18

Ianto scooped what he could into his pockets as Dax followed suit, the gunfire erupting around them now out of their control as the servants started to revolt. Seems Ianto's Plan B was bigger than him. After another piece of wall fell beside them as Da rose "Let's boogie!"

Ianto stared up at him with confusion, his hands still working to scoop up dirt and ask for him to repeat himself as he clearly had no idea what the hell he was tlkaing about. Dax threw his arms into the air "We gotta go!"

"Yeah… yeah grab the vase thing" Ianto demanded as he rose and Dax looked at it with annoyance.

It's broken!"

"And still… grab the feckin thing and let's go" Ianto yelled, taking off for the loading dock and the pathway to the Firefly. They were in deep shit now, ash blowing off them as they ran and Ianto found himself starting to giggle at the image in his head of them, like apparitions exploding from the back doors, everyone scattering with horror yelling as they ran from them. Of all the warzones and battle scenes he had been a part of, this was the most exciting and frankly … fun.

They entered the Cargo Hold of the Firefly and Jack punched her into flight, the bird leaping into the air gracefully as they navigated their arses out of there. Ianto and Dax on the floor of the vessel trying to get their breaths back as they choked and coughed through the ash. Then came the weak laughter as they looked at each other.

"EW, I am covered in dead person" Dax croaked.

"Shit up then" Ianto barked back as they lay there looking up at those surrounding them, staring down at them with open confusion.

"What now?" John asked.

"Plastic, a huge sheet of it" Ianto rose and helped Dax up, telling him not move too much, they had stuff to conserve. Finally the sheet was laid out and Ianto stepped gingerly onto it, then started to remove his clothing, telling Da to do the same. Soon the men were disrobed as they turned out each pocket and gently shook each item, even their shoes as they finally stood there in their shorts. Ianto then calmly removed his shorts to stand naked as a jaybird, crouching to finally shake his head and card his fingers through his hair to remove the last of what he could, Dax again following his lead. The vivid scars on Ianto bore testament to his profession and Jack had arrived to watch once Firefly Torchwood was on auto pilot. He drank in the vision of power and violence. Wow.

Toshiko plucked out the precious gems from the ash on her hands and knees and held them up with glee, the earrings making her hum. Good money, lots of money, she knew where to fence most of this. This was more than they had hoped for. Great.

"Shit, that's what… half a cup?" John measured with his eyes as he helped Toshiko bag up the ash and dirt from the plastic.

"More than I thought it would be" Ianto agreed with the assessment, then cleared his throat as he asked for the replicators to be warmed up and Jack face palmed as he had not thought of that. They only needed a small amount, two or three goes though the bloody machines and they would have more than enough for one more move, only problem now… what to put it in.

"This piece is over half the jar" Ianto held up the largest hunk of jar with the other side ominously gone as the bullet did it's dirty work "We need to replicate this too. Then we cut carefully down this seam here, glue them together and then… one jar again?"

"Hell's teeth, that might work" Da said with awe, "When I grow up, can I be you Ianto? Here let's give it a go."

"We can only try"

.

.

Everyone crowed around the table looking at the jar with interest as it slowly turned on the dolly. It looked… right. As they had replicated from the original they hoped it would feel the same. The real test was about to come though as Jack lifted the containers of ash and dirt onto the table and nervously looked over at Toshiko.

He drew the scanner over the small amount that was the original stuff and the scanner pinged to show it had recorded it's findings. He then took a deep breath and placed the scanner over the large replicated container, everyone watching with concern as the scanned compared, then to their relief it pinged to say they were the same. Everyone gave a sigh of relief, Dax sitting heavily to place his face in his hands as Toshiko started to gently scoop everything up.

"Wait, place the replicated stuff in first, then the original on top. He might open it to get some tested and we want to cover arses as much as possible" Jack told her and she nodded to show she understood, her hands sweeping gently to ensure nothing fell out and Ianto lifted his hands to cup around the rim in an effort to help.

Then they all stood and stared at the jar of replicated crap, everyone nervous now as Jack rubbed his hand against his thigh, "Think it will work?"

"If not we are toast" John said with more glee than that sentence really required.

Ianto picked up the scanner and it gave a faint ping, making him look down at it with surprise, then snort "Look at that. Enough on my hands to register. Shit. We all better wash up well, don't want that happening in there."

Yeah, no one wanted to pull attention to dead ancestor on them.

Gorum.

.

.

Jack did not expect the person in the shower behind him, turning to find Ianto there with a look of pure anger. For a moment Jack thought he had done something wrong and it was only once Ianto had seized his head and kissed him that he recognized the look for what it really was.

Lust.

Oh boy, and it was a fire fuelled lust that had Jack on the bench seat outside the shower bent over crying out with abandon as the young man showed that he had stamina, he had grace and damn… he broke one of the rivets holding said seat in place with the strength he showed.

Jack had never been taken so roughly before. Don't' get me wrong, he liked it rough. Preferred a bit of pain rolled in and this was the best fuck he had ever had, even if it was a little hastily arranged. It was… everything he hoped it would be.

Ianto was only repentant once Jack had shakily straightened up and turned to face the man who had just reamed him a new one that he wondered if it had been the same for him. Had Ianto felt anything? Did he get what he needed? Was that good enough? Was HE good enough?

Then Ianto smiled softly, reaching out again to cup Jack's cheek tenderly "Yes. Always, you were enough. You were… exactly what I hoped you would be."

Good enough for him.

.

.

They landed without trouble and Jack found that mildly alarming. Seems word had got around that the jar was gone, his relief washing over him as he saw the Cyborg himself on the landing pad "Look. He's not blowing us up yet."

"Cool" Ianto rolled his eyes and Jack snorted with mirth, rising from the chair to exit the vessel with John. Ianto glanced at Dax and said softly "Do not get out. If this goes pear shaped you need to get our girls out of here, ya hear me?"

He then passed Toshiko in the outer doorway and said softly "If this goes tits up, get him out of here. You know he will try to save us. Can't be done, save my little girl."

She closed the door and double locked it, then turned to face Dax who had come up behind her, his face pale with fear. This was it.

They were gonna sink or swim here.

.

.

"Well now Johnty, Javic, who do we have here? A third one? You two did not breed I hope!" Droxi asked as he looked Ianto up and down, the young man raising his head to look at him defiantly. It seemed to last an eternity, the two men locked in a silent conversation, then the Cyborg stepped back "Right, come on. Let's see it."

Jack held up a bag and wriggled it like a sarcastic child making the man laugh in a horribly metallic way, leading them inside to a table where several people waited with many different pieces of technology that had Jack internally cursing.

They would know.

Soon enough the replicated stuff would give off a different ping and they would be toast. He could only hope these people hated Droxi as much as him and would enjoy fucking him over too. Do you think? Not bloody likely, I know but right now we are going to take what we can get.

Jack placed the jar on the table and stepped back.

Up to the gods now.