22
"What are they doing?"
Jack turned to find Ianto beside him, up on the flight deck looking down over the enclosures with a frown, in the distance Johnny, Rhys and Owen walking the perimeter while in animated conversation.
"No idea but it makes me feel icky too" Jack said back.
"Icky. Is that a military term Captain?" Ianto poked at his ribs and Jack grinned, singing to seize him and give him a playful kiss.
"Very techy…neck….elll" Jack said between kisses as Ianto laughed and clung to him, not the least bit feminized by the slight dip he was in. He was in Jack's arms and ANYONE in Jack's arms was feminine for a heartbeat or two. How could you not be gooey and a little doe eyed when this gorgeous man has you in his grip?
It was later at the lunch table that it became clear and Ianto froze with a sandwich almost to his open mouth to gape at them then say "What? Can you repeat that?"
"A moat" Rhys repeated, clapping Owen on the back "he thought of it."
Ianto watched Owen preen and look at Ianto with a cheeky grin. Oh really?
"And the man eating sharks?" Jack asked with amusement, taking in another mouthful of food at the same time. Pig.
"One big one" Owen said with glee.
"You see… it's an above ground kinda one. We will place fencing about six foot in from the outer fencing creating a ring around the base, like a barrier or… a moat. We then make sure the outer guard house on the east side is connected to it, not the outside anymore. We can still use the one on the north side if we need to wander outside the complex, but this way… the ring is complete and she has somewhere to sleep or be in on a rainy day or something. That guard house is larger than her cell was back in Torchwood."
"Janet!" Ianto spluttered as he finally got it.
"Yeah… she will be the shark in the moat" Owen pointed a him and Ianto tried not to laugh as he shook his head, still not sure if they were serious or not but ya know.. I made sense.
"And she has those pet dogs now, they can be with her. Believe me, no one will mess with them" Andy finished.
"Dogs?" Archie asked.
Alice answered "There is a pack of dogs, about eight of them hanging around the fence line. The enclosure we have her in means she can reach through the mesh to pet them and one has even managed to get in, no eating or maiming so she clearly sees them as pets or babies. The cold winter coming, they will need someone safe, warm and quiet. She will have company, they will have a home and the alarm system will work louder than any klaxons would if they smell to see anyone moving out there."
Ianto could not believe Owen had taken his idea and run with it to such an extent that the others were involved but the more he sat and thought about it, the more sense it made "Well done Owen."
"Yeah, I thought so" Owen replied with a cheeky grin "Since you gave me the idea in the first place."
"You did?" Jack asked.
"I was a throwaway comment, Owen did the hard work here. It is a brilliant idea Owen, well done" Ianto said as he clapped Owen on the back and then settled back to eat his food with a sense of pride. Like a proud father. Huh. Owen was really on a roll.
.
.
The guard house was the size of their old conference room with bedding in the corner, an area for eating and the revelation that she could be toilet trained to flush was not lost on anyone as she showed them that she already knew how. Owen glanced at Ianto who said nothing and then continued to spout his thoughts while gaining the praise of everyone there. He knew Ianto was giving him a big one here, letting him take all the credit and at one point he did wonder why but deep down he knew Ianto would always defer the spotlight to someone else.
He's a good guy like that.
They moved her and the dogs in, the mattresses and bedding a hit with the dogs, the large fuzzy rug clearly Janet's as she rolled it around herself and hummed happily.
"Right princess, here is the best part" Owen said as he flung open the door to the ringed enclose, and then stepped back, "Go on. Take a look."
She scuttled to the door and peered out, then looked at him and stepped back. Nervous. Owen's grin faded a bit "Go on girl. It's you new run."
"Institutionalized" Ianto said as he stepped towards the door "She is so used to walls, she is scared Owen. Here, come on Janet. I will walk it with you so you can see it is safe and there are still walls, just lots of mesh. Come on."
Ianto held out his hand and everyone watched with awe as she accepted it to step out side.
"Did you see that?" Owen hissed to Toshiko, "Like a little child."
By the time the door on the other side opened and they reinterred Jacket was eager to go again, taking the dogs with her with soft claw clacking as she shot out the door at her weird crablike lope.
This was going to work.