2

Ianto was reading the file as Caden ran around the office touching everything. Normally his Taddy would have gently scolded by now but this office was a free for all, Aunty Evie always let him touch.

"Come here bubba" she crooned and he toddled over, his arms up with open glee for her to lift him into her lap.

She gave lovely cuddles and her hair smells great.

"Well, I don't think it is cause for alarm" Ianto finally spoke and looked up from the file at her, smiling softly, "It is the Third Rell and we often see heightened activity from this sector around this time of season. It is their traditional party time. You were wise to increase the stations along the border, that was swiftly done without gaining attention."

"I remembered that skirmish last time that almost broke the treaty, I don't know why their young have to get so drunk and obnoxious" she replied, stroking the little face that shone for her, the affection clear.

"Well, I will ask if anyone this side is importing any 3R." Ianto said, the elixir of these creatures was also a highly toxic alcoholic concoction that induced madness in some and only drunk during their sacred ceremonies. Although banned, it still snuck through border patrols sometimes and they both knew it would cause chaos.

"Thank you Ianto, dear. Just need ears to the ground and I know your street whispers are still active" she rose and handed him the baby, a kiss goodbye and a little toy slid into his hand as Ianto scolded without anger, used to this as well. It had been a shock to find her enamoured with their son, her usually cold façade so easily crumbling each time Caden approached her and Ianto had become aware that he may have been of a Welsh Colony but not entirely Welsh. Ianto now suspected he had a drop of something else in his DNA but didn't really care, he was so damned perfect.

"Come on squirt monster" he crooned as he adjusted the boy on his hip and Caden opened his hand to look at the little toy bug that looked a lot like Willie, his face lighting up with delight.

"Fank Oo Evie!"he said with glee around the huge lolly in his mouth compliments of her also, "Luf Oooo"

"Ahhhhhhh" her face shone with delight as she leaned in and kissed him, "Goodbye fine prince."

"What a wonderful bug" Ianto said as they walked down the long corridors of power, "He looks just like our Willie. Wow, I bet they will all be so impressed too, your own baby buggy."

"Yeah" Caden sighed happily, laying his head on Ianto's shoulder as he felt the love pouring from his Taddy into his very bones, feeling small but mighty.

Reaching the car park, Ianto leaned in the back and clipped his son in who was so busy with his toy bug he didn't even fuss like he sometimes did when being restrained. Caden hated confinement of any kind, wanted to run. Jack liked to joke that he even ran in his sleep.

"OK" Ianto said as he looked into the wee face, "Let's go get the shopping, yeah?"

"YEAHHHHH"

Ianto clipped in and eased the vehicle out of the parking bay and headed for the exit. There was a vehicle in front of him slowing to give way for another at a small intersection as the afternoon called many away from their work and as Ianto sat waiting for the vehicle to move he drummed his fingers on the steering wheel and hummed, his son making happy noises in time to it as he sang a nonsense song.

The slam was unexpected, the hover hit in the left rear and spun around in a slow arc as Caden screamed with fear. Ianto immediately fired it up and wrenched the wheel trying to stabilize it as they spun towards parked vehicles and he swore as he touched the panic button on the edge of the wheel that immediately deployed airbags around his child.

They hit with a sickening crunch.

Ianto sat with his heart pounding and his blood boiling, then over the sound he heard Caden so he gingerly got out and stepped to the back to wrench the door open, relieved it was the opposite side to where he was sitting and leaned in to disengage the safety feature. Now Caden could see his Taddy the screaming stopped and he blinked at him with huge shocked eyes, "Tadda. I dropped Willy."

"It's OK" Ianto soothed "Taddy will find him and Daddy with scream and run away. OK?"

Caden's lip wobbled as he tried bravely to smile.

Ianto was about to say something else soothing when he felt two strong hands grip his hips and he was propelled out of the vehicle and though the air to land on the hand driving surface so hard the air was knocked from his lungs and he gasped for breath as he looked up at the huge man who was descending.

"Look what you did to my fucking Hover, do you know how much that cost?" the man roared and Ianto staggered to his feet as other people started to intervene, they pulled the man back as they tried to defuse the situation and Ianto looked back to see Caden had managed to undo the restraints and was climbing out so he rushed in and plucked him out.

"Oh dear Pete, he had a baby in there!" a woman called out and more people started getting involved as they tried to help, Ianto assuring them Caden was just afraid, not injured.

The blow to the side of his head was totally unexpected and as he slammed against the vehicle the horror of the situation became real as Caden screamed in his arms.

Ahhhhh shit.