54
Ethron had slept like the dead, snoring in the lush bed as his mother stalked the house, unable to shake the weird feeling of it all being too good to be true. Now as dawn came she heard the rumble of an approaching vehicle and steeled herself to at least give this a try, if only for her child.
Then a large red headed giant got out of the transporter "SUSANNA!"
She gaped as she stared at him. Then she rubbed her eyes like it might be a mirage as his wife slipped from the passenger seat. She felt a lump in her throat as she barked out "Allie?"
"Oh my god! Jack said it was you, I didn't want to believe it" Kris laughed happily, "Look wife. UNIT bastards are still coming out of the woodwork and ….ah. A boy."
Susanna turned to find Ethron had woken and was peeking around the doorframe. Allie called out "Come on love. Come help me with the baskets of food. It was so late when you got here that we didn't' really have time to stock you up. We have all the essentials here, enough to last a few days while you settle and decide if you want to stay or move on. If you do decide to move on we will give you supplies to take with so … don't' think you have to ration this. We will come every day with more."
"More icy cream?"
Kris roared with mirth "Sorry son. No ice cream here, maybe next time. We do have some custard. Do you like that? Come on … custard and banana. Those were hell to grow, but sooo yummy. You will love bananas. I swear."
"Bananas" Susanne repeated slowly, gaping as a basket moved past with not only fresh fruit and vegetables but … "Is that shampoo?"
"Yep. Honey and sandalwood. Ianto didn't' pick you as a flowery type. Now I see you, I know he's right." Allie laughed "It really is you Susanna girl! Christ on a Harley."
"How long have you been here?"
"Well, that's a tricky one. We started out in one of the other settlements this place controls. Like … a borough I guess. We asked to move to the main village. The capital … right? Ianto and Jack set a lot of this up, they are the brawns and brain behind this … not in that order."
Susanna found herself laughing as she clutched the hands of someone she knew, if only work related. When UNIT and Torchwood had to liaise it was always good to have had Kris there, the few social times she met him out of work hours usually with Allie at the movies or such.
"So. Do I ask?" Allie asked softly.
"He fell in the first year" she replied. Her husband long gone and past mourned for.
Allie looked in the direction of the child.
"Oh. No, I had to … earn some things at a camp and the man was stupid but clean. I didn't mind favours in return for a horse. It had been awhile and he was kind. The baby nine months later was a surprise but by then … I really needed a friend" Susanna sighed "I thought I would never find humanity. The blind man, he spoke of a power grid?"
"Freddy. Yes. The village is hooked into power, we have street lights and everything. No bullshit" Allie laughed, then paused as a soft noise had her turning towards the transporter "Hold on. My baby is crying."
"Baby?" Susanna squeaked following her to find an adorable little redheaded waif in a basket, two deep burgundy coloured dogs sitting by the basket with matching looks of interest.
"Thanks twinnies" Allie said and they both took off, running either side of Susanna as they ran for the long grass. "Hello dumpling. Were Tum and Burn looking out for you, were they? Hmmm?"
"OK. I am confused. Are they named after the children or …"
Allie snorted and pointed, Susanna turning to see two children running naked in the grass as Kris ran for their bag of clothes.
"Look at them, no idea about manners. Growing up wild, lovely isn't it? They walk around the village naked all the time. Only when you are a Big or a Grup do you have to wear pants, ya see? Kids are allowed neekid days."
"Wait. That was them? Like the …ah… Shadow?"
"Oh you have no idea! You think that is cool? Wait until you see Toto in full attack mode. He is soooo powerful. And immune to the Zs. Did you know that? They all are. Immune. They can enter a snarl and cut them down if it is too dangerous to fire on them with our guns." Allie laughed, her husband now rolling around in the grass as the twins proved to also be strong as well as agile.
"Is this real?"
"Best question ever! I asked it myself" Allie laughed pulling Susanna closer "Just remember … this is Never Never Land … anything is possible, if you watch out for the crocodiles."
Susanna finally found herself laughing as well.
