Chapter 5=

Jack looked around at the place that they found themselves in and couldn't help the happiness that bloomed in his chest when he realised that for the first time in over 2000 years he was home. The smoke emitting from the chimney of one of the distant houses puffed out invitingly and the immortal glanced down at his vortex manipulator and found that yes, indeed, they has gotten the date right. A raggedy seagull with a red and black beak squawked overhead and Gray jumped in surprise and clung on tightly to his elder brother. "When did those things start living here?" he asked.

"They were animals previously held by the invaders on their ship for testing and just generally being cruel to but a few of them escaped." Jack explained, taking the younger's hand and leading him slowly across the sand.

"Where did all of the people go? On a day like today the beach used to seem like the entire colony was on it, now it's so… desolate."

"About just under half of the population moved off world or to the Belaro satellite after the invasion, they took their whole families with them. Those people that wouldn't or couldn't leave refused point blank to let their kids even go out by themselves but seeing as everyone here had to take extra jobs…" Jack trailed off, a further explanation was no longer needed.

"Blue?"

"Hmmm?"

"You're not leaving after you've made sure that me and mom are reunited."

"As if I would!" the immortal ex con man protested. At the sceptical look that Gray shot across at him he shrugged slightly and stared resolutely down at the floor. "She never forgave me for letting go of your hand Gray. She could hardly even look at me after that, she hates me."

"If I forgave you then she should too and technically I never blamed you in the first place and what's more you were never to blame so she's just being a typical girl and over reacting- so much for evolution. Also, you really have some low self-esteem issues."

"Been told that before." Jack smiled but it barely even made his lips twitch up let alone reach his eyes.

"Nah, she'll forgive you Blue," Gray insisted "she's going to have to if she wants to have her youngest son back in her life."

"I can't ask you to do that!" the immortal man said and even though his face was wrought with worry and concern his voice remained a depressed tone of complete and utter misery.

"You're not asking me," the younger Boeshane boy corrected, "I'm telling you what is going to happen is Mom doesn't forgive you, I repeat, even though there's nothing to forgive you for, but if it will make you happy then fine."

"Still…" Jack fretted and Gray rolled his eyes almost exactly like Ianto used to do and Jack felt his heart clench as he thought of just how much he missed the Welshman who looked so damn good in a suit.

They walked on, still hand in hand, in a comfortable silence until they stopped a few feet away from the front of the house. "She'll be round the back." Jack told Gray and the younger man started forwards only to notice that his brother clearly meant to stay exactly where he was and pulled him along behind.

~0~

Zaphira was just brushing the dirt off her knees from tending to the roses when she heard a movement from behind her and turned, thinking that her friend Datzi had forgotten that were meeting up tomorrow. Instead of seeing Datzi, the blonde-brown haired woman spotted two men, both who had bright blue eyes and brown hair. She took them both in for a second longer before her emerald eyes settled on the taller of the pair and her breath caught as she spotted something familiar amongst the sea of emotions in his eyes. "Blue?" she asked, so shocked that they could barely hear her, Zaphira looked at the other man and she felt like she was about to faint as realisation dawned on her, "Gray?" she managed to choke out.

"Hey Mom," the youngest member of the trio replied with a calm that belied the happiness that he felt within, "Long time no see hey?"

"But you were… the invasion…" Zaphira gasped, her brain struggling to accept what was happening.

"Blue saved me." Gray told her happily.

"Oh my holy mother," Zaphira sobbed before rushing forth and pulling her son into a fierce embrace, "my boy," she repeated over and over again, "My beautiful, brilliant boy. Oh mother I'm so sorry, so, so sorry." Gray started to cry as well and Zaphira pulled him in tight and rocked him like she had done when he was a child. She looked up at Jack and pulled him down as well and kissed them both on the top of their heads like she needed to affirm that she wasn't hallucinating. "My boys." She said thickly. Jack buried his head into her shoulder and breathed in her scent and thought that, just maybe, it'd all be ok.