A/N Thank you all for reading and reviewing not to mention all the alerts. Please keep it up, it makes the muse happy. Special thanks to OrionLyonesse for her beta, and HPattsyn, for everything.
Despite appearances, Ianto had been keeping half an eye on the table. As much as it disturbed him, Rhia seemed to be enjoying the attention. Not that he blamed her, the attention of someone like John, like Jack could be overwhelming and Johnny was hardly lover's young dream even before they were married. But it didn't mean he wasn't prepared to intercede to keep the peace. He nudged Jack and handed him a package with a significant nod.
"John, got something over here for you," Jack called. John smiled at the still gaping Johnny and winked at Rhia as he rose with far more pantherish grace than Ianto thought strictly necessary.
"Excuse me, I seem to be wanted," he said before prowling over the chaos beside the tree. Jack slid over, making a space for him on the floor next to the settee, but away from Ianto and handed him a wrapped box.
John was obviously surprised and Ianto hid a smile. He had argued with Jack about the necessity of having a few extra presents, just in case, and he had been right as usual. Well, that and he enjoyed wrong footing John Hart.
Unlike Jack, John approached unwrapping with caution; as if he thought it might explode. Ianto make a mental note to ask, but it seemed as if he had never opened a wrapped gift before. Having gotten the end undone and at the urging of most of the room, he tore the rest of the paper away, revealing a very fine bottle of twenty year old scotch whiskey. John smiled, instantly grasping that it was alcohol if the exact specifics escaped him.
"Go easy on it, it's like that Taxillian Brandy we got that one time, not that rot gut you usually drink."
"Hey, I'm quit, reformed my ways," he responded. Jack made no attempt to hide his derision and John, trying his best to look both offended and innocent, only managed to keep it a few minutes before joining the laughter.
"We could return it," Ianto said, reaching for the bottle. His face was perfectly straight, only his eyes giving away the joke. "I suggested a tie."
"Only if you're going to help me with it," John said, giving him and Jack both his most suggestive look.
"Ah, leave off, you're worse than him," Andy said in disgust.
"Feeling left out, Ginger cakes? I'm sure I could fit you in." The PC went red from the roots of his hair down, but the general laughter was good natured.
"He's too much for you, Vera. He's already got the handcuffs," Gwen bantered.
"I can work with that," John smiled but Jack had just pulled out another present, this one for Ianto's sister and attention immediately went back to the task at hand.
Rhia exclaimed excitedly over the beautiful silk scarf in her package, while Jack gave another present to Lucy and Ianto handed one over to Rhys. John pulled himself and his bottle off the floor and moved to where Alice and Lois were sharing the settee. "There any room for me to squeeze in, ladies," his flirtatious smile firmly in place.
"I don't think there's enough room," Alice said.
"Oh, you'd be amazed at where I can squeeze in."
"Somehow I doubt that." This time it was Lois who took on the former time agent. At least she had a brief on John Hart, though this was her first in person experience and whatever else he might be, John Hart was an experience.
"John," there was a bit of warning in Jack's voice. It was just a hint, but John filed it away, just in case.
"Just getting better acquainted. You know me, I always like to be on good terms with you and your staff."
Ianto, who had the misfortune to be taking a sip from the glass of whatever alien alcohol John Hart had brought sputtered, gasped once and proceeded to dissolve into a coughing fit as the liquor burned its way down to his lungs. Jack slapped him on the back hard enough to leave bruises and Gwen handed him a glass of tap water before he pulled himself back together. He glared at John who gave him a cheeky grin before returning to his attempts to squeeze into the settee and possibly into one or more of the women's good graces.
After a few moments it became clear that the rest were going to be children's gifts. That meant all four of them, at least he thought there were only four, it was hard to tell with them all moving at once, like Volkenian water cats. It was getting a bit close in the small room. Besides, John had never been over keen on family gatherings. Too many bad memories. Not that his family had ever been anything like this, far from it. John unfolded himself carefully and slipped out through the glass doors to the tiny plot of grass that served as Ianto's back garden.