This is another story that has grown beyond my original intentions. So here is part one.

Snowmen and Hurt Feelings I

- November 4698, Wales National Park

"I don't think you should have him on your knee," said Ianto from his seat at the back of the flivver.

"He's fine. You're helping me fly this thing, aren't you, tiger?" Jack was in the pilot's seat with eleven month old Owain on one knee. The baby was gurgling, delighted with the bright shiny display in front of him. "Now, we press this one here. You going to do it?" asked Jack, guiding the small hand and using it to depress the button.

Behind him, Ianto sighed. There was no talking to Jack when he was in this mood and maybe now wasn't the best time for an argument. They were flying above the trees of the National Park en route for Snowdon, a tourist centre created around the mountain of the same name. The trees and the ground were covered in deep snow which had fallen day after day for the past month all over the UK. In the flivver with Jack, Ianto and Owain were Konni and between them was a miserable Holly.

"Look, poppet, there's a centre. I wonder if it's ours," said Konni to the girl, pointing to a large cluster of buildings round a partially cleared area. She was trying to jolly Holly out of her bad mood without any success.

"Don't care. I want to go home." The girl had her arms crossed and was pulling a face. Ianto put his arm round her and was not surprised when she shrugged him off. "It's stupid."

"It's not stupid, sweetheart. It's going to be a holiday for all of us. Four days in a lovely lodge with lots of things to do." Ianto tried to make it sound appealing to the girl.

"What's the matter with you, Holly?" asked Jack from in front of them. "You are such a misery today. Not like you, eh, tiger?" He was tickling the baby under the chin and getting gurgles and delighted laughter as a reward.

Holly blinked back tears and her head sank down into her chest. Ianto and Konni exchanged a look over the girl's head. They knew why the girl was so miserable and Jack, the cause of it, was oblivious to what he was doing to her.

Holly had accepted the arrival of Owain with little fuss even after so long as an only child. She hadn't doted on him but she had been willing to let her fathers spend time with the baby, especially as her own horizons were expanding at playschool, dance lessons and with new friends. But in the last month or so, as Owain had become more active, Jack had taken to spending more time with him and less with her. It was hardly surprising Holly felt pushed out; she had seen her place taken by her brother and did not like it. Ianto had tackled Jack but not got very far; Jack would be better for a day or two then ignore her again.

Talking to Holly had not helped much either, she was too young to understand, but Konni and Ianto had made sure they spent more time with her, listening to her news and encouraging her in all her activities. Ianto had attended more dance lessons and rehearsals than he could count and lastly, just a few days before, the little show she and her friends had put on. A show Jack had been due to attend but had not. Holly had been devastated by his absence. Ianto had put a good face on it after the performance as they walked back to the suite in the Castle, explaining again how busy Jack was and she had begun to accept it was inevitable. Then, on walking into the suite, they had found Jack laid out on the floor of the living room playing with Owain. Holly had stared and stared and then quietly gone to her room where she had burst into floods of tears convinced her dad no longer loved her.

To say Ianto was angry with Jack was an understatement. He had railed at him for his thoughtlessness, pointing out how upset Holly was at his not attending the performance. Jack had been unrepentant, explaining he had got home just before they had walked in: a meeting had overrun and he had been unable to get to the performance in time. Ianto's anger was assuaged a little but he had put Jack on notice to address the issue immediately if he wanted to keep Holly's love. A contrite Jack had gone to Holly and seen how upset she was. They had talked and hugged and the girl had been mollified and Ianto had thought Jack had learnt his lesson; not so. Here they were, only days later, and he was preferring Owain to Holly again.

"Could you take him, Konni?" asked Jack, swinging round to hand the baby back to her. "We'll be landing in a few minutes." He passed over Owain and then turned back to the controls without a word to his daughter. The same little girl who just a few weeks ago would have been the one to help pilot the craft. Ianto hugged her to him, determined that this issue had to be addressed once and for all, he just wasn't sure what more he could do to get through to Jack.

The flivver landed on the communal pad and porters hurried out to open the doors and help the guests disembark. They had decided to book a serviced lodge in a tourist centre for the extra facilities it offered the whole family. Once outside, the biting cold struck them and they huddled into their warm coats. Konni made sure the baby was secure in his enclosed and heated carrying cot while Ianto pulled up Holly's hood and checked she had on her gloves. Jack secured the vehicle and handed it over to be parked. They were led to their lodge, set back among the trees and reached by a long walkway swept clear of snow. The porters came behind with the luggage.

-ooOoo-

An hour later they had settled in. Holly had gone to her room and stayed there, listening to a book disc and Konni was changing Owain before putting him down for a nap. Ianto seized the opportunity.

"Jack, let's go for a walk before lunch." Ianto was putting on his coat and gloves as he walked up to his partner who was sprawled in a chair in front of the open fire.

"You're kidding! We've only just arrived, can't we relax for a while?"

"No. Come on, here's your coat." He held out Jack's greatcoat and the hat and gloves Holly had given him as a Christmas present three years before. The Welshman stood over Jack until he was on his feet. "Konni, we won't be long."

