61
Ianto was settled in his seat at the table, looking around at the tired faces of those who had been helping filling in the hole caused by the mess Sean had created. There was no sign of Sean and Ianto knew he was still there, covering the excavator that they would never be able to lift out of there now.
"What can I get you love?" Francine asked, her hand patting his stooped back and he grunted, straightening up as he blinked at her and she sighed "Oh love. You are asleep sitting there, you need more snooze time."
"I'll go back to bed for real after I eat. Pip won't eat without me" Ianto yawned, rubbing his face "Can I have a steak Mama?"
"Of course love" she said and went to fetch it, retuning to watch him sniff it then screw his face up. "Something wrong?"
"Can I have it … rare?"
"That is rare, practically leaping off the plate" she laughed, then her smile faded as she considered his pout "Hold on love."
She returned with a raw one, placing it down and watching with her arms folded as Ianto sniffed it, lit up and picked it up in his hands, taking a bite, and then sitting back humming happily as he chewed. She nodded and walked back to the kitchen.
"Is he eating that raw?"
"He expended a lot of energy trying to get them out … more digging carefully so we could have them intact for the rites. You know he didn't sleep, not really. He's exhausted. And he's Wolfing. He needs the iron" she snapped at Fay, "Best you get back to your bread and I will worry about the boy."
"You sounded just like Nainny then" Fay smiled, "Are you sure he's OK?"
"Yeah. I think it's just been such a shock. We need to give him a little extra care" she sighed as she rubbed her face "He will feel this. It was not his fault …we all know whose fault it is and he will not want that blame flying around either but …he will feel fault."
"I wish there were something we could do or say but … this is not something simple or small. Liam was so important to the Security Details and he and Billy … let's not forget he is Ianto's nephew. Trey and Joel … oh god. Trey was all Keisha had. What a mess."
"It certainly is" Ianto agreed as he entered the kitchen and the others scattered to allow him a moment, going out to see to their own families. Francine settled and placed a hand in his arm, trying to sooth.
"Tad?"
Ianto looked up at Billy who stood there looking lost "I … I don't know what to do."
"You take your wife home and you let her comfort you. She needs to do something too" Ianto said after a moment "Marley will have the thoughts of how she might have helped save them if able to turn to clicker mode, just like you will wonder if you could have saved your best friend and cousin by keeping him on the same Security Detail."
Billy snorted as he sat "you know I'm thinking that? Thought I wasn't in the bond."
"Don't have to be in the bond to show your heart to me little one" Ianto smiled "Did it occur to you that he would always obey his father? That had you been together you would be in that hole with him? Hmmm?"
Billy looked at him and then nodded "Aye. I would have been."
""Look … Sean will feel the shock for the first day or so. Then anger. He will seek blame so make sure the Littles … sorry Firsts…are not around when he goes off, OK?" Ianto leaned forward "You have to let him get it out. He was always one to explode and then let it go. He needs a moment or two to be an arsehole then he will cry it out."
"And what about you?" Billy demanded "Look at you. Handling everyone , everything. You lost your nephew. My best friend. Dad was fond of Trey too. He was teaching him about the tank … we all lost something important."
"And we all need a moment or two to process" Ianto snapped, then grimaced "Sorry. I'm tired."
"What will you do now?"
"Gather my children" Ianto rose from the table "If you and Marley want to bring yourselves along as well … we will all spend tonight in our Den. There is room for everyone, I want you all near."
"Yes Taddy, of course" Billy agreed, watching his Tad sweep for the room with concern.
Sean was not the only one going to explode soon.