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"So what do you need?" the Sherriff asked.
"Well… Mace and John are going to fence a section on this side of the homestead away from the bloody ground for the stock to slowly filter in. It's the other townships and settlements that are the concern now. I suggest we check on them" Jack said as he looked over at Ianto "we don't' want to risk ourselves as there are other packs out there but the settlements are not answering the radio calls so we are going to send some low flying drones to see if there are signs of life."
"We have those?"
"Yeah. We do, we use them for stock control so… we do have to be closer though so we are taking the large stock Hover as it can go higher than the standard ones and flying that way. We will go in the morning once the final clean up here is done, be back before night fall one way or another."
"And I shall worry the entire time" Ianto grimaced "But I cannot hold you back. You are the best choice to go but I would feel better is Jason goes with you"
"I will be proud to go with these men" the Sherriff said with delight, Ianto using his first name a rarity.
"And I shall provide refreshments for those clearing away the bodies… she will be pleased with how many they are dumping down the shaft to her tunnel system. She will feast on them for days" Ianto grimaced again, the smell of death cloying in the back of his throat.
Ianto retreated to the house and found a cool spot to sink into, his comfort zone plundered enough for a bloody decade as he looked around at everything people had probably touched, looked at and moved. This was a strange thing, these people acting like they were all in this together. A team These people who had shunned him not so long ago.
Was this something that they could just… accept?
"You are a Chimera" a voce said and he turned his head to find an elderly lady sitting nearby looking at him intently "You called that dragon, those vampyre call you their father… you are right? You are one, right?"
"Yes" he said, unable to lie as he wss too damned tired.
"Good" she replied, settling back in her chair "We are safer with you around"
Ianto smiled softly as he accepted this too.
.
.
.
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"The Greater Hope village is intact, they all hid in the church's basement" Jack said as he accepted another drink from Ianto "they were glad to see us and learn that it was over, too scared to venture out on their own to check. I think they would have stayed down there for another week at least, given the supplies they had. So scared."
"So… of the three, one survived" Ianto sighed.
"There you go… cup half empty again. One survived. Right?" Jack smiled as he reached out to pat Ianto's knee.
"Right. Rebuild and go on" Ianto rose, shooting his cuffs and ready to get started.
His family was intact, his future clear and now he knew he could protect them.
Ianto watched his gorgeously rugged cowboy don his hat and head outside to help clean up and prepare for the future of their family as well.
And that future was not only bright… Ianto felt no fear of it.
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.
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And this is where I will end this one, maybe another part some day. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed this one. xxx
