Previously...

They surveyed the beautiful tree, lit up and sparkling with a gently glowing silver star on top, the perfect picture of Christmas. "Let's go back to bed."

But before he could take a single step, Jack swept him up in his arms, lifting him off the ground somehow easily, and kissed him warmly. "Merry Christmas."

"To many more."

One Year Later...

"Jack! It's snowing! It's snowing!" Ianto cried excitedly, waking Jack up.

"What?" he asked groggily, blinking.

Ianto sprang onto the bed, making the springs creak and Jack bounce. The young man couldn't keep a huge, silly grin off his face. "It's snowing!" he repeated. "Really snowing, sticking and everything. It must have been snowing all night, there's so much on the ground now."

"Ianto, it's…" Jack glanced at the clock. "It's 5:30 in the morning, why the hell are you even awake?"

"Because it's snowing," Ianto repeated patiently.

Jack looked him up and down. "You're already dressed!" he exclaimed.

"I've been up for almost an hour," explained Ianto. "Now get up! I'm going outside." He dashed away.

Slowly, Jack got up and strolled over to the window, adjusting his pajama shirt. He pulled the blinds up. It was still pretty dark outside the house, and their small front yard was covered in snow. He yawned, wishing that Ianto would have waited another couple hours before waking him, but it was Christmas, and Ianto always said that he loved white Christmases more than anything. Jack made a mental note to sing him the song "White Christmas" later, and walked out of the bedroom to the front door. Ianto was already outside, and as Jack opened the door to come out, Ianto started running towards him.

Then, suddenly, Ianto slipped and fell down hard on a slippery patch of ice on their driveway. Without thinking, Jack rushed outside, his bare feet crunching the freezing snow. "Ianto, are you okay?" he asked anxiously.

Ianto sat up slowly, breathing shallowly. "I think so," he said shakily. Then his eyes fell on Jack's feet, noticing that he wasn't wearing shoes or socks, and that he was just in in pajamas. "Jack, you're going to freeze!"

Jack was uncomfortably cold and starting to shiver violently, but Ianto wasn't standing up. "Are you hurt?"

"No." Ianto held out a hand and Jack helped him to his feet. "Now get inside!"

Teeth chattering, Jack rushed inside. His feet were numb, as well as his nose and ears. Ianto was limping slightly, probably having twisted his ankle or something. "S-see, this is why you d-d-don't go outside at f-five in the m-morning," Jack stuttered, collapsing onto the nice blue couch that adorned their entrance room.

"I'm sorry, I just wanted…" Ianto apologized, wrapping a fleece blanket around Jack, who had tucked his feet up underneath him.

"It's f-fine, but can we wait until respectable hours t-to go play in the snow?" Jack asked, his shivering growing less violent.

"Yeah." Ianto took off his coat, revealing a Christmas jumper underneath.

Jack frowned at it. "Didn't you wear that last year?"

"Yep! And I've got the one you wore, too."

Jack groaned. The blue jumper had been horribly ugly and a little itchy, but he knew that Ianto was sentimental. So was he, if he was honest with himself. "Whatever. C'mere."

Ianto sat down next to him and snuggled under the blanket with him. They shared a long, lingering kiss. "Happy Christmas, Jack."

"Happy Christmas, Jones, Ianto Jones."

Ianto rolled his eyes, and Jack yelped as he felt Ianto poking lightly at his ribs, tickling him.

"Ianto!" he protested.

"Every time you call me that, I told you," Ianto said, continuing to tickle him. Jack fell backwards onto the length of the couch, wriggling and laughing.

"Okay, okay!" Jack pleaded after a couple seconds. "I'll stop."

"And yet, you know you won't," Ianto sighed. "I think I'll just keep going."

Jack lay there helplessly, trying to swat Ianto's hands away and failing. "Okay! Stop, p-please!" he begged finally. Ianto considered for a second, but shook his head. "P-please!"

"Hmm." Ianto snuck his fingers in between the buttons of Jack's pajama shirt and he practically shrieked as Ianto came into contact with his bare skin. "Promise me you'll go out in the snow with me later for as long as I want?"

"As l-long as it isn't un...Ahh! Unreasonable!" Jack stumbled. Ianto dug his fingers into his hipbones and he dissolved into hysterics. "Oh-kay okay, whatever you say, Ia-Ianto!"

"Promise?"

"I p-promise!" he swore. Ianto relented, smirking. Jack glared at him, but with undeniable affection in his eyes. "I hate you," he muttered.

"What was that?" Ianto teased, his hands hovering over Jack's belly warningly.

"Nothing!" Jack hastened to correct himself.

Ianto grinned. "That's more like it." He let Jack sit up.

Jack could actually feel his feet again, and they were still freezing. "Could you go get my slippers, please?" he asked.

