The family try to enjoy their Christmas
Night had fallen and Ianto sat in the library alone reading A Christmas Carol again. Holly was sleeping, tired after a busy day. Jack was in Tonan's room. He had been there for a couple of hours and Ianto decided that it was time to interrupt him. Dinner would be ready soon anyway, so he had an excuse for going up. He put aside his book and walked slowly up the stairs and then along to the room. He had paid his respects earlier, before the body had been removed, so this was his second visit.
He opened the door, calling out softly, "Jack?" He walked in and saw his partner seated at the desk in the corner by the window and for a moment Ianto thought it was Tonan sitting there; they really had looked alike.
Jack looked up from his reading. "Hey. Sorry, I didn't realise it was getting so late." He smiled, a weak one compared to usual but a smile nonetheless.
"I just wanted to let you know dinner'll be ready in about half an hour." He walked further into the room and sat on the couch, facing Jack. "What are you reading?"
"The Principles and Uses of Magno-Caresian Power in the Home."
"What?"
"Tonan's book, the one he was working on. It's very good. I must get it to his publisher, it deserves to be read. Did you speak to her?"
"No, the office was closed. I left a message."
"I'll try her after the holiday." Jack got up and moved to stand by the window, looking down at Ianto. "We'll have to clear this room sometime."
"There's no hurry. Perhaps, before we do anything, we ought to have Goran down. He deserves to be involved and there may be items he'd like to keep."
Jack nodded, "Good idea. There's also the place on Mars. We only closed it up, his stuff is still there."
"I hadn't thought of that," said Ianto. "Will someone need to go there?"
"Yes. Tonan …," his voice caught for a moment, "Tonan kept his research papers there as well as lots of personal stuff. I should go and do it, maybe Goran would want to come too."
"We should ask him."
"Yeah. You could come as well, you've never been off-planet." He smiled at Ianto, a warm genuine smile. He knew how much his partner would enjoy such a trip.
"I'd love to. But we couldn't leave Holly."
"Take her with us," said Jack immediately. "With Konni along, we'd manage perfectly well."
Ianto smiled back at Jack, "In that case, yes, I'd love to come. Though I wish we were going for a happier reason."
"Yeah." Jack looked away, his eyes moist.
Ianto rose to his feet and took his arm. "Come on, let's eat." He led him out of the room, down the stairs and into the dining room.
They sat at the table, acutely aware of the person who should have been there with them, and ate the meal. Ianto talked about his plans for his business and the difficulty of finding the right people to assist him. He needed someone to replace Umilsa who had been the perfect PA but was now moving on to another, more demanding, job. But despite looking hard he had yet to find anyone. He prattled on about Holly too, anything to fill the silence. Jack responded occasionally and promised to keep an eye out for a likely assistant, but was lost in thought the rest of the time. While they were clearing up, they heard Holly crying and Ianto sent Jack to see to her, hoping it would give him something else to think about.
After half an hour Jack returned and Ianto was surprised to see him alone. He had expected him to bring Holly down – he was usually unable to resist the temptation. "Is she okay?"
"Yes, she couldn't see Foo-Foo. The blessed thing had got covered up." He sat next to Ianto on the couch in the living room. "She's off again." He pulled Ianto to him and the two sat cuddled together for some time.
-ooOoo-
Ianto was not sure who had made the suggestion but somehow he and Jack had ended up drinking the spicy Martian brandy that Tonan had loved, exchanging anecdotes and toasting him repeatedly as they had got drunker and drunker. No, amended Ianto, Jack had not got drunk. Or rather, he had got drunk but then sobered remarkably quickly. This was a great pity as it was Jack who wanted, needed, the oblivion. Instead, it was Ianto who had passed out and who now was lying in his bed piecing together the night's events and unable to remember how he came to be where he was. He had a splitting headache and a raging thirst. Groggily he raised his head and checked his surroundings; he was alone in the room. He dragged himself upright and tottered, holding onto the furniture, to the bathroom just in time to throw up.
