28
Ianto was talking to someone with extreme anger, snarling so his teeth flashed and Rhys was mesmerized.
Jack was pacing in the layby they had pulled into and as Rhys regained his senses he started to curse, remembering the small detail of a daughter and friend left behind at home.
"If you are worried about your family, I'm on it" Ianto said as he swung and snapped the phone shut. "Jack? You OK?"
"Yeah" Jack huffed, "You liked that shirt on me and the blood will never come out, will it"
"No" Ianto grimaced, "Never mind."
"Right, action?" Jack leaned back and grinned continently at his man.
"Mickey and Martha already have Anwen and Andy on board, heading home via the anti-tail routes. We strip this bitch out and dump it with the keys in it, let her waste time tracking it in the projects or something" Ianto said calmly, "Maybe we will beat them home."
"Shit, can you do this? I mean, we won't be in the way?" Rhys asked as he climbed in the back to let Jack and Ianto have the front. He then saw the bloody clothes bundled up in the back foot space and swallowed as he thought back to Jack's lifeless body.
Jesus but Ianto is strong.
They pulled into the homestead and Rhys saw a wheelchair assessable van sitting by the doors, with the doors wide open feeling sick as he knew they must have 'acquired' it upon finding Andy's condition.
"TADDA!" Anwen was running towards him, her little black ponytails bouncing as her hair ribbons fluttered behind her like streamers.
Untied again.
Messy little mare.
"We beated you!" she crowed.
Rhys was scooping her up and kissing her face with glee.
Ianto walked past them and inside to see Andy sitting in a wheelchair, looking round the flat level with interest.
"We have four levels below this" Ianto said softly, "A lift, don't worry about that. Everywhere is wheelchair assessable, the old couple made sure they could fit hospital beds though all doorways because they feared a Zombie apocalypse of all things."
Andy looked up at Ianto and blinked, then burst into tears as his shaking hands reached up to touch his own face, as if trying to convince himself that he was awake.
"It's OK" Ianto knelt and touched his knee, making him jump. "I'm real. I'm here. Like Rhys said when he saw me, 'Bloody Torchwood' right?"
Andy nodded and grinned through his tears, clutching at Ianto's hand as he convinced himself that this was real.
"Hi" Ianto grinned back.
"Uncle Andy!" Anwen was running back in, "Tadda's here!"
Rhys entered, carrying some stuff as Jack followed with more, "Tosh is going to want a look at some of this."
"Tosh?" Andy asked with a squeak, his eyes wide.
"Not … not her" Ianto sighed, "Our mainframe, our AI. We call her Tosh."
He nodded, knowing it was too much to ask, watching Rhys empty his arms and then come over to kneel and gently gather him into a hug.
"Are you OK dumpling?" he whispered and Andy closed his eyes, breathing him in and calming.
Rhys was here.
This is Rhys.
It's OK now.
Andy drew back and the shaking was gone, nodding as he smiled for real.
Rhys let his hand linger on his cheek for a moment, then rose.
"Right then, let's see what we have here. If not for Ianto you would all probably live like pigs! I remember you Harkness, bloody pig!" Rhys chuffed and Ianto snorted as Martha entered from the back door and glared at Rhys.
"I beg your pardon, I do not live like a pig!" she snarled and Rhys squeaked.
"No, just with one" Jack shot back, "Or at least a mouse. A pig mouse? Or is it a mouse pig?"
"Stuff it Captain Cheesecake!" Mickey shot over his wife's shoulder as he entered and poked his tongue, "Cheeky bastard."
Rhys looked at Martha as he tried to remember where he knew her from, smiling politely.
"Well, I don't know about the rest of you but I am starving!" Ianto declared, heading for the kitchen and Rhys clapped his hands together as he followed, finally finding what would be his work space.
Ianto was standing at the open fridge eating cream cheese straight from the container, scooping it out with his fingers and humming as he chewed, then he reached in an pulled out pickled onions.
"Christ" Rhys said with amusement, "When are ya due?"
"About seven months" Ianto answered around his mouthful, reaching for a can of cola.
Rhys gaped and then remembered where he had met them in the first place.
"Bloody Torchwood!"