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The Doctor watched Danni fiddle with the bright red Father Christmas hat on her head as she stood in-between himself and Kazran, now a year older. She'd wanted to come back and see Abigail the next Christmas Eve, and who was he to say no? And, maybe some more good memories would ensure the safety of the Ponds as well.
"Ready?" She asked Kazran with a smile, and he nodded. He reached out and pulled the door open, unfreezing Abigail at the same time they all chucked their hands in the air and cheered.
"Merry Christmas!" They all shouted and Abigail laughed in delight. They had come back, just like the young boy had said.
"Doctor!" She giggled. Danni took her hand and began leading her out of the box and to the exit of the icebox storeroom "What are we going to do?" She asked eagerly.
"The Doctor's got a great plan! Wait till you hear!" Kazran raved excitedly.
"I wouldn't say it's a great plan." Danni corrected, "I'd say it was a plan."
"Hey!" The Doctor exclaimed in offence, readjusting the harness on his shoulder, "I thought you liked it."
"I did, until you mentioned the shark." Danni retorted. Abigail looked down at the shorter woman, a frown on her face.
"Is it the same shark?" She asked, intrigued and Danni shrugged.
"I have no idea. He won't tell me." He wrapped his arms around her shoulders, giving her a squeeze.
"Where's the fun if I spoil the surprise?" He teased her as she pouted. Abigail watched them with a fondness as Danni pushed the Doctor away. They reminded her of her dear sister and her husband. He would look upon her like she was most precious thing in creation and her sister would reply with a look of feeling incredibly unworthy. The Doctor was doing the same, it was like he couldn't believe she was in his life. It was incredibly sweet, but made all the more heartbreaking by the fact she would never have the time to find someone who looked upon her the same.
~0~0~0~
As the day ticked from Christmas Eve to Christmas Day, then from one year to the next Kazran began his patient wait until the next festive season. Just as the shark in his bedroom story began to grow stale, the Doctor and Danni had replaced it with the story of going for shark-drawn carriage ride in the skies above as it had snowed. He knew some of the people at school didn't believe him, and that his father would rant at him for being so delusional, but he didn't care. The next Christmas the Doctor and Danni would be back, they'd go fetch Abigail and go have some incredible adventure.
Sometimes, when he was feeling lonely and maybe just a bit sad at his father's ever-horrid treatment of him, he'd use the code the Doctor had fetched to sneak into the storeroom, to where Abigail was frozen and he'd talk to her. He'd tell her what was happening, what was making him scared or upset and she'd smile back like she always did. He wasn't stupid, he knew she couldn't hear him, or that time wasn't even moving for her, but it helped. His biggest fear was turning out just like his father, but somehow she made everything seem just fine without even batting an eyelid.
~0~0~0~
Abigail positively beamed as the door opened again, unfreezing her to the sight of Kazran, the Doctor and Danni all cheering at her. No hats this time, just excitement at their next trip.
"Merry Christmas!" They shouted, Danni reaching in and taking the woman's hand again.
"Danni!" She laughed at the girl's eagerness as she dragged her towards that magical blue box they'd flown in that first Christmas Eve, "Where to this time?" Kazran dashed in front of them, straight through the doors as the Doctor fell into step next to Danni.
"Did I mention, at any point, all of time and space...?" He asked he, teasing her and she shook her head, eyes wide in wonder.
"It's a spacecraft?" She asked quietly and Danni shook her head.
"Oh, definitely not." She told her seriously, "She is a spacecraft. The most wonderful spacecraft in the universe." The sight of the gigantic room in such a tiny space once again to Abigail's breath away. The Doctor ran around the centre column like a child, flicking and pressing things she knew she never would understand but also didn't want to. She only had so many hours left, she didn't want to waste them learning, she wanted to experience anything and everything.
Kazran, on the other hand, was staring at the Doctor in adoration. Danni had noted that this year he was wearing his very own bow tie, and he was asking the Doctor questions that the man was doing his usual, terrible job of explaining what to do. For the most part he believed everyone would just keep up with him, but no one ever could keep up with the speed he would ramble things off at. Neither could Kazran, by the looks of it, but he was enjoying just being included and the Doctor enjoyed having someone who would listen.
