Stolen
Title: Stolen
Author: Timelordshines
Characters: Ianto Jones, Toshiko Sato
Rating: PG-13
Words: 2077
Spoilers: S2E12
Disclaimer: Characters belong to RTD and the BBC - I’m just borrowing them.
Written for hc_bingo prompt "Caught in a Robbery".
Tosh and Ianto walked slowly around the big old house. It seemed to be empty with no signs of life, but even so the duo were cautious. This was an upmarket neighbourhood, it wouldn’t do to draw too much attention.
“Did you bring the tech for opening locks?” Ianto asked.
“No,” Tosh confessed, “it never occurred to me.”
“I thought about it this morning, when we were talking about coming out here, then I completely forgot.” Ianto said. “We can’t shoot the locks off, it’s far too loud. Also I don’t really want to break a window for the same reason.”
As they rounded the corner to the back of the house, Ianto looked up, “there’s a small window left open up there. If you stand on my shoulders, do you think you could get in?”
Tosh considered it for a brief moment before agreeing it was their best way in to retrieve the alien tech that was showing on their scans. She nodded, “yeah, no problem.”
After taking another look around to make sure they weren’t spotted, Ianto crouched down against the wall beneath the open window to allow Tosh to crouch on his shoulders and then, both of them holding the wall for balance, he slowly stood up. Tosh stood up then and pulled herself in through the window.
“You ok Tosh?” Ianto asked quietly, using their comms to talk rather than shouting.
“Yeah I’m good.”
“You want to come downstairs and let me in, or just go and find the tech? It looks like its upstairs in a room on the far side of the building.”
“I’ll just go and retrieve it. I won’t be long. Wait there.”
Ianto moved back into the shelter of the hedge at the side of the property, where he had a good view of the window Tosh had disappeared through and of the road in both directions, and settled down to wait anxiously for Tosh to return to the window.
Two minutes later there was still no sign of her, “come on Tosh,” Ianto muttered under his breath. He raised his hand to his ear to toggle his comms, “any luck Tosh?”
“Yeah, I think I can see it. It’s a bit cluttered in here…” Tosh said as she picked her way over the precariously balanced chaos. “Yup. Got it.”
“Great!” Ianto grinned. Then, looking around as he prepared to leave his hiding place, he saw a car coming towards him down the road.
“shit. Tosh, get out of there, now! We’ve got company.”
“Ok, I’m coming.”
“It’s the police Tosh. They’re at the front door. Someone must have tipped them off that we are here.”
“I’m nearly back at the window.” Tosh replied, somewhat breathlessly.
“Hurry, they’re in the building!” Ianto hissed.
“Too late!” said Tosh as she heard the heavy footsteps on the stairs.
“Shit!” Ianto cursed as the alien tech that Tosh had gone to retrieve came sailing out of the window, Tosh having given up on getting out of the house in time and decided to throw the tech out of the window to keep it out of the policemen’s hands.
Ianto, unsure what to do, remained hidden in the hedge. He realised that this far outside of Cardiff the police probably wouldn’t have heard of Torchwood, and it would be far easier to argue for Tosh’s release from this side of the cell door than get arrested with her and try to fight through the red tape from inside. After what seemed like an eternity, but could only have been ten minutes or so, the policemen led Tosh out to the car, opened the back door and pushed her inside, ducking her head to mind the doorframe.
As the car disappeared around the corner Ianto stepped out of his hiding place and dug out his mobile and speed dialled Jack.
“Jack, we have a problem. Tosh has been arrested.”
“Shit.”
“Yup. I’m going to head over to the police station now and see if I can get her let out. I might need backup, people always listen to you.”
“I’ll be there as soon as possible. Just do what you can. We can’t let them hold her for long, it might trigger…”
“I know Jack” Ianto interrupted. “I will get her out. Thanks Jack.” With that, Ianto ended the call and put his phone back into his pocket. He bent to retrieve the alien tech in the containment box that Tosh had thrown out of the window. Luckily it was harmless enough, they just didn’t want a member of the public stumbling across it. He stowed the box in the boot of his car and then brushed himself down. It wouldn’t do to turn up at the police station looking like he had just spent the last half an hour in a hedge. Satisfied that he looked presentable, Ianto straightened his tie then got behind the wheel to follow the police car back to the station.
