21
Life seemed to settle over the next few months.
John respected the fact Ianto had given him a pass over the tail thing but knew if push came to shove he would pay for his stupidity. Acceptable. He responded by trying to minimize the amount of time he spent in Ianto's eye-line. Seemed to work.
Gwen also started to come to terms with the fact Ianto was not going to share Jack. The fact her children were safe, happy and cared for… and she was allowed to live… gave her the strength to let go of her desire for a mate. Therefore it was with no mild surprise that she found a strange man in the apartment as she entered with the kids in tow.
"Uncle!"
"Hey kids, go put your school things away and wash up for an early dinner, then you can watch a movie in the movie room" Ianto called back and cheers filled the space as children rampaged, even the little one squealing as she toddled about waving her arms.
"Gwen. This is Rhys, from the motor pool. He's been helping outfit the new skimmers and Jack is wanting to go over some design changes to the infantry division" Ianto said as he settled at the table.
"Change in seating or are we talking the armament spaces?" Gwen asked and Rhys lit up, engaging her in a conversation about different rifle mounts and such, ammo cases under seats and general things Meatsticks are interested in through breeding.
Jack entered and laid out the different sketches, all three of them now engrossed and Ianto watched as Rhys moved to allow Gwen space more than once, then grinned at her as he mildly body bumped her and got a bump back that had him sniggering.
"Staying for the meal Rhys?" Ianto asked as he rose from the seat and Jack looked up with surprise "Jack? Can you help me set the table if you are finished with those? Gwen, maybe Rhys wants to meet the kids now they are calmly doing homework instead of being mad things."
"I love kids, would have liked my own… if I were not … you know…" Rhys told her and she led him to the room the kids used as a rumpus room. Ianto turned to find Jack standing behind him with a plate in his hand, gaping.
"What?"
"You… I… I never saw that coming… you think…."
"Yes. The more time I spend around him the more I think he is a good match for her. Gwen is not a bad person, her breeding made her a submissive and she fought it, trying to be alpha like the others. She will not fit another alpha like us, she needs someone that is an omega." Ianto explained "Will let her be in charge, be happy to be led and comfortable with backing her up, being submissive. He is retired, a benched Meatstick with that limp so… why not?"
Jack slowly blinked then grinned as he saw the makings of a new cell happening around him.
.
.
"SO… what did you need to speak to me on a secure line for boy?" the commander asked his boy with open affection in his face.
"The drilling is a bust. The Snake is dead… what will REALLY happen now?" Ianto asked. "With this rock?"
"Well... it was all to be decommissioned and abandoned but your training facility idea is a boon. They are really excited about it" he replied. "Also means your cell can stay there instead of returning to the Agency Centre to become teachers."
"I have an idea… one that might be… cheeky" Ianto said after he had run his fingers over the table's edge a few times, showing his discomfort in what he wanted to say. "For my cell."
"You have a request" the old man guessed "You hate… loathe… making them."
"Yes but… if this works… it will be worth it" Ianto assured him.
.
.
"Why?" Toshiko asked with a frown.
"Because I asked you to ya wench?" Ianto said with open sarcasm, then grinned "Because I am a cheeky bastard who has a plan. You wanna help me out with something dastardly?"
"Well… you could have said brother" Toshiko sniggered, turning to her screen "Right… the costings for…"
"I need to know how much tax the Agency pays for this planet, how much the upkeep of this place is… the cost of training for each cell … a breakdown of all of that… also… how much needed to do these things if they were owned by a private agency… without the Agency name or high tax bracket imposed by the Universal Council."
She was about to ask why but something told her she would know herself once she did as asked and was soon crunching numbers to find out the deference between a huge Agency and a small private operator, surprised to find the tax brackets so vastly different as the Agency was clearly punished for their trillions made per annum compared to little Joe Blogs who was given tax breaks to help him succeed in the shadow of a giant.
By the time Toshiko sat back she knew damned well what his plan was and she was as excited as him.
This might work.
She checked the status of her cell one more time, making sure the decommission tag was still there that told her they were all about to be put out to pasture in Jack's Training Facility as instructors and never needed for live combat again. No recalls.
This could work.
Ianto might have found a way to protect his cell one more time.
For good.
.
.
.
Cherry the Nanny was one of Snake's. Gwen was from the cell they attacked and slaughtered while escaping... join or die… she managed to get away but they found her… SHE is why they killed Gray, to get her on the Red Planet where they hoped to snatch her kids. Yes, Meatsticks can breed but are not allowed to so any children (like the boy with Snake's gun to his head) are rare. Yes, Snake also killed the settlers in the flares by removing shields in an attempt to get at Gwen knowing her training would protect those kids and he thought he would then have her at his mercy with Jack dead and unable to defend her.
The Gods had other ideas.
This one is about to end, just one more chapter but the next segment is almost ready and will pick back up, you will find out there is more to learn still and Ianto is like a terrier digging out a rabbit…. A big massive bitey one LOL
