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aviv_b_artworkTITLE: Chapter 74 - Another Silver Anniversary
AUTHOR: Aviv_b
RATING: Chapter 74- PG-13 for sexual references
CHARACTERS:: Ianto, Aaron, Jack, Owen, Tosh, Gwen, Rhys, Rhiannon, Johnny, David, Mica & others
DISCLAIMER: Not mine; Aunty B's and RTD's
WORDS: ~ 1985
SUMMARY: There's another 25 year anniversary to celebrate
Title is from: A marriage anniversary is the celebration of love, trust, partnership, tolerance and tenacity. The order varies for any given year. Paul Sweeney
Ianto's Journey begins here: http://aviv-b.livejournal.com/1972.html
All Chapter are linked.
Ianto was puzzled by Aaron’s insistence on a meeting with Jack, but when he realized that an important event was coming in the next month, he smiled to himself. ‘Isn’t that just like Aaron,’ he thought. ‘Goes to Jack of all people to help with the planning.’
Ianto wasn’t surprised when the following week Aaron had that serious, ‘we need to talk’ look on his face.
“So while I was meeting with J.J.Jack we had a discussion about something other than the new project I’m working on. We have a rather important date coming up.”
‘We do?’ Ianto asked pretending to be surprised.
“Can you believe it…twenty-five years since we had our civil union?”
‘And it only feels like thirty,’ Ianto snarked.
“Very funny. But I spoke to Jack, don’t look at me like that…I spoke to J.Jack because I wanted to get all of our Torchwood friends together for a little party and he is, after all, the boss.”
Ianto rolled his eyes. “Oi, if people need time off to come, he’s the one who can make it happen. Anyway, given your mother’s health, I hope you’ll agree that we should have the party in Cardiff. That way she can be there along with Rhi and Johnny and David. We can schedule it after the spring semester ends in early May so that Mica can come down from Edinburgh. Obviously Owen and Tosh and Gwen and Rhys will be there, and Stephen and Martha and Tom said they can drive down for the weekend. Not sure about J.J.Jonathan and Kelly – they have several graduations already scheduled so it looks doubtful. So that only leaves one question.”
Ianto laughed. ‘All their kids or adults only.’ Aaron nodded. ‘I vote for having the kids. You know if we were still in Cardiff we would know the kids better.’
It was Aaron’s turn to laugh. “Yeah, I know, just think of all the wonderful kids’ birthday parties we’ve missed…the crying, the temper tantrums, the sulks and fights…gosh I feel terrible.”
‘Especially the baby sitting. Think of all the baby sitting opportunities we’ve missed over the years.’
“I’ll take that to be a ‘yes’ on including the kids,” Aaron said. “You know you’re going to have to help me with all the kids’ names and ages. I was never much good at that kind of stuff and since the stroke and heart attack…well you know how much worse it’s become.”
‘Getting old isn’t for sissies, is it?’
***
The second weekend in May, a few weeks after the actual date, Ianto and Aaron’s 25th Anniversary party was held in Cardiff. Almost everyone was able to make it. Martha and Tom had to drop out at the last minute as Martha’s mother wasn’t well, and but other than that all their family and friends were there. Aaron struggled a bit with all the children’s names but no one knew as Ianto pushed out the names to him as the kids came by to say hello.
‘That’s Riku, Owen and Tosh’s son, but everyone calls him Ricky, he’s almost 21.’
“Hey, Ricky,” Aaron said shaking his hand. “I haven’t seen you since you were practically a baby. Going to follow in your sister’s footsteps and come work for Torchwood?”
“No,” Ricky said laughing. “I’m just finishing my teacher’s training and then, much to my parent’s disappointment, I’ll be teaching high school math here in Cardiff.”
‘Well I think that’s a fine pursuit,’ Ianto told him sincerely.
“Yeah? Well tell my Tad that. He’s really upset that I’m not going into medicine or aiming for teaching at the University level. Thinks high school math teacher is a waste of my abilities.”
Aaron snorted. “My father despaired that I’d ever make anything of myself. I don’t know which of us were more surprised that I ended up in the Royal Marines. So j.just keep true to your goals; things have a way of working out.”
They chatted a bit more and then Ricky drifted off to talk to some other guests. ‘So I give him three years of teaching high school brats before he ends up at Torchwood,’ Ianto pushed out.
‘I’m thinking more like two if he ends up teaching in a neighborhood like where you grew up,’ Aaron pushed back.
Owen and Tosh came over and they spoke about work and Kimiyo who was a rising phenomenon at Torchwood Osaka. “No surprise there,” Owen said, “she’s always been such a go-getter…unlike my son.”
Tosh rolled her eyes. “Owen, just ease up on Ricky will you. He’ll find his own way. But the more you push, the worse you make it.”
Ianto snorted. ‘Funny thing, Aaron and I were just laying bets on how long he’s last in the Cardiff public schools. I said three years.’
“I bet two,” Aaron added laughing.
‘You know Owen, seeing as how I am an expert on raising children and everything, I think Tosh is right. Ricky’s a very idealistic young man so you aren’t going to deter him. You might as well just go along with it, if it’s not for him, he’ll find something else to do.'
“You’re probably right; sometimes I wonder if he doesn’t do things half to spite me.”
‘You think?'
As the afternoon progressed, they visited with Gwen and Rhys and their children. Rhys Jr. was studying mechanical engineering at Cardiff University and his parents couldn’t have been prouder.
