6

The men entered the room and looked at the people in the carriage with open anger. A woman with a man and small child that was covered as it seemed to be suckling, another two men opposite with bored expressions. Gilly placed an arm around Gwen with a look of thunder "Stop glaring at my wife man, she has done nothing wrong! You will sour the milk for my newling!"

"Sorry" the man said, letting his eyes roam to the other two men staring at him, one of them pale and sickly looking with his shoulder length black hair slicked back. The other a large man with a look of … ell… challenge. He spent a while staring at that one and finally Gilly snapped "My brother does not like your kind. Ex-service so knows when you are up to no good. If you don't need to see our papers, fuck of!"

"Language, you will wake her" Gwen scolded, cuddling the baby with wide eyes. Her gloved hands patting a little back gently.

"Sorry love."

The man departed and they all let out a breath of relief, Ianto wanting to reach for his baby but scared the men might come back. It was an hour later that the train was pulling away again and looking out the window they could be seen three passengers on the side of the tracks and the men holding weapons on them. All of them had Bladesinger-like characteristics. Ianto finally flopped against the seat and Gwen started to cry with relief as it finally occurred to her why Ianto was reaching out to take her gloved hand for his lips to press to. She had passed the ultimate test without even knowing it. She could have burned him bad here but instead those gloves were hiding her now blackened hands. She had come through for him when he needed her the most. Proved herself.

"Are we all OK?" Gilly asked firmly staring his boss "Highness… your hair…"

"Will grow back" Ianto said wearily. "Just get me to my husband."

.

.

"Any idea why?" Jack was horrified when he learned of the attack, his hands caring through Ianto's hair of black, a little flick of blue here and there where the ink had not caught. "How do we get this out?"

"I shall help you wash it" Gen said as she reached out to pat Ianto's hand, her own hand still blackened from the ink despite several washes wince arriving.

"You did that to his hair?" Jack asked with shock.

"Gwen was a trooper, a real boon and without her I would not have pulled it off. She saved my life and the life of our baby" Ianto said as she blushed happily at the praise. Something she was clearly not used to.

Then came the thundering bellow of Her Fuckness…. Er… Mother Harkness. Lovely.

"Jackson… I just heard the train was attacked… darling… prepare yourself... three men were taken of Bladesinger heritage and … I fear they may have been executed by the Dissidents for being Bladesinger. Daring I am so…." Her voice petered out as Ianto stared back at her from underneath the ink black hair.

"Hello mother" he said calmly.

"YOU!" she snarled "What are you doing here"

"Mama, I asked him to come to me. Thank the Gods Gwen was there and they got through the attack… my poor little boy. How scary" Jack plucked the baby from Ianto's arms and cuddled him as Ianto stared the bitch down.

"Well… you don't have to be… well. How horrible" she spluttered, unable to correct the confusion in her face.

"And how is your uncle Cariad?" Ianto asked as he sat and let one of the servants remove his travelling boots.

"Good… the doctor is sure that the worst has passed and he will recover. They are confident that he will regain full movement but now are assured that he will survive his fall. The healers your mother sent are a wonderful help" Jack sat and clutched Ianto's hand with one if his free ones "The Gods favoured us. Gods, I am so relieved but that hair… darling... please wash it out. It makes me feel so heart sick."

Ianto rose to comply and said as he left he said in passing to the woman still standing there like a stunned mullet "The Gods are kind, yes mother?"

She grunted and turned to watch him leave with Gwen, her face twisted with rage that the staff all saw… And exchanged glances over.

.

.

Ianto sat with his head leant back in the bowl of hot water, groaning as Gwen massaged the shampoo into his scalp "Gods that feels divine. I don't usually let people touch my head, my hair so heavy and cumbersome. This feels so lovely."

"I still feel sick that I cut it" she replied, leaning over to kiss his forehead in a sisterly way "but it worked you clever clogs."

"Is it coming out?"

"Slowly… more of a bluish grey now… I think another rinse of fresh water and the caustic soap...it will make it a little harsh but we can add some oils to soften it afterwards. There is one made from bananas that smells wonderful."

"If you think so" Ianto sighed, glad to feel something other than panic. His belly flipped and he placed a hand over it to comfort.

"Awwww, bubba happy it's over too?" she crooned, reaching out to place her hand over his and then a noise in the doorway had them both looking up to find an old man standing there with his white robes brushing the floor. A pale blue line around the bottom of the robes like they had soaked it up from a pool of blue water.

"Master!" Ianto said with glee, sitting up as he found a towel to wrap around the hair that was slapping around his face.

"I heard that you cut it" the old man said "do you still have it?"

"Gwen?"

Gwen handed over the long horse tail that she had place din the bottom of her bag with reverence "Ah. Good… will do something with this. Are you OK?"

"Sad it's gone but remember that it was just hair, nothing that cannot be replaced like a limb or a life" Ianto replied.

"Or a baby. Hmm?"

"Jack still doesn't know, I've not told him yet" Ianto said as he let Gwen towel his hair dry to apply the soothing banana smelling goop.

"Told me what?"