Woop! The Christmas Special! This continues on from the first series, so take a look if you want, otherwise you should be able to catch on to the basic story. Enjoy!

"Sleigh bells ring, are you listening,

In the lane, snow is glistening,

A beautiful sight,

We're happy tonight,

Walking in a Winter Wonderland."

Sasha Parker danced around her kitchen, wrapping tinsel around her body like a showgirl as she pranced. As the microwave beeped, she pulled out her M&S Christmas pudding pot, piling cream over it. She danced around her Christmas tree, flicking the baubles so that they rang, and flopped down into her sofa, digging into her pudding. There was some game show on TV – something cheesy with flashing lights every time a prize was won.

Once she'd finished her pudding, she picked up her phone and dialled. No-one picked up; just a dull ringing, so she left a message:

"Doctor? Are you there? I have got the right number, right, otherwise I'm going to look like an idiot. Anyway, it's Christmas, Doctor. It's been a while and I just thought . . . Well . . . Perhaps you could take a visit. Just for Christmas. I don't know if we've done something wrong, but we haven't spoken in ages and . . . I just want to see your face. Come back, Doctor. You can be our Christmas present. Come back. We need you!"

Claire Hodgson wondered through the streets of London – last minute Christmas shopping. Christmas jumper, turkey hat, wide eyed and happy. She stepped into the warmth of a small chocolate shop, a high-price high street type place where each individual product was hand packed and neatly displayed. And there – the perfect present – a box of biscuit themed chocolates. Not just chocolate biscuits, but small chocolates with rich tea bases, or a crunchy ginger. "Sasha and her biscuits!" Claire laughed to herself.

She stepped to the counter, dancing a little to the festive music. The woman at the counter had short black hair and red lipstick, with three black spots on her cheek. She scanned the box and placed it in a bag.

"It's looking like it should be a good Christmas so far," the shop assistant smiled.

"Well, as long as the weather holds up. Mind you, those clouds over the city centre."

"I know right! They've been there for ages," the shop assistant added. "That'll be fourteen pound ninety nine, but it comes at half price if you purchase a CyberSocial voucher."

"Cyber what?" Claire asked in confusion.

"You don't know what CyberSocial is?" the assistant gasped, nearly laughing. "Everyone knows about CyberSocial; even my Nan!"

"Yes, but what is it?" Claire persisted.

"It's the latest social media trend. It's launching on Christmas morning, but already over one billion accounts have been guaranteed within the last two weeks. CyberSocial is big! Seriously, Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram – who gives one now! CyberSocial is revolutionising social media, and you can't afford to miss out," the shop assistant explained. "CyberSocial has given these vouchers to every high-street chain absolutely free – in fact, we gain money from it! You won't find a person in Britain without CyberSocial by the time it's launched. My nan got an iPhone just for the sake of it – and she's in her eighties!"

"And what will the voucher get me?" Claire asked.

"A CyberSocial account – all privileges included. But then again, every account has all privileges included."

"That sounds alright," Claire smiled. "How much does it cost?"

"Fifty pence."

"Aren't these things usually free?"

"Yeah, but most social media gets money from advertising and stocks. Not CyberSocial. No adverts, ever! Trust me, fifty pence is gonna look like buying the whole of Rome for a tenner."

"Alright then," Claire shrugged, handing over the money and taking both the chocolates and the voucher. "Merry Christmas."

The doorbell rang.

"One minute!" Sasha called, weaving past the wrapping on the floor to get to the front door. "Just a sec!" Eventually, she reached the door and pulled it open.

"Doctor!"

And there he was – the Doctor. Stood at the front door as if no time had passed between them. His clothes were clean and fresh, his face somehow younger than when they had last met. And there adventures rushed into that one expression he held on his face.

The Doctor frowned. "You look happy."

"Get here!" Sasha laughed, grabbing the Doctor into a tight hug.

The Doctor croaked, fidgeting uncomfortably to get out of Sasha's warming grip. "Merry Christmas," he wheezed.