"That's fine. I can manage." She smiled, knowing exactly what was going to happen and thinking it long overdue.

Ianto led the way out into the cold and took a track into the woods. He walked fast and heard Jack's footsteps behind him but didn't wait for him. He wanted to be well away from the lodge and other holidaymakers when they started to talk. Behind him he heard Jack run to catch up.

"What's the rush, Ianto? Thought this was supposed to be a walk not a route march," he complained.

They were far enough away from the lodges now so Ianto turned and faced his partner. "This is not a walk, Jack Harkness. This is me getting you somewhere where I can shout at you as loud and long as I need to make you see sense."

Jack stood watching the younger man, suddenly wary. Ianto was cross no, he amended, Ianto was angry, very angry. Thinking back over the past few hours, Jack wondered what had brought this on and decided it must have been having Owain on his knee. Ianto was over-protective of the children and had probably been scared the boy would be hurt. As if Jack would hurt their son. He was delighted with Owain who was turning into just the sort of boy Jack liked; adventurous and curious. And above all he looked like Jack. What was there not to like?

"Look, I know I shouldn't have done it but he wasn't in any danger. I had full control of the flivver at all times." Jack smiled at Ianto, one of his best 'let's forget this and make up' smiles and reached a hand to him. He was surprised when it was brusquely knocked aside.

"This is nothing to do with the ride here, you imbecile! Have you forgotten you have two children? I have told you and told you but will you listen!? You've ignored Holly for weeks now and she's hurt, upset and miserable. If you don't do something about it, right now, you'll lose her forever just like you did all those other children before her."

"Oh come on! If this is still about missing that show of hers, I explained to you and to her. And I have not ignored her, I took her for a walk only yesterday." Jack was starting to get angry himself although right at the back of his mind, in the tiny place where his conscience resided, there was a small voice agreeing with Ianto.

"You took her for a walk all right. Remember what you said to her? No? Well I do and I know she does too. You said to her, 'Let's go for a walk, Holly, I have nothing better to do until Owain wakes up'. How do you think that sounded? Would you like me to say that to you? You all but told her that she's second best!" Ianto was standing toe to toe with Jack and had to stop himself hitting the other man, he was so angry.

"That's not what I meant."

"It doesn't matter what you meant, Jack! Do you really not understand how Holly feels right now? How you saying things like that just drive the knife in deeper?" He looked at Jack's puzzled face and realised that he didn't, he really hadn't thought how Holly would feel. The anger left Ianto to be replaced by pity for this immortal man who still found normal relationships so hard to understand. "Jack, for almost four years you were close to Holly, spending time with her and listening to her. It was so good to see and even when Owain arrived, you still spent time with her. But now, all of a sudden, you have no time for anyone but the baby. You're pushing Holly away and if you're not careful you'll never get her back again."

"It's not like that," Jack began but his voice echoed his growing doubts. He trusted Ianto implicitly and remembered his earlier warnings. Perhaps he should have listened harder, done more. If Ianto said he was in danger of losing Holly then it must be true but he didn't understand what he was doing wrong. "It's just that, well Owain's fun now. I want to do the same things with him that I did with Holly when she was that age."

"And that's good, of course it is. But Holly needs you too, Jack." Ianto had his hands on Jack's arms, smiled and shook his head at him. "You really have no idea, do you?"

"No. I thought I was supposed to be with him. There's not enough of me to go round," he ended plaintively. The sheer ridiculousness of that last statement had Ianto roaring with laughter which Jack thought was wholly inconsiderate. He shrugged out of Ianto's hold and took a pace back, crossing his arms across his chest and watching his partner wipe the tears of mirth from his cheeks. "When you've quite finished …"

"Sometimes, Jack Harkness, you are a fool. You have to make time for both children - and for me. Think about the time you have and use it wisely."

"You mean I have to schedule you all in?" Jack was incredulous.

"If that's what it takes, yes. Look, you're always awake early so be with Holly then."

"I can't, I'm the one who gets Owain up. And I'm at work all day. If I'm late in, I don't even see Holly before she's in bed. You want me to go wake her?"

"No, of course not. And I see the problem, Jack. But there has to be a solution and we're going to find one. Let's think about it." He threaded his arm through Jack's and led him off into the woods for a walk.

-ooOoo-

The lodge was warm and welcoming when, over an hour later, Jack and Ianto entered. They had used the time to discuss how Jack could divide his time and had come up with a few ideas but, for now, the priority was for Jack to use this holiday to reconnect with his daughter. Holly was kneeling at the coffee table drawing on a notepad and Jack, after a look at Ianto, went to sit beside her.

"Hey, love, what's that you're drawing?"

"Picture." She didn't look up, just concentrated on her art.

"May I see?" She shrugged and moved slightly. He looked over her shoulder and smiled. "That's the house at Ogmore, that's very good. And who are the people here?" he pointed to a group of figures standing in front of the building. They were out of proportion, stick thin and purple but he guessed they were the family. "Is that you?"

Holly nodded, "And that's Tad and that's Konni."

"And is this one me?" he asked looking at one that seemed to have a beard.

"No. That's Liki."

