8

That night they came.

The sound of snuffling and snorting woke Jack, making him jolt awake in the chair and he looked around blearily before his gaze settled on the screens.

A pack of Others were moving around the house and he felt a sickening thud in his stomach as one stopped at the bottom of the steps. It seemed to be pondering something as the Others moved around it. Then to his surprise the door swung open and Ianto stepped out onto the porch.

"Get" he hissed, "There is no entry here. I do not welcome you. Take your bloody pack and fuck off before you frighten the babies."

It looked at him long and hard.

"Please. I leave you alone, do I not? Leave me alone" Ianto seemed to be imploring them and some started to move off as the huge black one stared, then it slowly turned and walked away leaving Ianto clutching the railing of the porch was wide eyes. He watched until they were beyond the porch light then he turned to look at the camera.

At Jack.

Jack felt a childish urge to duck before Ianto canted his head on the screen and went back in. Jack let his breath out, then grunted as the side door swung open to show Ianto was entering the tunnel, coming straight for him.

Jack rose from the chair and did up his pants, slicked back his hair and then settled at his desk like he had been busy checking the stock levels.

Ianto entered and Jack was only aware of it from the puff of air around his ankles, then he felt something … a warmth and he looked up to find Ianto standing in front of him.

"Gorbit on a bloody hover!"Jack spluttered, genuinely alarmed as there had been no squeak of the stairs.

"You saw"

"Yes" Jack saw no point in denying it, "They have moved on though. We are OK."

Ianto seemed to be considering that answer, then he nodded, "We have an uneasy truce. For now. One day one will break from the pack and attack. One day their Alpha will not be able to control them."

"Female" Jack said softly, "The Alpha. Big black bitch was in charge."

He detected a flinch, then he sighed, "Ianto, I am not here to judge. My job is to protect. Tell me. Let me know the full story, let me see the entire field of battle. You are military you understand the need for a full status report."

"Lisa. My … wife. She turned and I tried to kill her but … I couldn't. I saw something there I still recognised and I have been proven right. She does seem to remember me, maybe as she was the one who bit me … the connection is there. As long as I am here, the children are safe. She will not attack the homestead, even as others fall. Is that wrong?"

"No" Jack rose to walk around and stand close to the man to show no fear, "Anything that is an advantage is worth using in battle. The fact she feels a connection, even if it is to the part of you that has turned … it is still a plus."

"I feel her, scrabbling around like she is trying to control me, trying to seek that Other in me that I swallow down" Ianto scrubbed at his face, "That is why I control my food, I try to be weak, strength is given to that, not me. I find the stronger I feel, the stronger … it … is in the night."

"Then we need to work on that" Jack nodded, "Maybe is we can strengthen your mental state, it can be a help in keeping the Other at bay?"

"We can do that?" Ianto's hands dropped with surprise as he looked at Jack.

"Yes. You are emphatic right? So am I. We can connect, I can show you how to build better firewalls, in time you might be able to shut it on a room in the back of your mind. Block her or even give her false thoughts, images of something that sends her away?" Jack considered.

"Mental warfare" Ianto nodded, "They had just started to teach me when we we overrun. I never finished the course. You have the ability to shield? To project?"

"Yes. I think you do too" Jack agreed, "I feel you sometimes, when you are thinking. Like a feather touch as you ask the cosmos for a sign."

"Then it is true" Ianto smiled, "They answer."

"Huh?"

"Jack, I asked for a protector. I asked for someone to come and save us. You came. I asked for someone who saw me. You see me." Ianto smiled, "I do shield when I question the black. That you hear me anyway … we have the same shields. Our steps are in time."

"Shit" Jack huffed as he agreed.

They marched to the beat of the same drum.

The drum beat of time.