6

Suzie was happy in her new room and Ianto took a moment to head out and check the desk, then he found a tarp in the shed to cover it…hesitating as he glanced at the tack room and he wondered how the little crawler was going so he walked over and peered through the door, seeing nothing then he remembered them saying they had made sure Mica would not be able to see it.

He reached up for the bolt and gently opened the door then stared at the empty cage.

Fuck.

Ianto loked around the barn and then moved to the outside where they were all putting the wire up, walking briskly over to Owen, "Where is she?"

"Still whinging with Rhya in the kitchen" he said without looking up.

"No…the little crawler"

Owen stopped, looking up at Ianto then his face changed and he ran for the barn, slaming into the room to stare at the empty cage.

"SUZIE"

Owen stormed towards the house with total rage, "You put her donw without me? Where the fuck is the body you …."

Owen disappeared into the house and Ianto groaned, looking now for another grave somewhere. He really hated these things being buried here, it gave him the hebbiejeebies to think there were things in his…well. Not his. Ianto sighed as he sat on the edge of the gaden.

"Ianto?"

Ianto looked up as Jack settled next to him, "Hey. What's up?"

"The little crawler…I knew her when she was a child. I was there at her christening, her first Christmas. I remember the first time she saw snow…I was there for all of that. And to think while we were out Suzie just put a bullet in her head…I ….maybe I would have liked to have been there for that too." Ianto stopped talking, rubbing his face, "Sorry. So much has happened."

"I'm sorry. I didn't know she was gone. I thought Owen had more tests to run" Jack looked at the barn wih a frown.

"Probably why he's yelling in there now" Ianto sighed, then the door swung open and Suzie came runnig out followed by the rest, their faces full of something he didn't want to see.

Fear.

"Aw shit, don't tell me she escaped" Ianto groaned then he felt tendrils of fear as he rose and looked around "Jack…where's Mimi?"

Jack paled starting to move in a slow circle as he looked and then swore, pointing up at the roof of the barn where the little girl was sitting looking out over the fields.

"Oh thank the gods" Ianto sobbed as he ran for the barn, Jack on his heels and they clambered into the loft then out the large window to walk along the roof.

"Mimi?" Ianto called softly, not wanting to startle her, "Baby? Whatcha doing?"

"I was looking for the river" she said as she turned to face them, her little face angelic and innocent, "Is it deep enough to swim?"

"In summer, you know..that one day a year the sun shines" Ianto joked nervously and she laughed as she rose and walked to meet him.

"Uncle?"

"Yes love?"

"Is Da and David really gone? Aunty Gwen said they were burned up in a bomb thing that was meant to kill the biters" she said with her bottom lip temblng, "she sez the whole of London and stuff just burned away and Cardiff too."

Ianto felt the sting of anger, pulling her into a hug, "Hey, there was an accident with the nuclear power plant and it did explode. That was the fire we could see, do you remember seeing a fire in the sky at camp?"

"Mama said it was bad" Mica nodded, rubbing her eyes, "Mama cried and said it was a bad thing. Was that Da and David dying?"

"Yes love, the gods lit the sky to help them find the way to the heavens" Ianto swallowed as he lied to the child and Jack knelt to console them both, looking over their bent heads as Suzie stalked the veggie patch down below. "All that matters is right here, right now. Your family is right here."

The crawler was there, moving along the ground like it's back was broken, only the front half with mobility as it dragged itsef along, emaciated and looking like some sort if skeleton covered with leathery hide, hair long gone and grose. Jack tightened his grip and whispered to Ianto, "Don't turn around, don't let her see."

Ianto knew immediately what was happening and he cuddled against Jack singing a welsh lullaby, encouraging Mica as well and they huddled there on the roof as Sizue lifted the grden stake from the runner beans and cleaved the thing's skull.

Jack held them long after the thing had been dragged away by Owen and Suzie as Gwen stood watching silently.

Jack felt his blood boiling as he stared down at her, knowing exactly who was to blame for all of this.

Ianto had been right.

All that matters is right here.

Jack was holding his family in his arms.