Disclaimer : I claim nothing accept the idea for this story

 

Author : Eviefan

 

Summary :  A shopping spree with Alex goes terribly wrong when the tot goes missing

 

 

Lost in London

 

 

It was the start of another day.  The sun shown in the window, and the birds chirped.  Rick moved his arm over his eyes not wanting to have to face another day.  He, and Evelyn had spent the first part of their night trying to get Alex to sleep in his new room, for they had just moved to London two days ago.  The 24 month old was used to sleeping in the same bed with his parents, and now they they were in a new house, there were new rules for sleeping.  He felt Evelyn snuggle closer to him, and guessed she felt the way he did, that mornings were very over rated.

 

"Tell the birds to stop chirping," she mumbled.  He chuckled.

 

"Okay as long as you tell the sun not to rise," he replied.  She rolled over and rested her head against his chest, hearing his heart beat.

 

"Maybe we should just keep him  in bed with us until he is  ready to sleep on his own,"  she told her husband.

 

"No I miss making love to you in our bed. Besides when we make love in the bath tub we both come out looking like wrinkled prunes,"  he said.

 

"I know but I hate hearing him scream for us," she replied.

 

"I don't like that either, but he has got to learn that we will be there for him, even if we are in a room two doors down,"  Rick said.  She sighed, and they would have rested more, when they heard him start to cry again.

 

"Welcome to the day,"  Rick said, kissing her before they both got up to start their day, and their baby boys.  Evelyn pulled on a robe, and walked down the hall way, just as Alex started to scream out for them.  When she opened the door he was sitting up in his crib with big tears running down his face.

 

"There there mummy is here,"  she responded, as she walked over to his crib and lifted him out.  He relaxed once he was in her arms, resting his head against her shoulder, as she carried him over to his dresser.  She knelt down, and got out a pair of checkered overalls, and a black long-sleeved shirt to go with it, as well as a clean diaper, socks, and a T-shirt for added warmth.  She placed those on the big bed, which he would sleep in when he was older, then went to the bathroom, and filled up the pitcher with warm water, getting a clean wash cloth.  Once she had that in hand, she went back to his bed, and poured the water into the porcelain wash basin. 

 

"Okay baby, let mummy get you dressed, then we will go in town to buy some new things for your room."  When she tried to lay him down, he held on to her.

 

"Noo," he said, and whimpered a little.  She rubbed his back swaying a little. 

 

"Come on darling let mummy get you ready for today."  This time he let her lay him down, and looked over as daddy walked in.

 

"No go daddy out,"  he grumped.

 

"Alex be nice to your daddy,"  Evelyn scolded.  His bottom lip trembled, then he cried again, this was deffinantly not going to be a good day.

 

"Would you like coffee or tea for breakfast?" he asked over Alex's crying.

 

"Hmm..Tea,"  she responded, as she got their son undressed.  Once daddy was gone, Alex calmed down.  He was his momma's boy, and it was often that he got jelouse of her love for his daddy.  Once he had a clean diaper, and was dressed she let him down, and he ran out of the room heading for the steps before she could catch him.  When he got there, he sat down on his bottom, and scooted down, one step at a time.  At the bottom, he ran into the kitchen and over to his daddy, laying his head on Rick's lap.

 

"There's my big boy."  Rick lifted him up, and got a good cuddle from him.

 

"I hungy daddy,"  Alex said as he was settled in his highchair.  Marie brought his breakfast, which was eggs, scrambled, and bacon.  She scooped them on his trey, then put a bib on him.

 

"Not eggs. Unt hot real,"  he said.  That mean that he wanted hot cereal.  Before he could make a fit  Marie brought him a bowl of hot cereal, and put it on his tray, after she cleaned off the unwanted food.

 

"Daddy feed Alex," he said.

 

"Buddy your a big boy.  Hold your spoon like this,"  Rick demonstrated.

 

"I not big I baby." he said, pouting.  Rick sighed.  One day Alex would have to learn that there were rules, and that he couldn't always get his way, but he was just a baby, so his daddy pulled his highchair over, and made sounds with the spoon, getting laughter.

 

"Daddy funny,"  Alex said, as Evelyn walked in.

 

"Your daddy spoils you," she commented, as she placed a kiss on her husbands lips   She settled at her space, and Marie brought her breakfast, and coffee.

 

"Thank you Marie.  So how is my husband spending his day?" she asked as she took a bite of toast.

