14
Ianto parked at the side of the house and yawned.
The drive back had been so long this time, he missed Jack beside him and with a soft sigh he turned to check his sleeping beauty.
Jack was following with Walter, their day of fun had been finished with one last soak in the new hot tub and Walter had fallen asleep in Betty's lap. Jack had stayed to help finish stacking the freshly split wood for Heck while Walter snoozed.
It was late afternoon and the evening was not far off.
Ianto exited the vehicle, locking it behind him.
With Dinner on his mind, Ianto opened the front door to the firehouse and walked back to the SUV.
The soft double beep as he opened the doors were loud in the light evening air. Ianto carefully removed Stephen from the back and helped him up the path on his crutches.
He waved the keys behind him and heard the chirp of central locking.
Getting Stephen into the house proved a problem as the poor lad was so tired. Finally Stephen was on the sofa and drifting off again.
Ianto walked back outside, looking at the keys in his hand as he hummed to himself and the light chicken and salad dinner began to grow in his mind.
He pushed the button.
Huh.
He pushed it again.
Ianto reached the corner of the path and looked up.
At an empty parking bay.
Ianto couldn't breathe and he felt his knees go weak as he collapsed onto the soft grass beside the path.
He sat there for a few moments and then shakily got out his phone.
He looked at it and keyed in Jack's number, then stopped.
Frowned.
Keyed a different one.
The call was quick and to the point. When it was concluded, Ianto rang Jack.
"Jack."
"Hey baby," Jack's warm voice boomed, "We're about an hour out."
"Jack."
"Did you think about dinner?" Jack asked "Wanna get takeaways?"
"Jack."
"Ianto?"
"Jack."
"Hang on, I'm pulling over." Jack heard Ianto's fear and pulled to the side of the road. "Baby?"
"Jack."
"OK. Think the thing you need to say, then let it out baby."
"The SUV has been stolen while I was getting Stephen inside."
"You didn't lock it?"
"Of course I bloody locked it" Ianto snarled, anger overriding the fear.
"Shit. Have you called the police?"
"No." Ianto's voice was strangely flat. "I called Idris."