Fic: Good Tidings
Title: Good Tidings
Author Name: Anonymous
Original Prompt Number: 7
Pairing(s): Jack/Ianto, Gwen/Rhys
Summary: It's Christmas time, and Torchwood Three faces their first Holiday season without Tosh and Owen.
Rating: PG (naughty references - after all, Jack is involved.)
Disclaimer: I don't own Jack and Ianto (heavy sigh), I'm pretty sure they own each other. I do know the BBC and RTD owns all things Torchwood.
Warnings: M/M relationship. Set after "Exit Wounds". Mention of character death.
Word Count: 10219
Author's Notes: This is for mbs_library -- I hope you like it as much as I enjoyed writing this.
Beta by: D
The cog door rolled back, allowing Gwen Cooper to enter the Hub. She was barely past the doors, when she froze in shock, while gripping the handles of her large carrier bags tightly. Gwen had to take a double look and she still could not believe what she was seeing.
When she'd left the night before, the Hub looked like… well, the Hub. What she walked into was scary. Icicle lights hung from rails on different levels in multi-colors, with white ones from the ceiling near Myfanwy's nest. There was a huge wreath hung up outside of Jack's office on the glass wall. The workstations along the main Hub area had small twinkling lights and some odd garland. Against the wall next to the couch was a tree, untrimmed, but with boxes on the couch.
Music was playing. Music was playing, filtered throughout the Hub. "We Need A Little Christmas" to be exact. The more she listened, the more she realized there were two additional voices joining in on the singing. She could not make out the individual voices because of the laughter.
She caught some movement on the ramp outside the hothouse. Gwen could not stop her grin as she watched the two men work together to untangle a long rope of garland. It was more of the type that outlined the workstations. The garland looked traditional enough and would pass as such to the inexperienced eye. Gwen, having seen things most humans did not know existed, knew better, even from where she stood. The garland was not something of this Earth. She had caught how the patches of what looked like berries reflected in certain angles of light, in a reflection that did not look human made. If someone asked Gwen how she knew that, she probably could not explain. It was just something about the reflection that tipped it off.
Gwen bit back from laughing out loud, which would give herself away as she watched Jack get tangled in the long vine. Ianto quickly decided to tangle him further. Half hearted, Jack protested, while allowing himself to be tied in the vine of garland. Ianto was laughing, and looked as young to Gwen as she could remember. It made her smile more seeing the youngest member of their team simply enjoying himself. Jack's protests were interspersed with squeals and giggles, begging Ianto to stop. Gwen could see he did not mean it. She also knew she was not intruding in a private moment between the men. It was just a simple moment of two lovers having fun. Ianto was laughing. Not just a chuckle, as Gwen was used to hearing from the younger man, but deep belly laughs with every protest coming from Jack. Apparently something was tickling Jack, and Gwen could not make out whether it was Ianto, or the garland. She also knew she was a few minutes late arriving at the Hub for the workday, deciding to stop and pick up some pastries to add to whatever Jack and Ianto decided to bring in on their way that morning. It was not like they were not expecting her there.
Seconds later, Jack turned and noticed Gwen still standing just past the now closed cog door and grinned. "Gwen!" he called out. "Help!"
Gwen laughed and walked further into the Hub, setting her bags by her workstation. "Oh no. I'm anxious to see how the Great Captain Harkness gets out of this one."
"He won't," Ianto called out, with an impish grin.
The next sound from Jack was more laughter. Gwen sat down in her chair, facing the two men and laughed. "I get a feeling coffee's not ready yet? Should I go out and fetch some?"
"Coffee will be soon. We'll be needing some," Ianto replied.
"Let me go," Jack begged, not entirely serious. "Please. Just leave me and make us coffee."
"Soon," Ianto replied. His grin grew evil. "As soon as I convince Gwen to keep you captured."
"Captured Captain Jack," Gwen laughed. "I love it."
"I love you both, so could you please let me go?" Jack asked.
"No!" Ianto and Gwen called out in unison. They looked at each other and laughed.
"These vines…" Jack started to wiggle. "They're tickling me."
"Too bad," Ianto commented.
Both men weren't dressed like Gwen was used to. Occasionally Ianto had been pulled in from home with no time to don his work suits. Sometimes in the late hours, Jack would lose his shirt, wearing just his undershirt and trousers. In the past there were times when Gwen arrived to work early enough to catch Jack in sweats and undershirt before he dressed for the day. Gwen had not seen Jack in other than his usual style since… it happened - the day they lost Tosh and Owen.
Ever since things settled down somewhat, Jack started to leave the Hub at night, more than his usual roaming among rooftops. Being in his bunkroom under the office reminded Jack of being buried in a grave for almost two millennia, so he stayed out of it except for brief times. Losing Toshiko and Owen was hard on Jack. Losing his brother again, this time effectively in all ways except actual death added to the immortal's pain. Instead of pulling away, putting up barriers to protect himself in the future, he found himself becoming closer to his remaining team. Gwen was a younger sister to be adored. Ianto became more than just a lover, cherished and loved. Both were protected by Jack, and the older man learned to allow those he loved to protect him. They were not just a team and survivors - they were a family. Rhys was included as a part of the small self-made family.
When the Rift was quiet, Jack started to enforce one night a week to go out together and have fun. What they did would vary each time. Sometimes their evenings would be cut short when their remote Rift monitor would go off. It did not stop them from going out another time. Jack would not allow it. Together, they got past the grieving process. They were still in the healing process. Jack would come up with various ways to help with the healing, and was open to listening to any suggestions Gwen or Ianto might have.
As they found themselves approaching the holiday season, one thing they thought they could not bring themselves to do was decorate around the Hub. Gwen knew she was not looking forward to facing the holidays with their loses, and knew both Jack and Ianto shared her feelings.
So she was surprised when she came into work the day before Christmas Eve and found the Hub decorated beyond anything they did before. There were the various collected decorations they all contributed to through the years, along with some of Jack's collection from his time at Torchwood. As if that was not enough, it appeared as if Jack and Ianto had gone through the Archives, pulling out anything that might fit the theme of Christmas.
Gwen had to admit it was a good idea after all. The Hub seemed magically transformed, no longer the dark grim reminder of what they lost while they bravely carried on to protect Cardiff, and sometimes the world, from alien threat. More than the decorations, Gwen found she enjoyed seeing both Jack and Ianto release their inner child. From the playful, teasing glances she would get, along with each man taunting her to join him against the other, they were expecting Gwen to release hers.
She stood up and slowly walked across the Hub to the steps that would take her up to them. She studied them as she walked. Jack was wearing a pair of snug, worn jeans, a blue tee-shirt and a zip up hoodie. Ianto was in a pair of baggy jeans with a black pullover hoodie. She considered which one would be more fun to join sides with. Having Jack held captive by some alien garland that seemed harmless, except for the tickling, was tempting. Ianto was enjoying having an advantage over Jack. However to turn the tides on Ianto would be amusing too. As she climbed up the steps, she was still undecided.
As Gwen finally approached the two men, she finally came to a decision. Her face was set in playful determination.
"That's my girl," Jack encouraged her. "Come and help me from this evil man."
"Imagine the fun if we leave Jack here, tied up," Ianto countered. "I'd make you an extra large coffee, and we can tease Jack as we drink."
"Hey, no fair using coffee as a bribe," Jack complained.
Ianto raised an eyebrow. "As if you have anything better to offer."
Gwen stood a few feet from them, grinning. "Well…" she remarked thoughtfully. "I think…." She saw what she was hoping to find - the other end of the garland that was wrapped around Jack, and in Ianto's hands. The end was on the ground, off to the side of them near the hothouse wall. In a sudden move, she lunged for the end and started to wrap it around Ianto. Before she knew it, he was as tangled in the vine, which seemed somewhat alive, as Jack was. Both men were protesting, then started to giggle as she started to wind it so they were pulled together, chest to chest.
"Oh, I see you're all tied up, Ianto," Gwen remarked when she was done, stepping back to admire her handiwork. "I guess I should go get us some coffee. Be back soon, loves." She started to move away from them, as if she really meant to leave them alone.
"If you leave us like this, tied up or not, I swear I'm going to make the best of this situation with Ianto. You don't want to walk into that, do you?" Jack asked.
"Why not?" Gwen asked back. "How many times did I catch you two? Once while in the middle of naked hide and seek."
Jack laughed, while Ianto blushed slightly. The Captain managed to lean his head enough to lick Ianto's lips. "This is nice, isn't it?" he murmured, and then swiped the tip of his tongue along Ianto's lower lip. Ianto whimpered and his tongue darted out to meet Jack's.
"Bloody hell, you two," Gwen cried out, amused. "Couldn't even last two minutes!" She laughed. "All right. I'll let you go, but I want coffee. And while Ianto is busy with that, you, Jack, will get our breakfast ready." She fumbled with the vine, trying to find the end again, her fingers managing to tickle both men.
"Gwen, stop!" Jack twitched and wiggled again. Ianto squeaked. Gwen realized that it was not just her fingers as the fine leaves acted like tendrils, tickling both men.
"I can't find the end," Gwen gasped, looking, her hand running along the vine, causing both men to jump.
"Damn, it merged," Jack groaned. "Gwen, get scissors and cut it."
"It's alive, isn't it? Won't that hurt it?" Gwen was concerned that the vine could act like a wounded animal and start to hurt the two tied up men.
"Nope," Ianto commented. "It won't feel it. Wherever you cut it will become its new end until it merges again."
Gwen rolled her eyes. "I do not want to know how you know so much about this."
"We won't tell, promise," Jack commented. ‘Just get the scissors and cut us out."
"Okay." She patted both men. "At least you look like you're enjoying yourself, so I guess it could be worse."
"Not sure about me and Ianto, but if you don't get back here in about two minutes and get us out, you'll just be better off to go home and don't come back until one of us calls you," Jack said. He winked at her. "Which could be some time from now."
"Scissors!" Gwen exclaimed, leaving the two and running down the steps to the main Hub area in search of scissors.
She missed the look Jack and Ianto exchanged. "Ready?" Jack asked.
"Always," Ianto replied with a smirk. He moved a hand toward his pocket and managed to pull out the small cutting blade. "Just try to stay still."
"Go," Jack said.
Ianto cut through the vine and quickly the two men worked on releasing themselves from the vine. Garland now on the floor around their feet, they grinned at each other. "Get her," Ianto commented.
"Definitely," Jack replied with a nod.
Gwen turned around at the sound of feet coming down the steps, to see both Jack and Ianto advancing toward her. She let out a scream, and dropping the scissors she had located, started to run through the Hub, with Jack and Ianto after her. Above them, Myfanwy circled the Hub, squawking excitedly, as if she had joined in on the fun.
It took Jack and Ianto a while before they finally trapped Gwen. That was mainly because Gwen had somehow acquired the assistance of Myfanwy.
"See if you get dark chocolate for Christmas," Ianto grumped up toward Myfanwy after they settled on the couch, coffee and pastries set on the table.
Gwen was still giggling as Jack dropped on the couch next to Ianto. He reached over for a Danish. "Maybe she felt the sides were unfair?" he suggested as he shoved half the Danish into his mouth. He shrugged at Ianto's glare, while licking the glaze off his fingers. He smirked a little, seeing Ianto's eyes settled on what he was doing. He decided to lick his fingers again.
Ianto managed to tear his eyes away from Jack and looked up again as he picked up his coffee. "Traitor," he muttered
Jack and Gwen chuckled, trading looks behind Ianto's back in amusement.
Myfanwy let out a screech while flapping her wings, looking down from her nest.
Ianto raised an eyebrow toward their unusual pet. "I see you take after your Da - always have to get the last word in."
Jack spit his coffee out and Gwen broke out in laughter, dropping the pastry she was eating onto the napkin she had before her on the table.
"I'm bringing some of the glossa-vine with me tonight," Jack threatened, picking up his coffee mug and then drank from it.
"Don't need to know that, Jack," Gwen commented, but giggled anyway.
