Learn to Love Again

Into Hiding

"JJ? JJ? Jamie stop playing games and come out, this isn't funny now." she looked around the garden again, still no sign of him. It had been almost ten minutes since the noise of the football against the garage has mysteriously stopped. "JAMIE YOU COME IN THIS MINUTE!" Jenny yelled and Diana came out to see what was going on.

"He's probably just wandered off with his friends. He won't be far" she put a hand on Jenny's arm. "Come on, let's walk down to the playing field at the school, I bet they're there."

"I'll kill him wandering off like that!" Jenny said "There are still so many random people snooping in the village. I TOLD him to tell me where he was going if he left the garden." panic was rising in her, like nothing she'd ever felt before. Her breath started to get ragged and she felt sick.

"I know lovey, but he's a seven year old boy! Head full of adventure and very little common sense when more than one of them are together. Let's go so you can kill him before you expire eh?" Diana smiled indulgently. Jenny was doing a great job as a new mum and in the main, succeeding. Being a teacher, she was used to working with independent little monsters, but this was a whole new ballgame for her. One she hadn't had the luxury of time to learn. Tom was due home tomorrow, take some of the burden off, but till then, Jenny was teacher, mentor, mum and guardian angel. Diana, of course, was still as involved as ever, she stayed with Jamie at night, letting Jenny go and prep for school and get a little respite. The two of them got on like a house on fire, but she tried to let Jenny take the lead these days. Who knew, in the coming months, what changes would happen in the Hiddleston household - she hoped.

Tom had, other than this small blip of adverse publicity, never seemed more content. He facetimed Jamie every night and then called the two of them for the real story of how things were going. They never hid anything and sometimes he got angry and upset because they were upset but he trusted his mum and his girlfriend without question. They would, he knew, do anything to protect his son and he, in turn, would try to protect them.

Jenny was the single best thing to happen to Tom in a very VERY long time. Diana prayed each and every night that nothing would happen to spoil that. Until today, she felt her prayers had been answered.

They walked to the field beside the school and could see a group of boys ranging in ages kicking a football about. The usual jumpers for goalpost kind of game, they were shrieking and hacking at each other, laughing their heads off. As they caught sight of Jamie's Gran and Miss Grey, the shrieking ground to a halt. One of the boys in Jamie's class ran forward.

"Hi Miss!"

"Hello Robert, looks like you're having fun!" Jenny smiled, trying to be relaxed, as she scanned the group of muddy boys. "Er, have you seen Jamie at all?"

"He was here Miss but he went away with his Uncle about ten minutes ago - said he was your brother Miss. They were going to the shop to get you some flowers Miss!" Robert seemed very pleased to be the bearer of such exciting news.

Jenny almost fainted on the spot. Her brother was in Germany. She sagged and Diana caught her just in time. "Oh I think you might have surprised Miss Grey with that one!" she said with a strained smile. "Come on Miss Grey, let's see if we can find them and make sure they are flowers you like eh?" She put an arm round Jenny's waist. "You boys run home now ok? It's almost tea time and your parents will be missing you. Go on , off you trot!"

"Yes Mrs Hiddleston" Robert said and turned issuing the order to his troops. They filed away, waving and shouting bye. Jenny could hardly stand by this point. As soon as they were gone, she sank onto the grass. Diana pulled out her phone. Who to contact first? Tom or the Police?

"Yes hello, Police please" she made the decision as she knelt beside a distraught Jenny. "PC Dixon? It's Diana Hiddleston. Jamie is missing. We think he's been abducted." As she spoke, there was a noise to her left and Jenny passed out on the grass. "We're at the school field. Please hurry."

She bent down and gently rubbed Jenny's face and hands until she came round. "OH DIANA WHAT HAVE I DONE!!" Jenny almost screamed.

"Shhhhh pet, it's ok, we'll find him. PC Dixon is on his way. Let's start looking while I call Tom ok? He's probably just wandered away. He's a sensible boy, if someone has tried to trick him, he'll know what to do. He'll be somewhere safe, with an adult he trusts. We just have to find out which one. They'll phone me on my mobile if there's no-one home when they get there. It's going to be ok." she helped her stand. "now, you go to the school, use the register to start ringing round. See if anyone has seen him. Here comes PC Dixon, I'll let him know what's happened and we'll come and get you ok?"

She had to find her something to do, something to stop her completely going to pieces. Diana watched as she tottered into the school, her own heart racing. Nothing could happen. Not here, whoever this "Uncle" was, he had to have been convincing, Jamie was a smart cookie. He knew not to go with strangers. Didn't he?

Ten minutes later, the police had a APB out for Jamie and his "Uncle". When searching the local area turned up nothing, they'd very quickly decided this was not a case of mistaken identity. This was what it looked like, abduction. Parents from the village joined in the search and every shed, outbuilding, warehouse and greenhouse was checked just in case. The local garage had CCTV on it's forecourt, and that was checked. Nothing.

By now, even Diana had given up the pretence of calm. Tom was on his way home, being driven at great speed by Luke and Jenny had been sedated. She had been hysterical once she'd finished the fruitless phone calls. The doctor had been called and she'd been taken back to Tom's house and given some tablets. She sat like a zombie, unseeing, unmoving, just waiting.

Now they waited. Waited for Tom to come home, waited for the police to tell them something, anything, and waited for an oblivious and mischievous boy to come trotting in, unaware of the apocalypse happening at home.

The only thing of the three that happened was Tom. He arrived a couple of hours later, Luke at his back and he flew straight in the door and knelt at Jenny's feet. He looked at his mum , who shook her head.

"Jenny, Jenny darling" he spoke gently to her, kissing her hands "Jenny its me. It's Tom. I'm here love" slowly she seemed to register he was there. She looked at him where he knelt and silently her face crumpled into a tearful howl. He grabbed her and wrapped his arms around her as she howled into his shoulder. He looked at his mum over hers, Diana was in tears too. For her son, for her grandson and for the woman who now, needlessly, blamed herself.

"Oh Darling, it's not your fault, we'll find him. It will all be a big mix-up you'll see. It will be ok Darling I promise" he tried to reassure her but all she could say was

"I did it. I did it. I said it. I did it. "

"What does she mean Mum?" he asked softly, as he sat on the sofa, Jenny in his arms, muttering like a mad woman.

"She said what we all do when children are naughty. We say we're going to kill them when we get hold of them, don't we?"

"But that's just a phrase! " he sounded astonished.

"You and I know that love, but she's gone to pieces. In her head it's her fault. We can only wait till she calms enough to listen. Hopefully by then he'll be home." she reached over and laid a hand on his back. "How are you doing son?" she rubbed it carefully, studying his face.

"Actually, I'm more angry than anything. This is all Tina's fault. She started this. If anyone is going to do any killing round here...." he trailed off as PC Dixon, and a plain clothes detective walked into the room accompanied by a uniformed female officer. Tom stood, letting his mum take Jenny. The female officer came and sat with them. Tom thought he was going to be sick.

"Mr Hiddleston? Mrs Hiddleston? Miss Grey?" the detective looked at them "I have some news. Let me say immediately it's not the worst, but you better sit down sir."