"Sure. They're on the floor in our room?" Ianto called as he stood up and walked off.

"Yep!" Jack called. As soon as Ianto had gone, he scrambled to his feet, grabbed something off the kitchen table, and rushed over to the wall, hanging it on the nail he had conveniently placed there yesterday.

"Here they are, Jack-Jack?" Ianto said, startled to see Jack standing up.

"Hey, Ianto, could you just come over here for a second, please?" Jack requested, smiling innocently. Giving him a suspicious look, Ianto took a couple steps forward. "A little closer," Jack coaxed. Ianto took another step forward, and Jack met him in the middle, turning him around and backing him up against the wall.

"Jack, what are you-"

"Look up," Jack hinted.

Ianto did. "Mistletoe?" he asked, spotting the sprig hanging above their heads. "Jack, if you wanted a kiss, you could have just asked."

"All in the Christmas spirit." Jack leaned forwards, mouth slightly open, waiting for Ianto to do the same.

"Actually, the origins of the Christmas traditions and mistletoe-" Ianto began.

"Oh, shut up and kiss me," Jack told him. Ianto obliged, both of their eyes closing as they enjoyed each other's lips.

"I did actually bring your slippers," Ianto murmured after a minute.

"I'm too busy to put them on."

"Oh yeah, busy?"

"Busy kissing you, you idiot." Suddenly, they were interrupted by a beeping sound from the bedroom. It was 6:00, and the alarm clock was going off. "Why is that even set for this early?" Jack complained, following Ianto into the bedroom to turn it off.

"Because that's when I have to get up normally, you know that," Ianto told him. "The coffee-shop opens at 7:30."

Jack pouted. "But it's Christmas."

"Yeah, but it's too much hassle to turn it off and reset it every time a day comes around when I don't have to go to work." Ianto sat down on the bed heavily. "Although, since I don't have to go to work, and it is only 6:00...and we don't have any plans all day…"

Jack caught his drift. "And we are already in the bedroom."

"Exactly my thinking," Ianto agreed. "Presents can wait."

Jack was about to make a snide comment, but Ianto's reached up and grabbed the front of his shirt, pulling him down onto the bed and unbuttoning the shirt at the same time. "Presents can wait," Jack agreed quickly.

Later, at what Jack would call the 'more respectable time' of 9:00, Ianto and Jack went back out into the living room, where their tree was set up with just a couple of gifts underneath it. Ianto knelt down next to the tree and pulled out the prettily wrapped presents. "There's one for both of us from Rhi," he began. "One to you from me, from me to you, one that seems to be addressed to, ahem, 'Jack and his Mystery Lover'." Ianto looked up at Jack with raised eyebrows.

"I haven't told Gwen, Toshiko, and Owen much about you," Jack confessed. "Though we've been invited to Gwen's wedding at last."

"Ahh," Ianto realized. "My turn to be your plus one?"

"Exactly what I was thinking."

Ianto looked back at the last two presents. "This one's for me, from my mate Steven from school. I haven't seen him in ages, but we still send each other cards and the like. And...I'm not sure where this one came from?" It was a brown wrapped package that looked like it had just come through the mail. "It's got no return address, but it was on our doorstep this morning." Ianto glanced up at Jack, who seemed to have gotten a little bit paler. "Jack?" Ianto asked, concerned. "What's wrong?"

Jack shook his head. "Let's open the rest of them first," was all he would say.

Ianto just accepted it. Jack would tell him when he was ready, so he put the brown box aside and picked up the one from Steven. It was just a card, with a gift card inside to Ianto's favorite place to purchase his own personal coffee beans. Next, Jack opened the one from his team. "How thoughtful," Ianto said dryly, when Jack laughed and showed him the slightly ridiculous looking trophy that read "Number One Team Leader."

"Oh, wait, there's something at the bottom!" Jack exclaimed. He pulled out a gift card to a fancy restaurant. Enough for two, read the script on the card.

"Wow, that's actually very sweet," Ianto remarked.

"It is," Jack agreed. "What did Rhi and Johnny send us?"

Ianto tore through the packaging neatly, and opened the box to reveal a nice set of candles and a certificate for some hand towels at a posh local store. "That's rather domestic," Ianto observed.

Jack laughed. "Should I open mine from you first, or vice versa?"

"You first?" asked Ianto.

"Sure." Jack felt the package in his hands. "Is it a book?"

"Just open it," said Ianto, slightly embarrassed.

Jack noticed him blushing, and smiled as he tore through the wrapping paper. Ianto watched his face carefully as he took out the book. It wasn't just any book, though. Ianto had chosen it specifically and had thought it perfect. "The Story of the Trapp Family Singers," Jack read. "By Maria Von Trapp." He looked up at Ianto.