Feeling slightly better, he washed his face and took a pain killer. He flung on a robe and went into the den expecting Jack and Holly to be there but they weren't. He went downstairs and made for the kitchen where he drank great draughts of water to slake his thirst. He checked the time and saw it was 9.53, he'd been asleep for hours. He made his way to the hallway and looked round. He couldn't see Jack anywhere so listened intently. Then he heard Holly saying "Dada, Dada" over and over. His brain was still sluggish and he wondered why she was saying it. Then some horrid possibilities occurred to him and he followed her voice into the exercise room.
"Dada, Dada," called the young, high-pitched voice, as she bounced ever higher. "Dada." Holly loved bouncing and was now going higher than she'd ever gone before. Jack had her in his arms as he bounced on the trampoline and she was waving her arms and shrieking "Dada," in her excitement.
Ianto stopped just inside the door and relaxed. His heart resumed its normal rhythm as he realised that his daughter was just excited. He stayed where he was for a moment or two then slipped away, unnoticed by his lover and daughter – let them have their fun. He went upstairs to shower and dress, noticing the gifts under the tree as he climbed the stairs. It was Christmas Day.
On the trampoline, Jack came to a halt, breathing hard. He was not keen on bouncing – this was Ianto's love and he was good at it – but it was fun when little Holly was with him. He lay down on the still vibrating surface and left Holly to her own devices. She scrambled to stand up but was too close to him so couldn't manage it on the sloping surface. She slid into him laughing so he pushed her up the slope again so she could slide back. After repeating this several times they ended up lying together, she cradled in his arms, looking up at the ceiling. Jack clung on tightly, wanting the comfort of her warm body against his.
It had been a long night for him. He had been distressingly sober after the heavy drinking and once he had hauled the unconscious Ianto upstairs and put him to bed he had stayed in the bedroom looking at him as he slept. He loved this man so much and he was going to lose him – again – at some time in the future. A few hundred years in the future, true, but he would still lose him. He wasn't sure how he would cope, how he would survive the devastating sorrow and pain yet again. He had kissed Ianto's forehead gently and then gone into the den and looked at his sleeping daughter and the same thoughts had come to him. He had looked down at a sleeping Tonan over a hundred years before in much the same way and now his son was dead. He thought that he had come to terms with the losses, with the inevitable pain but every time the strength of it took him by surprise. He bent and kissed Holly's forehead, straightening the cover over her.
The rest of the night he had spent awake and alone, looking through photographs of Tonan and remembering the 24 children who had come before him, sad he did not have images of all of them. They were all clear in his memory though, mainly when they were young and he had had their undemanding love and affection. He had had to leave some of them, before it was acceptable for them to know of his immortality, but in recent centuries that had not been necessary and yet still all of them had grown away from him, all except Tonan. He did not know why only the boy – man, he amended - had stayed close, he had tried to be a good father to them all. At least his relationship with Tonan had proved that he could succeed for which he was immensely grateful; he'd hate to think he hadn't learnt from his mistakes over the years.
In the early morning he had dozed off for a hour before showering and dressing, keeping quiet even though Ianto was so deeply unconscious he probably wouldn't have woken if a horde of Weevils had decided to party in the bedroom. Which they had once, Jack recalled with a smile. He had then slipped downstairs with the gifts they had chosen for Holly and with his own for Ianto and placed them under the tree. He had sadly placed his gift for Tonan in his son's now empty room. Let it stay there for now. When he had been in the room before, he had found Tonan's gifts for himself, Ianto and Holly and decided his son would have wanted them to be enjoyed. These he had taken and placed with the others.