 

"Well I am going to meet with the gentleman who called yesterday, who wanted me to appraise his antique silver statue of a World War One solider," he said as he finished feeding Alex.  Marie came and wiped him clean, then took him with her so that they had time to talk

 

"Sounds like that could be a good job for you,"  Evie said.  He nodded.

 

"One that I can make all the shots at, unlike when we lived in Egypt,"  He got up, and gave her a kiss, but before he could go too far, something attached itself to his leg.

 

"Oh no, I have an Alex on my leg,"  Rick said, taking a step, dragging his son with him.  Alex laughed, loving that game.

 

"Again,"  he demanded.

 

"Not right now buddy.  Daddy has to go bye bye for a while."

 

"No."  Again Marie came to the rescue, and got him occupied with and empty pot and a spoon.  He settled on the kitchen floor making soup, while his mum finished her breakfast.

 

 

 

Later in the day,  Evelyn had Alex in town with her at a fabric store, trying to pick out fabric to re-cover the couches with.  He was strapped into his stroller eating a cookie she had given to him to keep him happy.  He also had his bottle, and drank some of that.  Once those two things were gone, he wanted out.  He worked at the straps of his  stroller, and after a while got them loose.  He climbed out while she wasn't looking, and ran out the door which had just opened.  He ran down the busy sidewalk getting looks from all sorts of people, and found a window with puppies inside.  He laughed and pressed his face to the Window.

 

"ALEX?"  Evelyn yelled.  Running out of the store.  She looked down the street frantic, and someone stopped

 

"If you lost your baby he is down at the pet shop looking at the puppies."  It was a small boy, and he road off on his bicycle.  Evelyn ran that way, and found him there just as the boy had told her.  She lifted him into her arms.

 

"Never ever run away from Mummy again,"  She scolded.

 

"I find puppies," he said, not one bit phased by her destress.

 

"Yes I see that."  She got him strapped back in his stroller, and pushed him down the street to the next place which was a dress shop.  In a few weeks she and Rick were going to a party, and she wanted a new dress to wear.  Once inside, she got out some of Alex's toys.

 

"Now you behave and stay right here."  She told him.  He nodded and made zooming sounds for his stuffed truck, which he had gotten for his first birthday.  Again he became tired of that, and again he got out of his stroller, but Evie caught him, and lifted him into her arms.

 

"You are a sneak.  Help mummy find a pretty dress."  He rested his head on her shoulder while she looked, then lifted it when he saw a little girl, who was about his age.

 

"Mummy down I go see baby," he told her.  Evelyn looked over at the little girl, and decided it wouldn't hurt.  She set him down keeping her eye on him, as well as hunting for a dress.  The little girl was dressed in a pretty floral dress, and the two of them chased one another around, while their mummy's shopped.

 

"Come on Tiffany time to go,"  Her mother said.  Evelyn didn't hear that, and didn't notice Alex follow them out, not right away.  She found her dress, and looked up, looking for the young mother who was just with them, but she wasn't there and neither was Alex.  Again Evelyn's heart jumped into her throat.  She left the dress, and pushed his stroller outside.  She looked around, down the street, running to the window at the petshop, but this time he was not there.  She ran inside.

 

"Have you seen a little boy?  He was wearing overalls, and a black top."  The shop keeper had not seen him, and Evelyn ran back out.  She searched in all the shops on that block.

 

"Stay calm, stay calm,"  she said to herself, and took deep breaths.  Alex could not have gone far.  She kept looking for him, and when it was evident that she wasn't going to find him on her own she lost all control of being calm.  She walked into a shop in tears, and asked to use a phone,  The shop keeper didn't protest, and led her to the back.

 

 

 

 

At home, Rick was putting a gate up at Alex's door so that he would stay in his room at night. Though he had not tried to escape, he knew it wouldn't be long before that happened, and he wanted to be prepared.  He was putting in the last screw when the phone chirped.  He ignored it knowing Marie would get it for him. 

 

"Now then I think that should keep my son in for a bit."  He smiled at the thought of Alex.  Before Evelyn he had never wanted children nor a wife, now he was husband and father, and he loved it.  It was Marie's voice that broke his thought.

 

"Mrs. Evelyn is on the phone she is upset."  Marie told him.  He went into the master room, and picked up the phone

 

"Evie?"  As soon as she heard his voice she sobbed.

 

"Shhhh hey shh take a deep breath."  He heard her do that.

 

"And one more."  Again she did what he told her to do.

 

"Alex is gone,"  she sobbed and cried more.  He felt his heart beat go up a little

 

"Shhh okay honey tell me what happened."  She took more breaths.

