15

It was a Thursday.

It was also the third Thursday of the month, so everyone … and I mean EVERYONE… was hanging around the main Hub waiting for dinner. Because Ianto was cooking. Four months in and everyone knew the score here.

The smells were amazing, more than one person setting the large round table and getting ready even though they knew it was too early, their mouths watering at the mere thought of whatever he would surprise them with this time. Each time he cooked, it had been different. Seems like there was not a culture he could not emulate. Today, if the smells were anything to go by, it was Chinese.

"Jack!"

"Yes Tiger" Jack rushed into the kitchen to see what he could do, everyone else barred as Ianto had no patience for those wanting a little taste. His occasional weekend pancake morning had taught them this.

"Can you get down those baskets up there, I need to get the rolls out of the oven" Ianto muttered as he leaned over some huge woks and Jack grunted as he rushed to comply. This is what he loved about this man, he was not afraid to mix foods. No traditional Chinese… nope… they would have some yummy bread rolls, salad and even a vegetarian quiche sitting to one side already cooling. Ianto was a feckin machine.

Jack leaned over and started plucking the little dinner rolls off the tray directly out of the oven while Ianto made out he didn't see. Ianto hated that, it irked him but he was getting used to Jack doing things like that. No oven cloth, no calm removal of the entire tray to a safe place to do this… no… head in oven, fingers in the hot place… maybe a burnt finger or two ad soft cursing under his breath… that's Jack. To tell the truth, Ianto kinda liked the Danger Mouse mentality of this man. Dum dah de dah. LOL.

Ianto started placing bowls on a trolley and again ignored Jack who took the liberty of plucking some morsels out of each bowl with his feckin fingers. Again… Ianto seems to have become acclimatized to him.

"Oh god" Jack said around a mouthful, now a fork in his hand "I LOVE this one… kung-pow Chicken?"

"With a twist, I added pasta left over from Italian night… the juices soaked right in for the kids can pluck it up. You know they are still pretending to be vegan." Ianto said without turning around "Take it out and set up the lazy Susan please Cariad."

Jack had started to push the trolley then he paused, looking back. He knew that word, he had heard it before between lovers on a train and asked about it. He resumed pushing the trolley a he wondered if it was just a slip of the tongue or had his… ah… lover?... just wow. I mean… wow.

Owen was the first to notice… I know … go figure…. He watched Jack's motions and his grin and knew something was going on. He slid closer and started to do what Jack had just been doing out back, plucking food only to get his hand slapped and told that was naughty.

Everyone was soon settled and eating, Ianto sitting with the last of the dim sums to add to the lazy Susan that could revolve for the entire table. Everyone ate in relative silence until Ianto rose to go fetch the dessert. Then soft chatter and praise for the food which had been so great that they were led to memories of their favourite local Chinese places, exchanging stories about food.

"My uncle Keith has a kebab place over on…"

"OH MY GOD… I KNOW THAT PLACE…"

Jack watched Ianto sit back, enjoying the banter as the chocolate cheese cake got consumed with the whipped cream. This was an amazing… "Ianto? What would we do for cream and milk? We don't have cows."

Ianto smiled softly at Jack like he was being silly "We have milk powder once the long life milk is all gone and with some corn starch and some willpower, you can whip it up pretty good."

"Ah. So… no cows?"

"I did suggest some goats but they were worried about rampaging. Mad I know … I would hope in a real situation someone might have the sense to bring something like that before they close the doors. I would" Ianto sat back and dabbed his mouth with a napkin.

"So… your ideas, mutated and mixed with some of the other ones that were not quite right to create this bastardization that sort of works but has flaws that you warned them about" Jack sat back as well, nodding his head as he added "Sounds about right for the world we live in. Full of half-wits who think they know every bloody thing."

Ianto laughed, his head rising as he let his belly laugh echo around the room and everyone felt the air grow a bit lighter.

"I feel sick" Gwen said sullenly down the end of the table.

"You better not be preggers!" Owen warned, "I told you… the injection I gave you is not foolproof and you needed to use condoms if you were going to have sex! Rhys?"

"Don't look at me mate, I've not touched her since she stated the whining thing!" Rhys held his hands up with surprise.

"Well…. I still feel ill." Gwen simpered "Might be the food."

"You're saying it's my food now?" Ianto seemed amused more than insulted "Maybe it's the four helpings and then two of dessert?"

"And the beers"

Everyone turned to stare at the teenagers who now sat with wide eyes like that had not meant to fall out into the world like that.

"Beer? You two have beer?" Jack leaned forward "Contraband?"

"Well, we were not supposed to be in here were we!" Hammer pointed out with his arms folded.

"Yeah" Skippy agreed, a little less confidently.

"Is it all gone now?"

"Um… yes?"

Jack sighed as he glanced over at Ianto only to find him rising from his chair to go on a Beer Hunt.

"Cans or bottles?" Ianto demanded "And did you recycle?"

Silence.

"Well, Mort fags up at night in the aviary!" Hammer pointed at the old man who squeaked with horror as he was sure his one cigarette a night would not be detected and help him tough the ordeal, already worried that he would not have enough cigarettes for the entire thing.

"Anyone else with something to confess?" Jack demanded with annoyance.

"Yeah… I am not actually part of a Press Pack" one of the quiet camera men spoke, as he looked around the room then focused on another man sitting nearby "And neither is my brother Simon."

"Then what are you then!" Gwen demanded with annoyance as this was supposed to be HER time for attention.

"We are the ones who are taking over this place" Simon spoke softly as he lifted the gun from his lap and placed it on the table of everyone to see.

Silence once more.

This time… it seemed more pregnant.