19
It was early morning and Ianto woke to Andy crouching by the blow up mattress he and Jack were sleeping on in the back of the store behind some shelves they had pushed around to hide in case of Bug Attack. He blinked a few times and rubbed his face as he sat up and looked at Jack who was already sitting up pulling on his boots.
"Everything OK out there?"
"Yeah, me and Rhys had a pretty uneventful night. They seemed to slow down after about 2am. I saw the count list you had going and we had about the same. Groups of four mostly, a few threes. Only saw one big bastard" Andy shivered.
"Mickey up top?"
"Yeah, he's taking the morning shift before we push off."
"Get in" Ianto lifted the bedding as he got out "Have a little cat nap while we wake up and get situated and food on the go, then I will come wake you"
Andy did not need to be offered a war, spot twice, shooting under Ianto like a cat to sniggle in the blankets and Jack stepped to one side as he went to leave the area, Rhys sliding past to toe of his boots and join Andy in the bed.
"Colder than a witch's tit out there mate" he gasped, cuddling into Andy like it was no big deal and Andy wrapped himself around Rhys, rubbing his face in his chest as he sighed with contentment.
Ianto followed Jack into the main area where the tarp was being held out slightly by Rhiannon, her face one of concentration and she looked outside, then she turned to look at them as the kids ran over to talk ten to the dozen about the things they had pilfered… ah… found.
Soon they called Mickey off the roof and they all settled to eat, one of the tarps now rolled up so Jack could sit at an angle and see out onto the main road. They now all agreed that the things seemed to use roadways and such, not many taking off across country.
"There's a lot of food here, still good. Some with expiry dates for next year" Rhiannon said after everyone had enjoyed their breakfast. "Some is long life."
"I think we should take what we can, leave enough for someone who might still access this place as a stop off like we did. Would be a hell of a thing to get chased in here and holed up with no supplies" Jack pointed out.
"I agree. Maybe we make up like… a care box and leave on the counter where it is visible with food, water and supplies that someone on the move might appreciate. Then take whatever else we can fit" Ianto compromised as he knew Rhiannon and Jack would argue about fitting everything.
"And the Toys Taddy?" Anna asked with wide eyes.
"Oh.. hell. We take those, for sure." Ianto waved a hand and the kids lit up, as did Andy whooped and took off with them to gather some into boxes.
Andy took Jack's spot by the window the little bell, that would be rung to tell everyone to hide behind shelving, next to his foot as he watched for any incoming bugs.
"Ianto."
"Yes Rhia?"
"I knew past the town fence is was bad but… I never thought it would be so… so…"
"Bleak?"
"Yeah" she snorted softly "Yeah."
"Not really. Out here are the pockets of safety like Town and the Outpost… they feel different. The Outpost Compound is warm and friendly and you feel safe. You will know when we get there, you will see the fences and what I mean."
"But we can to more" Rhys added softly "Yan here is already talking about pilfering some of the farms around the district, getting electric fences and stuff to fight the Bugs. And that moat idea we were throwing around to be dorks having a joke … is not such a bad idea really. If we dug a large enough ditch, I am talking wide so they can't step over… wide like two meters across and one deep, we could line it with something then fill it with water along the outside of the outer fencing. Create a bridge we can put out for going and coming, then other times be like a little island in there."
"That is what I am thinking too. Also, Owen might be on to something with his bleach and such, also… for some reason he wanted to know if we had any WD40… he seemed almost frantic. So… there is some here on a shelf, let's take that. Hell, let's take all the cleaning stuff as in time that will become scarce." Jack agreed.
"Well, let's load calmly and quietly, with this sunny day out there we will have to wait for the window to get home" Ianto rose and started towards the kids, intent on cuddling his daughter for a while. She was still such a shiny penny for him.
Worth fighting for no matter what.
Ant the man watching over them at the window with that gun at his hip was worth it too.
Ianto dared to have a little hope that things might be OK.