2
"DUSTY!" Toshiko roared as Dustin ran as fast as his little legs could carry him, smaller than his twin cousins and so much more delicate to look at, Toshiko and Owen's son had decided on his own name in the end, determined to escape once he could crawl and the amount of times he was discovered outside in the dust made the nickname stick.
Dustin refused to acknowledge that he had even heard his mother as his twin cousins stood silently waiting for him, scooping him up between them to place him on the old food trolley they had been pushing. Amilie walked over and scolded like an old woman as she shook her finger at them all, the three stooges now grinning widely at her as they took off, the little boy on the trolley screaming with glee as the two slightly younger yet slightly larger children (thanks to the Boeshane blood) ran along pushing the trolley in front of them.
Sal did not stand a chance, walking along minding his own business as the trolley ran into him and he gave quite a girly sort of scream really while flying back into the trolley and landing on the small boy.
"DUSTY" Amilie screamed with horror, reaching out to hook the poor man from the mess of kids and trolley, flinging him out of the way as she checked her little cousin that she loved so dearly. "DUSTY ARE YOU OK?"
The little boy was lying on the trolley with wide eyes, his mouth open like he was trying to gasp for air or scream, struggling as the twins leapt to their feet and fought to see who got to comfort him too. Then the huge bellowing laugh echoed around the hall, the boy clearly amused.
"For fucksake" Tosh muttered to herself as she saw that they are all fine "Bloody kids."
Speaking of which, another four came out of nowhere and swept the other three small ones into their collective, gone before anyone could scold or reprimand for what had happened. Sal was left sitting on his arse on the floor staring at the now empty trolley.
"Did you see that?" he asked the room at large "they act like a hive!"
"All born within a six month period. I know" Ianto agreed as he walked over to offer his hand. He pulled Sal to his feet and added "like a pack of wild dogs."
"And with Amilie being so much older, she is the bloody ringleader" Sal laughed then sighed as Amilie turned to glare at him "I know… I know. But seriously sweetling… you are the one who gave them the trolley, right?"
She shrugged.
"Amilie, where is your Papa?" Ianto asked, trying to change the subject.
"Oh… he is with Daddy Jackie in the Metal Pit" she said, then yelled at someone and took off, no doubt to whack some poor soul. God she was getting strong.
Ianto wandered to the Vehicle pool and the area where they weld and fixed damaged Hovers to find his mate. Jack and Rhys were deep in discussion as some sort of structure stood behind them in the bowels of the discard pit.
"Cariad?"
Jack looked up and lit up as he stood with a huge cog he was considering adding to the weird… ah… tower? "Ianto!"
Rhys turned as well, the little baby on his chest asleep with his head lolling back, little mouth open and clear drool dribbling onto Rhys's shirt "Hey GJ"
"Hey Rhys, you got little Hew today?" Ianto called out as he walked closer.
"Aye, Gwen is walking the dirt and the little fella does not like the winds whipping up in the afternoon." Rhys patted the bum of his newborn son, pride evident as he watched Ianto lean in to nuzzle the baby and coo.
"Clucky?" Jack asked.
"Might like another one… or five. Mind you, those we have seem to be more than enough for anyone… everyone. If we provide another they may mutiny" Ianto rolled his eyes, then he looked again at the weird structure "Rhys? IS this a communications aerial or something?"
"Nah. It's a Christmas tree" he said with pride. "Made from scraps… like us."
"Huh?"
"Well… the kids… OK… Amilie was asking… I was enplaning to her about old Sol3 customs and she was really taken with the idea of Christmas" Rhys explained "Then she got the others interested and now they want to know if they can celebrate it… sort of. You know... good food, good fun and gifts."
"Ah. The gift part especially I bet" Ianto laughed, seeing Jack's face and knowing this was more than a child's fanciful thing now. "So… walk me through it... I have never heard of this … Christmas?"
Jack lit up as he started to tell Ianto of a world of family and tradition that he, being a bio-soldier, had never heard of before.
.
.
The Judoon were complaining.
"I still don't get the problem here" Ianto said as he watched one wave it's arms with annoyance "You can't say there was no sport."
"Your sprouts are vicious."
"My… children? Are you calling my children… sprouts? Huh" Ianto stepped back and stared up at the ceiling like he was considering, and then said softly "OK. Agreed. But so are many other civilizations that your men are supposed to … ah… visit for the Shadow Proclamation's business."
"The little one with the hair" a hand raised to wave over it's head and Ianto knew it was his daughter being described with the French braid she preferred to wear like a Mohawk as it folded back up over her head like a ridge instead of down her back in a traditional tail.
"Whit"
"Yes, she has that… no… she is strong" it sighed.
"Whit as in Whitney" Ianto explained "She is my daughter. One of my blood."
"Powerfully violent. Some of my smaller men are … ah... intimidated."
Ianto nodded as he gave in knowing she was a little… 'Harknessy' sometimes. "Look, how about we make two tiers of training. Those that want the intensity of a full barrage can get everything like it or not, those who prefer… admin… can take just adult Dust Devils… no SSDDs or .. ah… sprouts."
"Ahhhh… good." the creature sighed with relief "Now… Christmas? You know we do not do the Christmas. It is a dangerous time in our history… bad things happen at the Christmas."
"It's not really Christmas, we are not on Sol3 and no matter how they spin it… there is no real snow or anything… you know. It's just a game." Ianto defined with a slight bristling.
"Well… when the Christmas thing starts, we WILL retreat until it is over. No offence but we do not do the Christmas." it said with finality.
"Fine" Ianto snarled as he openly bristled now, showing the insult the thing had offered him "Fuck off then. You can all leave now if you've like!"
"What? No… no… that is not… I mean…"
"I will contact your superiors now and inform them that you do not like us or our games… you are too sensitive for our children to play around even… you can leave as soon as you want" Ianto turned on his heel and stropped off, much like his daughter liked to do. He was not going to contact anyone, just give the big headed fuckwit time to panic before apologizing.
Another first for a DD.
Judoon NEVER apologize.
