7
They docked at the next space port without incident and were soon on their way again. Ianto and Jack became Gym Buddies, meeting at the same time each 'morning' for a workout that sometimes involved others. Rhys Williams proved to be a good man full of bullshit and bluster but the first time he ate with them, his mate Gwen made a blatant pass at Jack while Rhys was getting her a drink that left them all a little off their food.
She laughed it off as a joke and when Rhys got back to the table she quickly told him she made a joke and they didn't get it. He rolled his eyes and told them she did that all the time and they all got the feeling he knew full well that she had crossed a line.
As they walked companionably back to quarters after the encounter it was Jack who finally said "that was fucking weird."
"Well, not our problem soon. Once we get to this new planet and we each get assigned our own homes we never have to mingle with her again" Ianto replied, stopping at his door to turn and face Jack, then a kiss to his cheek before stepping in and closing the door, leaving Jack standing there with shock and delight.
Especially the fact Ianto insinuated they were going to continue to be friends when they got there. God, Jack hoped they would be billeted into houses close to one another.
For the kids.
.
.
"Hey, guess what!"
Ianto looked up as the acidic doctor slammed into the table he was sitting at, upending the cup of coloring pens the kids were using.
"No Owen… I cannot possibly."
"I have the billeting list ahead of time so I can 'tweak' any that don't gel. The Cap said I knew all the brawls going on since I patch them up" Owen sat and grinned at his friend from the old days, so glad to have him in his life again. His sweet wife Toshiko the reason for their move as well.
"So… Where are we?"
"Your lot in the first house because Johnny is already there and got to choose, Jack's lot, my lot and the Andy bloke with his sister and granny. Man, he's mad" Owen gushed "apparently another Jones is there already too. Martha? She will be opposite you."
"Martha?" Ianto frowned and then felt something inside slide sideways as he knew exactly who it was… who they both were. Martha and Mickey. God, after all these decades the old squad seemed to be reforming somehow and he didn't know if the Gods were willing it… or someone was pulling strings for some reason.
Martha and her mate Mickey were from his original unit. The Jones Unit… the Smith Unit combining after heavy losses. Shit.
.
.
"So, how do you know Toshiko?" Ianto asked as he accepted the skipping rope Jack was finished with now.
"Believe it or now, that little dragon was squad" Jack replied.
"Owen, her mate… was mine, medic."
Jack stopped doing pushups to look at Ianto with confusion "Huh?"
"Apparently some of my squad were on the last vessel ahead of us too… I have no idea who else is there of our elk but it seems like they are puling us Retired Monsters together for some reason" Ianto sat and rubbed his neck with concern "Who else on board is Monster Squad?"
"Shit." Jack sat back as well. "Maybe we all need this? After all we did for the empire, maybe this is the green pasture we were promised? They are trying to make good on that?"
"Maybe, my worry is that we might be heading into bullshit and this is a conscription. You think of that? How many of us will be there… how many of us will be ready to bear arms if need be?" Ianto asked.
"You are a pessimist" Jack snorted, then grinned "so… we will be next door to one another?"
"We can put a gate in the fence for the kids I guess"
"Cook outs, I love cook outs. We can have parties, do you think there might be a pool?" Jack laughed "come on, we are all just getting spacer fever here. Once we get there things will be fine."
"I will hold you to that!" Ianto wagged a finger at him as they both laughed
Confident that things will all be OK.
.
.
They docked at the space dock and the first thing Ianto noticed was a lack of Johnny Fuckface. Oh great. Don't tell me the dickhead forgot.
Rhiannon was acting like it was no big deal but David's third request to look for him again was the last straw, making her snap that they would see him soon enough and they could say hi before she feckin killed him. Ianto tried not to look at her in that scolding way that she hated when clearly she was stressed already. Fuckface did not know of her diagnosis, he was here to make things a smooth transition, he had paid him well to do so. He might kill him himself.
The Away Vessels took them down to the surface where they went though the quarantine checks and paperwork… gods, end of the fucking universe and still they need to rubber stamp everything.
Then they were in the Transporters and moving towards the cul-de-sac that they had paid for.
And Ianto and Jack both could not voice the fact it felt like they were going into a warzone.
Something was not right.