6
"Are you angry with me?"
"What?" Jack asked with surprise as he and Ianto finally had a moment alone.
"I did not discuss this with you. I did not think it though I simply… well… it was like a snatch and grab." Ianto sat on the edge of the bed and watched his husband pacing as he had been since they retired for the evening.
Sophia had said thank you and seemed glad to be there but deep down Ianto felt like she was still in shock over everything and sooner or later her snarky side would come out. She had always needled Ianto, had always scoffed at his Gentile ways. Ianto knew his place as an Alpha Prime was about to be challenged. She hated him having a voice as children. Would she do so again?
"I did not expect you to take one back only to return with four… no. Am I angry? Sort of. Not at you, at the situation. At the stupid fathead ways of their kind. The thought of those babies left outside in their garden to die like… like… unwanted alley cats. That angers me. That little one is so small, no bigger than a kitten. Smaller than our newborn daughter. Just a little smidge. A bit. And they would discard it for it's sin of being the wrong sex. Like it is the baby's choice in the matter." Jack stopped pacing and rubbed at his face "Sorry. My darling, it's not you angering me. It's the fact this still goes on. It should be banned but they claim religious rite. Religious. Gods."
"The Gods would never want a baby to be abandoned. It reminded me of that old panting from Sol 3. Do you remember it? From centuries ago, used to hang in the Great Gallery until the fires of 3063. The horse drawn carriage being chased by wolves. The family inside it seemingly doomed and the mother is standing up, throwing her baby out the back to slow the wolves down." Ianto rose from the bed and moved to the little rib that held two sleeping babies, one human and the other with the softest little scales snuggled against her.
"It was based on a poem. Ah… let me see … something about a sleigh wasn't it?" Jack muttered as he came to stand next to the crib.
Ianto sighed before answering "The English writer Robert Browning 's 1879 poemIvàn Ivànovitchuses this motif; a mother throws her children to wolves attacking her sleigh, and barely survives. The axeman Ivàn Ivànovitch, upon hearing her tale, immediately and summarily beheaded her. It was a Russian folktale."
"Yes, many variations have sprung from this old fireside story of horror and human viciousness. Survival of the fittest." Jack nodded.
"To lighten the load" Ianto turned away "What expense though? You save your hide but not your soul."
"There are people out there like that love. Some sell their own, to Meaters if need be. Who can know how far someone will go, especially if it means the survival of the other children already in your heart. These creatures are not like us but are we really much better for all the nasty things our kind do?"
"I don't want to talk anymore" Ianto said flatly, throwing his shirt on the floor in a very unfamiliar way. He was angry. Tied and angry and was not wanting anymore talk.
He just wanted to day to be done.
.
.
Sophia was walking softly through the huge house, trying to work out where she was. She was lost. She knew she was.
"Hi"
She spun to find the pretty Japanese woman looking at her, the full kimono of deep reds and gold was gorgeous, the white herons flying on the fabric seemed to pop. She looked like she had stepped from a painting with her face so pale and ethereal. So pretty.
"I… I think I am lost" she admitted.
"No. You are merely finding your way" Toshiko smiled softly, holding out a hand "come. Let's go get some hot chocolate and see if Jack is awake yet. He will have lit the fire if he is and we can warm out feet by it."
Sophia let herself be led to the kitchen where there was indeed a fire going and Jack kneeling in front of it banging in more wood. Toshiko said softly "Good morning darling brother."
Jack rose and turned, his face full of joy and honest greeting. Sophia was struck with his beauty. Not just handsome. There without any anger or confusion in his face, he smiled for his sister… he was virtually glowing and the warmth seemed to come from him more than the fire.
"Tosh. Hey darling, you found a straggler?"
Jack moved over to hug Toshiko and then to Sophia's suspense he hugged her gently too before moving back and turning to the other end of the room "Smells good Tiger."
Ianto was down that end in a large fluffy robe and he turned with a tray of mugs, moving toward them to place it on the coffee table. Whoever had thought to place large soft chairs and such down this end of the room was a genius and as Jack flopped into the large blue one it was obvious that it had been his idea, his feet landing neatly on the hearth. "Ahhhhhh."
Ianto was kneeling by the fire at Jack's feet and she wondered what he was doing as she sipped her drink, then he rose and moved away leaving two little babies now on the soft rug for Jack to watch over with such an adoring expression. The little ones were asleep but as she watched the human one reached out a hand and hooked Jack's sock like she knew he would be three. Content to know her Dadda. The other one curled into a ball like a armadillo. Sad and alone. Jack was watching it was open concern.
She slid to the floor and placed a hand on the little back, remembering the song her sister wives sang the little ones before they despaired, a song of comfort. She glanced at Jack to see his reaction and his smile was soft and kind. By the time Ianto rose to take a seat the baby had unfurled and was in her arms, snuggled in as she watched the flames.
Good.
Ianto watched her hand slide up and down the little back absently and was reassured that his sister held no animosity towards it.
She was always a jealous little thing.