36

Ianto stood in the middle of the compound, feeling weird all over again. They had bypassed the Firehouse and rushed home with the large sods of grass, playing them along the driveway and although it was only two meters in, but the width of the driveway, Ianto felt better.

Owen had argued that they could easily see the driveway still, his concern making Jack snap that they could always dig up some closer to the compound to add to it, if they sowed the seed in the empty chunks of ground. Which is what Owen and Mark were currently doing like he was trying to make some point.

Ianto didn't know what the point of it was, this weird passive aggressive argument. That grass along the grass verge was now solid and even though the driveway was still clearly visible, the lack of a letterbox or obvious turning point seemed enough to make the tightness in his chest ease slightly. It felt… weird.

"Ianto?"

Ianto turned to find Marcus behind him with another hook in his hand "I saw that you have one on your belt… I have another one and didn't know what they were for."

"Moving bales of hay" Ianto said, taking a hook in each hand and demonstrated the slashing motion up and down "You can hook the hay and yank it over, up or down. Roll it or if the string is cut, you can flick the leafs out."

"Leafs."

"Yes, if you look at a bake you will see it seems to be on hunks like a cut loaf of bread. Each piece you can separate is called a leaf" Ianto shrugged "Well, it is where I come from."

"Huh. You learn something every day. Are you OK?"

"Yeah. Just… I don't know. Feeling the calm before the storm." Ianto looked around the compound again like he was searching for something.

"Well, we have started the plans for the verandah so, how about we check that out?" Marcus offered and they headed up to the second story to look out at where the verandah might be.

"Sound the alarm" Ianto said softly.

"What?"

"Can't you see them? There is a pack coming" Ianto pointed and Marcus strained his yes, squinting as he stared down the road to the faint tree line, his mouth falling open as some specks were moving.

"Fuck me… they are coming up the main road." Marcus spluttered, taking off to get everyone inside.

Ianto stood watching out the window as they approached and he was soon joined by the others, all gathered around the large window of Rhiannon's bedroom. They could all soon see the Bugs moving along, their weird legs all moving along like a locomotive, so close they were almost one creature.

Then they got to the driveway. They stopped. Everyone held their breath as the things seemed confused, moving backward and then forwards. Then they stopped altogether like they were thinking.

"Can't they see it?" Owen broke the silence "I mean, they just have to look up, the feckin thing is right there, two meters in from the grass. It's only the verge that is filled in."

"Shhhhh" Ianto hissed.

The Bugs then moved along the road towards the exit, then turned and came back. Three times they walked along the road before they stopped and one of them reached out to poke the grass.

Then they moved off and continued their journey like nothing had happened.

Everyone let out breaths they didn't know they were holding.

"They didn't see it" Owen said with wonder "the fuckers could not see past the grass. That is… that is… weird."

"But they knew there should have been something there" Jack pointed out. "They were looking but didn't know why it wasn't there."

"So they DO share their mapping" Ianto nodded as he slumped on to the bed. He was right. They are mapping the area for some reason.

"But why didn't they see the driveway, it was just there beyond the band of grass" Owen was confused still, as was everyone else.

"They are in a hurry. Maybe on a timetable or something. If they don't find what they expect, they put it aside and move on. Does not mean they will not try again and maybe the next pack WILL look beyond the grass to the clear line of gravel. We have to finish the grass all the way, so they no longer see it at all. Sooner or later one of them WILL look up." Ianto said firmly as he lay on the bed staring at the ceiling.

"I agree, do you think it's safe to go back to cutting sod?" Owen asked.

"Yeah, you don't' see two packs close together. They seem territorial" Jack nodded as he waved a hand "Ianto… are you OK?"

"Just a bit stuffed. I don't know if I am set out for this life of high intensity" Ianto said in a dreamy voice "I am not James Bond ya know."

Everyone laughed as the tension drained from the room like smoke dissipating.

But still…. Ianto remained on edge.

Something felt… wrong.