7

They arrived home to unload the Hover, Miss Mae telling them the evening meal would be an hour away and the men started to take things inside, two more farm hands coming to help. Then Damien pulled Jack aside "We saw Blue Scat today. Over by the creek."

Jack turned to look at the house then nodded, turning back to the man "We will take a quick ride over that way."

Jack called out as Ianto came out to get more supplies "Ianto, taking a quick check of the creek level with Damien here, will be about half an hour, OK?"

Ianto raised a hand and kept moving as Jack went to the stables in the back of the barn to find his horse already saddled by Henry who was now helping Damien with a second horse that was as excited as Jack's.

"Easy" Jack crooned, stroking the muzzle of his horse as he waited and soon both men were riding forwards the spot where the men had found indications of Blue Bear.

.

.

.

"Frick."

"Right? I hoped it ws an Arillian Red but… it's Blue right?" Damien sighed.

"Yeah. Unfortunately so. Well…now we know they like water ... let's start from here tomorrow when we take a look around" Jack sighed patting his hat against his leg to shake dust off "Damn. It's so dry, weird at this time of year."

"The rains will come. And with them, storms. The snow will be a blessing" Damien explained as they rode home, both on the lockout for a sneak attack from these rhino sized bears.

They arrived home to the smell of food, "Damn. That's yummy."

"Do you lot eat well?" Jack asked.

"Yeah, we will eat with you today. When Miss Mae is here she cooks for us earlier as we like to eat then do one more ride before dusk. Then you guys eat later but she went with you so… one big happy family right?"

"Does Ianto encourage or discourage that?"

"Encourage I would say. For the kids, especially once the rain comes. He worries without knowing that it shows. Once the snows come we come inside to the end living room that is turned into sleeping quarters. Charlie and Dickie love it." Damien smiled.

"How long have you worked here?"

"Four? Yeah, almost four years. This will be my fourth winter. I hope to be here a long time. Best gig ever" Damien smiled, then seemed to consider adding "Sorry. I mean … this is your home too."

"Well… I have done some work on space freighters so having fresh air… all good" Jack smiled "But I am used to having workers in the same space as me. I was on one that had some Gerfillion livestock so we were confined to quarters when not in safety clothing. Ten to a cabin."

"God, I heard of those things. The smell alone was so unhealthy some had shortened life spans" Damien was impressed "did you suffer any lasting effects?"

"I lost my sense of smell for about a year but it's come back now, thank god." Jack laughed as they put their horses away.

They entered the washroom at the side of the house and cleaned themselves up, jack surprised to find a fresh shirt sitting on the shelf with his name stenciled along the edge of the shelf. Ianto clearly was clever as well as thoughtful.

They entered the kitchen to find the kitchen table twice as long, an interesting addition that Jack surmised must pull out from underneath. Four hands were already seated along with Henry who was trying to make his son take his elbows off the table even as the child pointed to this best mate who was doing the same thing.

"Yes, but he is not MY son. MY son will do what I say!" Henry growled.

"Elbows off the table" Ianto said as he swung from the bench with a bowl full of mashed potatoes, the smell of stew filling the room. Stew? How the hell did she…. Right. The cauldron over the fire bubbled and he remembered it going over the back of the fireplace last night. This clever minx had precooked it and it had sat warm all day.

"My god Miss Mae. If I were not a kept man you might have to accept Henry's burial in the back yard!" Jack sighed as he settled in a chair "You are a wonderful cook."

"Actually you married the right one" she answered with soft laughter "Ianto cooked this last night."

"You cook?"

"I can even sew" Ianto answered, the bristle evident now as he glared at Jack.

Jack tried to work out what he had done to upset him. Was it the marriage comment? AHHHHH SHIT. He just made fun of a dead spouse. Oh god Jack.

Good one.

That Harkness Foot-in-mouth is still alive and kicking so it seems.