 

"I let him down to play with another baby his age, and I just took my eyes off of him for a second, and he was gone. Oh Rick I'm a terrible mother."  He knew what she felt like.  He had lost Alex while they were at the market place in Egypt.

 

"No your not a terrible mother.  Where are you now?" he asked

 

"At the Fabric shop." 

 

"Now listen to me we need to go to the Constable, and have them start a search.  I'll meet you there."  She nodded and they got off the phone.  As soon as she hung up Rick put the phone down, got his jacket, and keys, and headed for town.

 

 

 

The woman who had taken Alex was the same one in the store.  She decided that her little girl needed a friend, and for that reason took Alex with them.  Now just outside the city in a town house she smiled as the two children played.  She came in with two bottles and each of them took one.

 

"Mummy I take him to my oom?" she asked.

 

"Yes be nice to him," she said.  Alex followed her up some steps, into a small room with a crib, and a dresser, and only a few toys, nothing like what he had.  They played with her babies, and it was only when Alex became tired that he started to cry for his mother.  Amy came in, and held both children in the rocking chair.

 

"He's sad,"  Tiffany told her mother.

 

"We have to make him feel better,"  she said.

 

"Shhh you'll get used to this house."  Amy's husband was in the military, and sent her money so that she could take care of their daughter.  She also had an inheritance, that would not run out for a very long time.  Amy  was always depressed, and had decided when she found Alex, that he would keep Tiffany company so she could get some sleep.

 

"Want mummy,"  he cried.  He was so upset that he could get his breath, and Tiffany had gone downstairs to play.

 

"Shh I'll be your mummy now.  Is your name Alex?"  He nodded, resting his head against her chest as she rocked him.  Soon he slept and she put him in Tiffanys crib, then went to her own room to lay down and sleep.

 

 

 

Night fell, and at the Manor, Evelyn was a wreck.  The police had told her, as well as Rick to stay home, in case someone called wanting a ransom.  They believed that whoever had Alex knew that the O'Connells were well known, and rich.  For that reason they believed that the person or persons who had taken Alex, had done so wanting a ransom.  Now Rick brought some hot tea up to his wife, and in passing Alex's room, noticed the light on.  He walked in and found her sitting in the rocking chair holding Alex's bear, Paddy.

 

"Hey,"  he said setting the trey down on the bed.  He came over to her, and knelt down taking her hands in his.  Gently he placed a kiss to each one.

 

"I keep wondering if he is safe.  Is he afraid, does he even miss us?"  She was shaking, and he pulled her into standing, then lifted her into his arms settling down in the rocking chair.

 

"Evie we will get him back,"  he said.  She nodded.

 

"Who would take him Rick?"  He sighed as he began to rock with her in his arms.

 

"I don't know honey, but when we find the person who did, I will make sure that they never see the light of day again."  He stood with her, and carried her to their bed.  Both needed to rest, though he knew it wouldn't be a night for that, still they had to try.

 

 

 

At her home, Alex was having a tantrum, screaming for his daddy.  Tiffany had already gone to sleep, used to going by herself.  Amy carried Alex into her room and tried to lay with him but he pushed her away.

 

"Noooo want mummy."  He was mad, and upset.

 

"Alex shhh. If you go to bed now, I promise we will go find her in the morning."  He screamed more, and she left him shutting and locking the door, going to sleep in the rocking chair in her baby's room.  When she left him, Alex ran to the door hitting it, as well as kicking it, but it didn't come open.  He lay on the floor and screamed for almost an hour before sleep found him.  It was a little later that Amy came in and left him there, putting a blanket over him.  She hoped that by tomorrow he would stop crying for his parents.

 

 

 

 

 

Morning  arrived, and Alex was in a better mood.  He and Tiffany got a bath and had a good time splashing, and then Amy fed them both breakfast.  Now they were in the parlor of the small home, alone.  Amy had gone up to take a nap. 

 

"Go side,"  Alex said walking to the door.

 

"No not go out mummy say nastys get oo." 

 

"What a nasty?"  Alex asked.  Tiffany pulled him to the her toy chest and picked up a book.  On it were pictures of creatures with hollowed out eyes.

 

"Nasty come an eat you up if go out wif out mummy,"  she told him.  Alex blinked, then started to cry again, and that brought Amy.

 

"He want go out I told him bout nastys."  Amy nodded.

