35

Jack found Ianto in his room.

Not the one others were allowed in, I mean his little room he had off the main reading one. Jack had thought it was just a storage room but as he entered it because glaringly obvious that it was a hoard room.

He looked around with wonder and cursed himself for not seeing his beautiful mate's heart before. A Windy-woo Hoard.

Ianto has been nesting for some time without even realising he was doing it himself. Their boning had woken that dormant DNA, of course a chick had eventually been produced. The colours were soft and the pieces of glass seemed to glow along the window sill as Jack walked around and appreciated the art in the placement of each piece, pictures formed of children laughing, flowers and then he saw his name spelled out along with Ianto's, the A a joiner. It was so sweet that Jack could only smile and reach out to gently touch that A.

"Cariad?" Ianto's voice was weary as he sat in the corner of the room, his arms full of little one and his eyes almost overflowing with tears.

"It's OK love, it will be OK" Jack assured him, "You Dad cleaned house and even found a little one who needed a home for Yvonne. She looked so smitten."

"Yvonne?" Ianto's face changed to soft delight, "Really? She took one."

"Yes, a little girl who clearly liked the proposal" Jack smiled back, "Your Dad seemed smitten too."

"Well maybe that will force them into the open. They might stop pretending there is nothing there, I mean he is old enough to be her father I guess but the affection is so raw between them. I think it is why she never had a child, didn't want to expose him. He was alone for so long after his lover died," Ianto explained and Jack nodded.

"Well, I see it" Jack assured him and he reached for Caden, "Come on Storm Boy, poor Taddy is tired and his wee spark is sad too."

"We need cuddles" Caden said with wide yet serious eyes.

"Yes love, I agree. The big bed I think" Jack agreed as he carried his son, allowing Ianto to walk without a fuss to their bedroom where he was not surprised to find Alice already in the bed with her hands clasped patiently, the middle left for Caden. Such a lovely wee mama to think of her brother.

They settled together and Ianto started to giggle softly, Jack looking over the heads of their children with a raised eyebrow.

"There was this weird little man in the store and when the crashing and banging happened, you know followed by the shooting and roaring…he just stood there. I thought he was a prop the way he just stood there in the same spot while the world exploded around him but then when I vomited he said "Ew" like…just that one word and I only just registered it." Ianto sniggered some and then said it again "Ew"

Jack laughed softly as he watched Ianto relax, give in to his moment of fear and let go of the horror of the day.

"So?"

"So, it's done" Jack confirmed, "Things are as sorted as they can be and the Brig has men pouring over all the paperwork and techs going through all the computer files so we can track down all the other children. It's not up to us, it will have to go to council, maybe even the royal chambers to decide the outcome. I would personally recommend those children in families be allowed to stay as separating them would probably break their little hearts"

"Oh for the love of Pete, I never thought of that, if they decide to round them up what happen with our little one?" Ianto's eyes widened as he clutched at Caden possessively and Jack cursed himself for bringing it up.

"Baby, we adopted him, all legal remember?" Jack reminded him softly, "They can't have him. I will watch and if they try to hurt any of the babies I will smite them. Promise."

"Pinky promise?" Alice demanded, her little hand shooting out of the covers as she reminded her parentals that she was there listening and Jack gently placed his small finger in hers, agreeing.

Mavis listened in the doorway with pride as her little ones all settled, above and below.

She moved away as there was still a lot of work to do and more larvae out there in need of attention, if it came to a war then they would be ready. In a world where there were at least four bugs to each human it would not be a long war, though it might get bloody.

Nobody had ever considered the bugs capable of violence, even if they did calmly control the populous better than the security force with their culling of those unworthy to breath the air of this planet and by daybreak every bug in the land would know this threat was imminent ….including those in the government lairs and royal palace.

They would reminded those they cook for, clean and protect that they have a voice as well.

They are hive.

All of them.

And those sweetlings settling in to sleep in the room she was now exiting were considered hive too.