2

They entered to find refreshments and Rhys was overjoyed as he raced to the table, "Lovely, can I help at all mate?"

Ianto turned and looked at the woman with the gap in her teeth then he took a step back like she had startled him, "Tea or coffee?"

"Your own butler?" she asked and they all laughed as they settled, Ianto turning away to glance out at Crypto who was happily pissing on their tyres. He didn't like the vibe either.

"So, just you lot? When it all started going tits up we just kept going" Gwen was talking, obviously in charge.

"So … why were you still chasing them?" Suzie asked and Ianto turned with interest, she was right. Why? It all went bad days ago.

"We were really sort of just going the same way. We stopped at night and they were there. We tried to talk to them, strike up a friendship but they kept to themselves and in the morning they took off, we seems to repeat it the next night then night before last something happened and….well. We found one dead and the other two gone."

"Two" Ianto said softly, glancing at Jack who suddenly clicked as well.

"So, the other one? You got him already?" Jack asked.

Gwen looked furtive and then shrugged, "Think he went in another direction, just followed this one."

Ianto moved to the door, calling Crypto as he glanced around with open nervousness, Tosh checking the sensors and calling back that nothing was moving out there.

Ianto glanced back and saw Rhys frowning at Gwen like he was silently chastising her for something. He turned but it was gone, whatever secret she was holding on to, her fella didn't like it.

For some reason he didn't like that either.

This one might be a problem.

Ianto looked at Crypto and hummed softly as he motioned for the dog to stay away from her.

.

.

.

.

Ianto stood at the top of the stairs and shifted from foot to foot as he went over the problem in his head. Three more. Where the hell would they all sleep? He knew he should really offer his room but… it was Grandy and Nainny's ... he didn't like the idea of them in there.

"Ianto?"

He turned to find Jack there watching him with mild interest, leaning against the wall. Looked like he was posing for a photo shoot for some poncey magazine… undo a few buttons and Ianto could see the calendar….

Stop it.

"Sleeping arrangements" Ianto said as he turned back to frown at the rooms and his hand fell to Crypto's head to rub gently, "We have four bedrooms up here and eight people. And a dog. Must remember the dog."

Jack smiled. He was really starting to grow on him.

"Tosh and Suzie have already bunked in, Owen and Andy look like they are compatible with matching snark going on out there so the children's twin beds… Gwen and Rhys will expect the double bed in that room that was mine. You have it at the moment but…er…" Ianto shifted with a weird feeling, "We could sort the bed for…"

"I can share with Owen and Andy. With split shifts at night we will not all three be looking for the bed anyway, right? Anyway, there's a nice sofa down stairs as well." Jack said quickly and Ianto was not sure if he was relieved or insulted that Jack didn't' want to share. Maybe he knew the camp bed would be uncomfortable. That he might not be good company?

"Ianto, this is your house. We don't want to squeeze you out." Jack seemed to see the flare in Ianto's eyes and mistake it for annoyance.

Ianto nodded and accepted that, after all there was Lucifer to think of as well. Silly to think Jack looked at him in any sexual way, not with these women flouncing about. If Gwen didn't have Rhys he might have been worried….what the hell. Ianto felt ashamed, Lisa's ashes out back and him….gods. End of the world shag out of the question then. Check.

He headed down and was soon immersed in making bread, Jack's voice a soft drone as he talked to the others drifting off out of earshot as Ianto started to go over things in his head.

Appendix.

He had thought it might be something else, airborne and maybe catching so he had used the protective gear but now knew he was immune. Anyone who had their appendix removed was…. He paused the hand washing to blink slowly and then he took off for his room, entering to pull open the bedside drawer and reach in for the cell phones.

Well.

Where they would have been if they were still there….along with the pistol he had placed there last.

Ianto rose and started to feel a growing anger as he calmly walked downstairs to ask who had been in his fucking room, going through his fucking stuff and where in the name of gods were the phones.

And the gun.

He really wanted that back.