"You told me once that you prefered the stories of real people during World War Two as opposed to the story of the war itself," Ianto explained. "And while the movie will always be my favorite, apparently the book, written by Maria herself, is far more accurate." Ianto shrugged. "It's not huge, but…"

Jack had tears in his eyes. "Open yours," he whispered.

Startled by Jack's reaction, Ianto did as he had asked, and had to laugh when he saw what was inside the lightweight gift. "It's the 50th anniversary edition of The Sound of Music," he smiled. "With the documentary on the making and everything." He leaned over to kiss Jack, and Jack pulled him close for a huge hug. "Thank you. It's perfect." They stayed that way for several minutes, their breathing slow and in synch. "So, what about that last package?" Ianto asked finally.

"It's probably nothing," Jack said.

"Then open it." Ianto had seen how frightened Jack had been when he had seen it for the first time, and needed to know that everything was alright. "Please."

Jack took the package from Ianto's outstretched hands and opened it. He pulled out a single envelope. Ianto caught a glimpse of the writing on the outside. Open when you're alone, it read. "Ianto, I have to…"

"I saw. Go ahead." Ianto nodded reassuringly and Jack stood up and walked into the bedroom, sliding the envelope open. Ianto sat and waited anxiously. But when a little gasping sob came from the other room, he drew the line and went to Jack. Jack was sitting on the edge of the bed, folding up the piece of paper as soon as he saw Ianto, but he couldn't hide the look on his face and the tears in his eyes.

"Ianto." Jack reached for his hand and made him sit down. Ianto's heart was pounding. He didn't know what he was expecting, but he knew it wasn't good news. "I...I have to leave."

Ianto suddenly felt quite ill. "Why?" he choked.

"Do you remember me telling you that I had gotten hurt in the war and that's why they sent me home?" Jack asked quietly.

"Of course." How could I forget something like that?

"Well, I was shot, and I was supposed to die. But the doctor who was assigned to my unit and his assistant...they saved me." Jack pulled Ianto close, holding him to his chest. "And so I owe him my life. And he's asking for my help now."

"With what?" Ianto asked desperately. "What could be so important that you'd have to leave me?"

"I can't tell you," Jack whispered. "I'm so sorry. I'm not allowed to."

"I have never asked you…" Ianto took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. "Anything. About your time in the war." His voice was trembling. "Not once have I made you tell me about anything that happened, or anything that you did. But now I have to. What is it about you that your doctor needs that he couldn't ask anyone else? Why you?"

Jack stroked Ianto's back. "I'm scared that if I tell you, you'll leave me," he admitted.

"That will never, ever happen." That was the one thing that Ianto knew for sure. "Listen to me. Never."

Trembling, Jack hid his face in Ianto's shoulder. "In the war," he murmured, muffled and quiet, as if making himself less audible would help. "I was part of a special unit. We were...not entirely supposed to exist. But we were in charge of...enhanced interrogation for possible terrorists."

Ianto nodded slowly. "Okay."

"Do you know what that means?" Jack made sure.

"Yes." Ianto tightened his hold around Jack. "And it doesn't change a thing about us. But I've seen you have nightmares, even though you always forget them, and if that doctor thinks that he's going to drag you back into a war because of some favor, well, he can just think again and find someone else."

Jack shook his head. "I was the best," he uttered softly. "He needs me."

Ianto could feel Jack slipping away from him. "You aren't going to go, are you?" Jack said nothing. "You aren't."

"I am."

"But-"

"Ianto, please," Jack begged. "Please, just...don't argue with me right now. Just...hold me."

"I don't want you to leave," Ianto murmured, squeezing his arms around Jack's waist. "But I'll be here when you get back."

Jack suddenly laughed bitterly. "This is the worst fucking Christmas I've ever had."

"Then let's make it better," Ianto said quickly. "When do you have to leave?"

"I leave tomorrow afternoon."

"Why so soon?" Ianto gasped.

"Saving the world can't wait."

Ianto nodded, not quite sure if Jack was being entirely serious. "Let's make the most of what we've got, then. And you know what we've got?" he said, remembering. "We've got a white Christmas."

Jack smiled slightly. "I did promise you we could go play in the snow."

"You did." Ianto pulled Jack up off the bed, forcing himself to try and be cheerful for Jack's sake. "Put on something warmer. We could go into the back garden. It's smaller than the front, but at least there won't be kids running around and screaming, and we can have some privacy."

"Snow sex?"

Ianto gave him a slightly horrified look. "Jack, that would be bloody freezing."

Jack shrugged. "Just a thought."