After losing himself in work for an hour or two he had joined Liki in an early morning coffee and had a chat, catching up with his news. The Ood was off to Cardiff with Jem and Dem later in the morning to attend a get together with friends of theirs and would not be back until late the following day. Jack had then retraced his steps to the suite and found Holly awake, playing with Foo-Foo and the other toys in her cot. He had changed, washed and dressed her – the snores from Ianto indicating it would be hours before he woke – then taken her down and they and Liki had eaten breakfast. Father and daughter had then waved goodbye to the Ood and the Weevils as they flew off in the flivver before taking a short walk along the beach. Holly had loved the movement of the sea and would have liked to have been able to run about in it but Jack kept her dry and warm in her chair. When they'd returned to the house, they had gone to the exercise room and the trampoline.
-ooOoo-
Holly stirred and sat up, looking down at her father. "Dada, bounce," she said very clearly, her slight Welsh accent apparent.
He smiled and shook his head. "No, Dada's tired. No more bouncing." He cautiously got to his knees and crawled to the edge of the trampoline, turning off the force field as he reached it. "Come on, gorgeous," he called to her as he climbed down and stood, arms out to encourage her.
She stood, on wobbly feet, and lunged across at him landing on her front and bouncing. He leant forward and grabbed a handful of her dungarees, pulling her to him across the surface as she giggled. He took her up and kissed her soundly even though she was squirming to be put down. Once on the floor she was off, chasing across the room and touching and exploring all she could reach.
He let her go, just keeping a watchful eye as he wandered to the door. "Holly, come here," he held out a hand and after a minute or two she ran across to join him. They walked, hand in hand, out into the hallway just as Ianto was coming down the stairs for the second time. Jack smiled up. "Good morning."
"Morning," replied the Welshman. He bent down to place his gifts under the tree and then picked up Holly who had run over to him and kissed her. "Hello, sweetheart," he said, putting her back down and going to kiss Jack.
Jack held back and pulled Ianto a few paces away. "Here, I think," he said, looking up at the bunch of mistletoe above them. They kissed long and deeply. "How's the head?"
Ianto grimaced. "Better. How are you?" He looked into Jack's eyes and saw them still dark with grief.
"Getting there." He wasn't, not really, but what was the point in worrying Ianto. He hugged Ianto to him and they stayed in one another's arms.
Behind them, Holly had gone to the tree and was looking up at it. She ventured nearer and realised she could get much closer than usual; the force field had not been activated. She walked up to the shiny baubles and touched them, mouth open in awe as they moved and the light reflected off them. She saw a wooden train engine and pulled but it wouldn't come off, instead the branch on which it was secured moved and a bell also hanging from it tinkled. She let go of the train and followed the noise to the bell, hitting it to make the noise again. This was fun.
The two men turned at the noise and Ianto made to go and pick her up but Jack stopped him. "Wait, she's fine."
They stood still in one another's arms and watched their daughter touch all the bright ornaments she could reach and the look of wonder and awe on her face was something they would both remember for a long time. Ianto finally broke away and went into the library coming back with a camera and took some snaps of her standing, pine needles scattered over her hair and clothes, right underneath the tree. It was only when she decided to eat the needles that Jack stepped in and pulled her gently out. Ianto took a snap of them, heads close together, as Jack brushed the needles off her and prised her fingers apart to get at those in her fist.
"No," she protested. She took a step away but Jack had her by the waist and picked her up. She struggled but could not get free.
Ianto put down the camera and went to the tree. He picked up one of the largest parcels and held it out to the girl. "Look what Father Christmas has brought you," he said enticingly.
Holly's eyes settled on the bright red parcel and her hands went out for it. Jack settled her down and sat on the floor nearby as she struggled to hold the parcel which was almost as big as she was. It fell to the floor and she went with it, almost lying on top of it, but she didn't let go.
"Determined, isn't she?" smiled Jack at Ianto who was kneeling at the foot of the tree.
"Wonder where she gets that from?" he replied, eyebrow raised.