 

"Its all right Alex, Nastys won't come inside this house, but you have to promise me that you will stay in here with Tiffany."  He nodded and she gave them both a cookie, then went up to her room.  Tiffany put on a record and they danced to some pretty music for a bit, but that soon got boring for Alex.

 

"I go see my mummy,"  he told her.

 

"nasty get you Alex,"  she reminded.

 

"No."  He ran to the door and tried to get it open but could not.  He was tired, and wanted his mummy, but resigned himself to staying with his new friend.  Tiffany got him some coloring sticks, and they colored in a book her mummy had given to her for that purpose.

 

 

 

 

When morning arrived at the O'Connell home, it was not one met with the usual happiness.  Neither Rick, nor Evelyn had gotten much sleep, for she had spent most of the night crying, convinced despite what Jonathan or Rick told her that she was a bad mother for allowing Alex to get taken.  Now as the sun began to peep over the horizon,  Evelyn finally slept safe in her husbands arms.  For Rick, sleep would not come.  He had spent most of the night wondering how his son was.  He wanted to find the party responsible, and rip them limb from limb.  Someone knocked at the door, then Jonathan came in.

 

"The Constable his here.  He wants to talk to Evelyn about the last time she saw Alex."  He nodded ,and when Jonathan left,  Rick kissed her cheek.

 

"I know I heard him.  How many times do I have to tell them this,"  Evie said as they got up.

 

"Honey they just want to make sure you aren't missing anything, something which might tell them who would have taken Alex."  She knew that to be so, but it still frustrated her.  Once they had dressed, they went down to the parlor, and found the young constable waiting.

 

"Morning maam, sir."  They settled down and Evelyn began again.

 

"He wanted down to go and play with a little girl who was standing by herself.  They chased one another around, and I saw the mother.."  Evie  trailed off.

 

"The mother, she had to have taken Alex.  She kept starring over at him, and at the time I didn't think anything of that.  Just that she was keeping a watch on her child."    The constable got out his pen and a pad and began to write what Evie described as the woman who took her baby.

 

"We will start checking the parks.  She might have taken the children out today, if she has we will find her,"  He took his leave and Evie had new purpose.

 

"We need to go look."  Rick only agreed, and after getting Jonathan to stay home incase anyone called they left to go find their baby.

 

 

 

 

A day passed, and then another.  Amy never went out, and it was chance that she had been out on the day that she had taken Alex.  She had a diaper service who came and took all the dirty ones, leaving clean ones in their place, and a laundry service who cleaned the cloths.  For Alex, living with them was upsetting.  He would cry for his mum and dad, and only Tiffany would hug him to make him feel better.  He wore T-shirts mostly, and long pants that a girl or boy could wear.  Today when he and Tiffany got up Amy was packing her things.

 

"Today children mummy is going to take you on a trip to the park."  She got Alex dressed in his overalls that she had found him in, and Tiffany in her dress.  She would leave Alex in the park, because she had heard from the neighbor that a constable had been by to ask if anyone strange had been in the neiborhood, or if she had seen a little boy, who fit Alex's description.  The last thing she did was put a girls coat on Alex and one on Tiffany, then she took them outside and held them both close under a blanket as she walked the short distance to the neighborhood park.  Once she was there, she went to a secluded area and settled Alex under some bushes.

 

"Now we are going to play a game of hide and seek.  You stay here and I will come find you."  He nodded and waved at Tiffany as they left him.  It was quite some time, that he sat there, and he still had on the coat, which he took off because he was too warm.  He started to crawl out when he saw a very big dog, and thought of the nastys.  He started to cry, and the dog came over to him.  It licked his face, and head, and Alex screamed bringing the owner,  a man. 

 

"Rusty, come off him."  The dog obeyed and the man lifted the boy out of the bushes.

 

"Mummy,"  Alex cried.   He got the boy settled, and went the short distance to where a Constable was standing.

 

"I found this one in the bushes."  The constable knew immediately who Alex was, and thanked the man, then headed to the station to tell the O'Connells that their son had been found.

 

 

 

It was lunch time at the house, and Rick and Jonathan sat in silence.  Evelyn was asleep now, having just taken the pills which Dr. Brown had prescribed for her.  She hadn't eaten, or slept in almost two days, and finally agreed to let the doctor come have a look at her.  He had told Rick that it was depression, and that if she didn't snap out of it soon that they would have to put her in a hospital to keep her nourished.  The phone rang, and Marie got it,

 

"Mr.  O'Connell its the Constable."  Rick sighed, and got up.  He walked the phone and picked it up.

 

"This is Rick,"  he said, tired.