"Sure you do," Jack replied. "Then I won't have to explain why Ianto won't be around on Boxing Day."
"Knowing you, Jack, more like that would explain why I'll be here alone on Boxing Day."
"She has a point," Ianto said.
Jack stood up, ignoring the comments. "I'm getting changed," he announced.
He barely got two steps from the couch when the Rift Alarm went off.
Breakfast was interrupted, but as the team piled into the SUV, they still were finishing pastries. Ianto drove, with Jack in the passenger seat and Gwen in the back, tracking the location of whatever they were looking for. It turned out to be what Jack called, "flotsam" just outside the city. After checking if it was safe, they headed back to the Hub with the item in the back of the SUV.
"So what do we have, Jack?" Gwen asked when they were back at the Hub. Jack had the item on a worktable, while the three studied it. She found herself highly amused through the mission. Both Jack and Ianto had planned to change into their usual work clothes when they finished breakfast. Not having a chance to do so, the two men were still in their jeans.
"Parts of a ship," Jack identified as he tugged on his zip up hoodie. "Looks like a piece from the hull."
Gwen groaned. "And I was thankful for not living in London for Christmas."
"Don't tempt fate, or we could find ourselves being called to London for Christmas one of these days," Jack warned, wagging a finger at her.
"I don't think it's a good idea for me to go out of town. What if more debris comes through the Rift?" Gwen stated, seeming to make up her mind.
Jack shook his head. "No. You go ahead with your plans. Ianto and I can handle anything in the next couple of days. We'll call you only if we're certain we can't handle it between the two of us."
"Jack," Gwen started to protest.
"You are not canceling going to your in-laws for the holidays," Jack stated firmly.
Ianto tsked, shaking his head while giving the Welshwoman a sly look. "Don't think you can get out of that so easy," he quipped quietly.
Gwen groaned with frustration again, louder than the first time. "Let's see now… spending Christmas Day with Rhys' parents, or alien invasion?" She put on a mock thoughtful look. "Hmm… hard one, that," she mused.
Ianto chuckled and kissed her forehead. "You know the code to push on your mobile if you really need a call from Torchwood to rescue you," he told her in Welsh.
Gwen smiled at him. "My knight in shining…Armani," she replied back, in kind.
Jack stared at the two of them. "I hate when you do that. I never know when you're talking about me."
Gwen and Ianto laughed. "That's right, Jack. Because it's always about you," Gwen commented.
"Of course," Jack replied.
Ianto rolled his eyes, barely managing to keep the amusement from showing on his face. "I'm going to attempt to get changed now." Ianto started to walk toward Jack's office.
"Me too," Jack said.
Ianto stopped and turned to face Jack. "No you're not. You're staying right here until I'm done."
"That's no fun," Jack pouted.
"Jack, if we both went in there to get changed, we might as well send Gwen home for a few hours."
"I'm on it," Gwen joked, pretending as if she was leaving.
Ianto shook his head. "No need. He's staying out here, and cataloguing the flotsam while I get changed."
Gwen smirked, especially seeing Jack's pout again. "C'mon Jack. We can't get in the habit of leaving fragments of alien spacecraft lying around here, can we?" She grabbed him by his bicep and started to tug to keep him in place while Ianto went toward the office.
"Since when did I lose control around here?" Jack whined.
"Quit the bitching and I promise that getting undressed later will be much more fun," Ianto called out, before disappearing in Jack's office and closing the door behind him.
Jack stood where he was, grinning. "I like the sound of that."
"Didn't need to know that," Gwen commented.
"He said it."
"Still didn't need it." Gwen ducked her head to hide her smile.
Later that afternoon, the three members of Torchwood Three were thankful for no further alerts calling them out. Both Jack and Ianto were back in their usual styles of dress, but tried to keep in the holiday spirit. Jack's trousers were evergreen, with a lighter green button up over a white tee-shirt under, and wore his red braces. Ianto was also wearing green. His jacket and trousers was a dark pinstriped green. His waistcoat was a solid lighter green and his shirt was red. The outfit finished off with a red and green candy striped tie. Gwen thought that if anyone else wore those colors in that way, they would look garish. Only Ianto could pull it off, looking sharp and yet in the spirit of the season. There were some spikes in Rift activity. It was not enough to send them out. Gwen and Ianto tracked the spikes, while Jack ended up in his office on several important phone calls. Officials were preparing to stand down for the holiday, and they all wanted to coordinate with Jack on contingency plans. While Jack was finishing up a call with the Prime Minister, Ianto's cell phone rang, and he excused himself to head up to the Information Booth.
A few minutes later, Jack left his office, calling out to Gwen that he'll be back soon and also went through the cog door up to the Information Booth. Keeping true to his words, it was not very long before both Jack and Ianto returned, pushing a trolley loaded with foil containers and bags.
"What's this?" Gwen asked, as she turned when the proximity alarm went off at the cog door and saw the two men enter, pushing the trolley.
Jack grinned. "Torchwood holiday party."
Gwen shook her head smiling, the aroma of the catered food they brought in reminding her that she was hungry. "That smells great. Here I was expecting to have Chinese or pizza tonight."
"Jack and I went back and forth on what should be served. Jack considered finger foods and food trays."
"Which we had every year before," Jack commented grinning.
"But I thought that today is our last day together before the holidays are upon us," Ianto smoothly continued as if Jack did not cut in. "I thought it would be nice to have a family meal together."
Jack's grin grew. "We decided what the hell and went for both. We have our dinner to sit down to, and there's more food to pick and snack on throughout the rest of our night." Jack lifted his arm so he could open the flap on his wrist strap and pushed a couple of buttons. Once again, holiday music started to drift through the Hub. Gwen joined Jack and Ianto in bringing the food up to the boardroom, which was further decorated through quieter times of the afternoon.
"This is great," Gwen enthused, smiling brightly. She glanced around the room, and her eyes lost some of the shine. "I only wish…." She started.
Jack immediately moved next to her, placing his arm around her shoulders. "I know. I still miss them too," he said as Gwen rested her head against his shoulder.
Ianto went to stand on her other side and slipped an arm around her waist. "Jack and I decided our holiday party has to go on, because Tosh and Owen would expect us."
"I know. It's just hard," Gwen sniffled. She shifted, lifting her head from resting on Jack so she could return Ianto's gesture.
Just as they were to sit down in the boardroom to eat, Jack's mobile went off. After looking at the display, he started to grin. His eyes on Gwen, he answered, "Rhys! Where are you?" Oh, I thought you might enjoy the scenic way, but we'll let you in. Be there in minute." He flipped his mobile closed and stood up. "Excuse me, but another of our guests arrived."
Gwen gazed up at Jack in amazement, while Ianto looked amused. "Guests?" she asked Ianto as Jack left the boardroom.
"Guest. It's not like we have a huge guest list for a holiday party," Ianto replied. "Not like they had at Torchwood One."
"Really? Did you have a big office party there?"
Ianto rolled his eyes. "They would take out the biggest ballrooms of the best hotels in London for the party. And offer discount rooms if we wanted to stay at the hotel for the night." Ianto glanced around beyond the boardroom at the Hub, it's gloom a little less because of the decorating. "Like I said, our guest list for Torchwood Three is extremely limited. Jack did invite Martha, but she and Tom are already at her mother's in London. The Doctor's not answering his phone." Ianto gave Gwen a smirk, telling her he was joking about their attempting to invite the Doctor. "So that leaves us with one person that we trust to come down here."
As if to answer Ianto, Rhys' laughter bellowed through the Hub from where he entered with Jack. As they approached the boardroom, Gwen heard Jack telling Rhys a story that made the other man laugh. Ever since they lost Tosh and Owen, Rhys and Jack managed to put their differences behind them. Once Rhys saw for himself that Jack and Ianto were together, and Gwen was like a cherished sister to both men, he put aside his jealousies. As the time went on, Jack and Rhys found common respect for each other. At times, Rhys would be called in to help them out. Usually he covered things in the Hub, allowing for Ianto to be out on the field with Gwen and Jack, but there were times they needed four people in the field. Jack managed to convince Gwen that he would not call Rhys to join them if he felt Rhys could not handle the job.
"Merry Christmas Bloody Torchwood!" Rhys called out as he entered the boardroom, carrying brightly colored paper carrier bags.
Jack entered after him, laughing. "Right. We're all here now. I declare our Torchwood Holiday Party is now underway. Eat up, everyone!" Jack went immediately over to the food, where Ianto was already waiting, starting to fill a plate for Jack. Smiling Gwen went over to Rhys to hug and kiss him, and then the married couple joined the battle to fill plates with food.
~/~ ~/~ ~/~
Jack leaned against a rail, staring down at the others, while taking a break. They had moved from the boardroom into the main area of the Hub. Soon after, the two couples found themselves dancing to the music still playing. Christmas music had long given way to big band and jazz, and recently changed to current popular music. Jack took that as a chance to take a break. He watched Ianto, Gwen and Rhys continue to dance for couple more songs. Currently, Gwen was trying to convince Rhys and Ianto to dance together. Jack nearly spit his Coke out, being he was taking a sip when Gwen first asked, and the resulting looks on both men's faces.
Jack finished his drink, shaking his head. "C'mon, you two. It's just a dance." He walked over to the steps, chuckling at the two faces staring up at him. Jack went down the steps. "Let me show you how it's done." He knew they all were expecting Jack to grab Ianto for another dance, but he quickly turned and before anyone had a chance to protest, Jack had Rhys in his arms and was attempting to dance to the song. Gwen giggled and managed to take a photo. Jack remembered why he liked older music for dancing, and pulled away from Rhys. "You're not safe yet. It's just we can't dance close. So start moving."
Ianto seemed to shake himself of his shock and went over to Gwen. "Shall we show those two how it's done, my lady?" he asked in Welsh.
Gwen smiled up at Ianto. "Yes. Let's."
"Hey, stop that!" Jack admonished, finding the beat and starting to sway his hips.
Ianto glanced over at Jack. Rhys was moving slowly, not certain what to make of Jack's alluring moves. "You're one to complain there. I don't think I've seen Rhys so red."
Gwen laughed, grabbing Ianto's arm as they kept time with the music. "I haven't seen him that red," she said to Ianto.
"I meant with the Welsh. I never know if you're talking about me when you do that," Jack complained.
Ianto and Gwen shared a look and broke out in laughter.
"Now that makes me feel better." Jack tried to affect a pout on them. The only response he got was more laughter from Gwen and Ianto, and Rhys joining them.
Then Ianto said something to Gwen in Welsh, which made her grin wickedly. She answered back, and Ianto and Rhys laughed. Before Jack knew it, the three of them were speaking in Welsh and laughing. While Jack had no idea what they were saying, he knew for sure they were talking about him. Judging from the laughter, Jack determined he was most likely the butt of several jokes.
He glared at Gwen and Ianto, who were still dancing. He lifted his arm with the wristband and strains of Glenn Miller filled the Hub. Jack grabbed Rhys by his arm. "Amateur," he commented over his shoulder toward Ianto, and started to sway in time to the music with a protesting Rhys in his arms. The Welshman was sputtering in Welsh. Gwen gasped, both her and Ianto pausing in their dance to look on, and start to laugh. Gwen pulled her mobile out from her pocket again to snap another picture as Jack continued to dance with her shocked, sputtering husband in his arms. Ianto grinned and whispered in Gwen's ear and an equally wicked grin grew on her face. Ianto intended to go through CCTV first chance he could get.
With a grin, Ianto fished a remote from his pocket and winked at Gwen. To their amusement the music changed again, as Metallica played. Leaning close to Gwen, Ianto said in Welsh, "The trick is to avoid disco if you want to trip Jack up."
Gwen rolled her eyes and laughed. "Why am I not surprised?"
Ianto's plan worked. Jack's moves were not made for the music playing. Rhys realized that, and decided to take the upper hand from the Captain. He managed to pull away enough to grasp Jack by his biceps and started to do a bump and grind.
Ianto and Gwen's eyes went wide, before they started to laugh again, particularly at the look on Jack's face. Jack, being Jack, was never one to take too long on the pick up, and quickly caught onto the moves.