The two men watched their daughter paw at the parcel until Jack helped by pulling a piece of the paper off. Once she had something to pull at, her face took on a serious, single-minded look and she made quite a good fist of removing all the paper. Jack helped with the difficult corners and soon a box was uncovered. He eased the lid up and encouraged her to finish the job. Holly's little arms lifted the lid and it fell on top of her, like a hat, as she peered into the box. Ianto was laughing as he took snap after snap. Inside, Holly saw a large stuffed dog and giggled. She tried to lift it but it was heavy and the lid, still balanced half on her head, was in the way. Jack helped again, removing the lid and lifting the dog out and setting it down before her. Ianto slid the box away and absent mindedly tidied the shredded paper into it.
Holly looked at the dog, wide eyed. "Bow wow," she said, standing up. It was exactly the same height as her so she put her arms around it. Choosing his moment precisely, Jack turned on the anti-grav mechanism and the dog rose a centimetre or two off the floor and barked. Holly fell backwards onto her bottom in surprise. The dog barked again and she was up on her feet and pushing it round laughing and, it seemed, attempting to bark herself.
Ianto looked on indulgently, pleased she liked it. He had found it strangely difficult to find gifts for her. So many seemed to be educational which was fine but she was less than two years old and he wanted to get her a plaything. He had found the dog through Giovanni, the coffee machine maker, who told him of a toy maker in Italy. As well as hovering and barking, it could be programmed to recognise her and respond when called. Now, looking at Holly, Ianto knew he had made a good choice.
"Ianto," Jack said again, getting his partner's attention. He was holding out a small parcel.
"What did you get me this year?" he asked, smiling.
"It's not from me. It's from Tonan. I found them yesterday and knew he'd want us to have them."
Ianto reached a hand to stroke his partner's face. "Of course, you're right." He carefully peeled back the paper and found a leather-bound, illustrated version of A Christmas Carol. So much better than the e-book he had been reading for the past two years. "Oh, how wonderful," he said, tears threatening.
"He knew how much you love that book."
"I do and I shall treasure this." Ianto blinked back the tears and searched through the remaining parcels. "Here, this is from Holly."
Jack took it and looked across at the girl, still happily playing with the dog. "She chose it herself?" he asked jokingly.
"Of course." Ianto watched as Jack ripped off the paper - he had no patience – and uncovered a bobble hat and gloves in pale blue.
"These are great." He placed the hat on his head and donned the gloves. "They're really warm, just right for winter walks. Thank you, Holly," he called over to her.
Holly looked over at him and smiled. She grabbed at the dog's fur and walked back to her parents towing it along beside her. "Bow-wow," she said proudly.
"That's right, it's a bow-wow." Ianto wiped her dribbly chin and turned off the anti grav on the dog so it settled on the floor. He reached for another parcel and handed this smaller one to her. "What's in here?"
She took the parcel eagerly, having got the hang of things now. She sat down with a plop and started tearing at the paper which gave way suddenly. Four books tumbled out and she sat looking at them as they lay on her legs and the floor. "Book," she cried and picked one up. It, like the rest, was a paper book which she recognised from her nightly stories and she had it opened and on her knee in a trice. It was upside down but that didn't stop her 'reading' it. Ianto tidied the other books into a pile and placed them to one side. The discarded paper went into the box with the rest.
Jack snagged another parcel and passed it to Ianto. "From Holly," he said, deciding he was a bit warm and removing the hat and gloves. He watched as, yet again, Ianto took pains to open the parcel without damaging the paper. Why can't you just rip it open for once? he thought.
Ianto's face lit up as he pulled back the paper to reveal the coffee mug inscribed with 'My Tad's Mug' in bright red letters with a picture of him and Holly beneath. He leant down and kissed his little girl, "Thank you so much," he said looking from her to Jack. They exchanged a loving look before Ianto got the remaining parcels out. He passed Jack the one he, Ianto, had bought him.
It was a huge box and inside Jack found a new greatcoat, identical to the kind he had been wearing for so very long. "That's fabulous," cried Jack, leaping to his feet and trying it on. It was a perfect fit – his measurements hadn't changed in millennia – and he delightedly twirled round to show it off. "Thank you, love." He bent down and kissed Ianto.
