5

Jack waited for his return and was disheartened when it was the Brig who entered the house instead, his gaze falling on Jack with such sorrow and pity. He walked over and sat "Right. He knows you have nowhere else to go. He has requested that as soon as there is a space in the communal housing that you and your kids be placed there until you house is rebuilt. He will not put you out on the street but clearly… given her... ah… misstep… he is refusing to be in the same house. For now, he will fly the black as part of the outer ring security force."

"Is he OK?" Jack croaked out.

"No. No, he is not. It is a mere year since his son died, what your daughter has done by desecrating his son's shrine as she did… no. He is not OK. I have never seen him so angry. He is visibly shaking and unable to speak without showing his teeth. First time I've seen his bloodline and I have seen him in combat" The Brig warned "best leave him be. OK?"

"He is on the Betty, I take it?" Rhiannon asked from the kitchen counter and the Brig nodded "Goddess, I hate that big bitch of a thing. He told me he would not take her beyond atmo anymore, not since we heard of that model imploding."

"Well, it seems he would rather have his crappy old ship crumple around him than face this" the Brig stood and smoothed his clothing while looking around uncomfortably "I don't know how to fix this one. I have seen him in combat, I have seen him in childbirth… I have never seen this level of pain."

Jack looked up at him with confusion, then rose "You know him well?"

"Of course. He is my ward" the old man replied sadly "I saw the power in him, the leadership in him even as a child. I have helped him, honed and have been proud to watch him excel. He cam here for me. But when he lost his child... then his wife… part of him died too."

"What can I do to fix this?"

"You can't. That shrine in there… you can't put it back together. For better or for worse… the mourning he was putting off, the pain he was swallowing down… it's all coming out and maybe he is right. It is better to scream into the black where sound does not carry."

Jack nodded sadly, watching the old man leave and then he turned to Rhiannon "Will he be OK?"

"Eventually. What choice does he have?" she replied sadly, moving around the table to put out plates for the food none of them really wanted anymore.

In her room, Alice wept.

.

.

Ianto was sitting in the captain's chair, slowly revolving back and forth while he hummed softly to himself, trying to work out the fuel ratio with the lighter load than usual. The ping of a vid-com incoming made him groan as he reached for it, seeing the Harkness insignia. It had been three days, and he was still not sure if he was ready to hear the man's excuses for his child.

But it was not Jack who appeared on the screen, it was Alice. Ianto steeled himself for another assault as he stared at her silently. After a while it became apparent that she was not going to speak so he sighed "Look princess. These vid-coms ship to shore are really expensive so if you intend burning your Dad's credits out of spite, at least sing a song or recite some poetry or something."

"I'm sorry" she finally said softly, her eyes red from crying "I didn't understand… I mean… I don't know how that much pain can be in one person."

Ianto rubbed his face as he considered the answer "I am sorry I threw it at you, I didn't mean to project so much. You just… hurt me."

"I know" she said, then a sob escaped "It really did hurt."

"I am powerful, more so than you can know. What I threw your way was only a small part of my strength, I have knocked people off their feet with anger in my youth ya know" he grinned "One day, when you can control your own powers, you might too."

Then her eyes tracked up to him "You know?"

"Alice, I hear you loud and clear. Don't tell your father, but you are already stronger than he can ever be ya know" he grinned "You have a chance, if you hone it and can focus on training, you know, you could be a leader."

"You think?"

"I know. I know you are feeling displaced, the energies are off, everything it weird. That's because you don't know how to center yourself how to focus and shield from things. You need training. I can help, but we need to talk to some of the old mages, get you a trainer."

Her face changed hope there now "Really?"

"Alice. I am still hurt and angry over what you did to my little boy's room but at the same time I know you have never suffered the loss I have. Your mother leaving, times that by a hundred… consider her dead, not just unloving. You saw a monster bite her head off. Can you?" Ianto counselled as bet he could, considering this is not his child, or one of his recruits. But she was a fellow mutant, and they are far and far between, rare and sometimes frightening out here in the black.

"I felt so alone" she admitted "And Stephen calls me creepy."

"Ah. My sister is sometimes annoying too. When she started dating, she brought them home and I would try and set them on fire with my mind." Ianto admitted, making Alcie giggle "One time… I swear to the gods, his hair did smolder a bit."

"Are you the only one?"

"In my family? Yeah this string, but I think Mica has promise, once she starts puberty she might exhibit. Rhiannon is a Norm, so is David" Ianto nodded "Lisa was telekinetic so Lucas was likely going to have powers too. Sometimes at night, when I am alone, I imagine the man he might have become."

"What happened?"

"He was attacked by a Hererbdon" Ianto said, knowing he should say it out loud at least once in a while "Lisa and I could not deal with his loss, our shared power making the house so sad. Lisa was caught in a recovery mission and was lost… I know she didn't really care if she made it or not, the vessel we were saving had kids on board so… she sacrificed herself with our son on her mind."

"And you lost everything." she slumped back "Bummer."

"Yeah, sucking fucking bummer" Ianto agreed "Life is a bitch and the gods are arseholes."

Alice giggle again, then again said "Sorry."

"Accepted."

"So… can you come back?"

Ianto was surprised and he knew it showed "Excuse me young lady?"

"I will cook. I will do roast beast and we will have scalloped potatoes, I know how to do those, we were taught at school in Home Economics… come on… come home" she asked.

Ianto felt something inside as he looked at her face on the flickering screen, saw her honesty and it felt nice that someone wanted him around, even if she also sort of hated him.

"OK, I will come home on Friday, so you don't miss any school. You have Fridays off, right?" he relented "I will return and I will eat your food."

She squealed happily, then made a face "Daddy's home. I better go before he catches me burning up his credits."

Ianto heard his own voice coming back at him and he laughed, Alice joining in as she reached out to cut the feed and he wondered for the first time if they might make this work after all.

She did need help.