Chapter Four


Ianto followed Jack down the darkened street to his store with Myfanwy in his arms. Once inside, Jack ushered Ianto over to Myfanwy's bed and watched as he bent down to deposit her gently onto her bed.

"She'll sleep until morning I expect," Ianto said straightening up to brush the dog hair from his suit.

"Allow me," Jack replied, flicking on the light and pulling him further into Harkness Outfitters. "I keep a lint brush behind the counter for Myfanwy's more boisterous days," he explained with a grin.

Ianto chuckled and took the roller from his hand, quickly removing the dog hair from his waistcoat and jacket, before rolling it down the front of his pants. Every movement was like a dance, and Jack watched him intently, feeling his cheeks start to burn as he suddenly wished that it was him not the roller cleaning the young man of the wayward hair.

"Thanks," Ianto said with a smile, handing back the brush. Jack smiled in kind, putting it back behind the counter, before straightening up and watching his guest look around and blush as if unsure of what to do with himself. "I should be getting back," he decided aloud, walking back over to the door.

"Alice will be worried," Jack agreed, following him. Stopping in the doorway, he flicked the lights back off, before turning around to escort his guest back out. As turned, he found Ianto standing still, staring up at the sprig of mistletoe hanging above the door.

"Mistletoe," he whispered, keeping his gaze skyward. Jack glanced up and when he looked back down, found himself staring into ice blue eyes that were anything but cold. "It's bad luck to ignore it," Ianto continued, his eyes sparkling with mischief.

"Well then, we can't have back luck following us can we?" Jack replied with a grin. Ianto shook his head. Jack leaned forward and kissed him gently on the cheek.

"Call that a kiss?" Ianto scoffed. "Are you deliberately trying to give me a case of bad luck?" Jack huffed and reached forward, pulling him in for a proper kiss, soft and deep and filled with all the passion and longing he had denied himself for so very long. The two men finally broke apart gasping for air.

"Any better?" Jack asked, trying to catch his breath. Ianto just nodded, too surprised to respond. He had only kissed a male elf once or twice before, but kissing a human man, and liking it; well that was something most unexpected indeed. "I haven't kissed anyone in a very long time," Jack admitted in a soft voice, stroking the other man's cheek.

Ianto looked up and saw that Jack's eyes had gone soft as well, and he was blinking back tears.

"Well then, I'm glad to have broken your dry spell," Ianto replied with a grin. Jack laughed, his tears quickly forgotten.

"You are most unexpected Ianto Jones," Jack observed as he stepped through the door, breaking the spell of their stolen moment alone.

"As are you Jack," replied Ianto as he waited in the street for Jack to close up. "As are you." Jack turned from the door and joined him in the street. They exchanged a grin and the two men fell into step alongside one another, walking back to the village square. They made the short walk in silence, each contemplating the kiss and where and if it might possibly lead to something more.

When they reached the street alongside the square, Jack saw Alice waving at them from beside the W.I. stand, a bag of Welsh Cakes clutched firmly in her hand. Jack waved back, and turned to Ianto to ask him the one question he had been pondering since he had arrived with Myfanwy.

"I have to ask," he began as the younger man turned towards him. "What's with the ears?"

Ianto paled as he reached up and found that somewhere along the way he had lost the pink earmuffs and his ears were exposed for all to see. Jack looked at him expectantly, and Ianto began to panic. He was going to be found out, expose the entire mission, and Doc, and, and, get it together Jones! His inner monologue screamed at him as he scrambled for a plausible answer.

"Purely festive," he finally replied, hoping that Jack would buy the explanation without asking anymore questions. "I had a cap to go with them as well, but Alice is enjoying it at the moment," he gestured to where she was walking towards them with his cap jingling merrily on her head as she went.

"Well they look good on you," Jack replied with a shrug. Ianto laughed in disbelief. Before he could reply, his comm. started to ring the chorus to Santa Claus is Coming to Town by Bruce Springsteen. Ianto excused himself and took the call, knowing it could be only one person.

"Hello Gingersnap," he answered, grimacing as the woman on the line started to yell. "If you're calling about the site, I can assure you that the Seren Light is in position and everything is holly jolly."

"I don't bloody care what you're doing on the ground Hot Toddy," ranted Donna Noble, call sign: Gingersnap, Head Coordinator for Holiday Assurance. "I just got a call from the North Pole Christmas Eve Command Center. Santa is heading your way early due to a snow storm. I need that village all snug in their beds pronto as he will be over Seren Glen by 22:00 hours." Ianto clicked his comm. over to the group channel to pull in the rest of his team.

