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The dust covering the ground was thick and yet so silky fine, like a sand but as the hand slid beneath it to turn it over it became apparent that the top layer was more of a fine powder. The hand let the fine granules slip between the fingers to fall back, the lighter powder seeming to linger in the air to let the heaver sand fall back first before settling on top once more.

Then the figure rose to look out over the Red Dust with the white scarf that was covering the face whipping back in the wind, flicking back off his face to reveal a softly tanned face. Almost a soft red tint to it, much like his hair which was a dark rich Auburn, almost dark brown but here and there like silver flecks, bright red flared. The hair was tied back in a tight ponytail that was to his waist, flying back in the wind picking up now that the scarf had taken flight to places unknown. Third one this week, damn it. He no longer braided and folded, letting the strands be free. All were free here.

His eyes were the palest blue, like water.

He was surveying the Deadlands as he contemplated something he had read in one of the old tomes found deep in the catacombs of the tunnel system they had explored last year, from the first terraformers.

He has much to contemplate.

And time to do so.

Time passes on the Red Planet known as Torchwood, as it does on all planets really… bar those stuck in a time bubble of course… and we find ourselves back on the Red Dust a little over three years since we last left them exploring Christmas and other 'human' things from their ancient home planet Sol3.

The Boss, Ianto Harkness-Jones…. Yeah he liked that joining of names the children had decided on themselves…. Was also called The Devil by those who truly knew him. As this was his planet, owned by him in a little backdoor clause in a otherwise formal contract that also gave him people to care for, the rumbling as of late was the fact that he was not just their superior officer, running the place with the steely grip of one born to it… but he was in fact… well… their king. Ianto had not really enjoyed that comment when he overheard it, the notion that his bloodline would somehow be more than that of the man next to him. All just born Meatsticks, they had all evolved into their own unique beings. Devils.

Still, ownership is a big thing for him. His kind. His people. OK. Maybe… maybe his subjects.

Ianto turned to took over the other side of the sand dune he was standing on, looking down on the lush plains below. In the time since we saw them last, the water has produced life. Long since dormant seeds in the soil had started to peek out of their long slumbering places to find light, prosperity and above all… water.

"Rhys, is the pump still making that sound?" Ianto asked over the coms.

"Like it's a bloody Gemerilish chewing on a small dog" came the bland reply.

"Did you flush out the pipes?"

"I know I look feckin thick mate, but yeah."

Ianto smiled at the terse reply tht many would not dare even think in their heads, then asked "the filter? At the intake…. Did you check that for debris?"

"Feck…. Hang on. AMILIE YA LITTLE…. Goram… your mother will be pissed at you, don't give me that. You know she will blame me …. Awwwww…. Now Thumper is in there!"

Ianto listened as the youngest two year old child of Rhys and Gwen named Thursten, affectionately named Thumper, splashed about in the background while the now almost teen Amilie laughed and tried to catch him.

"Well… bugger me. There IS something in there Boss"

"I am on my way" Ianto said as he stepped off the ridge and simply skied down the sand like he was surfing a half-pipe. He arrived at the bottom and stepped lightly across the sand in a way that did not even seem to leave footprints, coming to a halt at the sight of a dripping toddler and a very annoyed and bedraggled Amilie.

"My love, you look a little… wet" Ianto said softly.

"Well, gee whizz Tadda Yan…. Ta" she said in a tepid tone.

Rhys had the portion of the pump undone and was banging the filtration unit against the side of the generator in an attempt to dislodge whatever was in there, yelping as something fell out and… twitched.

"Oh Goram, leave it" Ianto demanded, racing to scoop it up and crouch at the water's edge to place it in the water. They all watched with awe as the small fish flapped and splashed, then righted itself to disappear back in to the depths of the lake.

"Was that a fish Unka?" Thumper asked in his little sing-song voice.

"Why yes darling, I do believe it was." Ianto agreed as he rose to look around with interest, the water levels now slightly higher than pervious months as the spring fed the lake with gusto.

"Where the fuck did that come from?" Rhys asked, and then winced as his daughter's hand caught he back of his head much as Gwen's would have had she been here "Aww."

"Language" Amilie scolded, then smiled down lovingly at her baby brother.

"I was reading some of the old books and apparently some of the wildlife burrows deep into the ground to hide until the rains come, then with the wet encourages the arrival of life once more, they wake from a sort of stasis or hibernation to renew" Ianto explained "Of course… I had not known of species doing it for years at a time but I do remember something about Sol3 and an insect that only comes out once every seven years or something."

"We've bane here longer than that"

"But this is not Sol3 so… it is possible" Ianto shrugged. "the water is returning, waking those trapped in the hard soil?"

"So we need finer mesh on the filters and at least twice a day back flushing in case any buggers are stuck" Rhys frowned "Will slow things a bit."

"We can afford it, and this is their planet after all." Ianto replied.

"What next" Rhys laughed.

"Next I want you to cut a channel to over there, I want water piped to the next dip in the dunes. If my calculations are right, there are more dry-locked plants waiting to sprout." Ianto pointed to where he had been looking, "Of course the place could have changed drastically since the maps were drawn up over a hundred years or so back but… the spring did not move form it's original spot since the fish and such are proof, not to mention the lush grass and plant life around the rim of the lake."

Rhys looked around at the small trees in the lush oasis of life and nodded.

So commanded, so it is done.