18

They didn't stop until first light when the track ahead was hidden around a bend and Dad wanted Tad to check it with him. Although Ianto had not spoken to her, she knew they had to each other from the anger in the bond. There would be a punishment for certain. She had been too Grup for her own good.

The all clear came back and she relayed it to Bonny, watching as they puttered around it to find her parentals sitting on an old bench seat overlooking a river. Ianto turned as the train slowed to a stop and called out "Breakfast here! I will scout around to make sure we are clear."

"I'll come Tadda" she called but he shook his head, her smile slipping as she felt the sting.

"Dean?" Jack said calmly "You ready to go?"

Dean glanced at her and Ianto called out "She is not being punished. I want her to stay in case they come from the other direction to what I am going first. Come on, hurry up son."

She felt silly now. Of course he was right, if he zigged it was certain a bloody Z could zag. She settled to watch the other side of the train, scanning as he had taught her as Dean leapt from the train in Wolfling form and Beau screamed with horror as the large vicious looking creature sailed overhead.

"It's me!" Dena laughed "Dean. I am a Wolfing See? There's my Taddy?"

Beau looked over at the huge black thing lopping along while Beau stood clinging to Sam then he looked back at … "Dean?"

"Yes. We are creatures that can be both human or this. We kill Zs but they can't kill us. We are going to make sure we are safe from any" Dena explained then took off with a howl of glee.

"So … he's a … werewolf?"

"No we are a different sort of monster" Hope said as she sat next to him "We are … a new breed of creature. Like … a dog or a cat. We are a new one. Human and something else. Don't worry. We will never hurt you."

Dean left, seeking Z and Hope scanned morosely as she set about helping with the breakfast. When her Tad returned and announced the area was clean and there was signs of wildlife that showed it was a safe spot, they all settled down to eat. She kept glancing at him, hoping for a chance to explain her thoughts but she knew by the heat of the anger that he was not ready to listen constructively and this was why he was maintaining space.

She respected that.

"So … the next village is hopefully better then we swing around the basin and head home right?" Bonny asked as she consulted the map, "Home will be quicker, a less windy path. If the tracks are true then we might be home by tonight"

"Hopefully" Jack leaned over to look "If the next village has anything to offer we will take a cursory look and mark it. We can always come this way and that turnstile there means we can return that way too. We will not have to navigate past the first village again."

"A couple of years and they will have all killed one another anyway" Ianto sighed sadly "Man is the most vicious predator out there, isn't he."

"I miss Frank" Dean said sadly, "Might we really be home by tonight?"

"Yeah. All going well and knock on wood" Jack said as he rapped his knuckles against the side of his head "This little test of Tommy is a goodun. I think we can plan the next trip for where we really need to go to get what the Stronghold needs to survive."

"Archie" Ianto said softly and Jack nodded.

"Who's Archie?" Hope asked with surprise, a name she did not know and both Parentals just kept eating. Whoever this Archie was … they had this tendril of fear and hope for him. She decided he was a 'before' friend and they were going to check if he was OK. What a waste of recourses to trek all the way to gods know where just to see if someone is dead or alive. After all this time he was probably Z food!

"Hope!" Jack's voice was clipped and she knew that she had been projecting, her Tad's face now stony.

Great.

In the shit again.

"Clearly ... she is your daughter" Ianto muttered as he rose and she felt a flash of something that had been previously hidden from her as Jack swung to look at his mate.

Anger.

Oh no. They were fighting?

Because of her?

Dean looked at her and nodded, his frown letting her know he was not happy ether and she slumped in her seat as she saw that she was in deeper shit than she had realised if the Parentals were not in agreement with her coming punishment.

Damn it.

Tadda was right though.

She was too much like Dad wasn't she!