Jack bundled up. He made himself stop thinking about the letter, and the war, and the doctor and his assistant. This was his last day with Ianto for what would probably be a long time, and he was going to make it good. He opened the door to their tiny back garden and looked around for Ianto, who had already went out. "Ianto, where…"

There was a small laugh from behind one of the untrimmed, snow-coated bushes that lined the fence. Jack looked over at where Ianto was hiding warily. The young man popped up, a snowball in his hand. Jack's eyes widened.

"Don't you dare throw that snowba-goddammit!" he yelped as the well aimed missile splattered against his shoulder, spraying cold ice and water all over his exposed neck. "Ahh! That's freezing." Ianto was laughing at him, and Jack growled, "That's it!" He scooped up a ball of snow, packed it quickly, took aim, and threw. Ianto tried to duck, but he wasn't fast enough and it skated over the top of his head, making him yelp. "Ha! Take that!" Jack called. They chased each other around the garden for a while, throwing snowballs and usually missing but sometimes scoring a really good hit. Then, Jack got a lightly packed snowball that was just a handful of cold powder and tossed it directly into Ianto's face.

Ianto gasped, looking ridiculous with his face covered in snow. He stuck his tongue out childishly and ran towards Jack, who only had a moment to prepare before they both went toppling to the snow-covered ground.

"Oof!" Jack grunted. He looked up into Ianto's sparkling grey-blue eyes. The young man was just staring down at him, memorizing his face, a look of extreme sadness creeping into his eyes. "Ianto?"

"Yeah. Sorry." Ianto rolled off him so he was lying on his back in the snow. The clouds that had covered the sky earlier had cleared, and now it was a smooth shade of periwinkle as far as the eye could see. "Do you know what exactly you'll be doing?" he asked eventually.

Jack didn't reply. He didn't want to reply. He didn't want Ianto to know precisely what the content of the letter was. "Sort of what I was doing before."

Ianto took his hand. "Is it illegal?"

"Yeah, probably. Is that a problem?"

"Only if you're going to get in trouble."

Jack laughed humorlessly. "I'm not. The government is the one sanctioning it. For the 'protection of the masses.' But that's all I can tell you." That's basically all that the letter could tell him without being a risk to security, anyway. It involved some people all over the world and the group that Jack had been a part of during the war, but that was just about all he knew. And oh, God, he didn't want to go. Not after he had spent several years trying to forget what he had done. "Can we go back inside? I know I promised as long as you wanted, but…"

"Of course we can go back inside. I'm starting to get cold, too. Especially because someone splattered my entire face with snow," Ianto teased half-heartedly.

"Hey, I've got icy water all down my neck," Jack countered, trying to match Ianto's attempt at light-heartedness.

Ianto sat up and leaned over Jack, bending down for a kiss. "Let's go inside, then."

"Wait!" Jack said, helping Ianto to his feet and standing up at the same time. "Wait." He placed his right hand just above Ianto's hip and took Ianto's right hand in his left. Instinctively, Ianto put his left hand on Jack's right shoulder.

"Jack, what are you-?" Ianto began, clearly confused.

"Shh." Slowly, Jack began swaying them back and forth. After a second, he began singing quietly. "I'm dreaming of a white Christmas, just like the ones I used to know, where the treetops glisten and children listen to hear sleighbells in the snow." They danced across the snow-covered garden, Jack's voice smooth and melodious.

Ianto joined in, baritone to compliment Jack's tenor. "I'm dreaming of a white Christmas, with every Christmas card I write. May your days be merry and bright!"

"And may all your Christmases be white," Jack finished, twirling Ianto once and then bringing him back into hold to kiss his lips once.

"I'm dreaming of a white Christmas," they continued. "Just like the ones I used to know. Where the treetops glisten and children listen to hear sleighbells in the snow. I'm dreaming of a white Christmas, with every Christmas card I write! May your days be merry and bright, and may all your Christmases-" Ianto was about to finish the refrain, taking a breath to make the last note count, but Jack quickly put a finger to his lips as he continued, his voice soaring higher and louder across the still, white morning. "May all your Christmases, may all your Christmases be white!" Jack hit the last note, holding it clear and vibrato for several seconds, pulling Ianto in for yet another kiss and then brought him closer for a hug.

"I understand that you have to go, even if I don't understand why," Ianto murmured. "But I trust you. And I'll miss you." His hands cupped the sides of Jack's cold face and he looked deeply into Jack's eyes. Jack almost couldn't hold his gaze, it was that intense. "Promise me that you will come home," Ianto demanded.

Jack wished desperately that he could promise that, and he wished desperately that he could just stay here, but he could do neither, so he just shook his head marginally and held Ianto closer.

So, yeah, there is actually a bit of a plot to this story. Did I mention? I hope you enjoyed this update. If you did, shoot me a review telling me what you thought! I'll love you forever. Many thanks and much love! ~Clare