78
"What's wrong?" Jack asked as Ianto sat staring out over the water, the Chrystal cavern not soothing him like it usually did and after a while Jack rowed to shore. He moored the little boat and waited for Ianto to speak, sitting there with one hand in the water, his eyes glassy and unfocused.
"Hope is trying to shield me from the bond, trying to do something without me listening in" he finally said "No. Pippy. No … all of them?"
Jack listened and found silence as well "What do you think it is?"
"I don't know" Ianto said slowly, then frowned deeper "I don't think we are going to like it.
.
.
.
.
Ianto woke and rolled, snuggling into Jack for another moment of peace before it was time to get up. He yawned and looked over at the little bed, finding it empty and he wondered if Pip was in with Dean and Frank. After stretching he rose and padded to the other room.
Empty beds.
And the other rooms… all of them empty beds.
Ianto stood there scratching his belly as he wondered where they were. Did they all sleep in the Kiddy Cave? He did not remember Hope saying they were doing one of their sleepover things but maybe they were. More often than not the all slept together like a bloody basket of kittens all tangled up.
He opened the bond.
Nothing.
He canted his head as he listened to the world around him, the faint klaxons of doom. "Jack, get up Cariad. The kids are up to something!"
Jack groaned and then got up padding got as he scratched at his belly, much as Ianto had "What?"
"They are gone" Ianto groaned, "the kids are doing something, I don't know what. A protest? A lesson? They are gone."
Ianto steeled himself as he chose the clothing for the day, a suit to both please his mate and to remind everyone else that he was in charge here. Then they entered chaos.
"Ianto! The kids, they are gone. All of them, no note or warning … no idea where they are. The Domes didn't fall, they are hiding. Have to be!" Vic spluttered "Little buggers."
"Everyone calm down." Ianto said calmly "There is no one hurt, this seems organised so they know where they are, not lost or missing. Simply being shits. Search calmly. There has to be a note or demand or something or else how will we know what they are wanting?"
They nodded then took off to search as Jack glanced at Ianto "Where are they? Do you know?"
"Yes, I know" Ianto frowned "But I will not give in to them. Oh no, they want to make a point, let them. We will wait them out, see how long they can do this."
"they'll come back when they are hungry!" someone said with confidence as Jack watched Ianto roll his eyes. PK. wherever they were, they had food.
Jack considered.
True to his word, Ianto did not look for most of the day. Only come dusk did he walked through to the Beatle Bomb and settling in the driver's seat, looking over at Jack as he settled beside him with a grim smile "Come on. Let's go see what they want."
"Besides going over me knee?"
They tore along, stopping at the door to Shangri-la and they entered the other ream to find it full of children, animals and life. Laugher and playfulness everywhere with more than one naked child running free in the long grass.
Ianto walked over to the ring leaders and looked down at them, both lying on their backs cloud watching. Pip was the first to break, making eye contact with their Taddy as Hope made out she was asleep.
"The first rule in negotiation is to set a minimum standard" Ianto said softly "If you do not start the bidding high, then the lower bid that is close to what you really want cannot be offered. You left no note, no warning. No one stayed to pass along your demands or whatever. This achieves nothing."
"No. Dean left a note"
"I did?" Dean said from across the way "I thought you asked Raven."
"Did I?"
"No" Raven called out "Not me."
Hope opened her eyes and frowned "wait. We are doing this and they don't know?"
"They know you are gone. They are searching and freaking out. So soon after losing Liam, to lose all of you is horrible for them." Ianto hissed then sighed as she knew someone who knew exactly where they were and was probably the one who told Taddy even as they argued about keeping the bond closed from the Grups.
She was so angry with them for mucking this up. "One job. You had one bloody job!"
"The point is … this was poorly executed no matter how well intended your actions were. Now everyone if frantic" Ianto settled on a mossy seat, his eyes drinking in the children who seemed to have received an injection of happiness. "It is gloomy back there, isn't it?"
"Stifling."
"Well … OK. Maybe a sleepover here tonight, some star gazing but tomorrow you all come home" He rose and she looked up at him.
"It was him, wasn't it" she asked and Ianto frowned with confusion so she added "The pupper. He told you where we were. He knew, right?"
"Yes." Ianto patted his stomach gently and smiled "And he thinks you were right by the way. Something about his hand up?"
Hope laughed softly as she nodded hoping all the Grups knew the feeling of helplessness. Maybe they would stop making the children feel it now.
The plan did work though.
It was a good one.