4
Jack buckled on his new Webley and strutted happily out to check the stock by the waterhole with his son also buckled on, leaving Ianto to head for the Saxon homestead with the gifts for the children, intending to say that Mr Saxon was correct in saying it was too far so Santa had dropped them off at the Harkness-Jones homestead instead.
Surely the man would let his children have them.
Right?
Ianto was humming and it suddenly occurred to him that the hopper might not bring pleasure so he powered it down behind a copse of trees, glad that he had left Blu strapped to his Daddy's chest helping check the stock.
It was overly warm and Jack will already have the wee fella sitting in the shade watching the cattle with interest. Like his Daddy, he loved watching the creatures amble about.
Ianto hefted the pillowslip full of goodies over a shoulder and headed towards the little clod cabin, humming softly.
He was almost there when he felt ….something.
It was instinct that made him hit the dirt seconds before a beat up hopper sped around the clod hill and Ianto knew with sickening clarity that they were marauders.
Also, the severed head on the front was Lucy Saxon.
NO.
The baby.
Ianto crawled painstakingly back to the hopper and dropped the pillowslip in the dirt, feeling around under the front seat with raw hope, renewed as his hands found the old piece of shirt wrapped around the old Webley where Jack had stowed it when he had replaced guns in his holster.
Thank the gods.
Ianto crawled back, ignoring the bites to his hand and knees, the small screaming egging him as he found at least one child still fighting to live.
Please Goddess guide me.
Ianto felt something in him shift and settle as he heard a small sob and he snarled silently as he got close enough to see the two children clinging to each other as their father defiantly spat at a man who proceeded to slice his head off with a large sword-like blade.
Ianto knew three things at once.
Firstly, they didn't have guns, only blades.
Secondly, the children were terrified and the little boy seemed injured.
Third?
Well, one of the men was looking straight at him with surprise.
Right.
Ianto thought back to the day on the train, the fear and the rush of adrenaline when Jack had entered.
He rose and fired, not bothering to aim and somehow he knew it was true, the man flying back as he swung the weapon to fire at the second one.
The third was running and the fourth already on their hopper trying to power it up.
Ianto looked at the little boy, his cheeks wet as he soothed his sister and strode forward, snarling with rage.
No mercy.
Ianto fired with deadly anger, finding relief as he checked the area and found no others.
"There was only them" Harry hiccupped as he pulled his sister away from their father's corpse.
"My hopper is in those trees over there" Ianto pointed, "Take her there and see if you can find some water in the side seat, it lifts up like a lid."
Harry nodded and Pulled Del away, soothing her as he whispered that they were going to be safe now.
Ianto knew she was dead and he placed his hand on her stomach in the hope of feeling movement but she was cool. The poor wee soul gone before it even had a chance to live.
Ianto moved swiftly to secure the house and spit at the man who had killed the parents in front of the children, then returned to the hopper to find them asleep, curled into a little ball of woe.
The return journey to the homestead was morose and Ianto knew he was weeping for the poor little orphans, his mind reeling.
Jack would know what to do.
Right?
Ianto had faith in his mate.