36

"There's lights" Dendy pointed out and they turned to look in the direction he was pointing, Jack slapping off their running lights to plunge them into darkness as they peered out into the night.

"Shit"

"Why? Isn't that a good thing?" Dendy asked as he turned to face Jack.

"Panama is just that way, a lot of guns, conflict and clever people" Jack tried to be honest, "Someone seeing us might not mean someone coming to help us, it could men someone wanting what we have. If there are lights, they have power right? It means they are self sufficient and more than likely don't need us, just our boat."

"So the canal is out for sure" Owen said softly as he looked over there as well and Jack nodded.

"We knew this was a possibility. Others thinking of possible spots people might congregate. This is a major route, best we continue down and around. Another week or so is not gonna kill us….they might" Jack pointed in the direction of the lights as Dendy silently slid from his perch on the seat by the window and scooted over to clamber into Ianto's lap, his fear hidden from the others but of course Ianto knew it was there.

"They can't see us love" Ianto said softly so the others couldn't hear, "Me and Jack will stay up tonight and move before the dawn, OK? They will not even know we were here. It's OK, we are too far out."

Dendy let his head rest against Ianto's' chest as he relaxed, knowing Ianto only spoke the truth like all Grups were supposed to but never bloody did.

"Right, so no light means we better hunker down I think" Owen said as he clicked on a torch aimed at the wheelhouse floor, "Come on guys, we pull the blinds in the rooms and can have torches if we keep them low. We will snuggle into bed and I will tell some stories, yah?"

"Thank you Owen, Ianto and I will take the night shift and if you hear the motor know it's almost dawn and we are moving on." Jack said as he had heard Ianto's' whispered conversation and agreed with the decision to stay out of the bullshit happening on shore.

Ianto settled on one of the bench seats that were large enough for a bed, drawing the blanket over himself as he marvelled at the cooler temperatures now the solar flaring had stopped. Jack watched as Ianto drifted for a while then Ianto sat up and frowned, looking around with confusion, "I can't hear my girl."

"They're all asleep" Jack whispered and Ianto shook his head as he pointed up above their heads, and Jack looked dup as he finally remembered Myfanwy.

"You don't think she….ahhhhhhh…..they have sheep?" Ianto rose and peered out into the darkness, "she wouldn't would she?"

"Turn down a chance to plunder a country?" Jack asked with a soft snort of amusement, "Ha. She wouldn't?"

"What if someone sees her!" Ianto was on his feet now with a look of total horror, "What if they try to capture her!"

"What if she goes up on YouTube!" Jack gasped with fake horror, "Babe. What are they gonna do about it, eh?"

"Oh damn it all, I can't sleep until I check" Ianto sighed as he went out to the deck and turned to look up at what he knew he would find. An empty Chopper Pad.

He returned to the cabin with a look of horror and plonked on the seat.

"Great, just great. She's gone AWOL!" he threw his arms out, "Bloody snuck off."

"Like a teenager sneaking out the window to go to a rave, not knowing her Tad was gonna do a midnight check as he had a funny feeling" Jack grinned, "Sneaks back and is horrified to find him sitting in her room in the dark with his arms folded. Babe she always comes back, remember?"

"I'll not sleep a wink unit I've given her a piece of my mind!" Ianto stomped over to the Galley and started making a sandwich with a look of doom out into the dark.

"Wow, grounded for sure" Jack muttered to himself as he checked the radar and found the sea around them clear of any incoming as he knew it would remain.

It was about an hour before dawn that a soft thump on the roof announced her return and Ianto flew from the Captain's Seat as Jack sat up sleepily from the sofa and watched Ianto storm out into the dark to rail at the Pterodactyl.

"And what do you call this? Eh? Answer me young lady, did you seriously think I would not notice what you did? Eh?" Ianto was invisible but Jack could imagine his hands on his hips, one rising to slide behind his neck as he looked up with fury, "If you ever do that again without letting me know I will bloody well never forgive you. What if you got caught? What if we have to move and you can't find us? Did you think of that? Did you think of me? Did you?"

A dull thud had Jack listening with concern then a soft chuckle started out on the deck.

"Cheeky bitch. You think a dead sheep will console me?" Ianto's voice was full of amusement as he forgave her, "Well … fresh meat will be good for the babans and Janet I guess. Come here and let me hug you."

Jack flopped back on the sofa and sighed as he stretched and prepared to weigh anchor.

Dawn was coming.