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chocolatequeennk · 1 year

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Forever Timeless, 10/24

Summary: Two months after the Dalek Crucible, the Doctor and Rose are getting used to having the biggest family on Earth. As they visit Leadworth in 1996, Victorian England, a mysterious desert planet, and Elizabethan England, those family and friends often help in unexpected ways. But no matter where they go or who they’re with, it’s always the Doctor in the TARDIS with Rose Tyler–just as it should be.

Ten x Rose, Donna x Lee

Betaed by @rudennotgingr, @pellaaearien, and @jabber-who-key

Tagging @doctorroseprompts for 31 Days of Ficmas. This uses the Gift prompt, and probably others.

Part 7 of Being to Timelessness

AO3 | FF.NET | TSP

Ch 1 | Ch 2 | Ch 3 | Ch 4 | Ch 5 | Ch 6 | Ch 7 | Ch 8 | Ch 9

Chapter 10: Merry and Bright

The biscuits were still warm on the table when everyone started getting ready to go into town. Mickey patted his coat pockets, then pointed at the stairs. “I forgot that I left my gloves drying in our room. I’ll be right back.”

“Bring Tony with you when you come,” Jackie said. “He wanted to play with his toys while we cleaned up, but it’s time to go now.”

“I don’t think he’ll argue,” Mickey called back over his shoulder.

The room he shared with Martha was on the first storey at the end of the hallway. He was about halfway down the hallway when the door swung open. Mickey leaned against the wall and watched Tony tiptoe out of the room.

The boy closed the door softly, then turned to leave. He froze when he saw Mickey, then clasped his hands behind his back and smiled at him.

Mickey pointed at the door, and Tony slunk back into the room. Once he was inside with the door shut, Mickey looked at the boy.

“What were you up to?” he asked, though he was pretty sure he knew.

Tony opened his mouth and closed it a few times. Mickey raised an eyebrow, and he slumped. “Looking for presents.”

“Presents you’re not supposed to open until tomorrow morning?” Mickey pressed.

Tony looked down and heaved a big sigh. “Yeah.”

“Do you think your mum and dad would take you to Santa’s workshop if they knew I’d found you in my room?”

“No.” Tony’s voice wobbled a little, and Mickey crouched down so he could look him in the eye.

“I won’t tell her I caught you if you promise not to do it again.”

Tony lurched forward and wrapped his arms around Mickey’s neck. “I promise!” he swore.

“All right, then let’s go back downstairs.”

oOoOoOo

Rose took the Doctor’s hand as they left the house. “I was going to ask how far we’ll have to walk, but I can already hear the music,” she observed.

“We’re right at the centre of the action,” he said, swinging their hands between them. They stopped by the skating pond and he pointed at the large wooden lodge with a sleigh parked in front. “I bet you can’t guess what that is,” he told Tony.

“Santa’s workshop!”

Pete grabbed Tony’s hand before he could run off. “We’ll see everyone back at the house at 4:00,” he said, then he, Jackie, and Tony made their way to the workshop.

The Doctor spun around and looked at the remaining bunch. “Right! I think the rest of us can find something to do. There’s skating, obviously, a snowman building contest over in the park, and you can even hire a sleigh and go for a ride.” He pointed in the general direction of each attraction as he spoke.

Rose took his hand. “We’ll meet you back at the house at 4:00, like Pete said. Have fun, everyone.”

She tugged the Doctor away from the group towards some shops she’d noticed flanking Santa’s workshop. “I was thinking we could get everyone an ornament,” she said. “It’s a special holiday, celebrating our first Christmas all together as a family. Plus it would be nice to have some ornaments on the tree that actually belong to us.”

“Excellent idea,” he agreed.

A young salesperson dressed in a candy cane striped uniform greeted them at the door of the quaint shop. “Welcome to the North Pole Depot,” they said. “May I offer you a basket?”

Rose looked around at the shop, her mouth falling open when she realised how large it was. “It’s like it’s bigger on the inside,” she said under her breath.

The salesperson heard, though, and a grin stretched across their face. “I know, isn’t it incredible?” they asked. “I don’t know how they get everything in here.”

The Doctor turned slowly, his eyes narrowing. “This is…” He bit his tongue. Even if he was right and someone had used dimensionally transcendent technology to make this shop bigger on the inside, it didn’t really matter.

He took the proffered basket. “Thank you.”

“Do you remember the last time we browsed a Christmas shop?” Rose asked as they started down the central aisle.

Before he could answer, she pointed at an ornament on a nearby tree. “Oh look! For Mum and Pete.”

The Doctor took the “New Home” ornament and put it in the basket. Then he considered her question, looking around the shop as he did. “I don’t see any other Doctors this time.”

“I still wonder what you decided to give future me for Christmas,” she said. She cast a sideways glance at him. “I mean… what kind of present do you think you might give?”

The Doctor raised an eyebrow. “As far as fishing goes, that wasn’t even remotely subtle,” he said dryly. “You’ll find out what I have for you in the morning, just like everyone else.”

He shifted his hand and rubbed his thumb over the remembrance band. Besides, I already gave you your real Christmas present, he reminded her.

Rose shivered. Every time the bracelet activated, it sent a charge over the bond.

An’ I love it, she agreed.

The Doctor hummed happily in the back of his throat, and Rose leaned against his arm. “Let’s finish shopping and then go see what other adventures we can find.”

oOoOo

When they got back to the house, the Doctor held up their shopping bag and shook it gently. “We got a surprise for everyone,” he said, quickly handing out the ornaments.

