The TARDIS landed in front of Clara's flat. The Doctor rushed up the stairs holding a container to hold the dream crab. "Oh Clara, should have known you would be the one to sleep in." The Doctor went around her bed and pulled out his sonic screwdriver. "OK I tracked the psychic signal here. I'm pretty sure I know how to do this now. One of the advantages of actualky being awake. You just hold still. I've just got to zap the neural centers." He calibrated it to be able to take off the dream crab without killing her. Electricity sparked at where her temples would be. "Alright, her you go." The Doctor pulled the dream crab off of Clara and placed it in the container. "The dream crab must have gotten to me first and found you in by memory. The others were collateral damage. Well good to see you properly at last. How long has it been? Clara."

It was still dark in the room when he saw Clara's figure sit up and turn on the light on her nightstand. "Oh you know, about 62 years." The Doctors hearts sank. He had never been a stickler for time, but 62 years was just too long for him to have been away. Clara smiles warmly at him. "Doctor I have missed you very much, you stupid old man."

The Doctor was fighting back the sadness that was growing inside him. "I've missed you too." He reached out his hand for her to take it. "Come on, it's Christmas." Clara took his hand and he helped her out of bed and down the stairs into the living room.

Clara sat down in her chair in front of the Christmas tree. "Why are you looking at me like that Doctor?"

The Doctor was standing in the archway. "Because you still look the same to me. Not a single line of age on your face. Oh, I'll be back." The Doctor disappeared and reappeared with Christmas hats. "These are Christmas hats. I've seen people use them, you put them on and anything seems absolutely fun."

Clara smiles cause she knew how grumpy he was. "Probably not gonna work on you."

"Probably not. Want to try?"

"Go on then." Clara continued to smile at her Doctor. He was trying his best to make her happy. He placed the yellow crown on her head. "Do you really see no difference in me?"

"Clara Oswald, you will never look any different to me." He knew how fleeting human lives were. How every moment was special. He had live So long that each moment seemed to blend into the next. Non of it mattered to him, but for her, it was everything. "So how was it then?"

Clara knew what he was doing. "How was what?"

The Doctor was moving around the room, he didn't want her to see the sadness in his face. "The 62 years I've missed."

Clara chuckled a bit. "Oh, how was my life, you mean?"

The Doctor picked up a picture. It was her and two other people, one a man and the other a female. "Is there a Mister Clara?"

"No, but there were plenty of purposals."

The Doctor put the picture down. "They turned you down?"

Clara was a bit put off by his question. "No, I turned them down." The Doctor had made his way back to where she was and sat on the armrest of the sofa that was there. "I travelled. I taught in every country in Europe. I learned to fly a plane."

The Doctor was almost afraid to ask his next question. "Regrets?"

"Oh hundreds." Clara laughed. "Wish there was time for a few more."

The Doctor had wished the same thing. So much time wasted. But in Clare's eyes, it was time well spent. "Yeah, they are always the best part." He suddenly jumped to his feet. "Christmas cracker. We should do one." The Doctor grabbed the crackers that were on the table next to Clara and pointed the other end at her for her to take. "No one ever matched up to Danny, eh?"

Clara grabbed the other end with a smile. "There was one other man, but that would never have worked out."

The Doctor looked a bit puzzled. What man would possibly not want to be with her. "Why not?"

Clara looks up at him with a smile. "He was impossible." It was in that moment that the Doctor's suspission was correct. He had always known how she felt about him, but he could never resiprocat her feelings. There was too much pain and sadness in letting himself be affectionate with others. Too many times he had to say goodbye to the ones he loved. And it wasn't that he didn't love Clara, but what she wanted was indeed impossible.

The Doctor reached out his hand and placed it on hers to help her pull the crackers open. "We should do this every Christmas."

"Because every Christmas is last Christmas." They pulled the crackers open with a pop.

The Doctor remembered when Clara had done the same with him in the clock tower on Trensilor. "I'm sorry. I was stupid. I should have come back earlier. I wish that I had."

Clara placed a gental hand on his. "Its OK. You can make it up to me by coming over every Christmas. You think you can do that?"

The Doctor smiled sadly at Clara's happy face. She could have been angry with him, she could have blamed him for time that was wasted, but instead she chose to forgive him. All she wanted now was to spend what little time she had left with her old friend. "I can do that."

Clara pointed a finger at him. "And I know how you are with time, so don't show up a day late, or in July."

The Doctor laughed, "Who doesn't like Christmas in July? You know that was my idea."

Clara slaped his hand. "Oh stop it, no it wasn't." They both laughed. "So what is it this time? A joke or another poem?"

The Doctor looked inside the cracker and pulled out a slip of paper. "Looks like a joke this time."

"Oh good, let's hear it."

Every year the Doctor came back on Christmas to spend time with Clara. Every year he would tell her about his adventures. Every year she would ask if he got a new companion and every year he would tell her that he hadn't. Every year she would ask if he ever found Gallifrey and every year her would tell her that he hadn't. The Doctor tried very hard to come back every year right on time. Until one year he was late.

"Doctor are you sure you don't want me to come with you?"

"No no, I'm sure. You go spend Christmas with your family. Ill catch up when I'm done." The Doctor's companion walked out the TARDIS. Shortly after is dematerialized.

"I'm sorry I'm late. I had to drop off my companion. I got a new one a while back. The other one left because she wanted to start a family. I thought that was a good choice. I hope she's happy." The Doctor pulled the crakers out of his jacket pocket. "I didn't forget these. Well shall we." He pulled the crackers open and pulled out a slip of paper. "Looks like a poem this time." He smiled as he tucked the cracker under his arm and cleared this throat. "The wind whistles through the air and gently says my name, to the man that travled through the years, I hope to see again." The Doctor pulled the cracker from his arm and places them down. "I'll just leave these here. And this too." He reached into his pocket and pulled out and apple. "Because you were a teacher and all." He smiled softly. "This is the 65th Christmas in a row and the first time I've been late. You'll have to forgive me with saving the world and all. Also, I suppose I should take care of this head stone, it's getting a little dirty. I thought you people had grounds keepers. Well still, I'm sorry I was late and I'm sorry that I have to make this a bit short. I promised I would meet back up with you know who." He stuck his hands into his pockets. "I promise I won't be late next year." He placed his hand on her gravestone. "It was good to visit Clara." The Doctor walked back inside the TARDIS and it slowly dematerialized.