10

Ianto didn't run, he never ran. Gentlemen don't do tht sort of thing but he moved with a graceful speed along the corridor and rounded a corner where the principal was bustling towards him.

"Mister Jones I…."

"Save it for when I can hear you without anger, where is he!"

Ianto was led to a side room with WELLNESS CENTRE over the door and Dylan who sat on the bed with tears rolling down his face and his hands clasped together in his lap. He looked up as Ianto burst into the room and a fresh round of tears started as he reached his little arms out, totally bereft.

Ianto wanted to kill them all.

He gathered Dylan into his arms and crooned, rocked, stroked, rubbed, kissed, sang.

After a while the little one went limp with relief and Ianto looked up to regard the man hovering around them, "Now speak."

"We have a relief teacher, one were used before in other classes and we provided all the relevant info on a class before handing it over. We never thought in a thousand…"

"Stop" Ianto's voice was clipped and full of authority, pulling the man back to the bed, "Today."

"He had the class reading a book, each child had to stand and read a passage." The Principal slumped, "when he got to Dylan there was nothing so he tried to make him. The other children tried to defend him but the teacher thought Dylan was being ….well….bratty. When he couldn't make him he punished him. A couple of the children ran for the office to get help but by the time I got there it had already happened and I entered as the ruler was coming down again."

Ianto felt his entire body go cold, shock as his brain registered that fact Dylan had been physically assaulted.

"Mister Prefimor, please ensure the teacher involved is nowhere near me as we leave, I am taking my boy home. He will have tomorrow off as well and will start back Monday fresh. This teacher will never teach here again and on Monday before the beginning of the school day as his last act here he will kneel, look Dylan in the eye and apologise. Dylan will learn that grownups can be wrong too, they atone too. Do you understand me?"

"Mister Jones, I don't know if I can authorise…"

"If this is not done I will not only have him charged with assault of a minor I will yank his teaching licence as well as demand a full external review of this school. If you think I can't then you need to understand that I am a Level one, repeat level one child carer with an uncle on the board of education. I can shut you down so fast your toupee spins, do you understand me? I may present as a polite welsh gentleman but I can assure you sir, I can rumble and if I have to have this school razed to the ground to make my point and there will be marshmallows on sticks. Do you hear me? If you want the Hoodlums to take an interest here you keep pissing off a life member!"

The man nodded mutely, his eyes wide as Ianto's speech became longer, more musical and he recognised the undertones of the other side of the world that still alarmed those of good standing on this planet. The underground, the thugs and thieves and dispossessed gypsies that roamed under the surface. Hoodlum speech.

Ianto's gaze was unwavering and it held the man like a cat holds a mouse, then he looked away and the man slumped back with soft pants of alarm as if finally dawned on him that there was a wolf amongst the sheep and it had a wonderful disguise.

"I m glad we understand one another sir" Ianto rose, lifting the child to his hip, "Monday. Apology in this room before the start of class and then he never comes here again. Yes?"

"Yes Mister Jones" the man said meekly following them to the front doors where he watched Ianto strap the child into one of the most high tech expensive vehicles imaginable with the military makings of a Captain's family on the side.

Harkness.

Long after it had sedately hummed off he stood staring at the spot, then a soft huff of amusement, "Good for you young man. Good for you."

They got home and Ianto immediately ran a huge bubble bath as Dylan squealed with excitement while he struggled from his clothes then slid into the water and Ianto walked through to the other room leaving the child in his little slice of heaven. Though the middle of the day Jack was there within a few pings, his tunic open and flapping as he looked a the screen with open alarm taking in Ianto's upset frown.

"What is it?" he demanded "What happened? Are you OK. Is Dyls OK? Ianto?"

Ianto went to speak but a hand snaked around Jack from off screen and a small compact man with cheekbones to die for slid around him and into frame, his pout epic, "Come on lover, we aren't finished."

Ianto blinked, looked at the hand disappearing over the firm smooth chest into the folds of the tunic, he looked at Jack's wide eyes of a deer caught in the headlights and he swallowed.

"We are fine, your son was just punished for not speaking by a teacher but I sorted it, go back to your fun" Ianto barked with anger and he swung to close the call.

He was shaking with anger and he wasn't sure who to direct it at.

The teacher?

Jack?

Himself for being so bloody thick?