“Since it’s our first Christmas together as a family, we thought it would be nice if everyone had an ornament to hang on the tree,” Rose added.

Martha placed her miniature stethoscope on a branch at eye level, then gave Rose a hug. “Thanks for always remembering,” she whispered.

She didn’t have to finish the sentence; Rose knew. “Thanks for always remembering I’m not just a soldier.”

Rose returned the hug, then accepted thanks and hugs from everyone else. Tony wrapped his arms around her legs and gave her a big kiss when she bent down.

The Doctor pointed out a perfect spot for the Santa they’d gotten him. While everyone was occupied, Rose quietly went upstairs for some solitude.

She took a deep breath after she closed the door behind herself. She wasn’t used to constantly being with this many people—not ones she actually knew, at any rate. Growing up in London had meant there were always people nearby, but it was easy to ignore strangers.

“You can’t really ignore a house full of people, especially not when you all want to use the loo at the same time,” she murmured, remembering the line and the good-natured bickering that morning as they’d gotten ready.

She’d just settled in with her book when the door inched open. She could tell the Doctor was still downstairs, so she leaned to the side to see who was on the other side of the door.

“Tony?” she said in surprise when she saw his big eyes peering up at her. “I thought you were decorating biscuits.”

His small hand was still wrapped around the doorknob. “Um… Mummy wanted to know… if you want a star cookie or a snowman cookie?”

It was obviously a fib, and Rose raised her eyebrow. “Did she?” she asked, gesturing for Tony to come inside.

He nodded enthusiastically, a bright smile on his face. Rose would almost have believed him if his eyes weren’t darting back and forth. “Yeah!” he said. “And if you want green or red frosting. And sprinkles!”

Rose pursed her lips, pretending to think about it. Then she levelled a gaze at her little brother. “Or maybe you’re trying to find the prezzies?” she suggested.

Tony bit his lip. “No?” he said, his tone making it a question.

Rose wanted to laugh, but she managed to keep a straight face. “You know Mum and Dad have those hidden so you get surprises tomorrow morning,” she reminded him. “If you find them and open them early, you’ll make them sad.”

“But I want to know!” Tony said.

“And you will. Tomorrow.”

He huffed and flopped onto the floor. “Too long.”

Rose looked down at him. “Do you want me to tell Mum you were trying to find your gifts?”

“No!” Tony covered his face with his hands, like that would keep him from getting caught.

“Then promise me you won’t do this again.”

Tony groaned, but he rolled over and stood up. “Promise,” he said grumpily.

“Good. Now go back down there and decorate cookies before she wonders where you’ve been.”

oOoOo

The night of Christmas Eve was almost exactly like what Rose remembered from her childhood. They had shepherd’s pie for dinner, then some of them played board games while others watched movies.

Around half eight, Jackie led a protesting Tony upstairs. “Santa won’t come until you’re asleep,” she reminded him, making Rose shake her head.

Just like when I was a kid.

Jackie didn’t return until after nine, and she looked exhausted when she did. “I thought you were a handful with Christmas,” she told Rose, “but Tony…”

Jenny leaned forward slightly. “What was Mum like, Gran?”

Jackie smirked. “Well, she was a champion at seeking out any presents I’d hidden away, for a start. It was a challenge every year to find new places to hide them.”

“I wasn’t that bad,” Rose protested.

Mickey snorted. “Right, and that’s why Jackie asked us to hide them in our flat one year.”

“You were like that until you were 12,” Jackie agreed. “But that year… that red bicycle showing up on Christmas morning… Either you enjoyed the surprise so much that you stopped looking, or you just grew out of it.”

A different Doctor twirled through Rose’s memory, spinning around the console with a manic smile on his face. “Who says I’m not—red bicycle when you were twelve.”

Behind her, her current Doctor took a big gulp of tea, probably to hide his smug smirk. Rose leaned back against him and squeezed his hand. “The bike was special,” she agreed.

“I hope Tony grows out of it,” Jackie said fervently.

“You should be like my dad,” Donna said. “He always forgot to buy presents until Christmas Eve, so there was no chance for me to poke around looking for ‘em.”

“Oh, but you can’t shop the sales that way!” Jackie protested. She sighed and looked at the tree. “I’m not looking forward to staying up late to put the presents under the tree. That’s always the hardest part of Christmas Eve.”

“We can do that,” Rose offered. “We don’t sleep as much as the rest of you—no reason for you to lose sleep when we can do it just as well.”

“Are you sure?”

The Doctor nodded. “Rose is right. We don’t sleep as much as the rest of you.”

“Thank you, sweetheart.” Jackie yawned and looked over at Pete. “If they’re going to take care of the presents, I’m going to bed.”

Pete set down his mug and stood up. “If having a three year old has taught me anything, it’s to grab onto any chance at more sleep.” His dry remark drew chuckles from everyone.

At the foot of the stairs, Jackie looked at the Doctor and Rose. “Tony takes forever to fall asleep,” she warned. “You’ll have to wait another hour yet before you can put the presents out.”

The Doctor pulled his sonic screwdriver out of his pocket. “Or I could just sonic him into his room,” he suggested jokingly.

Jackie narrowed her eyes. “I think you’re joking, but if not, no.”

“Of course not,” he agreed. “It’s not safe to lock people in their rooms.”

