8

"Hello Lissy" Ianto replied, his boot not anything like John's but in the half-light, she had been so sure… she started to laugh softly as she shook her head.

"Well… you wanted to talk, right?" Ianto asked, "You did ring my bell."

"I know" she settled in her chair, her grin wide as she looked at him with mild amusement still "And yet you took a leaf out of Johnty's book and just… slid on in."

"Well… he is the Joker after all" Ianto shrugged like they were two old friends discussing a classmate, "but let's not forget… I did train him."

"So… now you are here… what do you think we should talk about?" she said as she swirled her drink "The weather? Sounds like rain."

"No, going to be a foggy still evening out there" Ianto replied.

"Are you crazy, didn't you hear the thunder, god Ianto, you are usually the first to know when rain is coming with that knee of yours" she scoffed as she took a sip of her drink.

Ianto canted his head and looked at her like she was insane, then he made a face of… disappointment "Oh Lisa. You are a bit thick aren't you. I don't know why; I did think it might have trained you better."

She sat staring at him at he shook his head and then her mind went back to the faint booms. Her smile started to fade as her mind ticked over other reasons for such sounds and finally her face was one of anger "Gunfire? Was that sound… shotgun blasts?"

"Don't worry… we didn't kill all of them, only those who didn't yield" Ianto shrugged "I am not an animal ya know."

"Who do you think you are… the mighty Red Dragon" she asked with venom in her voice.

"It's funny, you hardly ever use full names. I am the Red Dragon… you are Rattle Snake and the boss… you call him Goose but it's only half his name. Just like I always tell you… you cut too many corners." Ianto shook his head.

"His name was Goose" she said with a frown.

"No, it's the second half of his name. The Boss was always called Mongoose" Ianto corrected.

She started to laugh "Oh my god, really? Well, there ya go. They are like…badgers or something right? I mean, it was bad enough thinking of him as a big fat white goose, but a little pig-like thing sniffling about eating bugs… oh god."

Ianto looked at her with newfound annoyance "Lisa… a Mongoose doesn't eat bugs and worms. You know what they really like eating?"

"Don't tell me… oh god… acorns? Oh this is too funny" she sniggered softly. "Tell me Ianto, did he favour you for your nuts?"

"Mongooses eat snakes" Ianto told her slowly "Why he names those he is not sure of their loyalty after snakes. You know… so if you try to bite him he will… bite your head off."

"No, seriously?" her laugher had died as she started at him "But, I am a snake and you are not."

"No, I am a Dragon. Dragons are fliers, snakes are low bellied slimers slithering on their bellies in the dirt. A Dragon is accepted as loyal." Ianto smiled now "And you never worked that one out."

"So… you are trying tell me that a Mongoose eats snakes?"

"We bite off the head" another voice said behind them, in the doorway of the house.

Lisa felt the blood drain from her face as she rose to turn and face the Boss, his impeccable white suit made him appear like an apparition in the darkness, his anger dripping from each word.

Ianto rose as well, turning to nod to the old man before starting to walk towards him, then past him… out the door.

"Ianto?" she asked in a shaky voice "You… you are leaving me?"

"Lisa… I left you long ago." Ianto said as he turned to face her, "All this is… this is a closing of the book."

Lisa watched him go then shift her attention to the man who was smaller than she remembered more compact and yet so bloody deadly.

"Now then Lisa my dear… what was that you said about cutting that little girl's toes off one by one?"

.

.

Toshiko closed the tablet not wanting to watch anything else as she knew it would not be pretty… or fast, now comforted that Ianto had exited without trouble, the bodies outside the Boss's men were clearing away would be none of his concern either.

She turned to nod to Jack who was watching her from across the room, his face full of concern and he leaned back with relief, glancing over at the little girl asleep in the sofa.

Ianto was on his way home; it was done, and the Boss had agreed that things were now over and the book closed. He had apologised to Ianto for things, something rare in this industry and Ianto was now sure that thy were safe, the Boss assured him that they would have his umbrella of protection.

And the money thing? What money. The Boss never mentioned it, clearly thinking she was lying about it to cover the fact she just wanted to get at Ianto.

Once and for all… it was over.

They hoped.