47
Ianto walked slowly up the stairs not touching the rails, avoiding the lift despite it being easier on him. He entered the office and several people started towards him, and then altered their course like they had not intended to hug him. They all knew his rules here and they opened the conference room door so he might enter to find the paperwork there laid out.
He removed his own pen, leaned over to sign the papers needed for the latest acquisition of land on the other side of the village, finally locking down the entire fucking valley. He then picked up his copy in the sealed plastic container to keep and he turned to face his legal team "Good work."
"Thank you … ah… is everyone OK in there?"
"Yes. Walter is going to release the Christmas Festivities in the New Year in a documentary to show everyone how we are living in my little slice. Don't worry… we are all good." Ianto assured them.
"Doctor … we have some things for you to take back for the kids… we all chipped in and … we made sure the seals were not broken from the manufacturers and we wiped everything down… we would just like to offer something" one of the women spoke.
"Mildred… lovely. Of course.. Hawk is beside himself that he could not come and annoy you all... he sends affections and there is a part of Walter's special that will show Hawk's Sandra Stalking that was so damned cute." Ianto gushed and resisted the urge to hug "Blast. I hate the no touching. Still… will not be much longer and we will have wiped it out, right?"
Ianto left and drove home, parking the vehicle on the other side of the bridge and walking across while carrying the huge bags of gifts and the papers under his arm. He walked into the guard house where he removed the gloves, hat and outer coat, throwing them in the large fire pit. He then proceeded to strip naked, each item of clothing going into the pit.
"Boss?" Skidmark said softly, standing there taking in the still youthful and strong body of his beloved leader, despite the scars and twisted flesh that would fool a lesser being into thinking this was a feeble middle aged man instead of the feckin god he is.
"Gifts from them... could not say no. Wipe them down would you Skiddy love?"
Skidmark reached out and gently took the clear plastic bags filled with gifts that would be carefully disinfected, opened and disinfected more, rewrapped in their own paper and such with the cards wiped down and reattached so the kids did not know the paper was different… yeah… maybe it was a little mad but… as of yet not a single case in the valley, even as Marv had called in a panic with his village getting two cases last week.
And that is how Ianto ensured the safety of his family… all of them.
Mad?
Maybe.
But effective?