30
It was now three months after settling into the new house and a routine was now established. Princess Day was in effect with not just Jack but Rhys and Andy pulled into the fun. Ianto was not sure how to react to entering his home to find three fully grown men in tutus with tiaras on their heads as they talked in high pitched voices and poked out their pinkie fingers. Emma stood with a look of determination as she poured lemonade from the little teapot, spilling most of it on the tray but the man acted like she was perfectly pouring their beverages as they gushed over the flowers she had picked.
No vase, they had been slammed on the little table and smooshed a bit. A precocious little toddler, she was also decidedly spoilt by Daddy.
Ianto walked past and headed for the kitchen "Want some sammies too love?"
She stomped her foot twice and resumed handing out the sloshing cups. One for no, two for yes. Jack had implemented that as he was the one who often yelled a question before remembering the child was not in his eye-line for a sign to be read.
Ianto returned with sandwiches that had the crusts cut off and then were cut into little triangles, fairy bread as well.
"Awww.. you spoilt us darlink" Rhys squealed as she grinned like she had made the damned things.
"Sorry, am I interrupting?" Owen asked in the doorway with his eyes wide.
"Princess Party!" Jack crowed and Owen took a visible step back to show he was NOT getting into that one.
"What's up Owen?" Ianto asked as he turned to face him.
"The Party Island is off the air again" Owen said. Dominic's last report last night had sounds of a party in full swing in the background. We both know last time they got lit they left the damned thing on and drained the battery."
"Did you try Duncan on his?"
"Same thing... but there is static, not dead air so the thing it turned on. Most likely they are all at the main radio shack bricking themselves with no comms while totally forgetting the portable one under Duncan's bed" Owen rolled his eyes as he spoke. "Again."
"You know, letting them all settle on that island tighter was a mistake. They don't have a structure or…" Jack started to rant and was silenced by a hand slamming on a table and a little face morphing into a glare of doom.
"Right. Daddy made a promise that this be her special day. It's is not a day to talk Big Stuff. Me and Uncle Owen can take a second battery pack over and swap them out like we had to do last time" Ianto assured him.
"And the time before that" Owen grumbled.
"Are you sure? I mean..." Jack looked at that little face and smiled softly "I did promise my daring that today was her day."
"Yeah, m e and Owen can do this one. We might take young James with us, he wanted to get a feel for the controls of the larger skiff." Ianto smiled as he sighed theatrically. "They really have to get their shit together or we will have to post a fucking caretaker like they are a bunch of kids on a school camp."
"Come on, you would have loved it once upon a time right?" Owen asked.
Ianto stared at him silently and he started to snigger "Right. Forgot. I was talking to the bloody old man in the suit. You were born old."
Ianto then poked his tongue at him and Owen sniggered some more, joined by Andy's.
Ianto changed and then headed out to save the arses of total arses… again.
He had a good mind to leave them to stew in their own juices for a while but he knew Toshiko would worry about a community whose radio was not on and in working order and an emergency broadcast.
What could get worse.
German invasion?
.
.
They skimmed over the water with ease, young James was actually in his early twenties but he did look like an extra from Harry Potter with his childish boy's freshly shaved face and excited demeanor. He seemed a natural with the controls and Ianto was well pleased, agreeing with Owen that he might have his own skiff next time.
They landed on the dock and noted the other boats still there, one of them only attached loosely and James leapt off to run over and readjust the rope on the boat about to drift off.
Owen walked over to the bell on the end of the dock and gave three sharp dings to announce their arrival and then they stood waiting. Nothing. Simply… nothing. They looked at one another. Owen calmly said "James, stay with the boat in case some fool crawls this way from their hangover bed. Me and Ianto will go forth."
"Go forth" Ianto said softly as he reached under the seat of the skiff and retrieved a large tool box, opening it to hand a gun to Owen before getting his own, followed by his trusty Bowie Knife.
"Yeah… see… I can be fucking posh!" Owen sneered, and then took off to the left.
"You sounded like fucking Blackadder! Looks like I am going right" Ianto rolled his eyes and walked confidently towards the Main Hall where the kids should be.
Kids.
They were all bloody kids and needed a good kick up the bloody…. Ianto stopped walking as he came across something he did not expect.
A boat on the far shore to his left.
Huh.
Ianto didn't like the look of this.
Time to un-holster the gun.
