21
It was a couple of days later that Hope felt her Tad searching for her and she left the others who were still sifting through their goodies in the 'return' shed to find a quiet spot for the bollocking she knew was coming as she was supposed to be down below. This shed is where Tommy is put away so he can be unloaded.
"Why a steam engine" Heather asked Logan as she passed them and he snorted.
"If there are any Zs they will hear it and come. With Wolfling on board everyone is safe, all it means it that we are clearing the way so we don't get ambushed." Logan explained to her "If there is anyone or anything out there … we will know. By announcing ourselves we also scare away anyone who does not want to say hi."
"Well, there is no mistaking the noise" she laughed.
"I was not sure at first but now I see the plan. Jack goes ahead along the tracks with Ianto, they clear and sort. If there is a break in the tracks they can clip in the sleeves on Bonny developed. With Ianto's strength he can fix anything if we have time. Any we have nothing but time, right? Not like we have bank manager appointment or anything." He laughed with her "The thrill of going beyond the Dome is enough for me. Gods, to see the world as she is now, the changes out there are …. Wow."
"You are not safe though! None of you are." She sighed as she saw her husband's glee.
"I could get crushed raising the side of a barn. Could have an embolism in my sleep. Come on, I want to provide." He offered with a shrug "Honey, I only get one chance. Then I have to step back for someone else, it's not fair if we don't all get a go."
"It's not a merry-go-round" Ianto said behind them "Have you seen my daughter? You know. The troublesome one."
"Over in the seed area, looking for those watermelon seeds you wanted" Someone said and he headed over to find her kneeling by some crates sifting through them.
"Hope?"
"The solar power kept the freezers and chillers going on life supports until we got there. Some are still cold, even now. If we can move them to cold storage down below we might have a better chance of a slow warming, like coming out of hyperthermia. Some seeds are OK and don't care but these tropical ones, the banana plants and the pineapples…mangoes whatever that is … I think we need to be more careful with their reanimation" she said without looking up.
"Hope!"
She looked up "Taddy. Is this punishment time?"
"No. This is 'explain yourself now I am not too pissed to hear you' time" Ianto huffed, settling to go through the boxes too, surprised that she was right. Those sealed from the train were still frozen. Maybe they should do a slow warm, those seeds were important.
"I'm not a child" Hope started then blanched at her father's raised eyebrow "Tadda, I am nearly twelve. I am almost a Grup. I know I am not one. But I am Wolfling, that makes me more advanced and we both know I am a better soldier than most here."
"What you know and what I know are two different things." Ianto growled low "It was my decision on whether or not to have you engage the enemy. You had your orders but went off on a tangent anyway. A better solder? Than your cousin who stayed at his post? Really?"
"I just wanted…. I …." She floundered and Ianto sighed.
"You wanted to see" he finished for her. "Like your father, you wanted in the thick of it. Hope. You push and push all the time. You don't think it is so bloody tiring for me? I know you are frustrated that your intelligence is wrapped in such a young body. I know you are more mature than most twice your age but at the same time you are a little girl with impulse issues. Gods. What if they had opened a room at the school and found a back closet I had not known about. Opened it and Zs had spewed out. The gunfire would have alerted those animals in the town to your existence. The school would have been a target for at least one of the factions. And no Wolfling to protect them even if they did manage to get the Zs under control at the expense of two or three humans. I mean, only family right? Tell me Hope, Boomer? Sean? Liam? Tell me, which one was gonna open the door and get bit?"
She stared at him silently.
"So. I am not mad, disappointed and maybe frustrated that you think you know better than me. You don't. I have died. I have known fear, pain and loss. I have known the fear of being trapped like an animal, I have killed. Humans. I have tasted human flesh in my jaws." Ianto sat back and rubbed his face "I never want you to know that level of …. Regret."
He rose and left, leaving her on the ground with seeds scattered around her considering those words.
Dean and Frank watched from the sidelines with a kitten each in their arms. Frank nodded his agreement. To be too eager is to be stupid. The first thing they teach at Z School.
She forgot her own training.