In the end, not even the threat of a Jackie Tyler slap was enough to keep Ianto from going out in search of Jack. With only a black hoodie for cover, Ianto quickly crossed the estate in broad daylight, praying fervently that no unfriendly eyes were watching.

He had no doubt that Jack had merely wandered out of the apartment of his own volition, and that nothing more sinister had occurred. Had Torchwood been responsible, he knew that he would have been taken as well, if not killed outright.

Ianto turned the corner and found himself at the edge of a small park and playground area, where perhaps half a dozen children were playing and running around. He scanned the area quickly and was about to continue on his way when a sight on the other side of the playground caught his attention. There, much to his intense relief, was Jack. He was sitting on the ground with another child who looked to be around eight or nine years old, and the two of them appeared to be lavishing attention on a large dog.

Torn between feeling frustration or amusement, Ianto hurried around to where his wayward charge was sitting.

Jack hadn't meant to be naughty and leave the apartment. He really hadn't. All he'd done was get up to go to the bathroom when he'd heard a new sound.

He really, honestly hadn't meant to go outside, but he wanted to know what was making that noise because it sounded really interesting and he had only planned on opening the door a crack to peek out and then shut it again but there was a boy walking past like Luke but not Luke and he had a dog like his dog only not a toy but a big live honest to goodness dog…

Before he really knew what was happening, he'd gone outside the apartment to look at the big dog, and the boy had told him he could pet the dog if he wanted to. The next thing he knew, he was following them to a playground not too far away, and sitting on the ground petting and cuddling and holding the big dog that was called Charlie.

So, it really wasn't his fault. He hadn't meant to disobey his Yan toe. It had just… happened. As much as part of him knew he was going to be in trouble, though, he couldn't help but take pleasure in the warm sun and the bright day and the cool breeze and the big dog called Charlie who was licking his face and letting him cuddle him as much as he wanted.

Jack was so caught up in cuddling and petting Charlie that he didn't see the man coming towards him. He didn't realised someone else was there until a shadow fell across him, blocking out the warmth of the sun.

Ianto stood with his hands on his hips, frowning as he waited for Jack to register his presence. Slowly, Jack's head came up as he pulled his attention away from the enormous Golden Retriever that was currently sprawled contentedly in his lap, and finally their eyes locked.

Jack paled a little, his hands stilling on Charlie's back, and the dog whined a little at the sudden lack of movement. He swallowed, and his lower lip trembled.

"I'm in trouble, aren't I?"

"Oh yes," Ianto confirmed sternly. "You are in big trouble, but we'll deal with that when we get home. Right now, you can say goodbye to your new friends. It's time to go."

Jack's face fell completely. He hugged Charlie once more, and then looked mournfully to Charlie's owner.

"I have to go now."

The boy looked from Jack to Ianto quizzically.

"He wasn't doing anything bad, Mister. He just wanted to pat Charlie. I said he could come with us. It's not his fault."

Ianto couldn't help but smile.

"Thankyou for telling me that, but I'm afraid there's a little more to it."
Jack leaned in towards the boy at that point and whispered conspiratorially.

"We're hiding from the bad people."

Ianto shut his eyes and offered up a quick prayer for strength. He only hoped firstly that the boy hadn't seen any of the flyers that Jackie had shown him earlier; secondly that he hadn't seen which apartment Jack had come out of; and thirdly, that he assumed Jack was simple.

The boy, for his part, was staring at them both now with wide eyes.

"You mean like that witness protection thing?"

Ianto saw an opportunity, and pounced on it.

"Yes, that's right… Sorry, what was your name?"

"Ben, Mister."

"Well, Ben, the truth is that Jack here is in hiding from some very bad people who want to hurt him. I'm trying to keep him safe."

"Are you a policeman?"

"Yes, that's right," Ianto agreed, ignoring the wide-eyed look that Jack was now giving him. "That's what I am, Ben. If anyone asks you about me or Jack, we need you to say that you haven't seen us. Would you do that?"

The boy's eyes were alight with excitement at the secret that he'd been made privy to, but he nodded and answered with all the solemnity of an adult.

"Yes, Mister. If anyone asks, I don't know who you are, and I never saw you. Okay?"