"Team I have Gingersnap on the line, Partridge is going to come to our Pear Tree earlier than expected." As the rest of the team chatted up the line and Donna gave them the particulars, he checked his watch. It was already 21:30. Most of the town would be staying up late for the annual Plygain, the choral service that was performed from 3-6am in rural villages like this to usher in Christmas Day. Donna started screeching at Owen over the comm., and Ianto winced. He had to get his team and the command center in line, and with only a half hour until Santa's arrival, he had to think fast.

"Quiet!" he yelled, bringing Donna's rant to an abrupt halt. He looked over at where Jack and Alice stood waiting and shook his head, letting them know he was alright. "Okay here's what we're going to do. Snowdrop, I need you and Nog to douse the lights on the tree for a bit, we need to give him some cover and the fire should be big enough for the landing. We can bring the tree back up once he's done."

"Copy that Toddy," Tosh responded. "Tree should be down in ten."

"Fruitcake, I need you and Peanut Brittle to round up as many candles as you can," he ordered. "Oh! And some matches as well," he added realizing they would need to light them. Owen grumbled his reply and Donna asked the one thing that they all wanted to know.

"Hot Toddy, just what are you planning?" We don't have time for reindeer games on this one!"

"Relax Ginge," he soothed, calling her by the name that he hadn't used since they were kids. "I'm going to distract them with a good old fashioned story and sing along. If Partridge – er Santa, plays his cards right, he'll have a whole new set of believers before this night's done."

"I don't like it," Donna replied. "But I don't have any choice. I'll tell Jingle Bell that the early landing is a go. As soon as he's done, the Seren Light needs to be back online for the route home. Expect the your transport sleigh out to be inbound by 23:00. Gingersnap Out."

"Do you think we can pull this off?" Tosh asked quietly after the line went silent once more.

Ianto saw Alice and Jack watching him, with worried expressions. "I don't know," he admitted. "But we've got to try."


Thirty minutes later…

Owen had changed size and along with Alice and Jack was passing out candles to the audience that sat on the benches in front of the Nativity Crèche following along as Miss Rose and Ianto, now sporting a new set of earmuffs courtesy of Doc, lead them through several holiday carols. Once all of the candles were lit, Ianto began to recite 'Twas the Night Before Christmas' and his audience sat rapt as he gave new life to the beloved poem. Years later, a few of them even swore that they heard the sound of sleigh bells as the poem ended. Once it was done, the audience cheered and Ianto left the stage, giving it over to Rose who led them all in singing Silent Night. Owen scampered by, flicking off the footlights one by one, until only the bonfire and the candles held by the villagers remained.

"Hot Toddy to Partridge," Ianto called out as he moved to the back of the assembly and glanced skyward.

"Go ahead Ianto," Santa replied.

"We can't keep this up much longer sir," he said with a sigh. "I did my best, but I think they are starting to notice that the tree is down."

"Almost done my boy," Santa replied with a chuckle. "Finishing up the last house now. Go ahead and bring the lights back up." Ianto and the other elves exchanged glances.

"Is he serious?" Owen asked, unsure if he had heard Santa correctly.

"Oh, I am Owen," Santa laughed into the comm. "Keep your shirt or should I say bonnet on." Owen's mouth dropped open. How did he already know about his stint in the cradle? "I just want to give the young ones a glimpse before I head to the next drop," Santa continued. "Give them a little Christmas magic as it were. It's been a hard year."

"Copy that Partridge," Ianto replied with a smile. He turned to where Doc and Owen stood open mouthed.

"Well you heard the man," he said, his eyes twinkling. "If Santa wants to put on a show, we're going to make it a grand one!" He looked up to where the sprites and faeries who had decorated the night before sat hidden in the shadows. "Feel free to join in if you want," he said throwing caution to the wind. Caught up in the Christmas magic, he ran over to the tree, making sure that Tosh and Andy had everything ready to go. The sing along was breaking up and the villagers were meandering about the square, some of them looking towards the darkened tree in dismay.

"Ready when you are Team Icicle," Santa called over the line. Tosh nodded, and she and Andy brought the tree back online. The sound of sleigh bells jingling could be heard overhead, and as the Seren Light bloomed once more, Santa and his reindeer could clearly be seen and heard making their flight overhead.

"Happy Christmas to All! And to all a good night!" Santa called out to the villagers below, who began waving madly back. As he disappeared from view, the sound of his laughter carried on the wind, and the villagers of Seren Glen laughed and cried hugging each other in delight at what they had seen.


