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Hope knew Jack was waiting for them, slowing as they got near the bridge and she let Sean go though first, watching Jack's hand snake out to clip him in the side of the head. Sean yelped as he fell, Jack seizing his collar to drag him upright and deck him again, this time with greater force as Billy yelled with alarm.
Hope watched dispassionately as Jack heaved Sean up yet again, shaking him now as he snarled, then released him as he staggered away from Jack holding his ear with confusion.
"Is that what you want?" Jack roared "Or shall I stick my gun in your ear and pull the fucking trigger! Tell me Sean. Tell me. What the fuck do you want!"
Sean staggered and then fell onto his arse, looking up at the man towering over him "TELL ME SEAN!"
"He wants to live" Hope answered for him after watching for a while "He didn't like the idea of dying once he knew it would hurt."
"Hurt who?" Jack asked "Himself? Right. Never mind the wife left behind, the daughter who will lose both male family members. No. Thinking of himself, selfish bastard!"
"I think he gets the idea" Hope said softly.
"Does he? The muster is not finished… the storm is gonna hit before we are back to the Dome and your Taddy is throwing up like the one inside him is tearing him apart. All this fucking stress!" Jack snarled, looking hard at Sean then huffing "all this for you. You. The only family he has left apart from his children."
Sean blinked "One inside him? Wait. He's pregnant again?"
"Didn't want to take the moment from Liam and the boys. Didn't want it to seem like he was pissing on the grief they deserve. Swallowing down his joy he should be feeling right now for another gift. When you squandered yours."
Sean took a soft sobbing intake of breath.
"Enough Daddy, I think he's repenting already" Hops said calmly "He is pulling his head from his arse but it takes time. You men are so stubborn."
"Potty mouth" Jack huffed "You are so much my daughter."
"I know" she sighed softly "I must be."
"Come on, I'm not kidding about the storm" Jack said as he motioned to the waiting horses and they took off for the nearest Dome, Fallback.
They felt the first drops of rain, the roll of thunder like something chasing them. A stampede of anger rumbling behind them as they pushed the horses, Billy moving ahead as his chosen horse was one he had helped break in and knew well, trusting it to find its way.
Hope followed behind them laughing, her mouth open as she enjoyed the entire thing, the Dome crashing down behind them as they moved towards the concrete building where Vic and the others waited.
"We were expecting to see Ianto" Vic said as he settled in a comfortable gait "The Dome Crystals need their checking for this storm, we got a message it would be you? Not him or Martha?"
"Martha is pregnant and this one is proving a little tiresome" Jack replied gently "also … Ianto is unwell. I am the one checking the crystals as a result."
"I hope it's not a problem with the baby, she is getting older but … Fay was a good provider" Vic said as they walked along, Sean sliding from his horse to help Billy put them away. Vic glanced back "He lear up again?"
"Yeah. We don't need it right now. Maybe he should stay here a day or two until he's sober then come home to his wife and daughter when he remembers he still has those." Jack replied, looking back as Hope sniffed then seemed to go in another direction.
"This storm is gonna be a … Ianto!"
Jack turned back to see Ianto emerging from the Town Office Building where the entrance to the tunnel system that linked the two Domes was housed, his face one of thunder.
"Is he back?" he demanded as he strode over to them, his long lean body in Jack's Great Coat as if he were cold. Jack knew he probably was, the pup inside sapping his heat with the storm brewing around them.
Jack nodded and flicked his thumb in the direction of the stables as he asked "Where's Pip?"
"Checking on the glass houses. Wanted tomatoes" Ianto replied "Hope? Did you get it out of your system?"
"I did. Not sure he did though. Ash says Hi" she replied sagely from behind them and Ianto groaned.
"Don't tell me he made it that far!"
"It's OK. Ash isn't angry. Sends his best and knows it's Dad for the monthly reports" she smiled as she canted her head "Dinky is getting tall."
Hope transformed in the safety of a bathroom as everyone looked silently at Sean, his face pale as he rubbed his wet hair with the offered towel, Jack still so angry that he seemed to steam off his own rain.
Ianto looked at Sean with something akin to disappointment and for the first time Sean could see their mother in Ianto's eyes.
It hurt more than he thought it would.