36

"But why didn't he turn?" Tosh asked the obvious question.

"I don't know, won't know until I see a bloodwork up." Owen said as he rubbed his face.

I don't know if any … fuck. You think it has anything to do with his father being one of those things so many years before the outbreak?" Owen frowned.

"But he drove here and was talking, demanding his child," Ifan sat opposite, "I shot the fucker and he died. I dug the grave, buried him and placed the rocks. No movement or anything."

"So he was … shit. If Pharm was ground zero and he worked there as a researcher …" Owen blanched and the other stared at him. "Maybe he had a weakened strain and Ianto somehow became immune or resistant?"

Ianto had crawled out from under the table and looked at Owen.

"Ianto, you said you were in your Da's lab when he did experiments right?" Owen asked and Ianto nodded slowly as he tried to scoot along the wall towards the water bottles.

Tosh handed one to him and he snatched at it, backing away.

"Did he ever, you know, give you a shot or take blood?" Owen asked and Ianto stopped.

After a few moments Ianto nodded and scooted back into the room.

"Shit. His father must have been part of the original team and Ianto was given … an antidote or serum of some sort so he was safe?" Owen surmised.

"Fuck, so these Zs aren't going to die off in a hurry!" Ifan sighed.

"You telling me that 20 years from now we will still have those fucking things?" Sean spluttered.

"Well, if my theory is correct … yeah!" Owen groaned.

"Fuck!" Ifan sounded the opinion of the whole table.

Jack went into the bedroom and saw Ianto back under the table.

Jack sat on the bed and spoke softly, "You want a bath babe? Bubbles?"

Jack peeked under and Ianto was looking up at him with a soft frown.

"Well?" Jack prompted and Ianto nodded.

Jack held out his hand and after a moment, Ianto accepted it and let Jack pull him out.

They went upstairs hand in hand, Jack talking all the way as Ianto carried his PJs loosely in his other hand.

Jack left him soaking and went back down in search of something for a treat, returning with a chocolate bar.

Jack sat by the bath talking about a car dealership Tosh had been coping out via satellite and CCTV. There were four big, luxury RVs sitting in the lot and all they had to do was go get them. It was a place out of town where they did custom work and personalising of vehicles so there was less chance of Zs as well.

"We can have a look at which best suits our needs and go." Jack was popping the bubbles as Ianto sat staring into space. "Your grandparents will want to stay in the cabin, the kids will want a room in the cabin and Alice won't leave Stephen. You can't leave Mica so that's the cabin full."

Tosh, Owen and Sean need their own space so an RV each … well. One for me as well, that makes the four" Jack looked up and saw Ianto's face drain of colour.

"Ianto?"

"You're leaving me?" Ianto looked bereft and Jack sighed.

After what's happened, I thought you might prefer I leave you alone."

"Why?"

"That would just make it easier." Jack groaned.

"Easier? For Whom?"

"Ianto …"

""No. No, that's OK. Fine." Ianto stood and reached for a towel as Jack watched the water cascading for his body. "Whatever you want Sir."

Jack grimaced.

Ianto traipsed downstairs and into their room. Their room. Jack sighed.

Ianto climbed into the bed and Jack climbed in behind him.

"You feel all weird right now, I don't want to complicate things for you" Jack explained, "You need space and I get that."

"Don't go" Ianto rolled to face him, "It's not that I don't want you it's just … I have so much shit in my head and I can't seem to wade through it enough to see the shore right now."

"I don't want to go, you feel so vulnerable and childlike, I want to help but I know I'm smothering you" Jack reached out to touch Ianto's cheek.

"How about we start fresh tomorrow." Ianto asked plaintively.

"I love you" Jack answered, "Forgive me."

"Yes" Ianto said simply, closing his eyes and snugglng in.

.

.

.

Next morning Ianto seemed to have shaken the cobwebs away and Ifan silently nodded to Jack as he watched Ianto arguing with Owen over the serving spoon for the peaches.

Ianto wanted to check the arsenal and Jack found that to be an excellent idea.

They lined up all their weapons and had a show and tell, Sean gaping at the large alien cannon Owen insisted he be allowed to fire.

"Just aim away from the livestock, for godsake!" Ianto sniped and Owen took a cowboy stance with it on his right hip, then fired.

Everyone watched as he was thrown back to land at Ifan's feet. Ifan looked down impassively as Owen writhed and clutched at his groin.

"Kick's to the left then, good to know" Ifan muttered as he stepped over Owen and began investigating the alien weaponry along one side of the table.

Jack moved to the open front yard and Ianto shucked off his jacket to reveal his tight black t-shirt. He stalked up behind Jack and tapped him on the shoulder.

They began to spar, Jack enjoying the energy displayed and Ianto enjoying the freedom.

Each hit, each fall, Ianto seemed to come back to himself. His confidence grew enough to shake out his arms and then do something amazing.

He began to dance, twisting and twirling, pivoting at the waist as he spun and his feet leaving the ground in single handstands as he danced around Jack, blocking each move.

Jack was impressed and more than slightly turned on.

"Boy likes Parkour and modern dance" Ifan huffed to Owen who was openly gaping, "Could have gone to Julliard or some shit. Wanted to … well."

Ifan snorted as he once again remembered that his grandson had been lying about the London job.

"He really loves to move" Anna sighed as she settled on the porch swing to watch, "You should see him when we bale the hay, he can climb like a monkey up the stacks."

"I don't know if he's a ninja or an extra off Matrix!" Owen muttered and Ifan laughed as he patted the shoulder of his new friend he had decided to forgive.

"You think that's something," he whispered, "You should see him hunting! Like a fucking lion stalking a gazelle!"

"Really?" Owen cocked his head as he watched Ianto as he thought he looked more like a gazelle with his lithe body.

"Don't let his grace fool you!" Ifan said with pride, "He's a natural born killer. Like something comes over him and he practically growls."

Owen felt a chill.