“I have a feeling Christmas morning is going to come a little earlier than I’d like,” Martha said after Pete and Jackie went to bed. “I don’t think Tony is going to wait until a decent hour to open all of his gifts.”

Jenny laughed. “Definitely not. I caught him in my room yesterday, trying to find where Gran had hidden them. I told him I’d tell her he’d been looking unless he promised not to do it again.”

“Wait a minute,” Mickey said. “That’s the same thing I made him promise when I caught him in our room this afternoon.”

Rose’s shoulders shook with repressed laughter. “And me,” she added.

The three of them exchanged looks before everyone broke into muffled laughter. “That little sneak,” Donna said. “Promising the same thing to all of you, and then going out and doing it again anyway.”

Rose tilted her head. “Maybe, maybe not,” she said, thinking about the exact wording of the promise she’d gotten from Tony. “Did you ask him not to sneak into any more rooms, or did you ask him not to do it again?”

When Jenny and Mickey exchanged a glance, she knew what the answer was. “Yeah, me too,” she said. “So technically, he kept his promise. He never went into Jenny’s room again, or yours or ours.”

Mickey shook his head, then he stood up and held out a hand for Martha. “Well, if he’s that determined, we know he’s going to be up at the crack of dawn. And in that case, we’re going to bed.”

“Yeah, us too,” Donna said as she and Lee stood up.

“And me,” Jenny agreed. “I’ll put the milk and cookies out before I go upstairs.”

“We’re not telling Mum, right?” Rose clarified as Jenny walked into the kitchen.

Mickey snorted. “Definitely not.”

After everyone else went upstairs, the Doctor and Rose quietly left the house and walked back to the TARDIS. “Maybe we should have offered to stash everyone’s gifts for them,” the Doctor mused as he opened the door.

“And take away all the fun Tony had trying to figure out where Mum had stashed them?” Rose replied.

“True… but we wouldn’t have had to tell Tony they were here.”

Rose laughed and opened the storage cupboard just off the console room. “We can do it that way next year,” she said as she handed the Doctor the box of unwrapped gifts.

Her phone buzzed as she was reaching for the wrapping paper. “Oh, I hope that’s Jack finally ready to come join us,” she said as she pulled it out.

“Finally free,” she read aloud. “Come on, let’s get him the coordinates.” They dropped the gifts and paper off in the library, then continued on to the console room.

The Doctor leaned against a strut and watched Rose work. She moved around the console with a surety that most Time Lords with twice her experience wouldn’t possess.

“Bad Wolf makes it easy,” she said absently as she swung the monitor around.

The Doctor shook his head, but Rose held up a finger. “Let me get this right first.”

She looked at the monitor, then her phone, and back again before she finally hit send. “There, that’s done,” she said, sliding the phone into her pocket.

“There, you see,” the Doctor said, taking her hand as they walked back to the library. “It’s complicated—it doesn’t take much to send someone to the wrong planet, or the wrong century.”

“Yeah, it’s a complex system,” Rose agreed. She tugged on his arm, and glancing down, he caught her teasing smile. “But you’ve been using it for centuries—I’m not sure that’s really a good excuse for you.”

The Doctor pushed the library door open. “I think she sends us off course on purpose,” he retorted as Rose walked past him. The TARDIS chimed, and they both laughed.

Rose hip checked him. “No matter where we go, I love it. Now let’s get these presents wrapped.”

Nearly an hour later, they crossed the snow-covered garden and carefully opened the back door. With everyone in bed, the house was almost completely silent.

“T’was the night before Christmas,” the Doctor whispered, “and all through the house not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.”

“Exactly,” Rose agreed. “But this time, we’re St. Nick.”

The Doctor set the box down just outside the living room and pointed his sonic at the closet where Jackie had hidden her gifts. He heard Rose shuffle carefully into the dark living room, and then saw the light when she turned a lamp on.

A sudden wave of amusement caught him by surprise. He turned and stuck his head into the room, wondering what had tickled her.

He raised his eyebrows when he saw the empty plate that was supposed to have cookies left for Santa. Rose put her finger over her lips, then pointed at the floor under the table.

Two little feet stuck out, and the Doctor had to press his lips together to hide his laughter. He bent down, and sure enough, his little brother-in-law was passed out under the table, probably from the sugar crash after eating the entire plateful of cookies.

You start getting out the gifts, he told Rose as he scooped Tony up. I’ll take this guy to bed.

The Doctor had just disappeared around the corner at the top of the stairs when Rose heard a quiet pop behind her and felt a shift in the air. “Hi Jack,” she said, shooting him a quick smile over her shoulder. “Help me get the presents out?”

Jack grinned back at her. “Anything for you, Rosie.”

Rose rolled her eyes but didn’t respond to Jack’s flirting. It was just Jack—something she’d known for years. “Come on, let’s get this done. Then we can talk for a bit.”

They were just putting the last gift out when the Doctor finally returned. “One toddler finally back in bed,” he half-whispered. His gaze shifted to Jack. “And one Torchwood operative finally with us.”

Rose sat down on the love seat and the Doctor joined her. “It did take you a bit to get here,” she said to Jack, seated on a plush chair across from them. “With space-time coordinates, I thought you’d arrive right after we sent them.”

Jack ran his hand through his hair. “Yeah, the Vortex felt off tonight—it was a bit of a bumpy ride. I’m just glad I got here within the hour.”

“Space hopper,” the Doctor said under his breath.

“One that you tuned up,” Jack rejoined.

