22
Ianto heard a vehicle in the distance and took a deep breath, coming out of his trancelike state of meditation and he rose to start towards the back door when he realised there were no lights. He stood and canted his head, looking intently at the curtains to the living room, waiting for them to light up as the vehicle swings around in the driveway.
Nothing.
He felt something slide up his spine as he listened, walking stealthily to the window, he peeled the curtain at the side and looked out, the moonlight showing a vehicle stopped half way down the driveway. Not Jack. Not one he could recognise in the half-light as someone he knew at all and as he stood there he felt a hand on his lower back push him.
He spun to find the room still empty.
The smell of lavender was in the air, almost cloying and he knew. In the moment it took to register the smell he realised what was happening and he ran for the children's rooms. He burst into Rhiannon's room and raced to the bed, sloping at Lucia who woke with a start.
"Something bad is happening, I don't know what. A small plane flew overhead. Then … a vehicle stopped in the lane… I don't know it. I sense danger here… hunters don't use my driveway… the vehicle and whoever is in it don't have headlights on, it is moving so slowly like… creeping." I hissed as she sat up and resisted the urge to grab for the light switch.
"What do we do?"
"Get dressed, quickly, get Alice dressed as well as you can .. I need to wake my children." Ianto said and left without a glance back, racing along to the other rooms to Jack's side of the bed, then farther along where he found the two kids in bed together. Thank god the other kids had been taken home, just the two little souls there in peaceful slumber.
"David! Mica!" he said as he shook them "Come on. Zombie drill! NOW!"
"Oh Tad, really?" David groaned "A fire drill maybe but the Zombie one?"
Then the child sat up and the moonlight shining through the open curtains showed Ianto's face, David's complaints dying in his lips as he saw Ianto's eyes wide and shocky, the gun in his hand a surprise. "Taddy?"
"Danger" Ianto hissed, "NOW!"
"Yes sir" David rolled, now focusing on getting his sister up.
Ianto turned and went for the other precious soul in the house, his darling boy who he knew he had to protect with his life. His soul. Protect this family with everything he had. He prayed to the Gods for guidance as something deep in his gut told him these men were coming for them.
.
.
.
.
"Bloody fools" Jack sighed puling the covers up as Gray snored softly, Bonnie pouting for a kiss like he was her father and he leaned over to kiss her gently "Good night sweet princess."
She giggled as he slid out of the room and flicked off the light, walking past Paul who sat at the table with a photo album open full of memories. Jack knew Paul would need time with his wife's memory tonight, leaving him to it.
He began to drive back home, hopeful that Ianto would be waiting for him for their own kiss goodnight.
.
.
.
.
Ianto had run like the wind, to the water before he even realised they were over the field let alone in the forest. He handed his baby to Lucia who was panting heavily as he looked around with wide eyes the fear thrumming. Their raincoats were across their shoudlers, he had a plan.
This was a dangerous place, a dangerous time.
"Right. Come on" Ianto rose, leading the family now, crossing the water at the little invisible bridge to the waterfall and soon they were inside it, Ianto removing the children's wet weather gear and encouraging them into their warm winter jackets that were inside the go-bag. Ianto checked the bottom and was reassured that those precious mementoes of Rhiannon's were in there, nothing left behind that could not be replaced. All that he loved and needed to protect was here with him. Jack too far to help him now. Lucia was almost hysterical as she now clutched at the gun Ianto had handed over, preferring to have his baby in his arms for the run. He removed his Burberry and flung it arid her and his baby, making sure she was calm.
Ianto was about to rise when the water shifted and the children gasped, moving back in the small cave to press against the wall as two wolves appeared through the curtain of water, a white one and a black one. Their eyes gleaming in the torchlight. Lucia started to raise the gun but Ianto placed a hand over it's muzzle, lowing it.
"It's OK. This is Web. And his mate is called Holly. They are not going to hurt you, they are friends. OK? The wolves of this mountain are fiends to us. Don't be afraid" Ianto assured them, then pulled David aside as Alice took Mica for a cuddle.
"David. I am trusting you here with the others" Ianto said as he knelt, pulling the knife from his boot and sliding it into the boy's hand "I have faith in you. The girls need you now. Rye needs you now. I need you now. Daddy is coming, we will be OK. We just need to last until dawn. Lucia is here, she will do all she can to protect you all. The mountain will keep you safe. OK? First light and we will be OK"
Ianto rose and turned to the wolves "I am trusting you to protect my children. Do you hear? Defend with your lives. I mean it. I am giving you my most precious things in the entire universe."
"We will defend until the last breath in our bodies" the large white wolf spoke and the children gasped with shock as David blinked then looked at Ianto. Lucia took a step back with confusion as Ianto simply nodded.
"Taddy? Did he… did he…"
"Talk. Yes. Like I said, they are of the mountain. Do not be afraid. Be quiet and if someone calls out to you, do not answer. I will not call for you OK?" Ianto whispered kissing him, then each girl, saving his little boy for last.
The silent child staring up at him.
"It's OK. You know it will be. I will not let anything happen" Ianto assured the little child, running his fingers over the child's face similar to the way Jack does Ianto's. Then he let Lucia take him in her arms, settling to wait as Ianto slid from the waterfall and headed back into the moonlight.
Empowered now.