10

Ianto was in the bathtub, a luxury Jack had insisted on when choosing his berth and now he had Ianto he was pleased of it, watching Ianto snooze as the dirt and grime of the planet soaked away.

"So, what's our next move then?" Jack asked softly, letting his hand slide into the water, stroking Ianto's stomach and making him grunt with the shock of the tickling sensation. A soft kiss.

"Next … I need some research only Torchwood can do. I need that huge super brain of Mainframe to calculate some things" Ianto smiled as Jack leaned over, this time their lips torching and the heady sensation of flying had Ianto jolting back then laughing as Jack slid into the water clothing and all, following Ianto's lips, the next kiss searing.

.

.

.

.

.

Ianto lay in their bed with his tablet, tapping gently at the screen as Jack grunted in his sleep and shifted closer, lips sucking in an earlobe as he woke. Ianto put the tablet down and moved to oblige his Captain's needs … well …his own as well but you know what I mean.

Afterwards they lay hot, sweaty and happy.

"Not sleeping Tiger?"

"I had niggle, something I wanted to explore" Ianto whispered like there might be someone else in the room, "I think I have worked out what the problem was. Why they migrated."

"Yeah?" Jack was suddenly wide awake, looking intently at his lovely mate. Gods he loves that brain.

"It sounds implausible" Ianto grimaced and Jack pressed against him, encouraging with a soft nose and Ianto looked him in the eye, "Water."

"Water?"

"Yes. The valley that contained them was dry. Desert. Not just good for burrowing but also … dry."

"You said dry twice." Jack pointed out, sitting up now, "You never repeat yourself."

"Exactly" Ianto sat up as well, snatching the tablet up to show him, "Look. The bedrock is the white lines. The blue were deep rivers, some subterranean. See? They don't like getting wet. The old dam used to keep that sluiceway full, the waterfall must have been magnificent once upon a time. When the dam shut down with the renewable energy sources we found in alien tech the water flow ceased. Slowly but surely rivers dried up or changed without man's intervention. The fences are now down. Free range."

Jack stared at the screen. "You're right. That whole area there has no white or blue."

"We need blue back" Ianto nodded, Jack leaning back to consider things.

"So, we herd them away from the city, back through the downed fence, turn the sluice gates on and fill the waterways again … closing the gate. Trapping them once more" Jack surmised, "This will hopefully help to stop the water that redirected into their nest, that caused them to leave in the first place. We plug the gaps, get them dry again and they will go back to living off wild animals."

"That's the plan" Ianto placed the table on the bedside table, "Just have to convince the council that it is the right idea."

Jack made a rude noise as he knew as well as Ianto it would be lapped up … even if it means releasing another banned colour to do so. It would be glossed over somehow and spun to be some triumphant decision of the council or whatever but Jack didn't care. He knew Ianto had found a solution.

They snuggled and as Ianto often did when they were alone, he began to sing softly. Jack closed his eyes and laid his head on Ianto's' chest as the deep rumble led him back to the black.

Ianto lay for a long time going over scenarios in his head.

Tomorrow he would reveal his thoughts to the others.

.

.

.

.

.

"Are you sure Lieutenant?"

"Yes my dear lady, it appears to have been a natural occurrence that we inadvertently staved off in the past. This is not a man made mistake" Ianto lied easily, knowing they wanted to hear it that way. A man made mistake would be hushed up, a natural disaster that could be fixed would be heralded. Whoever was responsible for the origional migration could be hunted later at his leisure.

"So what do you propose dear boy?"

Ianto nodded to the old man who was leaning over the table like a vulture, his fingers griping the edge of the large desk with glee. Ianto explained his idea and then all nodded. Short whispering time as Ianto sat politely waiting and then all heads nodded as he knew they would.

"I must stress, this is an active reintroduction of old tech, also of a colour. The blue water will flow above ground as well, unlike other water we have hidden or running outside the boundaries, this will flow around the city and be visible. Water has a natural blue tint. I suggest the best way to ease the panic of a colour is to embrace it. The colour of the sky once upon a time. The home of the gods. Tell them we are heralding a new time of peace where hopefully the gods are returning to us, favour is being shown once more as we are spared from these things with a natural solution. Surely something the gods would do?"

"I like that. Then the faiths can all claim it was their god and we will not argue as we say it may have been one or all gods working to save us unworthy ants" one nodded softly, "Yes. Operation Blue."

Ianto rose, mission accomplished … well .. here.

The war was not over yet.