1

"So ... two days?" Rhys said to break the silence. They had all sat silently watching the footage of the 'Townies' as they had started calling them back at the homestead they had thought a good stopping point during the bug out. This told them two things. They were suspicious that someone was still in the area and they were searching with purpose.

"Ianto and I are going to do a bit of recon now, check the best exit strategy for the RVs, they are big bitches ya know. We can't go to the East as we wanted because they are already combing it. We go West and find a viable route. Then on Friday we go" Jack nodded. "Crypto will stay here for you love."

"How long will you be?" Mica asked around her toast.

"The morning" Ianto assured her, "Back for a late lunch, OK? One or two maybe?"

"OK" she pouted, "Can I come?"

"Might be some Bitey things love, one of the things we need to check. You don't want to see one, do you" Ianto gently patted her arm and she nodded with a roll of her yes, "Tell you what. Be a good girl while we are gone and when I get back we will spend the afternoon baking. Yeah? I am not taking Crypto for protection so you know I am just looking right? I'm not scared or anything, you shouldn't be either. Crypto would not let me go if he thought I might get hurt, right?"

Mica considered and then reached out to place her hand over his for a moment, some unspoken argument made then she nodded like he had made a fair point and she had to agree and looked she over at Crypto then said softly, "You better be right about that."

Once she had slid from the table Suzie turned to him, "what are you up to?"

"What I said" Ianto blinked, "checking our route"

Jack had followed Mica out and knelt to speak to her, his hand stroking her face as he smiled reassuringly at her and Ianto felt a twist in his gut as he saw the affection there. He wondered if he could trust him. Something deep down told him he should, would and soon…soon he would be able to tell him without fear, tell him what Ianto suspected he had already worked out. Who he was … and who she really was to him too.

He went to the toilet then headed out to find Jack behind the wheel and they headed off into the bright morning sun. They drove for about an hour then Ianto motioned for Jack to turn and he found an old windmill tower in a field.

"Ianto?"

"This was once a working one, stuffed as you can clearly see. Everyone can see. I want to stash some weapons and a grab bag here so if we are separated one of us knows to get to this for reinforcements" Ianto explained as he removed a black bag and walked over to stuff it into the old gear house, "Remember. This will get you back to us."

Jack smiled as he nodded, knowing the spare ammo was Webley. Ianto knew Jack would stay if needed, would follow when finished. This was Ianto's' little gift of affection that he found so sweet that he looked away across the long grass.

"Right, there is an drive in theatre up the road about ten minutes" Ianto motioned, "I wanna check if it's still got the high tin fences so other couldn't park up on the main road to watch the movie. Here, now… if the compound is still intact then we would be invisible from the road. A good place for a stop and regroup. A feed and comfort stop before we move on again. Hide the sotck if the grass has grown in for the hay."

"You know where we are headed?" Jack asked calmly as he drove some more, now knowing Ianto had some sort of map in his head of their trip they were about to take, Ianto's eyes sliding back to him with a shrug. The old drive in had been as they had hoped, the stock would be hidden there and a week or more of food was there.

"A boarding school. It's off the road, larger sweeping courtyard the RVs can swing into behind the façade of the school, not visible from the road" Ianto said after a while, "I think we need to sweep it first to check it's ok and it it's safe we can spend a few days there for any repairs or such. I had hoped it might have been avoided but … if we have to go this way it is our safest bet. I just hope we don't encounter too much hassle inside."

"You are expecting any?"

"Prepare for the worst Cariad" Ianto reminded him and sighed as he pointed, "Down that old dirt road that looks like a farm trail. Wanna do that sweep? Then we rumble home"

Jack nodded as he swung into the front yard and saw how flash the school was and Jack pondered if Ianto had gone here as a child with his edidic memory and obviously advanced DNA. Jack hoped that soon Ianto would feel safe to tell him some more about himself, share some more. Jack sighed as he glanced at the man he was going to love for a very long time, if he was right about what he was feeling from him.

The track was solid and he knew the RVs would rock and roll but traverse the ground OK. Ianto was right, it was a good bolthole. The school seemed silent and foreboding but there was also no sign of anyone else recently walking over the long grass, also the fact it had been school holidays meaning hopefully it was mostly empty.

Mostly.

He didn't think he was going to enjoy this at all.

Ianto moved forward with the face of a warrior, the face of a soldier. The face of a man who was going to do whatever h had to for Mica's life.

Jack schooled his own expression if ya pardon the pun as he followed him.

Into hell.