"I'm almost jealous," Ianto told Gwen in Welsh.
Gwen simply laughed harder in reply. With a huge, playful grin, she threw her arms around his neck and asked "Shall we?"
"Of course," Ianto replied smoothly with a matching grin. "Let's show these amateurs how it's done."
Jack and Rhys found themselves stopping, to watch in amazement as Gwen and Ianto moved to the beat of the music. The two men shared a look, but continued to watch and appreciate their partners for the rest of the song. When the song ended, Rhys walked away from Jack, going over to the other two.
Gwen started to smile when she noticed Rhys' approach. She leaned up to peck Ianto on his cheek. "Thank you for the dance, kind sir."
"It was my pleasure, milady," Ianto replied.
Gwen turned, waiting for Rhys to pull her into a dance as the next song started. To everyone's surprise, it was not his wife that Rhys pulled to him. Jack had to laugh at Gwen's surprised look. The stunned look on Ianto's face was even more precious. The ice broken, once Ianto got over his surprise, there was minimal protest as the two men started to dance together.
Jack took Gwen's hand. "May I?" he asked.
Gwen nodded and smiled at him. Once they started moving to the music, Gwen noticed that Jack could dance very well, no matter what the music once he found his pace. When the song was done, Jack handed Gwen over to Rhys and took Ianto in his arms, the two couples dancing to a romantic song.
It was long past the time they would normally knock off for the day when things were quiet around the Hub, and Jack thought the party might start winding down soon. Rhys did mention he and Gwen still needed to pack that night. Ianto was starting to collect dishes and glasses in one place to make it easier for cleaning later. Jack was looking forward to when they were alone. He had some ribbons and bows, and ideas of how to make a game with them. Jack was certain Ianto would enjoy it. There was also some of the glossa-vine. He must have been projecting on his face, because Ianto nudged him, raising a cool eyebrow of inquiry at him. Luckily, Rhys was holding a piece of mistletoe over Gwen's head and keeping with tradition.
Jack added mistletoe to his mental list of things to take back to Ianto's flat that night. He started to consider that perhaps it would be better they stay in the Hub. More room to have fun than Ianto's small flat. Jack realized he enjoyed the decorations and lighting. It set a good atmosphere, other than the obvious holiday season. Ianto's flat was not decorated for the holiday. The younger man had explained it was because he did not spend enough time at home to make the effort for decorating. Jack knew there was more, but never pushed him. When he was ready to talk, Jack was certain he'd be the first one Ianto would come to. He was reasonable sure their relationship had progressed to that point. At least he felt it had, having opened more as time went on to Ianto, sharing things he would not dare tell anyone. Not even Gwen, who of late, also had been getting an earful from Jack.
After they lost Tosh and Owen, Jack talked more. Yet, for all the talking he did with Gwen, she did not know half that his lover did. There was still much more to be said, but Jack was willing to go slow, talk about something at the right time, and share the unimportant but fun stuff about him and his life a little at a time. That would give him quite some time before he ran out of material.
He realized Gwen was staring at Jack and Ianto.
"What?" Ianto asked her.
"Christmas carols. We can't have a party without caroling," she said.
Rhys groaned, but it came across more for Jack and Ianto's benefit than his own.
Ianto shrugged. "I suppose we can convince Jack to play some holiday songs before we call it night." He looked questioningly at Jack.
"Sure. Why not." He pressed some buttons on his wrist strap and strains of "Frosty the Snowman" filled the Hub. "Knock yourself out."
Ianto laughed, while Gwen slapped Jack playfully. It did not stop her from starting to sing along. By the second song, "Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer", she had the other three singing along. Next was "Have a Holly Jolly Christmas". It was the first time Gwen had heard Ianto and Jack sing. She was not sure either of the men could, and was more than pleasantly surprised. They were able to hold a tune, and more amazing were the voices, especially Jack's. Ianto had a good strong voice, but was less refined than Jack's smooth baritone. They all ended up doing a song solo, Jack going last and sang a raunchy version of "Rocking Around the Christmas Tree", which had everyone in hysterics.
Ianto refreshed their drinks with mulled wine, and even Jack accepted some as they settled down at the couch. They were still talking about each other's performance. Jack changed the music to more traditional. He was not a religious man of any sort, but at his age, he had gone through plenty of holiday seasons with various Torchwood teams, and even long ago, with a family of his own. As the others started to sing along to the traditional carols, they seemed surprised when Jack joined in. Ianto seemed less surprised at the strength of Jack's voice, causing Gwen to assume Jack must sing when it was just him and Ianto. She smiled softly at the thought, feeling glad that the men who were her two best friends appeared to find something special with each other. They both deserved it.
They continued singing carols, until Ianto and Gwen convinced Jack to sing solo, and let him pick the song. Jack started to sing along to the music.
Have yourself a merry little Christmas
Let your heart be light
From now on
Our troubles will be out of sight
Jack reached out to take Ianto's hand and pulled him to stand next to him. As he continued to sing, he wrapped his arm around Ianto's trim waist, pulling him close. Ianto hugged Jack back, resting his head on the older man's shoulder, smiling softly.
Have yourself a merry little Christmas
Make the Yuletide gay
From now on
Our troubles will be miles away
With his other hand, Jack pulled Gwen to stand on his other side. She tugged Rhys along, as she also placed an arm around Jack's waist. Her arm rested against Ianto's, and at one point, they both looked past Jack to smile at each other. Gwen looked up to smile at Rhys. No one dared to join in, all were captivated by Jack's voice.
Here we are as in olden days
Happy golden days of yore
Faithful friends who are dear to us
Gather near to us once more
Jack hugged Ianto and Gwen closer as he sang the next verse, kissing Ianto's forehead between lines, and smiling at Gwen and Rhys.
Through the years
We all will be together
If the Fates allow
Hang a shining star
Upon the highest bough
And have yourself
A merry little Christmas right now
Without leaving his spot, enfolded in Jack's hold, pressed against his lover's side, Ianto managed to move then until he was able to place a hand on Rhys' shoulder, completing a circle as Jack continued to sing. It was a bittersweet moment, the group feeling close and protected amongst each other, and yet missing Toshiko and Owen. ‘If the Fates allow' was the operative term, especially for Torchwood, but the three survivors of Torchwood Three, plus their newest freelance agent would do their best to lose no more.
While Jack still sang, the thought on everyone's mind was it didn't matter what the future held for them, how long they had to be together. That they were together now was what mattered. That they had the time with Toshiko and Owen. No one would trade any of it for the world.
Gwen briefly pressed her face into Jack's shoulder and when she raised her head, while her eyes were glistening with tears, her smile was bright and warm. As Jack finished the song, Ianto leaned over to press a loving kissing to Jack's cheek, his eyes meeting his lover's. They were still healing from their losses, but in the brief time of a song, they went miles in the healing process.
In the last few weeks, Ianto had been slightly nervous about his gift to Jack, wondering if it would be too much. As Jack smiled back at him, the words to the last line leaving his lips, Ianto was no longer nervous. He found himself more anxious for the next night, when he planned to give Jack his gift. He wondered briefly, as he had through the weeks, if Jack had gotten him anything. He was not expecting anything from Jack. Just having Jack in his life was gift enough. If Jack accepted his gift the next night, it would be perfect.
The song came to an end and they found themselves in a group hug. Gwen babbled and raved to Jack about how wonderful he sang and how beautiful the song was. Ianto declared it, "Just perfect." Rhys clapped Jack on the shoulder, stating he did a bloody good job at it.
The party came to a close after they found themselves singing, "We Need A Little Christmas", while dancing around the Hub, having a tinsel fight.
Gwen hugged both Ianto and Jack, wishing them a Merry Christmas. She said her greetings to Jack in English, and to Ianto in Welsh. Rhys shook their hands, also wishing them a happy holiday and thanking them for inviting him to join them.
After Gwen and Rhys left, Jack helped Ianto clean up from the party. Ianto went to dispose the garbage, while Jack went into his office to finish packing his overnight bag. Jack had some changes of clothes at Ianto's, but he had some things he wanted to take along with him. If the Rift remained quiet, they planned to spend the next two days at Ianto's. Jack doubted they would actually succeed, but there was hope. The general plan in case of needing to take care of something would be to stay at the Hub only as long as needed, then go back to Ianto's. Together they set the Hub on automatic, the alarm would go through Jack's wrist strap, while any information would feed into Ianto's PDA. In the underground car park, they briefly kissed, Jack promising that he'd meet Ianto at his flat shortly. Ianto had his car with him, and intended to drive it home. Meanwhile Jack was to drive the SUV to Ianto's, in case they needed to go out, they would not have to go back to the Hub for the SUV.
Jack watched Ianto walk to his car, and then got in the black SUV, to follow the other man through Cardiff to their destination.
~/~ ~/~ ~/~
Christmas Eve did not go the way Ianto had hoped, but yet it did not surprise him, being he worked for Torchwood. More debris from the spaceship came through the Rift, which found Jack and Ianto on a hunt to collect the pieces across Cardiff. There were also the two Weevils, and a Blowfish. The encounter with the Blowfish ended with Jack dying and subsequently coming back to life while Ianto sorted out the Blowfish in the time.
They spent most of the day out in Cardiff and at the Hub. Getting around outside became difficult because of the snow that started in the afternoon. It was not a heavy snow, but it made pursuit by foot difficult. By the time they came back from the Weevil Hunt, which was their last call, it was late. They were both hungry, and Ianto knew he had no time to make the meal he had planned for them. It was the second time Jack locked up the Hub in hopes of spending the rest of the day at Ianto's. When they left the Hub, they did not go directly to Ianto's flat. Jack suggested they grab a bite at a restaurant at Mermaid Quay. Considering the day they had, Ianto was quick to agree.
Despite the day, Ianto supposed he should be glad they were not in London, or that Torchwood Three usually did not extend their duties to happenings in London. If that was true, the team would never have a chance to spend Christmas with family and loved ones. There was always an invasion of some type in London around Christmas. Back when he was in Torchwood One, he would find out as it was happening, but was never sent out to collect and clean up. As a junior researcher, he never did get to see any of the new items Torchwood collected and called their own. He knew of the Doctor, but never really talked to him until the day the Earth was stolen from its orbit around the sun. Torchwood Three kept up on events, monitored when possible in case it was determined they should step in on alien situations in London, but it never came to it. Usually it meant the Doctor was there and handling it. If it should come up that he could not handle the situation alone, they knew he would call Jack or Martha.
So it was just with general interest earlier in the evening that he read aloud, after capturing the Blowfish, the reports coming in from London that a small band of aliens from a spaceship that crashed were trying to take over the city.
"Is there evidence that the Doctor is there," Jack commented, looking up from his paperwork. Currently he was sitting at Ianto's secondary workstation, while Ianto sat at the desk with all the computer screens that had once been Toshiko's.
"Yes. It has been determined that while UNIT is assisting, but Downing Street is still on Holiday," Ianto replied.
"If he needs help he'll call us."
"Would I be wrong to hope he doesn't?"
Jack shook his head. "If he should ever call, it means it's really bad for him. I don't really relish the day my mobile finally rings and its him."
Ianto stretched, downloading the information coming in from London agencies, for them to go through later and determine if they were needed to make a quick trip for retrieval at some point soon. That would be all Torchwood Three would handle - clean up of anything left behind. Retcon was out of the question, unless they planned to infiltrate the water supply in London. So far the masses were handled by a few official stories set in place in cooperation between UNIT and the Prime Minister, sometimes with input from Jack. Yet London did not appear as naïve as the rest of the world, with most of the population knowing their existence had been threatened on several occasions because of alien interference.
As they walked to the restaurant, Ianto felt Jack take his hand. Squeezing his lover's hand encouragingly as they walked, Ianto decided that he could not take the chance to wait until they got to his flat. The way the day was going, he would have been glad to get through their meal uninterrupted.
"Jack, we still have a few minutes, so let's stop here," Ianto suggested, tugging the Captain by his hand over toward the railing to look out at the bay.
