51

Ianto waited for someone to call bullshit, the last thing he wanted was to have to prove it but to his relief it was never needed.

"This is true?"

"Yes" Ianto answered, "I am an ancient reborn."

"You have battled to come here, you have hidden in plain sight, what do you seek?" Jupiter asked.

"I have weathered the storm" Ianto agreed, "It forces me to grow stronger roots, to dig deeper into this dirt. I am of Wales."

"We are Wales" came the calm reply of those around him.

"Not one drop of my self-worth depends on your opinion of me" Ianto informed them with his head held high, "I have both brimstone and holy water in my veins. What blood you taste in your mouth when I am finished beating you down will depend on which way you approach me!"

"Brave words" an old man said from the corner, "Brave intent. Don't try to see yourself through the eyes of those who do not matter. You know your worth even if they don't."

"I have walked through the fires of hell, see me here" Ianto replied as he felt the heat of the old man, "I carry a bucket of water to quench your pain."

The man shuffled closer and looked intently into his face "The heat in you is like a supernova."

"I survive the fire around me because the one inside me burns brighter" Ianto smiled as he reached out to let the man take his hand, the man's face softening as he felt the power flowing.

"ahhhhhh" he sighed happily, "There it is."

"It has been a long time since you felt the renewal isn't it" Ianto said as he stepped into the man's space and took him in his arms like you might a lover, the old man's face staring to glow with delight as he closed his eyes and relented.

"Some fear the fire" Ianto whispered as he rocked the man "Some become it. Feel it in your heart, let it bloom. A spark, just a spark, feel it old father?"

A soft sigh emanated from the man as his old grey haired head settled on Ianto's shoulder and those around them shifted on their heels with confusion, Ianto seeming to glow.

"You are not broken old father, you are of many pieces" Ianto crooned, "Feel them fly apart in the air, let them settle. Pull them back in, be someone new. Remember as a child you believed in Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny and the Gerdish who polishes our shoes in autumn? Remember? You can believe in those for so many years, believe in yourself for a moment."

"We live on this blue ball that circles a ball of flaming hell, accompanied by a moon that affects the tides and the weather patterns, we can believe that, right?" Ianto said as he continued to cajole the old man, "Believe that? Believe in me. Feel me in your veins, I seek you out. I will find you in there."

"I feel the rain" the old man said, "I feel the wind. I feel the dirt oh…oh….fire. I feel it. I feel the elements in my heart…I feel the storm. I am the hurricane, I am the storm. It's me I feel, I am a single dewdrop on the petal of a rose. A grain of sand. I am me. I am not the rose, I am the thorn. I am Kelpie."

Ianto released the man who stood looking around with wonder, his hands held out as he looked at the smooth skin. He was younger, in his middle age and he looked strong, virile and totally enamoured with the man who had changed him.

"I did not change you" Ianto whispered "You changed yourself. A caterpillar who thought his life was done must now remember that once he dreamed of flight."

As if called, the man's wings flowed down his back and he laughed, his body turning to another who looked like him, "Son? See me son? I am me. Look, I found me again."

"How?" the man whispered as he looked at his father with open awe.

"We could always do this, we are Kelpie." Ianto replied, "We are the dirt. Feel it, give in to it. We belong to this place, this place belongs to us. Like the waves that never settle on the shore, our time here is not set either."

They were all staring with awe.

"Breathe"

Jack looked around and saw many do so, breathing deeply and immediately taking Ianto's words as their own and knew his fears were now able to be released to the winds.

Ianto had not just awoken another Kelpie from slumber, he has woken them all from their daze.

He had ensured his safety as well.

Without even having to…

He had proven himself an Alpha.