15

By the time the men got to where John had last been visible on the monitors he was gone. Martha was already there having left as soon as she knew something was up but had run instead of taking her time like the men had to get weapons. She had a good couple of minutes on them and she was walking in a slow circle "He went this way."

"You a tracker now?" Jack asked as they started to follow her.

"No, he's left a trial for us, look how he digs in a heel" she pointed down "Just like then."

"Then?" Owen as he followed them and Ianto made a random noise of dismissal. Jack knew what she meant and nodded, and then it struck him what they were saying.

"Wait… John was…"

"John is always about somewhere." Ianto said vaguely, and then stopped "Listen."

They all stopped moving and listened intently, and then the distant scream had them running. Fuck the flora and fauna, fuck the ecosystem… Kenneth's high pitched scream sounded again and they burst through the bushes to find John with the boy plastered to his back, slowly retreating from what looked like a huge fucking cat while hissing at the boy to stop making a noise like that.

"Is that…. What the fuck is a tiger doing here" Owen said and the massive head swung to regard them angrily.

"A zoo escapee during the madness? The real question is, is this the only one?" Ianto said as he strode forward like he was about to say hello and as it looked at him he made a huge roaring sound, flung his arms over his head and ran at it.

It turned and ran.

"Wow" Kenneth said as he still clung to John's jacket.

"wow? Wow? You fucking wander off and almost turn in to Tiger shit and all you can say is Wow?" John spluttered angrily "Christ kid. What the actually flying monkey fuck!"

"Wow. Good word usage there" Owen patted Johns' shoulder gently and pulled the kid into the light to check, relieved to find no visible injuries "You OK Kenny?"

"I was just doing a sweep" the boy said, his gaze locked in on the one now standing in the long grass glaring at him with an anger that might flame his hair or something if he's not careful. "Sorry Taddy Ianto."

"Did you leave the bunker to check the outer walls of the castle?" Ianto asked with an eyebrow raised and Owen made a loud noise of excitement, his entire arm flying out as he pointed a finger at Ianto and screeched at him, the glee on his face totally weird.

"I KNEW IT! I FUCKING SAID IT WAS A CASTLE YA FUCKER!" Owen said bouncing about now with glee, "I was right… I was fucking right… you Tosser… it WAS a fucking castle all along…"

Ianto sighed.

.

.

Kenneth was in the changing rooms morosely changing out of his uniform and his head hung low. All clothing and footwear must be cleaned upon return so nothing is contaminated, just in case a patch of something radioactive was wandered over. He hated giving up his uniform. When Ianto placed down a new uniform his confusion was clear as he stared at it, then at him.

"Do-over. You only get this one Mulligan here, next time you do something so fucking idiotic I will leave you out there you understand?" Ianto demanded.

"Yes sir" came the meek reply.

"If he is determined to be part of the ground crew maybe he needs to be my second" John said as he finished cleaning his boots in the solution and then sat to carefully dry them with one of the hand towels placed in a pile for exactly his boots.

"Ground crew?" the boy squeaked.

"Not now…now you get a punishment timeout from security outside anything other than the bloody Galley. All those plates to wash, all the tables to clear away, wipe down… you will be a kitchen bitch for the week and then maybe… maybe if I think you've repented you can come with me next week and star training." John said with a glare, "And don't you DARE call me Uncle Johnny. Now fuck off. Grown-ups need to talk and you need to get bigger balls to be part of this conversation."

Kenneth stood holding the clothing to his chest and then he dropped it to fling his arms around John in a hug before gathering everything and racing off to get dressed in a cubbie in the next room.

"Getting soft in your old age there partner?" Jack asked as he stood waiting for Ianto who was still checking the clothing to go in the washing pile, folding the entire ensemble for both of them, then likely to do Kenneth's and Johns as well. Jack had long since given up arguing the fact it all gets tossed in the machine. Ianto hated unfolded clothing. Martha at least got to screw hers up in another room. Owen's already done as that man is quick at changing and rushing off. And yes, before you ask. Ianto has trained him to fold as he goes.

"I see me in him." John shrugged "Not getting any younger, no offspring of me own. Oh god, did you head that? I said Me instead of My. I am assimilating. Oh my stars."

Ianto laughed softly, shoving at him and then resuming his folding. John watched him for a while, and then said softly "You OK?"

"Yeah. Cabin fever. Didn't have it like this in the bunker, I think it's the fact I know there is all that world out there calling to me" Ianto shrugged.

"I will go back to roping… but I did not like the arrival of that Tiger. What do we do about that?" he asked.

"This is his world now, we are the one in his habitat. I suggest we make those ropes fences instead. Solid fences with the chain-link sections from the holding cells, yeah?"

Good idea.

Recycle something totally not wanted on board.