"You can keep that one for best. Here's one from Tonan," he passed another parcel across.
Jack settled down, still wearing the coat, and took the small round package. He turned it in his hands for several minutes before opening it to find a pair of gold cufflinks with 'Dad' engraved on them. Jack couldn't speak, it had been so long since Tonan had called him that, he just let the tears fall unchecked. Ianto reached a hand to rub his arm in sympathy.
"Dada cry," piped up Holly, looking at him curiously.
"Yes, love, Dada's sad," Jack replied, wiping his eyes. He removed the cuff links he was wearing and replaced them with the new ones, admiring them against the dark blue shirt.
Holly came across to him and leant against him, her small arms round his larger one. "Dada no cry," she ordered.
Jack managed a small laugh and hugged her. "You're right, it's Christmas and we shouldn't be crying. There must be one for her," he said to Ianto.
"Umm, here is it." He passed across the largish parcel.
"Here, love, this is for you." Jack showed it to her and she giggled and started opening it. With his help they uncovered another box which contained a doll, in a pink, frilly dress. "A doll, aren't you lucky?" he enthused, releasing it from the box and handing it to her. Holly took it and cuddled it, the soft limbs falling into a lifelike pose in her arms.
Ianto looked on. Only one gift remained, his from Jack. He opened the box and found a state of the art personal music system just like the one Salannd had shown him and which he had admired. "Thank you," he beamed at Jack and hugged him. "I've been so lucky."
"We all have," Jack agreed. He stood and removed his coat, stroking the soft cloth, and put it to one side ready to be taken upstairs. He put the hat and gloves into the cupboard alongside what was now his everyday coat.
Ianto gathered his gifts together and placed the book and music system with Jack's coat. "Coffee?" he asked.
"Please," replied Jack.
Ianto went into the kitchen, taking his new mug with him. He made two mugs of coffee and poured some juice into a beaker for Holly. When he got back to the hallway, after lingering to tidy up the kitchen, he saw Jack had moved into the living room and followed him, stepping carefully around and over the scattered toys.
"Shhh," said Jack, seeing his lover in the doorway. He was kneeling by a couch where Holly was lying on her back with her doll by her side. "She's just about off." He gazed down at the child who had her eyes closed and who looked so peaceful under the throw he'd put over her. He reached a hand and took the drink offered him before rising and joining Ianto on the couch opposite.
They sat quietly and drank the coffee, watching their sleeping daughter. Jack put an arm round Ianto and held him close, feeling the Welshman's hand on his thigh. His own hand moved to Ianto's waist and crept under the tunic top to caress his bare flesh.
"Ianto, it's good to see you dressing in these," he pulled at the tunic, "very 47th century. But don't forget to wear the suits."
"This is so comfortable," Ianto protested.
"But not as cute as a three piece." Jack kissed his lover's left ear, the closest part of him.
The Welshman laughed. "Okay. Maybe later."
"Look forward to it." Jack's hands moved under the tunic top and found the waistband of his trousers before slipping underneath. He stroked the smooth, firm flesh at the same time as his lips explored the ear.
"Jack, we can't." Ianto squirmed in his hold.
"Why not?" He used one arm to hold on the squirming body and a hand went to the other man's crotch.
"Not in front of Holly," Ianto hissed, trying to bat away the wandering hands.
"She's asleep. As long as you keep the screaming down we can …"
"No!"
Jack stopped and looked into Ianto's eyes, suddenly serious. "Please, love? I missed out last night, you were drunk again. Why are you always drunk at Christmas?"
"I am not always drunk."
"The last three Christmases you have been." Jack saw Ianto open his mouth to protest and then stop. "Ah, I'm right."
"Maybe. But I am not going to have sex in front of our daughter."
