11

Yvonne was waiting and she cooed with delight at the little dress she had chosen herself, the two looking elegant and shiny as Ianto shrugged off his coat to give an usher, ignoring Jack's outstretched hand.

Jack handed over the other coats and they started in, the usual nodding and polite conversations as they passed those who wished to show favour and please Yvonne. It was surprising to find some also wanted to be in the good graces off the two men and more than once Ianto felt Jack clutching at his arm and he let him lead him to their seat, then stepped into the front one to sit next to Alice, Yvonne on the other side so the little girl could preen between them.

Jack sat behind them with Caden and immediately the little boy protested, "I can't see."

"The curtain hasn't gone up yet" Ianto explained, turning in the seat, "The stage will be lit and the other lights will fade out so we can all see."

"Oh" Caden blinked, "OK."

Ianto was about to turn around again when Jack reached out and touched his arm, "Are you OK?"

Ianto looked at him for a moment and then nodded, the moment of pause telling Jack he wasn't at all but was not about to talk about it. Jack knew he should have stepped into the room and talked freely with him, the exchange between them with the kids there hadn't been right. Jack sighed and looked at his son who had so easily dictated the mood and swore silently. The wee storm had created friction again.

"Come on kids, don't forget the glasses" Yvonne said excitedly as she placed the optical lenses on. The old fashioned frames giving it all an old earth feel.

The music had started, signalling the play was about to begin and Ianto turned with a drink in his hand to pass to his son, then he looked at Jack and frowned, looking at the theatre glasses and the unnatural shine in the corner of one lens.

Ianto reacted without a second thought, swinging as he dropped the drink to the floor and Caden looked with shock at the liquid as it splashed his little feet. Ianto was rising from the chair to reach across his daughter and slap his hand down on the palm pad by Yvonne that deployed the emergency shielding within the viewing boxes of the gallery level.

The sound of the explosion was muted against the shielding and the children cried out with fear as Yvonne threw herself over Alice even as she felt Ianto's strong arms grabbing her shoulders to shield both her and the child.

They sat up shakily, Yvonne's eyes scanning the massacre below as Ianto rose and started shouting orders to those waiting in the corridor outside the viewing box. Caden was crying softly so Ianto turned to pick him up, cuddling him as he let Yvonne check Alice. Jack was already out the door heading for the lower level and Ianto could soon see him below moving amongst the dead and injured barking orders.

"This was not an accident" Yvonne said in a shaky voice, "That was not a gas leak or something, was it."

"No" Ianto said softly, "I saw the ignition under the stage. Must have been primed to go off when the curtains moved."

"Gods, how many are down there?" Yvonne asked, her strength retuning as her anger started, Alice clutching her skirts with large eyes.

"Aunty?" Alice asked with horror as she peeked into the pit blow, "Someone hurt them? Why?"

"I don't know darling" she answered, looking at the man who had just saved their lives. They shared a look as they both knew the blast was aimed at the box they were still in, the emergency shielding saving them even as it failed to help anyone else.

"Thank Pete you saw it" Yvonne whispered as she lifted Alice onto the chair so she could hold her tightly.

"A fluke" Ianto answered, also knowing he would not have seen it if he had been sitting back with Jack.

Caden's little play of power had just saved their lives.

Ianto sank into a chair and held Caden as he shook with fear and adrenalin, the horrible image of those below changing to his own sweet babies and their delicate, fragile little bodies.

Someone had just attempted to assassinate Yvonne Harman.

They had just tried to kill his family as collateral damage.

They were going to learn that was not an acceptable loss.

Ianto calmly handed his son to the only person he could trust outside of his own house, telling her to take them to the Transporter, he would follow once he had talked with Jack.

Yvonne didn't argue, simply carried Caden as Alice walked sedately beside her, still clutching her skirts.

"Madam, what are your orders?" an agent asked, his face bloody from shrapnel.

"Don't ask me" she snapped, "Ask him."

He turned to watch Ianto exit the box room with a snarl on his face and his elegant suit jacket already discarded to over a body his daughter had glanced at.

The Wolf began to prowl.