It's Christmas time!

Chapter 5 : Happy Christmas

Harry held tight to the cold glass of milk, careful not to spill a single drop. Left foot forward. Feet together. Right foot forward. Feet together. Carefully, he avoided the dangerous hazards of the living room. Navigating his way between the chair and the couch. Circumventing the coffee table and scaling the edge of the carpet, until finally he reaches his haven, the table. He placed the glass on the small table standing next to the little family's little Christmas tree. To Harry it is the most beautiful of trees, glittering with tinsel and glowing with strings of lights, it was magical. He and his daddy had decorated it together, and he will always remember when Ianto handed him the dainty angel, then with big, warm hands lifted him and with a final stretch he places the little woman on the summit of their tree.

Ianto and Harry were both amazed at how alive the flat seemed. It was like nothing they had experienced before. For Harry, it was the first time he had truly felt love at Christmas.

A plate of cookies landed next to the milk on the table and raven locks bounced as Harry start. He looked up and smiled into the warm face of his young father.

"Now Santa will have a nice snack on his long trip tonight," Ianto explained.

"Are you sure he's going to bring me presents? He's never brought presents before."

It wasn't the first-time Harry had said something like this and Ianto was getting a clear picture of what life had been like for the little boy. Those people were lucky, because if Ianto could figure out who they were they would find themselves having a very unfortunate accident.

But he pushed all that down and smiled at Harry. "Of course he'll find you. You sent him a letter, didn't you?"

"Yes!" Harry gave a little hop and his arms shot upward. In an instant, he was being held in strong arms.

"So, when you wake up," as if on que Harry yawned, "and come to the tree, there will be presents waiting just for you. But first, Cariad, you must go to sleep."

"But I'm not tired," He was still yawning.

"No?" Ianto tried not to smile, but was most definitely failing, "Then how about we brush our teeth and I'll read you a story and then you can stay up all night."

"All night?"

"All night."

Ianto hadn't finished reading the third page by the time Harry was sound asleep. He didn't leave right away, Ianto stayed, petting his son's hair and watching him gently breath in his sleep, occasionally letting out little huffs.

Things hadn't been easy the last couple of weeks. Both he and Harry suffered from nightmares and more often than not Harry would end up sleeping I his tad's bed. But things would get better, they had each other now and they would support each other. For now, Ianto just wished the kid would sleep through the night.

"Wake up, Daddy!" Before Ianto could even do as asked, a weight landed right on his stomach, "He came, he really did! Just like you said he would!"

"Who came, Harry?" Ianto groaned.

"Santa came, last night. And he drank my milk."

Ianto smiled at the excited boy. "You don't say. Should we open presents now? Or eat breakfast first?"

"Hmmm," Harry hummed, "Breakfast! Can we have pancakes?"

"It is a special day, so yes."

The rest of the day was spent with smiles and laughter. For Harry, it was one of the best days he had ever had, coming in a close second to the day Ianto asked him to become his son. He and Ianto played together all day, testing out new toys, reading some of the new books. When Harry opened his very last present he found it contained a football. The two went to a nearby park where Ianto began to teach the surprisingly coordinated child to pass.

When Harry would miss, Ianto would just encourage him to try again. And when Harry kicked the ball right to his waiting Tad, the man would cheer and smile and Harry would feel like he was on top of the world.

The one-time Harry fell, he skinned his knee and it began to bleed. He was sure he was dying, but to Ianto it had been a comical fall. So, as scooped his son into his arms, he couldn't help but chuckle. It might seem wrong to laugh at a child but Ianto guessed it was just a parent's right to find delight in everything their children did.

That had been the end of their day. They went to sleep that night, full of stories and coco and joy.

Before Ianto's mind quieted for the night, he heard a whisper from the warm bundle in his arms, "Happy Christmas, Daddy."

The next day was just as full of new experiences for young Harry Jones.

They spent the morning with Rhiannon, her husband Johnny, and their two children. Ianto and Rhiannon sat in the kitchen drinking coffee and watching Johnny play with the children. Ianto had to give the man credit, he had always thought the man was an incompetent fool but he was good with children.

After relaxing for the morning, the six want to a local rugby match and though Harry didn't understand the excitement of the people around him was contagious.

Harry squealed with delight as he got to sit on Ianto's shoulders for the entire game. Johnny, on the other hand, would not stop complaining as his children continually asked him to do the same as Ianto.

Christmas, Boxing Day, it was all more perfect than Harry could have ever imagined and he felt secure in the promise that they would not be the last of their kind.

Chapter End

In the next chapter Harry with begin school!