8

"So, now you get what Christmas is all about?" Jack asked as he watched his gorgeous mate sit on the edge of their bed while rubbing liniment into his bump for the betterment of the little heathen scummer onboard.

"Family" Ianto said without looking up from his task and Jack grinned as he agreed. Yeah. Ianto then added "I understand things added, changed and morphed over the centuries. It was once something revered and done with such… reverence. Now it is more of a celebration. Like all things, it evolves."

"Well… I am glad we got to do it." Jack finally flopped back into the pillows, so tired he might already be sleepwalking. In the other room the kids were asleep already, snoring their little arses off in a total parody of their father about to start doing the same.

Ianto rose from the bed and watched his beloved start to snore, his arms flung behind his head in a wanton display of comfort. He walked tough to the bathroom and looked at himself in the mirror, reveling in the fact that he was evolving too. The folks of this dirt were becoming a whole new species and he could hardly wait for this newling to join the madness.

Ianto washed up and headed to bed, sliding in beside his mate and as he lay there he sang softly to the bump, letting the child within know it is loved.

They slept.

.

.

"So… no one knows when it happened?" Jack asked as he looked up at the scorched remains of the tree. Thank the gods it was metals and only the ornaments had flared briefly.

"we think a child lit a candle to sit and look at the tree … maybe the old superstition of getting rid each year was right" someone said.

"Bullshit" Jack scoffed "Some had artificial ones they reused every year. No… this is a simple mistake. We should put it away though, work on it for next year and do a 'no candle' rule yeah?"

They moved the tree and Whit Senior considered things.

.

.

"I don't know" Ianto said for the fourth time as he watched the large box come down the ramp from the away vessel. His father had gone back to work and a few days later had sent this… large wooden box of something.

"Looks like a coffin stood upright" someone said helpfully and John started to giggle.

Rhys stepped forward with a crowbar and forced off the side so it fell away to reveal… a plant. A big plant.

"Wow." Gwen said softly "I mean… it is SO green!"

"It's a tree" Owen finally said as he blinked "Why did he send you a tree? They don't grow here in this dirt."

"It is in a large pot, I think it can live inside" Jack reached in and plucked out a card, handing it to Ianto who read it out loud.

"My dear boy, this is what was traditionally used for a Christmas tree. A Douglas Fir Tree. It will grow a lot bigger, hence the huge pot it is in and will one day reach the roof of the Mess Hall. Pop it in the corner, love it and water it… tend to it and each Christmas it will hold the happiness of the season in it's branches." Ianto read, then he hummed "Look… pictures of trees… oh look… they DID have the gifts under them."

He handed out the postcards and everyone looked, then they regarded the tree again.

"Name?" Lucifer asked.

"Huh?"

"The tree.. gotta have a name"

"Don't' be a dick" his usually silent twin admonished "It's on the card. Douglas."

"Oh. Right" he said to Whitty with a nod.

Everyone regarded the tree some more than Rhys clapped his hands "Right then.. come on. Let's get Douglas inside before he wilts."

And that is how the DDs got a real tree for their rancid planet.

Douglas Fir at your service.

….

.

And so ends the Christmas special. Next segment, when I get to it one day… will be the new baby's birth and whatever I think up to mess with things LOL

Thanks of reading xxxx