Janto oneshots

Old habits can be fixed

A/N:
This is a sequel to "the secret regrets of ianto jones"
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It was Tosh's birthday next week. Ianto had intended to buy her a present the next day but, as he passed a street party stall, he couldn't help but notice a beautiful butterfly broach. Tosh would love it. Ianto reached for it admiring how the green and blue gems on the wings danced in the sunlight like a million stars in the night sky. Turning the price tag over, he sucked in his breath a little at the price but decided it was for sweet Toshiko Sato so it was worth it. He put his hand in his blazer pocket cursing when he remembered his wallet was back in the SUV, he couldn't leave to get it now, he had already seen at least two other people eyeing up the broach and it really was the perfect present for Tosh.

He floundered for a second, unsure of what to do. He could ask the owner of the stall to reserve it but deep down he knew that wouldn't work, all it takes is for someone to offer more money than the price tag says and they'll sell them anything even if it was reserved for someone else. The familiar feelings of guilt excitement and secrecy washed over him in a way they hadn't done since he was seventeen. He turned the broach in his hands again, feeling like everything was in slow motion. Before he could stop to think, he was glancing around making sure no one could see him and slipping the broach into his pocket. He was smart enough to not run away instantly and pretended to browse for three minutes more. Picking things up and setting them down again as he moseyed around the stall for just long enough that anyone who had seen him with the broach would assume he had either bought it or set it back down again.

Ianto wandered off in the direction of the SUV. He smiled as he noticed a young boy, probably only around nine or ten years old, tossing pennies into a wishing well. He smiled, the child reminded him a lot of himself when he was a child, just before everything in his life went wrong. It wasn't until the child turned his head that ianto realised he was crying. Glancing around, ianto saw no sign of the child's parents and decided to approach him. "You okay?" He asked in a soft voice as he sat down next to the kid. The small child with dark hair and tear tracks began to nod, however he seemed to reconsider and shrug as he tossed another coin into the wishing well. "What's your name" ianto asked him. The child seemed to analyse him before considering that he wasn't, in fact, a threat "my names ianto..." he said in a small voice. Ianto chuckled a little "thats my name too" he informed the wide eyed boy. The boy gasped "really" he asked intrigued but still teary. Ianto nodded and showed him his torchwood ID badge "yeah ... look.. now what's got you so down?". Ianto the child tossed another coin into the wishing well "I took a whistle from a shop... I didn't mean too I just really wanted it and they had loads but mummy found out and she got mad at me.... and then she told me that my real parents must have seen what was coming when they put me up for... a-dop-tion" he explained his eyes filling with tears again as he sounded out the last words. Ianto's heart broke for the child in front of him "well... stealing is very wrong" ianto explained the broach feeling suddenly very heavy in his pocket "but your mummy shouldn't have said that to you.... did you know she wasn't your real mummy before today?" The small boy nodded "mummy told me last year" he explained " but she said she still
Loves me the same". Ianto smiled at the small child "of course she does, where did you last see your mummy shall we go and find her and apologise". The small boy nodded tearfully.

It didn't take long to find the frantic mother who was screaming "IANTO" in a busy crowd. Ianto took the small boy by the hand and approached the woman "excuse me miss? I believe this is your son" he asked smiling when she enveloped the boy in a hug "thank you so much" she exclaimed but then, she frowned "have we met somewhere before ?" She asked. Ianto shook his head "no I don't believe we have" he answered before turning to the small boy "now what did you want to say to your mum". The small boy took a breath "I'm sorry for taking the whistle mummy...". The mum smiled "that's okay, just don't do it again yeah??" The small boy nodded earnestly as ianto turned to go. The woman held out an arm stopping ianto in his tracks "I'm sorry .... I didn't catch your name."
"Jones, ianto jones" he replied before making his way back to the car.
A look of realisation crossed her face as she watched the Welshman walk away, she had read her sons file and she knew the mother of the child had named him after the father, not that the father knew that of course. "That's where I recognised him from" she muttered taking her sons hand as they walked through the crowds, her brain finally remembering the picture of young Ianto jones, the father of her son. She shook her head smiling "he would have made a great dad".

Back at the SUV Ianto's eyes settled on his wallet in the front seat. His brain played back the conversation with the small boy and he turned the wallet in his hands. Making his decision he locked the SUV back up and briskly walked back to the stall where he had found the broach previously. He fondled his wallet unsure of how to do this but soon decided on a method. "E-excuse me" he asked the woman running the stall as he reached into his pocket "I seem to have taken this earlier without paying, Im so sorry may I pay now?" He asked. The woman smiled at him, she was a kind old woman and ianto felt sick thinking he had stolen from her "of course dear thank you so much for being honest" she said as she took his money and bagged the broach up. Ianto cracked a small smile as he turned away, he had done the right thing and owned up to his actions just like the small boy had earlier.