9

Now they knew the truth.

Well, as much of the truth as he was willing to relinquish and Jack knew the rest would come naturally.

Gwen was still hesitant but her affection for Ianto won over each time she thought about it. He would die for her. She knew that, accepted the statement. As she watched him talk to Jack about a case, his fingers elegantly plucking at the folds of paper, she knew she would kill to protect him.

Tosh watched with relief, the things she knew now in the open and her fears unfounded. Ianto was no threat to them, he was one of them.

Owen however, was thinking ahead.

He didn't like the idea of this ... thing out there with the ability to harm Ianto, to attack them to get to him and when he quietly voiced his opinion to Tosh he was agreed with.

Ford watched as his pack drew strength and closed ranks.

He felt it.

Home.

"Meeting!" Owen barked over the railing and Ford gracefully rose, relieved that the wait was over to see what they had been up to while he and Jack poured over old case notes to close them out.

They sat in their customary chairs and Ianto found himself sitting close enough to touch Jack's hand. He knows because he did.

Just a small squeeze.

"Right!" Owen said calmly, "Is this your fucking nemesis?"

A picture of the Halderguard flashed across the screen and Ford instinctively flinched at the ugly creature. Like a cross between the Predator and Big Foot.

"Bloody hell" Owen breathed as he examined it closely, his face to the screen.

"They are hard to kill, gotta go for the back of the neck" Ford said softly, "Only exposed part, apart from their under-groin"

"The file I managed to, um, borrow from Unit suggests they don't like cold water" Tosh said as she tried not to stare at the picture, "They can't swim."

"Nice idea" Ford muttered and Gwen leaned forward with a noise of question.

"Sorry" Ianto smiled softly, "I mean, to know that they must have dumped it in a swimming pool. Nice thought, that vicious creature floundering around."

"Yeah" Owen nodded, "I agree. The bay is a pretty big pool!"

Ianto blinked.

"If we had two or three scenarios worked out, ways to trap the fucker and dump it in the bay, we could short circuit a problem if and when it is deployed" Owen said calmly.

"You think they would do that?" Gwen bristled, "Set that thing loose in Cardiff?"

"They would tell us it escaped of course" Owen snorted.

"Of course" Ianto nodded gently, thinking Owen was on to something.

"Toshi, make hard copies so we can read, review and formulate. Any and all ideas up on the board. No flaming please, we might all have a few brain farts before getting it right and all will be aired, without scoffing" Jack clapped his hands to signal he was finished, then Gwen cleared her throat.

"I just wanted to say …" She looked over at Ianto as Jack tried not to bristle, "We love you Ianto. We see our friend, not a … some alien or whatever. You are our Ianto. We will not let anything happen to you."

Ford was touched by her declaration, as well as the agreeing nods.

This creature would chew them up and spit them out, but it was sweet just the same.