"Sure." Jack settled next to Ianto looking out. "It looks different with the snow falling, doesn't it?" he asked softly.
"Yep." Ianto fidgeted for a moment. Instinct was telling him it was now or never to give Jack his main gift. He looked behind them. Despite the snow, the Quay was far from deserted. The shops were lit up with Christmas lights strung in windows, while people rushed through carrying colorful bags. People were dining in cafes and restaurants, while other couples walked hand in hand enjoying a simple Christmas Eve with each other in a lovely setting. For anyone dressed appropriately for the weather, it was a beautiful night.
He smiled at Jack, his focus on the people going on their own way, with no idea that the two men at the railing had their role in assuring life continued in Cardiff, and even the world. "So many people happy tonight," Ianto mused. "All those people who were given a chance so many times because of Torchwood."
Jack simply nodded. "It's what we do."
"Of course. Sometimes it never feels enough. Sometimes it feels like we lost. Then I look around, like now, and realize we won. They won. I don't know if it will always be that way, but I like to hope so."
Jack's attention was on Ianto now, intrigued at the rare insight the younger was reflecting and sharing with him. "Me too. We can never give up, Ianto. I know it's hard with just the three of us, but at least we have some help with Rhys. And when we come across the right people, we'll increase our numbers again. But for now, we go on. Even if it seems impossible at times."
"Even if it feels like we're losing," Ianto agreed.
"Are we losing now?" Jack sounded confused.
"For them? No. Look at them, Jack. I try not to look too closely at what we really do, but we give life. I never felt that way at One."
Jack smiled, knowing the compliment for what it was. "That was one of my biggest problems with Yvonne, and even Torchwood as a whole over the years. When it was finally my turn to call the shots, I made Torchwood into what I thought the Doctor would want." He took Ianto's hand again. "And as I started to process, sometimes fighting against odds, I realized it was also what I want."
"I'm glad." Ianto lifted his other hand to rest on Jack's cheek. "I know at some point in your past you weren't a person you could be proud of. That alone says much about the person you are now. I also know that if I should ever learn everything you had done in your past, it wouldn't change how I feel for you, Jack."
"I think we've both had quite shady pasts we've had to overcome."
"I overcame my past because of you. You believed in me, Jack. You forgave what I doubt anyone else would. You put what had happened in the past and went from there. I can't think of anyone else who could do that without at least a little bitterness. Not you. I learned and grew because of you, Jack. You took me out of the fire and gave me another chance. Like them," he said, indicating the others about the Quay, "you gave me life. Except unlike them, I know what you did, and I can give you my gratitude. You taught me unconditional love. I've seen it with the others on our team."
Jack looked slightly uncomfortable. "Not to say I don't appreciate knowing how you feel, and it's wonderful things you're saying, but is there a point?"
Ianto chuckled. Just like Jack. To everyone else, he'd always play the big damn hero. He was. But there was much more to Jack, and Ianto was privileged to see it. Not knowing about most of his past did not seem important compared to what Jack allowed only him to see. The sometimes insecure man who wondered if what he did was enough, the man who looked for love, and yet afraid to accept it back, from fears of losing it. He had lost it too many times in the past. He was not sure if Jack realized it yet or not, but while Ianto did not live over a century (the time Jack spent underground in a grave did not count for living), he understood about losing time and time again. Under 30, and he lost too many people in his life, he had walked away from death and destruction when hundreds had not. He had lost the love of his life then.
He gazed lovingly at Jack, knowing he also had a second chance at that. "The point is, what's the use of giving life over and over again, when we can't benefit ourselves?"
Jack started to open his mouth with a reply, but Ianto held out his hand, talking fast, to keep Jack from getting a word out. "There's no reason, Jack. Not with me and you. It would probably be impossible if we each sought that chance with someone else. But not with each other. I want a life too, Jack. Of course, Torchwood would be a major part of it, but the little time I get to walk away, for a night, a few hours, sometimes even a couple of days, I want a life that they have. That we gave them. I want that, too." Ianto lifted the hand still holding Jack's. "But I can't do that alone. I need you with me. Jack, I need you to give me what everyone in Cardiff has been given. In return, I'm offering to give the same to you."
Jack turned his head to the left slightly. "I thought we do," he replied. "I'm sorry you couldn't get to cook for us tonight, but there's always a chance tomorrow. I'll even help. And if everything remains quiet, I'm going back to yours for the evening. And tomorrow."
"I don't want it to be ‘mine' anymore, Jack. I want it to be ‘ours'. Jack, I want to offer you more than just an escape. I want to give you a home. I want us to have a home." Ianto shook his head. "I guess I'm doing this wrong." He gave Jack a quirky grin and shrugged. "Here, let me try it this way." He moved slightly away from Jack and went down on one knee before Jack, still holding his hand, making sure it was the left hand. "Jack, I want us to be partners. In life."
Jack gave Ianto a nervous smile. "That sounds good. But…."
"Buts are bad, Jack."
"No. Hear me out. Besides, butts are good, especially yours."
Ianto blushed a little as Jack gave him a salacious grin. "You aren't being conducive to the romantic atmosphere I'm hoping to create here."
"I'm sorry, but let me finish. I thought we have that. We are partners, Ianto. I have given more of myself to you than I thought I dared for a very long time. I swore no more decades ago, then came you." Jack dropped to both his knees in front of Ianto, ignoring the curious glances they got from those who noticed the two men kneeling on the wooden walk. "With you, I don't just live. With you, Ianto, I'm alive. I feel really, really alive."
"I'm glad to hear that. I would love to continue to do that, because I feel the same with you. It took a while, but I'm learning to laugh again, Jack. I'm living again. I can't do it without you. And sure, we're partners. We're lovers, and we share things we don't with others. Call me greedy, but I want more. I want it all. Jack Harkness, will you marry me?"
Jack's eyes went wide as he went speechless. He should have kicked himself for not seeing where Ianto was leading to, but he should have. He understood everything Ianto had said. He understood because he felt it too.
Ianto took Jack's stunned silence as rejection. He hung his head. "I'm sorry. Maybe I should just be happy with what we have." His voice started to shake and he cursed himself. He was not going to start weeping, dammit. "If we still have it." He determined the best course of action would be to get up and start heading toward the restaurant and then hide himself in the men's toilet until he got his emotions under control. He started to pull his hand from Jack's, but the older man tightened his grip.
"I'm greedy too, Ianto," Jack's voice said, heavy with emotion. "I didn't realize it until now, but yes."
Ianto lifted his head, his turn to look stunned. "What?"
"Yes, Ianto." Jack's grin grew. "I said yes. I do want to marry you. I want to make a home with you."
Ianto squeezed his eyes shut, tears still wanting to spill, but for a completely different reason. "Thank you," he whispered, overwhelmed with the moment. When he opened his eyes, the first thing he noticed was Jack's loving smile, and his misty eyes. Ianto could not hold back anymore, and tears leaked from his eyes. "I'm sorry. I'm just so happy."
Jack's smile grew, his eyes glistening more. "I know. Me too. Can I kiss you now?"
Ianto laughed, throwing his arms around Jack's neck. "Of course you can."
Their mouths met, just a meeting of lips at first as Jack's arms went around Ianto. Jack opened his mouth slightly and his tongue lightly traced Ianto's lips. "I love you, Ianto," Jack sighed before the pressure increased.
"I love you, too."
They continued to kiss for a few minutes, heedless of the snow still softly falling, and the inquiring gazes from people passing by. They even received a few smiles, especially from those who saw enough to know a newly engaged couple when it happens.
~+~ ~+~ ~+~
Among those who saw enough, who stood off at a distance.
"Aren't they the two blokes from Torchwood?" the PC wearing a visibility vest over his uniform. He pulled a face as if he found the sight distasteful, but did nothing, except wait for a reply from his partner.
PC Andy Davidson found himself grinning. "Bloody hell," he remarked. "I sure hope I can pull an invitation to that ceremony. It could be more than just very interesting."
"Whatever, Andy. You can go. Finally, they remembered they aren't wherever it is that Torchwood hides out." He shook his head. "However, maybe that Captain Harkness' disposition will change for the better dealing with him."
"Unlikely," Andy replied. "Jack will always be Jack. There's just some things not even marriage can change. C'mon. Let's find us some tea before going on."
Andy's partner nodded and together they walked off toward the Starbuck's.
~+~ ~+~ ~+~
Christmas Day was thankfully quiet. As decided while they ate the night before, while Ianto started to make a traditional Christmas meal, Jack had gone back to the Hub. When he returned to the flat, Ianto took time away from the kitchen to help Jack carry his personal belongings into the flat. The only items Jack left behind was a change of clothes and any personal items he still wished to keep in the office.
Ianto had managed to take time from cooking to empty a few drawers and make room in the wardrobe for Jack's clothing. Jack did not have much that was his own comparing to Ianto, but it was enough to cause some serious planning strategies to fit what he owned into the small flat. Ianto was a man who depended on regime, and knew it would take a while to settle into a new one. He was prepared for it, if it meant Jack moving in with him.
Currently Ianto stood in the lounge, staring at the pile of DVDs and video tapes. "I had no idea you had this much, Jack," he commented.
Jack grinned. "Well, I left what I knew you already had back at the Hub, so there's no chance of duplicates there."
"We'll sort it. I'll just have to get a bigger shelf."
Jack came up behind Ianto, hugging the younger man and resting his chin on the broad shoulder. "I think we should get a bigger place."
Ianto turned in Jack's arms and studied him. "Do you really?" he asked.
"I'm not saying I don't like it here, but honestly, when you took this place out, did you intend to make it a home?"
Ianto looked around at the room and sighed. "No. You know I moved in while on my suspension after Lisa. I thought I'd never want that again, or could find it."
Jack rested his forehead against Ianto's. "Exactly. You said you wanted us to share a home. That was part of your proposal. The more I think about it, now that I said yes, I want it all, Ianto. I want what I once believed I could never have again. With you, I can. I want a home with you."
"Then I suppose we need to contact a real estate agent soon. While we're on the subject of planning, when do you want to file for application for the Civil Union?" Ianto asked.
Jack softly kissed Ianto, pulling him close. "As soon as we can. This week, if we could."
Ianto laughed. "I believe we can flash the Torchwood card for almost anything, but that would not be one of them. However, first day they are open after the Holidays, let's go and see what days they have for us."
"And then hopefully we can plan moving into our new place at the same time," Jack agreed.
"We can hope." Ianto hugged Jack. "I can't wait to see Gwen's face when we tell her that we're living together and getting married."
"If she calls before she's expected back, don't tell her a thing," Jack cautioned. "I want to see the look on her face when she finds out."
"Oh agreed!" Ianto sniffed the air. "As much as I'm enjoying this moment, I smell something about to be overdone, so best I get back in the kitchen."
"Anything I can give you a hand with?" Jack asked.
Ianto shook his head. "Just do what you can to sort some of this stuff so we don't break our necks tripping over it. I'll call you when it's time to start setting the table." He turned to head into the open kitchen beyond the lounge.
Jack pulled him back. "Ianto?"
"Yes, Jack?" Ianto asked patiently, hoping there would not be a fire in the kitchen or his meal ruined. At this point, even if they had to go out on a mission, the meal would still be there waiting for them to return.
"Merry Christmas, Ianto."
Ianto grinned at Jack. "Merry Christmas, Jack."
Jack watched as Ianto went to the cooker, checking on their meal before settling himself on the floor, deciding how to put away his belongings.
He decided not to spend too much thought at it, since it was only a temporary arrangement until they moved into something bigger.
He ended up pulling out Ianto's video collection, which was grouped by genres and then in alphabetical order and started to put it all back, adding his until there was no more room. The rest ended up in neat piles around the TV unit. He had just finished when he heard Ianto call out to him, asking for help in setting the table for their meal.
Jack stood up, and grinned. This was his first real Christmas dinner he had in decades. He intended to do his part in making it the best Ianto ever had, because it was also their first Christmas together as a loving, committed couple.
