21

Kara returned home with another vehicle following her new Jeep, a large six man number with…. Oh hells … a gun turret?

"Over kill Karaline?" Jack called happily as he waved, watching the second SUV crawl to a stop. "Gwennie?"

Ianto sighed as he stood on the top step with his coat pulled around himself protectively and he watched Gwen slide from the driver's seat… of course poor Rhys didn't get to drive… and launch herself at Jack. Some things don't change. Then Rex got out and Ianto perked up as Willem raced to help him unpack things from the back of the SUV. The SUV that was theirs had been left open so Ianto wandered over to see what his daughter had picked, then he made a soft noise as he recognised some containment cases with his own handwriting on them.

No.

Surely not.

Ianto reached for one and pulled it closer to check the tag on the handle.

T. Sato experiment number 45993.

Ianto swallowed and pulled it even closer, wanting to lift it but knowing the weight of this thing so he turned to the trees and motioned, a Were coming forward to help the Chosen Elder. He carried it to the basement, and Ianto motioned to a bench and whispered his thanks, sitting on a high stool to stare at it for a while as the Were carried the other things in.

After a while he heard voices and tuned to see Jack coming down the stairs with Gwen and the others with her gushing "So I didn't know what else to do with them. They were cleaning everything out and I saw these had the old T3 seals on them so I scooped them up before Unit shut them in the secure archives. Rhys reminded me they were in the shed the other day so I thought maybe you guys might like them. Nothing alien apparently, just failed experiments and Tat."

Ianto stood and drew a canvas over the one he wanted, nodding as he pointed to another one, "That's one of Owen's isn't it?"

Jack was soon laughing as he looked through half completed reports with spelling mistakes and profanities, old photo albums and toys as Ianto made some snacks… Ianto style. Like … a meal even Rhys was full from as they all hugged and waved goodbye.

"You were kinder to her this time" Jack said after a while, "She was so excited when you let her touch bump. Thanks for that love, I know you two had a love/hate relationship."

"I am feeling mellow" Ianto agreed as he yawned, "Gonna go find that crate me my photo albums in too. Might be a few baby ones to show Kara, she's not seen baby pics of me."

"Awwwww …. Cute" Jack muttered, still rooting in one that was marked 'Jack's Desk' and he didn't look up as Ianto slid away.

Ianto opened the case and looked at the thing he had carefully packed away, his hands shaking then as well. He remembered that day, the Darlek invasion, the madness.

Ianto picked out Toshiko's notebook with her handwritten thoughts on the thing she had been creating and he went back up to settle in his daybed so hopefully the stinky little Kai would stop doing the tango in there. He rubbed his belly and found himself humming the tango before he realised and he snorted absently as he read her ideas for different settings. Ah. This is what he wanted… remembered vaguely seeing.

"Whatcha doing?" Jack asked as he dumped Sydney on the bed and the dog rushed to slide between bump and hand, Ianto never ceasing the slow rub as the dog groaned with glee.

"Reading one of Tosh's notebooks" Ianto answered, again telling the truth. Right?

Jack grunted and padded to the kitchen "Hungry?"

"We just ate."

"I'm hungry" Jack muttered as he pulled a plate from the fridge of leftovers and walked out to the back porch to watch the wildlife on the water. The dog soon followed.

"Jack?" Ianto called after a while.

No answer.

Ianto rose and went out to find Jack asleep, snoring softly as he snuggled with the dog. Ianto went into Kara's room and found her and Willem unpacking clothes. Ianto stifled a bark of laughter as he saw that she had returned with more clothes for herself than him. Typical little beast.

Ianto went down to the basement and opened the case, removing the first piece to the puzzle he had to create and he knew the next 24 hours would be the most delicate so far. Each piece needed to be precisely placed and measured as Mainframe went nuts with excitement as she recognised her own tech coming online.

This time tomorrow?

Those time agents would get a hell of a shock if they tried to jump into his little bubble!