40
Jack entered the office and turned to look at the maps on the wall, all pinned together to fill the wall like one humungous map of the entire country around them. Ianto was marking of Bug sightings. Jack saw the markings for what they were, Ianto was not just building a map… he was marking territories. The thought Rhiannon had for tagging and tracking was starting to get into Ianto's way of thinking.
"What are you thinking with these?" Jack asked, sort of knowing the answer but wanting it to be confirmed.
"I think there are multiple Hives, if so then even if they find one and blow it up, the others might come out in retaliation. I am working on that theory, need to triangulate where they came from and maybe… maybe know where an attack might come from" Ianto replied.
"Makes sense" Jack agreed "so…what now?"
"Firehouse, I still want to get there just… not stopping at a homestead along the way yeah? I am not in the mood for a turn around again" Ianto replied.
"And for now?"
Ianto looked up from the papers he had on the desk, throwing them down before answering "Now, let's have some fun."
Jack barely had time to register the words before a hand slapped his butt and Ianto yelled "you're it."
They ran for their bedroom giggling like the big kids they were.
.
.
Ianto was laughing, how could he not. Owen was doing his Bug impression with a flower pot on his head and a weird voice. Bugs don' talk, they don't even move like that but for some reason he was stalking the kids like he might be one, their shrieks of glee as they ran for him filling the air.
At least it proved the little shits can run.
"I am gonna scream too" Martha grunted as she sat heavily in a chair next to Ianto.
"No, you're gonna go off… like a firework…boom" Ianto flung his arms out and she laughed as she kicked her feet out and said Boom along with him.
"It's time?"
"Yeah, I feel twinges, have all day. It's time." She agreed.
"Good, I really need a baby to fuss on and I get the feeling Jethro will be all I need" Ianto replied sagely.
"Jethro? What? We are NOT calling my child Jethro!" she spluttered.
"Oh. No? Huxley? No… Bob."
She laughed as she slapped at him, then groaned softly. They sat together like that as the contractions got stronger and closer, then with a soft yelp, she looked down to find her waters had broken all over the ground.
"Ew. With all that… maybe it needs to be Aqua Man. I am sure MY child was not so needy" Ianto said in a pompous voice as she slapped at him some more.
"Help me ya prick"
"I don't know… such a potty mouth. Are you ready to give all that up?"
Giggling ensured a she helped her waddle towards her house and soon her man was there on the other side helping too, his face pale and his eyes wide as he saw that his child was coming to meet him.
Everyone waited patiently, Ianto and Jack taking time to quietly go over their planned trip to the Firehouse like the screaming in the next room was not horribly distracting.
"BUGS"
Everyone scattered, Ianto and Jack heading to their house and up to Rhiannon's room to watch the fuckers head along the road with purpose, like they knew where they were going.
"Ianto…"
"Shhhh. It's not here. Look, they are sort of… double timing. Something happened, something is going on and they already know their destination." Ianto hissed like they might hear them.
The men changed to the bathroom as the Bugs moved past the disguised driveway without hesitation, no confusion or pause this time. See. They DO talk about it and have now removed the driveway entrance from their shared map. They do not exist anymore.
"Is this a good thing?" Jack whispered.
"Yeah" Ianto agreed "They seem to have forgotten about us. For now. These are not small Bugs. Look at them, the way they move. They are not moving in synch as a pack. These are ones simply moving along in the same direction."
"So they are meshing the leftovers into packs now?"
"I don't think so" Ianto considered as they watched the Bugs disappear then he added "So these are on a mission. Maybe the juvenile packs are not big enough or strong enough… or smart enough. Whatever they found, they are focused on it."
"So what do you think it is?"
"I think they found someone and whoever it is, they are dug in. Time to send in the big guns" Ianto sighed.
"Shit." Jack swung from the window and ran for the Drones, sending one up high to it was not easily detectable, following the bugs to a homestead almost half an hour down the road.
Then they watched as the Bugs hesitated, the dead Bugs on the ground outside the house enough of a sign to tell them Ianto was right.
A survivor was there, had been all along, hiding in plain sight and now found.
"There but for the grace of god" Jack muttered with a shudder.
"I wonder why they finally moved on them after all this time" Ianto muttered "It gives me the heebie-jeebies on this one."
Both men nodded, unable to stop watching as the Bugs fell one by one.
Whoever it was in there… they had an arsenal.
And were crack shots.