23

Ianto had decided to investigate the back rooms, dank and damp feeling. Jack and Flynn had gone for a drive to look at the damage the storm had wreaked overnight and Flynn had begged for the camera to take pictures of the downed trees and damaged roofs they had been told about.

Ianto entered the first one, taken with the smell of cleanliness even with the sticking door that showed it had been closed for many years. Books. Ianto moved to the bookcase and chose one, pulling it out by its spine and he flipped it open to see what it was. He read a few passages and frowned at the strange grammar then closed it to see the title and froze.

Chicken scratches. Hieroglyphs. Alien markings. Shit.

Ianto opened it again, once more reading the words easily with the weird stilted grammar and finally realised he was reading it as translated.

He closed it again.

Same weird…wait.

He watched the markings on the leather-like cover shimmer and seem to melt, transform and reassemble as words.

Bullshit.

Ianto found a chair and sat, holding the book as he considered all the possibilities and the only one that made sense had him leaving the room and walking out into the field behind the house where he opened the book again.

Scratching weirdness.

Ianto looked at his home and considered some more, then re-entered and headed for the room that was now the office and he stood looking at the piece of coral on Jack's desk.

"Is this you?" he said softly, "The chameleon circuitry giving you a boost?"

Ianto opened the book and read some with ease, laughing softly as he closed it and placed it on his desk then left the room returning with his cold cup of tea from earlier. He poured it gently over the coal that seemed to suck it up like a sponge and he hummed softly to it for a while as he had done many times in Jack's office. As always he was rewarded with pretty colours that rolled around it in a kaleidoscope then it went dormant.

Definitely stronger.

Ianto reached out hesitantly and patted it then went to return his cup to the kitchen. He considered some more and then laughed softly as he shook his head at the wonderment of it.

"TADDA"

Ianto watched his son shoot into the house and slid across the slippery marble floor with his arms out, slamming into his outstretched arms, "It was so cool. We drove through water that flew up around the SUV and there was trees burning from the lightening, so awesome! Daddy let me take heaps of photos and stuff, can I download the camera please?"

Even though that had all come out in a single breath Ianto had caught all of it as a parent does and nodded, releasing his beast to watch him race into the other room with the dogs still shaking themselves and panting with mirth in the front entrance with Jack.

"It was more violent out there than I thought" Jack said as he walked over for a kiss, "Some real damage."

"Well, we are perfectly safe in here" Ianto replied "The Hafan will keep us safe."

"Hafan?"

"Welsh for Haven" Ianto said as he walked with Jack to the office where Flynn was kneeling on Ianto's chair to reach the laptop the camera was plugged into, "I have named her. Hafan."

"Nice" Jack smiled, then he saw the book and frowned as he picked it up, "How did this get out here?"

"I was exploring" Ianto said as he took the book from Jack's hands and placed it back in the desk, "I like it. I want it there."

"OK" Jack shrugged, motioning at Flynn, "Let's see what our photographer caught today."

"I'll tell you what … put them all to disc and then we can play it in the DVD player on the big screen. You can tell me where you took it and all about it then while we are warm and safe by the fire." Ianto offered and Flynn juggled with excitement as trapped parents sounded like a wonderful idea.

"Are you sure that was a good idea?" Jack whispered to his love.

"Well, we can cuddle inside the blanket as our lord master spouts and paces like Napoleon or we could go clean up that yard full of downed branches." Ianto said with a cheeky grin.

"I'll get the fire roaring, you do the snacks" Jack nodded as he moved towards the living room and Flynn looked up from the screen.

"Good one Taddy, he is getting easier to train isn't he" the wee man said, then went back to creating his slide show.

Ianto snorted with amusement as his child looked like an evil villain about to take over the world.

Cheeky beast.

Definitely his.