Title: "Them"
Summary: Jack and Martha are apprehensive about the beings that lurk in the dark.
Disclaimer: Don't own Doctor Who, nor the characters therein. Just borrowing a couple to please my muse.
Jack slowly opened his eyes. As far as he could tell, it was still dark outside, but he didn't dare move, partially so as not to disturb Martha, but more importantly, for fear that they would know he was awake.
However, Martha had already been awake for at least a couple of minutes before Jack was. She, too, was keeping as still as she could so as not to attract their attention. "Jack," she whispered, "what time is it?"
"Shh!" Jack hissed. "They may be nearby."
Martha shuddered at the possibility that they could be close enough to attack at any moment. "Maybe they're still asleep?" she suggested hopefully.
"Yeah, and the Vatican wants me to teach classes on celibacy," Jack muttered with a distinct tone of sarcasm.
The words were barely out of Jack's mouth when the noises started to intensify in the distance. "Jack?" Martha clutched Jack's arm in fright. "Did you hear that?"
Jack had heard it. The noise of them. The squealing. The running. They were getting closer and there wasn't anything neither Jack nor Martha could do to defend themselves.
Then, suddenly, the door to Jack and Martha's bedroom burst open and two young children ran into the room. "Merry Christmas, Mummy! Merry Christmas, Daddy!" they shouted as they jumped onto their parents' bed. "Can we open presents now? Please!"
"Now can you tell me what time it is?" Martha asked her husband as she cuddled their three-year-old son.
Jack lifted their five-year-old daughter off of him so he could roll over and look at the bedside clock. "Five thirty-six."
Martha sighed. "At least they slept an hour later than last year."
Merry Christmas