22

Ianto knew Rhiannon was there, the loud thumping footsteps warning him as he turned to face her with Star in his coat like a fat stomach, her own large stomach showing her own time was close.

"Tee" she said softly "I heard the bub is here?"

Ianto looked around the general store at the sudden lack of movement and hid his annoyance. They had not yet said anything and here we are, once again, she has stepped on their news. "Thanks for letting everyone know for us Poppet"

She rolled her eyes "Oh god. Come on, there is no need to keep the little one a secret. God, mine will be held high and run through the streets like a bloody offering. So bloody animalistic."

Now Ianto saw the Blumanchu shopping in the store taking notice, their bristling starting to match his own. Oh god. Then she continued to speak "So is it a boy or girl? Tell me it at least is not a hellion already."

"An angel actually" he bristled as he took a step back from her, his anger thrumming at the need to defend his new baby "He is perfect, a little angel and we are deeply in love."

Rhiannon's hands went to her bump and then she said softly "I suppose you will be to busy for my…"

"Blumanchu births exclude the Dam's side of the family. You married into his, they will tend you now" Ianto cut her off "Besides. I might say something or do something wrong. Would be terrible to make a mistake, they do not like it when their ways are ignored."

"What?"

"Blumanchu birthing is different. You have been going to the classes right?" Ianto took another step back as her grimace told hi she had not been attending and likely the women had bene scolding her for it, making her more stubborn on the matter "I have to go. Gabby will be getting home soon and has yet to meet his brother."

Ianto walked away with more anger than he had first intended to exude.

.

.

Archie was nervous, his hands clasping and unclasping as he looked at the little sleeping angel and then away. He was not here for Raffy? Ianto felt a slight pulling his gut as he smelt fear on his old lover, something he had never felt before since arriving with his family. It wafted off him.

"Arch? What is it darling?" he found himself asking softly, trying to soothe like you would a spooked horse.

Ianto accepted the offered papers, surprised as Arcie was a tech man, not used to hard copies of things. This meant he didn't want it out there able ot be accessed. For Your Eyes Only kinda thing. He looked at the sheets of paper and felt the world tilt.

"So, this I why we have our Monster Squad gathered here" he said to himself as he moved from the corner of the room to the table, choking out the words as he looked up again, finding Archie's worried face. "Archie now I understand why there are so many ex-SS here. Fuck me. Fuck! How long… I mean…"

"Ianto, love, I had no idea… I mean…"

"I know. That's not what I mean. The amount of retired SS on the vessel with us coming out here, those already here and the two fucking squads that have come since. They knew. Those in power, they orchestrated this!" Ianto threw the papers down with anger.

"Orchestrated what?" Jack asked from the doorway, the baby still asleep but now in his arms even as a fat baby Judoon toddled past in a stupid looking straw hat.

Two sectors over there is a battle, it was four sectors away when we arrived here and it is growing closer by the day" Ianto pointed at the papers scattered on the table where he had flicked them with anger and Jack walked over. He looked down, baked and thrust their son at Archie who grabbed the bundle as Jack picked up the papers to look at with open horror.

Fuck.

"Yeah." Ianto said as if Jack had spoken out loud.

"Reavers" Jack spat with anger "And they look dug in!"

"And we have months…mere months given the vessels they have just taken over by the looks of it, these are planet hoopers… well" Ianto snorted as Jack turned the paper sideways "They WERE planet hoppers. Look like they flew through a fucking academy or something."

"Or the vessel sent to engage were straight from the academy. Like the three that are due here next week" Archie piped up, still cuddling Raffy. "No way that many classes are ready for this."

"What?" Ianto and Jack said at the same time.

"I wondered why they were being sent her for part of the security detail along with that huge budget increase. I though there must be some official government fat cat coming to do a meet and greet or something but here we are… they think that we will just jump out of retirement an defend this sector and their fucking mining planets all around us!" Ianto laughed hollowly looking over at Jack then both men turned their heads to look at the baby.

"And they thought right" Jack sighed as he rubbed his face.

"Time to assemble the Monster Squad."