11

It had been a week since they moved to their new home and landed the large freighter in the trees, breaking some tree limbs and to their relief finding most of the canopy closing over her once more so she was now just a big solid building in the huge trees that were easily higher than the sky boat the size of an aircraft carrier.

The area that had direct light was instantly Owen's favourite spot as he set up a glasshouse there to start cultivation plants. Those they had brought with them still in the Hydroponic level. He hopes to have some planted to check the soil.

The kids were playing, laugher ringing out as they ran about and some of the adults calmly finished placing the fencing around her edges that Ianto had shown them how to place in the waiting post holes. No child would fall over the side… not when the fall was like that for a ten story building… nope. They were being extra careful there. Kenneth was helping as well, a gangly boy entering his teens but strong, his hours in the gym and John's diligent training showing as he pulled the mesh netting tightly to hold while his father attached it to each pole.

Ianto was on the flight deck with Toshiko as they went over some of their systems checks, much like they had in the bunker, they now treated the boat as their bunker… With the added advantage of a back yard. One that was lush and inviting even if they wrre still hesitant to let the others loose.

"See this part over here, this clearing to the east. If we create a pathway by wrapping rope around tree trunks so there is a defined area to walk to it… rope to off as well… check it over.."

I get what you are saying" Ianto nodded "If we can trust them to keep to the rules. Also we need to think of predators. It's only been a week. Still time for the wildlife we scared the shit out of when we arrived to come back for a look."

"I hadn't thought of that, I didn't' check the trail cameras today" she said as she swung in her chair and the twenty some cameras dotted in every direction around their new home filled the screen. She hit the button to show any movement in the last 24 hours and they got to see John Fucking Hart wandering about with his Katana pretending to kill something and laughing at himself. "What is he doing?"

"Playing" Ianto replied softly "Silly tit is trying to burn off some of his nervous energy. I would give him a hall pas for out there. Anything wants to take a bite of him is welcome to try. All that sword play is not for show ya know… he can really kill things."

"I would agree with that" Jack entered with Nellan "Nelly wants Tadda. He shut his finger in the drawer."

"Awwww…. No. Silly drawer. Did Dad shoot it for you? I would have shot it for you" Ianto crooned as he kissed said finger and cuddled the child who now glared at Jack for failing to shoot the drawer he had closed on his own finger.

Jack poked his tongue at Ianto for throwing him under the bus then looked the screen ands sniggered "Look at him. He loves that thing."

Then a second screen flickered sand they watched something else. "Holy fuck... is that a Beaver?"

"Ah. Brilliant. They mean the water has life in it, right? The wood is safe to chew on to make their dams. If they are here it's a good indicator that the ecosystem is intact in their little pocket of the world" Ianto said with glee, turning to find Archie entering to look at well. "Arch. Beavers."

"Arggggg" he said and rushed to look, his hand slipping inside the side of his kilt to scratch his knee absently as he stared at the screen.

"Itchy knee?" Toshiko asked, going into doctor mode.

"Itchy balls, me balls are so big they are there" Archie muttered then laughed at himself and shook his head. "Sorry lass. You always give me such space for a clanger. Yeah. A cat scratched me this morning and it's still stinging. Little shit. Me own fault. They love me kilts and this one has tasselled edges."

"Well, what pussy would not love your kilts" Toshiko said and then sighed as he pointed a finger at her and made another noise of glee "For Godsake, you are as bad as Owen. Speaking of which, where is your sidekick?"

"The boy is over yon, fiddling with his plants" Archie hooked a finger in the direction of the huge landing pad "I will go poke him in a second."

"And he loves your interruptions. Told me the other day you are teaching him the bagpipes. Tell me it's a lie" she begged.

"Nah, I am. He's not bad either"

Into choked softly in his char, the leaned forward to bury his head in his arms, the laughter barely heard as he had a mild breakdown at the thought of Owen with bagpipes.

"Just can't seem to find a kilt the wee man likes" Archie said slowly, enjoying the way Ianto's shoulders started to shake with the effort of keeping it tighter.

"I love kilts. Wonderful things. We need to let the wee bits fly loose, it's good for them" Jack agreed, then grinned "Of course, mine has to be quite a bit longer than usual as…"

"WE KNOW" all the voices said at once, this also not the first time they had heard of Jack's own knee tickler.

Nellan looked from one to the other then said in his sweet little voice "Kilt too?"

"Awwwww" Archie scooped the child up and cuddled him close "You would be a natural kilt man."

And so they took off to find kilts as Ianto wiped his eyes and tried to regain some breathing, the image of Owen in a kilt so crazy.

Of course, he should not have shown that thought ticking him like that, Jack now invested in trying to get Owen into one... if only to see Ianto's face.

Here on the Valiant, safe and sound… they were going a bit mad.

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For those of you asking… remember Lawrence and his son Mickael who came with Andy's group? Lawrence to me is like Lawrence Fishburne in my mind, a nice match for Martha. His son is Mickey.

Mica is the twin… the two little girls Meryl and Mica. Ianto cannot help but have a soft spot for that one given her name.