41
The rain was more like a drizzly complaint about the day in general, that was enough to make the day seem more grim than need be. The car park was packed though, the local mall pumping.
It was a tech seminar in full swing, a conference held once every three years and as the stallholders eagerly sold their wares hundreds of people milled around the mall's space. People with robots, drones, cell phone advancements to the weird preppers who wanted you to know how to jam alien radio waves from only 9.99 plus tax.
This was a wide open space with ample lighting, horrible mall muzak playing and the occasional planter box that we were supposed to pretend held real plants instead of plastic things with trash shoved into the foliage. You get the picture. Someone very likely shat in those planters from time to time.
Ianto was walking confidently amongst said people, his hair slicked back in a geekish way and the thick rimmed glasses changed the contours of his face. He was unrecognizable to the casual onlooker, of course what gave him away was his gaze, not glancing at the stalls as he passed them, not stopping to look at a presentation but walking calmly through the people like he was on a surfboard skimming the waves. The plastic bag dangling from his finger tips was also non-descript like he had been shopping there, not something he had brought in with him.
As he neared a booth fill of screens and people he reached out to hook the arm of a woman, yanking her around the side of the booth and into the void behind it. She swing to face him and gasped, then threw her arms around him "Ianto! Thank god."
"We don't have time, here get that coat off" Ianto replied, thrusting the shopping bag at her and she shrugged off the coat to replace it with one of a different colour and cut. Then she removed the large crocheted hat, pushing her hair up under it as her hands shook.
"Better?" she asked "I saw the wanted ad in the paper and… god… you and your codes. I was starting to think I had it wrong."
Ianto regarded her and nodded "Come on… don't let go of my hand, don't look at anything but our feet and if I speed up… for fucksake run."
"Yes Ianto."
"Come on Lucia, let's get you to your daughter"
.
.
Jack was leaning against the SUV while Owen nervously let his hands slide around the steering wheel. He was the driver, the wheel man. Yeah. He was… fuck there they are and it's not even going. Owen fumbled the keys, turning over the motor.
"We have ignition" he muttered in a stupid voice.
Then they were there, clambering in as Owen put the SUV in gear and soon they were off and racing.
"Left"
Owen swing the wheel savagely to the left, cutting the curb and making the vehicle jump as he whooped with glee. God, this was fun.
"Right"
WHOMP
It was about five turns later that Jack asked "Are we being followed still?"
"Nah, lost them outside the mall. Owen just likes this, come on Cariad, the poor little guy was all cooped up, let him have some fun. Right!" Ianto replied as he calmly scrunched his hair back into some sort of rooster's comb. Now he looked decidedly edgy. Jack swung to reply and saw Ianto, his words dying in the back of this throat as he swallowed them down with his list.
"Are we safe?" Lucia asked shakily.
"Yes sweetie, for now" Ianto replied as he let his head fall back against the headrest.
Owe was right thought.
That had been fucking fun.
"Left here"
WHOMP
.
.
"MAMA!"
Lucia sobbed as she fell to her knees, scooping her daughter to her as the little girl ran close enough, then collapsing onto the ground to roll with her making silly noises while the child laughed happily.
The relief all around was raw.
"You're back" Rhys bellowed for the doorway of the General Store that he and Andy had chosen as their home "good. Dinner is in five!"
"Yes mother" Ianto called back "I'll wash me hands."
"Smartarse" came the faint reply as Rhys disappeared back inside.
"Mama, we have kittens" Alice said happily "Come on, me and Mimi are being their mummy and David doesn't care and…"
As her daughter gushed happily Lucia rose to follow her, weeping as she looked around with awe at the little hidden piece of weirdness. This place of safety.
Serenity.
.
.
"And now?" Jack asked as he watched Ianto changing clothes to something more… Iantoish. Jack was sitting on their bed in their Saloon Whore's bedroom that he really, really liked.
"Dinner, didn't you hear Rhys's loving bellow of doom?" Ianto replied as he chose a tie.
"You know what I mean. What do we do next!" Jack insisted.
"Look… Rhiannon is gone, as gone as dead right now and although that hurts like hell she knew the risks. We have everything we need to simply… hide. It's not weak, or cowardly to want to protect these kids and that is what I am going to do" Ianto sat on the edge of the bed and took Jack's hand "And besides… I just had a baby. Apparently I need to rest."
"Likely story" Jack smiled as he leaned in to kiss him.
Mission accomplished.