28

Oprahville became Torchwood Island pretty damn quick, something Ianto was not too sure of. Seems like he will never escape that place. Not that it mattered, those ghosts will always be with him. It made the others happy so whatever.

Jack settled into a routine of travelling twice a week to the other vessels and islands, spreading the word as they still got the hang of the CB radios for communications. Winter was coming and the stormy season when it would be imposable to flit about the light metal hulled skiffs, talk of a Zodiac or two being hunted down at one of the villages along the coast, coast guard boats or something. Personally Ianto wanted to leave everything well enough alone and focus on here. Now.

Why poke the dragon.

Of course he wasn't Jack and Jack did not get Ianto's' lack of excitement in the matter, the fact Ianto wanted to stay home and paint the walls, redecorate rooms or gardens to ensure no plants that might be dangerous… was something he could not fathom.

"But it's only for the afternoon. Ali can take Emma, come on." Jack pleaded at the breakfast table.

Emma lit up as she heard her big sister's name and early signed her agreement. Her sign for Alice was her hands flapping around her head to mimic Alice's funky haircut. Ianto sighed as he saw that he was being the problem here, not Jack. He wanted to hide too much.

"OK…we can go after lunch but I want to be home well before it is time to start the evening meal" Ianto warned.

"Deal" Jack said happily as their daughter signed the same word with ferocity.

Ianto hated being out voted but knew that was something else he had better start getting used to.

Emma was as much a demon as her Daddy Jack.

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The sea was calm and they skimmed the water effortlessly as Ianto sat at the stern, watching the water churn behind them.

"Here's Dominic" Jack called out and Ianto looked up to see two boats already waiting at the entrance to the harbour, as agreed. Waving commenced and chitchat over the water before Jack headed in fist, slowly making his way along the shoreline as they looked up at the row of shanties lining the road at the top of the cliff.

No one appeared.

"Is it just me or does this seem too easy" Ianto muttered as he glanced back at the other two boats, "Maybe we need to signal them to hold off while…"

Whatever else he was going to say was drowned out by Dominic's boat engine as the man throttled to and shot past them to belly the skiff up on the shore next to some crayfish boats and their nets that were scatted about, already out and moving before Jack got their own skiff onto dry land.

"Hey wait" Jack yelled after them "Let us go first with…. Aw for fucksake. See? This is what happens when there are too many captains!"

Duncan and his small group of men were gone, disappearing around the building as they shot down a side street while they searched for Uglies with murderous glee.

"Let them go. If they can't play nice, maybe they deserve to get a chewed arse.. literally. Not our problem Cariad. They have their own crew, their own boat. They chose to race off. Come on, we are searching for supplies and that stupid zodiac" Ianto cajoled Jack who finally nodded and they headed for the nearest restaurant, sitting there silently waiting.

They swept it and found it empty, the food mostly gone or spoiled apart from some canned stuff and bottled sauces etc that Ianto was glad of. Jack was a food hog and he loved condiments. Will eat the same thing every night if he can change the additions. "We can catch our own fish, but these are great. Look at the huge five gallon jugs of cooking oil for the fryer. They are great. Not just for cooking, they will be good for a lot of things. Come on, I want these. Get that trolley over there with the bags of flour on it, we can take those too."

They were loading up when faint gunfire sounded, echoing in the seaside village. They both hesitated, looking at one another and the down at the walkie-talkie as they both listened to the whooping and after a few beats they were told that it was fine, they were all good and their hunting was good.

"Again, I do not like how they view this as fun. Those were people once, they forget that too. Not respect. I want to get this done, get gone and politely fuck off." Ianto grumbled. "They are not even looking for product."

"Agreed" Jack nodded, giving the place one more cursory look before turning and pointing "Over there. Is that an art gallery? I want to see what is there for our place."

Ianto sighed and gave jack a look. Jack frowned "What. Come on, some might be OK."

"Art. We have a small window to pilfer and you want art?" Ianto said as another volley of gunfire sounded in the distance.

"OK… if it makes you feel better, we will get the zodiac out and attached to our skiff first" Jack rolled his eyes and they headed for the boat house with the Coast Guard signs on it, Ianto glad to also locate more walkie-talkies, placing stuff onto it before attaching it to float out and bob in the water. The long rope attached to their skiff meant when they leave it will simply follow like a pet dog on a leash.

Jack watched Ianto check the knots then asked "Now?"

"Now. You go to the Art Gallery, I want the store next door with clothing and furniture in the window. Might be a nice bed comforter or something." Ianto waved a hand.

"Seriously?" Jack said in a parody of Ianto and the two men shoved at one another, and then got their pistols out to sweep before taking what was needed.

By the time the group me men retuned with flushed faces, one with a bandage on his arm and only a few armfuls of shit, they were ready to go. One went to get in his boat and exclaimed "Fuck, look. Candy."

"We put some in your boats so when you go back the kids will see it and know you will return with good stuff. Always make your homecoming a positive thing." Jack counselled them "Not a conquering hero thing. More of… glad to be home, missed you kinda thing. They need to think of you getting them stuff, not killing people."

They looked a little chastised as they nodded and clambered on board their respective launches, one of them with a rooster weather vane under his arm that had Ianto rolling his eyes with amusement. Seriously? THAT is what they take?

No idea.

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Sorry for the late posing. End of the school term at the end of this week and work is twofold getting all the deals and such in place for the little bastards.. I mean… darlinks.