“Oi, you can’t blame this on me. If you start with a scooter, not even the world’s best mechanic could turn it into a Ferrari.”

Rose had only been half-listening to their bickering. Jack’s comment about the Vortex seeming off had sent a shiver down her spine; she had a feeling that was important somehow.

She shook herself out of the pensive mood when she felt the Doctor’s question over the bond. “Come on then,” she said to Jack. “What have you been up to?”

The TARDIS hummed around her as they settled in for a long winter’s chat.

oOoOo

After staying up until three in the morning talking to Jack, Tony’s excited shout and the pounding of his footsteps down the hallway came early even for Rose. She rolled over and pulled the duvet over her head, hanging onto it when the Doctor tried to pull it back.

“It’s too bloody early to be awake,” she grumbled when she finally gave in and sat up.

“Rose, I am a Time Lord. I understand more about time and how it works than almost anyone else in the universe. Even I know there is no convincing young children that Christmas morning can be too early.”

The gravity with which he gave that little speech made Rose laugh. “All right, fine,” she said.

“Besides, once we get downstairs we can open presents.”

Rose swung her legs out of bed and grabbed her dressing gown. “Oh yes!” she said, purposely sounding just like him. “I can’t wait for you to see what I got you.”

They were the first adults downstairs. Rose went into the kitchen to start the coffee, letting the Doctor keep Tony company—and keep him out of the gifts.

It might have been the aroma of coffee floating up the stairs that brought the rest of the adults downstairs, more than the sound of Tony’s excited chatter. They all filed through the kitchen for a cup before making their way into the living room.

“Mr. Jack!” Tony shouted when Jack made his appearance. “You came!”

Jack laughed and swung Tony up for a hug. “You bet I did, kiddo. I wouldn’t miss a family Christmas.”

“We’re glad you could make it, Jack,” Pete said. He scanned the room quickly, then smiled. “It looks like everyone’s here. Shall we get started?”

“Yeah!” Tony darted around his father and grabbed the first package he reached. “Presents!”

Pete read over his shoulder. “That one is for Martha. Can you take it to her?” The little boy’s shoulders slumped, but he dutifully walked it across the room to Martha.

“Thank you, Tony!” she exclaimed as she took the gift in bright red and green striped paper. She pulled the bow off the top and handed it to him. “I think you deserve a prize for being so helpful.”

Tony grinned and put the bow on top of his head. “You’re welcome!” he said, then darted back to the tree and the pile of presents his father had made for him.

The Doctor shook his head as he enjoyed Tony’s antics. It had been a very long time since he’d been around children that young.

He had his own pile of presents to open, another thing he hadn’t experienced… well, ever. He and Rose enjoyed their small Christmas celebrations with one meaningful gift each. This was a whole different level.

“The shirt boxes wrapped in the snowman paper are from me and Pete,” Jackie said. “We’ll open those last.”

The Doctor picked up the box and shook it gently, but outside of a soft rustle, there was no indication at all of what it was.

“We’ll open them last,” Jackie repeated firmly.

Rose took the box from him and set it on the coffee table in front of them, and then set another package down next to it. Open that one next to last, she told him.

The Doctor couldn’t resist. He picked that gift up too, turning it over in his hands.

“It’s in a box, love,” Rose told him, rolling her eyes. “You’re not going to figure it out unless you have x-ray vision.”

She watched for a moment, until he picked up a different gift and started unwrapping. Then she turned to her own pile, starting with the one from Martha.

Rose had opened half her gifts when the Doctor nudged her over the bond. She looked up and smiled when she saw Jenny had their gift in her hand. He’d shown her what he’d gotten for Jenny at the jeweller, and she’d approved completely.

Jenny stuck her finger under the flap of paper and slid slowly, releasing the tape. Rose shifted in her seat, and the Doctor wrapped an arm around her shoulders and smirked down at her. Be patient. Not everyone rips wrapping paper off like you do.

Rose sighed and leaned back into the couch to watch. Jenny finally peeled back the festive red and green paper. She looked at the long, white box for a few moments, then looked up at Rose and the Doctor.

“Well, open it!” the Doctor said, making Rose laugh and poke him gently in the ribs.

“Be patient,” she said, sticking her tongue out at him.

“I’ll open it now, if you want.”

Rose and the Doctor both turned to look at Jenny, and she laughed at them.

Jenny pulled off the lid and her eyes widened.

“What is it, sweetheart?” Jackie asked.

Jenny lifted the watch out of the box and held it up. “It’s gorgeous! Thanks, Mum and Dad.”

The Doctor bounced lightly in his seat. “We thought… time was the perfect gift.”

It was symbolic in more ways than one, and when tears welled up in Jenny’s eyes, he knew she understood everything he was saying. The watch represented her heritage as a Time Lord, but it was also the gift of time. The time to decide what she wanted out of life, without him peering over her shoulder trying to get her to choose what he thought was best for her.

Jenny set the watch down carefully and crossed the room to hug him. “Thank you,” she whispered.

The Doctor held her tight. “I’m proud of you,” he told her. “I am so very proud to call you my daughter.”

Jenny squeezed him even tighter, then she sighed and let him go. She gave Rose a quick hug, then went back to her own seat.

The Doctor tried not to watch Rose when she finally got to his present. She opened the paper slowly, far more slowly than her usual zealousness. He knitted his brows together and then rolled his eyes. Of course she was dragging out the process. She wouldn’t get to the actual gift for years at the rate she was going.