Back at Newport police station, Tosh was trying to explain herself to the booking in sergeant. “I was there on official business. I work for Torchwood.”
The sergeant gave her a blank look “if you could just give me your hand?” he said holding up the ink pad for collecting her finger prints.
Tosh complied, but continued speaking “Have you heard of Torchwood? We’re from Cardiff. We work with Cardiff police.” Not strictly true she thought, but it might get through to policeman who was busy ignoring her and taking her prints.
“I need to take your photo now.” The young man said, lifting up a digital camera and snapping off her booking in photos before she had time to react.
“Are you listening to a word I say?” Tosh asked.
“I’m sorry Ma’am, I just need to book you in. You can make your statement to the detective in due course.”
Tosh took a breath and counted to ten. She wanted to throttle him. “Can I make a phone call?”
“You can call your solicitor when we have finished here.”
“I need to call my boss.”
Meanwhile, Ianto parked his car and walked up to the door. Taking a deep breath and straightening his tie, he entered the building and walked up to the front desk.
“Good afternoon,” he greeted the desk sergeant.
“Hello Sir, how can I help you?”
“My name is Ianto Jones. I work for Torchwood in Cardiff. I understand my colleague Toshiko Sato was brought in here a short time ago.”
“Ok, just a moment Sir,” said the policeman, searching for the booking reference on his computer. He looked at the screen, then up at Ianto, and then back at his screen. Then the policeman reached out and pressed a button under the desk. Ianto heard the electronic clunk of the doors behind him locking and two policemen came out of a side office and flanked him a little too close for his liking. Ianto looked from one to the other, then back to the desk sergeant, “what is going on?” he asked although he had a pretty good idea.
“Miss Sato was arrested this afternoon on charges of breaking and entering. Further charges may be added to that. Our witness said she was working with a man fitting your description.”
Meanwhile Tosh had been shown to a holding cell. The policeman opened the door and motioned for her to step through. She did, looking around her nervously. “An officer will be along shortly to collect you for questioning,” the sergeant said before closing the metal door with a loud clang and she was trapped. All alone in a five foot by eight foot room. The room was completely empty save for a bare bench like seat along one wall.
Tosh closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. This was all too familiar. She tried to push memories of the Unit jail cell to the back of her mind, telling herself that this was different. They would come and get her shortly and question her and this time she was dealing with the police, not Unit. They would listen to her. She couldn’t be imprisoned without trial here. There was only a short limited time they could hold her without charging her. And as soon as she was allowed to make her phone call she could speak to Jack or Ianto and they would help. She told herself all this, but it didn’t stop her breaking out in a cold sweat, and feeling like the walls were closing in on her. She had never suffered from claustrophobia until she spent that time in the Unit cell.
Back at the front desk, Ianto fought the urge to roll his eyes. “Miss Sato did enter the building this afternoon, but she was not acting unlawfully. She was on official, classified business. Torchwood works alongside Cardiff police and we had a legitimate reason to be in that building today.”
“So you admit you were there too?”
This was not going well. Where was Jack when he needed him? He could charm his way out of any situation.
“Call Detective Swanson at Cardiff police headquarters. She will verify that we were there officially.” Ianto sincerely hoped that Kathy was in a good mood, and that Jack hadn’t upset her lately. He could really do with her backing up his story. Of course they weren’t there with express permission of the police, but he hoped Kathy trusted them, or at least him, enough to cover for them.
The officer behind the desk reached for his phone and dialled. Ianto waited anxiously, all too aware of the policemen on either side of him. He mentally crossed his fingers as he listened to the sergeant’s end of the conversation.
“Hello, this is constable Graham of Newport police. I’d like to speak with Detective Swanson please.” There was a pause as he was put through.
“Hello, Detective Swanson?”
“I’ve got a young man here called Ianto Jones, he says he works for Torchwood.”
“I see.”
