7

They stopped to let the dogs pee, then Ianot took over driving, despite the knife wound that he made out was not there. In fact, Jack had forgotten about it, Ianot acting so calm that it was easy to forget some things. Ianto was adept about this; he was deliberately making sure Jack was not thinking about him pain. He needed him to focus.

When they got back in John stirred and Jack glanced back at him. They moved forward and Jack sat watching Ianto's face in the morning light, his jaw set like he was grinding his teeth.

"So John?" Jack cut into his thoughts.

"John works freelance for the Boss" Ianto replied with surprise "I was going to ask you the same thing."

"We went through the academy together when we were going to go into law enforcement. He scrubbed out before me" Jack replied, "I found that I did NOT like the violence. I was more suited for a surveillance and intelligence unit."

"Oh?"

Jack sat there and thought over the last few hours, then started to snigger softly. Yeah. Violence. OK.

"So clearly John does like violence, why he became a mercenary" Ianto finally said.

"And I like money" came a soft voice from the back seat as John stirred.

"Use the phone now" Ianto said as he turned the wheel at a fork in the road and they continued to move the darkness, dawn almost here.

When Owen answered Jack told him everything he knew. Owen did not seem surprised or panicked asking calmly about things and Jack felt like it was surreal. Ianto did not correct him once.

Knowing he had the story right did not really make him feel any better mind. But at least they all were on the same page.

.

.

The morning light was bright mid-morning light now as the SUV swung into a driveway and Jack looked around with interest as they drove along the coastal road, the beach below one of soft sand, giving way to small pebbles higher up with some driftwood. Also, shells. A real beach, a large expanse of calm.

"Wow" John said as he looked out the window too "Talk about a sea change."

"This is site B" Ianto said as he came to a stop next to a little sporty number that screamed of Owen Harper, MD. Owen, who was coming out the side door of the house. The house was a Hamptons style beachcomber house with a large wrap around veranda and everything was painted a faded salty white apart from an aqua trim. There were even shells lined along some of the railings. An old sofa and some comfortable looking chairs under the veranda roof where the sun could not cook you if you had a cat nap. It looked lived in. Aged well and inviting.

"Wow… a beach house" John said with glee, then made a noise of alarm as Toshiko stepped out behind Owen "No one told me she would be here."

"Owen is here, of course Tosh is too" Ianto said as he turned to look at him, the morning light showing the bruises on Ianto's face. "Your fuckup was your problem, and you still need to repent."

"She still scares me" John hissed.

"I know. So does she so… be a good boy and she won't hiss at you like an angry cat" Ianto opened the door and slid out.

"We have everything set up and it looks like the fire is doing it's job of covering everything" Toshiko said as she came over to stand close to Ianto, then peer into the interior of the SUV "Hello Johnny."

"Hi" he squeaked, still siting with the car seat and child between them.

"Aunty!" Alice had woken and reached for Toshiko with glee, the woman quickly unbuckling the child and walking away.

"Well… that went well" John said shakily from behind the seat he was still cowering behind. "Right?"

"John, get out of my vehicle" Ianto said flatly as he glanced back at the vehicle, walking away as Jack opened the back to retrieve the bags. Jack could see through the vehicle and was watching Ianto who was walking over at Owen's car then leaning over taking out a… monster cat carrier? What?

"Meatloaf?" Jack crooned as he heard a familiar wail.

"They are all here" Ianto cried out with delight "OWEN! You are a star! You found them all?"

"Well, they ran for the shed where the day beds and things are for when you are away, like you had hoped" Owen said with a wide smile "I opened the carrier and they all just…. Shot in there. Damn, it's a big carrier."

"Well, they don't like individual ones, they like the fact this large one can fit all five of them" Ianto replied.

"Frank, Meatloaf… wait… how many are there?" Jack investigated the carrier from the door's mesh with surprise, and said with delight "When did we get a black cat?"

"We always had a black cat. He sits on the black sofa on the back porch all the time. You never noticed as he slept a lot and black on black with eyes closed… means he was invisible." Ianto replied softly "A man after my own heart with his desire to disappear into the ethos. He is called Demon."

"Cool name" Jack gushed.

Ianto made a soft noise, then turned "well, let's get our things inside."

Jack followed him, not sure what might happen next but what he did know is that this was where he wanted to be.

Wherever Ianto was.