3

Jack was reluctant but knew Ianto was right. After all, Ianto knew these creatures well and his assertion that Jack turning up on the doorstep with their juvenile neonate would cause some frictions between the families. As he was feeding on demand, he took little Cherry Pop… god damn it, now he was calling her that… and reassured Jack several times that they honoured the younglings and would never harm the baby, especially a newling such as this.

Ianto drove his shiny flash Hover over and parked it in the visitors' parking area on the outskirts of the courtyard then arranged the little sling full of baby inside his coat so she could latch on easily, then with a sigh of resignation he held out his hand to Joy who took it with a shy smile.

Since seeing the baby she had thawed considerably and now saw Ianto as a nurturer, no threat.

They approached the security at the forint entrance and the tallest male stepped forward, holding out his hand as he said loudly "No visitors!"

He had inadvertently made contact with Ianto… or to be exact… Ianto's chest and said hand was precariously close to the newborn inside the coat. Ianto was newly birthed, hormonal and as any good Dam would do, he simply removed the hand with a quick slice of the blade from his own wrist.

The Forhitian guard made a high pitched squealing sound as he staggered back and clasped at the small cut.

"Oh grow some balls" Ianto scoffed in their own guttural language, fluent due to his childhood friends and the guard blinked with shock at the smaller and more petite being with a larger than life attitude. Then came a soft cry as a Forhitian female broke for the doors to run towards them. She looked pissed.

Ah. Good. This must be the Dam… well… egg hatcher? Whatever.

"Joy, where have you been. We have been looking everywhere, your father is so angry" she scolded, "He is in town searching amongst the humans."

Ianto noted that the child still held his hand tightly and he looked at the other female in the doorway that the child's gaze was locked on. Ah. The authoritarian. Ianto looked for Sophia but could not see her, probably with the other children since she will try hard to make up for not providing her own.

"Where is your Bull!" Ianto demanded and the two females looked at him with annoyance, one even leaning in to sneer as she hissed at him. He was not impressed "You know, you are addressing an Alpha Prime with such… rudeness. I do not think your Husband would be too pleased to learn of your display of degusting belabour, especially with me returning the child you lost!"

Bristling now.

"Ianto?"

Ianto turned to find Sophia n the doorway, her eyes wide as she look in her brother in the large overcoat "Sister."

Things changed within seconds, one of the lizards stepping back as if scalded while the other one lunged for the child as she squealed and danced away, forcing Ianto to stager back as his hand was yanked.

"Joy, stop that. Your Uncle is not a horse on a tether!" Sophia scolded as she rushed past everyone to grab the child "This is my brother you know. My Dear Brother Ianto from across the way. My goodness, what happened to your face darling?"

"She ran away as she was struck as a punishment and frightened" Ianto informed his sister, "she came through my back yard and was found covered in blood, mud and tears by my beloved. He was all for coming here to impart his views on hitting children but I talked him down. Why I am here instead"

"Please Brother… come in" Sophia remembered her manners, and as they entered Ianto looked around at the house that seemed different to the last time he was inside it. It did not feel like Gwen's place at all. The colours were different, more cold and sterile and there were no floor coverings. He did not like it. It was… boring.

They entered the nursery where two little ones played and a baby lay grizzling softly. Sophia sighed "That is little Hersha. It was a difficult time for her mother and to find yet another female hatching was too much. She has taken to her bed in grief, leaving the child to us. We are doing our best but… the bottled milk is not pleasing to her."

Ianto sat and sighed, unbuttoning his coat to fold back and reveal his own child "I have just given birth myself. This is my new offering to my Hive. Cheryse. She was a welcome little girl, I wanted a girl. Come we shall swap for a moment so you can all see her, I know a human baby is probably a novelty to you."

The two reptilian women snatched up the newborn and crooned as they carefully unfolded her outer clothing and examined her little fingers, taking animatedly to one other as they did not realize Ianto could hear and understand their little insults and praise. Sophia knew her brother could hear and blushed as one called the little girl fat bellied.

Ianto replied "She has yet to grow into herself. She has just fed and is full. Often newborns are pudgy or strangely portioned. Within the first few months they change and become more themselves. Not like your younglings who are born in their colours and scales… there we are. Better darling? Yeah. Nothing beats a good boob right?"

Ianto sat and breastfed the little thing with open sorrow, the hunger pitiful as it sucked greedily from him. Thank god he had an abundance of milk supply, little Cherry Pop sleepy and full, hence her belly.

"You are a Dam?" one of the women asked.

"Yes, I birthed Cheryse there yesterday morning. I have birthed twins previously" Ianto replied softly "But I am not a Dam. I am an Alpha, an Alpha Prime. I run a multi-hive that comprises of three within the one."

"That one is sickly. She will not survive. Third time she has hatched such a poor one. Our way is to leave her outside and tonight she will be left to the elements" the other woman sniffed "She has had one week of life… has not improved. With her gone, our sister will feel better."

Ianto looked up from the baby with horror, then at his sister whose face was pale and shocky. If finally occurred to him that Joy was not the only one being physically bullied by the three sister-wives. Oh god, he should have been a more present brother.

His sister was not just in a now seemingly loveless bond, she was in an abusive one.

Well now.

Ianto promised his mama, he made a promise on her life's last night.

Damn it.

Ianto steeled himself for war.