10

As Ianto moved through the corridor he touched his coms for quarters.

"Ianto?"

"Rhiannon, I am sorry" he said softly as he glanced "Sweetie, about Drill 64007 ... it is on."

"What?" her voice was a shrill screech, "Are you kidding?"

"Sorry love" he sighed as he dodged people, "No time to argue. Kill me later, right now move."

"FUCK!"

Ianto grimaced as his sister exploded then the coms went silent as she did as he told her to, grabbing their grab bags and heading to the school where she would politely remove the children then head to the Myfanwy where he would meet them.

His heart was aching, his fear off the charts as he tried not to sweat, nodding politely and smiling to those already running for their shift changes. No one would notice him and Rhiannon running with the kids, everyone was in a hurry.

Ianto entered the cabin of the Myfanwy to find her hot, Mainframe having fired the engine up as instructed in the subroutines and now he was in the chair and recognised she would remove herself from the system, rendering the Myfanwy separated from the fleet. Or their remote controls.

From this moment on, she could not take control back unless Ianto gave it to her. He swallowed as he shakily reached for the controls, David's voice a soft whine as he helped Micha into her seat, Rhiannon cursing softly as she lifted the dog into the cabin and closed the doors, "SECURE"

"Right, hold on" Ianto said as he took off, as he had been doing for the last few weeks, he moved with two others remotely beside him. No one even blinked as this was normal now, Mister Jones taking other vessels out to test them for bugs. Once they were clear he punched it, all three vessels moving together at speed then peeling away as his fingers danced to set routines, flight paths that would make it hard for anyone to know which vessel was him.

A shell game.

"What happened" Rhiannon asked softly as she settled next to him.

"He kissed me"

"what?"

"He kissed me and I tried to explain you. He looked into Micha's old school, was going to find the family tree and I panicked, thought if I told him he might…. He went off on one like a fucking Twat" Ianto sighed, "I had no choice. We were burnt the moment Mimi said about the book."

Rhiannon glanced over at the children still strapped in with their few toys clasped in their hands, unaware that this was not a drill this time. If Micha knew this was her fault… as if hearing her thoughts Ianto said loudly, "I made a mistake and the Captain knows I lied to him. I had to run. Sorry kids."

"Awwwww, does this mean I can't call you Taddy now?" David said and Ianto was surprised, pleased but surprised. He drops a clanger and all they want to know is that?

"No. You can still call me that if ya like. I like it" Ianto said and David wriggled happily then frowned.

"So … this is not a drill?"

"No, it's an escape" Ianto said, Micha stating to wail softly.

"Emmeline's Born Day next week. I was gonna get cake!" she sobbed, then looked at Ianto, "Sorry Taddy. I didn't mean to sound angry."

"It's OK. We are all bummed out love" Ianto assured her, "I have to fly now but later, once we reach dead space I will have a little cry I think. Feel sad and angry about it. We can all have a wallow then shake it off and get on with it, OK?"

"OK Taddy" she brightened, "Can I stomp?"

"Well … I don't know. Rhia?" Ianto looked at her lovingly.

"I think I shall use some subversive words, quietly of course but… I may have to scream into a pillow too" she nodded, Micha considering.

"I like that, I will scream too" she decided ad David rolled his eyes.

"Girls are soooo dramatic "he sighed as he slumped back and threw his arm over his face.

Rhiannon giggled as Ianto relaxed, seeing that they would accept this. After all, they had lived with this possibility from day one of this secret. Ianto looked back at the screens as he flew, checking the other vessels were doing their thing. He knew it would be weeks before they reached the out-world settlement.

,

,

,

Back on the Torchwood Jack was incensed, screaming and raging as he tried every command and override he could think of. Still his own vessel betrayed him, denying him freedom. Suzie looked at her board as she sat happily in the Captains Chair on the Bridge, "One hour. Mister Davidson, ask an ensign if they know where the Captain is, let's start this game."

"This is gonna be fun" Andy sniggered, "I bet by the end of this the Captain will really be mad, he hates these things and and whole 24 hour one? Shit, I didn't even know we did one that long."

"There are a few" Suzie tried to remember, "But hey … it beats a boring shift right?"

"Yes Captain" he said cheekily as she giggled.

They had no idea what the next 24 hours would bring.

Mainframe continued her task of quietly erasing Mister Jones and his family from any and all reports.

Within 24 hours there would never have even been a crew member by that name.