45
Anita looked at the large imposing house with a reluctant sigh, whatever this was she had a feeling it was not going to be a puppy, the door opening to reveal a child with wild orange hair who simply walked away leaving the door open as Hap grinned and tipped back his Sherriff's hat.
"Come on" he said as he ushered them in, Morty looking almost furtively and she felt her frown deepen as a large cat sitting in the back of a sofa poked it's tongue at them.
"This way, they will be in the tunnel thing so the Vampyre can play" Hap said as he pointed and she now felt a little faint as she stepped down into another world full of children. The two hovering above them holding hands as their little feet dangled held her attention for a moment then she looked down and saw him.
Ianto was kneeling with a little boy, his blonde curls like a halo around his face and his round face that of an angel so the hair was perfect, such a pale blonde it was almost white. Oh gods. He looked so much like little Meryl. Her brother had been three when he was lost, taken while swimming where they thought they were safe. She still woke with his cries in her ears and now she was looking at his replica.
"Morty!" Ianto smiled as he saw them, "Come, ignore the Chylde, they are on one of their funny moods, JOSHUA!"
A child froze with a toy raised to throw at another child, then turned to grin, "Sorry Taddy."
"Joshy?" the Sherriff lit up, "Come cuddle with Uncle Hap."
He sat and the boy rushed for a cuddle as another little blue child slid over and he laughed "Winkle, I have two knees little one."
Anita knelt to look at the little boy, "Hello there."
"Are you the adventurer?"
"Pardon love?" she blinked with surprise.
"Tadda said an adventurer was coming to take me for an adventure" the little boy smiled, his curls bobbing as he nodded enthusiastically, "He sez you have a home with no little boy so I might visit. I do not have to share, or wait my turn there. I am always last you know. They forget me all the time. I always have to be last. Tadda sez you would never make me last. He sez I am coming for an adventure with you, are you really taking me?"
"Yes" she found herself saying with shock, "Oh darling boy, yes. What is your name?"
"Moose" he said then laughed like it was a hilarious joke, Ianto snorting softly.
"Dell, but he likes Moose because he thinks it will help him grow up big" Ianto explained as the child laughed at himself some more and then did a little pose with his arms pumped to show imaginary muscles.
"Well, I think a weekend of adventuring sounds great" Mort said softly, "You can come home and we will spend the weekend doing all sorts of things including work. I am a security guard, I go around before dusk to make sure everything is locked down around town in a big tank like thing called my Prowler. You can be my deputy."
"And then you can help me with the evening meal" Anita said and he gushed with glee.
"He likes food" Ianto sniggered, "Wants to be a cook."
"Well, I can do with one of those" she smiled as she leaned in more and to her delight he fell into her arms and laid his head against her chest with a sigh.
"My Mama died" he said conversationally, "they eatted her and I was stuck in a box for a long time, I was really scared and hungry. My Mama is not coming back."
"No darling" Ianto said sadly, "But the bitey things can't get you in their house because Morty is a security man, all about keeping them out right?"
Anita was lifting him, so small, so light, so easy to hold against her as his thin arms wound around her neck.
"Nita?"
"Get the doors, he's coming with me now" she said shakily, her heart pounding as she felt a sudden fear that they might change their minds about letting her have him, she might fail again, she must save him.
Little baby boy.
Morty looked back at Ianto was gratitude as his wife calmly stole the child and the Sherriff rushed to open the hover door so she could make sure she had him away from that place that had no Mamas.
Ianto waved as the hover zoomed away and knew that little one was never coming back.
He had a new Mama now.
And all the food he could ever play with.
.
..
.
For those who have asked ….
Josh is half Ianto half human … a lovely …ahhhh…Walter colour if ya get what I mean.
Winkle is blu-man-chu.
The two Vamps who are called Esmeralda and Randal have been with Ianto forever in human years… as ancient as they are…so is he.
Daisy with the scar on her face is human, the Sheriff brought her to Ianto. In my mind she is fair haired and angelic.
Ginger is a little child who is not just ginger…it's a bright orange hair like an extra from a Dr Seuss movie, he is a Vermillion. Also saved from a massacre.
June and Jimmy are twins, Jimmy in a wheelchair. They are human. Their parents gave them up when he was injured.
Malcolm, Morton and Mark "We call them the 3Ms" are a mixture of races. Malcolm is …yeah I made him a Hoodie SNORT… a species humanoid with a sensitivity to light, wears a hood to shield his eyes. Morton is human. Mark is Bladesinger so the most aggressive of the teens and usually the winner of an argument. These three have grown up together as they were passed around homes. Ianto finally managing to make space for them and their boisterous energy.
Belle is a Chameloid who arrived of her own accord one day.
Flick is a little Dragone that is still hidden as he dislikes people. I see him looking sort of like a Klingon child as he has not even tried to have human qualities.
Dellwood lost his family in an attack, the train he was travelling on had a crèche where the children were, when the Others attacked the soldiers tried to protect them, the adults left to do the best they could .. most perishing including his parents. Yes, Ianto took the other kids as well. All human. Jenndal, Dan and Trisha.
Petey is a rare flamingeroid … yes, like a pink flamingo crossed with a human and he is more interested in cuddling his pet rabbit than interacting with others. He is relatively new and Ianto is still working to help him through his trauma of looking his flock in a storm.
John thought there were twelve children but in actual fact I have eighteen hidden in the walls and 'between' spaces of the house. Another reason why Ianto will never leave it as it is perfect for their needs.
Ianto is… Chimera. A race that assimilates with those they encounter and sort of like cousins to Vampyre. Ianto has a myriad of races within him including Catkind and Bladesinger. He is an enigma as he is able to glean from all those around him which apparently not all can do. I see Riftling in him, like he is capable of changing slightly when need be. He cannot transform into an Other even though he retains some of the strength of them from his bite.
Little Joshua will show the same traits as he grows.