15

I felt a weird morbid curiosity as I watched Jack cut its head off. The sound of the saw was eerie, but the crunching as he broke its neck to sever the head completely was like gravel being walked on.

I was tired, I was hurting and I was worried about little Max bit damn if I wasn't relieved. Of course, that's when I got an idea and had to voice it.

"Jack?"

.

.

.

Jack looked up at Ianto with open surprise, "Huh?"

"Jack … do these things travel alone? I mean ... they don't have a mate or partner with them or anything, right?" Ianto asked and Jack felt his gut twist as he dropped the head to look around.

"Jack?" Ianto didn't like that response one little bit. No sir.

"Um … honestly? I don't know Tiger" Jack finally said, "I am assuming it was alone. We've only seen one."

"No … we've only seen one at a time. Let's check it's leg … is Owen's damage there?" Ianto demanded and Jack fell to his knees, both men searching the flesh for any sign of damage.

"Shit" Ianto rose and rubbed his hands on his pants, "Is there another? Was this a ruse? All this time is another one attacking them? Killing them without us there to help?"

They tried the coms but there was no answer, probably too far from Tosh's portable Hub. Ianto was starting to panic and Jack pulled him close, "Stop it. Hey! Stop it. Let's use the scalpel to cut the fur back, come on."

Ianto was shaking as he tried and Jack reached out to take the scalpel, burning back the fur to find scaring. "Shit, look at that. Healed to a scar already"

"Same wounds" Ianto slumped back with relief, "Same one. Shit. One. Yeah? One?"

"I am sure of it" Jack said with more confidence than he felt, "Come on. I wanna go tell them it's done."

"Cariad" Ianto whispered softly, "Thank you."

"Come on" Jack rose; pleased to hear an endearment and they laboriously loaded the creature, Ianto placing its head in a containment box for Owen.

Max was waiting, his face lighting up as he saw them then it fell as he watched Ianto limp towards him "Are you OK?"

"Wrestled a bear" Ianto said as he stopped and smiled down at him.

"A bear?"

"Slayed a dragon" Ianto nodded.

"Yeah?" Max canted his head much like Ianto does.

"Yep!" Ianto topped the P and the boy's eyes widened, "I just fought off a pack of wolves."

Max's face changed as he frowned, "Really? How many?"

"Twenty?" Ianto turned to Jack, "Sir? Twenty wolves? Or thirty? I lost count with me sword swinging."

"Too busy with my bow and arrows sorry love" Jack said calmly as he walked past and Max's laughter followed him inside. He found Gwen waiting anxiously.

"Does that mean it's done with?" she asked, "What if there is another one?"

"Ianto asked the same thing, we checked the body and it is the same one we fought in the apartment. If there were another it would have been at the lair. We found dead animals and a couple of Weevil bodies too" Jack assured her.

"What was that? Weevil?" Owen pushed past Gwen, now annoyed.

"Ianto has something for you in a containment box" Jack winked, letting the little man race out to the SUV with glee.

Jack went in and told them all, the clapping and cheering a bit …. Childish but whatever. Heddlu were left to clean this mess up, Jack walking back to motion his team into the vehicles, "Come on. Move out"

Ianto slid into the passenger seat and Jack started for the Hub, pondering if there was any food in the fridge, "Ianto, do we have anything for a snack? I could eat a Weevil."

"I have pizza!"

Jack tried not to panic as the little voce chimed in and he looked in the rear-view mirror at Max who was safely strapped in with a pizza box on his lap and a hopeful smile.

"Ianto? Is that a stowaway? Or guest?"

"Um … a new team member?" Ianto tried, "Like … for picking things up of the floor?"

Jack looked over at Ianto who was looking straight ahead, no sign of the fear he must be feeling with this blatant snatch and grab of a child.

"Ianto?"

"No next of kin, into the care system. I can claim him ... I am his natural father" Ianto said and Jack watched Max tilt his head as he listened. Cat out of bag? Or is that a Tiger?

"What about one of the other families?"

"All that Retcon … you think I could keep a new kid in the mix?" Ianto sighed, "No. I will not let him go into that system. Not if I can help it. Maybe Rhiannon will take him in or ... or … I will think of something."

Jack looked at the child in the mirror again, the little face full of hope and sighed.

"We"

"Sir?"

" WE will think of something. We will work it out. OK?"