56
They were on the outskirts of Cardiff when the tail lights ahead blinked then came on hard. Ianto swore softly as he followed suit and both vehicles came to a halt with screeching tires and smoke.
Ianto felt tendrils of dread as he turned to his sons and told them to watch Ton, then he slid form the vehicle and ran towards the front.
Jack was running, as was John and they were both shouting as Ianto came along the side of Black Beauty and felt bile rising.
Two vehicles had met head on and there was screaming coming from one as the other smoked.
"FIRE! FIRE!" John screamed as he stood back with his cell phone calling emergency services.
Jack was slamming his elbow against a car window as he tried desperately to smash the glass.
Ianto calmly removed his ever present flick knife from his pocket and engaged the blade, stepping forward and leaning against the bottom corner of the pane, shattering it with his body weight.
"I thought we talked about you carrying a concealed and illegal weapon" Jack panted as he watched it disappear again.
"We did. I just didn't agree" Ianto said as he reached in to assess the driver now that Jack had carefully pulled out the man in the passenger seat who was still screaming and struggling.
"Dead" Ianto said softly.
"Fuck!" Jack saw the blood on Ianto's hand and bobbed down seeing the head damaged and rose again, "Other one?"
"John, take babs back to the Spaceship, and don't let Stephen out!" Ianto demanded and John moved to comply as Jack grimaced.
"God, Stephen. He mustn't see!" Jack said as he looked back to the Spaceship.
"He's on the passenger side, hopefully he doesn't come looking," Ianto panted as he slipped in the wet, swore and then went down.
"IANTO!" Jack yelled.
"I'm OK Cariad, just my dignity" Ianto huffed, clambering to his feet, already wet and not caring anymore as he struggled with the undamaged side of the smoking vehicle.
Jack got on his hands and knees, checking for flames as he watched Ianto's converse move about then disappear as the creaking metal told him the door had opened.
"TADDY!" Stephen screamed and Jack turned to see Stephen running from the driver's side.
Jack rose and caught him as Ianto re-appeared, pulling a woman from the wreckage.
"Fen! Fetch the emergency blanket from Black Beauty" Ianto roared as he laid her in the wet ground and started rechecking her.
Stephen reached the two men as Jack removed his great coat and flung it over his husband's wet shoulders.
"What about you" Ianto gasped, already shaking.
"I don't care, I can't have you ill" Jack snapped and then reached out to hug him, hoping to lessen the bite.
Stephen helped cover the woman as the sirens echoes in the distance.
"Fen, go stand by the grill of Black Beauty so they aren't afraid to swing in close" Ianto ordered, "Get another blanket for your father."
Stephen hurried to help as the fire engine arrived, the twos and blues proudly resounding.
"Ambulance behind us" the first fireman said as he knelt to assess the woman.
"I can't detect any severe trauma, but I suspect her airbag did the job too well, I think that nose is broken, maybe a cheek bone judging by the feel of the socket" Ianto said as he motioned towards one side of her face.
The ambulance arrived and Ianto stepped back, finding Stephen in his father's arms as he watched with wide eyes.
"Are you OK love?" Ianto asked as he reached for the boy.
"It's on fire, you climbed in and it's on fire" Stephen whispered and Ianto turned with surprise, seeing for the first time that the car was engulfed in flames.
"I'm OK darling, we're OK" Ianto crooned as he closed in, making sure the boy was cuddled by his fathers and unable to see as she was collared and boarded for travel.