Danni spun the small black band she had around her free wrist. The teleport from the Valient, that day Koschei had taken her to Wales. She still couldn't bring herself to take it off, but for the most part she forgot it was there. They both were just so different. With Koschei she felt like she was suffocating, like she was being consumed by him and it was heavy and dark but so addictive at the same time. The Doctor was light and airy and she felt caught up in his whirlwind. He could have his dark moments, his Oncoming Storm was ominous and terrifying when on the wrong end of it, but moments like this were full of joy and laughter and bringing happiness to whoever he met.
"You love him very much, don't you?" Abigail asked her as she watched the ginger stare at their pilot. Startled, Danni jolted out of her thoughts and smiled sadly, confusing Abigail even more.
"Yeah, I do." Danni replied as he rambled on about the logistics of the keyboard to a fascinated boy, "But it's... it's complicated."
"Love is never complicated." Abigail replied with a smile, "It's humans that are." And Danni laughed, nodding.
"Well, you're not wrong there." She agreed, "It's just that there was someone else..." Her grip went back to the band on her wrist, "Well, a couple of someone's I suppose. Things get in the way, you do things that you wish you didn't." She sighed, running a hand through her hair and noting, with a grimace, she could really do with a shower. She'd forgotten, in her haste of getting away from the werewolf and then helping the Doctor with Kazran, that she'd been locked in a dungeon and then had appeared in a chimney, "How can he possibly forgive me?" The TARDIS landed with a gentle thud, drawing them out of their private conversation before Abigail could even make an attempt at answering.
"Ah, here we go." The Doctor dashed in his childlike giddiness to the door, taking Danni's hand out of habit even though he'd sworn to himself he'd give her time to process everything fighting it's way through her head. But, the feel of her hand clasped in his was heavenly and he wanted to enjoy every moment with her. She didn't protest, though, or pull away. In fact, she laughed in surprise as he dragged her out of the doors into the stunning surroundings of an alleyway.
"Where are we?" Kazran asked excitedly.
"Well, with all of time and space at our fingertips, I thought I'd bring us somewhere that could do Christmas right." He explained, leading the three into the bustling atmosphere of a marketplace. He watched as they all began looking around in delight at the way the street was decorated. Lanterns hung from the tops of buildings, native trees were decorated in shiny ornaments. The stallholders and customers alike were all dressed in their Sunday best, chatting and being festive with each other. It was so much different to Ember, which celebrated Christmas but it was more of a sombre affair, with the poor being kept very poor by the very rich, it was hard to get into the full spirit of the season.
"This is Felspoon." The Doctor declared, "Known famously in the galaxy for it's moving mountains, and excellent cheese making. It is quite delightful."
"Felspoon?" Danni repeated, "You mean, like Doctor-Donna wanted to visit?" He nodded, bopping her on the nose.
"Correct, Danni-Girl." He praised, "But, another little-known fact is that they celebrate Christmas like nowhere else. They spend the year preparing it, like humans do and so much more as well." Kazran, who had lead quite a sheltered life, was dazzled by all the different aliens that were wandering the streets like it was their own planets. Being the 44th Century, and living on a different planet to Earth, he wasn't ignorant to the existence of other species, but he'd never really come into contact with them. His father was quite old-fashioned that way.
"It's beautiful." Abigail commented, not fazed at all by the other species, more entranced by the beauty of the town they were in.
"That's not all." The Doctor told them, "The market lasts until midnight on Christmas Eve, and everyone stays out together until the clock strikes seventeen."
"Don't you mean twelve?" Kazran interrupted and the Doctor shook his head.
"No, Felspoon has a 34 hour day." He explained, "And, when the clock strikes midnight." The town clock began chiming and the people, except perhaps a few children who darted in and out of the crowd, stopped where they were standing, "An old Earth song is sung by the entire planet." Danni waited, holding her breath for the seventeenth chime, counting along in her head.
"When the snowman brings the snow..." The crowd began to sing as a choir and her mouth dropped, a laugh of utter disbelief escaping from her throat, "Well he just might like to know. He's put a great big smile on somebody's face."
"Wizzard?" Danni asked the Doctor over the voices, "Really?"
