her son tightly. "More importantly. Thank you for making him come. I know our Ianto can be a stubborn git some times."

"Some times?" Jack smiled.

"I'm standing right here." Ianto laughed.

"Make sure you come back for Christmas."

"Sure." Ianto shrugged, knowing he would never step back in this house again."So we should get going traffic and that." Ianto said feeling the need to escape now. Jack and Ianto said awkward goodbyes to every one, and then headed for the car.

"Next time my mother calls, you hang up." Ianto sighed as he clipped his seat belt on.

"Deal." Jack smiled. "So how you doing?"

"I'll be fine." Ianto grinned.

"I know you will." Jack smiled, leaning over and kissing him softly on the lips. "So what do you say we get home and I can give you your birthday present."

***