16

Jack exploded from the house as Ianto's look of incredulity while the two men ran towards one another made Jack realise his mistake, turning to run back towards the house as Ianto met him, then passed him.

Ianto was fast.

Jack was now making him slow down to wait and they entered the house together, the doors slamming shut with a body hitting from the outside, both men bouncing off the door. Gwen was whimpering as she clutched at Rhys, everyone immobilised with shock.

"Rhys, get her out of my sight before I feed her to them" Ianto snarled and Rhys nodded puling Gwen from the room.

"Winkle" Jack opened his arms and the little one raced for him, burrowing in, "you mad thing you."

"Yes, that was impressive warrior fighting" Ianto agreed, now regaining some sense of calm as he heard a shot ring out, Mace still up top. Another shot and the barking changed, Ianto canting his head.

"What's happening?"

"They are leaving" Ianto said softly, "The shot took out the other Alpha. Good shot. They are leaving now. Shit. The baby is ok, Lissy is crooning."

"I'm sorry" Jack said sadly, "I know you put a lot of time into keeping that one safe. It was a good idea, kept her in line."

Ianto nodded, confirming his assumption, "Yeah. As long as he was alive, we were too. Lissy coming each night to check his scent left her own everywhere. The other packs stayed away out of respect for her, her scent everywhere claimed this ranch as her territory. She will not be back, her scent will fade and sooner or later the other packs will come. They will attack. Gwen just signed our death warrant"

"You could have grabbed him, there was a window" Jack realised as he replayed things in his head.

"It was no longer my son, that thing was not my child. Winkle was more important. I made a choice, didn't have much of one to make. Winkle would not have survived, I knew … I knew he would. She will keep him, he will be fine. Unfortunately one day he will be another who comes to attack us." Ianto slumped back and Jack took in his tired condition.

"Show me your arm" Owen demanded as he pushed around Jack, "Come on. How deep"

"I will survive" Ianto said dully, "Do I not survive each time I am bitten? What is one more?"

"Stop that ya morose prick, there has to be more we can do to prepare. Something we can do to fight this" Owen looked up, "I put so much work into saving you, trying to save him. Save us!"

Ianto smiled, reaching out his good hand to cup Owen's face as a lover would, "Thank you my friend."

Owen pulled back and looked down, his eyes filling, "Bastard."

He rose and struggled from the room as Ianto sighed, "Let him go. He loved Joshua, maybe as much as me. He gave all he had and we couldn't kill him, couldn't put him down. Finding that she held back was not expected."

"You're bitten" Jack pointed out.

"I will heal. If I stay out of the bright light I will be repaired within a day or so. Their venom has altered me in ways I ….." Ianto rose and walked to the window, "Dawn soon. We must start to prepare while we can."

"What do you suggest?" Jack asked.

Ianto swung to face him, "Was gonna ask you that."

"OK. Let's look at this tactically then" Jack sat and as he had hoped, Ianto returned to the table as well, slumping wearily into a chair. He motioned to show he was listening, "We go to town at first light, me and Toshiko. We take what money is left, we spend it on security measures. Anything and everything we can possibly get to give us warning of their approach, anything and everything that will make the house and sables more secure. Anything and everything that can kill them before they kill us."

"Ground ordinance?"

"Now you're waking up" Jack leaned forward, "This is a nightmare, we can either twist in the wind or we can fight back. Think soldier. Think. The battleground is here. We can't run, the children would not survive if we are attacked before we reach another homestead. Winkle is proof that overnight at altitude is not a good idea, right? We can't leave. Besides, this is the best option we have."

"Conclusions"

"The running walkway around the stable be reproduced around the house so we can access it from the attic. Mines, long barrel guns, high powered pulse weaponry … anything. Extra hands? Whatever we can get. Tosh can get motion sensors to alert us if anything moves, we will hunker down, wait and let them come to us. Dig in. This will become our foxhole."

Ianto stared at him long and hard, "Money."

"I have some" Jack assured him softly, "I have… things I can sell, I can get us some of it."

Ianto's smile was soft as he trusted Jack was not only staying, he was willing to give up his hidden loot. It was unbearably sweet and Ianto also finally saw what Jack had been waiting for him to notice.

Jack was staying for him.

Not the kids.

Him.

Ianto nodded, "Then you need to go back to the stables and that old chair."

"Why?" Jack asked gently.

"Because if you lift the seat you will find the treasure I hid in there" Ianto smiled. "One of the first things I learnt in basic … keep something back in your boot."

"I knew it!" Gwen screamed from the doorway, "You bastard. I knew it."

The crack as Toshiko hit her made them all jump with nervous tension, then as she slid down the wall Owen appeared and looked down at her.

"Finally." He said calmly, "We are getting real here."