"Okay," Ianto agreed in relief. He then looked to Jack, who was still looking mournful and had his arms wrapped around Charlie. "We have to go home now, Jack."

With visible reluctance, Jack released his hold on Charlie the dog and got awkwardly to his feet.

"You're a police?" Jack asked, wide-eyed, as Ianto took his hand and began to lead him back. Ianto huffed a little in frustration, and waited until they were well away from Ben before speaking in a low, tense voice.

"No, Jack, I'm not a policeman, and you bloody well know it. I had to lie to that boy because you couldn't do what you were supposed to do, and stay inside!"

"Are you mad?" Jack asked in a suddenly small voice.

"Yes," Ianto admitted. "Yes, Jack, I am mad. You know better than to do this!"

"I'm sorry…"

"No, sorry isn't quite enough this time. You know why we're in hiding, but you still went outside where you could have been seen by anyone! I don't want to be mad at you, Jack, but it really isn't good enough. It isn't just you at risk here, you know. You're putting me and Jackie in danger as well."

A loud sob broke the ensuing quiet, and Ianto didn't need to look to know that Jack was crying. This time, though, Ianto made no attempt to comfort him.

They met up with Jack halfway back to the apartment. She looked to Jack in concern, but said nothing when Ianto shook his head. As much as he hated it, Jack needed to understand the potential ramifications of his actions. He needed to have it hammered home so that he thought twice the next time he had an urge to wander.

Back at the apartment, Ianto took Jack straight through to their shared room, and sat him down on his bed.

"You're going to stay in here until supper time, Jack. No TV, no books, nothing. I want you to just sit here and think about this. When I come back in here, I want you to be able to look me in the eye, and tell me that what happened today is not going to happen again."

With that, he left Jack alone, trying hard not to let his own heart break at the sound of the heart-wrenching sobs that came from within the bedroom.

"Wasn't that a little bit harsh?" Jackie asked softly as Ianto joined her in the kitchen.

"He's not a child, Jackie," Ianto reminded her. "He needs to understand that he can't just wander off."

"Where'd he go, anyway?"

"To a playground, thankfully not too far away. He was distracted by a bloody dog!"

Jackie couldn't quite hide a snort of amusement, drawing a mutinous look from Ianto.

"It isn't funny! He could have been recaptured! He could have gotten you killed!"

The amusement fled Jackie's face almost instantaneously.

"You didn't put that guilt trip on him, did you? Oh, Ianto…"

"I'll talk to him later," Ianto conceded with a sigh. "But right now I just need him to see that there are consequences. We seem to have been fortunate this time. We might not be the next time."

"He might not be a child, sweetheart," Jackie said in an attempt to placate the irate Welshman, "but he's still thinking like one. You need to give him a bit of a break. After all, how long did you say he'd been locked up for?"

"A hundred and six years," Ianto said glumly. "I know… It's just, the longer we're here, the greater the risk of being caught, but there's nowhere else we can go. I'm scared, Jackie, for all of us."

"I understand," Jackie insisted. "Really, I do. But you aren't goin' to achieve anything by taking it out on Jack. He's scared too, you know."

"I'll talk to him," Ianto promised. "But not yet. He needs to…"

He trailed off as Jackie looked pointedly past him. Turning, he discovered Jack hovering nervously in the archway, clutching his blanket to his chest and struggling not to cry.

"I told you to stay in your room, Jack," Ianto said sternly. Jack whimpered, and Jackie gave Ianto a pointed glare. Sighing, the younger man conceded.

"All right, then. What is it, cariad?"

He deliberately used the term of endearment to soften the anger that he knew was seeping through in his voice. As angry as he was, he didn't want Jack to doubt that he was loved and cared for.

"My dog," Jack whimpered, tears filling his eyes afresh. For a split second, Ianto thought he meant Charlie the dog, only to realise quickly that it was his toy dog that Jack was referring to. He was confused for all of about ten seconds before dismayed realisation struck.

"Oh, no… Please, tell me you didn't…"

Jack hung his head and wrung his blanket miserably, confirming Ianto's fear that Jack had left the toy behind at the playground. He groaned softly, but somehow managed to keep a check on his temper.

"All right, Jack. All right. I'll go back and look for your dog."

