9

Ianto was not surprised by the gun or the woman as she snarled and sneered at them and as he and Tosh played the game he felt something brushing against his mind.

Jack?

Could the baby be enhancing their bond?

Could Jack be honing in on him with that bloody Vortex Manipulator he always bragged would find Ianto's unique signature?

Was it still unique now there was Harness DNA on board?

All these questions swirled in his brain and he didn't even realise they were in a room until Tosh squeaked and he looked up to find a disguising brute of a man touching her in a most unacceptable way but her glances told him she could handle it, she was made of strong stuff.

She was a Riftling after all.

Then the woman leaned over to stroke Ianto's face and he felt true fear as her power washed over him.

A Seeker.

He slammed down as many shields as he possibly could and prayed to the gods that there were more he didn't know about doing his bidding and she stood there examining him, trying to read his power.

He blinked back with a stupid expression he saw many without the Rift Gifts wear when confronted like this.

Finally she turned away and shrugged, "Nothing from him. Her, however…lovely."

The man laughed as he licked Tosh's face and Ianto felt queasy again in a way that had nothing to do with the bub and all to do with Tosh's wave of horror.

Ah shit.

A seeker.

Suddenly he was assaulted by the emotions of the room as her powers clicked into his and Tosh's mind whirred as the woman's lust burned and the man….oh gods the man was pure evil.

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"A Meater" a child whispered with fear, "Gonna sucks him up."

The woman winked at the child and then tapped her nose with a finger, waiting for the others to stop shushing and then she continued.

.

.

.

The man was a Meater. The power that thrummed from him, filing the room with its putrid stench was hunger. Hunger for life force, hunger for soul. Ianto knew they were in deep shit and his mind drifted to the little spark within, the promise.

He leaned against the woman, as if dizzy from the head wound and then once he took as much power as he could without vomiting he threw himself wide, seeking Jack.

Gods, he hoped it would work.

The man seemed to sense something, perhaps seeing his mate falter once Ianto stepped back and he surged forward, grabbing Ianto and pulling him close enough to smell his foul breath.

Oh no, not more Hungers.

Ianto felt himself waning in his attempts to shield and then he had a sudden inspiration, glancing to make sure Tosh was free and he slammed his head into the prick's face. Why not, his head was already thumping, what's another hit for the team.

Tosh ran and he knew he was in deep shit as the man's eyes widened and Ianto realised his shields s were falling, his power was starting to bleed through and the man blinked as he peered into Ianto's face.

"What the hell are you?" he asked softly and then laughter as Tosh was pulled back in by others, along with Owen and an extremely pissed off Suzie, her hair wilder than usual as she struggled.

"Where's Ianto!" Owen demanded "If you've hurt him I'll…."

That was when the world turned into sound, chaos, hell, destruction and a big fucking tractor.

Ianto fell to his knees as the man howled and turned to attack and Jack was firing with a snarl as he leapt from the tractor and Owen was there, talking softly as his hands brushed at Ianto's face, Tosh. Where is Tosh?

There.

"Its OK mate" Owen's voice was soothing as were his hands, and Ianto groaned as he felt Owen gently manipulating him onto his back.

"Owen. Is he OK?" Jack's voce was so far away and Ianto grunted as he felt Jack pulling him into his arms.

"We have to get him to the SUV" Owen said, his worry evident, "Fucking Heddlu are starting to crawl everywhere and I don't' want their eyes on what I need to do. Come on, pick him up."

Ianto tried to speak, to warn that he had been last touched by a Hunger but he was too discombobulated so when Jack lifted him and brought his lips to his forehead it was instantaneous.

The blast was like an electrical current through his body and Ianto grunted as he shook with the power of the Vortex.

"Fuck, he's fitting, get him in the back!" Owen yelled, clambering in as well and Jack turned to Suzie.

"Tosh can drive, I need to get him back, and you stay and clean this mess up." Jack said to her, "You can play with whomever you like."

"Really" her smile was vicious "I know just the prick I wanna talk to."

As she headed over to the one who had hurt her team members Jack clambered in and Owen closed the doors, yelling at Tosh to go.

Jack realised what had happened and swore softly "My energy. The fucker must have been a Hunger. I've seen this power of mine kill them."

Owen grunted as he shakily moved the sonic scalpel over Ianto's midsection and Ianto groaned softly as the area Owen sought still glowed with latent energy, the wee bean getting an extra kick from its father.

"Thank fuck" Owen sighed with relief as he saw the wee heart beating strongly.

The dull thud as Jack fainted and hit the window with his head was quite the punctuation mark to the entire affair.

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"He fell over?"

"Yes" she smiled as some laughed, "He be so brain stopped that he went and fell over with the shock of it."

"The baby"

"Yes" she nodded, "He knows now. He sees. His wee spark in his man's belly. He done filled him, done stuffed him up and now he be the one with the worries."

"We be here!" a little one said with more confidence than she truly felt, "The bean be growing."

"Yes" the old mother took a deep breath and looked into the flames, "The wee one be strong. Strong with the powers Ianto keeps touching, feeding, instilling. This one be the first of us. Be the first true Rift Child."

"Be the Rift King!" one crowed.

"Yes" her face softened as she thought of him.

Her own Rift King.

Her beloved.

Her Timelord.

Her Doctor.