18

Ianto considered things as Alice sat on the bed playing with her teddy she had managed to tuck under her arm when they had run, her only teddy now. Ianto hoped the house was OK, her lovely things but deep down knew it probably wasn't.

"Come on" he said, climbing from the bed. He led her out into the main room where things were starting to look more normalised and he headed to a large arm chair that sat near a main beam. He spread a blanket and then took her teddy to sit on it. Her face lit up as she settled on the blanket to watch Ianto adjust the cushions and then sit in the chair. He knew he was taking a risk but Alice had lived here her whole life, her immunisations were up to date and really he wondered now if he had been scaring her more. Time to fix things.

Ianto opened his mouth and spoke loudly as he once in the library, "Once upon a time, there was a little boy called …"

"CADEN!" Alice shouted gleefully and Ianto canted his head then nodded.

"OK Poppet, Caden. A lovely little boy called Caden who didn't have many friends. He was quiet and shy, didn't do much to get in trouble but sometimes felt like he was in the way." Children appeared from all corners to settle with Alice, their eyes wide with glee as story time began.

As the story unfolded children started to shout out their ideas and theories, even questions that they felt needed explanation.

"But is Caden is a little boy how can he be a superhero?" A little boy challenged with a serious look.

"Size is not important when a superhero. Tell Ant Man or Caterpillar Dude that" Ianto smiled softly, "It's not the size of the person, it's the size of his heart and what did I say about a heart?"

"It's invisible outside the body" Alice breathed with wonder, "It can be ginormous."

"Good word darling, yes. A heart can be bigger than a planet but invisible because it is a super hero power. To have a big heart is a power too." Ianto nodded, "So. Where were we? Right, so Caden saw the evil villain man about to push the button and there was a sword sitting on the floor. What did he do?"

The children erupted, as well as a few Grups that all argued the merits as Ianto accepted a cup of tea with a gentle thank you to the woman who patted his shoulder softly before she settled with her mate to listen to the debate.

"Well, we have two options here do we?" Ianto said after a sip, "Either he runs him through with the sword or he uses the sword to destroy the device."

Silence.

"Right?" Ianto challenged, then he continued, "Of course there is another option."

Silence.

"Caden could have run away and not looked back."

"But then he wouldn't be a super hero" Alice snorted, "Super heroes don't get scared and run away."

"Ah, but then he wouldn't be human Poppet" Ianto smiled softly, Jack snorting as he saw what the story really was. "People get scared. Even super heroes get scared and want to hide, run away and make it all go away. That's not weak, just human. A true hero is someone who acknowledges fear but does the right thing in the end. Caden didn't kill the villain and he didn't run. Caden used the sword to destroy the device."

"Everyone is naughty sometimes" Alice nodded, "Even Daddy."

"That's right sweetling, clever baby girl" Ianto crooned softly, then straightened with a look of apology, "Sorry. My wee one gets me so gushy. But she is right. Everyone is naughty sometimes; even super heroes who try to be good. Like Caden said, a good heart is hard to grow. We all get scared, angry and make mistakes. It is important to grow a big heart, so it is important to forgive brain farts. You see, the villain was not a villain at all. He just didn't know the device was going to do that. Right?"

"So he just needed a time out" Alice said with a nod, "Like the naughty chair."

Some giggled as they agreed and Ianto laughed softly, "Yes. You see we all get scared. I know I broke my mother's favourite vase one day when I was little and she cried. Sat on the floor and cried because it had been all she had of her grandmother and I had killed it throwing my ball inside. I felt really bad. An accident, right? But that one thing is a spot in my heart that can never grow bigger. Each bad thing, each wrong thing stops a piece of heart growing. We must remember to be good and try hard so the bits that can grow make up for it."

"Who's hungry" a mother called, all of the children racing for snacks with Alice joining them eagerly.

Jack slid over to settle on the arm of the chair, leaning in to kiss Ianto's forehead, "Well played sir, well played."

"They will forgive us now" Ianto said with a sigh, "They will understand that what happened here was a brain fart. Good people make mistakes and they can still be good people."

"Thank you for that" someone said and Ianto looked up, seeing the bandaged thigh of the thug that had been stabbed, "My little boy will remember that. Thank you."

"We all have to be better" Ianto said firmly, "I know that quarantine area is a scary place but I have not seen any food go that way all morning. We have to do better there as well."

As Ianto rose and moved for the curtained area of their lodgings several moved towards the food area.

Ianto didn't look back, knowing that those in quarantine were about to get cared for too.

Hearts can still grow.