10
They came again that night.
This time Ianto stood with his back to the door as she stared him down, then turned and left.
Jack wondered how often they came and the next morning he asked, only to get a look of surprise from the others as they confessed to not even knowing there had been a visit.
"But … three times this week" Jack said and they looked at one another with shock. Jack was left wondering why Ianto didn't tell the others, why he didn't run her off and why she seemed to feel the draw to the house all the time.
Was it just Ianto's bite?
He was still pondering when a hover swung into view and he pulled on his coat to go out to greet whomever was visiting. The first thing he noticed was the emblem on the side of the hover. Law.
"Sheriff Melbrum" Ianto called form the porch where he had appeared in the swing seat, "Come up out of the bright light and have a drink."
The man waddled up and stood looking uncomfortable in the gaze of the man now swinging gently. Jack strode past to swing and lean in the doorframe by Ianto.
"You have another member?" the sheriff asked as he stared at Jack.
"Yes. This is John Harper, a relative of Owen's" Ianto said smoothly, "Come to help with the growing hoard of heathens. Also, a great horseman."
"Ah" the sheriff dismissed Jack and turned back to Ianto, "the babies."
Ianto stopped swinging, "What is wrong? What…. What is in there?"
Ianto rose and looked towards the hover, then turned to Jack whispering in the back of his mind, "There is a child in there. Terrified and hurt."
Jack didn't have time to be alarmed by the way Ianto had crashed barriers with ease, feeling the child's distress the moment they connected and he moved to the hover as the sheriff grimaced, "I know you don't like the little ones. Normally I would … the other places usually like the babes as they are so easy to re-house but … ah…. This one is one of those refugee ones."
Jack looked in and on the floor behind the seat was a small child who looked up at him with huge black almonds shaped eyes, the blue skin and little dreadlocks a giveaway.
"Blu-man-chu" Jack called out "Maybe two is she's lucky."
Ianto rose, steeling himself as he entered the bright light of the day and he hid the pain of the sun hitting his skin as he strode over to look into the foot well. "Damn."
Jack knew what the meant and reached down to pluck up the child, wet, soiled and definitely in pain. "She's hurt. What happened?"
"Others, they attacked the family in their hover. They were living in it. Raising it at night to drift but there was a power drain and it drifted low enough for one to jump in. Their screams were heard by the landowner nearby and he rushed to help but … well. There were too many. After dawn they went to see how bad the mess was and found that one like that, squished down low. Did it the moment she got into mine too" he pointed and Ianto sighed softy.
"I do not like them so young no. The Others are attracted to the noise at night as they are too young to know not to cry out." Ianto explained to Jack, "She is not yet two. Maybe eighteen months. Will wake in the night with bad dreams. They will come."
"They already do" Jack whispered as he held the child tighter, knowing the dreams that might come. Ones he fought himself.
Ianto nodded.
Jack swung for the porch letting Ianto retreat where he settled on the swing seat with perceivably shaking hands. That jaunt into the light had hurt.
"Right then" the sheriff said happily "Sorted."
"Does she have a name?" Jack called after him and the sheriff swung as he went to clamber into the hover.
"We called her blu."
Jack blinked as the hover took off at speed. No doubt worried Ianto might change his mind and Ianto turned to Ianto and repeated "blu. Original."
"Call her what you want, I … need to find somewhere quieter" Ianto fled back into the house and Jack looked to Owen who was listening inside the door.
"He will go down to the basement, you'll not see him again today. That hurt. A lot. Poor little thing. Look at her, pretty colour though. Periwinkle blue." Owen smiled, "Funny, I never realised how many blues there are in the spectrum until these people came along, so diverse and individual."
"Periwinkle" Jack repeated and the little one blinked slowly at him.
"Winkle" Jack grinned, "You like that poppet? Yeah?"
"Congratulations" Owen snorted, "It's a girl."
Jack laughed softly as he followed Owen in so he could examine her.
Jack hoped like hell she wasn't bit.