~END~
"Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" written by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane, 1943
Author Name: Anonymous
Original Prompt Number: 7
Pairing(s): Jack/Ianto, Gwen/Rhys
Summary: It's Christmas time, and Torchwood Three faces their first Holiday season without Tosh and Owen.
Rating: PG (naughty references - after all, Jack is involved.)
Disclaimer: I don't own Jack and Ianto (heavy sigh), I'm pretty sure they own each other. I do know the BBC and RTD owns all things Torchwood.
Warnings: M/M relationship. Set after "Exit Wounds". Mention of character death.
Word Count: 10219
Author's Notes: This is for mbs_library -- I hope you like it as much as I enjoyed writing this.
Beta by: D
The cog door rolled back, allowing Gwen Cooper to enter the Hub. She was barely past the doors, when she froze in shock, while gripping the handles of her large carrier bags tightly. Gwen had to take a double look and she still could not believe what she was seeing.
When she'd left the night before, the Hub looked like… well, the Hub. What she walked into was scary. Icicle lights hung from rails on different levels in multi-colors, with white ones from the ceiling near Myfanwy's nest. There was a huge wreath hung up outside of Jack's office on the glass wall. The workstations along the main Hub area had small twinkling lights and some odd garland. Against the wall next to the couch was a tree, untrimmed, but with boxes on the couch.
Music was playing. Music was playing, filtered throughout the Hub. "We Need A Little Christmas" to be exact. The more she listened, the more she realized there were two additional voices joining in on the singing. She could not make out the individual voices because of the laughter.
She caught some movement on the ramp outside the hothouse. Gwen could not stop her grin as she watched the two men work together to untangle a long rope of garland. It was more of the type that outlined the workstations. The garland looked traditional enough and would pass as such to the inexperienced eye. Gwen, having seen things most humans did not know existed, knew better, even from where she stood. The garland was not something of this Earth. She had caught how the patches of what looked like berries reflected in certain angles of light, in a reflection that did not look human made. If someone asked Gwen how she knew that, she probably could not explain. It was just something about the reflection that tipped it off.
Gwen bit back from laughing out loud, which would give herself away as she watched Jack get tangled in the long vine. Ianto quickly decided to tangle him further. Half hearted, Jack protested, while allowing himself to be tied in the vine of garland. Ianto was laughing, and looked as young to Gwen as she could remember. It made her smile more seeing the youngest member of their team simply enjoying himself. Jack's protests were interspersed with squeals and giggles, begging Ianto to stop. Gwen could see he did not mean it. She also knew she was not intruding in a private moment between the men. It was just a simple moment of two lovers having fun. Ianto was laughing. Not just a chuckle, as Gwen was used to hearing from the younger man, but deep belly laughs with every protest coming from Jack. Apparently something was tickling Jack, and Gwen could not make out whether it was Ianto, or the garland. She also knew she was a few minutes late arriving at the Hub for the workday, deciding to stop and pick up some pastries to add to whatever Jack and Ianto decided to bring in on their way that morning. It was not like they were not expecting her there.
Seconds later, Jack turned and noticed Gwen still standing just past the now closed cog door and grinned. "Gwen!" he called out. "Help!"
Gwen laughed and walked further into the Hub, setting her bags by her workstation. "Oh no. I'm anxious to see how the Great Captain Harkness gets out of this one."
"He won't," Ianto called out, with an impish grin.
The next sound from Jack was more laughter. Gwen sat down in her chair, facing the two men and laughed. "I get a feeling coffee's not ready yet? Should I go out and fetch some?"
"Coffee will be soon. We'll be needing some," Ianto replied.
"Let me go," Jack begged, not entirely serious. "Please. Just leave me and make us coffee."
"Soon," Ianto replied. His grin grew evil. "As soon as I convince Gwen to keep you captured."
"Captured Captain Jack," Gwen laughed. "I love it."
"I love you both, so could you please let me go?" Jack asked.
"No!" Ianto and Gwen called out in unison. They looked at each other and laughed.
"These vines…" Jack started to wiggle. "They're tickling me."
"Too bad," Ianto commented.
Both men weren't dressed like Gwen was used to. Occasionally Ianto had been pulled in from home with no time to don his work suits. Sometimes in the late hours, Jack would lose his shirt, wearing just his undershirt and trousers. In the past there were times when Gwen arrived to work early enough to catch Jack in sweats and undershirt before he dressed for the day. Gwen had not seen Jack in other than his usual style since… it happened - the day they lost Tosh and Owen.
Ever since things settled down somewhat, Jack started to leave the Hub at night, more than his usual roaming among rooftops. Being in his bunkroom under the office reminded Jack of being buried in a grave for almost two millennia, so he stayed out of it except for brief times. Losing Toshiko and Owen was hard on Jack. Losing his brother again, this time effectively in all ways except actual death added to the immortal's pain. Instead of pulling away, putting up barriers to protect himself in the future, he found himself becoming closer to his remaining team. Gwen was a younger sister to be adored. Ianto became more than just a lover, cherished and loved. Both were protected by Jack, and the older man learned to allow those he loved to protect him. They were not just a team and survivors - they were a family. Rhys was included as a part of the small self-made family.
When the Rift was quiet, Jack started to enforce one night a week to go out together and have fun. What they did would vary each time. Sometimes their evenings would be cut short when their remote Rift monitor would go off. It did not stop them from going out another time. Jack would not allow it. Together, they got past the grieving process. They were still in the healing process. Jack would come up with various ways to help with the healing, and was open to listening to any suggestions Gwen or Ianto might have.
As they found themselves approaching the holiday season, one thing they thought they could not bring themselves to do was decorate around the Hub. Gwen knew she was not looking forward to facing the holidays with their loses, and knew both Jack and Ianto shared her feelings.
So she was surprised when she came into work the day before Christmas Eve and found the Hub decorated beyond anything they did before. There were the various collected decorations they all contributed to through the years, along with some of Jack's collection from his time at Torchwood. As if that was not enough, it appeared as if Jack and Ianto had gone through the Archives, pulling out anything that might fit the theme of Christmas.
Gwen had to admit it was a good idea after all. The Hub seemed magically transformed, no longer the dark grim reminder of what they lost while they bravely carried on to protect Cardiff, and sometimes the world, from alien threat. More than the decorations, Gwen found she enjoyed seeing both Jack and Ianto release their inner child. From the playful, teasing glances she would get, along with each man taunting her to join him against the other, they were expecting Gwen to release hers.
She stood up and slowly walked across the Hub to the steps that would take her up to them. She studied them as she walked. Jack was wearing a pair of snug, worn jeans, a blue tee-shirt and a zip up hoodie. Ianto was in a pair of baggy jeans with a black pullover hoodie. She considered which one would be more fun to join sides with. Having Jack held captive by some alien garland that seemed harmless, except for the tickling, was tempting. Ianto was enjoying having an advantage over Jack. However to turn the tides on Ianto would be amusing too. As she climbed up the steps, she was still undecided.
As Gwen finally approached the two men, she finally came to a decision. Her face was set in playful determination.
"That's my girl," Jack encouraged her. "Come and help me from this evil man."
"Imagine the fun if we leave Jack here, tied up," Ianto countered. "I'd make you an extra large coffee, and we can tease Jack as we drink."
"Hey, no fair using coffee as a bribe," Jack complained.
Ianto raised an eyebrow. "As if you have anything better to offer."
Gwen stood a few feet from them, grinning. "Well…" she remarked thoughtfully. "I think…." She saw what she was hoping to find - the other end of the garland that was wrapped around Jack, and in Ianto's hands. The end was on the ground, off to the side of them near the hothouse wall. In a sudden move, she lunged for the end and started to wrap it around Ianto. Before she knew it, he was as tangled in the vine, which seemed somewhat alive, as Jack was. Both men were protesting, then started to giggle as she started to wind it so they were pulled together, chest to chest.
"Oh, I see you're all tied up, Ianto," Gwen remarked when she was done, stepping back to admire her handiwork. "I guess I should go get us some coffee. Be back soon, loves." She started to move away from them, as if she really meant to leave them alone.
"If you leave us like this, tied up or not, I swear I'm going to make the best of this situation with Ianto. You don't want to walk into that, do you?" Jack asked.
"Why not?" Gwen asked back. "How many times did I catch you two? Once while in the middle of naked hide and seek."
Jack laughed, while Ianto blushed slightly. The Captain managed to lean his head enough to lick Ianto's lips. "This is nice, isn't it?" he murmured, and then swiped the tip of his tongue along Ianto's lower lip. Ianto whimpered and his tongue darted out to meet Jack's.
"Bloody hell, you two," Gwen cried out, amused. "Couldn't even last two minutes!" She laughed. "All right. I'll let you go, but I want coffee. And while Ianto is busy with that, you, Jack, will get our breakfast ready." She fumbled with the vine, trying to find the end again, her fingers managing to tickle both men.
"Gwen, stop!" Jack twitched and wiggled again. Ianto squeaked. Gwen realized that it was not just her fingers as the fine leaves acted like tendrils, tickling both men.
"I can't find the end," Gwen gasped, looking, her hand running along the vine, causing both men to jump.
"Damn, it merged," Jack groaned. "Gwen, get scissors and cut it."
"It's alive, isn't it? Won't that hurt it?" Gwen was concerned that the vine could act like a wounded animal and start to hurt the two tied up men.
"Nope," Ianto commented. "It won't feel it. Wherever you cut it will become its new end until it merges again."
Gwen rolled her eyes. "I do not want to know how you know so much about this."
"We won't tell, promise," Jack commented. ‘Just get the scissors and cut us out."
"Okay." She patted both men. "At least you look like you're enjoying yourself, so I guess it could be worse."
"Not sure about me and Ianto, but if you don't get back here in about two minutes and get us out, you'll just be better off to go home and don't come back until one of us calls you," Jack said. He winked at her. "Which could be some time from now."
"Scissors!" Gwen exclaimed, leaving the two and running down the steps to the main Hub area in search of scissors.
She missed the look Jack and Ianto exchanged. "Ready?" Jack asked.
"Always," Ianto replied with a smirk. He moved a hand toward his pocket and managed to pull out the small cutting blade. "Just try to stay still."
"Go," Jack said.
Ianto cut through the vine and quickly the two men worked on releasing themselves from the vine. Garland now on the floor around their feet, they grinned at each other. "Get her," Ianto commented.
"Definitely," Jack replied with a nod.
Gwen turned around at the sound of feet coming down the steps, to see both Jack and Ianto advancing toward her. She let out a scream, and dropping the scissors she had located, started to run through the Hub, with Jack and Ianto after her. Above them, Myfanwy circled the Hub, squawking excitedly, as if she had joined in on the fun.
It took Jack and Ianto a while before they finally trapped Gwen. That was mainly because Gwen had somehow acquired the assistance of Myfanwy.
"See if you get dark chocolate for Christmas," Ianto grumped up toward Myfanwy after they settled on the couch, coffee and pastries set on the table.
Gwen was still giggling as Jack dropped on the couch next to Ianto. He reached over for a Danish. "Maybe she felt the sides were unfair?" he suggested as he shoved half the Danish into his mouth. He shrugged at Ianto's glare, while licking the glaze off his fingers. He smirked a little, seeing Ianto's eyes settled on what he was doing. He decided to lick his fingers again.
Ianto managed to tear his eyes away from Jack and looked up again as he picked up his coffee. "Traitor," he muttered
Jack and Gwen chuckled, trading looks behind Ianto's back in amusement.
Myfanwy let out a screech while flapping her wings, looking down from her nest.
Ianto raised an eyebrow toward their unusual pet. "I see you take after your Da - always have to get the last word in."
Jack spit his coffee out and Gwen broke out in laughter, dropping the pastry she was eating onto the napkin she had before her on the table.
"I'm bringing some of the glossa-vine with me tonight," Jack threatened, picking up his coffee mug and then drank from it.
"Don't need to know that, Jack," Gwen commented, but giggled anyway.
"Sure you do," Jack replied. "Then I won't have to explain why Ianto won't be around on Boxing Day."