"Ianto, maybe I ought to go," Jackie interjected worriedly. "I mean, it might not be safe."

"It's all right," Ianto murmured in assurance, even though a deeper instinct whispered otherwise. "Even Torchwood aren't that quick off the mark… I hope. And besides, I think I know where he left it. I just hope no one else has taken it."

Jackie, however, was having none of it.

"Don't be so bloody stupid, Ianto. You just lectured Jack about how dangerous it is to go outside, but you're willing to take that risk going out to look for a ruddy toy dog?"

"It was a gift to Jack from one of the other Secure Archive workers," Ianto explained. "It was after he'd had a particularly bad experience, and now the damned thing is nearly as important to him as his blanket."

"All right, fair enough, but you can stay right here. I'll go and look for it."

"Jackie," Ianto protested, "what if we were spotted? If you go back there now, they might make the connection and work out where we are!"

"Ianto, you're a smart lad, but right now you're being an idiot. If you'd been spotted before, then I reckon they'd already be knocking on the door."

Instinctively, Ianto knew she was right. Subsequently, he nearly jumped clean out of his skin when the doorbell rang.

"Both of you, stay right here," Jackie told them, fear sparking in her own eyes. "And for God's sake, keep quiet!"

Ianto nodded, and Jack clamped a hand over his own mouth in an almost comical attempt to quieten his hiccoughing sobs.

Bracing herself for a confrontation, Jackie went to the front door and, before she could lose her nerve, flung it open to deal with whoever was on the other side.

"Oh, hello there!" she exclaimed, both startled and relieved to find a young boy standing there. She thought she recognised him from the Estate, but she didn't know him personally. He couldn't have been any older than nine or ten, and yet he seemed to have no problem controlling the big dog at his side.

The boy glanced around, as though looking for anyone who might have been near enough to be listening in, before leaning forward and whispering to Jackie.

"Is Jack here?"

She stared at him, at a loss for what to say or do. The boy went on in that same secretive whisper.

"It's just, he left this behind at the playground, and I wanted to give it back. You know, before Charlie got it and slobbered all over it."

Jackie looked down in time to see the boy produce a slightly dirty stuffed toy dog from within his coat. Suddenly galvanised, Jackie ushered both boy and dog into the apartment.

"Come in, quick, out of sight." She closed the door firmly behind them before turning back to Ben. "Now, how you know Jack is here?"

"Well, I saw him come out of here earlier," Ben explained. "Don't worry, though. They didn't follow me. They don't know he's here."

Again, she found herself gaping.

"What are you on about? Ianto! Jack! Get out here, both of you!"

Slowly, Ianto emerged with Jack shuffling nervously behind him. They both stopped in surprise at the sight of the boy in the living room.

"Ben?" Ianto inquired cautiously. Jack, however, only had eyes for the large canine.

"Charlie!"

The big dog barked and surged forward, pulling away from Ben and trotting eagerly over to Jack for a fresh round of hugs and pats.

"I brought this back for Jack," Ben explained. "He left it behind when you came and got him."

Jack uttered a wordless squeal of joy as Ben handed him the toy dog, and he cuddled it to him with one arm, whilst the other arm held firmly onto Charlie.

"Jack," Ianto said quietly, "don't you have something to say to Ben?"

Jack looked up at the boy, eyes red and swollen from crying but still smiling.

"Thankyou for bringing my dog back."

Ben grinned.

"S'okay. Charlie wanted to see you again, too."

Jack grinned through his mop of hair and drying eyes, and hugged Charlie again. The dog responded by bathing Jack's face with his tongue. Struggling not to grimace at the sight, Ianto returned his attention to Ben.

"Thankyou, Ben."

"S'okay," Ben said again. "And don't worry, they didn't see me come here."

A slight chill raced down Ianto's spine. He really, really didn't like the way that came out.

"Who didn't see you, Ben?"

"The people that turned up after you left. There was maybe five or six of 'em, and they were goin' around asking all the kids about you and Jack. I think some of the kids said they saw you, but none of 'em knew where you went. I said I was busy with my dog, and didn't see nothing."

Jackie reached out to touch Ianto's shoulder with a trembling hand. They were both equally shaken to learn that operatives were so close on their heels.