Rose smiled at him when he finally focused his attention on her. Finally, she ripped off the paper with a satisfying shhhh noise.

Rose raised her eyebrows when she saw the standard box meant for clothing. “What did you get me?” she asked the Doctor under her breath.

“Why don’t you open it and find out,” he suggested, keeping his voice equally low. Not that anyone was going to overhear them—the entire room was a cacophony of happy noise as everyone opened gifts and thanked the givers.

Rose pursed her lips, but she dutifully lifted the lid on the box and pulled back the tissue paper.

The Doctor’s hearts raced when she picked up the burgundy jumper and shook it out. One of yours? she asked, though they both knew the answer.

One of yours, he corrected. Because I’m that Doctor too, and I loved you then. He paused. Also, it’s possible I like seeing you in my clothes.

Rose blushed and folded the jumper back up. I still need to get a suit like yours, don’t I?

The Doctor had just taken a drink of his coffee and he started choking when some of it went down the wrong pipe. The vision of Rose wearing his suit was just as appealing now as it had been the year before.

Rose pounded him on the back. Once he quit coughing, she pointed at the package he still held, the one from her. “Open that next!” she insisted.

The Doctor looked at the gift, then at Rose’s irrepressible smile. “How do you always manage to outdo my gifts?” he asked as he tore the paper open. “Every year, I think I’ve given you the best gift, that it can’t be topped… and yet you manage it.”

She giggled madly. “Oh, I wouldn’t necessarily say I topped your gift this year. But I can definitely say it’s not something you’ve ever gotten before.”

He raised an eyebrow, then opened the box. At first all he could see was a flash of red gold. He reached into the box and as soon as he touched it, he knew.

“You didn’t,” he said, his voice flat.

“What is it, Doc?” Jack asked.

“Yeah, come on Doctor,” Mickey chimed in. “We’ve all been showing off our gifts.” He paused, and his face turned a little green. “Unless she’s given you some kind of sexy underwear or… something. I don’t think any of us want to see that.”

“No thank you!” Jackie said vehemently, making everyone laugh.

The Doctor rolled his eyes. “It’s nothing like that. Just… Just Rose ribbing me, as usual.”

He pulled the gift out, draping it over his fist so everyone could see what it was. There was a moment of silence, then howls of laughter burst out of everyone.

“Put it on!” Martha insisted after wiping tears from her eyes.

“I will do no such thing!” the Doctor protested.

“Oh, come on Doctor,” Pete said. “I don’t know the story behind this, but I have to admit I’m curious to see what it looks like.”

The Doctor looked at Rose, and that was his mistake. She had that smile on her face, the same one that always convinced him to do whatever she wanted.

He groaned. “All right, but I’d better not hear any cameras,” he warned.

He sighed again and then put the wig on.

Rose doubled up laughing. “I don’t know why you’re so upset,” she said, gasping for air. “You always said you wanted to be ginger. I just made it possible.”

The fringe draped into the Doctor’s eyes and he flung it back over his forehead. “I said I wanted to actually be ginger,” he said. “Not wear some monstrosity of a wig.”

“Well at least now you can decide if you think it’s a good look for you,” Donna suggested.

Finally, all the gifts were opened except for the mysterious gifts from Jackie and Pete. Mickey was the first to rip into his, but as soon as they heard one piece of paper tear, everyone else started.

“Mum, what did you do?” Rose asked when she saw blue knit fabric.

“Just pull it out and you’ll see.”

Everyone took their gift out of the wrapping and shook it out. Rose stared at her jumper in the box for a little longer. She’d always managed to avoid ugly Christmas jumpers before, but it seemed her luck had run out.

She finally lifted the jumper out of the box to take in its ugly glory. The blue and white badly designed Fair Isle pattern depicted the Bumble from Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer.

Looking around the room, she realised everyone had a Christmas jumper. She thought maybe she knew what was going on then, and she looked back at her mum.

Jackie was beaming, holding her own ugly jumper—hers was Mrs. Claus in the bathtub. Rose glanced at Pete’s and wasn’t surprised that his was Santa having a beer.

“We wanted to do something to make us feel… like a family,” Jackie said. “So when you get ready for dinner, I want everyone to put your jumper on—and no complaining,” she added, glaring at Jack.

“Would I complain? Did anyone hear me complain?”

“You’ll have to keep it on, too,” Mickey retorted.

“Well now you’re just taking the fun out of it,” Jack complained. He must have caught the look on Jackie’s face, because he quickly held up his hands. “Kidding, kidding!” he insisted. “I’ll wear the jumper.”

“I think it’s breakfast time,” Lee said, making everyone laugh. But they left behind the pile of presents and discarded wrapping paper and took their seats around the dining table.

After breakfast, Mickey and Martha slipped out the front door. Rose nodded as she saw them disappear—they were the only couple who hadn’t had an hour to explore the town, just the two of them.

“Who’s going to help me with the turkey and all the fixings?” Jackie asked.

Jenny grimaced. “I would, but…”

Jackie shook her head. “Thank you, sweetheart, but…”

“But we’d rather Christmas dinner wasn’t served charbroiled,” Jack finished.

Rose felt a little pang in her heart as she watched the Cardiff members of their family laugh at a shared joke, one she wasn’t privy to. “It’s all right, Jenny,” she said. “Mum probably won’t tell you, but she used to burn everything, too.”

