26
Rhiannon opened the door and froze, the baby asleep on her chest unaware of the turmoil in her mother's heart as Rhiannon considered and then stepped to one side to let the young woman in.
"Archie wanted to come visit Lin and… I thought it might be a good chance to see you Rolley-Polley" Clem smiled as she followed Rhiannon down the hallway to the living room where Luc sat reading a book, his face one of question as he saw his beloved's annoyance.
"Luc. This is my… this is Clementine" Rhiannon said flatly, "Can you take our daughter for me love?"
He rushed to gather the baby up and Clem gasped as she saw it for the first time, the shawl over Rhiannon's chest had hidden her as she slept.
"Come one darling, come to daddy Lilly blossom" he crooned as he shuffled back to the chair and let her flop back so he could openly gush and adore her, the woman forgotten. Rhiannon turned to her and pointed to a chair, no offer of tea was made. This was not a social call after all, was it?
Clem lowered to the chair and watched Rhiannon sit, her wide hips sinking into the couch that Luc had carved himself then made the huge cushions for. She looked like she was settling into a throne covered with cushions and animal pelts.
"So. What do you want?" Rhiannon demanded, "I take it from the way you are eyeing my daughter you didn't know we have a new one, eh? He didn't' tell you? Probably not. Protective, he is."
Luc covertly glanced up as he heard his wife's snarl and for the first time was taken with the woman who resembled Mister Missus. Suddenly he got it and made a noise in his throat not unlike a cat's low wail of warning before a boxing match.
"Hush" Rhiannon said without looking away from her unwelcome guest, "You will wake Lilly."
He let his lips peel back instead.
"Better" Rhiannon nodded, then focused on Clem, "So? What do you want? He told me everything ya know. He always does. We don't hold secrets from one another. I know what that little prick of a bastard said too. You don't have to feel like you owe me something, you don't. Not now. You did mind, you owed me a damned lot for raising your son, right? You owed me holding him in the darkness when we slept rough, huddled in the abandoned car wreaks in the junk yard while we froze half to death and waited for the restaurants to close so we could sneak to their rubbish bins for food. Yeah, you owe me that childhood I wasn't apparently needing all that much. But right now? All you owe me is the time you are wasting I could be enjoying the bonding to my baby. The kids will be home soon, I would rather not have to explain to them that you are the woman who didn't want to be my mother anymore. Raised another one like he was your world."
"It's not like that" Clem sighed, "Roll…"
"Call me Rolley-Polley one more time and I will feckin slap ya, me Mam or not!" Rhiannon snarled, "I have his temper, I have his swing too and unlike him… I can hit sober."
Clem paled as she stared at this stranger who seemed so strong, so self assured and she saw the beauty in her regal slant of her head, the comb in her hair glinting in the light. Luc was proudly watching as his mate did her job as the woman of the house, standing firm as the shield to her children and he rose to gently place their child in the little bedding, his knife nearby if needed. All shields need a sword.
Rhiannon caught the movement and was touched that he was prepared to threaten her mother for her, such a lovely man and smiled at him, Clem watching her transform from her dead husband into her mama for a moment, the gentle face that of Clem's own dead mother.
"Rhia, we can't go back and change things" Clem whispered, "We can only move forward and try to repair."
"Ianto did" she challenged "He went back and saved you. You and the piglet. He wonders why now, why risk for you? Look at you, like a poor version of Yan. A sad one. I don't know you. You are a stranger. I mean ... Clementine? You chose that name? The song he would sing as he wove his way home from the local? The one we would hear coming closer and run to hide as he was right bladdered if he sang that?"
"Lost and gone forever, my darling Clementine" Clementine said softly, "I chose it so I would never forget that Clementine lost her footing and drowned. It was to remind myself not to lose my footing ever again. I remember that. The sensation of drowning. You understand that right? Your Johnny was a right…"
"Enough" Luc spoke, low and dangerous as the knife glinted at his side, "That man was the father of Rhiannon's' babies. A useless hunk of a man who could not heft a sword. His name is not spoken here. He failed to provide, he fell. I stand now, my queen is my rock, I am the moss that gently lays against her for the warmth that allows my growth. You will not cause fractures in her unblemished heart! I know a curse or two."
"Oh Luc, you do go all Viking when annoyed" Rhiannon said with open affection, "Don't curse her. She is going, it's OK my Shield. My Sword."
"Whatever you wish my Shield" he replied calmly, his catlike eyes softening, "My sword."
Clem rose shakily and made it outside before the first sob escaped.
That had been terrifying.