9
He looks like me, talks like me and I sense that same fear in his gut I had as a small child trying to dumb myself down so the Grups didn't freak out. Gods, are all the other kids like me too? As I sit here and go over the files I wonder.
Is it a sea of Iantos at the Safe House?
Like Minions but … droll?
.
.
.
.
Owen headed for the Safe House with Gwen and the boy, little Max eager to see the other children and Ianto was relieved that was not his problem anymore…well…for now.
He was double checking when he felt a cold knife of dread, "I found another one."
"Where?" Jack bounced over. Funny how he calls Ianto Tiger when his is the Tigger of the group? Owen is Eeyore … definitely Eeyore. Ianto pondered if he was Rabbit or Pigglet?
"Ianto?"
Ianto realised he was wool gathering and smiled apologetically, his pain meds numbing him a bit and he tapped the screen "This little girl was killed two days ago, not much left. They put it down to a pack of dogs. Thing is ...she's not mine. Not my DNA. The family did use me for the first one but not the second. First one failed so they decided on a fresh donor as well as fresh eggs."
"So. Whatever database or whatever it is using … it's outdated?" Jack frowned, "Or it simply pulled all families attached to your name regardless."
"Or it's not just Ianto. I found another. Ianto is not attached in any way, a different donor. Might be the clinic that is the denominator, not Ianto at all" Tosh called out, Ianto not sure if it was a relief or extra horror to find it was not his fault this was happening after all.
"So. We can't round them all up" Jack huffed. "Hundreds of families over the last ten years of this place's operation."
"Subsection G of the Agent Code 55033-21B states that an agent can request protection for next of kin in a time of crisis" Ianto said quickly, surprising Jack who swung to face him.
"Really?"
"We can't save them all, that's true. But I can cave the ones we have." Ianto said firmly, folding his arms, "Once Gwen gets wind of others she will be off on one. Let her take the Heddlu side of it, I know Kathy will be too busy swigging her dick about to care."
"Ianto Jones. You just said Dick!" Jack gasped theatrically, his hand to his heart.
Despite his anger still, he found a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth in response and Ianto turned away.
Jack caught it and hid his own smile of relief that there was a slight thaw. Ianto was right, that promised date never eventuated, Gwen's wedding was a bloody farce and really … Ianto had been Golden.
"Right, Ianto is right. As those children already in the Safe House are his by DNA, he does have a right to demand their safety until this is sorted. As for the others … we can't scoop up all the families, there are almost two hundred on the books. Let's deal with what we can … hopefully it makes a mistake. It's injured, confused and angry. Let's get this right" Jack said as he slipped his hands into his pockets and watched Ianto stalk off.
He found Ianto in the kitchen staring at the sink. He seemed to be in some sort of shutdown mode and Jack leaned against the counter next to him as he waited for a response, then Ianto slowly swivelled his head and Jack saw the sorrow in the man's face.
"Hey" Jack said softly, "OK there Tiger?"
"Those babies…all those babies. All mine. None mine. Don't know how to feel about it"
"Ah. I've had a few kids ya know … in my time. After Elizabeth died, consumption took her and our three kids…I thought I would never do that again. Love so much that the loss left me empty for years. Years before I felt affection again." Jack leaned against Ianto, letting their heads touch, "Hey. Ok Tiger?"
Ianto sighed and let them touch for a moment then pulled back, "I don't know Jack. I thought Lisa would be the worst thing … now … these babies. How do I fix this? Is this my fault?"
"No. Now Tosh has found some deaths we hadn't detected before, all from the Clinic… it's the Clinic records it's using, not your name … it's killing all children from there."
"What is it? I mean … the database can't tell me, Mainframe can't tell me … what is it Jack?"
"I am not sure. I think you are right about it being from another time or place. It might be a cosmic mistake, dumped by the Rift and the closest it can find to whatever it was hunting is us. Or … something to do with the clinic triggered something."
"Jack, that's bullshit. I call total bullshit!" Ianto huffed, "Tell me."
"They are a form of hunter. They don't stop until they get whatever they are seeking, usually the death of the target is their reward. They feel fulfilled in completing a task." Jack sighed as he saw that there could be not getting out of this one, Ianto was too clued up to blow smoke up his arse, pretty as it is.
"So … one of the children from the Clinic does something, did something or in some alternate universe is responsible for something. It was hunting the target, got zapped here and is still fixated on the target. Killed a few others that are close to what it wants but none of them are the right one. It's not me … it had me and didn't even try to focus on me. I am not a link. It's the Clinic … so … who had a child through the Clinic that could potentially be a risk? I know how alternates work … close but not the same. I think we need to look at a rich family, influential… political? Look at what they believe … push for. This might help us work out if they are a target."
Jack nodded as he watched Ianto sink his teeth into an idea.
He might not be far wrong.