"It's a classic!" The Doctor protested with a grin, "It's a traditional song from the planet the celebration originated from. Plus, it's your favourite, isn't it?" She laughed again, realising that he'd brought them because she liked the song and nodded, squeezing his hand.
"Yes, it is." She told him gratefully and his grin grew. He pulled her against him so her back was against his chest and he wrapped his arms around her waist as she began singing along. To his side, Abigail had grabbed the hands of a blushing Kazran and they were dancing shamelessly together to the music that a band had started to play. Snow floated down around them and the Doctor felt fantastic.
~0~0~0~
The Doctor and Kazran stepped out first, heading straight for Abigail's icebox. The blonde woman was taking another glance around the TARDIS console room, committing it all to memory. Her days may be falling fast, but she didn't know if she'd see the marvels of this wonderful machine again and she wanted to remember it before everything came to an end.
"Abigail?" Danni called gently and she smiled at the girl who looked nervous, shuffling from one foot to the other, "Do you mind using your days up for this?"
"You know?" Abigail asked, surprised and Danni nodded.
"The Doctor and Kazran don't, though. It's probably best not to tell them, either. Not yet." Danni explained, "But you could be with your family. People you cherish, if you want I can tell them to stop." Abigail shook her head.
"I cherish you all." She told her sincerely, "And this is an experience worth those hours. I'm doing so much more than I ever did with my family, and if I went home I'm sure they'd stop me. I don't think I could ever thank you for all this."
"I can't go back to my family." Danni told her, "I don't think I could do what you're doing if I had a chance to go home, if only for a day. I would regret it for the rest of my life."
"You should never regret anything." Abigail told her, taking her hand and for the first time being the one to lead someone out of the TARDIS, "Mistakes make us who were are, just as much as the times everything goes our way. You're shaped and moulded by your experiences, you should be thankful for all you go through." The Doctor looked between the two woman, a look of mild interest on his face as Danni seemed to be staring at Abigail in some sort of realisation.
"What are you two girls chatting about?" He asked and Danni turned to him, a grin spreading on her face and she let go of Abigail to hold his hand voluntarily.
"Oh, you know, make-up and boys. Girls things." He pulled an exaggerated grimace and she laughed as Abigail stepped into icebox.
~0~0~0~
Danni shut the door behind her as the Doctor ran to the console, heading for the next Christmas. He didn't know why he hadn't thought of this sooner. Danni loved Christmas, she had never made it to the one back in her original universe so she almost tried to make the best of any she landed in. She had slowly but surely been cheering up and he had so many more to take her to. Kazran was quite the old man when the spaceship the Ponds were landing on was destined to crash, so he had plenty of time to bring her back to her normal, cheery self.
"Doctor." She stated, "Can we stop a minute before we head to the next Christmas Eve?" He paused and turned around, confused.
"Of course." He told her, "But why?"
"Well, one, I really need a shower." She picked up a strand of her hair to demonstrate, "But mostly, I wanted to ask you something." She stepped closer, biting her thumbnail and his hearts started beating faster, that was never a good sign.
"Anything." He offered, "What's wrong?"
"I wanted to know if you've forgiven me for everything that happened on the Valiant." There, she'd said it. Her chest hurt from the anxiety of what his answer might be, but she felt like the burden of not knowing had been lifted. He smiled, relieved. That was all?
"Of course I have." He replied, meeting her as she headed up the stairs to the platform and pulling her in for a hug, "Is that what's been bothering you?" She shook her head.
"No, it's not." She explained, leaning in the embrace for the moment before pulling back, "It's why."
"Why?" He repeated and she nodded.
"Why have you forgiven me?" She asked him, "I haven't even forgiven myself. I don't think I ever can. Never mind the fact that I traded information with him, gave Kos- The Master details I probably shouldn't have. Or the fact that after everything, I gave in and asked to hear that noise again. I slept with him. You should be angry, you should be chucking me out of the TARDIS into deep space. How can you just, not care?" He reached up and cupped her cheek, an action he knew would focus her on him instead of the thoughts obviously streaming around her head.
"I was." He explained gently, "But then I saw you when you were really, truly ill. The fact is that you will always blame yourself for your actions, but I don't think that's the case."