"You too! Wait there a minute," Sasha insisted, running off into her flat, then reappearing with mistletoe in his hand, holding it up over the Doctor's head. "Tradition I suppose," she giggled, moving her cheek close to the Doctor.

"So's Morris dancing, and I can't stand that either," the Doctor frowned, moving past Sasha into her flat.

"Fine enough then," Sasha shrugged, giving up on the mistletoe and closing the door behind her to join the Doctor in the lounge. She watched as he inspected the wrapping covered floor, a little disapproving. "Sorry about the mess. I was meant to send them yesterday, but remembered that presents usually come wrapped. I'm not the best but I'm giving it a go."

"Alright then," the Doctor smiled, sitting down on the sofa. "Ah! Where's good old Alec? How's he doing?"

"Well . . . Erm . . ." Sasha stuttered, trying to cover her concern with a feeble smile. "He's not particularly in the best of moods."

"Teenagers. Always in a mood. So what happened?" the Doctor asked, concerned.

"You'd probably know better than me; you were there."

"Was I?"

"Yes. At the hospital," Sasha reminded him. The Doctor immediately remembered that night – they'd escaped the Dalek trap, but at the cost of Sasha being hospitalised in a critical condition.

Burned. Scared. Broken.

"Whilst I was in surgery, Shannon left Alec. He said that Francesca had taken Shannon to live elsewhere. He can't see her again."

The Doctor remembered. Alec, Sasha's brother and companion to the Doctor, had been captured by a , as it turned out, a Dalek puppet. At the facility he was taken to, he met Shannon Taylor.

She had been the love of his life.

"How long has it been since then?" the Doctor asked.

"Four months. I'm back on the mend, as you can probably see. But I think Alec is the most scared. I'm not surprised. He's had one hell of a year."

"Can I see him?" the Doctor asked.

"Not now. He's sleeping," Sasha said. "In fact, how about we go present shopping. A bit of a catch up, then you can meet him in the morning. You could spend the Christmas weekend with us."

"How long until Christmas?"

"Just under two days. It's the 23rd tonight," Sasha informed him.

"I don't carry money."

"It's not about the present," Sasha smiled. "I'll pay. I just wanted you here for Christmas."

"I'm not a present person."

Sasha shrugged. "I couldn't care less either. Come on. I just want to talk, I doubt we'll actually buy anything. For old friends' sake?"

The Doctor grunted, "Fine."

Alec sat on his bed. He wasn't sleeping. He'd heard the door close, but nothing else over the sounds from his iPod. White light from the stars glistened out of his window, so he watched them. The sky was a dark blue – beautiful. Shannon's face emerged in the stars, burning away at the quivering of his heart.

He stepped to the window, pressing his hand against the cold surface. A dog barked on the street below, a harsh addition to the carolling from the church on the horizon. And on the ground a blue light . . . A TARDIS blue light.

"Doctor?" Alec gasped. Immediately, he stormed into the lounge, but realised that his sister had gone. Still in pyjamas he ran outside into the corridor of the block of flats and called out for the Doctor, but his friend had gone.

Alec picked up the landline and dialled. Her placed the receiver to his ear and spoke. "Claire? Claire can you hear me?"

Claire, a little chaotically, flopped down into one of the dusty seats of the train on the London Underground. She laid her shopping bags on the floor, nearly breaking another woman's toe, and replied in exhaustion to the ringing of her phone: "Yeah? Who is this?"

"It's Alec. I need to talk to you," Alec begged.

"Face-to-face?" Claire asked in confusion.

"Yes. I wouldn't ask unless it was important."

"What about?"

"Face-to-face," Alec insisted.

"Not even a clue?"

"Erm . . ." Alec groaned, not sure of how to reply. "The Doctor's back."

Claire jumped out of her seat in excitement and shock. "WHAT? The Doctor? Oh my God! I'll get off as soon as I can and come find you. Stay at Sasha's flat." Claire placed her phone back in her pocket, twitching a little with shock.

I hope you liked that! I'll post the next part soon! Please review/favourite/subscribe - I'd appreciate it so much! Thanks :)