Early morning and Jack rises, going to the edge of camp and waiting for contact. The one who approaches is larger and more intimidating than he had wanted and he now knows their captain is dead, the first officer in control.
"Captain"
"Jerl"
"You live, you live long."
"Yeah, not your average bear"
The silence was deafening as the creature stares at him and Jack grins as he knows it missed the joke altogether. "You were not to breed. That was the deal, the female that had a pup attacked my mate. He had not touched the pup or gone near it, she was acting as a mother would but that is why we agreed you would not breed. Your females are too protective."
"She did so without authority, was ostracized for it. Almost half the crew went with her. Went rogue, slightly insane I think." Jerl informs Jack with a wave of a huge hand, "Did not expect them to survive this long."
"They attacked my mate's team. My medic and mate want to keep the pup, my mate feels it is his fault even though she broke the contract" Jacks rubs his face as he talks, "Ianto has a kind heart, his own childhood difficult, he cannot stand the thought of harming another."
"Take it. Leave it" the being shrugged, blocking the sun for a moment, "We care not. She made their path to walk. It is not our path now."
"OK, thank you for your honesty" Jack says as he sees this is ending, "I will pass on in my report that this was a rogue moment and I understand this was not an act of aggression from your team."
"Thank you Captain." It starts to move away then turns back, "You have a mate?"
"Ianto" Jack smiles softly, "He is so quiet and straight laced, so … right. He will survive his injures and does not hold any ill will towards your kind. He understands pain and loss."
"The one you hunt, the alien. We ate him, I hope you understand he is a delicacy we never thought we would see again. We did not think" he tells Jack with a shameful slump of his shoulders.
"That's fine" Jack shrugs, "I was going to kill him for making this happen anyway."
"Then we are done"
"Yep."
Finally Jack was left alone, staring at the tress as they swayed back together and the thing was gone.
.
.
.
Empty and quiet... no sign of life... until Ianto's hand slips out from the covering over the entrance to the shelter. His fingers dig into the earth,
pulling himself up from the hole... a dead man climbing out of his own grave. A rebirth.
He rolls out to the ground... arches in pain when his back hits the cold, hard surface.
Ianto lies there shivering, regaining what little strength he has, then rolls over... starts dragging himself again with that one good arm. He makes it to the blanket... wraps it around him. "Owen?"
Ianto rests there in the centre of camp... unable to move...his eyes scanning the surroundings... no food... no water...and he's wide open in this clearing... an easy target for any predator.
So he drags himself toward the cover of brush.
And every movement takes all the will Ianto has... a push with his legs followed by a pull with his healthy arm... inch by inch... foot by foot... sweat pouring down his face as he finally reaches the cover of the trees... continues on... dragging himself across the forest floor in a desperate, hopeless crawl for survival.
Where is everyone?
Were they attacked?
Ianto lies in the dirt, weak... dehydrated... starving. He looks at his hands... scratched and bloody from clawing during his fight.
He turns his head and finds a little furry face inches from his own, blue eyes that are breathtaking and he smiles as he croons, "Hey baby. It's OK, nobody will hurt you. It's OK."
.
.
.
.
Jack enters the camp to silence.
Emptiness.
Jack rushes to the shelter and finds it barren rising and calling out to Ianto with raw fear. Have they overpowered Owen and taken Ianto somewhere?
"Jack"
Jack sobs with relief as he finds Ianto in the bushes with the little pup in his arms, "Hey. I think they went to catch this little guy in the wrong place."
"Awwwww" Jack crooned, then smiles, "Her. It's a girl love."
"Ah, couldn't see from this angle" Ianto rolls his eyes, "She doesn't speak yet."
"They all left you?" Jack frowns as he starts to get angry.
"No, one of them fell and Owen went to see if the ankle is broken or he is just being a girl's blouse" Ianto smiles up at him as he gives a fair impression of the medic and Jack gently lifts him, the pup in his arms then carries them back to the warm shelter.
"The pick-up is in two hours so I hope they remember to come break camp" Jack says as he places another blanket around the little girl, hearing someone approaching, then Owen enters and slumps into his spot by Ianto.
"Just being a wee bitch" Owen says happily as he administers more pain relief to Ianto, "Sprained. They are carrying him like bloody Cinderella or whatever."
"Cinderella?" Ianto croaks with a frown.
"Well I don't know, never did get fairytales. What ya got?" Owen finally notices the lump in Ianto's armpit, pulling at the blanket and gasping with glee.
"A little girl" Jack says softly, "I spoke with their leader and he is washing his paws of her. The mother was an outcast due to this one so she will die if we do not take her. They are not big on fostering other's pups."
"Mine?" Owen asks hopefully and Ianto can't care either way as he looks to Jack, the only thing he needs right now is his warm hand to cradle his own.
Owen lifts the baby into his lap and looks into those little blue eyes, falling in love in an instant.
"Hey there little one, we are going to be OK, yeah?" Owen croons "I will help you."
"Help me Rhonda" Ianto slurs softly, making Jack laugh. "I could hear it over the coms when they were still working."
"Rhonda" Owen repeats, "Yeah. I knew a Rhonda once, brilliant girl full of life. So funny and kind, always helping others and was really family based. Yeah. Rhonda, do you like that name? Yeah?"
"Welcome to the madness"
