28
Ianto sat silently as Jack fussed around him, more interested in holding the terrified children to him than answering questions.
Finally the children were torn away and taken to bed so he had no buffer between him and Jack.
"Ianto, talk to me."
"My father … he … I was only little when he disappeared," Ianto spoke softly and Ifan sighed as he sat at the table and had a silent glaring match with his wife.
"I shot the bastard in the chest," Ifan finally snapped, "OK?"
"Poppy?" Ianto gaped.
"He came in the dead of night in that bloody van, demanding you like his actions didn't matter," Ifan said with a glare, "He killed your mother and nearly killed you, then thinks I'll just hand you over like a bloody stray cat."
"Poppy?" Ianto was frowning, "He didn't kill Mommy. The mad man did!"
"Mad man?" Jack leaned over the table and silenced Ifan with a look, "Tell me about the mad man, baby?"
"He snarled and seemed to froth at the mouth." Ianto frowned as he tried to remember, "I think, Taddy called him … the subject. It was in his lab and we were waiting for him to finish so we could go home. The Subject … something Brooks….broke out of his room."
"Ianto, where did your father work?" Jack felt a strange fear.
"At a farm." Ianto finally said.
"The Pharm" Ifan said almost at the same time, "P. H. A. R. M. It was on the side of the van."
"Jesus, no wonder he's infected after all this time under the rocks," Jack groaned, "The Pharm is something T1 and T3 were investigating, still preliminary and they've never been associated with anything but they just feel … wrong."
"The man, the subject, he seemed … shit" Ianto looked horrified as his brain slipped a gear and he looked at Jack.
"He seemed like a Z?" Jack asked and Ianto nodded as he bit his lip.
"Fuck, Owen's right. This does seem to be a manmade fuck up" Jack sighed.
"Poppy, he wasn't a good man" Ianto said softly as he fingered the table cloth, "Not a good man at all."
"Some of those bruises weren't fresh, they weren't from that night!" Ifan growled and Ianto nodded again.
"Shit!" Owen echoed Ifan and they nodded at each other.
"Owen?" Ianto asked softly, "You sure you know your bloodlines? You really seem to act like a Jones."
Everyone laughed softly as the atmosphere lightened and Owen looked unsure if he had just been insulted or complimented.
"He'll do me!" Ifan huffed, slapping Owen on the shoulder as he rose to grab the kettle that had started to whistle.
Finally getting the comment, Owen smiled and reached out to push Ianto on the shoulder.
Jack followed Ianto outside where Sean was angrily digging a hole.
"We're gonna fill up fast out here" Ianto muttered as he looked at the other graves.
"As long as it's not us in here!" Sean answered as he reached for the water bottle Ianto was offering.
"You want a headstone?" Sean looked at Ianto and saw Jack hanging back.
"No." Ianto frowned, "Put a bloody big rock over him again!"
Sean laughed softly and nodded as he opened the bottle.
Ianto turned to leave and saw Jack. He walked over and cocked his head as Jack grinned.
"You OK?" Jack asked and Ianto smiled.
Soon they were being called in for dinner and Jack slipped his hand into Ianto's as they wandered up the path of pansies to the back door.
"You still worried about bugging out?" Jack tried to find something to talk about and Ianto recognised the need for him to talk.
"Still chewing on it, yeah" Ianto sighed.
"Any ideas for a secondary?"
"Well, there was a hunting cabin Poppy used to take us kids to in the summer. Up past the barrens, The Lake is full of fish, plenty of wild game to hunt and, god the view!" Ianto smiled, "But I don't know. So many of us."
"How big is it?" Jack knew there was a problem with size if it was called a cabin.
"Four bedrooms only" Ianto shrugged, "Would need more rooms."
"Like RVs?"
"God! Jack, that's brilliant" Ianto crowed, grabbing him and kissing him with glee.
Jack grinned like a loon as Ianto realised what he had done and did it again, softer this time.
"Brilliant" Ianto murmured as he stole a third steamy kiss, and as Ianto turned and ran inside Jack stood savouring the moment.
Yeah, it was bloody brilliant!
