Xdszzzzzzzzopl;
*…

Loki has spoken!

4

"Repeat that?" Jack turned to face the screen and the image flickered, the man in silhouette who hated speaking (which was a shame as he had a lovely Welsh accent) sighed and then complied.

"This was not a Reaping, but another sowing. Those outside when they descended were hit. I believe those who were Gifted will have been those impregnated this time… I believe this is their idea of building a race of super humans. I don't know if they then want to harvest those children or… well… impregnate them when the time comes. I think they will come in a decade to take a handful of those about to be born in nine months to see if they were right… rinse and repeat."

"So… any of the Gifted that have fallen pregnant in the last few days might be… sown or whatever?" Jack asked looking at Lucia who stood nearby looking at horrified as he was at the very prospect.

"And if they are impregnated… they will come for them, won't they." Jack finally got the problem "They will be all sweetness and light again … but it will be another Reaping of some of them for… testing."

"Yes. I believe so."

"But they got us last time, they got us because we were not ready. This time… this time we will be ready for them" Jack said with more confidence than he felt and the soft sigh from the dark silhouette on the screen had him turning from the people he had been addressing, and he caught it. Faint but he caught it.

"You might like to think so Sir… but Man? Is a Fucktard."

Jack found himself grinning.

He liked this guy they called the Dark Dragon.

.

.

"Hey"

Nine months since the last visitation and the birthings had begun. Sporadic at first, like anything they were sometimes before or after the due date, but it was clear what was going on. And if it were not for Ianto... or rather Lisa's fall, they would not have been ready for what was about to come. Right now, Ianto didn't care. Ianto didn't respond to the soft voice, standing there in a sullen silence as the world seemed to move around him and his friends were forced to move closer until they were touching, like they always had even as small children. A Ianto Sandwich.

"We did all we could. Maybe it was the fact she was out there and… not inside soon enough, maybe it was something that would have happened with a normal person's pregnancy...maybe the bleeding... but… I'm sorry man. She was dead the moment the placenta detached." Owen sadly informed him "Those not Gifted, just with a gifted partner or a Gifted mother-to-be with a Norm… survived. It looks like it takes two to tango there."

"Thanks Owen, I feel so much better now" Ianto said flatly, turning to face him with a glare of doom that would scare someone who was not as close to him as Owen who did not take it personally as Ianto continued to speak "I am sure when I explain to my son that he killed his own mother in order to be born he will feel better too."

"Ouch" Andy said from the other side of him "It's not the boy's fault she died. Owen was…"

"Oi… no one could do anything. IT happened… it didn't just happen here!" Owen finally admitted "She's the eighth one this week… I think…."

"They are all Gifted that died. Fuck… in order for this next generation of Supers to be born…."

"Yeah. Those who bore them had to die. Like… some sort of power boost or something" Owen nodded. "Of course, the mothers who are not gifted, but the fathers are… seem to be spared."

"Then god help everyone… all these babies and no mothers" Ianto finally saw the desperation in Owen's face and the despair that matched his own.

The fuckers. They had made sure that those left behind would be not only desperate but damaged. And maybe…. Yeah. Apparently Man might be a Fucktard but these Visitors… smart.

Really Smart

.

.

"So … How many?" Jack asked as he held his new daughter in his arms, looking down at her like she was made of spun gold. How was he going to explain it to her one day, the death of her mother.

"Latest numbers are eighty-three confirmed dead. Eighty-seven new gifted babies."

"Huh?"

"Some were twins." John whispered softly to his best friend. "Those born to a Gifted mother and Norm father didn't kill their host. Same with a Norm Mama and a Gifted father."

"Fuck. And this is worldwide?"

"Yeah. Looks like all the Gifted women impregnated by Gifted men are dying in childbirth and their babies are being born like… well… this." John motioned at the baby and added "All strong, healthy and so damned alert."

"But why… do you believe what the Dragon had been saying lately. About this being another Sowing and another Reaping will come? For them?" Jack asked raising his gaze to meet John's.

John looked away, then back to meet that gaze and nodded.

The Dragon seemed to have some ability to see the future… to… feel it… and he was never wrong.

And they wished to God that they had listened to him sooner. But they were listening now.

But hey… mutants right? Not fucktards.

.

.

"Ianto?"

Ianto turned to find his sister behind him in the supermarket queue. Shit. He considered and then knew he had to do the right thing, smiling as he let her see the little one strapped to his chest. The little one in her trolley did make him pause with shock.

"I know, the doctors said I couldn't have any more after David. This is Mica. We adopted her from Johnny's side. His sister… Connie. You remember her? Yeah, she died in childbirth so…."

Ianto stood there trying not to gape as his sister openly admitted to having a Gifted Child and clearly also having no bloody brains to work that out herself. Fuck.

"She was the one who was singing at your wedding right? The pretty little thing who seemed scared of every sound?" Ianto finally found his voce.

"That's right. Apparently she was always a bit flighty, but when she sang she was mighty. Why her nickname was Birdie. She sang so sweetly though. So sad, she was hit by a drink driver, she was almost full term so this one is a little prem… like you were" she added and Ianto saw the reason for his sister not knowing that the child she had in her trolley was a mutant like him.

Wow.

Crap, another one who had slipped through the cracks… hopefully. Shit, but a prem is noted and extra medical attention is given right? Why he had to work a little harder and not admit to being prem when older.

"What did you name him?"

Ianto was surprised again, now trying not to grimace as he had not considered even having family in his life. Not after they virtually froze him out for being weird. Ianto looked down at his son "Lisbon."

"Oh. Weird" she laughed as she insulted both his son and the name that was close to his mother. Wow. Some things don't change.

"Yeah… well…" Ianto went to move away and she called out to hm.

"Wait. I never see you anymore. I know you and Da had that big bust up over the black woman… oh… I mean… oh god." She stopped talking as she looked at the soft mocha colour of the little one in the front pack "Oh. Are you two…"

"She died"

"Oh, Teddy Bear… I am so sorry" she gasped "Oh dear. A little orphan."

OK, now he was losing patience "No Rhia. I am his father, he still has me!"

"Sorry I didn't mean… I mean… how old is he? Mica is almost six months."

Ianto held his six-month-old son tightly as he nodded "Same. Wow, like Irish Twins."

She laughed and relaxed as he let go of her insults now he had a good handle on a lie that might stick. Might protect Lisbon.

And Mica too I guess.