"Knowing you, Jack, more like that would explain why I'll be here alone on Boxing Day."
"She has a point," Ianto said.
Jack stood up, ignoring the comments. "I'm getting changed," he announced.
He barely got two steps from the couch when the Rift Alarm went off.
Breakfast was interrupted, but as the team piled into the SUV, they still were finishing pastries. Ianto drove, with Jack in the passenger seat and Gwen in the back, tracking the location of whatever they were looking for. It turned out to be what Jack called, "flotsam" just outside the city. After checking if it was safe, they headed back to the Hub with the item in the back of the SUV.
"So what do we have, Jack?" Gwen asked when they were back at the Hub. Jack had the item on a worktable, while the three studied it. She found herself highly amused through the mission. Both Jack and Ianto had planned to change into their usual work clothes when they finished breakfast. Not having a chance to do so, the two men were still in their jeans.
"Parts of a ship," Jack identified as he tugged on his zip up hoodie. "Looks like a piece from the hull."
Gwen groaned. "And I was thankful for not living in London for Christmas."
"Don't tempt fate, or we could find ourselves being called to London for Christmas one of these days," Jack warned, wagging a finger at her.
"I don't think it's a good idea for me to go out of town. What if more debris comes through the Rift?" Gwen stated, seeming to make up her mind.
Jack shook his head. "No. You go ahead with your plans. Ianto and I can handle anything in the next couple of days. We'll call you only if we're certain we can't handle it between the two of us."
"Jack," Gwen started to protest.
"You are not canceling going to your in-laws for the holidays," Jack stated firmly.
Ianto tsked, shaking his head while giving the Welshwoman a sly look. "Don't think you can get out of that so easy," he quipped quietly.
Gwen groaned with frustration again, louder than the first time. "Let's see now… spending Christmas Day with Rhys' parents, or alien invasion?" She put on a mock thoughtful look. "Hmm… hard one, that," she mused.
Ianto chuckled and kissed her forehead. "You know the code to push on your mobile if you really need a call from Torchwood to rescue you," he told her in Welsh.
Gwen smiled at him. "My knight in shining…Armani," she replied back, in kind.
Jack stared at the two of them. "I hate when you do that. I never know when you're talking about me."
Gwen and Ianto laughed. "That's right, Jack. Because it's always about you," Gwen commented.
"Of course," Jack replied.
Ianto rolled his eyes, barely managing to keep the amusement from showing on his face. "I'm going to attempt to get changed now." Ianto started to walk toward Jack's office.
"Me too," Jack said.
Ianto stopped and turned to face Jack. "No you're not. You're staying right here until I'm done."
"That's no fun," Jack pouted.
"Jack, if we both went in there to get changed, we might as well send Gwen home for a few hours."
"I'm on it," Gwen joked, pretending as if she was leaving.
Ianto shook his head. "No need. He's staying out here, and cataloguing the flotsam while I get changed."
Gwen smirked, especially seeing Jack's pout again. "C'mon Jack. We can't get in the habit of leaving fragments of alien spacecraft lying around here, can we?" She grabbed him by his bicep and started to tug to keep him in place while Ianto went toward the office.
"Since when did I lose control around here?" Jack whined.
"Quit the bitching and I promise that getting undressed later will be much more fun," Ianto called out, before disappearing in Jack's office and closing the door behind him.
Jack stood where he was, grinning. "I like the sound of that."
"Didn't need to know that," Gwen commented.
"He said it."
"Still didn't need it." Gwen ducked her head to hide her smile.
Later that afternoon, the three members of Torchwood Three were thankful for no further alerts calling them out. Both Jack and Ianto were back in their usual styles of dress, but tried to keep in the holiday spirit. Jack's trousers were evergreen, with a lighter green button up over a white tee-shirt under, and wore his red braces. Ianto was also wearing green. His jacket and trousers was a dark pinstriped green. His waistcoat was a solid lighter green and his shirt was red. The outfit finished off with a red and green candy striped tie. Gwen thought that if anyone else wore those colors in that way, they would look garish. Only Ianto could pull it off, looking sharp and yet in the spirit of the season. There were some spikes in Rift activity. It was not enough to send them out. Gwen and Ianto tracked the spikes, while Jack ended up in his office on several important phone calls. Officials were preparing to stand down for the holiday, and they all wanted to coordinate with Jack on contingency plans. While Jack was finishing up a call with the Prime Minister, Ianto's cell phone rang, and he excused himself to head up to the Information Booth.
A few minutes later, Jack left his office, calling out to Gwen that he'll be back soon and also went through the cog door up to the Information Booth. Keeping true to his words, it was not very long before both Jack and Ianto returned, pushing a trolley loaded with foil containers and bags.
"What's this?" Gwen asked, as she turned when the proximity alarm went off at the cog door and saw the two men enter, pushing the trolley.
Jack grinned. "Torchwood holiday party."
Gwen shook her head smiling, the aroma of the catered food they brought in reminding her that she was hungry. "That smells great. Here I was expecting to have Chinese or pizza tonight."
"Jack and I went back and forth on what should be served. Jack considered finger foods and food trays."
"Which we had every year before," Jack commented grinning.
"But I thought that today is our last day together before the holidays are upon us," Ianto smoothly continued as if Jack did not cut in. "I thought it would be nice to have a family meal together."
Jack's grin grew. "We decided what the hell and went for both. We have our dinner to sit down to, and there's more food to pick and snack on throughout the rest of our night." Jack lifted his arm so he could open the flap on his wrist strap and pushed a couple of buttons. Once again, holiday music started to drift through the Hub. Gwen joined Jack and Ianto in bringing the food up to the boardroom, which was further decorated through quieter times of the afternoon.
"This is great," Gwen enthused, smiling brightly. She glanced around the room, and her eyes lost some of the shine. "I only wish…." She started.
Jack immediately moved next to her, placing his arm around her shoulders. "I know. I still miss them too," he said as Gwen rested her head against his shoulder.
Ianto went to stand on her other side and slipped an arm around her waist. "Jack and I decided our holiday party has to go on, because Tosh and Owen would expect us."
"I know. It's just hard," Gwen sniffled. She shifted, lifting her head from resting on Jack so she could return Ianto's gesture.
Just as they were to sit down in the boardroom to eat, Jack's mobile went off. After looking at the display, he started to grin. His eyes on Gwen, he answered, "Rhys! Where are you?" Oh, I thought you might enjoy the scenic way, but we'll let you in. Be there in minute." He flipped his mobile closed and stood up. "Excuse me, but another of our guests arrived."
Gwen gazed up at Jack in amazement, while Ianto looked amused. "Guests?" she asked Ianto as Jack left the boardroom.
"Guest. It's not like we have a huge guest list for a holiday party," Ianto replied. "Not like they had at Torchwood One."
"Really? Did you have a big office party there?"
Ianto rolled his eyes. "They would take out the biggest ballrooms of the best hotels in London for the party. And offer discount rooms if we wanted to stay at the hotel for the night." Ianto glanced around beyond the boardroom at the Hub, it's gloom a little less because of the decorating. "Like I said, our guest list for Torchwood Three is extremely limited. Jack did invite Martha, but she and Tom are already at her mother's in London. The Doctor's not answering his phone." Ianto gave Gwen a smirk, telling her he was joking about their attempting to invite the Doctor. "So that leaves us with one person that we trust to come down here."
As if to answer Ianto, Rhys' laughter bellowed through the Hub from where he entered with Jack. As they approached the boardroom, Gwen heard Jack telling Rhys a story that made the other man laugh. Ever since they lost Tosh and Owen, Rhys and Jack managed to put their differences behind them. Once Rhys saw for himself that Jack and Ianto were together, and Gwen was like a cherished sister to both men, he put aside his jealousies. As the time went on, Jack and Rhys found common respect for each other. At times, Rhys would be called in to help them out. Usually he covered things in the Hub, allowing for Ianto to be out on the field with Gwen and Jack, but there were times they needed four people in the field. Jack managed to convince Gwen that he would not call Rhys to join them if he felt Rhys could not handle the job.
"Merry Christmas Bloody Torchwood!" Rhys called out as he entered the boardroom, carrying brightly colored paper carrier bags.
Jack entered after him, laughing. "Right. We're all here now. I declare our Torchwood Holiday Party is now underway. Eat up, everyone!" Jack went immediately over to the food, where Ianto was already waiting, starting to fill a plate for Jack. Smiling Gwen went over to Rhys to hug and kiss him, and then the married couple joined the battle to fill plates with food.
~/~ ~/~ ~/~
Jack leaned against a rail, staring down at the others, while taking a break. They had moved from the boardroom into the main area of the Hub. Soon after, the two couples found themselves dancing to the music still playing. Christmas music had long given way to big band and jazz, and recently changed to current popular music. Jack took that as a chance to take a break. He watched Ianto, Gwen and Rhys continue to dance for couple more songs. Currently, Gwen was trying to convince Rhys and Ianto to dance together. Jack nearly spit his Coke out, being he was taking a sip when Gwen first asked, and the resulting looks on both men's faces.
Jack finished his drink, shaking his head. "C'mon, you two. It's just a dance." He walked over to the steps, chuckling at the two faces staring up at him. Jack went down the steps. "Let me show you how it's done." He knew they all were expecting Jack to grab Ianto for another dance, but he quickly turned and before anyone had a chance to protest, Jack had Rhys in his arms and was attempting to dance to the song. Gwen giggled and managed to take a photo. Jack remembered why he liked older music for dancing, and pulled away from Rhys. "You're not safe yet. It's just we can't dance close. So start moving."
Ianto seemed to shake himself of his shock and went over to Gwen. "Shall we show those two how it's done, my lady?" he asked in Welsh.
Gwen smiled up at Ianto. "Yes. Let's."
"Hey, stop that!" Jack admonished, finding the beat and starting to sway his hips.
Ianto glanced over at Jack. Rhys was moving slowly, not certain what to make of Jack's alluring moves. "You're one to complain there. I don't think I've seen Rhys so red."
Gwen laughed, grabbing Ianto's arm as they kept time with the music. "I haven't seen him that red," she said to Ianto.
"I meant with the Welsh. I never know if you're talking about me when you do that," Jack complained.
Ianto and Gwen shared a look and broke out in laughter.
"Now that makes me feel better." Jack tried to affect a pout on them. The only response he got was more laughter from Gwen and Ianto, and Rhys joining them.
Then Ianto said something to Gwen in Welsh, which made her grin wickedly. She answered back, and Ianto and Rhys laughed. Before Jack knew it, the three of them were speaking in Welsh and laughing. While Jack had no idea what they were saying, he knew for sure they were talking about him. Judging from the laughter, Jack determined he was most likely the butt of several jokes.
He glared at Gwen and Ianto, who were still dancing. He lifted his arm with the wristband and strains of Glenn Miller filled the Hub. Jack grabbed Rhys by his arm. "Amateur," he commented over his shoulder toward Ianto, and started to sway in time to the music with a protesting Rhys in his arms. The Welshman was sputtering in Welsh. Gwen gasped, both her and Ianto pausing in their dance to look on, and start to laugh. Gwen pulled her mobile out from her pocket again to snap another picture as Jack continued to dance with her shocked, sputtering husband in his arms. Ianto grinned and whispered in Gwen's ear and an equally wicked grin grew on her face. Ianto intended to go through CCTV first chance he could get.
With a grin, Ianto fished a remote from his pocket and winked at Gwen. To their amusement the music changed again, as Metallica played. Leaning close to Gwen, Ianto said in Welsh, "The trick is to avoid disco if you want to trip Jack up."
Gwen rolled her eyes and laughed. "Why am I not surprised?"
Ianto's plan worked. Jack's moves were not made for the music playing. Rhys realized that, and decided to take the upper hand from the Captain. He managed to pull away enough to grasp Jack by his biceps and started to do a bump and grind.
Ianto and Gwen's eyes went wide, before they started to laugh again, particularly at the look on Jack's face. Jack, being Jack, was never one to take too long on the pick up, and quickly caught onto the moves.
