16

Jack and Gray had headed into town with the kids and bub. The pizza shop must be loving this family as Ianto begrudgingly agreed to it again this week. Of course, Bonnie being there to meet them as in incentive too I guess.

Gray would move out soon, the two of them clearly about to move in together if the phone conversations were anything to go by and Ianto just hoped they remembered a wedding, this place a bit weird about that. Clearly two men could live together in sin but there was clear displeasure in the two that they thought should wed first. Ianto found it all so funny. Little towns are weird. He had been asked several times his week if Gray had popped the question yet. Bonnie and Gray seemed to be deliberately hiding the fact even if she wore the ring in plain sight.

He ws still pondering this while changing into his PJs when he heard it.

Like a clap of thunder that rolled around the mountain and he was off running without a second thought, racing for the falls as he prayed that whoever was shooting tonight was not anywhere near his stag. His hand had slapped on the hallway table as he had shoved his feet into Jack's boots, his fear driving him as he swept a handful of things from the sideboard with the torch.

He burst though the tree line into the interior, slowing as he finally realised he would be running into guns and he took a knee, taking deep breaths to calm himself then he heard a faint whoop. Fuckers. He rose and pushed on, still hoping against hope Spirit and his family were not in the area tonight, hopefully they were higher up with the full moon. He checked what he had in his hands. He left the torch there on the ground, the moonlight better now as he hoped for some stealth.

He found the poachers in the clearing, standing over a deer and they were high-fiving as they boasted it's crown. To his relief he heard one yell that it was a twelve pointer. Not his. Not his boy. Thank fuck. Still … one of the herd. Damn it all. Maybe even one of Spirit's adult children felled tonight in a place where it was supposed to have been safe.

"What the hell are you doing!"

Ianto looked up with shock as Tuck stepped out of the far tree line, stropping towards the men "Buckley Everly, you know damned well you cannot poach here!"

"Ain't poaching you old fart. It's hunting season, even got a fucking permit!" the fat man snarled back.

Ianto locked in the name, looking to the other two younger ones who may well be younger brothers or even sons.

"This mountain is protected, no hunting. You know that, fuck off." Tuck spat, "We aint playing! You and your boys need to leave!"

"Aintcha!" the man leered, his jowls wobbling as he laughed at the old man "You and whose army?"

Ianto watched two more Wilders melt from the shadows, these men young, virile and knifed. Shit. Ianto watched as they stalked into the moonlight and the young man in the orange hinting cap laughed, swinging the barrel of his gun towards one as he shouted "A knife to a gun fight Paw!"

A son.

"Hold still Henry!" Buckley said calmly "Terry, you get the other one."

The other gun rose and they stood in a strange stand-off. Guns on men. Ianto was not having this bullshit ta very much and he stormed from the shadows into the clearing, walking with confidence through the two young men who were busy eyeballing the two with knives, not even registering the pale movement as Ianto in his welsh skin seemed to glow in the moonlight and he easily made it to Buckley, his knife from his snatch back at home making a soft 'swick' noise as the blade flicked out and by the time Buckley registered the strange noise the blade was tucked into the fold of fat that made his neck wobble.

"Good evening Mister Everly. It appears you are trespassing on my land and I am a mite pissed at this invasion. You know … I do not share the things I worked hard for and I protect the things I earn. Your boys here … young strapping lads but are they man enough to pull those triggers while your arterial blood sprays their faces do you think?"

"What the …" the man yelped as the blade tickled.

"Careful, it's sharp" Ianto hissed "And so am I. Get the fuck off my land, I will be telling Paul about this and be sure, you will be issued with trespass notices. Do you hear me? I will yell from the rooftops of this little town that you came onto my land and shot one of MY deer. Oh yes … poaching. You are just a yellow bellied, good for nothing piece of poaching shit and if you do not move from my sight I shall be forced to take back."

"What?" the man whimpered as Tuck took a step closer, his eyes firmly locked on the pale wraith in front of him, Ianto so angry that his teeth were flashing as well.

"You spilled blood on my ground. You sullied the dirt. Do I need some of yours to even it out? Your offering to please me… which child do you love most? Hmmm? Can you chose? Which do you love most? Tell me … I shall maim the lesser of the two. His mama may cry but the debt will be paid. An ear? His cheek?"

Finally the man regained his senses and struggled as he was released from Ianto's grip, looking at his gun that was now in the old man's hands as Tuck snatched it with ease.

"Right. Fuck off" Tuck snarled with anger making his hands shake "I'm old and I'm angered. Best move before I accidently shoot you, ya fat fucker!"

"That's MY gun!"

"Then come take it mother fucker!"

Long after the men had fled Ianto stood in the moonlight, his blade tightly clasped in his hand watching the darkness until the headlights showed their movement along the main road then he turned to Tuck "Give me the gun for the sheriff. Take this offering back to your people. He was of the mountain, one of Sprit's. He needs to go back to the mountain. Feeding your people is the only way he can have worth now."

"Thank you" Tuck said softly as the two men lifted the deer and started to retreat, then Ianto realised he must look terrifying there in his glory. PJ pants on but still … naked in his mind.

He chuckled nervously and retreated too.