13

They made the phone call early the next morning to the vets.

"I don't know. She's been making a terrible noise, I am scared she swallowed something and it's stuck. You know cats, not like I can poke my finger in there. Janet is already supposed to come in for her usual check-up but I think we need to get Myfanwy there earlier." They all watched Ianto as he paced back and forth making an emergency appointment for the cat that was currently asleep in her travel crate, her yelling finally quiet in the dawn's light.

"Right… right. We are supposed to be there tomorrow so we can just come today instead. Yeah." He turned to give them a thumbs up "Yes, a day earlier will not matter, we can spend an extra day in the city. Owen and Toshiko, our friends are going today for a medical convention thing anyway so we can go out for a meal or something."

Owen took off with Toshiko to get their bags. They had packed after the notes were passed around, like kids at school passing notes behind the teacher in class.

Take what you need, don't make it obvious. Only irreplaceable things.

They met at the town's fountain, the water flowing like a mocking reminder of why they were leaving. They still had no idea how the pregnancies had occurred, if it really was an alien abduction thing or a government thing where thy drugged everyone and simply impregnated them while they were asleep… right now all they wanted to do was create some space and safety to work it out.

Owen and Toshiko had a lot of bags, so did Ianto and Jack who talked loudly about the clean out of clothes for the thrift shops, the fact Ianto and Toshiko talked openly about it for a few days at his table by the bug first to cement the idea that they were going to cut their wardrobes down for some sort of personal improvement thing Toshiko had read in a magazine.

"Christ almighty, good thing I have a trolley. I need all these bags for my conference… there are important papers in them so don't jostle things!" Owen said loudly, hoping this would explain all the suitcases and boxes that really had their possessions they could not bear to leave behind. So much they had to cut, so many things they agreed were replaceable. Both couples now cutting the fat indeed.

Ianto shook the carrier gently, letting Myf wake and her choking snarls started. She made them all the time, it was her pretend vomit noise to get attention. They rushed for the barriers like it was a life and death situation with Jack yelling "Let us through. The bloody cat is choking, the vet is on standby."

Jack and Owen went through first with Janet panting and woofing happily. Everything chaotic and Ianto looking visibly upset. No one even considered the fact they had the dog with them, the dog they usually left with Rhys and Andy. The checkup the next day. Proof they were monitoring them.

Rhys and Andy who were already on the other side waiting for them with a vehicle they had collected from god knows where. Then Ianto and Toshiko ran through with the carrier together, the gates lighting up like they had a concealed weapon.

As agreed, Ianto shoved the cat carrier at Toshiko and turned to face the man now yelling at them to stop. He calmly walked back though, setting it off again. As they had hoped, the medications he took that morning were thrumming.

Now they were all silent, staring at him like he had two heads.

"Come on guys… Cancer? Female hormones to the point of crying over daytime soaps?" Ianto rolled his eyes, and stepped backwards while speaking, the machine going off again. Now they were all laughing as it was clear he could not possibly be pregnant, this was some sort of glitch.

"Mister Jones… when you return can we possibly borrow you to recalibrate the machine?" one of them asked.

"Of course, anything to help boys" Ianto said as he jauntily walked towards the sleek black SUV, his heart pounding in his chest and his stomach heaving as it sheared a way out.

Don't vomit.

Don't vomit.

Oh god.

Then they were moving and Ianto started to gasp softly, the noises the cat was making faded away as she was mollified by the motion of the vehicle, as were the others in the SUV. Finally around the bend, Jack stopped so Ianto could puke out the door.

"I am preggers" Toshiko confirmed for them all "A piss test last night, we did it in silence and burned it in the fire after. Felt so painful not to keep it but… yeah. That gate… oh my god."

One more day would have been a day too late.

That was clear to all of them.

.

.

"Thanks or coming for us Rhys."

"Well, they let me out for the school supplies, I said I needed Andy with me as I can't keep to budget to save meself. Your sister was easy enough to get hold of and she was more than happy to provide this baby. Holy hell Ianto, now much money have you stashed away and… how the hell did you get it?"

"I was injured in the line of duty… why I limp sometimes and my shoulder bites. I got a payout. Kept it for emergences… clearly this was one" Ianto replied with his head back against the seat, the relief now washing over him as the nausea died away.

"They almost had me… oh god." Toshiko whispered.

"I know… who would have thought my cancer would help us" Ianto said, then started to laugh softly.

Crazy.

.

.

It was late afternoon before they got to the compound, the off grid location Ianto had led them to with growing enthusiasm, the gate swinging open to allow them welcome.

"It is an old hippy commune?" Owen asked as they drove in.

"It's a Pagan one, my great whatever lived here and it stayed in the Jones family" Ianto explained "Off grid, hidden and not registered anywhere."

"You're kidding… you own this?"

"My family does. Not me, not in my name. We will cease to exist outside of these hedgerows" Ianto assured them, turning to look between the seats to the two in the back, as they came to a stop "But we have to remember that… only here. We are safe, only here."

"For how long?" Owen asked as he opened his door to get out.

"Until after they nuke the village I guess." Ianto said without thinking.

"What?"