13
"This is Jack" Ianto said as he entered the house to get mobbed all over again, laughing as he headed to the nearest sofa for cuddles. Jack smiled as Rhiannon looked him up and down, then ushered him in, hesitating before letting Rhys and Mickey in as well.
"What are you two u to?" she asked.
"Me Nan is at Bingo so Toto said to come back here" Mickey pointed in his direction "I'm Martha's husband. Martha Jones."
Rhiannon looked at him for a moment, and then started "Oh… Francine's girl."
"Yeah." He grinned, then she looked Rhys up and down. Rhys smiled politely and took a chair, easing off his boots with a groan.
"Right, cuppa?"
"Ah Rhia. Lovely" Ianto said talking through the huddle of kids.
Later, once the kids had calmed down, Ianto told Rhiannon of his journey home and the mission ahead to get to the train.
"Johnny said about that. There were a few that wanted to go that way but the Town Councilors forbade it. Not worth the risk, too far away." She nodded "The small window of those fucking things… sorry babies… means only a small radius we can move around in to check nearby farm homesteads and such."
Jack looked at Ianto who nodded and he then explained to her their aversion to water and the rain being a good omen for them.
"But you can still get rogues out there" she pointed out "Like safe time is not really safe time."
"Rhiannon… I drive a military grade transporter capable of carrying twelve soldiers into battle, able to withstand RPGs… grenade… landmines…. I drive over those Buggers like they are road cones" Ianto said gently, reaching for her hand "Jack and I have mowed them down in droves."
"And I drive a fire truck with a water cannon on the roof… guess what they don't like?" Jack added.
"Water" she gasped with surprise, then started to laugh as she saw that her brother was as clever as always. Ready to walk into fire. Like he would have for Jennifer has ne been there.
.
.
"Right, fully fueled?" Jack asked, looking at the huge stock carrier sitting in the street next to the Transporter, the morning air crisp and hopefully promising rain to settle in as drizzle fell "We can collect the fire trick on the way out, have the three vehicles. Rhys, you sure you are Ok to drive this?"
"Before Gwen pummeled me into being a Gardner so she could have me home all the time, I drove these things with glee. Loved being on the road, miss it. Miss the freedom" Rhys answered.
"And the silence without her Nibs in your ear" Ianto said, and then slapped a hand over his mouth. Rhys nodded his agreement.
"OK Gentlemen, we have an agreed time for turn back?" Sebastian asked in a pompous voice.
"Yes, we get there, scavenge what we can and by two o'clock, whether we have everything or not, we start back." One of the town's men said who was coming to help.
"Come on Bastian, we need to get this show on the road" another shouted from the back of the stock truck, the shotgun broken on his arm ready to be snapped shut and fired.
"And you calm the fuck down Andrew!" Sebastian yelled back.
"And you just calm down Andrew" came three voices all at once in a parody of Sebastian, the others in the group laughing as Sebastian started to turn red with anger.
Andy made a noise of amusement and swung around on the one arm like a monkey, hooting at threm.
"That's enough of that Davidson" Sebastian flatly snarled and the man laughed like it was a huge joke, clearly not afraid of the Mayor at all.
"That's Andy, you get used to him. Sort of like Owen but without the fuckery" Ianto said good naturedly, then he leaned over to kiss Jack "Let's go Captain."
Sebastian looked at Ianto with shock at the public display of affection and then said softly "Ianto?"
"It's Mister Jones to you" Jack repaid for Ianto "and he's mine."
"Stop it" Ianto said, but his delight was clear as Jack eyeballed the man who broke a little boy's heart once upon a time.
They drove off with a feeling of purpose.
.
.
It was an hour and a half actually before the rail track showed anything and it was not what they expected. Looks like they were not the only ones looking for the train. There were a couple of vehicles by the tracks, one of them looked like it had been on fire.
"Fuck, they can light fires?" Larry said from the passenger seat of the Transporter, looking over at Ianto with confusion as Ianto started to laugh softly.
"Ya numpty. Whoever was in it probably had a Molotov cocktail or something that didn't go as planned" Ianto finally said "Or they lit it to confuse the Bugs and make a run for it."
"Do you think they made it?"
"No. I don't' think anyone can outrun one of those fuckers. They run faster than bloody greyhounds. I've seen then run people down like it's a sport" Ianto replied with a grimace "Poor bastards didn't stand a chance."
"I think I know who this is" Andy whispered, suddenly not wanting to talk anymore.
They got out and all pulled up the collars of their wet weather gear as the rain continued to fall, sloshing through the mud to the cars to per into them and find not much. Except a map and some personal belongings, the other vehicle making Ianto's heart fall.
He reached for the binoculars on the dashboard and cursed a blue storm with open anger. Jack and Rhys looked to Mickey who sighed and waved a hand in the direction of the vehicle "Johnny Fuckface Davies. Looks like the reason why only two made it back is because they didn't go to the homestead like they were supposed to. Silly idiots tried to get to the train. Didn't stand a chance."
Ianto threw the binoculars with all his strength, screaming with anger as he watched them sail into some bushes, then he morosely went to retrieve them as he felt badly for throwing what might be the only thing he could give David of his father's.
But it was not true.
Ianto stood staring at what he had found and turned to look at Jack with such a look of despair that he knew, even as he walked towards him he knew what Ianto had found.
Not much left, but the bodies had not been torn completely apart. The remains of the unfortunates that their two companions had left behind in the only drivable vehicle.
And the one Ianto was now crouching beside must be Johnny fuckface.
Fuck.
Looks like time would have to be given to digging a hole now.
Can't take that home.