 

"Mr.  O'Connell we found your son today.  He is fine, and ready to see his parents."  Rick nearly dropped he phone.  He thanked the man, then ran up the stairs two at a time.  When he got to their room, he went to the bed and kissed Evelyn's lips.

 

"Alex has been found."  Despite the sleeping pills, she aroused for that, though still very tired.  He helped her get dressed, and after she had some water, and a bite to eat she was ready to go.  On the way, she did sleep, and Rick let her.  He thanked god, that Alex had been found, and his arms ached to hold his son.  It took thirty minutes to get to the city, and once they arrived Evelyn was more responsive.  They went into the building, to the Front desk.

 

"I'm Rick O'Connell."  he said.  The woman smiled

 

"Right this way."  She led them down a hall, and into another office where they found Alex sitting on a desk eating a cookie.

 

"Alex."  Evelyn ran to him, and he held on to her for dear life.

 

"Did you find who took him?"  Rick asked.

 

"Not yet.  He was found in a small park on the west side.  No one saw anything out of the ordinary, but we will keep looking."  He was about to add more, when another officer came in and whispered something to them.

 

"I'll be right back."  He left, and Rick walked over to where Evelyn was holding their baby.  Alex had a tight hold around her shoulder, his head resting there.

 

"Hey big guy." 

 

"Daddy home now,"  Alex said through a yawn.

 

"We will go home soon now."  He kissed his son, and rubbed his little nose with his."  Generally that got a laugh but today Alex didn't laugh.  The constable returned with a man in uniform.

 

"Mr. O'Connell?  I'm  Joseph Richards.  I want to apologize for your son's disappearance."  He then explained about his wife.

 

"I didn't know how bad her depression had gotten. Ill understand if you want to press charges, and I'll pay any amount you want."  The man was young, and Rick sighed.

 

"Just take care of her,"  He said.  Evelyn nodded, and they left to take their baby home.

 

 

 

 

When they arrived at the house, Alex had fallen asleep in his mothers arms.  Rick helped Evelyn out, and as she stood Alex woke up.  He lifted his head from her shoulder, looking around, then placed it back against there, closing his eyes.  Inside Marie greeted them, as did Jonathan, and both were wanting to know what happened, but would find out later.  In Alex's room,  Evelyn got him undressed, while Rick ran the bath.  Alex was quiet, and still, and those were not normal parts of his behavior.  He didn't play when she set him in the bath tub, just sat.  Rick got out his rubber ducky, and tried that, but Alex pushed it away.  When Evie got him clean, she let Daddy get him dry.  Rick dressed him in his pajama's, and got out his book, The Jungle Book, and settled in the rocking chair.  He cradled his son against him and began the story from the start. Alex closed his eyes, and before Rick even got through the first page he was out like a light.  Rick settled the book down on the floor and continued to rock him., wanting to know what had gone on, what he had been through to make him so quiet. 

 

"Come on daddy,"  Evie said coming over to them.  He stood, and carried Alex to his crib, laying him down on his tummy.  Alex whimpered, and Evelyn rubbed his back and sang to him which calmed him.  Once he was asleep, they went out leaving the door open with the gate latched.  Once they were downstairs  Jonathan was waiting.

 

"Well what happened?" he asked.  Evelyn settled on the couch.

 

"A young woman took him.  She was 18, and wanted him to keep her daughter company.  The husband said she has been suffering from depression, and he was away.  We aren't pressing charges,"  Evie explained.  She was tired, both of them were, and decided to go up and get in a nap before Alex woke up.

 

 

 

 

It was in his crib, where Alex awoke, and he found his paddy and hugged him close.  He didn't cry out for his parents, because crying didn't bring them.  Instead he sat in his bed and played with his bear.  When he got tired of that, he wanted his daddy and mummy.

 

"Mummy," he said.

 

"Daddy,"  he said again.  He waited and when no one came, he stood up.

 

"MUMMY DADDY MUMMY DADDY,"  he yelled.  In a moment, both parents came to him.

 

"Out now,"  he said.  Tiffany had yelled when she wanted out, and he had learned that from her.

 

"All right big boy,"  Rick lifted him into the air and this time Alex did laugh.  He let his daddy change his diaper, then they went downstairs.  It was getting late, but Uncle John was still home, and when Alex saw him, he ran to him, and the two played chase.  Things were back to normal, or getting close to it, and for both parents having Alex home meant the end of a nightmare, one they hoped never to have to face again.

 

 

 

THE END