"I'm almost jealous," Ianto told Gwen in Welsh.
Gwen simply laughed harder in reply. With a huge, playful grin, she threw her arms around his neck and asked "Shall we?"
"Of course," Ianto replied smoothly with a matching grin. "Let's show these amateurs how it's done."
Jack and Rhys found themselves stopping, to watch in amazement as Gwen and Ianto moved to the beat of the music. The two men shared a look, but continued to watch and appreciate their partners for the rest of the song. When the song ended, Rhys walked away from Jack, going over to the other two.
Gwen started to smile when she noticed Rhys' approach. She leaned up to peck Ianto on his cheek. "Thank you for the dance, kind sir."
"It was my pleasure, milady," Ianto replied.
Gwen turned, waiting for Rhys to pull her into a dance as the next song started. To everyone's surprise, it was not his wife that Rhys pulled to him. Jack had to laugh at Gwen's surprised look. The stunned look on Ianto's face was even more precious. The ice broken, once Ianto got over his surprise, there was minimal protest as the two men started to dance together.
Jack took Gwen's hand. "May I?" he asked.
Gwen nodded and smiled at him. Once they started moving to the music, Gwen noticed that Jack could dance very well, no matter what the music once he found his pace. When the song was done, Jack handed Gwen over to Rhys and took Ianto in his arms, the two couples dancing to a romantic song.
It was long past the time they would normally knock off for the day when things were quiet around the Hub, and Jack thought the party might start winding down soon. Rhys did mention he and Gwen still needed to pack that night. Ianto was starting to collect dishes and glasses in one place to make it easier for cleaning later. Jack was looking forward to when they were alone. He had some ribbons and bows, and ideas of how to make a game with them. Jack was certain Ianto would enjoy it. There was also some of the glossa-vine. He must have been projecting on his face, because Ianto nudged him, raising a cool eyebrow of inquiry at him. Luckily, Rhys was holding a piece of mistletoe over Gwen's head and keeping with tradition.
Jack added mistletoe to his mental list of things to take back to Ianto's flat that night. He started to consider that perhaps it would be better they stay in the Hub. More room to have fun than Ianto's small flat. Jack realized he enjoyed the decorations and lighting. It set a good atmosphere, other than the obvious holiday season. Ianto's flat was not decorated for the holiday. The younger man had explained it was because he did not spend enough time at home to make the effort for decorating. Jack knew there was more, but never pushed him. When he was ready to talk, Jack was certain he'd be the first one Ianto would come to. He was reasonable sure their relationship had progressed to that point. At least he felt it had, having opened more as time went on to Ianto, sharing things he would not dare tell anyone. Not even Gwen, who of late, also had been getting an earful from Jack.
After they lost Tosh and Owen, Jack talked more. Yet, for all the talking he did with Gwen, she did not know half that his lover did. There was still much more to be said, but Jack was willing to go slow, talk about something at the right time, and share the unimportant but fun stuff about him and his life a little at a time. That would give him quite some time before he ran out of material.
He realized Gwen was staring at Jack and Ianto.
"What?" Ianto asked her.
"Christmas carols. We can't have a party without caroling," she said.
Rhys groaned, but it came across more for Jack and Ianto's benefit than his own.
Ianto shrugged. "I suppose we can convince Jack to play some holiday songs before we call it night." He looked questioningly at Jack.
"Sure. Why not." He pressed some buttons on his wrist strap and strains of "Frosty the Snowman" filled the Hub. "Knock yourself out."
Ianto laughed, while Gwen slapped Jack playfully. It did not stop her from starting to sing along. By the second song, "Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer", she had the other three singing along. Next was "Have a Holly Jolly Christmas". It was the first time Gwen had heard Ianto and Jack sing. She was not sure either of the men could, and was more than pleasantly surprised. They were able to hold a tune, and more amazing were the voices, especially Jack's. Ianto had a good strong voice, but was less refined than Jack's smooth baritone. They all ended up doing a song solo, Jack going last and sang a raunchy version of "Rocking Around the Christmas Tree", which had everyone in hysterics.
Ianto refreshed their drinks with mulled wine, and even Jack accepted some as they settled down at the couch. They were still talking about each other's performance. Jack changed the music to more traditional. He was not a religious man of any sort, but at his age, he had gone through plenty of holiday seasons with various Torchwood teams, and even long ago, with a family of his own. As the others started to sing along to the traditional carols, they seemed surprised when Jack joined in. Ianto seemed less surprised at the strength of Jack's voice, causing Gwen to assume Jack must sing when it was just him and Ianto. She smiled softly at the thought, feeling glad that the men who were her two best friends appeared to find something special with each other. They both deserved it.
They continued singing carols, until Ianto and Gwen convinced Jack to sing solo, and let him pick the song. Jack started to sing along to the music.
Have yourself a merry little Christmas
Let your heart be light
From now on
Our troubles will be out of sight
Jack reached out to take Ianto's hand and pulled him to stand next to him. As he continued to sing, he wrapped his arm around Ianto's trim waist, pulling him close. Ianto hugged Jack back, resting his head on the older man's shoulder, smiling softly.
Have yourself a merry little Christmas
Make the Yuletide gay
From now on
Our troubles will be miles away
With his other hand, Jack pulled Gwen to stand on his other side. She tugged Rhys along, as she also placed an arm around Jack's waist. Her arm rested against Ianto's, and at one point, they both looked past Jack to smile at each other. Gwen looked up to smile at Rhys. No one dared to join in, all were captivated by Jack's voice.
Here we are as in olden days
Happy golden days of yore
Faithful friends who are dear to us
Gather near to us once more
Jack hugged Ianto and Gwen closer as he sang the next verse, kissing Ianto's forehead between lines, and smiling at Gwen and Rhys.
Through the years
We all will be together
If the Fates allow
Hang a shining star
Upon the highest bough
And have yourself
A merry little Christmas right now
Without leaving his spot, enfolded in Jack's hold, pressed against his lover's side, Ianto managed to move then until he was able to place a hand on Rhys' shoulder, completing a circle as Jack continued to sing. It was a bittersweet moment, the group feeling close and protected amongst each other, and yet missing Toshiko and Owen. ‘If the Fates allow' was the operative term, especially for Torchwood, but the three survivors of Torchwood Three, plus their newest freelance agent would do their best to lose no more.
While Jack still sang, the thought on everyone's mind was it didn't matter what the future held for them, how long they had to be together. That they were together now was what mattered. That they had the time with Toshiko and Owen. No one would trade any of it for the world.
Gwen briefly pressed her face into Jack's shoulder and when she raised her head, while her eyes were glistening with tears, her smile was bright and warm. As Jack finished the song, Ianto leaned over to press a loving kissing to Jack's cheek, his eyes meeting his lover's. They were still healing from their losses, but in the brief time of a song, they went miles in the healing process.
In the last few weeks, Ianto had been slightly nervous about his gift to Jack, wondering if it would be too much. As Jack smiled back at him, the words to the last line leaving his lips, Ianto was no longer nervous. He found himself more anxious for the next night, when he planned to give Jack his gift. He wondered briefly, as he had through the weeks, if Jack had gotten him anything. He was not expecting anything from Jack. Just having Jack in his life was gift enough. If Jack accepted his gift the next night, it would be perfect.
The song came to an end and they found themselves in a group hug. Gwen babbled and raved to Jack about how wonderful he sang and how beautiful the song was. Ianto declared it, "Just perfect." Rhys clapped Jack on the shoulder, stating he did a bloody good job at it.
The party came to a close after they found themselves singing, "We Need A Little Christmas", while dancing around the Hub, having a tinsel fight.
Gwen hugged both Ianto and Jack, wishing them a Merry Christmas. She said her greetings to Jack in English, and to Ianto in Welsh. Rhys shook their hands, also wishing them a happy holiday and thanking them for inviting him to join them.
After Gwen and Rhys left, Jack helped Ianto clean up from the party. Ianto went to dispose the garbage, while Jack went into his office to finish packing his overnight bag. Jack had some changes of clothes at Ianto's, but he had some things he wanted to take along with him. If the Rift remained quiet, they planned to spend the next two days at Ianto's. Jack doubted they would actually succeed, but there was hope. The general plan in case of needing to take care of something would be to stay at the Hub only as long as needed, then go back to Ianto's. Together they set the Hub on automatic, the alarm would go through Jack's wrist strap, while any information would feed into Ianto's PDA. In the underground car park, they briefly kissed, Jack promising that he'd meet Ianto at his flat shortly. Ianto had his car with him, and intended to drive it home. Meanwhile Jack was to drive the SUV to Ianto's, in case they needed to go out, they would not have to go back to the Hub for the SUV.
Jack watched Ianto walk to his car, and then got in the black SUV, to follow the other man through Cardiff to their destination.
~/~ ~/~ ~/~
Christmas Eve did not go the way Ianto had hoped, but yet it did not surprise him, being he worked for Torchwood. More debris from the spaceship came through the Rift, which found Jack and Ianto on a hunt to collect the pieces across Cardiff. There were also the two Weevils, and a Blowfish. The encounter with the Blowfish ended with Jack dying and subsequently coming back to life while Ianto sorted out the Blowfish in the time.
They spent most of the day out in Cardiff and at the Hub. Getting around outside became difficult because of the snow that started in the afternoon. It was not a heavy snow, but it made pursuit by foot difficult. By the time they came back from the Weevil Hunt, which was their last call, it was late. They were both hungry, and Ianto knew he had no time to make the meal he had planned for them. It was the second time Jack locked up the Hub in hopes of spending the rest of the day at Ianto's. When they left the Hub, they did not go directly to Ianto's flat. Jack suggested they grab a bite at a restaurant at Mermaid Quay. Considering the day they had, Ianto was quick to agree.
Despite the day, Ianto supposed he should be glad they were not in London, or that Torchwood Three usually did not extend their duties to happenings in London. If that was true, the team would never have a chance to spend Christmas with family and loved ones. There was always an invasion of some type in London around Christmas. Back when he was in Torchwood One, he would find out as it was happening, but was never sent out to collect and clean up. As a junior researcher, he never did get to see any of the new items Torchwood collected and called their own. He knew of the Doctor, but never really talked to him until the day the Earth was stolen from its orbit around the sun. Torchwood Three kept up on events, monitored when possible in case it was determined they should step in on alien situations in London, but it never came to it. Usually it meant the Doctor was there and handling it. If it should come up that he could not handle the situation alone, they knew he would call Jack or Martha.
So it was just with general interest earlier in the evening that he read aloud, after capturing the Blowfish, the reports coming in from London that a small band of aliens from a spaceship that crashed were trying to take over the city.
"Is there evidence that the Doctor is there," Jack commented, looking up from his paperwork. Currently he was sitting at Ianto's secondary workstation, while Ianto sat at the desk with all the computer screens that had once been Toshiko's.
"Yes. It has been determined that while UNIT is assisting, but Downing Street is still on Holiday," Ianto replied.
"If he needs help he'll call us."
"Would I be wrong to hope he doesn't?"
Jack shook his head. "If he should ever call, it means it's really bad for him. I don't really relish the day my mobile finally rings and its him."
Ianto stretched, downloading the information coming in from London agencies, for them to go through later and determine if they were needed to make a quick trip for retrieval at some point soon. That would be all Torchwood Three would handle - clean up of anything left behind. Retcon was out of the question, unless they planned to infiltrate the water supply in London. So far the masses were handled by a few official stories set in place in cooperation between UNIT and the Prime Minister, sometimes with input from Jack. Yet London did not appear as naïve as the rest of the world, with most of the population knowing their existence had been threatened on several occasions because of alien interference.
As they walked to the restaurant, Ianto felt Jack take his hand. Squeezing his lover's hand encouragingly as they walked, Ianto decided that he could not take the chance to wait until they got to his flat. The way the day was going, he would have been glad to get through their meal uninterrupted.
"Jack, we still have a few minutes, so let's stop here," Ianto suggested, tugging the Captain by his hand over toward the railing to look out at the bay.
