2

Rhiannon sat listening as Jack moved about the room, Blaze strapped in his chest with a tiny look of doom. He looked like he might flame the world if only he could work out how. He was feeling his Dam's anger and was unable to understand it. So powerful already this one.

"Jack, Ianto has explained to me that he is feeling … left out." Rhiannon said softly "I know it sounds silly, a grown man wanting to be part of the gang but in Dragonese a Dam and Child is supposed to have a special bond. I know you are enjoying the love and warmth of this bond but that is what Ianto should be receiving. It is his birthright."

Jack sat and looked at her with concern "He's … unhappy?"

"You know my brother, he is not likely to say. I don't understand a lot of his … newness. He is different to the one I knew as a child, he is more …. Emotional. He has explained to me about the merge of himself with another version of himself that created this child, I understand that as best I can … I see that he is now changed from this new self-awareness he did not have in youth. In adulthood he has become more than expected … by any of us. He is still feeling his way and I think part o fit is trying to find footing with you. For all your support you are both so individual."

Jack considered this as Juniper took the moment to race through the room with a banshee scream and a stick raised over her head like she was running into battle, Jack not blinking as Rhiannon reared back with horror.

"Ignore her, it's a phase. My daughter drove me mad when she was little … ah…" Jack seemed to stall out as he blinked, Alice in his mind.

"Daughter?"

"I have a daughter" Jack repeated slowly as Ianto came to stand in the doorway with the confiscated stick in his hand, his eyes in the baby strapped to Jack as Jack stumbled over his words with shock "I … other me. The me of then…there….shit. I have a daughter out there somewhere. Alice!"

"Cariad?" Ianto raised an eyebrow as he watched his mate rise, moving towards him with the surprised looking baby outstretched.

"I have a daughter. How could I have overlooked this. Ianto. A daughter, her name is Alice. She has a son, Steven. I have a grandson. Gods, how could I forget this?" Jack demanded.

"The fold" Ianto replied, using the name they had decided on for the paradox snap back, as he accepted the surprised and slightly shocked child "She is from one side, not the other?""

"Possible" Jack nodded "The immortal me made her, not the mortal one and in the madness of settling both realities she became … ambient noise. Gods, I must find her!"

Jack rushed off as their son gaped and then his face screwed up as he started to whimper.

"That's enough of that" Ianto said as he cuddled the child to him "Dadda has to do something. He has stuff in his life too. Tell you what. We will go look at the water place Aunty Tosh likes, yeah? She's swimming. If we ask nice she might take you in for a dip, yeah?"

Blaze lit up with glee, squealing now as he kicked energetically and Rhiannon laughed as she saw her brother in the child.

"Do you know what I was like?" She asked as they started to walk "In the other world?"

"You died" Ianto replied softly "You drowned and mama killed herself with grief"

"Gods" Rhiannon said softly "How horrible. The thought of such a thing. I mean … I know you and she do not talk but … I find comfort in knowing mama is still alive in that silly commune."

Ianto was now as surprised as his mate as the memory of his mother, alive in an alternate living facility filtered in and he saw how vexing the sudden clarity of a 'other' can be.

"How is she?" he asked as he hid his confusion in a squealing mass of beast.

"Still spouting end of the world bullshit and nonsense about the golden lady" she sighed as she raised a hand to wave to Toshiko who was slithering out of the water in worm form to greet them.

"Hello Toshi, can you take a little worm?" Ianto asked as he crouched and handed her the baby, pulling his nappy off as she slipped back in and the baby screamed with glee as the water enveloped it.

"Can he swim?" Rhiannon gasped.

"Loves water. Got that from Jack. I can't stand the stuff … apparently more so now" Ianto replied, still thinking of his mother, now coming back stronger … a lithe woman with hippie style hair and clothing, laughter and screaming, insane and manic.

Of course she was.

The golden lady had spoken to her and she couldn't handle the words.

Not many can.

Power in the words ya know.

Bad Wolf is not always understood, the crazed blonde creature he knew so well and not at all.

She had visited his mother before his hatching.

He had ever known her sane.