31

"OK" Ianto said as he looked at the little one who was turning slowly in the chair while looking around Jack's office with wild eyes "we need to have a chat, you and me."

The child did not answer. He pulled at the t-shirt he had been wearing for a while, a food stain on it that screamed the need for a change. If they had anything for that.

"I was in the facility with your mother. I was exposed as well" Ianto said as the child went deathly still, only his slow blink an indicator that he was still alive.

"I did not get sick. Something happened, I am not sure what but … I did not become ill. Not like the others. Your mother didn't either. She was pregnant with you so … you were born from the virus. Why those arseholes were hurting you, testing you." Ianto explained "They were trying to work out why you didn't get sick and die like the others."

"My mother did"

Such a grown-up voice. Ianto smiled as he fell in love a little "Well … not until you were born. Sort of like … you kept her alive and when you were cut from her she didn't have you to help her anymore"

"I killed her?"

"No. They did. They killed her. You tried to save her, almost did" Ianto said firmly. "you were her protection and when they took you away from her they took her protection. You see? They did it."

They tried to throw her to the wolves"

"You are very advanced. I guess nothing else to do in a little cell all day but read and browse the internet. You are right … but there is a phrase that I always liked with regard to the wolves" Ianto canted his head and the child did the same, making Ianto snort with humour in the parroting.

"What saying?"

"Do not throw me to the wolves and expect me to be afraid. Not when they come on MY command"

The child considered and then snorted softly, nodding as he seemed to like that too, then he swung in the chair some more. Ianto knew they were not out of the woods here, knew this child was like a ticking time bomb and he either held the cure that could save the world from the virus … or he could be the Trojan horse about to releases it to the world.

"What are you thinking?" Jack asked softly as he watched Ianto pace outside the room, the child inside it now looking at Jack's crystal collection with open awe.

"That we might have played into their hands by removing him. It was so easy. Did they want us to extract him and release the virus into the main populous? Was this a play on their end? Or … did we just fuck them right off by taking their favourite toy?"

Jack nodded "I was thinking the same but … they were not masked up, they were not afraid so if he was dangerous they would have taken precautions themselves. Not paid enough to sacrifice themselves."

"True. Yes, you are right Cariad"

Jack grinned at the term of endearment he never got tired of hearing, Ianto the only person to ever call him that, and with such open abandon. For someone not into PDAs this was his version of a snog in public and Jack knew that. Each time that word was said he felt the affection washing over him.

He needed to fix this… awkwardness between them. He needed Ianto.

Yeah.

He did.

"Right, what now?" Jack finally shook himself as he saw Ianto watching him with that closed question.

"Well … we have a child. No clothes, goodies … we need to shop" Ianto stood, clapping his hands together "I suggest I take Gwen. She will feel useful and actually is good at choosing educational games, look how well she does it for Owen."

Jack laughed as he agreed "You go do that and I will try to encourage Owen to part with one of those handheld games in his lower drawer."

Ianto rose and nodded as he slid his hands into his pockets and he wandered along as he called out to Gwen, her face lighting up when she saw that he was heading out and inviting her along. After the doors closed Toshiko turned to look at Jack with raised eyebrows.

"He wants time to think. Gwen can fluff about while he thinks about things. He knows we will not poke at the child. Gwen would have fussed and probably smothered the poor little mite. While he is gone we can dig through some of the files we managed to download care of Eggsy while I was distracting everyone." Jack said with authority, hoping it kept everyone busy and Owen looked at him long and hard before turning to Eggsy.

"What files?"

"Well, I managed to open a directory and patch Toshiko in while Jack was busy … entertaining them" Eggsy said as he rose from the chair "I'm going with Ianto. We still need to talk about Grandy's birthday plans. The old shit really does need a party."

"You know … I think he is avoiding me" Jack said as the young man headed out, Toshiko snorting at she turned to look at Jack.

"You are Ianto's. Eggsy is not looking at you in any way that is remotely sexual. He is following Ianto because there might be payback for taking the child and until we are sure that UNIT are going to let the subject drop, we need to keep things tight."

"Makes sense" Owen agreed as he opened his bottom drawer and started to check his Game boys for double ups. He knew he had some somewhere.