4

"There's a note in the bottom of the bag" Jack said once he had emptied out the bag on the table, the baby tucked in one arm possessively. Ianto could see where this was going and he stood back as he listened in on the call Owen was making.

"Right" Owen said when he closed the call "Child Protective Services will be here in a couple of hours, they just want us to keep the little bugger warm and safe."

"We've got it, we will take him back to ours. This place is far too cold. Tiger, grab the dumpling" Jack said with a swivel and snap before storming off with the baby in his arms and the bag over his shoulder.

Ianto looked at his daughter to see how she was reacting to this new development but clearly Faith did not really care, too busy kissing the fireman's pole. Oh god. Ianto snatched her away as laugher started and comments were called out about her being Jack's child alright if she likes a Firemen's pole and such, Ianto far too scandalized to scold. It would be later that he would chuckle softly and see the funny side.

Right now, he was focusing on the child now entering his house.

This was… damn it… the kittens all over again.

He knew it was only for a couple of hours mind, so … it would be fine.

Right?

.

.

Jack was on his hands and knees going through the boxes he had placed aside for Monica, hoping for a girl so he could offload Faith's still new clothing. Not like they would need it again… right? Ianto was a brilliant provider of all things frilly and fluffy and cute so Jack had hand washed a lot of things that were precious so they were all still pristine.

The note had been a scrawl to say he baby's name was Alexander and to please care for him. The paper was ripped out of what looked like an exercise book or something and as everyone else went over it, analysing things and agreeing it was likely a young mother, a teenager probably, Jack worried about the newling.

Ianto was watching this intently.

Said baby was currently lying in the Moses basket with a soft blue pillowcase over the pink lining as Jack did not want people to think he was a girl. "Right Sparky, let's see what we have here."

Ianto had noted that too. Jack and named the baby. Sparky. Likely for the deep russet red tufts of hair and the Firehouse connection. The baby didn't' seem to care, dead to the world as he slumbered with a full belly in a soft bed made with love. Jack had found several items that were unisex so he had placed them to one side, lamenting the lack of little socks. Faith had little feet and she had worn the first size until they were pretty far gone. He had not saved any of those thinking it best to buy new for Monica's baby. Tippy's Tot, the crew called it.

The door slammed open and cold air entered the house, Jack rising to roar in a loud stage whisper for them to close the feckin door, the baby was getting cold.

"Sorry Cappy" came the reply as Millar sheepishly obeyed, then turned back to grin "Snow's here."

"Yeah? The soft sprinkling s predicted?" Jack asked as he turned to check Sparky was still asleep.

"More like a winter wonderland!" Millar grinned "I see ya salted the forecourt, I did it again. Will need to snow blow this afternoon in case Bessie id called out though, it's coming down fast. Light mind… but lots."

Ianto walked to the large bay window and looked out at the snow with a weird feeling that he did not like. Like a true smoke eater… he knew to trust his gut.

Great.

A storm.

.

.

By late afternoon Rhys was out on the Snow Plough trying to clear the valley's roads as well as keeping Bessie's line of fire clean. Ianto still had a bad feeling as the snow persisted despite the weather predictions and he now knew they were in for a cold night.

"Tiger, that was Child Services on the phone. Apparently the roads are closed the other side of the mountain, trees down from the weight of the snow or something. Is that a thing?" Jack called out from the doorway, Sparky now in his arms again.

"Crap, it is a thing. The weight of the snow breaks the boughs, bringing them down even if the tree itself remains standing. There are a lot over the road that I earmarked for removal this side and we can't control the other counties. They should have known better, bugger it" Ianto sighed.

"So… Sparky will have to stay here a bit longer?" Jack asked with glee.

"Just for the night, in the morning they can clear the roads and come for him" Ianto warned, frowning as Jack made a noise shoved the baby at Ianto and then he rushed off to get out the little cradle from the attic Ianto had been denying they needed.

"Shit. You've got a problem there mate" Andy said as he and Gwen sat nursing hot chocolates.

"The real one with a problem must be the poor mother. To do such a thing, where is her head?" Ianto answered as he sat with the baby tucked in his arm and he picked up a gingerbread man from the plate of them he had made earlier in a daze.

"Well, I am getting closer but still no cigar" Gwen added to the conversation "We had three senior schools here on camp and two of them took off last night and the third early this morning in their buses to get ahead of the weather. She could be a camp councillor, a teacher…"

"Or a kid" Owen finished "the text speak in the note and the paper… a school issue exercise book page might mean a bloody kid."

"Oh god" Ianto said with horror at the thought of a little girl in pain and fear out there somewhere, not being properly looked after post birth.

They were all worried about that.

In the bedroom Jack was now settling the baby he had snatched back eagerly and as he sang a lullaby Ianto worried about that too.