26

"Mama's gone" Gray said without preamble, entering the house or look over at Ianto who lounged in his chair in a dressing gown and slippers "Hey Ianto."

"Hello handsome married man, left her shagged into the mattress did you?" Ianto winked.

"Actually… there is a big hole in the foyer wall Pal says I put there with her head so … I am not so sure a wink is right there." He frowned.

"High five?"

Gray stared at Ianto and started to giggle at the funny man, loving him all the more as he looked around "I thought Jack was here, why I came in whinging."

"feeding the horses" Ianto hooked a thumb and Gray headed out to find his brother feeding his and Mica's horses in the side field.

"Hey! Mama left early …Minnie said she left her key and skipped. Paid in full so… no biggie, right?" Gray leaned against the fence to pat the larger horse his brother rode these days "Still … no goodbye."

"We were all pretty wasted, hope she didn't wander off into the wilderness, scaring the wildlife" Jack grinned "I can see her roaring at a herd of buffalo and making them scatter from the wild predator."

Gray laughed and pushed at Jack "Cut it out!"

"No... no goodbye to me either. Good riddance after the way she carried on. I can't be bothered, she can piss off back to her little patch of cacti and sit for a while … until she apologizes and explains herself… I am done!" Jack huffed turning away as the smaller horse whinnied and started to pull away, full.

"Can I ask one little question? Then .. no more" Gray whispered looking around then he hissed "Did Mama have knickers on under that dress? I was fucking scandalized every time she moved!"

"We have good genes, have to get our youthful looks from someone brother" Jack rolled his eyes, "But yeah… I had a horror of her flashing someone fatal instinct style. God… she is so embarrassing. I will not initiate any contact. I think a little time out is a good thing right now. I don't need her."

"Yeah! Yeah, me too" Gray said with finality, Jack relaxing as he knew it would take longer for him to miss her now. After what she had done… he didn't care anymore.

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Jack had Rye and the kids entertained as Lucia collected her things from the B&B, taking the men up on their offer to stay a while. She felt comfortable there, a happy house full of love and bluster. A home. She hadn't been in one of those for a while and as she saw Jack interact with Ianto she now knew she would never have something like that with him. They were friends, good friends but… just friends. The way Jack lit up when Ianto entered the room … THAT wow… that was something she knew she could never replicate. She got it now.

Ianto seemed tired so she took it upon herself to help with the kids, something she was also glad of as she found the little girl to be as equally quick witted as Alice and the boy clung to Jack with an affection that was honest. Jack was happy. She was happy for him.

Ianto left everyone to their business, having some of his own and he wandered along the creek until it merged with the river, heading to the waterfall where he entered and took a deep breath, thanking the mountain for protecting his loves.

Something shifted in the shadows.

Ianto took a step in deeper and let his eyes adjust to the light then he saw a wolf in the corner, crouched over as if hiding, then it moved and it was a woman, not a wolf. A woman dressed in furs with her dirty blonde hair full of feathers, shells and pieces of carved wood like beads and … symbols.

She was beautiful, and then she turned to face him and was again a white wolf.

"Hello there" he said softly "I do not believe we have met."

"Yes we have Ianto Jones. Many times. Many places… many verses. Yes… we have met" she said in a soft voice that held a strangely London lit "I am the Bad Wolf and you are Love."

"Bad… no. you are not bad. Naughty perhaps" Ianto grinned as he felt no fear, the wolf turning and again it was the woman for a moment before it settled again "Thank you. Whatever you have done for me… for mine. Thank you."

"Where there is hope… I bring love" she whispered, then was gone, a shimmering sparkle of golden light that seemed to implode into itself and… disappear.

Ianto blinked against the dancing lights burned into his eyesight before it accepted and adjusted, laughing softly as he felt no fear from the strange and invigorating moment. She was not here to hurt him, she was here to help.

Where there is Hope, I bring Love.

"Well … let it flow" Ianto said softly as he stepped back into the water, letting it cascade over him "Hope flows here."

And so does love.

For she fixed that too.

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So ends this segment.