9

The day was winding down and Ianto was tired. Gods he was tired. It took a lot to adjust to this place, the pulse was so different here if ya get what I mean and Ianto needed to learn a new beat before he could settle.

Jack seemed to know this and took him away from the winding down meal to watch the sunset, the lights flickering on as the solar power kicked in and the village became something from a postcard.

"So" Jack said after a while, "What's the plan now?"

"Bed" Ianto replied blandly "The kids are asleep at the table. W all go home and sleep, then start again tomorrow. Rhia should be in the house next door by the end of the week, maybe sooner if we can sort the beds."

"That's not what I mean"

"Look, a few days for things to settle, the houses to be sorted and then they will move out. Alice is still undecided about the cottage on the other side of the courtyard but will come around, give it time. Like you she hates accepting help" Ianto sighed, letting his eyes close as he listened to the birdsong wane and the silence of nightfall descend.

"No. Not what…"

"I know what you mean" Ianto snapped, then blanched "Sorry. I am so tired Cariad. Look. A few days. Let them get sued to the idea of being here, Gwen to let go, Tosh to settle in and Owen to let people get past his arseholeness so he is accepted before we start throwing our weight around, OK?"

"And then?" He had to push.

"And then we got back, you and me. Just you and me. We will check if we were followed, if there are signs of Bots and we will try to find some positivity" Ianto was annoyed now, knowing full well that Jack wanted to go do some damage, not just look but there were still rules here, rules that needed to be respected.

"Ianto … how old are you?"

"Twenty…ah …. Five?"

"Ianto … how old are you!" Jack demanded this time, feeling something shift between them and Ianto snorted softly.

"OK, maybe I am the older of us two siblings, OK? Maybe Rhiannon came later" Ianto smiled softly and then sighed "OK … I am in my forties. I am about the same age as Alice … maybe a tad older."

"You don't look it."

"And in fifty ears…. A hundred … tow hundred … I will not look it either" Ianto chortled as he turned to walk away, Jack frozen to the spot with shock as Ianto flung over his shoulder "My kind can live as long as a piece of string they say."

Ianto did not add, the thread was the lifeline of their bonded mate.

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"Hey" Tosh smiled as she saw Ianto approaching "I was wondering if I could get into the SUVs tomorrow, some stuff still in them."

"Tomorrow you can come with me back to the outer village, sure. I need more beds. You can pillage while I sort out dome paperwork and such to make you lot more accepted, I have to declare you as my family in the admittance book." Ianto made it sound like something horrible as he flicked a thumb at Owen, "including him."

"Him, what?" Owen looked up from the book he was reading, amused and enamored with a real-life book.

"Tomorrow you have to change your name to Jones" Ianto said and Owen snorted. Then both men laughed softly.

"Guess what … I like books" Owen said with wide eyes full of shock.

"Good, plenty of them here. A lot you've never heard of, you will have penty of time for them" Ianto assured him.

""We've made waves" Tosh guessed "You were not supposed to bring outsiders with you."

"You are not outsiders" Ianto said forcefully "You are my family and tomorrow I will make sure you are logged as such. I will make you safe."

Tosh did not know what he meant by that but got the feeling it was something she badly needed from him so she nodded and watched him glance over at Rhys who nodded and went back to arguing with Gwen about the solar lights on the tables.

Seems she wanted to take them and he wanted to leave them.

"Let her take some" Ianto called out, "We have more. If she feels safer with some … what's the harm?"

"thank you Ianto" she said with glee, swiping three and running for their assigned quarters.

"Sh is…. Being a brat!" Rhys huffed.

"She wants something, let her have it. Let her feel like she won. She needs that right now .. control" Ianto advised and then he tined to Jack "Come. Bed. Sleep."

They headed inside knowing the others would follow later and settled on the bed, still fully clothed. Jack lay there until Ianto was asleep and then removed their socks, pulling a blanket over them both and settling back to watch Ianto's eyelids flutter.

He wondered what he was dreaming about.

Probably what was happening out there in the real world, beyond the safety of the veil.

Were they had to go sooner or later.

And he was right.

They had to go alone.

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So ends this day. Not a big segment but it was not a big day, one if rest and settling in.

Thanks for reading.