9
Ianto had again found himself alone with the mother who had taken delight in closing the door to the room that had been assigned as Ianto's. He turned to face her, ready for the barrage that usually came from a woman who saw the prospect of a Brood Mare in her house an insult.
"So… you think you are so smart getting his attention. This was supposed to be Gray's day. Gray and Mary choosing their baby's incubator. That is all you are you know… like a sow used to bred piglets for the spit over the fire!" she snarled, Ianto trying not to bristle because really… all of his children were sweet, darling and precious. Not his fault she held Breeders in such low regard. Had she not gained her son this way? He own husband?
"I am sorry you feel that way" Ianto relied calmly "I will provide a son, I will give Jack what he desires."
"That is what I am afraid of. I see the way he looks at you, the way Franklin looks at me. I know that look… this is MY family. MY house!" she roared.
"Actually… this Family Home must belong to the lovely old gentleman out there" Ianto slowly explained.
Jack opened the door to find Ianto and heard the crack as his mother's hand meeting Ianto's face and Ianto's head rocked back as Katherine screamed "The old bastard will die soon… he will die and he will leave this to his son. Then it goes to MY HUSBAND! He will be gone the shriveled up little monkey of a…"
"Mother"
She spun to find Jack standing there with confusion.
Ianto swallowed thickly "It's OK. There is usually either a family member or staff member that attacks me sooner or later."
Jack was openly horrified as he stared at his mother who looked caught as she spluttered "you don't understand. He provoked me…he…"
"Mother. So… the footage from the camera in the corner of the room for the entranceway will show that? You attacked my Dam father and … you attacked Rose's Dam too. Remember? Then you attacked Lucia when she was with child. Your jealousy at not being able to conceive after Gray makes you so… ugly. You can't get at Athena because Mary is smitten with her as well, the poor girl never alone for you to corner like you are doing with Ianto."
Ianto could not believe he was speaking to her like that, looking from one to the other as the woman opened and closed her mouth. Jack then narrowed his eyes and asked "How did you know he was in here? Mother? Are your minions at it again? Christ!"
Jack grabbed Ianto's arm and yanked him around his mother, then left the room. Ianto was lucky he had long legs and could keep up as they stormed along the hallway and emerged in a room full of….books! Oh boy. Books! Ianto was not aware that he was gushing as he fluttered about checking titles on spines and enthusing about the brilliant books. Jack stood watching Ianto come to life, his face animated as he happily let his fingers flutter about.
"Ianto? What happened to your finger?" he finally asked with surprise.
Ianto looked at it like he had never seen it before then shrugged "Oh. I lost it in the workhouse, I was a clipper."
"A clipper?"
"I slid under the working looms and clipped threads, cleared debris and swept. One day the machine malfunctioned and it swallowed my friend. I tried to save him but… there was no point. I lost my finger tip as a result. How they found my DNA sequence. Afterwards they took my blood while treating my injury and the fake names and hiding was undone."
Jack canted his head "Fake names?"
"We called ourselves Duncan. We hid my sister as my twin brother. I kept checking the Stables whenever I can get hear a Breeding Book and there is no sign of her as a Jones or a Duncan. I can take some comfort in that I guess although I worry about my mother. Da loves Rhiannon above all else, to my detriment as you can see." Ianto sighed then told Jack all about their life, the hardships of the Workhouse and the giving up of his life to allow them to escape. The real story, not the paperwork version the Stables prefer.
Jack sat and listened, amazed at how strong this man was, what he had endured… then came the babies. Wow… then Jack interrupted "Wait. You skipped a year. That first year.. what happened there?"
Ianto blanched and then said softly "Jack. That is the time they spend raping you repeatedly until you no longer care if your master is rough and uncaring."
Jack rose and walked from the room leaving Ianto standing there wondering if he had gone too far. Jack seemed a strong man, a knowledgeable man of the worlds. Had he misjudged?
It didn't really matter. He was here to do a job. To grow a son and give him away. Tear another piece of his poor sad heart out of his rib cage and walk away knowing he would never hear the little squeal of that newborn again.
Right?