11

Ianto was in the hot tub.

He didn't want to wait for the debrief, the questions and conversation deciding that the others were well capable of creating noise and bluster. He was tired. He sighed as the water moved and opened one eye to catch Clyde eagerly clambering in naked as a jay bird, his face one of joy as he slithered over for a cuddle.

"Hey stink" Ianto said softly, pulling the boy into his lap, glad he had his own boxers on at least.

"You brought me back stuff" the little boy said gleefully.

"Yep. You have to share though. Owen might get the pip otherwise" Ianto whispered and Clyde sniggered as he settled and laid his head on Ianto's shoulder.

"I was a bit scared" the little boy said after a while, "You was gone all night."

"Were" Ianto corrected, "I was bricking it a bit at the end too, we took about half an hour too long. Gotta be more aware next time."

"Next time?"

"Well, Aunty Tosh reckons if we put sensors at all four corners of our little piece of paradise we can better be ready for the Red Mist" Ianto explained, "I don't know if we will see anyone else though. I think these people are the last of them in this area and we couldn't leave them, the mist would have got them for sure."

"Yeah. Uncle?"

"Yes love?" Ianto asked, opening his eyes as Amy appeared with a look of undisguised lust as she scrambled up in her t-shirt and knickers to slide into the hot water with a groan of glee. "Been a while?"

"The shower was nice but….ahhhhhhh" she sighed.

"Uncle, can I play in the fire engine?"

"We need to have a lesson first on what you can and can't touch OK? Once we are all sure what is and isn't allowed I see no reason why you and your sister can't play fireman in it." Ianto agreed, "No shooting with the canon though, you know Uncle Owen will go too far and shoot a sheepie or something."

Sniggering as the child thought about that, Ianto's hands stroking his back as Amy watched, then her eyes saw something she hadn't noticed before "Crazy tat."

"You have no idea" Ianto smiled softly, "This tattoo is unlike anything you've seen."

"I'm just blown away that this place exists. I did hope...thought some doomsday preppers might have made it ya know? But the fear that they were all discovered….god." She let her head fall back then a squeak had Ianto opening his eyes to find a naked Captain calmly climbing into the water to slide around and settle against him.

"Hey, you OK?" Jack whispered as he kissed him and winked at the child.

"Uncle Jack, I'm nakers too"

"Awesome" Jack agreed, "I still have to convince everyone else to have Neekid Days but I think we should all try harder to flop about a bit."

Clyde giggled and Ianto rubbed the little back and shoulders some more then Clyde stood to get out, his need for attention satiated. "I'm gonna go make butter."

"Good man" Ianto said as he leaned into Jack and allowed a cuddle there too, Jack kissing his forehead as he held him.

"A certain little one is looking for you too, Roe is muttering and looking behind curtains" Jack warned Ianto who snorted and nodded rising to get out.

"I will let him have cuddles in the fireside bed" Ianto said as he yawned and stretched, Amy now seeing the intricate pattern that grew from the arm and seemed to cover his back like armour…or wings. It must have taken hours upon hours to have done and was so finely created that god knows what it had cost.

Then as Ianto turned to get out it seemed to move, shimmer. Trick of the light kinda thing.

Jack watched Ianto get down and reach for a towel, then rub his hair with it, the shoulder blades undulating under the skin and again the tattoo moved, changing in colour from green to brass, then red and gold before returning to green.

"It knows you are looking at it" Jack whispered, "It's protective. It's warning you that it is sentient."

Finally she got it and gaped as Ianto reached for a robe and the tattoo shrunk done the shoulder to rest along the forearm.

"It's a weapon" Jack said once Ianto had gone inside, "Alien tech. It will protect him from hurts, keep him alive and has several times already. If we are ever in the shit, grab the kids and get behind him. Don't worry about me, OK? Let me die, don't blink or think twice about me. Get behind him because he is your last line of defence and he will defend you like a dragon defending it's hoard."

She nodded as she wondered if the strength in the words were worthy.

Somehow, she found it all believable.