“Here now,” Jackie protested. “I’m not out here telling everyone your secrets. For that, you can work on the stuffing. There’s an onion that needs to be chopped up”

In the end, it was Jackie, Rose, Donna, and Lee working on dinner while everyone else found other ways to spend the morning. As Rose cut the veg for the stuffing, she could hear a movie going in the living room and a toy car racing up and down the hallway. It was the kind of holiday family gathering she’d always seen in movies but never actually experienced.

She’d just finished sautéing the ingredients when her mum called her name. “What is that alien of yours up to, Rose?”

Rose turned so fast she nearly knocked the pan off the stove. “Where is he?” she asked, then she realised that her mum was standing at the kitchen window.

Rose crossed the kitchen and looked outside. Jenny and Jack had started a snowman, and it looked like Mickey and Martha were just getting back from their walk and were joining in.

So far she didn’t see… Then she found him. He was sitting on a bench on the opposite side of the garden, and he had something metal caught between his teeth as he used the sonic on the device he was holding. A device that looked an awful lot like…

“Oh lord,” Donna muttered. “He’s built a snowball catapult.”

“Or slingshot,” Rose agreed. She left the window and walked over to where the coats hung by the door.

“But there’s not a snowball fight going on,” Jackie protested.

“Not yet,” Lee said, making both Rose and Donna laugh.

“What are you doing, Rose?”

Rose finished pulling on her winter boots and looked up at her mum. “I’m not staying in here if there’s going to be a snowball fight,” she said.

Donna and Lee were both reaching for their coats, too, and Jackie shook her head. “You’re all mad,” she said, a repeat of the declaration she’d uttered many Christmases ago. But this time it was said with affection instead of derision.

“Yeah.” Rose crossed the room and pressed a kiss to her cheek. “And you love us.”

“God help me, I do.” She pointed at the three of them. “You make sure that alien gets hit at least once, you hear me?”

“Yes ma’am!” they chorused as they stepped outside.

Donna squeezed Lee’s hand, then tilted her head to the right when he glanced over at her. He nodded subtly, and she left his side to sneak behind the garden shed.

When she was safely hidden, she peered around the corner at the Doctor. He was still facing Jenny and Jack, that bloody catapult in his hand. Donna grinned as she collected a handful of snow and carefully patted it into a snowball.

A moment later, she pumped her fist victoriously when her snowball hit the Doctor square in the back. He jumped, then spun around wildly looking for where the attack had come from.

Donna ducked back behind the corner of the shed just in time to avoid being caught. A moment later, she heard another splat. The Doctor’s loud squawk of protest told her he’d been the target again.

“Why are you all ganging up on me?” he whinged.

She jumped back out into the open and threw another snowball. “Don’t try acting innocent,” she told him. “We saw you making that catapult thing—we just thought we’d beat you to the punch.”

Faster than Donna had expected, he scooped up snow in his gadget and spun around to fire it at her. The cold snow hitting her in the chest shocked the air out of her, but then she narrowed her eyes at him. “Oh, it is on now, Space Man.”

The lines were quickly drawn. Mickey and Martha joined her and Lee. Rose sided with the Doctor, of course, and Jack and Jenny joined on their side to keep the numbers even.

Donna lost track of time as she pelted snowballs across the lawn. Everyone was shrieking and laughing and yelling threats at each other.

“Oi, you lot!” Jackie hollered from the back door an untold amount of time later. “Get in here and get cleaned up. Dinner will be ready in half an hour. And don’t forget to wear your jumpers.”

Rose shivered as she shrugged out of her winter coat and left it in the kitchen with everyone else’s. “I don’t think anyone will mind wearing your jumpers,” she told her mum. “I know I won’t.”

“Me either,” Martha agreed, followed by Jenny and Mickey.

“Oh fine,” Jack grumbled, drawling out the sound. “I suppose a warm jumper might be nice right about now.”

“Who won the snowball contest, by the way?” Jackie asked as they all headed for the stairs.

Mickey was the first to start laughing, but they all joined in quickly. “There was too much chaos to settle a winner,” he said.

“But we all got the Doctor at least once,” Donna added.

“Then I think I won,” Jackie said. “I got exactly what I wanted and didn’t have to get wet.”

Everyone laughed again as they walked up the stairs, even the Doctor.

Twenty minutes later, they all returned to the dining room. Pete and Jack helped Jackie get all the food on the table, and when it was ready, she nodded and they all sat down.

After all the food had been passed and the plates were full, Pete stood up, his wine glass in hand. “I think a toast is in order,” he said. “To new beginnings and a family found.”

“To new beginnings,” Donna said, looking at Lee.

“To a past remembered,” he added.

The Doctor watched the exchange, a lump in his throat. Watching the two of them was bittersweet. He hadn’t had anyone to hold him up after he’d lost his family—his entire planet.

Rose rested her hand on his knee, and he relaxed. He hadn’t had anyone right away, but the TARDIS had made sure he’d found the perfect person pretty quickly.

He took her hand and laced their fingers together. Thank you, he told her.

Always.

oOoOo

Once the Christmas pudding was demolished and the dishes had been moved into the kitchen, everyone moved into the living room. The Doctor smiled at the crowd of them lounging on the couches and the floor, all wearing the ugly Christmas jumpers from Pete and Jackie. Before he could say anything, he heard a shutter click.

He looked behind him and saw a camera resting on the mantel. “I set it on a timer,” Mickey explained. “Come on, join us for the next one.”

The Doctor darted into the group and laid down on the floor in front of all of them. He posed in what Rose called the “Titanic Pose,” then he used the sonic to trigger the timer on the camera.