“He and his associate Toshiko Sato have been arrested for breaking and entering.”
“No, they didn’t cause any damage.”
“I don’t know if they stole anything. Nothing has been reported missing as yet.”
“He says they are working in line with the Cardiff police on a confidential matter.”
“I see.”
“Yes. Yes. Ok.” He held the phone out to Ianto, “she wants to talk to you.”
Ianto took the phone. “Hello?”
“Ianto? You are lucky it was you and Tosh. If it had been Harkness I might have let him stew for a few days! “
“it would probably have been good for him,” Ianto answered, fighting to keep a straight face as he imagined Jack’s outrage. “Thank you for confirming our position with the police here.”
“Yeah, well I’m not happy about it. I want to see you and your esteemed leader as soon as you get back to Cardiff. I need an explanation.”
“Ok. Will do,” said Ianto. That was going to be fun. Oh well, he’d let Jack worry about what to tell her.
Kathy hung up and Ianto passed the phone back to the sergeant.
The sergeant took the phone and turned to one of the officers standing beside Ianto. “Go and get Miss Sato. Tell her she is free to go.” Then he turned to Ianto, “I’m sorry for the misunderstanding Sir.”
“That’s ok,” Ianto smiled politely. “These things happen.”
Ianto stood waiting for Tosh to be brought out. He got more and more nervous as the seconds ticked by, trying not to show his concern as he worried that perhaps they had changed their minds.
Eventually Toshiko was lead out into the lobby. Ianto breathed a sigh of relief and thanked the policemen then he and Tosh hurried out of the building.
As soon as they were around the corner out of sight of the entrance Ianto paused. Tosh stopped and turned looking up at him.
“Are you ok?” Ianto asked.
Tosh nodded. She really didn’t want to talk.
Ianto opened his arms and pulled her to him in a tight hug. “I’m sorry,” he whispered into her hair.
She nodded into his chest and held on tightly for just a few moments.
When she pulled away her eyes were dry and she looked calmer. Tosh looked up at her friend, “thank you,” she said softly. It was good to know she wasn’t alone.
Author: Timelordshines
Characters: Ianto Jones, Toshiko Sato
Rating: PG-13
Words: 2077
Spoilers: S2E12
Disclaimer: Characters belong to RTD and the BBC - I’m just borrowing them.
Written for hc_bingo prompt "Caught in a Robbery".
Tosh and Ianto walked slowly around the big old house. It seemed to be empty with no signs of life, but even so the duo were cautious. This was an upmarket neighbourhood, it wouldn’t do to draw too much attention.
“Did you bring the tech for opening locks?” Ianto asked.
“No,” Tosh confessed, “it never occurred to me.”
“I thought about it this morning, when we were talking about coming out here, then I completely forgot.” Ianto said. “We can’t shoot the locks off, it’s far too loud. Also I don’t really want to break a window for the same reason.”
As they rounded the corner to the back of the house, Ianto looked up, “there’s a small window left open up there. If you stand on my shoulders, do you think you could get in?”
Tosh considered it for a brief moment before agreeing it was their best way in to retrieve the alien tech that was showing on their scans. She nodded, “yeah, no problem.”
After taking another look around to make sure they weren’t spotted, Ianto crouched down against the wall beneath the open window to allow Tosh to crouch on his shoulders and then, both of them holding the wall for balance, he slowly stood up. Tosh stood up then and pulled herself in through the window.
“You ok Tosh?” Ianto asked quietly, using their comms to talk rather than shouting.
“Yeah I’m good.”
“You want to come downstairs and let me in, or just go and find the tech? It looks like its upstairs in a room on the far side of the building.”
“I’ll just go and retrieve it. I won’t be long. Wait there.”
Ianto moved back into the shelter of the hedge at the side of the property, where he had a good view of the window Tosh had disappeared through and of the road in both directions, and settled down to wait anxiously for Tosh to return to the window.
Two minutes later there was still no sign of her, “come on Tosh,” Ianto muttered under his breath. He raised his hand to his ear to toggle his comms, “any luck Tosh?”
