62

Ianto was still chewing on the accident, trying to avoid his brother who was still acting like a bear with a sore head, seeking arguments and confrontations with everyone. He knew it would end with them having a confrontation and he didn't think Sean was ready to have a pissed off Wolfling the size of an elephant sitting on his chest. If they had to talk right now … that would be the outcome.

Just that morning Ianto had heard that Boomer had thumped him onto his arse. Abner had assured him that all the moonshine was locked up, no alcohol anywhere so they were just trying to let Sean work through it.

Ianto was sitting on a rock looking at the grass already growing over the filled in hole, knowing the Mara were trying to help when he felt someone approaching and he turned to see Brandy slowly walking along. Gods, can't make her come here. He rose and raced to greet her before she had to step into the grass and be near the spot where her boy had died.

"Sorry" she said softly "Just … looked everywhere else for you."

"What's wrong, tall glass of yum?" he asked, sliding an arm around her and turned her away to walk back toward the village.

"I just saw Frank pinching one of the new baby blankets from the pile in the back of the Baby Wardrobe Room. I didn't want to make a big thing of it but…."

"Last time it was a huge litter of kittens" Ianto nodded. Just like the dogs all come to Ianto with their new pups for his approval, the cats all seemed to have decided Frank was their own personal God.

Ianto went in search of the Weevil and found him in one of the outer barns clicking his tongue happily as he held a blanket against his chest.

"Frank?"

Frank froze, his body slumping over the baby as he barred his teeth, almost apologetically.

"It's OK. I am not mad. I just want to meet your new baby" Ianto assured him "All the sorrow here in my heart, let me have some pretty."

Frank rushed over and let Ianto draw back the blanket, his hands freezing as he looked down at the bundle in the half light of the barn's interior, the liquid black movement within the pretty powder blue material freaking him he hell out for a moment before he refocused on what it was. "Wow. Oh. Oh wow. Frank, you cad you! Oh… look. Little paws. Awwwww."

Frank had been worried but now saw that Tadda was not mad, his face softening as he reached out to stroke his pup's little body. "A Predi-pup. Oh Frank. You stole those eggs. You know … I was thinking about hatching them myself. Wait. There were six eggs in that drawer, where are the others?"

Frank looked up at the loft and Ianto clambered up the ladder for his second shock of the day, Myfanwy's large head rising from under her wing to blink at him.

"Myf? My love? He's got you roped into it too?" Ianto snorted with mirth, now seeing the cheeky Weevil had really wanted these pups to hatch. Even luring the bloody Pterodactyl here to sit on them like a good mama. Sheep carcases nearby.

She chirped happily at her favourite boy, and then raised herself to display the remaining eggs.

"Four" Ianto said with a frown.

"Five!"

Ianto rolled his eyes, and then turned to stare at Pip who was sitting in the hay with two pieces of egg in his hands, playing with them.

"No. Four. Those are two eggs there in your hands" Ianto said calmly "They eat their way out of the top, that is not two halves of an egg. Two eggs. If you look, Myf has four still under her. That means …."

"One is loose!" Frank cried with horror, thrusting the bundle at Pip who squeaked as he accepted it and Frank began to make weird cooing noises as he searched, Myf watching for a while then settling back over the remaining eggs. Ianto now had the giggles as he joined the madness.

"Frank? Whatcha doing love?" Dean called as he climbed the ladder then watched his father on all fours scrambling about "Tad? You're not in Wolfing form. You can stand up ya know."

"Predator Puppy loose" Ianto said as he looked under some boards and Dean squealed with glee searching too.

Pip shouted and pointed, the pup now visible in Myf's tail and Ianto let out a breath or relief as he plucked it up and examined it. "Another boy. Cute. You know … these Predi-dogs were bio-engineered by the predators for hunting, their hunting dogs like our setters. They are so intelligent. A pit bull with Predator DNA."

Ianto led up the pup whose deadlocked mane was longer than the other one, seeming to be a little older maybe.

"Right. Six eggs. Two out. Four remaining, take this Dean, I will check those left" Ianto thrust the pup at Dean who shone with glee then Ianto got down and felt around for the eggs, pulling them out. This one is good and heavy. This one too, I feel movement in it. This one … oh. Light."

"What does that mean?" Dean asked.

"A dud." Ianto said sadly as he put it back and pulled out the last one "This one is moving, I feel scratching. Might hatch any moment."

"SO .. we will get five?" Dena asked with excitement.

"Christ on a Harley" Ianto sighed "Five Predator Dogs. Like little rhinos with dreadlocks and the strength of a weevil or two. I was joking about bringing back a rhino but … wow. Looks like you guys did it. You hatched a pack of Predi-dogs."

"Babies" Frank crooned with glee "I will need more blankets."

"Blankets?" Ianto snorted "You'll need muzzles!"