44

Hope is a tall 13 year old as is her eleven year old brother Dean. Rose is now seven now Burn and Tum are now past the five year mark. Pip is about 4 1/2. Shadow is a sweet eighteen month old now but closer to the size of Pip believe it or not.

Ianto was pondering the fact his children were larger and stronger than their linear ages and knew it ws something in both Jack's Boeshane DNA and his own enhancements that had helped his pups be battle ready.

His two oldest pups were the size height as their oldest sibling Billy. Dean and Frank were formidable at almost 6 feet … not at all little children like their friends and their superior minds showed as well. No longer pretending to fit in, they now openly showed their scary intellect. Their hands moving fluidly as they talked silently as not to annoy anyone else, the delight as Nella joined the conversation not lost on Ianto. Franks' smile splitting his face apart as he leaned over. Her lack of fear in the monster that might bite her head off never coming to her mind.

Jack as settled with the baby, snoozing as the pups got ready to roll. Dean, Frank and Hope all dressed to kill … literally … the predi-dogs ready to go as well and eager to be in the fight. Rosie was showing her skill as she skimmed the vessel over the long grass, following the small band of people who thought they were the hunters.

Silly humans.

Jack woke and came out to take over, Rosie delighted to help with her new brother as the others settled back in the large bedding in the far corner of the flight deck, Jack now exited as he touched the button to lower the ramp, releasing the hounds. Literally.

Jack had a hand over the trigger for the weaponry he had primed ready to go yet he waited knowing this was a rite of passage of some sort, his children were becoming Grups before his eyes, his sweet little babies were vicious little animals about to tear some people apart and to his surprise he was looking forward to it. Those Boeshane genes eh? John was not the only one who had a nasty streak ya know … why they were partnered.

Here we go.

Hope touched down on the ground first in Wolfling form, crouching to immediately disappear into the grass, remaining hidden from the twenty odd people walking along the path towards Outpost with their weapons loosely slung over their shoulders, totally unaware that they were infact the prey.

The Predis followed, instantly disappearing as well. They were as smoke moving though the grass to flank the people they saw as targets while Marley swarmed around them as they absently waved their hands at what they thought were midges.

"So we are all set?" their leader asked, touching a radio on his chest, it looked like something the Heddlu used to communicate and was a dinosaur compared ot the Bluetooth earwigs of Torchwood. Jack was slightly amused by this, glancing over to see Ianto's hand gently swinging around his belly to soothe the other member of the pack watching the show.

Hope made it around them, coming to stand in front of them, a sweet little girl in a summer dress with little flowers embroidered on it. Jack gasped "did she…"

"Yeah. She's mastered her pelt" Ianto said with pride, watching as she appeared small, cute and innocent.

"Hello mister" she said, complete with a slight lisp that had Jack's mouth falling open, leaning forward as she blinked owlishly at the man who was crouching to look at her.

"Holly hells, where the hell did you come from?" the man asked with wonder, reaching out to stroke a perfect little blonde curl, the owlish gaze softening on the child to one of wonder.

"Are you a real man mister?" she lisped "I didn't know there was peoples out here"

"Awwwww, she's so cute." A woman pushed her way to the front "Honey, where is your mama?"

"I don't have a mama" Hope said as she looked at the woman calmly, her eyes starting to glow slightly as she added "I was not born of woman."

"Not …born…of…. What?" the man leaned back and showed confusion.

"But you may be right mister" Hope turned to him, her face lengthening and becoming snout-like as her voice deepened to become a growl "I am something like a hound from hell … but really … those are Hell Hounds"

She pointed a small finger at the Predis as they seemed to apparate from thin air when they let their shielding go. Then Frank stepped into the path behind the group and made a motion to her which she answered with a hand flick, Dean stepping out to stand beside her.

"This is my brother. He was born of a man too …. Mind you … both our fathers can bear children. He does not have a Mama either" she smiled, Dean simply blinking at them in his Wolfling form which was roughly the same size as her.

"OK. Shack….I am officially freaked out now" someone called out meekly "What the fuck is this?"

"This?" Hope canted her head as she became larger, more the size she showed herself to be to others, then to their horror she fell forward to her hands and knees as she transformed to Wolfling.

The voice behind them mechanical and croaky as Frank finished for her. "We are the ferrymen, here to take you to hell now."

They turned to stare at the huge weevil, his hands out and clawed in anticipation as the first man broke from the group, roaring as he swing his axe.

The Predi that appeared in midair, taking the man's arm off with deadly accuracy was one of Frank's favorites and he barked with delight as the 'pet' swung back in midair to seize the man's head next.

So graceful for a killer.