29
Rhys was looking at his phone as he walked into the house with genuine dismay and Andy was the first to notice.
"What's wrong biggie?" He asked softly, wheeling his chair closer.
"Gwen's lawyer had been whining at mine" he sighed, "She wants her access visit."
"Bullshit! She's not seen the baban since …since …. Shit. Has it been six months?"
"Yeah. Suddenly she's complaining coz I fell off the face of the planet with her little one and she needs desperately to see her" Rhys frowned, "She wants to see me, more like."
"She knows" Andy said with alarm, "She knows where we are!"
"No" Ianto said from his chair, "We're safe here. She can't enter. Tosh is on the job."
"So, I have to meet her at the park, so she can see Anwen hasn't lost a bloody limb" Rhys snorted and rubbed his face as Andy moaned softly.
Ianto walked outside and stood by his rocks …. Yeah he had started to think of them as his … and stewed.
He felt something and looked to his left as she appeared, her spear still dripping with a blue tinted blood.
"Hello Sister" he said automatically, then blinked with surprise at the choice of words.
"Hello Brother" she returned the greeting with a swelling of her chest.
"I am worried about my friend" Ianto decided to tell her why he was standing there, in case she was somehow watching him, "I fear that he is going to walk into a trap and there is nothing I can do."
She sat daintily on a rock, no mean feat with limbs that long, "Tell me."
So Ianto did.
She seemed to consider, looking at him without blinking for several minutes, then she rose and removed her arm band and placing it on his arm.
"It may seem a little loose but it will adjust as I latch it" she said and as she closed the clips he felt it snap against his skin, making him jump and then laugh softly.
She showed him some tricks with it and he couldn't help but think this was another version of a VM.
He thanked her for her generosity and she shook her head, holding out her other arm to show an identical one with smaller, more dainty symbols.
"It was Rumtuck's" she said as she closed her hand over his wrist.
"Your brother? That was his name?"
"Yes, Rumtuck. He would have liked you and your curious ways" she smiled … at least he hoped that was what it was so he returned the smile politely.
After she had left, he walked back to the house and entered to watch Mickey argue with Andy about a piece of tech as Rhys cuddled Anwen on the sofa.
Jack was leaning against the doorway talking with Martha and he suddenly realized he was still cloaked, so he stomped his foot then reached for the button she had shown him, letting it fall and making them all yelp with shock.
"Boo?"
"What the fuck!" Rhys spluttered, then burst out laughing, "You bastard!"
"Actually, you can just call me Casper the friendly ghost" Ianto grinned as Jack grabbed his wrist to inspect the wristlet.
"It's mine" Ianto said, "It belonged to Rumtuck, now I hold his heart, it's mine."
Jack nodded and felt a strange relief in the thought that Ianto had a means to hide, then felt a chill as he knew before it was even said that it was not going to keep him as safe as he would like.
"I can be there with you, hidden in plain sight" Ianto said happily, "Mardlenia too. She and her mate want to watch over me and our … what did she call it? Bug?"
"Wait, are you telling me there will be a couple of Predators in attendance and you will be cloaked as well?" Jack relaxed again.
"Predators?" Andy asked with a frown, "You didn't exactly explain …"
"Brother" Mardlenia entered the house and headed to Ianto, "I forgot to give you this."
She held out the spear and Ianto huffed, "God, do you really think I can heft that?"
She dropped it into his palm and it seemed to fold back into itself until it was the size of a baton.
Ianto smiled and bowed as she turned and slowly walked back out, ducking to exit the back door.
"See?" Ianto said to Rhys, "We got you covered!"
"Holly fucking shit!" Mickey spluttered, finally speaking.
"Live long and prosper?" Andy offered and Rhys snorted as he said his favourite.
"Bloody Torchwood!"