Author's Note: I told you I was back! Hopefully I'll get another one done tonight, but I can't promise anything because I seem to have gone into hibernation mode again.

But, um, Christmas fic! I'm now taking requests for Christmas gift fics! They might be a bit late, but I'll try to get them out over the holiday season. Just drop me a PM/Facebook message/Twitter message/smoke signal with your request and I'll do my best with it. I do celebrate Christmas as a religious festival, though, so if you don't want religion in your story then say so. It won't get into every story, but it's so much a part of me that it can be there without me noticing if I'm not actively thinking about it. Of course, if you do want religious stuff in your story then you can say so and I'll deliberately put it in.

Onwards!


Elizabeth Dorothy Watson, nee Bambera, rested her cheek on her new husband's shoulder and laughed at something her father had said. She was beautiful in a mediaeval-style gown, although the corset had clearly been giving her problems through the day, and her husband was striking in a matching tunic and britches. Jack had gone with a fairly simple blue outfit to match with the theme of the wedding, whilst Ianto had taken the opportunity to go all-out mediaeval gothic. He looked a bit like a dark sorcerer, actually.

Jack tightened one arm around Ianto's waist and reached out for the ornate goblet closest to him with the other, and Ianto settled back against him comfortably. The wine was very good, and nearly as old as Jack, and the mead with the meal had been quite potent, even to a welsh constitution. All of that added to the rich food had made Ianto lethargic and sated, happy to sit quietly in the corner with Jack's arms around him and watch the party turn from a formal dance into a folk-rock disco, especially if he could persuade Jack to go and fetch him more food and drink. It was nice to be able to just be, together, as a couple, Jack and his plus one. It was almost normal. They were almost normal.

Ianto sighed and tipped his head back into the curve between Jack's jaw and shoulder and reached up to cover Jack's hand, the one lying on his own shoulder, with one of his, curling their fingers loosely together. Left hand lying with left hand, one calloused by too many unforgiving twentieth century weapons in a too-short life, one preserved at a stage where the weapons were gentler and the healing was better. Hands that had killed with one stroke and loved with the next. Jack tightened his grip and tilted his head to kiss Ianto's knuckles, then turned back to watch Elizabeth.

"Are you about ready to turn in?" he asked quietly. It had been a long day since they set off to do the three hour drive to get here in time for the wedding brunch, and even he was feeling ready to go to bed. He might even sleep tonight.

Ianto nodded and shifted a bit upright. "I was about to ask the same myself. I can go up alone if you'd rather stay, though..."

"No, it's fine," Jack assured him, turning him so that he could cup his cheek and lean in to kiss him. "I'm definitely ready to find out if that bed is as comfortable as it looks."

"I'm not going to be up to much tonight," Ianto told him regretfully. "I think I ate too much."

"I'm fairly sure you did," Jack agreed with a laugh. "Come on, let's pour you into bed."

They drifted across the empty dance floor side by side towards the happy couple and the group of UNIT personnel with them, the bride's mother amongst them. Winifred looked radiantly happy, happier than Jack had seen her since her injury-induced retirement nearly twenty years earlier. Not that they'd seen much of each other in that time, with one thing and another. Jack held his hand out to Frank, the groom, and shook his hand warmly. "Congratulations again, and thank you for inviting us," he addressed the last comment to Elizabeth, her twin Henry and Winifred as well. "It was an honour to be here."

"It was good to have you, Captain," Winifred gripped his hand and shook it firmly. "I'm going to do my best to keep in contact better, I promise."

"I'm glad to hear it," he grinned. "And I'm sure Ianto will keep me better organised so that I can reciprocate now, maybe even get over to see you sometimes."

"That would be nice. Do we take it that you're turning in, Jack?" Elizabeth asked.

"Yeah, we are. Have a wonderful honeymoon, don't do anything I wouldn't do," he winked and she laughed. "Good night all."

"Good night," Ianto added. A chorus of farewells followed them as they made their way back across the dance floor and up the stairs to their bedroom. At the top of the stairs there was a huge stained glass window, and the moonlight shining through it painted the oak stairs in bright colours.

Jack caught Ianto where he stood bathed in the coloured light and kissed him softly. "Thank you for coming with me."

"Wouldn't have missed it for the world," Ianto assured him. "It was a really nice do."

"Yeah," Jack agreed, slipping his arm around Ianto's waist for the last short distance down the corridor. "It was lovely."