Jack's eyes sparkled and he sprang up, pulling Ianto with him. "Grab that end," he said, indicating the couch they'd been sitting on just a moment before. "Turn it round."
"Jack! Just because she can't see us …" Despite the protests, Ianto lifted the couch to face in the opposite direction.
Jack pulled Ianto to him, pressing against him. "That didn't stop you when she's slept in our room," he pointed out. "I need you," he said quietly, his hard cock against the other man's thigh. "Please?" He leant forward and kissed him, tugging at his lower lip.
Ianto relaxed in his partner's arms, wanting to comply but embarrassed at the thought of Holly being in the room with them. It hadn't been a problem when she was a baby but now? He felt hands on his skin again and groaned softly as Jack's loving lips made more inroads into his reluctance. "Okay," he murmured, "but we've got to be quiet."
"Want me to gag you?" Jack chuckled and pushed Ianto down to lie on the couch. It was long and deep enough to hold him lying full length comfortably and even with Jack more or less on top of him they were hidden from view. Jack's hands were underneath the tunic and his mouth followed, teeth pinching at the hard nipples and kissing everywhere.
Ianto enjoyed the familiar tingling that gripped him whenever Jack touched him and his own hands began explorations of their own, finding the pleasure points on the well loved body above him without hesitation. Jack groaned as Ianto licked the sensitive spot behind his ear. The Welshman shifted position and eased Jack off him slightly, gaining purchase to remove his own tunic, unbutton the older man's shirt and undo his belt. The two kissed long and hard then parted for a moment as each pushed their own trousers and briefs down to rest around their knees. Both men grasped at the other's body, groaning as hands landed in sensitive places.
They ended up with Jack wedged against the back of the couch half on his side and Ianto lying against him but with his head to Jack's feet. Both went to work on the other and busily licked and sucked the cock and balls available to them, It had been a while since they'd given simultaneous blow jobs and they were enjoying it immensely, both skilled at arousing – or delaying - the other after years of practice. Jack felt himself close to climax and redoubled his efforts on Ianto, not wanting to be the first to come. He was rewarded by a suppressed gasp and knew that his lover was as close as he was; seconds later both men shuddered and released, breathless and satisfied.
Ianto rolled away from Jack and squirmed round to lay alongside him, head to head, and kissed him softly. "That was good," he murmured and snuggled close as Jack's arms went round him. They lay for long moments, their breath slowing, hands stroking flesh.
"Tad."
Ianto froze, aware that his clothes were either on the floor or round his ankles. The voice had come from around his feet so right at this moment his daughter, his innocent little girl, was staring at his bare buttocks. He turned bright red.
"Hey, love," said Jack, craning his neck to see around Ianto. "Where's dolly?"
"Dolly!" exclaimed the girl and ran off to retrieve her new toy.
"She's gone," whispered Jack. He tried not to laugh as Ianto hastily reached down and pulled up his trousers and grabbed his tunic and scrambled into it. He had not seen Ianto so flushed for years.
"Make yourself decent, Jack," Ianto hissed as he straightened his hair.
"Only if you give me a kiss." Jack put up a hand and pulled his lover's head down; Ianto struggled half heartedly then complied.
"I knew this would happen. Why did I let you talk me into this?" muttered Ianto, checking his clothing.
"Come on, you enjoyed it," said Jack, pulling up his trousers and doing up his shirt. "Didn't you?"
"All right, I did," admitted Ianto with a guilty smile. "Sweetheart, you found dolly," he said as the girl reappeared clutching the toy. "Would you like some juice?" He reached for the beaker resting on a side table.
"Duice," she said, nodding her head and dropping the doll on the floor. Her hands were stretched towards the beaker, mouth open.
"Sit down first. Up here." Ianto picked her up and settled her on the couch alongside him and Jack who was now propped up against the arm rest. He passed her the beaker and watched as she put it to her mouth and drank greedily. He was still pink with embarrassment.
Ahh, cute huh?