1 – Day five 10.30am
Ianto stirred in the bed and sighed, throwing his arm back from across his face then noting the bright light that had him turning his head to see if the drapes were still drawn. Bright light cascaded around the drapes, making them glow and he sat up with shock as he realised it was the sunlight.
He had missed dawn?
Ianto struggled from the bedding and stumbled to the drapes, flinging them open and staring out at the yard where the children were playing, Max the dog barking as he raced after a ball on his little robot legs.
"Grandy!" Mica called out then looked shocked at herself for saying that, correcting herself "I mean … uncle. You've slept the morning away. It's nearly lunch!"
Ianto didn't know if he was more angry or shocked that he had been left to snore like a band saw instead of getting some work done and he turned from the window with a little wave at his delightful minx of a grandchild to head to the shower.
Did it matter? If he had a sleep-in? Or if she called him by his proper title instead of pretendinddhe was an uncle? Stephen must have his own thoughts there. If he can call Jack Granddad … why not have Mica embrace it too.
"A sweet blonde haired little birdie tells me you are awake Tiger" Jack called as he entered the house and Ianto turned to answer when his nose was assaulted with the delicious smell of food.
They sat on the veranda of the house, watching the world inside their bubble of safety as the world outside burned. Ianto couldn't stop thinking about it, knowing it was something he had no control over. They had to wait it out, then go out and see what was left to save.
There would be something.
There was always something. IF not … they would rebuild.
"What are you thinking with that frown?"Jack asked gently "So closed off, I am getting nothing in the bond."
"Sorry. Oversleeping makes me grumpy" Ianto smiled softly to show there was no anger there "I have this weird feeling like fingernails on a blackboard, have had since I woke. I know I am being crotchety. Been a crazy few days and I think they are catching up to me, that's all."
Jack nodded and sat back from the sandwich he had been consuming "Not like you to sleep so deeply. I did try to wake you but felt like a fiend for it. You looked so lovely and clearly needed it."
"The lake didn't 'even call to me, most mornings when here she does. She must have known too" Ianto sighed, rubbing his face "I will be like a bear with a sore head for the rest of the day now, need to have an early night, reset the balance. Wake tomorrow and start my routine again."
"It really bothers you" Jack smiled as he shook his head "You and your routines."
"I know. Old and ornery. That's me" Ianto said in a creaky old voice that had Jack laughing.
"Hey guys" Owen called as he walked towards them "Have you two seen Gwen anywhere? Rhys is off with Johnny and the boys collecting some firewood from the shoreline on the other side of the island. I thought she was with them but Orin just came back and said she never left with them."
"Told you to put a frickin' bell on her" Ianto grumbled.
"Did you check with Alice? They were talking about some berry picking earlier" Jack shrugged and Owen nodded wandering off. Jack then frowned "She can't' get off the island, can she?"
"No. The lake would not let her across, surely. Shit." Ianto frowned at Jack "She wouldn't be stupid enough to try, would she?"
"And give away or position maybe?" Jack added as he rose from his chair, already alarmed at the idea.
"That feeling of dread, I've had it since I woke" Ianto said as they walked quickly towards the Hovers, checking to see none were gone. They were told that none had been taken, none were missing and no one had passed through the barrier to the outpost along the shore.
"So … she is not there" Jack muttered with a frown. A parrot alighted on a branch above them and cocked it's head at Ianto then made a scratching noise in its throat, like the static of a TV no quite getting the signal. Ianto looked up at it and blinked slowly as he listened to it do it again, this time with a whine to it.
"No." Ianto was tiring in a slow circle, that feeling of dread returned and now he felt urgency to it. Something was wrong, something was happening, a danger. Danger. Danger. Dang… Ianto started to run and Jack blinked, then followed with equal speed.
Ianto didn't know where he was going, just that it was somewhere he needed to be as he raced thought the baseball game, snatching the ball form a child's startled grip and he slammed into the building, past those sitting at desks working on projects and into the back room where he found Toshiko and two others crouched over something.
"Try that one" she said softly to someone and Jack stood there trying to work out what it was Ianto could hear.
The bat swinging in a slow arc over Toshiko's head made Jack cry out with alarm as Ianto brought the bat down with great force on the radio she had been soldering and she screamed as she fell back, throwing her arms up to shield her face as he beat the piece of tech to a pulp.
The bird had been repeating the radio channels she had been checking.
She had been connecting to the fucking grid.