9
"Hey" Jack said with delight.
Ianto smiled as he turned to face him "Hey right back atcha."
"So, we are next door. This is great" Jack was waving an arm energetically "I am Boeshannian and this reminds me so much of my childhood. We started in a colony settlement like this, of course I thought we might have a bit more but… damn."
"Gee!"
"Gee? I was gonna ask about that" Jack asked as Mica slammed into Ianto like he was a buffer.
"Grandtad" she said, then pulled on Ianto's' sleeve "there's animals here. Some of the kids have them for pets."
Ianto knew Mica still smarted over the loss of her beloved Doggett so he nodded, following her to an area behind the Mess Hall where some kids had little fluffy things in their hands. Ianto shivered with horror as he saw that they resembled rats.
"Fuckerrats" Jack said with amusement "I mean… Ferrats. A Ferret crossed with a Rat. These are prolific on this planet."
"I remember" came a droll reply.
"Please Gee?" she begged, holding up one with particularly large front teeth.
"ergh" he said as he stepped back, his hands held out with horror.
Jack was clearly fighting laughter as he explained to the child that these are outside pets, not cuddle ones for inside on a wet day. Maybe she needed to wait for a better one to be available.
"Like what!" she huffed.
"Well, there are mini goats, doggetts and even some Peacats." Jack counted on his hands "Lambs, calves… even horses if you can get one. Those are harder though, they cost a lot to care for. Maybe some other pets like that might be ready soon for a new home? I can ask around."
"So… no Fuckerrat?" she asked Ianto with her bottom lip wobbling.
"For Fucksake" Ianto huffed. "No!"
"But mama said …."
"And you know she didn't mean… that. Come on, you want a real one, one to sleep on your bed and have snuggle time with. Those… those things bite!" Ianto finally spluttered and she huffed as she handed it back to one of the other kids.
As the two men ambled off together Jack promised Ianto he would ask about for a little pet for her. Clearly he had his finger on the pulse and Ianto had faith he would find something sooner or later that was now… ergh.
Having to leave her Doggett behind had clearly hurt her deeply.
.
.
Ianto was not impressed with the food on offer, preferring to walk down to the other camp on an old dried up riverbed. Those there seemed alarmed and all stepped back as he entered the camp. He nodded softly to the one with the largest dreadlocks and spoke softly in their own language "our food is crap. How about yours brother?"
The Blumanchu all gasped at the human with their tongue in his mouth, moving forward to talk to him and learning that he was ex-Militarial. Of course, their own kind had been part of the infantry during the Great War. Ianto explained that he fought alongside their kind, weathered storms and forged friendships. He spoke their language fluently without hesitation. By the time he left he was sans the nice large coat he had worn there, the pregnant woman enjoying it's comfort was grateful, as were her family members. The basket of fresh food proof of that.
He entered Rhiannon's shack and found her trying to sweep the floor, her face full of worry as she turned to look at him, her hand to her chest "Oh gods Tee. I thought …. Gods. You scared me!"
"I scared you… your daughter almost scared me to death earlier with a Fuckerrat!" Ianto smiled softly, placing the basket on the table "Yes, scary brute that I am, hmmmm?"
She smiled, stepping over and into his arms for that warm, tight hug she needed more than she realized. They swayed gently as he hummed, rubbing her shoulders and back, kissing her hair in the loving way a parental does.
"Apples!" David pushed past them to the table, clambering onto the nearest chair to reach the basket "Oh wow… is this.. Pattert Bread?"
"Blumanchu loving down the way" Ianto waved a hand "They seemed rather sad and left alone. Seems there is a bit of classism going on here."
"And trust you to find them" she shook her hand, then cuddled in some more.
"Hey, I want some of that Gee" David said, pushing against his mother to slip into the hug, the apple in his hand. Rhiannon managed a bite before the child realized what was happening and his deep bellowing laugh was an echo to Ianto's.
"We are going to be OK, right Tee?" she whispered to her Tad.
"We will be OK button. I will make sure of it. And as for Fuckface… he can stay where he is" Ianto whispered.
"Da? Where is Da?" David asked "Why did he do this to us? Where did all the money go?"
"Da… Da came here and started another family Davie. He… forgot about us and now he is pretending we don't exist" she said sadly, stroking back his hair "He told me… he said that his paycheck is all going on them and the money we were sending towards the house that doesn't exist all went to her and the new baby."
"New baby?" Ianto asked at the same time as his grandson.
Now Ianto was angry.
Now he RERALLY wants to smash the fucker in the face.
Let's not forget… that was Ianto's money too.