3

It was all done, all they could do was wait…in the tree.

Autumn had to go pee, it was all too much and as she hissed at Minnie to come with her in case she needed back up the little girl was heard by Rem as she stomped past, "Back-up? More likely too fat to lick her own arse!"

It was a good thing the Claws wasn't there yet as he had a hard time controlling the urge to reply to the wee imp.

Then …

He must have dozed off and he glanced over at his brother who was also blinking furiously and he leaned over to push him, "I do NOT believe you fell asleep. Here I am the only one awake!"

Feather blinked and looked around, then frowned as he looked at the baubles in front of the fireplace.

"Really?" Feather asked with the same calm tone that Pop-pop used when being sarcastic, "You were awake? Then …why are they broken?"

"What?" Rem's mouth fell open as they looked at their broken booby-trap and he yowled with anger, waking the others.

"Quick, the bloody thing is here already!"

Autumn ran for the baby, knowing her job was to heave Minnie into the nest with Katylyn and protect them.

Bandit ran for the tinsel, pulling it tightly around the chair leg and tying it off with nervous hiccups.

"Where is he then" Rem muttered, checking covertly for the Claws monster that had already come down the chimney, breaking the baubles underfoot.

THERE

Rem screamed a warrior's cry that sounded more like a strangled …er ….cat and as Jack started to turn with surprise the white killer leapt, hooking into his back and Jack screamed with pain as the needle-like claws dug into his skin.

Ianto at up in the bed and looked up with surprise, "Cariad? Are you wearing the wrong thong again?"

Jack swung to show the Kat on his back and Ianto leapt from the bed, forgetting he was wearing a thong as well, the mistletoe jingling with bells as he tried to get the Kat off.

"Rembrandt, for fucksake! Get off your Grampy! You know the rules, the sign was up that it was our quiet time now why …" Ianto stopped scolding as he watched the Kat's eyes slide down to see the nakedness of his grandparents and the little brain slowly ticked over to realise he had made a tactical error.

"Grampy?" he said through a mouth full of fur, slowly pulling his claws out.

Jack slid out of the Santa jacket and glared at the Kat with open rage, blood trickling down his back not helping the matter.

"What the hell are you doing!" he roared, "I wasn't hurting Pop-pop, we are bloody playing!"

"But ..but …you was the claws!" Rem wailed, "You have the red coat, you was gonna hurt Pop-pop and kill the Mouse called Chrissy!"

"The…mouse?" Jack spluttered.

"Christmas is one word" Ianto sighed, "Not a mouse. Mass. Christmas. Christ as in Jesus Christ the son of god? Mass as in a group? It's The birthday party for Jesus Christ."

"Huh?" Rem blinked as Feather gave a lusty scream and ran in with his eyes shut, paws swinging to save his brother only to be plucked from the floor by his scruff and he opened his eyes to find his Pop-pop was not pleased at all.

"Alright, family meeting!" Ianto roared, then blinked as he looked down. "Right after I get changed."

Soon the family were sitting around the table as it all came out and Jack started to laugh as he saw the funny side, which Ianto did not.

"You really think we would let an evil monster in here to eat its heart?" he said angrily, "Put you in danger? I don't know how to respond, I am so …so …Jesus!"

Ianto rose and walked to the French doors, looking out over the darkened garden.

"But. The Claws?"

"Santa Claus. Chris Crinkle. Father Christmas?" Valentine supplied.

"The mouse's Daddy?"

"Oh for the …." Jack let his head hit the table as Valentine huffed softly with mirth.

"So, Uncle Owie told you that the mouse called Chrissy comes and brings food and the Claws monster will kill the mouse and take all the pressies and food?"

"No."

"Yes"

"Um …yes."

"No"

"Make your minds up." Ianto sighed, "Did he say that or did you think that?"

"Er" Rem sighed and slumped, "sorry Pop-pop."

"Right, we are going to watch the Grinch, followed by the Polar Express and you are going to calm down while Pop-pop starts the food. We will not kill anyone and no one will get killed" Jack said slowly, "Understood?"

"Yes sir" little voices said in unison.

Ianto was in the kitchen before the giggling started and he gripped the edge of the sink as he finally saw the humour in their misguided attempt to kill Jack.

"The Claws that would kill the Mouse called Chrissy." Jack sighed for the doorway, "Can you imagine? These little buggers were so organised too, the baubles as an alarm system."

"Baubles?" Ianto asked with horror, swinging to look at Jack then storming into the other room.

They walked back down and Ianto saw the broken baubles, crying out with horror as he recognised some of his heirloom pieces broken on the floor.

Unfortunately he didn't see the tinsel tripwire and Jack had seconds between seeing Ianto topple and computing the danger. He grabbed Ianto's elbow and yanked him back into his arms, the image of Ianto's face landing in the mess of glass making him grip his little man tightly as he breathed him in.

He had scooped Ianto from the jaws of death as the Kats watched with awe, once again convinced that he was a true hero.

He wasn't even wearing his super hero coat!