54

Ianto knew Jack was hoping for a reprieve, some sort of alternative but none came to light.

Billy refused to look at him, as if it were Ianto who had killed her. His refusal to let Ianto hold him a final insult and Ianto had rolled away to weep as he mourned his son's future now ripped away.

They headed out at first light the next day, Billy finally rousing from the nest he had made in the corner of the building to stand and forlornly watch his parents head off towards Cardiff.

"Billy, honey …" Francine's voice tapered off as he turned to her with expressionless eyes, then brushed past her to head back down to the nest.

Hope watched and then followed, Mia right behind her, dragging their coats.

"He had to" Hope said as she sat on the bed watching him burrow, "She was already disassembling."

"What does that mean?" Mia asked.

"Going into pieces" she explained, "Marley went into pieces and flew away."

Mia considered and then nodded, standing to fold the coats the way Hope liked.

Billy started to weep again, jagged sobs as his face turned into an ugly mask of pain. Rocking as he tried to shrink into himself, he whispered her name as he tried to accept that she was gone.

Hope watched her brother a while longer, then left him to sulk with a flick of her ponytail.

Silly boy.

.

.

.

The road was overgrown and tedious, Ianto stopping several times as Jack struggled to find a pathway.

"Jack, I need to move." Ianto said softly, "We'll meet at the old homestead. Yeah?"

He knew Ianto wasn't going to hold back, the urge to run and check the home his grandparents had abandoned for the betterment of the now village so he nodded, letting him gallop off with long black fur flying.

By the time Jack got to the house he knew Ianto had scouted the area and cleared any danger so he stepped out and stretched, groaning as his back complained from the sitting.

"Jack!" Ianto was trotting towards him and Jack knew he wasn't happy by the way his head was low to the ground.

The house was in ruin and Ianto was angry to find wildlife had taken up residence.

They would not be using this as their fallback after all.

"We need closer" Ianto finally admitted, "A house on the outskirts. Somewhere you can wait for me."

"Wait?"

"Jack. I don't' want you coming in" Ianto sighed, "Look. If I take the harbor entrance I can get in faster, traveling by water."

Jack nodded, knowing Ianto was an excellent swimmer and would need to be in human form to override the security measures they left in place.

Another quick kiss and Ianto was moving, running across the fields as he made a b-line for the sewerage pipe.

Jack took the transporter over to wait, wishing the coms were working.

The wait was going to be the bastard.

.

.

.

Ianto used the pipes, panting as he moved in Wolfling form through the maze of old sewerage systems and he thought of Janet.

The damp smell of dirt cloistered his nostrils and he took a few moments to stand and huff, trying to clear his sinuses so he might smell Zs.

Ianto moved for over an hour in the semi darkness of tree roots, skeletons and rot, until he started to smell the water, coming out at the bay.

He moved along the waterline, checking for any sign of Zs or people. He had promised Jack that he would not forget the danger they might present too.

He got to the door, the small sign stating Private Property making him snort, then he transformed, groaning as he felt his bones pull and re-knit, the pup now large and cumbersome as his stomach muscles shifted.

He took a moment to regain his breath, clearing his nose again, then using the keypad.

The batteries were flat.

There was a contingency for that and he carefully felt under the box for the small hole, sliding his fingers in and pulling it back to reveal a simple crank handle.

He cranked, counted under his breath, then shut the keypad and tried again.

Click.

Thank fuck for that!

Ianto laughed softly as he shivered with the cold, naked and definitely freezing as the snow swirled.

He slid inside and made his way to the inner dock, reaching the lockers along the berthage and pulled out some clothing. He dressed and looked at the boat, 'River Queen II' that he had preferred for his trips into the bay.

A small runabout, it had proven a good vessel and he cast an eye over it, pondering if she was still sea worthy.

He then turned and entered the lower archives, finding himself finally home.

Ianto sighed and leaned against his old desk, the feeling of safety a balm.

He gave himself a few moments to remember Jack's laughter, bouncing off the stacks as they played naked hide and seek.

Then his gaze fell on a report still waiting for filing.

T1 CYBER

His smiled faded as Lisa's autopsy taunted him.

He pushed off from the desk and started to climb.

Two levels up and three doors over.

He would find what he needed.

He hoped.