"You can't blame him." She protested, "He was sick too. Much more than I ever was."
"I'm not." He quickly interjected, "The thing is, that noise made you susceptible to suggestions and commands. It had it's side effects, one I have to say I have been extremely happy to be on the receiving end of." He smirked cheekily and she blushed, thinking about all the times she really couldn't help herself when she was around him, "I have seen you push Rory against the wall and kiss him, thinking he was me. It clouded your judgement, and I believe that it could have been anyone. One or two suggestions in the right way, and the person wouldn't have mattered to you anymore."
"But I knew what I was doing!" She exclaimed, "I don't want you to make excuses for me!"
"I'm not." He promised her, seeing her becoming increasingly upset and trying to calm her down, "I'm just saying that is why I have forgiven you, and that in the grand scheme of my life, that small part of it is nothing. I'm not willing to lose you to him. He can't have you. You, Danielle Fielding, are mine." And it was true. Especially after experiences the return of the Time Lords, and the way the Master had acted with her at Naismith's mansion, there was no way he was letting anyone get that close to her again. The whole universe would know, it was the Doctor and Danni until the end of time itself. There was no one else.
"But you can't have always felt like that." She whimpered, grasping at straws. He sounded so sure, it was starting to convince her that he really had forgiven her. But that can't be right, because back then he didn't know the extent the noise took over her. Or that it was even real. That wasn't until when he regenerated.
"That is also very true." He replied, before smiling apologetically, "You're going to have a hell of a time on the Titanic, I'm afraid. And a bit afterwards. Until we go back to see Martha." He shrugged slightly, "I say 'see', I mean I take you there to leave you there and Martha knocks some sense into me."
"Sounds like Martha." She admitted reluctantly and he laughed, placing a kiss on her forehead.
"Go have a shower." He instructed, "Then onto the next Christmas." Danni smirked, wrapping her arms around his neck. Her tongue darted out of her mouth, wetting her lips suggestively and the Doctor suddenly forgot everything they were about to do.
"Want to join me?" She asked and he nodded, swallowing and she let him go, sauntering off. He watched her go, eyes wide in surprise at the sudden u-turn before dashing after her, catching up in the hallway and pressing her against the wall, slamming his lips onto hers.
~0~0~0~
Kazran, now almost a teenager, was still very childlike as he pressed himself against the full-length window of the fish tank, staring at wonder at all the fish on the other side. Earth fish were so different to the ones on Ember. They were brightly coloured and so many different shapes and sizes. And they swan in water, which was simply marvellous. Then there was all the other sea life, like these things called Turtles that could live for up to 100 years, and had this shell that it could hide in that was stronger than human bone. This planet was amazing!
"Kazran." Abigail called over fondly and he turned, a huge smile on his face at the sound of her voice. She had appeared in the room with him, the Doctor and Danni had wandered off on their own, leaving the two to have a look around independently, "The talk on sharks is about to start." He rushed to her side and slipped his hand into hers like he'd seen the Doctor do with Danni. He had started to think that maybe he'd like Abigail to be his Danni when he was a bit older. When he had some control over his father's company he could release her from the debt and they could be together. Maybe.
"Let's go!" He cheered and she couldn't help but be infected by his happiness. They slowly made their way through the crowd in the aquarium, heading towards the huge room where the sharks were held, "Did you know that there is a shark that lives in Greenland and can live for almost 200 years?"
"I did not." She replied, "Did you see the crab that's the same size as you?" He nodded.
"They're strange creatures." He told her as they joined the small gathering of people waiting for the talk, including Danni and the Doctor, who had taken up the corner of the room. It was lined around the edge with a bench, and whilst everyone else was looking at the sharks swimming overhead in the arched tank, they were huddled together, the Doctor stroking her face and Danni blushing happily. Abigail was so happy Danni seemed to feel better than the year before, hopefully she could move on from whatever they were going through.
"I could do this forever." Kazran was saying, craning his head backwards so he could see as much as possible. She stared down at him, unable to break his fantasy of the Christmas Eve adventures so she nodded.
"Me too." She replied, ruffling his hair. He batted her hand away.