97.
Ianto counted them off in his head like a mantra. Jack, Kris, Hope, Alli, Rhys, Kev, Kitty, Solomon, Millie, Francine, Celia, Owen and Dean. Thirteen. Unlucky for some.
Kev proved competent at the controls as he fired up the chopper and lifted it effortlessly off the landing pad, swinging it around to get the feel of the controls, those onboard whooping with glee.
Ianto had spent the night holding Jack close, making him promise to bring their children home safe. The soft coupling had been hampered slightly by the bump but they made it work, their kisses warm and their breath shared.
Now he stood watching the chopper disappearing into the blue, the start of a grand adventure for the Lucky Thirteen. Yes. Best think that way. The Lucky Thirteen.
He walked back towards the Big House feeling more than slightly odd. A recon without him. But Jack was right. The bump was only going to get bigger and if he was already exploring Ianto's mind it would not be long before he was exploring others. Best Jack get this done and return home, set time aside for this little one becoming. After all … he felt different. Not like the others and the twins had felt weird in their own way, there was no telling what this little one was going to be like. All he knew so far was that he was advanced.
Ianto was pondering this as he neared the back door and found Fay standing there looking frazzled as she roared for the children to line up. Ianto frowned as he stopped to watch what was wrong. Some children appeared, not others and he wondered what they had done. Oh dear. They had taken advantage of the grups being busy with the departure and done something. By her face it was something they would never have done with Mama Francine still here.
Well.
Here we go, the first shot across the bow.
"Fay?" he said softly "What's wrong?"
"I put the bread out to cool" she said with a hand waved at the loaves of bread placed along the retaining wall for the herb garden. He knew instantly what was wrong and felt his heart sink. Shit. Of course he knew what had happened, he had done the same thing when Nainny had left out bread. Bump was already sharing with the others. Probably the Twins.
"Don't tell me" he sighed, reaching out to lift a loaf, hefting it and feeling the lightness of it "They are all hollow right?"
"Yeah… each and every fucking one!" she smouldered with rage "Little shits have picked a hole in the bottom, eaten out the soft filling and left the crusts intact. Each time I peeked out the bread was still there. Still is … just not all of it!"
"Oh dear" Ianto said softly.
"Oh fucking dear indeed!" she snarled with raw anger now. "Look at them, I have to make another entire batch now!"
"No you don't" Ianto replied calmly "They will simply not have any bread with their supper tonight. The Replicator is busy doing the tomato soup, no room for bread too."
"Don't be silly. Its mince for the main. They love… oh. Right" she snorted "They won't like that."
"No, but they will learn what consequences are more than a bollocking they will walk away form unscathed" he counselled "No … make a nice big speech tonight, telling everyone that there is no bread as we have bread thieves."
The look on the faces of those kids who had arrived was worth it, both horror and anger as they found their favourite meal would be sans the mop-up bread they all loved. Ianto knew that by tonight those responsible would be sorry.
So sorry.
He sighed and looked to the sky again,
Thirteen.
.
.
.
.
The chopper was flying low, skimming treetops as they moved at speed, almost everyone loving the sensation after too long walking. Kev was a good pilot and Jack had to admit that it was fun being a passenger again as he watched the world below moving beneath their feet.
"Look! Horses!" Millie yelled and they all turned to see where she was pointing, a herd of wild horses rampaging across the field below and they all grinned as a little one kicked up his hooves in play.
"Mental note!" Jack yelled "We get those one day."
"YEAH!" everyone roared back, excited as they all clung to the straps, Jack pointing to Kev that they needed to swing around a mountain range.
"How long will it take to get there?" Francine asked, her lack of delight clear as she clung to the straps on her seat, her fear of flying clear.
"Another two hours Mama"someone shouted with glee and she groaned softly.
"Joy" she muttered under her breath.
"No" came the cheeky reply "Hope!"