“Yeah, I think I can see it. It’s a bit cluttered in here…” Tosh said as she picked her way over the precariously balanced chaos. “Yup. Got it.”
“Great!” Ianto grinned. Then, looking around as he prepared to leave his hiding place, he saw a car coming towards him down the road.
“shit. Tosh, get out of there, now! We’ve got company.”
“Ok, I’m coming.”
“It’s the police Tosh. They’re at the front door. Someone must have tipped them off that we are here.”
“I’m nearly back at the window.” Tosh replied, somewhat breathlessly.
“Hurry, they’re in the building!” Ianto hissed.
“Too late!” said Tosh as she heard the heavy footsteps on the stairs.
“Shit!” Ianto cursed as the alien tech that Tosh had gone to retrieve came sailing out of the window, Tosh having given up on getting out of the house in time and decided to throw the tech out of the window to keep it out of the policemen’s hands.
Ianto, unsure what to do, remained hidden in the hedge. He realised that this far outside of Cardiff the police probably wouldn’t have heard of Torchwood, and it would be far easier to argue for Tosh’s release from this side of the cell door than get arrested with her and try to fight through the red tape from inside. After what seemed like an eternity, but could only have been ten minutes or so, the policemen led Tosh out to the car, opened the back door and pushed her inside, ducking her head to mind the doorframe.
As the car disappeared around the corner Ianto stepped out of his hiding place and dug out his mobile and speed dialled Jack.
“Jack, we have a problem. Tosh has been arrested.”
“Shit.”
“Yup. I’m going to head over to the police station now and see if I can get her let out. I might need backup, people always listen to you.”
“I’ll be there as soon as possible. Just do what you can. We can’t let them hold her for long, it might trigger…”
“I know Jack” Ianto interrupted. “I will get her out. Thanks Jack.” With that, Ianto ended the call and put his phone back into his pocket. He bent to retrieve the alien tech in the containment box that Tosh had thrown out of the window. Luckily it was harmless enough, they just didn’t want a member of the public stumbling across it. He stowed the box in the boot of his car and then brushed himself down. It wouldn’t do to turn up at the police station looking like he had just spent the last half an hour in a hedge. Satisfied that he looked presentable, Ianto straightened his tie then got behind the wheel to follow the police car back to the station.
Back at Newport police station, Tosh was trying to explain herself to the booking in sergeant. “I was there on official business. I work for Torchwood.”
The sergeant gave her a blank look “if you could just give me your hand?” he said holding up the ink pad for collecting her finger prints.
Tosh complied, but continued speaking “Have you heard of Torchwood? We’re from Cardiff. We work with Cardiff police.” Not strictly true she thought, but it might get through to policeman who was busy ignoring her and taking her prints.
“I need to take your photo now.” The young man said, lifting up a digital camera and snapping off her booking in photos before she had time to react.
“Are you listening to a word I say?” Tosh asked.
“I’m sorry Ma’am, I just need to book you in. You can make your statement to the detective in due course.”
Tosh took a breath and counted to ten. She wanted to throttle him. “Can I make a phone call?”
“You can call your solicitor when we have finished here.”
“I need to call my boss.”
Meanwhile, Ianto parked his car and walked up to the door. Taking a deep breath and straightening his tie, he entered the building and walked up to the front desk.
“Good afternoon,” he greeted the desk sergeant.
“Hello Sir, how can I help you?”
“My name is Ianto Jones. I work for Torchwood in Cardiff. I understand my colleague Toshiko Sato was brought in here a short time ago.”
“Ok, just a moment Sir,” said the policeman, searching for the booking reference on his computer. He looked at the screen, then up at Ianto, and then back at his screen. Then the policeman reached out and pressed a button under the desk. Ianto heard the electronic clunk of the doors behind him locking and two policemen came out of a side office and flanked him a little too close for his liking. Ianto looked from one to the other, then back to the desk sergeant, “what is going on?” he asked although he had a pretty good idea.
“Miss Sato was arrested this afternoon on charges of breaking and entering. Further charges may be added to that. Our witness said she was working with a man fitting your description.”
