Ianto was snoozing in his library when the claxons began to sound.
He sat up woozily and looked around, seeing his familiar place of safety and frowning.
What was that noise?
Ianto carefully rose, his extended belly a considerable weight to be hefting around, and waddled to the door.
Outside the door was chaos. Slaves were racing about and shouting could be heard.
"Martha?" he recognised a flash of skirts and she swung to gape at him with horror.
"Ianto? Oh my Gods, why aren't you in one of the safe rooms?" she hissed.
"Huh?" Ianto rubbed his eyes and she realised he had been asleep.
"You didn't hear the announcements over the speakers?" she walked over to him and took a moment to say hello to bump.
"I was asleep then this horrible bloody noise started" he yawned and stretched, showing off his bump as his t-shirt rose above it.
Now several slaves had stopped and were moving quickly towards him.
"War Room, now!" Damec had arrived and his face showed he had been looking for his Sweetest One. He ushered Ianto towards the nearby War Room and Ianto asked again what was happening.
"Don't know, could be a drill. Could be a natural event. Could be invaders" Damec was franticly trying to hurry Ianto as the War Room grew nearer. "Last time was a wind storm."
Damec pounded on the door and it flew open. Jackson had his mouth open to abuse whoever interrupting them but the sight of Ianto was what sent him into mild hysteria.
Damec said three times that Ianto had been asleep before he heard him and Jack's bark when he saw Ianto entering had the whole room in an uproar.
Martha entered with another slave, carrying and dragging the bedding from the library. They set up a nest in the corner of the room and Ianto gratefully sank into it as his back continued to nag from the quick walking.
Meteors.
The battle screen was lit up with incoming meteors that looked to number into the hundreds.
"Oh god, the lives out there" Ianto said forlornly, knowing there would be losses.
"The people have heeded the sirens. The horses are safe hon, and the dogs. The cattle, sheep and goats will suffer though" Jack squatted and soothed his love, "Our handlers brought in as many as they could before these bloody things got too close."
"Breaching atmosphere now" a voice called out and Jack looked up at his father who was clutching the battle table with a taught face full of concern for his people.
"How many got to safety Cariad?" Ianto whispered.
"Last reports said nearly all the town shelters were filling, they were heeding the warning." Jack assured him.
"But slaves are still running about the house" Ianto frowned and Jack swore then rose.
"Attention all slaves, this is Master Jack. All slaves are to head for the nearest shelter immediately. This is an imperative. This is a Harkness Override. Whatever order you have been given is now overridden. Seek shelter immediately" Jack yelled over the speaker system for the house and surrounding town.
Timid knocks on the door had Jackson heading for it again. Damec smiled softly as he then entered with several slaves nervously clutching at his clothes for guidance.
"Over here" Ianto called out and they all turned to look. Faces lit up as they all rushed to join Ianto in the nest, cooing and fussing over him and bump.
The sound of pounding in the distance had a young boy crying out with fear and Ianto opened his arms. The boy crawled into his embrace and buried his face in Ianto's chest as the house shook with a nearby hit.
Damec positioned himself behind Ianto, holding him and bump protectively as the others cocooned him.
"It's safe here" Jack had returned and smiled down lovingly at the lovely man and his wee entourage.
"But out there?" Ianto looked up and Jack knew he couldn't lie.
Jack hunkered down and took Ianto's hand, "There will be loss, baby. Those in the fields may not have heard or those working in the factories might not have had time to get to shelters. We need to be prepared for the possibility of loss."
"Oh, those poor people" Ianto said sadly, leaning back to allow Damec a better angle to pet the bump.
"It will be OK." Jack soothed, "We're safe in here. This is a safe room, it could withstand fire and heavy ordinance. A ship fell on this side of the house when I was a child and a rebuild had to occur. Remember Damec?"
"Yes, gentle master. Several rooms were destroyed. I believe the library suffered damage in that one" Damec said calmly.
"Yeah, I remember the books all being stacked in the dining room" Jack smiled at the memory. "The thing is, this room is where we were when it happened. I was watching Daddy and Grandpa trying to help bring it down safely, I was right here in the corner. A table used to be here for he me draw on and I crawled under it"
"You brought your pet Pyra with you, it bit me!" Damec accused and Jack laughed.
"You were so handsome in the blue tunic Grandfather had commissioned for you" Jack smiled at the old slave, "When I first got this coat I remembered how smart you looked in this colour Damec."
Damec coloured at the compliment and then gave a gasp as the bump tightened.
Ianto groaned as the pain from his back flared, becoming a tight crushing band around his body.
Jack watched Ianto's face as pain blossomed across it and Damec's shout of dismay had everyone in the room turning to look.
"Precious Angel, No Beloved!" Damec pleaded, his shaking hands trying to soothe away the contraction.
Ianto found his voice and cried out as the pain increased to crush him into Damec's arms.
Jackson was the first to reach the nest, Jack too stunned to move from the floor. Jackson placed his hands on the bump and felt its hardness, then swore.
"How far away is the doctor, find out which safe room he is in" Jackson said then turned to stare up at his son, "Zander! Now!"
Alexander shook off his own shock and moved to contact the safe rooms within the house, hopeful that the doctor was in one nearby and praying that the birth would wait until the shower was over.
Ianto felt the pain ease and began to pant, tears falling down his cheeks.
"First baby always hurts most" Damec said softly, "Good pain, means baby strong!"
"Yeah?" Ianto sniffled. "He's really coming?"
"Yes my Sweetest One," Damec said with open glee, "Our Beloved is coming."