Seren Glen

22:45 hours

"Are you ready?" Ianto asked Doc as he hoisted his pack and locked his shop for the last time.

"Goodbye girl," Doc said sadly, reaching up to stroke the old blue door fondly. He turned from it with a sigh and gave Ianto a small smile, before joining him in the street. "I just need to slip a little something into Alice's door first," he said as they walked towards the library. Ianto nodded, and the two fell into an easy silence. Once they reached the door, Doc pulled out a bundle of papers and slipped them through the letter slot.

"The deed to the shop and a letter for Alice," he explained before straightening up once more. Ianto stopped a moment as if undecided before pulling something from his pocket and writing a quick note before slipping it into the slot as well. Doc gave him knowing grin, causing Ianto to roll his eyes and Doc to chuckle as the two of them continued on their way. As they reached the front of the library, Doc shrunk back down to elf size and pulled out his grappling hook. The candy cane striped paint was faded, but when he pushed the button it held just fine. "Still got it," he said with a grin, and grabbing onto his pack he began the ascent to the roof. Ianto stood lookout making sure they weren't seen. "You're turn," Doc's voice came over the comm., and Ianto nodded, taking out his box of sugarplums and grappling hook to prepare for the trip. Before he could take even a nibble, he heard someone running up the street.

"Ianto! Ianto stop!" shouted Jack as he ran towards him, Alice hot on his heels.

"I wanted to say goodbye," Jack panted, when they finally reached him. Ianto froze, the box of sugar plums suddenly seeming like a lead weight as he saw the fact that Doc had left register on Alice's face. She looked skyward, and saw the other elves waving back at her. She blew them a kiss and waved while Jack bent over to catch his breath, oblivious to the group above him.

"I'll miss you all," Alice said, pushing past her Dad to give Ianto a hug.

"We'll miss you too," Ianto whispered, and to his surprise he meant it. "Keep the hat," he said as he released her. "Make sure you check your letter slot. Doc left you a memento as well." Alice gave him a face splitting grin and took off towards the shop, leaving the two men alone.

"I don't know what to say," Jack finally said, staring at the man who in little more than a day, had awoken his sleeping heart and given him hope that he might find love once more.

"Goodbye is traditional," Ianto replied with a smile. Jack moved forward and gave him a soft kiss.

"Goodbye," he whispered kissing him again.

"It was lovely to meet you," Ianto answered, leaning in to give him a kiss of his own. Jack closed his eyes and the kiss deepened, until he lost himself inside of it. When it was over he stood still, his eyes still closed, not wanting the moment to end. A rush of warm air knocked him from his reverie, and when he opened them again, Ianto was gone.

He looked around the empty street and searched the side of the building in vain, before giving up and returning to the shop to check on Alice. He found her standing inside the door reading a letter.

"Whatcha got munchkin?" Jack asked. Alice didn't reply, she just held up the deed to Doctor Smith's Fix-It Shoppe, now belonging to one Alice Harkness. Before Jack could question, he noticed something else on the floor in front of the letter slot, and stooped down to pick it up.

It was a red envelope, addressed to him in a spidery scrawl. Curious, he opened it and pulled out a silver card with a clutch of mistletoe on the cover. Reading the inscription inside, Jack touched his lips in remembrance and smiled.

A moment under the mistletoe is worth a lifetime of memories

Thank you for sharing this one with me

Happy Christmas Jack

Ianto


Somewhere in the skies over Northern Wales

"I'm going home!" Doc exclaimed in excitement. "I can't believe I'm finally going home!" Tosh hugged him tight and Owen punched him in the arm fondly.

Ianto watched out the window of the transport sleigh as Seren Glen and its star faded into the distance and finally disappeared.

"Ianto?" Andy asked, holding up a small package in his hands. "When we got to the roof, this was waiting."

Ianto gave him a puzzled look and took the package from him.

"May your hearts always be filled with light," he said, reading the tag. "Happy Christmas Team Icicle. Much Love, Santa."

He glanced up at the others before opening the box and pulling out a snow globe from within.

"It's Seren Glen," Tosh whispered watching as Ianto tipped the globe over causing snowflakes to fall onto the village square. The Seren Light atop the tree glowed brightly, illuminating the crystals hidden inside the snow. The light grew brighter, and the village flickered from view, replaced by the happy faces of the villagers celebrating with their families. It paused a moment on Alice and Jack opening presents beneath the tree and Ianto felt his heart swell.

"Happy Christmas," Ianto whispered, as the image faded and the village returned. Lifting his eyes from the globe he exchanged smiles with his team. "Happy Christmas to us all."