"The CCTV!" Ianto burst out suddenly. "The playground's CCTV! Oh god, they know where we are…"

"No, they don't," Jackie insisted, although she felt considerably less sure than she managed to sound. "If they knew, they wouldn't have been asking a bunch of kids about you."

"Maybe," Ianto said hoarsely, "but they'll know we're in the area. How long before they swarm this place?"

He was oblivious to everything around him, aware only of the panic that was rapidly taking hold of him. His breath was just starting to catch in his throat when the stinging pain of an open-palmed slap jolted him back to awareness. He gaped at Jackie in shock, too stunned to be concerned about Jack reacting badly to her tactics.

"You listen to me now, Ianto Jones," Jackie said fiercely. "We aren't going to panic. We aren't going to go to pieces. We are going to lay low and wait for this to blow over, because it will blow over. They aren't going to find you or Jack, I promise you that. And you, Mr Jones, are going to stay calm and not panic. Is that clear?"

"Crystal," Ianto said as he rubbed gingerly at his cheek. Jackie nodded.

"Good. Now, Ben, how about we get you some milk and cake, and then you can go on home."

Ben nodded enthusiastically.

"Thanks! And if you like, I could bring Charlie around again to see Jack. That is, if he isn't allowed to go outside?"

Ianto looked to Jackie to respond to that. After all, it was her apartment, and her decision. She considered it for a moment before relenting.

"That'd be lovely, Ben. And maybe it'll stop Jack from wanting to wander."

Ianto looked across to Jack, who smiled sheepishly. He spoke quietly, grateful for Jackie's command of the situation.

"I think that would be a brilliant idea."

After Ben and Charlie had left, nearly half an hour later, and relative peace had settled once more, Ianto left Jackie preparing dinner and joined Jack in the living room. The older man watched his protector warily, much to Ianto's quiet sadness.

"Do I have to go back to my room?" Jack asked softly, and Ianto could see that Jack was preparing himself to go and sit out the punishment. Sighing, he slung an arm around Jack's shoulders and pulled him in close for a hug.

"No, you don't have to. I think you've learnt your lesson today, haven't you?"

"Yes," Jack mumbled, slowly stroking his fingers over the toy dog. Ianto watched him curiously for a minute before speaking again.

"What's bothering you, Jack?"

"We can't escape, can we?"

The question came literally out of left field, and Ianto stared at Jack in wonder and heartbreak. When Jack looked up at him, his expression bore the same innocent sadness as always, but for just a split second Ianto thought he could see the mature man behind the childlike façade.

"I don't know," he answered honestly. "I honestly don't know, cariad. All I can promise is that we're going to try our best. I know this is hard for you, Jack, but try to hold on for just a little longer. Please…"

"Okay," Jack agreed with innocent sincerity.

Silence reigned between them for a while before Jack shifted on the couch to turn and look at Ianto.

"Yan?"

It took some effort for Ianto not to react to the abhorred nickname. It was time, he decided, to teach Jack to say his name properly.

"It's 'Ianto', Jack. Not Yan."

Jack frowned.

"Yan toe."

"Yes, but all in the one word. You're saying it like it's two separate words. It's not. 'Ianto'. Try it, go on."

"Yantoe."

"Nearly. Try again. Say 'Ianto'."

Jack drew in a long breath before speaking carefully with exaggerated articulation.

"Ianto."

Ianto didn't try to hide the grin that lit up his face, and in turn Jack's face lit up with delight at the realisation that he'd done something to make Ianto happy. Enthused, he grabbed Ianto to him in a bone-crushing hug that the younger man had no intention of trying to squirm out of.

"Well done," Ianto praised him, laughing softly as he hugged Jack tightly.

"I love you, Yan," Jack exclaimed, promptly falling back into the habit of shortening Ianto's name. Ianto rolled his eyes and decided it just wasn't worth the argument.

"I love you too, Jack."

Jack sighed happily before sitting back contentedly. Ianto got to his feet, intending to go back to helping Jackie with that evening's meal, when Jack spoke up again, sounding both tentative and hopeful.

"Yan?"

Ianto swallowed a desire to chip Jack on the use of that nickname. There had been enough upsets that day, and he had no wish to cause another.

"What is it, Jack?"

"Can I have a dog?"

to be continued...