6

John sat staring at Jack, the sandwich falling from his hand to the dirt. Jack had taken him and Owen for a 'ride' so he could lay out the facts as he saw them and the bits in-between they had surmised.

"Ianto is royalty"

"Boeshanninan yeah. Mama Jones… was actually Princess Joneselle. They shortened it and changed it a bit so she could keep a little bit of her life." Jack nodded "They fled the war and came here, had Jennifer then paired her up with Ifan. He knew there would be the warning signs, was told, taught to protect and serve but the Hunt took him. The fever of it overrode the facts. He forgot himself and was lost. Or… or it was a deliberate act on his part to keep luring away danger. Jenny had no choice but to change the narrative for her kids, to keep them safe."

"And Claire fucked it all up by going after him, walking into the trap her father had set for the others…. Damn. He led away those seeking Jenny… kept leading them away. Faithful in the end, eh?" Owen agreed.

"Ianto is having trouble with that. All those years he hated his fatter for leaving,… hated him recently for the other family but it makes sense now. He was growing another family to protect the next generation. In time… he would likely introduce the son to Jenny… have a second wave of protection… he probably even tested the kids to look for the old blood, saw it in Ianto… god… maybe even had a woman sorted to bond him to one day… that day never came. Clair ruined everything and that is why he never came home again. Love those last years away. He knew she had become too frail and the bond had given it all away and now he could not deny the blood. Instead had to keep them guessing where it was."

"Where what was?" John asked softly but Owen was louder.

"He had more families" Owen blurted out "Right? A shell game. Fuck… he had several homes… families… lives… so they could never know who was the right one… sons called Ianto… talk about a long game."

"Ianto has half siblings out there… lots of them probably. Yeah. His mother even likely knew. That disc around his neck is a royal crest. The mark of royalty. Why Ianto is a little freaked out right now. It's all coming to a clarity that is not that pleasant to look at." Jack rose and rubbed his face, turning to the hover bikes . He did not want tot be gone too long.

"Poor Ianto. All those years… he never stood a chance at having a loving family life… he was born into a lie" John said finally, waling over to straddle his on bike.

"And now the bodyguards are dead… the one suppose do to protect him is gone" Owen agreed.

"Not all gone" John said a she started his bike "We are here and we will defend."

They rode back to the homestead with their minds whirring, so many thoughts, ideas and scenarios. All possible, all horrible. All swirling around the simple fact that the Hunt was a lie in itself. It was misdirection all right... but not form the alien invasion … but from the Hunters that were seeking something different to the Hunt idiots.

All this time…

That little boy who sat on the floor and watched the screen with his toy in his hand, then had felt fear… all those year ago… was the target all along. Why the Hunt symbols made sense, why he was told by his mother over and over again to never joint the Hunt.

What a mess.

.

.

"But why now?" John asked Owen once the two of them were alone later that day "If Ianto was this… heir or whatever… why is it coming to a head now?"

"Three reasons" Owen answered with as much confidence as he could "Ianto and Jack meeting was the first one… Ianto let his shields down a bit and to bond had to join the Boeshane wavelength which opened him not just to Jack but anyone else of the same blood. Meaning… cousins… distant relatives… might catch a glimmer of him here and there. Then his Mama died. Her shields she threw over her family died too… tenuous to start with as his Da was not there to help her in the first place… it likely killed her as much as the Crackle Lung did. He knows that, as she did. If she had never had a son… she might still be alive."

Owen stared at him long and hard, then said "You said three."

"The birth of Hunter. So young, so delicate and innocent. So strong in the bond that I can feel him strongly and my blood is weaker than yours. Come on Owen… you felt him too right? You think others did not feel the sudden quickening of the bonding stream with a new royal life?" John prodded at him.

"Why Ianto is tired. He is shielding his son, as she shielded hers" Owen got it.

"And why Jack is talking of the next one being his to carry. Ianto cannot have another child, the pregnancy would weaken him like the Crackle Lung weakened his mama… he has to protect his chick" John sat back "And so do we cousin."

Owen nodded his agreement as he glanced again at the house his RV was nestled next to.

Time to talk to Max about that place next door.

Was that house for sale?

If they had to dig in… they had to dig in deep.

There was a reason Owen met him on that plane… a reason John was drawn here that did not involve his old partner… no.

Their blood was old… tainted and diluted sure… but it WAS old blood.

And they knew their duty to their prince.

Owen had to talk to his blossom.

This involved her too.