A second later, the flash nearly blinded him. As soon as he could see again, he jumped up and grabbed the camera.

“My turn,” he said. “But first…” He pulled out his sonic screwdriver and fiddled with it for a moment, then pointed it at the camera. “Now you should all get copies of all the photos on your phones.”

He snapped a few quick candids as people pulled out their phones to check, then let Martha snag the camera from him.

“Come on, Tony,” the Doctor said, gesturing to the boy. “I bet we could run your new toy cars up and down the hallway, what do you think?”

“Yeah!”

Behind him, the Doctor heard the clicks of pictures being taken and knew their holiday memories would be well recorded.

oOoOo

Rose took her turn with the camera last, and she wandered the house, trying to catch everything. The glittering tree, the table with leftovers and remains of Christmas crackers scattered over it, Tony stretched out on his stomach trying to put together a puzzle… She didn’t want to miss any of it.

But finally she set the camera down on the table and leaned against the doorframe between the living room and the dining room. Everyone had moved into the living room, all stretched out comfortably on the couches and floor. It’s a Wonderful Life was playing on the telly, though she wasn’t sure anyone was really awake enough to be paying attention.

She felt that tug again, the same one she’d felt earlier while helping with dinner. It was the family holiday scene she’d always wanted when she was a kid… and she’d had to go flying through time and space to make it happen.

She felt the Doctor behind her before he tapped her on the shoulder. I have a surprise for you, he told her. Let’s go outside.

He already had his coat on, and he handed her hers. The familiar, almost giddy light of adventure lit his eyes, and Rose’s heart beat faster in response. She quickly pulled her coat on and followed him outside.

A gust of winter wind blew over the snow, and Rose shivered. The Doctor wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close, and Rose smiled up at him.

She’d been waiting for him to do something to acknowledge that it was Valentine’s Day, in their timeline. Keeping track of two timelines was always a bit tricky, and it was particularly confusing to be celebrating two different holiday seasons at the same time—one of which they had already celebrated a few weeks before.

The Doctor squeezed her hand. “Time travel does make life complicated at times,” he agreed.

“Yeah, but if the only complication is that I get two Christmases, I’ll take it,” Rose countered. “Where are we going, Doctor?”

He put a finger to his lips, then pointed at his ear. Rose cocked her head and listened, and a moment later, she heard it—the distant jingle of sleigh bells.

“Oh my god,” she whispered. In the dim light of twilight, she saw a sleigh turn the corner at the end of the street and start towards them.

The driver pulled the reins and the sleigh glided to a stop right in front of them. “All ready for you, sir,” he said.

“I tried to think of something romantic to do on a planet focused on Christmas and winter, and finally I decided that there was nothing more romantic than a sleigh ride for two.”

The Doctor offered Rose his hand and held her steady as she climbed up first. Then he jumped straight into the sleigh, not even using the step.

With a click of his tongue, the driver got the horses moving again. “There’s a blanket for you, and a thermos of hot mulled wine.” He glanced over his shoulder and winked. “And you can pretend I’m not here,” he added.

Rose giggled. “I was going to say that this felt familiar—the moonlit drive, cuddled up under a blanket with a hot drink to share. But he’s nothing like Ricard.”

The Doctor shook the blanket out and tucked it carefully over their laps. “I think Ricard was one of a kind,” he said dryly. “I’ve never met someone so intent on keeping even the most innocent of kisses from happening.”

Rose put her hand on the Doctor’s knee and leaned in. And were you thinking of innocent kisses when we were on that hayride? she asked.

He tugged on his tie. Wellllll…

Rose laughed and rested her head on his shoulder. I love that you stretch that out, even in your thoughts, she said. Does that mean that my first you would have sounded all Northern and gruff?

The Doctor pressed a kiss to her temple. Yep.

As they drove, what little light remained disappeared. Rose leaned back in the seat and watched as the stars came out, one by one. The Doctor listed them off as they appeared, occasionally adding a comment about a world in that system.

Rose waited, and finally her own Sun appeared. It was always one of the last, since it wasn’t very bright.

“There you go,” the Doctor murmured in her ear. “Earth. The old home.”

“Yeah.” Rose stuck her tongue out slightly in thought.

“What is it?”

“Well… I just realised that even though we’ve spent more time on Earth this year helping Mum and Pete get settled in, it still doesn’t feel like home. Or it doesn’t anymore, I should say.”

She paused, trying to put her thoughts together.

“It’s weird, is all,” she said after a moment. “Or maybe normal? Is this what it’s like when you move out? After a few years it almost feels like you never lived there?”

The Doctor shrugged. “Well, in a manner of speaking you haven’t ever lived there. This you, the one who’s had seven years of adventures with me, has never lived on Earth. You’re not the same Rose Tyler now as you were back then, and the person you are today…”

“Never lived on Earth,” Rose concluded. It brought up a memory that she and her mum had never really hashed out, and she resolved to talk to her about it soon. But for now…

“This is gorgeous, Doctor.”

He grinned down at her, and Rose’s eyes widened. “What?” she asked, knowing what that smile meant.

“It’s possible there’s a reason I wanted to take you on this drive.”

The sleigh pulled out of the wooded lane they’d been travelling and into an open meadow. Looking around her, Rose realised they’d also climbed a fair bit. She could see the lights of the town below them.

And if they’d climbed and were in an open place, he wanted them to have a view.

