6
"Maybe it was a prank. A joke taken wrongly when overheard"
"No. I know what I heard." Ianto sighs "and translated."
The Frezzian Ianto is talking with is seated. Yes, they do sit after all, but only to be polite and this one only did so in order to see Ianto's face clearly. She is so old that her eyesight was going and she really wants to see his mouth talk, not rely on the tapping too much. He shields from them so well now.
Jack stands nearby in stunned silence as she spoke again "Suggestions?"
"Well… the attack seems imminent" Ianto advises "Jack and I are getting out of it, I suggest the Frezzians do the same, then look within for the reasons behind this power grab from one of your younglings."
She hums as she looks at the photos of Lud once more, her finger tapping as she croaks out "I have seen him."
"Yes."
She rises and leaves the room, Jack leaning over to hiss "she talks."
"Of course she does" Ianto says adamantly as he rubs his hand son his trousers, then remembers why Jack is a little freaked out "Sorry. Yes… some of them have mastered speech but they don't want our kind to know. Translators are not only to help but to hide behind. As long as everyone thinks they do not really understand our language they are more likely to speak in front of them, not knowing that they are heard."
"That's sneaky" Jack smiles "I do like them."
"Why one of their own doing this is so… strange." Ianto turns to look at Jack "I don't want to be part of this anymore. It pisses me off… I enjoy the work. The significance of it but once again I am in the middle of a shit-storm not of my making."
"Well… torchwood can fly whenever we want to go" Jack said gently, the firefly so named.
"Do we have the funds?"
"Yeah. I now we wanted another five or six months of work but this is not worth the danger. Ianto, they can send this entire planet sky high with their hijinks." Jack argues "Why do we have to be helpers here. When did it become our problem? A few side jobs, a little barter and a year or so… we will have the finds we are seeking for that Chryo Womb."
"Well… we can still go back to Carlos' place" Ianto says, knowing Jack will screw his face up. It was not that the planet was not nice, the place was no welcoming and full of wealth… no… Jack was intimidated by that much opulence. He hated Carlos in sight and Ianto knows that will not change. No, it was a good bolthole in a time of need but they needed somewhere else this time. "OK… you choose."
"Lud is still stalking you, I suggest we get out and then talk it over" Jack is insistent. If he has learned anything since he met this man it is the fact that things can always get worse before it gets better.
Ianto agrees.
.
.
"WOW!"
Ianto takes a deep breath and lets it out as he tells himself yet again that he cannot kill him. Owen however, is still gushing as he runs along the mezzanine walkway yelling at Toshiko "and it even has fucking showers now!"
"Slow down" Toshiko scolds from the doorway to their room "You will…. Trip."
Owen slams into the grating and lays there winded, then comes the screaming as he finds his voice, the large dog paw to his groin helping him learn to breathe all over again.
They have all left, John in the flight deck with Jack as they talk to the detectives via coms that are now trying to find Lud.
Ianto does not really care, the fucker can do what he wants. Here on the Firefly Torchwood, they are pretty damned safe. They have enough stores with them to last for several months out here in the black and he really does not care if they spend the entire time hiding in the dead space.
If he does not kill Owen, it might all work out OK.
.
.
"So... how much did all this cost?" Owen asked as he sat at the large table in the galley "I mean… so shiny."
"Ianto and I have invested a lot of time and money into restoring the old girl so that when we have a family we can do the holiday thing on the other planets." Jack answered. "I want my child to know the universe."
"Ah right… the baby you are saving for. Buggered now right?" Owen screwed his face up. "Cost enough to stock up and refuel his girl. We drained your baby account right?
"Well… not a good time to have one right now, on the run yet again. We will start thinking about it again in a year or so. We both know we might never gain the right time and money to afford the growth of one anyway" Jack replied. "The ReGrow Clinics are so damned expensive just to create a child from your DNA."
"Well, would be cheaper to grow one yourself. You are Boeshanninan… didn't your men used to grow their own?" Owen said distractedly as he fiddled with the salt and pepper shakers. Jack turned slowly to stare at him like he had grown an extra head.
"What?"
"Boeshanninan. If you remove your inhibitor in your arm … you could get preggers your own damned self in time… ah… you do bottom right?" Owen asked.
Jack sat back as he drummed his fingers "Well… sometimes… depending on the mood… hang on. You're a trained medic masquerading as a cop for the last few years… tell me. Can you remove the inhibitor disc in my arm?"
"Yep."