1
Three years. Hard to believe that it's been almost three years… the reality setting in as Ianto watched his little boy toddle along in front of him, singing a little nonsensical song. Just like his Daddy… has to be a chatterbox all the time. Mind you, it was easier to find him when he took off with those little fat legs pumping. Denny was a chubby toddler too, and so was little Nellan here.
Ianto worried about that a bit. Denny was a chubby little two and a half year old boy with a little pot belly, stocky legs and a strong grip that had resulted in a black eye from pulling too hard already. Our eight month old Nellan was going to be strong too. Add to that the Running Gene from both parentals and you have a maniac on the loose. Was he feeding his babies too much? Phoenix seemed fine but then again… he was no toddler.
Ianto was heading down to feed the inmates and as of late, Nellan and Denny liked to come with. Ianto let them in with the cute fuzzies and locked Denny and Nellan in when having to deal with the more… ah… aggressive ones while safe in the knowledge the boys were in a safe place. It seemed to work, the trip back up stopping to see Janet a firm favourite for both boys and beast.
Ahead of Ianto, around the corner Denny let out a mighty shriek and a lesser man would run with horror at the sound but this was Ianto who knew his son's many shrieks, screams and howls. This was a happy one. He rounded the corner to find John Hart crouching to roughhouse ever so gently with the toddler who was laughing hysterically now as he tried to remove John's head with brute force.
"Hey, don't pull it off Dens … what will he eat with if his head is gone?" Ianto asked as Denny stepped back to regard John like he was some sort or rare magical beast. Maybe he was. John took the moment to seize the boy and rose to swing the boy upside down white the screaming started once more.
After a while John placed Denny back on his feet and the little boy stood gigging uncontrollably while hanging onto John's pants for balance.
"John? What are you doing down here?" Ianto asked.
"I noticed the time and thought I would get a jump on the feeding down here. I know you are pushed with the little game the kids have set up with the marbles" John said, eluding to the marble chutes all over the main room that Ianto had taken Denny from so the other kids could play unmolested by the Marble Monster.
"Oh… ta." Ianto said softly, reaching down to lift his son to his hip and Nellan snuggled against his brother with raw love. John smiled and reached out to pat a little back.
"Hey Nelly. You helping Tadda and Dens? I saved the Ferbies and the Gerlattles for him, I know he likes to feed them himself" John said as they started to walk together.
"Thanks John."
They watched the little boy hand feed the Ferbies… yes like the toy… they had no idea what they really were but they were definitely not Tribbles… Jack had been certain of that after screaming and trying to shoot one while the gun was still in his holster. Man, he clearly does not like Tribbles.
"So many" John said after a while "you ever thought of letting some go? A different world up there and some of these are only mildly dangerous… mostly to one another not humans. I mean… what will you do with them long term? Another two or three years? Then what? We go topside and what… they come with? You abandon them anyway? Think about it Eye Candy. If you let some go topside now… they are not your problem and they will either survive or die."
Ianto glanced at him and let his annoyance show "Let them go. Planetary destroyers?"
"What is left to destroy?" John countered "Come on. Just consider it. Some of the less dangerous ones that can fend for themselves. If we let them go now, they will be long gone before we go up ourselves. We can't release them when it's our time to go topside… we can't have them living with us and we are trapped here looking after them. We can never leave."
Ianto had not thought about that actually. It was a good point "I will talk it over with Jack. You're right… some of the more resilient ones that are not dangerous could be released. After all, the Rift is still out there dumping god knows what… for all we know there are worse things up there than in here."
"Exactly" John said with satisfaction.
Jack would agree, he would want to cut ties with whatever had them stuck here. He would have a plan for somewhere to go, to re-establish themselves and start again. He would have some ideas and John knew it would not to be here near the blast radius. There must be somewhere remote that was still safe.
Jack would know.
As they walked Ianto considered things and thought again of that valley he used to hike through as a child with his mother, then in later life with Lisa. Now… now… he wondered. Even during The Year That Never Was it had stayed pristine. It would not be now but… it would have the best advantages including a fresh water spring.
John was right about one thing… they could not stay here forever.
Even if everyone else thought so.
The Bots would find this place sooner or later.
Then they would have to run.