5
The lights were low, signaling late evening and all children were hopefully asleep. A soft chime told those who were waiting to sneak out to place gifts that the time was now, one parental going while another watched to make sure no little devil slipped out for a peek too.
These are their children after all.
The Mess was a hive of activity as gifts were placed under the tree as well as some little things placed at tables where families sat. It had been all organized so that everyone had a place to be tomorrow, that place designated as per the diagram on the wall and the place names on the tables …. Military precision here folks, you could expect nothing less from these elite.
Ianto was happily placing things in the stockings that hung along the front of the Boss's table while Jack helped, John glad to stay back until later for his own offerings to be placed, watching their spawn for them with glee. Jack turned to see Ianto drop another of the log tubular gift into a stocking with a soft hum. "Hey, what is that?"
Ianto tipped the bag so Jack could see that it was full of the things. Like… the length of a chopstick and the width of a sausage. Jack frowned as he tried to work out what Ianto was giving each child. You know, they didn't look like stickers to him but he was sure that's what Ianto had told him they would get for the kids… stickers right? So he looked at Ianto in silent question again and Ianto rolled his eyes then hissed like the kids might hear around the base "Stickers."
Jack was trying to work out how he had done it. Curled the sheets? Cut them into some sort of tube? Jack was eager to see his children opening them come the morning to see what sort of stickers they were. Gods, he really hopes they don't plaster them on everything like some kids do. Really should look into getting a sticker book or something for them. He relied softly "As long as they save them for something special and don't go splatting them everywhere. Can you imagine the mess?"
Ianto seemed excited anyway.
.
.
"Did you get them all out?" John asked.
"Yes, but for this one" Ianto said as he waved it at John "You did not have a stocking."
"Oh. Awww…. Really? You kept one for me too?" John was beyond touched, his hands flapping as he looked at the little parcel. "You didn't want to place it on the table by my name?"
"No… I did not want it to get lost in the mess of Christmas stuff all the tables seem to be covered with… it's a wonder there is room for any plates even!" Ianto said with a snort.
"The adults will do their gifts after the kids so… add it to his pile. You can give more than one gift darling" Jack advised "You can get and give many gifts and not all need to be big."
"Brilliant" Ianto said happily as he dropped it into a box of gifts tagged for those they would soon belong to.
Jack saw a flat thin one for him and pondered if he was getting stickers too, ones not rolled. Whatever it was… he knew it was good judging from Ianto's zinging excitement.
Well... we shall soon see won't we.
.
.
Next morning and they woke to a couple of little beasts in the bed, rummaging about like they were being robbed. Jack groaned "Goram… what the hell are you two doing?"
"Christmas morning" Fury said as his head appeared between the two men "Are you mad? Come on… we gotta go."
"Oh my hells, you are both dressed already?" Ianto said as he threw back the covers to reveal two kids in the bed, both fully dressed and wide eyes like they were high on something, Jack's morning wood at half mast as he lay there naked as a jaybird. No shame here… the kids knew about human anatomy, leaned it in their schoolwork. Better soldiers, knowing the weak points for better attack and defense.
"Oh, I forgot pants again Tadda" Jack said slowly, then grinned as his mate chuffed with mirth, rising to shoo the kids from the room so they could get ready too.
"Come on... the morning chimes are not sounding for tht Mess to be open yet… I suggest everyone calms down and our daughter sits for me to do her tail."
"I want it down my back today" she said sternly and Ianto looked at Jack with surprise, the man sitting up to stare back at Ianto with equal surprise.
"But you always wear it as a ridge." Ianto said softly "Has someone said something unkind to make it seem… uncomfortable or something? If so I shall snarl for you my love."
"No. I saw pictures of the olden days and the children all wore nice clothes and had nice hair… the little girls usually had their hair in plaits or ponytails… not like me. If we are to immerse ourselves in the full Christmas experience then we should do it correctly" she said in her sweet little voice.
"Agreed" Ianto smiled "Look… Daddy has an ugly Christmas Sweater"
Jack emerged with a horrible green sweater covered in hoof prints and one shoulder had what could only be described as … ah…. Little brown pellets sewn on it.
"Reindeer poo" Jack said to his daughter as Whitty stared up at him with horror.
"You want to wear a poo covered sweater to breakfast?" she asked "Wow.. This Christmas thing is weird."
"Perhaps you didn't think that through" Ianto whispered and Jack got that look he gets when he is about to dig his heels in so Ianto let it go.
He had warned him that it was a weird thing to do.
Who ever heard of someone deliberately wearing something that horrible?
Jack was clearly misinformed… right?