Meanwhile Tosh had been shown to a holding cell. The policeman opened the door and motioned for her to step through. She did, looking around her nervously. “An officer will be along shortly to collect you for questioning,” the sergeant said before closing the metal door with a loud clang and she was trapped. All alone in a five foot by eight foot room. The room was completely empty save for a bare bench like seat along one wall.
Tosh closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. This was all too familiar. She tried to push memories of the Unit jail cell to the back of her mind, telling herself that this was different. They would come and get her shortly and question her and this time she was dealing with the police, not Unit. They would listen to her. She couldn’t be imprisoned without trial here. There was only a short limited time they could hold her without charging her. And as soon as she was allowed to make her phone call she could speak to Jack or Ianto and they would help. She told herself all this, but it didn’t stop her breaking out in a cold sweat, and feeling like the walls were closing in on her. She had never suffered from claustrophobia until she spent that time in the Unit cell.
Back at the front desk, Ianto fought the urge to roll his eyes. “Miss Sato did enter the building this afternoon, but she was not acting unlawfully. She was on official, classified business. Torchwood works alongside Cardiff police and we had a legitimate reason to be in that building today.”
“So you admit you were there too?”
This was not going well. Where was Jack when he needed him? He could charm his way out of any situation.
“Call Detective Swanson at Cardiff police headquarters. She will verify that we were there officially.” Ianto sincerely hoped that Kathy was in a good mood, and that Jack hadn’t upset her lately. He could really do with her backing up his story. Of course they weren’t there with express permission of the police, but he hoped Kathy trusted them, or at least him, enough to cover for them.
The officer behind the desk reached for his phone and dialled. Ianto waited anxiously, all too aware of the policemen on either side of him. He mentally crossed his fingers as he listened to the sergeant’s end of the conversation.
“Hello, this is constable Graham of Newport police. I’d like to speak with Detective Swanson please.” There was a pause as he was put through.
“Hello, Detective Swanson?”
“I’ve got a young man here called Ianto Jones, he says he works for Torchwood.”
“I see.”
“He and his associate Toshiko Sato have been arrested for breaking and entering.”
“No, they didn’t cause any damage.”
“I don’t know if they stole anything. Nothing has been reported missing as yet.”
“He says they are working in line with the Cardiff police on a confidential matter.”
“I see.”
“Yes. Yes. Ok.” He held the phone out to Ianto, “she wants to talk to you.”
Ianto took the phone. “Hello?”
“Ianto? You are lucky it was you and Tosh. If it had been Harkness I might have let him stew for a few days! “
“it would probably have been good for him,” Ianto answered, fighting to keep a straight face as he imagined Jack’s outrage. “Thank you for confirming our position with the police here.”
“Yeah, well I’m not happy about it. I want to see you and your esteemed leader as soon as you get back to Cardiff. I need an explanation.”
“Ok. Will do,” said Ianto. That was going to be fun. Oh well, he’d let Jack worry about what to tell her.
Kathy hung up and Ianto passed the phone back to the sergeant.
The sergeant took the phone and turned to one of the officers standing beside Ianto. “Go and get Miss Sato. Tell her she is free to go.” Then he turned to Ianto, “I’m sorry for the misunderstanding Sir.”
“That’s ok,” Ianto smiled politely. “These things happen.”
Ianto stood waiting for Tosh to be brought out. He got more and more nervous as the seconds ticked by, trying not to show his concern as he worried that perhaps they had changed their minds.
Eventually Toshiko was lead out into the lobby. Ianto breathed a sigh of relief and thanked the policemen then he and Tosh hurried out of the building.
As soon as they were around the corner out of sight of the entrance Ianto paused. Tosh stopped and turned looking up at him.
“Are you ok?” Ianto asked.
Tosh nodded. She really didn’t want to talk.
Ianto opened his arms and pulled her to him in a tight hug. “I’m sorry,” he whispered into her hair.
She nodded into his chest and held on tightly for just a few moments.
When she pulled away her eyes were dry and she looked calmer. Tosh looked up at her friend, “thank you,” she said softly. It was good to know she wasn’t alone.