2

Owen stepped outside and yawned, stretching as he looked over at the children all sitting in the dirt watching Max with wide eyes wonder, the little robot dog doing tricks. As he jumped and flipped they all cheered and clapped, giggling at the wonderment of such a little toy.

"Is he OK?" Owen asked Ianto who was watching the children from one side and Ianto looked at him with raised eyebrows.

"The dog. Is he OK here?" Owen pointed, concerned for the little piece of tech where the damp could destroy so quickly.

"Yes, he is sealed against the wet so children can bath him. An interactive model" Ianto rose from the low border fence he had been sitting on, so lithe and so graceful like it was a dance move "He is not going to be detected here. We will have to shut him down again for the last part of the journey so I thought it best to le them have a little fun, decompress. This is still all so scary."

"So. You are an alien, all along one of our best alien hunters was one" Owen said slowly.

"I am … like … quarter I guess. Me Tad was half Chi and half human. My Mama human, also the mama of Rhiannon. So, technically I am quarter Chi even if that quarter is dominant." Ianto considered more "Physically I threw human in my looks even as one of my siblings is a solid green, an obvious …what."

"Sibling" Owen asked.

"Yes, I have another sibling. A brother that was raised here by his people" Ianto nodded.

"Your people too, right?" Owen screwed his face up as he looked up into the rising sun, Ianto's silhouette seeming to flux as he shook his head.

"I don't know who I am. Not really. I am … a different breed I guess" Ianto sighed "None others are like me I am afraid. Mind you, one is more than enough to cause chaos."

"So I've noticed" Owen laughed softy.

"Well, Rhys is moving about now. Let's have breakfast and then break camp to go to the village" Ianto turned to walk away and Owen knew he needed to ask something while it was just them, the kids too busy with the little dog to hear. "Are you OK?"

Ianto turned to him with surprise evident, then he smiled softly. Not the fake smile he usually gave but a gentle one as he nodded "Yes. Jack renewed me last night, he made me feel strong again."

"I don't know if I needed to hear that" Owen huffed with fake horror and Ianto snorted as he walked towards the cabin where the door was swinging open and Gwen shot out with a look of glee followed by Rhys.

"Can you smell that?" she enthused.

"Yeah, I was gonna ask" Owen snarked "smells horrible."

"Fresh air" Ianto blinked.

"Yeah. Bergkkkkk" Owen shuddered and kept walking as Rhys giggled and ran after him, an arm snaking around his shoulder as they went to check on Janet.

Gwen Looked up and frowned "What's that?"

Ianto looked up "Probably Myfanwy. I told her to go home."

Gwen looked at him strangely and he started to laugh as he reached out to place a hand on her arm "Gwen … Myfanwy is mine. Always was. Where do you think I got her from love? Of course she's mine. I raised her form a chick, one of my favourites. Always loved the dinos."

"I knew it!" Jack laughed as he started to pass them "I knew damned well I had seen one like her before. She's from the valley, right?"

"Valley?" Gwen asked.

Ianto smiled as he pulled her towards the main building, "Come on, let's get some food and then I can show you. I can't wait for Owen to see the plant life; I know he will recognise some."

"How far is it?" she asked as she reached up to tie her hair back off her face in a loose ponytail, Ianto shrugging as he answered her.

"An hour by water"

"water?" she stopped walking, "Upstream?"

Ianto laughed softly, "Gwen, there is no upstream or downstream … merely water. That river past the rocks over there flows directly to my home."

"I've never seen a river flow away from the main body of water before" she was incredulous.

"Get used to seeing things you didn't think you ever would, this is Never Never Land Gwendy Girl!" Jack said as he motioned of them to hurry up "And I really want see if they got watermelon for breakfast."

"Watermelon" she huffed "You know we don't get it this time of year."

"Ah … but that's out there, in here things are different. The rules are vastly …ah…. Bent" Jack said as he reached the building and turned to usher Gwen in first "I like bent."

"I've noticed" she laughed stepping inside and Jack leaned in to steal a kiss as Ianto passed, rewarded with a grab of his arse cheek too.

It was a great morning so far.