15
"Wait… say that again" Jack asked, his hands out and fingers splayed to show that he had not understood.
"Radar has arranged to get documentation to prove Eddie is a real boy, like… an Earthling. Remmy thinks we can pull it off. Only, he doesn't look like me. He looks like you!" Ianto pointed out.
Jack was surprised as he stared at him, computed then said "Yes. That is true."
"Can we say he is your son? What would we say about the mother?" Estelle asked, leaning forward with a notebook in her hand "We need as much backstory as we can fabricate."
"There was a girl I used to see in the resort where we flew from... ah… Rosa. She died about six months ago, her boyfriend killed her and then himself. She had a few kids, none of them mine but… we could say he was. None of the kids were registers, not the way in the villages. Her surname was Mendez. Give him her surname, not mine. Then we can argue that she never gave him my name as he was illegitimate, and she did not want to let everyone know he was mine. Ah… yeah. I DID send her money sometimes for the kids, only because I was fond of them, but we can say that was for him. Right?" Jack was thinking fast, pacing now "Ah… ah… Edward. Edward… ah… Jackson Mendez. Jackson… like a play on Jack's son?"
"Yeah… yeah. Makes sense" she nodded, still scribbling in the book.
"I was taking him since she… shit. I already talked to my bosses about quitting too. I said o before I flew, because of my daughter but I said… for my child." Jack stopped pacing and swung to face her "I told them again just yesterday that I still wanted to retire as I had found my family. I meant Ianto but… was not clear on it."
"OK" she nodded, Isnot looking at him with interest.
"Well, you purchased. You intend staying. So do I. Where you are… I am. I will fish off the boat… I will get a lightplane and crop dust for the local farmers… maybe some fire control too. Right?" Jack shrugged.
"And when were you going to tell me that you were about to squat like Randy?"
"Randy?" Estelle stopped writing.
"The raccoon… not the point" Ianto waved a hand distractedly.
"Well… the three of us can have a nice life here. Either that or a life on the run. You think anywhere we go they will not notice the boy does not age after a while?" Jack asked.
"We."
"Yes. We. I found you in the middle of chaos and… like a life preserver you kept my head above water and moved me to the shore. I am not about to let you go now!" Jake said with a sniff.
"Well… OK. So … What now?"
"Now I go tell Eugene… I mean… Radar where we are up to and he can get his feelers out for some help" she rose, then turned to Jack "Do you have a social media page?"
"Yeah."
"Good. He asked, they can manipulate some old photos of you with some stock pics of little kids similar to him, make an album of photos to show you were in his life all along" she smiled "amazing what they can do."
"Toshiko would love to meet him. They might be quite savage together" Jack laughed.
"Who do you think thought of the photos" she replied as she wandered off.
"So, now we know where Toshiko is. IN Radar's mother's basement" Jack froened "hope she has pepper spray or something."
"Come on. We need to be seen out and about with him now we are claiming this story. Come on." Ianto encouraged, the three of them soon at the little pizzeria… come gift store… come fish and chip shop… eating a slice of pizza pie.
"Captain."
Ianto did not look up, recognising the voice of the Slender Man.
"Hi. Captain Jack Harkness, how are you?" Jack gave his best shit eating grin as he rose and offered his hand, then added "This is my boyfriend Ianto. You've met? Good. And my son. Eddie."
"Your son?" the Slender Man asked, "He is not on the manifest."
Eddie looked up at the man and to Ianto's immense amusement, gave a shit eating grin to rival Jack's.
"He flew in the jump seat, my son after all" Jack said, glancing at John who had wandered past, froze and slowly turned to stare at them.
"John. You didn't add Eddie to the passenger list?" Jack asked.
"Huh? No… I think I told Suzie to."
"Suzie?"
"She's gone. Left with the other lot in the buses, those that wanted to get back straight away. About four busses left for the train station early. Fuck that, imagine four days or more to reach the nearest head office. Ergh." John screwed hi safe up "And still all grounded."
The men seemed alarmed "Some people have left? We were not told there had been people leaving."
"The Mayor set it up I think" Ianto finally spoke "I think there was quite few. Children and such… the unaccompanied minors for sure, all gone."
The men took off and Ianto let out his breath.
"OK, I don't know what is going on but if you want me to lie for you, it better be something good" John warned.
Jack rose and motioned for him to follow him outside, the far end of the carpark being the place to tell the story… a version anyway.
By the time they came back in John's face was stony and his eyes bright.
He did love fucking with authority.
.
.
By that evening the news was all over the town, the Mayor soon on their doorstep again with the sheriff, their faces bored as they loudly said "we are here about the weekend gala next month."
Gala? Jack looked at the others as Ianto said loudly "Oh god, yes. The Gala, come on in. Jen at the store said about the jumble sale. I have just the thing in the boat shed."
They all headed out there and the raccoon chattered at them angrily until Ianto offered a candy bar, looking at Jack apologetically who finally saw that Ianto was really taming the creature that made his skin crawl.
"Right. I think we are all up to date with this. So… we are hostages?"
"I think so. I think whatever is going on out there, it passed long ago. Maybe even was man made in an attempt to catch one of the spaceships. Now they have managed to down one… meaning… if that is the case… they killed all those people on the other planes just to get the chance to catch one of these creatures." Jack agreed "I now wonder if all the other areas had problems as well or if all this time the air Traffic Control and everything has all been a farce. What if it's been them lying, all just some and mirrors?"
"Jesus Jack. I had not thought of that… oh god. All the people stuck here all part of some exercise to catch an alien?" Ianto gaped. "And there was no planes crashing in the first place?
"Fuckers" Owen kicked at a pot of colour that flew across the decking and into the water.
"Owen. That was almost ready to go by the front door!" Ianto sighed.
"Sorry." Owen walke dover with his hands in his pockets to peer at the slowly sinking pot like he might get it back, then shrugged. "Nope. It's a gone burger."
"OK… look. We all need to be on the same page. We can't let them win. Look at him… he's… innocent." Gwen said as she looked at the child now stroking the raccoon into silence.
"Right. Think we can all agree that he is no danger to us. He is an innocent, and we need to protect him" Mayor Greene said as he looked around.
"And it might take a village to raise a child, but it will take this town to protect an Alien" Ianto agreed.
Eddie must be protected at all costs.
The MIB had no idea who they were dealing with.