1

The snow was light and Ianto glanced outside once more, then tightened the straps on the backpack as he watched Jack kneel to kiss Mica goodbye.

"Now, I am trusting you to take care of everyone while we are gone" Jack said to her calmly, "Crypto and Owen will be with me and Taddy so … you will represent the family OK?"

She nodded sagely, then glanced at Ianto who smiled with gentle reassurance then he walked out onto the front steps where the horses waited in the white wonderland. The snow was half way to the horse's knees but it was a light powder so he knew they would move without problems and Crypto was already playing in dog form, leaping about in the drifts.

Owen sat on the seat of the wagon, the horse it was hitched to was a huge Clydesdale who seemed unconcerned about the snow, his huge feet stomping to get going. Ianto swung into the saddle of his mount with a natural grace, Jack following with equal familiarity and soon they were moving with Crypto alternating between running ahead and riding beside Owen.

"What are you expecting to find exactly?" Jack asked as he finally had the space along to ask and Ianto glanced at him as his horse kept in perfect step to Jack's.

"Food, some different toys for the kids … maybe some answers" Ianto shrugged "There are still signs of Crawlers in the night, the morning has slither trails beyond the fence lines. Where are they during the day? Where do they go and why do they keep coming back?"

"A lot of questions" Jack sighed, agreeing "Those slither trails are unnerving."

"Well, if we can trace them back to a nest we Can raze it … just send Owen in" Ianto quipped and Jack laughed softly as he agreed again, the two men so in sync these days that it seemed like they knew one another's minds. Felt good. After all this time, to have a partner that moved to the beat of the same silent drum, a true bond where they 'felt' each other. Jack wondered what the academy would have made of Ianto, what John Hart would have, then shook it off. Ianto would have shot the man down within the first moments of meeting him, seeing the man for what he was.

As they passed main junctions they placed monitors and cameras, waiting for Tosh's confirmation that it was all connecting, then they would move on. As they neared the township Ianto noticed something and he glanced over at Jack "Are you seeing what I'm seeing?"

Jack nodded, his eyes following the Crawler marks "all going in one direction."

"what do ya mean?" Owen called from the wagon and Crypto explained as he rode alongside.

"The marks all move in one direction, all in that same direction but none come back. Wherever they are going, they are staying." Crypto panted out "This little village seems to be keeping them."

Owen sobered at he thought, standing to look past the horse to where the two men were entering the gateway to the village and Crypt leapt ahead.

Ianto motioned for them all to stop and they tethered the horses in the bright light, then went forward into the main street on foot.

Owen carried the shotgun at hip level as he followed Ianto and Jack, checking behind them every few steps and Crypto took point.

"Broad daylight, not likely to be attacked by slobbery Crawlers" Owen said after a while.

"First of all, some are fresher than others" Ianto said calmly "Secondly … it's not just crawlers out here. If there are survivors I want them to see us, recognise tht we are still alive and not take our heads off with a kill shot."

"Point taken" Owen nodded as he checked behind them again "Got the heebie-jeebies now."

"We all have" Jack said softly "Let's just take a sec."

They stopped walking and Ianto took a deep breath, looking around with interest "I remember this place. A little tourist trap, full of nice tat and useless shit."

"Sounds delightful" Owen said as he turned on a slow circle "Where's Cryp?"

"Scouting ahead" Ianto replied softly, "He's fine. No alarm or worries. He can't smell anyt…"

Jack swung as Ianto stopped talking, his face drawn as he looked in the direction Crypto had gone.

"Babe?"

"He's found some Crawlers in the shadows of a building" Ianto whispered like he was there with the alien being "They … don't make sense."

"OK" Jack said calmly, "Let's go see for ourselves."

Ianto nodded and let his hand slip into Jack's without a second thought. They walked as lovers in the sunshine, the snow crunching underfoot as they turned the corner to a sight that was both confusing and deeply alarming.

"OK" Jack agreed "They are acting … Weird."