"Sure." Jack settled next to Ianto looking out. "It looks different with the snow falling, doesn't it?" he asked softly.
"Yep." Ianto fidgeted for a moment. Instinct was telling him it was now or never to give Jack his main gift. He looked behind them. Despite the snow, the Quay was far from deserted. The shops were lit up with Christmas lights strung in windows, while people rushed through carrying colorful bags. People were dining in cafes and restaurants, while other couples walked hand in hand enjoying a simple Christmas Eve with each other in a lovely setting. For anyone dressed appropriately for the weather, it was a beautiful night.
He smiled at Jack, his focus on the people going on their own way, with no idea that the two men at the railing had their role in assuring life continued in Cardiff, and even the world. "So many people happy tonight," Ianto mused. "All those people who were given a chance so many times because of Torchwood."
Jack simply nodded. "It's what we do."
"Of course. Sometimes it never feels enough. Sometimes it feels like we lost. Then I look around, like now, and realize we won. They won. I don't know if it will always be that way, but I like to hope so."
Jack's attention was on Ianto now, intrigued at the rare insight the younger was reflecting and sharing with him. "Me too. We can never give up, Ianto. I know it's hard with just the three of us, but at least we have some help with Rhys. And when we come across the right people, we'll increase our numbers again. But for now, we go on. Even if it seems impossible at times."
"Even if it feels like we're losing," Ianto agreed.
"Are we losing now?" Jack sounded confused.
"For them? No. Look at them, Jack. I try not to look too closely at what we really do, but we give life. I never felt that way at One."
Jack smiled, knowing the compliment for what it was. "That was one of my biggest problems with Yvonne, and even Torchwood as a whole over the years. When it was finally my turn to call the shots, I made Torchwood into what I thought the Doctor would want." He took Ianto's hand again. "And as I started to process, sometimes fighting against odds, I realized it was also what I want."
"I'm glad." Ianto lifted his other hand to rest on Jack's cheek. "I know at some point in your past you weren't a person you could be proud of. That alone says much about the person you are now. I also know that if I should ever learn everything you had done in your past, it wouldn't change how I feel for you, Jack."
"I think we've both had quite shady pasts we've had to overcome."
"I overcame my past because of you. You believed in me, Jack. You forgave what I doubt anyone else would. You put what had happened in the past and went from there. I can't think of anyone else who could do that without at least a little bitterness. Not you. I learned and grew because of you, Jack. You took me out of the fire and gave me another chance. Like them," he said, indicating the others about the Quay, "you gave me life. Except unlike them, I know what you did, and I can give you my gratitude. You taught me unconditional love. I've seen it with the others on our team."
Jack looked slightly uncomfortable. "Not to say I don't appreciate knowing how you feel, and it's wonderful things you're saying, but is there a point?"
Ianto chuckled. Just like Jack. To everyone else, he'd always play the big damn hero. He was. But there was much more to Jack, and Ianto was privileged to see it. Not knowing about most of his past did not seem important compared to what Jack allowed only him to see. The sometimes insecure man who wondered if what he did was enough, the man who looked for love, and yet afraid to accept it back, from fears of losing it. He had lost it too many times in the past. He was not sure if Jack realized it yet or not, but while Ianto did not live over a century (the time Jack spent underground in a grave did not count for living), he understood about losing time and time again. Under 30, and he lost too many people in his life, he had walked away from death and destruction when hundreds had not. He had lost the love of his life then.
He gazed lovingly at Jack, knowing he also had a second chance at that. "The point is, what's the use of giving life over and over again, when we can't benefit ourselves?"
Jack started to open his mouth with a reply, but Ianto held out his hand, talking fast, to keep Jack from getting a word out. "There's no reason, Jack. Not with me and you. It would probably be impossible if we each sought that chance with someone else. But not with each other. I want a life too, Jack. Of course, Torchwood would be a major part of it, but the little time I get to walk away, for a night, a few hours, sometimes even a couple of days, I want a life that they have. That we gave them. I want that, too." Ianto lifted the hand still holding Jack's. "But I can't do that alone. I need you with me. Jack, I need you to give me what everyone in Cardiff has been given. In return, I'm offering to give the same to you."
Jack turned his head to the left slightly. "I thought we do," he replied. "I'm sorry you couldn't get to cook for us tonight, but there's always a chance tomorrow. I'll even help. And if everything remains quiet, I'm going back to yours for the evening. And tomorrow."
"I don't want it to be ‘mine' anymore, Jack. I want it to be ‘ours'. Jack, I want to offer you more than just an escape. I want to give you a home. I want us to have a home." Ianto shook his head. "I guess I'm doing this wrong." He gave Jack a quirky grin and shrugged. "Here, let me try it this way." He moved slightly away from Jack and went down on one knee before Jack, still holding his hand, making sure it was the left hand. "Jack, I want us to be partners. In life."
Jack gave Ianto a nervous smile. "That sounds good. But…."
"Buts are bad, Jack."
"No. Hear me out. Besides, butts are good, especially yours."
Ianto blushed a little as Jack gave him a salacious grin. "You aren't being conducive to the romantic atmosphere I'm hoping to create here."
"I'm sorry, but let me finish. I thought we have that. We are partners, Ianto. I have given more of myself to you than I thought I dared for a very long time. I swore no more decades ago, then came you." Jack dropped to both his knees in front of Ianto, ignoring the curious glances they got from those who noticed the two men kneeling on the wooden walk. "With you, I don't just live. With you, Ianto, I'm alive. I feel really, really alive."
"I'm glad to hear that. I would love to continue to do that, because I feel the same with you. It took a while, but I'm learning to laugh again, Jack. I'm living again. I can't do it without you. And sure, we're partners. We're lovers, and we share things we don't with others. Call me greedy, but I want more. I want it all. Jack Harkness, will you marry me?"
Jack's eyes went wide as he went speechless. He should have kicked himself for not seeing where Ianto was leading to, but he should have. He understood everything Ianto had said. He understood because he felt it too.
Ianto took Jack's stunned silence as rejection. He hung his head. "I'm sorry. Maybe I should just be happy with what we have." His voice started to shake and he cursed himself. He was not going to start weeping, dammit. "If we still have it." He determined the best course of action would be to get up and start heading toward the restaurant and then hide himself in the men's toilet until he got his emotions under control. He started to pull his hand from Jack's, but the older man tightened his grip.
"I'm greedy too, Ianto," Jack's voice said, heavy with emotion. "I didn't realize it until now, but yes."
Ianto lifted his head, his turn to look stunned. "What?"
"Yes, Ianto." Jack's grin grew. "I said yes. I do want to marry you. I want to make a home with you."
Ianto squeezed his eyes shut, tears still wanting to spill, but for a completely different reason. "Thank you," he whispered, overwhelmed with the moment. When he opened his eyes, the first thing he noticed was Jack's loving smile, and his misty eyes. Ianto could not hold back anymore, and tears leaked from his eyes. "I'm sorry. I'm just so happy."
Jack's smile grew, his eyes glistening more. "I know. Me too. Can I kiss you now?"
Ianto laughed, throwing his arms around Jack's neck. "Of course you can."
Their mouths met, just a meeting of lips at first as Jack's arms went around Ianto. Jack opened his mouth slightly and his tongue lightly traced Ianto's lips. "I love you, Ianto," Jack sighed before the pressure increased.
"I love you, too."
They continued to kiss for a few minutes, heedless of the snow still softly falling, and the inquiring gazes from people passing by. They even received a few smiles, especially from those who saw enough to know a newly engaged couple when it happens.
~+~ ~+~ ~+~
Among those who saw enough, who stood off at a distance.
"Aren't they the two blokes from Torchwood?" the PC wearing a visibility vest over his uniform. He pulled a face as if he found the sight distasteful, but did nothing, except wait for a reply from his partner.
PC Andy Davidson found himself grinning. "Bloody hell," he remarked. "I sure hope I can pull an invitation to that ceremony. It could be more than just very interesting."
"Whatever, Andy. You can go. Finally, they remembered they aren't wherever it is that Torchwood hides out." He shook his head. "However, maybe that Captain Harkness' disposition will change for the better dealing with him."
"Unlikely," Andy replied. "Jack will always be Jack. There's just some things not even marriage can change. C'mon. Let's find us some tea before going on."
Andy's partner nodded and together they walked off toward the Starbuck's.
~+~ ~+~ ~+~
Christmas Day was thankfully quiet. As decided while they ate the night before, while Ianto started to make a traditional Christmas meal, Jack had gone back to the Hub. When he returned to the flat, Ianto took time away from the kitchen to help Jack carry his personal belongings into the flat. The only items Jack left behind was a change of clothes and any personal items he still wished to keep in the office.
Ianto had managed to take time from cooking to empty a few drawers and make room in the wardrobe for Jack's clothing. Jack did not have much that was his own comparing to Ianto, but it was enough to cause some serious planning strategies to fit what he owned into the small flat. Ianto was a man who depended on regime, and knew it would take a while to settle into a new one. He was prepared for it, if it meant Jack moving in with him.
Currently Ianto stood in the lounge, staring at the pile of DVDs and video tapes. "I had no idea you had this much, Jack," he commented.
Jack grinned. "Well, I left what I knew you already had back at the Hub, so there's no chance of duplicates there."
"We'll sort it. I'll just have to get a bigger shelf."
Jack came up behind Ianto, hugging the younger man and resting his chin on the broad shoulder. "I think we should get a bigger place."
Ianto turned in Jack's arms and studied him. "Do you really?" he asked.
"I'm not saying I don't like it here, but honestly, when you took this place out, did you intend to make it a home?"
Ianto looked around at the room and sighed. "No. You know I moved in while on my suspension after Lisa. I thought I'd never want that again, or could find it."
Jack rested his forehead against Ianto's. "Exactly. You said you wanted us to share a home. That was part of your proposal. The more I think about it, now that I said yes, I want it all, Ianto. I want what I once believed I could never have again. With you, I can. I want a home with you."
"Then I suppose we need to contact a real estate agent soon. While we're on the subject of planning, when do you want to file for application for the Civil Union?" Ianto asked.
Jack softly kissed Ianto, pulling him close. "As soon as we can. This week, if we could."
Ianto laughed. "I believe we can flash the Torchwood card for almost anything, but that would not be one of them. However, first day they are open after the Holidays, let's go and see what days they have for us."
"And then hopefully we can plan moving into our new place at the same time," Jack agreed.
"We can hope." Ianto hugged Jack. "I can't wait to see Gwen's face when we tell her that we're living together and getting married."
"If she calls before she's expected back, don't tell her a thing," Jack cautioned. "I want to see the look on her face when she finds out."
"Oh agreed!" Ianto sniffed the air. "As much as I'm enjoying this moment, I smell something about to be overdone, so best I get back in the kitchen."
"Anything I can give you a hand with?" Jack asked.
Ianto shook his head. "Just do what you can to sort some of this stuff so we don't break our necks tripping over it. I'll call you when it's time to start setting the table." He turned to head into the open kitchen beyond the lounge.
Jack pulled him back. "Ianto?"
"Yes, Jack?" Ianto asked patiently, hoping there would not be a fire in the kitchen or his meal ruined. At this point, even if they had to go out on a mission, the meal would still be there waiting for them to return.
"Merry Christmas, Ianto."
Ianto grinned at Jack. "Merry Christmas, Jack."
Jack watched as Ianto went to the cooker, checking on their meal before settling himself on the floor, deciding how to put away his belongings.
He decided not to spend too much thought at it, since it was only a temporary arrangement until they moved into something bigger.
He ended up pulling out Ianto's video collection, which was grouped by genres and then in alphabetical order and started to put it all back, adding his until there was no more room. The rest ended up in neat piles around the TV unit. He had just finished when he heard Ianto call out to him, asking for help in setting the table for their meal.
Jack stood up, and grinned. This was his first real Christmas dinner he had in decades. He intended to do his part in making it the best Ianto ever had, because it was also their first Christmas together as a loving, committed couple.
~END~
"Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" written by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane, 1943