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"OK everyone, calm down" Rhys boomed calmly "It's now been a week since Winters and her boy came to the Holding House. We are now to decide if we invite her in. Alice love?"
"Thanks sweets" Alice stood and smiled at the assembled pack "As my man said, a week. I know we usually wait a bit longer but as this weekend will be a quarterly birthday party for those born in this period, so maybe it would be nice to invite them in. They are, after all, vouched for."
Loud talking started and Vic stood, bellowing out "OI! WHO HAS THE BLOODY TALKING STICK!"
Martha rose from her chair holding Pip's walking stick above her head and everyone settled down. She looked around and then surprised everyone "I do not know. I am torn between bowing to Ianto and Jack and my personal dislike."
"Dislike?"
"I knew her in the Before Time. And the General she worked under. She was cold, hard and at times ruthless" Martha said calmly "I didn't like her then and I am finding it hard to like her now."
Allie stood, her hand held out for the stick and Martha handed it over "Look. The Before Time is just that. Another time. This is the now."
"She helped hunt the Doctor!" Martha frowned "She…"
"I have the stick" Allie said firmly, not afraid of the woman many were. Her own fiery red hair giving her power "I am not finished."
Martha threw her arms up and Allie continued to speak "In the Before Time I didn't particularly like Jack. I never personally met him but the stories … I felt like he needed a good kick in the gonads."
Giggling and soft laughter.
Ianto stood, motioning and Allie threw the stick with ease, Ianto catching it and twirling it as he considered, then let it hit the floor with a thud. Change of pace.
"I was asked by the children the other day … about the Doctor. Where is he? Is he coming? Will he fix this? What happens to us? Can we stay here?" Ianto looked firmly at the two women who both took their seats as they saw they he was cutting them off. "I have pondered. Long, hard and with some sorrow over the need for such a question. Him coming and reversing or fixing this might bring the Before Time back. Do we want it? Need it? Or is this the time we need to survive? Then? We were dying. Only now do we truly live. I have pondered."
Jack moved Ianto's chair and Ianto took the hint, sitting as his little bump made Jack protective, his own child in his arms as he fussed "what have you decided my Holdfast?"
"I have pondered the possibility that the Doctor is not here. At all. Period."
Jack looked at him with interest "Go on Tiger."
"Well … what if… IF… there are other alternate universes just like this one. Same planets, same stupid apes … only different scenarios. Some without Zs. Some without aliens. Some without water or some with only water… some without the doctor visiting at all. I mean… some without us. No Captain and Tea Boy. The TARDIS does not just go to a time and place but a where. She moves through parallel universes as well. Can you imagine?" Ianto smiled at Jack like it was a private conversation and everyone listened with interest, Martha seeing her comments were completely gone "I mean… imagine a world where it's just mankind … Destroying the planet and one another like animals. Nothing else and no one else to blame for climate control, wars, famine and murder. Just us. Man. Can you imagine? I don't want a world like that. I could not live… well I wouldn't. I would not be me. My baby here in my gut, moving as it listens to our talking … would not exist. I would not know the joy of this… of you. I do not want to think of such a world. The thing is … we have to make the best of what we have. Martha makes a solid argument about Susanna but … that was the Before Time. Another world. Another scenario. Some UNIT are trustworthy, do we not have our own … ex-UNIT… do we look at anyone and think that? Teacher … lawyer… truck river… captain … grease monkey … we are all the same thing now. Pack. We are one. All of you."
Ianto stood and looked out at the sea of faces "We are one. Strong, committed and invincible. Together. Yes you have free will, a choice but at the end of the day … so do they. Thorny as the kids have taken to calling her boy with his aptitude for berry picking … does he get a choice? A chance?"
Martha nodded as she knew he was right. As much as she didn't not like her remembered images of this woman, the child was another factor.
Pip stood, accepting back his stick and he looked over the people with his old eyes in that little face "Taddy speaks wisely, also with heart. I know, the pup makes him more so. I am not like that. You all know me, have known the Before Me and I spoke plain then, as I speak pain now. You'll vote. Nos are Nos and we agreed … we all agree. Or no one agrees. It is not fair to do an open vote where someone not happy is afraid to say so …so… silent ballet. Two buckets with lids with the holes in top… the berry picking ones, placed over there by the berries picked this morning. You all pick a berry and drop in the bucket you agree with. Red bucket no, green bucket yes. No one is going to judge, no one can see you and no one can judge, the retaining brick wall will be high enough for the buckets to be hidden."
"Agreed" Ianto said with mixed feelings as his small child ruled with his stick raised to signal an end of it.
It was time to vote.
