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Alli was watching with interest as Kev and Jack talked with those hand movements, looking over at Kris who seemed to be following the silent conversation. He knew it … some form of military sign?

Finally Kris settled back to look at those with them, young and old. Francine seemed sprightly though, not the least bit going to drag them down. Hope and Dean were literally hanging out the door of the chopper, their hands gripping the straps like an afterthought and he felt a spike of alarm before seeing that Jack was well aware of where they were, as did Kev who kept glancing at them and then swooping towards trees to startle and play.

God, he wanted one of those.

A child.

He looked away, Alli catching the hungry look and she knew he was thinking of the child they never had, the disappointment and loss with each failure something they didn't talk about. Those little bundles wrapped and placed on the ground, covered with earth. At least she now knew that the little bundle she had watched him try to save that day as they drove Ianto to that warehouse with Lisa, that little ugly baby hadn't stood a chance. Frank was an anomaly. Owen had told her this, had shook his head as he told her they all died in captivity. All died. She had felt that deep in her chest like a stab. All died. Story of her life.

She looked over at the young people, more children than adults except for their mannerisms. They acted like Grups, they acted like they knew the world and she had been relieved to learn that some of them had known combat, the Real World. Of all of them, she found herself drawn to Kitty, her face serene as she scanned with an intelligence that seemed to match Hope. Also, she noticed Hope making room for her like they were friends even though Hope was clearly like her Dam ... a real friend magnet. Ianto never really liked making friends. They seemed to flock to him instead.

Jack was strange fish, hot and cold. They had told her some of his story, weird things that did not make sense but she saw the way he looked at his kids, the love in his eyes and knew that at least that was right. They had faith in him. Ianto had faith in him. So must she.

Francine sat with a mixture of dread and excitement, this her first real recon. She knew the girls would be bricking it back home, the place would still be there. Ianto was left behind this time, another thing that felt weird.

.

.

.

Ianto sat watching the children play, laughter on the breeze as they ran about and he stroked his bump gently, lovingly… maybe a little resentfully. It was not Bump's fault, it was all in the timing. He tied to relay this to Bump, hoping he could understand his Dam's distress was not his fault, it was all down to the gods and their shitty timing. Or their sense of humour, depending on how you looked at things I guess.

Ianto knew he was not going to get anywhere sitting here chewing when they were still flying so he rose, heading down to Crystal. At least in there he might find some solitude, the waters cleansing and the silence soothing.

Thirteen.

Stop it.

Ianto sighed as he wandered down to the soothing room below.

.

.

.

.

"You want to know something?" Kev signed out as they would have to shout over the sound of the rotors and Jack turned to him with a smile.

"It's just below us" he signalled back with glee.

"Yeah … there is that" Kev agreed "but that's not it."

"Oh?" Jack waved a hand "go on then. What is it?"

"The filter's burned out" Kev said conversationally as he pointed to a red light on the board "We're going down one way or another."

"What?" Jack asked with horror as in the back someone started to laugh, clearly able to understand them now as he had worked out their signals.

Jack glanced back at Kris who was belly laughing as he stowed things under his seat and tightened the straps on the kids. All the kids strapped in by him when he first heard the change of pitch in the engine and guessed what Kev had just confirmed with their sign language.

They were going down.