“The first one in either family to go to college. We’re expecting big things from this young man,” Rhys stated as he put his arm around his son. Their daughter Bronwen was just finishing high school and was strikingly beautiful. Dark hair like Gwen and tall like Rhys but willowy, she turned heads where ever she went. She was very shy and after wishing Aaron and Ianto a happy anniversary, she moved off to talk to some of the other kids.
“She should model,” Aaron said after she walked away. Rhys and Gwen looked at each other. “No seriously, she’s just gorgeous.”
“Yeah, we know,” sighed Gwen. “I don’t know if we ever told you, but she has some developmental problems. She’s very immature for her age, always has been. And she’s very naive and trusting. But now as a teenager, its becoming quite a problem…she doesn’t seem to be able to understand that not everyone has her best interests at heart and that she needs to be careful that people don’t take advantage of her.”
“It was one thing when she was little and she’d give her toys away if another child wanted them,” Rhys continued. “But we’re fearful that she’ll get talked into doing something she shouldn’t like drugs or shoplifting…”
‘Not to mention sex,’ Aaron and Ianto both thought.
“We have to watch her every minute. I just don’t know what’s going to happen to her after high school. She’s not college material, so we need to find something she can earn a living at. We don’t want her to go and get married too young because she doesn’t have any other options.”
They spent most of the rest of the evening with Ianto’s family. Johnny had retired after having been made redundant from his job, but was still boisterous and full of life. Rhi was taking evening art courses at a local college and was showing some real talent. David was setting up his own medical practice in Cardiff and his wife Claire was an assistant at a local vet clinic. Their daughter Rose had just turned two. David and Claire had met years ago when David had brought a kitten that had been hit by a car into the clinic where Claire worked. No one ever claimed the kitten, and so David had taken him home.
“Damn cat’s almost 15 years old and he’s still the most disagreeable, ornery creature I’ve ever met.”
Mum added (in Welsh) that she was sure the cat was possessed. David nodded in agreement. “He’s even mean to my sweet old GrandMum,” he said leaning over and giving her a kiss on the cheek. “Can you believe it?”
Claire laughed. “Mr. Mumbles really is a grouchy old man. Oddly enough though, he’s very sweet and gentle with Rose. We were afraid we might have to find him a new home once Rose was born, but he’ll let her do anything to him without protest.”
Aaron was puzzled. “But why would finding him a new home be an issue. It doesn’t sound like there’s any love lost between the two of you and him.”
“Oi!” David said. “He’s my grouchy cat and I’m not giving him away.”
Everyone laughed. ‘You may recall that my family is a bit hyper-loyal,’ Ianto added.
“We sure are,” Rhi agreed. “Here we all are celebrating my brother’s anniversary when he had the gall to leave us again for London,” she teased.
“Yeah, but I’d move to London for a guy like Aaron,” Mica added. She was junior Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Edinburgh and had brought her fiancé Stuart with her to the party. “My uncle has always had the most gorgeous boyfriends. Almost as gorgeous as Stuart,” she laughed as she kissed Stuart on the cheek.
That comment lead to Ianto retelling the story of Mica’s questions to Owen when he and Ianto came to visit Ianto’s first Christmas back in Cardiff. Everyone was howling with laughter over her thinking that Owen was Ianto’s boyfriend.
Mica was mortified. “I was very precocious,” she explained to Aaron and Stuart.
“We love Aaron, but I still think Ianto should have married a doctor,” Mum added in Welsh.
“Listen,” David asked suddenly serious. “Speaking of old flames, where did Captain Jack get off to?”
Aaron pointed him over toward a table where Mickey, Owen, Stephen and Jack were talking.
“I need to apologize to him.” Ianto looked confused. “Something that happened years ago, right after you left Cardiff. I doubt he remembers but it’s bothered me for years.” David excused himself and went over to the table where Jack was sitting.
Rhi explained about the phone call from Jack after Ianto moved to London and David telling Jack that he hated him. “Yeah, David was so angry. But afterwards I think he really regretted it. With you gone, I think he would have liked to have had Captain Jack around, but he couldn’t bring himself to admit it.” She sighed. “Where did the years go?”
They talked a bit more about earlier times when Ianto and Aaron noticed that it was getting late. They excused themselves so they could began to make a round of thank you’s to all their guests. Aaron noticed Jack and David speaking to each other off to one side of the room. He nudged Ianto to look just as David and Jack shook hands and then hugged.
“Looks like that’s one friendship that’s been patched up.”
‘Yeah, Jack’s a funny guy. Sometimes he doesn’t seem to care about anyone but himself, but other times he’ll care for someone to his own detriment. Hard to understand his reasoning some times.’
Aaron put his mental shields carefully in place. ‘After my last conversation with him, don’t I know it.’
Final goodbyes were said and Aaron and Ianto headed back to their hotel. They undressed each other slowly and got into bed.
‘Twenty-five years, who would have thought,’ Ianto pushed out.
‘I knew the minute I saw you that we were destined to be together. No really, I did. You really are the love of my life,’ Aaron pushed back as he took Ianto in his arms.
Sensing that Aaron wanted him to take control, Ianto rolled on top of Aaron. Looking down at Aaron he actually felt a twinge in his heart. ‘Duw, I love you so much it hurts.’
‘Show me how much you love me,’ Aaron said.
And Ianto did, making achingly slow passionate love to Aaron until they finally fell asleep just before dawn.
Chapter 75 here: http://aviv-b.livejournal.com/44500.html