Rose leaned forward a little, eager to see whatever it was he had arranged. When the first glimmer appeared, she thought maybe she’d imagined it. Then a second joined it, clearer than the first.

The light in the sky seemed to be shifting. She blinked, and when she opened her eyes again, she gasped in wonder.

“Do you like it?” the Doctor whispered.

Flames of colour danced across the night sky, painting it shades of pink, purple, and blue. As the sky lit up in vibrant flashes of colour, the light caught on the fresh snow and reflected back onto the trees surrounding the meadow, turning them all shades of blue and purple as well.

“It’s gorgeous.” Rose tugged on the Doctor’s tie, and when he leaned down, she caught his mouth in a kiss that would definitely have upset old Ricard.

oOoOo

Two days later, their holiday was at an end. Rose checked the room one last time before she zipped up her bag and went downstairs.

Jack was sitting on the couch when Rose entered the living room. “Ready to go?” he asked. “Hang on,” he said before she could answer.

Rose glanced over at him and realised he was studying her intently. She looked down at herself, and it only took a second for her to know what he was thinking. “Jack—”

“I’ve seen that jumper before,” he said, ignoring her. His eyes were dancing as he stood up and circled her. “Yep, I definitely recognise this particular jumper.”

Rose rolled up the sleeve and pushed it up on her arm. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Now I’m wondering if you have a suit, too.”

On impulse, Rose decided to call his bluff. “I might, but you’ll never know,” she told him.

Jack’s jaw dropped, and Rose pushed past him to carry her suitcase out to the TARDIS.

She met Donna and Lee outside. “We just put our bags inside,” Donna said. “I think almost everyone is ready to go.”

Rose nodded. “So, back to the 51st century for you?”

Donna looked at Lee, and they both shook their heads. “We’d actually like to stay on Earth for a bit,” she said. “Contemporary Earth. Contemporary to my time,” she said finally, rolling her eyes. “Time travel gives me a headache.”

Rose arched an eyebrow. “Really?”

Donna nodded. “We got to talk to Jack yesterday. Lee really likes him—they have a lot in common, after all.”

Rose nodded. This was making more sense.

“Are you going to work for Torchwood?” she asked Lee.

He shrugged. “Maybe. I’m st-st-still… thinking,” he said.

Donna shook her head. “Plus he thinks he wants to meet my mum, poor man.”

Rose grimaced. Sylvia Noble was one of the least pleasant women she had ever had the misfortune of meeting.

She looked at Lee. “Remember what I said before you met my mum?”

He frowned, then rolled his eyes and nodded.

“Seriously, Lee. Sylvia makes my mum look tame.”

“Gramps is amazing though,” Donna interjected.

Rose smiled. “Yeah, Wilf is great. Maybe just camp out up on that hill of his,” she suggested, only half kidding.

She frowned. “I thought you were thinking about going back to the Time Agency though,” she said, directing this to Lee.

He scratched the back of his neck, and Donna jumped in. “Well, the last time he went on a mission for them, he ended up stranded in a computer for 100 years,” she said drolly. “I don’t blame him for not being keen on going again.”

Rose grinned. “Yeah, but that turned out okay,” she said, gesturing between the two of them.

Donna laughed and took Lee’s hand. “Yeah, it did. Still, no point testing fate.”

Jackie was the last one to enter the TARDIS. She paused in closing the door, staring out at the house and the snow covered garden.

Finally, she closed the door with a sigh and walked down the ramp. “This was exactly the kind of holiday I hoped for,” she admitted.

The Doctor preened a little. Praise from Jackie was always sparse.

Before he could feel too chuffed, she hugged Rose. “Thank you for making it perfect,” she said.

“But… what??”

Everyone laughed, and Jackie finally looked at him, a smirk on her face. “And you too, I suppose.”

The Doctor rolled his eyes. “You’re welcome, Jackie. Happy Christmas. And now… home.” He threw the lever and the TARDIS engines wheezed as she moved into the Vortex.

oOoOo

Once they’d dropped everyone off, Rose moved around the console, setting the coordinates she wanted. She felt the Doctor’s eyes on her and knew he was trying to place her mood—she was too, to be fair.

The time rotor moved up and down as the TARDIS moved them through time and space. Once it was still again, Rose gestured at the door and followed the Doctor up the ramp.

He opened first one door, then pushed the other open when he realised where they were. Rose wrapped her arm around his waist as they looked out at the Earth, slowly spinning in her orbit around the sun.

“Thank you,” she said finally.

The arm around her shoulders squeezed gently. “For what?”

“For… for giving me the kind of family that could have a holiday like this,” she said, fumbling a little for the words. “I’ve never… I don’t have loads of siblings or cousins. Mum and I spent most holidays with Cousin Mo, or my Nan and Granddad. I just…”

“Family isn’t always what you’re born into,” the Doctor said quietly. “Sometimes, family is the friend who suddenly appeared in your time ship, and the medical student you met on the moon.”

“And a daughter created from a tissue sample and a man you rescued from a wall,” Rose agreed. “So thank you for finding a family with me.”

The Doctor hummed softly, then tugged Rose so they were facing each other. “And sometimes, family is a brilliant, brave woman you find in a basement, being stalked by Autons. I never would have found this family without you, Rose—so thank you.”

#ficandchips #doctorroseprompts #ten x rose #31 days of ficmas #fic by nancy #cq's fic: forever timeless #being to timelessness #donna x lee #mickey x martha #all the holiday family fluff you could want

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