"Oh. Where am I then? And Owain?"

She shrugged again. "Not there." At that moment, Jack understood, really understood just how close he was to losing this girl and he made up his mind to do something about it.

Lunch was delivered to the lodge and as they ate they chatted about what they wanted to do. Ianto started to make a list. Jack rolled his eyes and was pleased when Holly saw it and grinned; she didn't like being organised either. It was a small thing but it gave Jack hope that all was not lost between them. When they had finished the meal, Jack went to Owain and gave him a big hug and a kiss then handed him to Konni.

"Holly, get your jacket on. We're going to build a snowman!" He grinned at her.

"We are?" She couldn't hide the surprise in her voice, was her dad really going to leave Owain and play with her? She took the jacket he handed her and struggled to put it on.

"Absolutely and it's going to be the biggest and the best in Wales!" Jack helped do up her jacket, pulled her hood up and ushered her out of the door. He saw Ianto's smiling face before he went into the cold outdoors.

The snowman was growing by the minute. The pair piled snow in a heap and patted and prodded it until it looked the right shape. The body was taller than Holly and Jack had to lift her up to help round off the shoulders. Rolling a ball of snow for the head led to peals of laughter and they were happy and relaxed when Jack fixed it reverently on the body. It had taken almost two hours to get this far and they were hot and tired from their exertions with cold hands despite their gloves.

"I think we deserve a break," said Jack, holding out a hand. "Let's get a drink and think about how we're going to dress our lovely snowman." Holly took his hand willingly and he felt a little thrill of satisfaction that he hadn't had to coax her. He led the girl away from the lodge to the main square where there were restaurants and shops and other facilities. "Let's go in here," he said, leading the way to a small café.

Sitting at a table with mugs of hot chocolate with marshmallows, they discussed their snowman and decided it needed a scarf, a hat and some eyes, a nose and a mouth. Holly was bright eyed and chatty and Jack wondered how he could have made her so unhappy. He hadn't meant to but that was no excuse. It was not going to happen again, that much he vowed to himself. He reached across and took her hand in his.

"Holly, sometimes I'm very silly and I do things I shouldn't. I'm really sorry I missed your show and that we haven't had time together lately. I want to do better and if you ever feel I'm not giving you enough attention ever again I want you to come up to me and hit me, hard. Will you do that?"

Holly was solemn. She looked at him steadily then nodded. "How hard?" she asked with the glimmer of a smile.

"Hard enough to make me see sense. Promise, gorgeous?"

"I promise." She was really smiling now.

They left the café shortly afterwards and went to an outfitters and bought a cheap scarf and hat for the snowman. Looking round a shop was a new experience for Holly who had only ever bought items from the e-shopper and she was entranced at being able to see, feel and even try on the goods on display. They made a few additional purchases and had a lot of bags as they trudged back to the lodge. Leaving the bags in the porch, they turned to the snowman and dressed it up, using the buttons they'd bought to make the face. Stepping back, they admired their work in the gathering dusk. Then Jack made a suggestion that had Holly in fits of giggles.

When the door opened and a still giggling Holly fell into the lodge, Ianto looked up and smiled. Something was amusing her and then Jack appeared behind her laden with bags, a grin plastered on his face.

"Bosom," said Jack and Holly giggled even more and fell on the floor. "Bosom, bosom, bosom!" he repeated and laughed as his daughter continued to giggle uncontrollably, rolling on the floor.

"What is going on?" asked Ianto, putting aside his book.

"Look out the window," said Jack, putting the bags on a chair and holding out a hand to pull the still giggling Holly to her feet. Ianto turned and looked at the snowman and saw … a snow-woman. 'She' had an old straw sun hat with flowers on her head and a bright pink scarf round 'her' neck above … large breasts. "We had to put bosoms on our snow-woman to go with the pink scarf."

Holly ran to the window, giggling still. "Dad made them. I told him not to," she said, admiring their handiwork.

"I had to. No self-respecting snowman would have a pink scarf and a hat with flowers on it!" Jack was standing beside them. "I think 'she' looks pretty good."

"It's certainly different," agreed Ianto. "Come here, Holly, let me take your jacket off." He helped her slip her arms out of the sleeves and then saw what she wearing underneath. "What's this?"

"It's my new sweater. Do you like it, Tad? I love it." She ran her hands over the front of the pink sweater which had a large white snowman on it. "Dad's got one too!"

Ianto looked over at his partner and sure enough, Jack was sporting a blue sweater with the same snowman motif. "Very nice."

"We got you one, Tad!" cried Holly, running to the bags. "There's this place called a shop and there's loads of nice things to look at and touch. Here it is!" She pulled out a red sweater and ran back with it to Ianto. "Put it on."

For dinner that evening the whole family wore the snowman sweaters; Konni's was green and Owain's orange. Holly insisted on keeping hers on over her sleep suit after her bath and Ianto let her, so pleased to see her happy again that he'd have agreed to anything. As they were on holiday, she was allowed to stay up later than usual and was content to sit on her tad's knee while Jack held Owain. She had had a wonderful time with her dad and was looking forward to many more.

Part two of the story will be coming shortly.