17

Jack and the family arrived home to find Paul's Prowler parked to one side and Jack glanced at Gray who was already exiting the vehicle to race inside to greet his soon-to-be father-in-law.

Ianto was at the table with Paul, Ianto in a bathrobe and both men nursing large mugs of coffee. The first thing Gray noticed was the gun on the table and he went to take it off before the kids saw it.

"Go pop that in the Prowler would you please boy?" Paul said softly "I know where to return that along with a flea in his ear."

"I hope so" Ianto sighed "I am not pleased."

"No. I know. I will issue a citation for poaching on private land. Everyone knows you have a no hinting policy. I will make sure, a reminder in the public newsletter this week maybe." Paul rubbed his face then grinned "Did you really make him squeal?"

"More like a squeak that went on for a few seconds" Ianto smiled back "Gods, he is fat"

"His Daddy was a fat bastard too, you know … hello princess" the man rose as Mica entered the house, her face flushed as she proudly carried some pizzas and David followed with a bag of extras.

"Oh gods, you let them order more?" Ianto gasped.

"Come on Uncle, they have the bestest garlic bread" David snorted pulling out a chair that his sister promptly clambering onto, then he pulled out another "Can we have glasses for or soda pop please?"

Ianto knew Jack was waiting for an explanation so he sighed and said calmly "Some men poached on the mountain tonight and shot a deer."

"Spirit?" Mica asked with horror.

"No darling. Not my Spirit. Bit one of his sons. A young buck. I was very angry and me and some of the mountain folk had words with the men, I took one of their gun off them and made them leave. Paul is here to make sure I am OK and to tell us he will tell them off" Ianto reached out and patted her hand.

"They are not allowed on our mountain!" she bristled as she glared out the window at the darkness and mountain beyond "It's forbidden!"

"And I will give them a thick ear Missy" Paul laughed loving this little spitfire.

"Right, now. I am famished!" Ianto said as he chose a slice of chicken and apricot, biting into it and moaning with delight as he sat back, the cheese still melty. Jack placed dwn serviettes and watched with surprise as Ianto then chose a meat lovers. Ianto then ate one of each pizza slices, then some garlic bread and as Jack watched with wide eyes he chose some fries and sat back to munch happily, not once wiping his mouth or getting up to place food aside.

Wow.

"Ianto?"

Ianto looked out the back door to find Tuck standing in the porch light, his hand raised in greeting. "Tuck, please. Come in."

"You give me leave to enter?"

"Don't be silly. I never said you were not allowed in my home again, come. Anytime, remember? Come in. Want a slice?" Ianto waved at the table and the old man entered, seeing Paul and nodding then shooting to the chair next to Ianto. He looked over the food with interest and chose a chicken and apricot slice, looking at it closely before taking a bite.

"Mmmmmmmmm, what…..oh. Wow."

"I know. I have tried them all and believe that one is the best" Ianto agreed, "Here. Try the garlic bread. I am partial to that but cannot have too much as garlic does not always agree with my belly."

Tuck ate as Ianto chose another slice of his favourite pizza, Jack now happily filling glasses.

"I know you will not want the venison as you do not seem to like rich foods but the women want to know if they can make you a gift from the hide" Tuck finally spoke. "sharing."

"Ok. Ah… sure. I don't see why not. If it pleases them to do o. Yes. I've not had anything made of deer pelt before" Ianto smiled.

"You don't smoke, so do not need a tobacco pouch" he frowned at Ianto.

Ianto rose and returned with something, holding out his hand "Here. This is my pocket watch. Well, one of them. I collect them. Time is important to me. This one does not have a case. See this one here?"

Ianto showed him another from his pocket and opened the case, then closed it. "Most clip shut but tht one is old, broken. I still like it and hate throwing it away so if they want to make a little pouch for it … I would like that."

"Ah. Useful and interesting" Tuck said with a nod of his head "Do you have a favourite bird?"

"Bird?"

"In case they want to add a couple of feathers to the toggle or something."

"Oh. No, not really although that eagle that likes to come down and fish sometimes is cheeky."

"Eagle?"

Ianto got out his phone and showed them some shots of a bald eagle so close he could touch it, sunning itself on rocks "See? Cheeky. His mate doesn't come anymore, think she is nesting somewhere."

"Holy shit. That's a bald eagle son. We don't get those around here anymore, not for years … send me that. I'll go give a copy to our local bird expert. She will shit herself!" Paul crowed.

Tuck was again shown that they needed to rebuild with this man.

The mountain had chosen him already.