The Doctor grinned almost madly as he stepped through the jovial cherry-stained door to Christmas Town, blatantly disregarding the crunching white snow beneath his very, very vintage brogues. He outstretched his hand expectantly in Clara's direction, and she gladly took it before they stepped into the whispery golden light shining through the doorway.
Snow fell – or glided, really – through the air like delicate ballerinas, swirling and leaping whimsically. A dance that would change with so much as a breath. The brightly lit houses and respective gardens were coated in a thick layer of ice, contrasting greatly to the cosy warmth that existed only within those houses and the hearts of those who lived in them. Two rosy-cheeked children zoomed past on a toboggan, squealing with laughter. The sight of them brought a grin to Clara's face, and the Doctor squeezed her hand in excitement. The town was a long way from where they had come from.
A world of machines and heartless people, where deceit and perspective ruled your success. The world that made the Doctor question himself, and turned Clara unexpectedly violent – although she wasn't technically Clara back then. It was a long way indeed from the horrific place they had called home.
All they could do now was hope there would be no more Cyber Planners.
"Where do you want to go first?"
His breath stirred the air around his face like a halo of steam.
"First?" she began somewhat hazily. "It's nearly midnight. I want to go to bed, sweetheart."
She sensed his pout of disappointment before she saw it. "Humans," he muttered with mock melancholy, "they need so much sleep. So much time-wasting while your tiny little bodies twiddle their proverbial thumbs to rest after only a matter of hours."
Clara cocked an eyebrow. "That's why you love us," she shot back contentedly, taking his arm as they reached the front porch of a happy yellow cottage. He turned to grin down at his remarkably petite wife. "Welcome to the seventeenth Christmas Cottage For Two on Candy Lane. Santa lives at number one over there, and the elves are spread out across the next three blocks," he rambled happily, pointing at the different houses, all as brightly coloured and tastefully covered in fairy lights and tinsel as theirs was. Clara shook her head in disbelief.
"Of course you have your own cottage in Christmas Town."
"Well, it's not technically mine, as such. I didn't really buy it or say anything to the owner actually, but I'm sure they won't mind us staying a little while-"
"You thought we could just house squat, didn't you? Good job, Doctor, now half the town will be out for us."
"They'll be fine! It's Christmas Town, everybody's nice here. See?"
He waved at a passing elf couple who gave them a little frown before waving back politely. Clara put her head in her hands.
"You're an idiot, Doctor."
Somehow the love was not lost in the words, as she gently added, "But so am I."
Clara twisted the doorknob and pushed the big oak door ajar, revealing a warm and elaborately personalised abode, all mahogany furniture and fireplaces with rocking chairs. The sort of home she'd only ever dreamed about. The Doctor wrapped an arm around her waist and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead.
"I thought you'd like it," he murmured.
She woke slowly, like a sun that didn't really want to rise. The Doctor was already bouncing on the edge of the bed with a bright expression. Clara brought her head back down to the pillow with a dull thump.
"Let's go to Halloween Town," she blurted suddenly. Why not? She'd always adored the chance to spook poor innocents on the sidewalks of London. Her husband frowned. "We've only been here a night," he pointed out.
"Besides, there's candy trails, chocolate waterfalls, cinnamon mountains, ham eating competitions..."
"It's too early for all that food," she whined persuasively. The Doctor shook his head vigorously. "It's already seven o'clock, sweetheart! Don't you want to explore the spirit of Christmas?" he asked earnestly. Clara propped herself up on her elbow and considered it. "Nah," she replied after a minute's thought. "It was lovely at first, Doctor, but it's not my kind of place."
He nodded. His wife was forever a morbid soul, even if she could appreciate the occasional flower arrangement or new shoes. He was pondering that thought when he felt something small and cold slither into his ear, yet it strangely didn't bother him. Not when his body wasn't his anymore.
He snapped his fingers and the TARDIS materialised around them. Grinning at Clara, he punched in the coordinates for their destination. After about a minute's worth of hurtling through the time vortex, they slowed to an uncharacteristically graceful halt. Mr Clever smothered her mouth with a hand as a little silver worm crawled up his sleeve and into her ear. Clara's screams gradually subsided as she lost possession of her body, before she fell unconscious. He'd quite forgotten it had that effect on humans. They would start off so horribly resistant, and they'd end up so delightfully vulnerable.
Mr Clever pulled her limp frame close, a smirk playing on his lips, and whispered, "Welcome to Halloween Town, Mrs Clever."