3

At the school there was pandemonium as the two little ones started to lift off the ground Rhys even stepping forward before Kip grabbed his arm "Don't, it will hurt more than anything you can imagine. It's like poking your finger into a light socket."

"What's happening?" Tosh asked nervously as she looked from her laptop to the children.

Kip sank to a knee, "I suggest you either yawn or put your fingers in your ears, we are about to have us a situation"

"What sort of…" Owen was cut off as the air around them seemed to explode, a sonic boom echoing as outside the gates the vehicle exploded.

.

.

.

.

Jack watched with open awe as the vehicle seemed to blow apart like a great wind had torn through wet newspaper. The 'soldiers' all dropped to the ground with fear as Ianto clapped his hands together, another boom sounded like a clap of thunder and Jack felt his hair stick to his scalp, rain? No. Just a sudden moisture that warned him to move.

He ran towards Ianto and his feet left the road, finding the grass as a crackling started and the soldiers began writhing in the ground then started screaming.

They were getting electrocuted.

Part of Jack wanted to help them, their agony terrible to see but he knew this was an end game here, the injuries on the woman more stark now that he was close enough to see her damaged face. They were not about to walk away.

Then Ianto crouched, his hands like claws as he snarled.

Jack looked back with wide eyes as they blinked in and out of existence and finally he knew what Ianto was dong.

He was sending them to the Mara for judgement.

Jack knew he would never see them again.

Gone.

The air popped like a balloon, Ianto gracefully folding to his knees as he panted and let his head hang along with his arms, then he sat, his hands in the dirt, his heart pounding and Jack gathered him to his chest, crooning as he tried to help the exhausted man.

"Thank you brother" the woman whispered as her mate comforted her as well.

The place erupted in birdsong.

A bee wandered past with an undetermined flight zone.

The world accepted the change.

.

.

..

They got to the school to find everyone waiting, Kip stepping towards Ianto, "Are you OK? I had no idea you could be so powerful."

"Neither did I" Ianto replied, his feet dragging as Jack helped him, "I think I overdid it."

"We are going to have a lay down in the cool" Jack said as Mica ran to follow them inside, Owen looking around with confusion.

"What the fuck just happened?" he demanded, "I don't understand."

"I believe the technical term is… he smote them" Scout said happily, "He has finally accepted himself and the power of his blood. This place, this dirt … it has magical powers ya know. Now we are connected. Usually we need more of us. He is so powerful … looks like he is our Prime."

"Like a Witch's coven?" Rhys snorted.

Scout turned to look at him "You really think there were witches? Think about it."

Owen stared at him and then blurted "Healers. They were healers."

"Yes. They were spiritual, we always were" Scout said softly, "Persecuted for our ways."

"Well I'll be damned" Owen huffed.

"No, we were" Scout replied sagely, "Don't you get it? We've been here so long … long as the Mara who are our cousins. We have watched man evolve, become and now … there is nothing to be gained in watching him die. The bell tolls for us all."

"Enough" Ianto yelled back over his shoulder "Tired!"

"Yes brother" Scout replied as he turned to follow them inside, everyone pouring in as Tosh slapped at her laptop and swore in Japanese. Soon Owen and Rhys were out on the motorbikes replacing the hardware that had fried, cameras soon up again as Tosh started to relax and regain eyes around her little kingdom.

Ianto slept, Jack holding him as Mica lay the other side snoring with her arm thrown over her head.

Scout slept as well, Kip watching over him nervously as the others worked to clear the mess away and hide the entrance one more.

Things went back to how they were. Almost like a reset but with several marked differences, not least of all the two who hungrily accepted the food Wei and Gwen made for them. Two new members of the team sat in mild shock, gratitude and extreme fatigue as it sank in that they had done it. They had reached the school where they were safe.

Gwen settled to watch them, her mind ticking over as Wei wriggled into her lap and lay against her with a soft sigh. Gwen found herself stroking the child's hair as she hummed softly, loving the idea that her own child might be like that.

"Right, while they are asleep I think we need to show you the house rules" Rhys said as he entered with a towel to dry his hands, "forgive some of the spelling, Mimi wrote most of it and she did her best the little minx."

They stood.

They read.

They smiled softly at the hope and affection on the wall, then the woman turned, "Cam I add one?"

"Yep"

She shakily took a pen and wrote what she wanted then stood back and nodded.

WE WILL BE GRATEFUL EVERY DAY