Welcome to A Date To Remember! My Christmas 2016 side-fic! I couldn't tell you a chapter length, but I'll be updating once a week until it's done.
As always, this may make little to no sense unless you've read any of my Time Child Saga stories, so please check them out!
And, as always, please review if you enjoy!
~0~0~0~
When Danni was sleeping, the Doctor was always torn between waking her up and letting her sleep longer. He knew she enjoyed her sleep, that she'd be well rested and could then last longer during the day they spent together. However, if she slept, then he couldn't spend any time with her and that wouldn't do. He could still remember the time she spent jumping between him and how precious each encounter was. He never used to let her sleep then because she could jump away at any moment. In hindsight, it was probably quite mean not to let her get enough sleep, but he couldn't stand losing a moment with her.
He still held that fear, even though it had been so many years since she'd worn the manipulator. He sat on the bed, watching the soft movement of her breathing as she laid facing away, curled up into the pillow, her bare shoulder and glimpse of back the only thing suggesting she wasn't wearing anything underneath the covers.
He smirked slightly, as he always did as he thought back on them in bed together, then he leant over her. He shook her gently with one hand on her shoulder. "Time to wake up," he whispered softly.
"No it's not," she replied softly. "Go away."
"I'm hurt," he replied playfully, shifting onto the bed properly so he could nuzzle against her face. She groaned in annoyance and grogginess, but all it did was encourage him to place little kisses on her skin. "Merry Christmas."
Her eyes opened and she turned, lying on her back so she could look up at him. "Christmas?" she asked. "Are we doing Christmas today?"
She was trying to sound annoyed, but he knew her well and she was already excited by the idea. He nodded.
"Christmas today, Easter tomorrow," he replied. "We can do it whenever we want, Danni-Girl, and I know just the place."
She sighed, exasperated for only a moment before nodding eagerly. She sat up, keeping the cover wrapped around her torso. "Alright, I'm up, I'm up," she said. "Where are we going?"
He reached up, rubbing her arms as if to keep her warm. "Somewhere magical," he promised. "Somewhere special, where you won't need this."
He grabbed the covers with both hands, giving them a rough tug. She yelled in surprise and, in her not-quite-awake state, she couldn't keep hold of it.
"You cheeky little…" she started, ready to berate him, but he caught her lips before she could.
"It's Christmas, dear," he murmured against her kiss, pulling her closer and rolling onto his back so she was on top of him. "No name calling."
~0~0~0~
The Doctor had told her to dress in something not too smart, but not too smart. It wasn't much to go on, but Danni thought she'd done okay. A black and white polka dot dress, with headband and shoes to match, and she'd picked up a cardigan just in case he opened the doors and it was chilly.
She had absolutely no idea where he was taking her apart from the fact that it was going to be festive. She did wonder if they were going to see Clara for one of her Christmas's, but then she didn't think he would put all the effort into being secretive if it was that easy to guess. They hadn't seen Clara in a good few years now, though. Perhaps she should suggest it.
He'd obviously been alerted to her approach by the clicking of her heels on the metal floor because he was watching her enter with the happiest look on his face. She, on the other hand, didn't notice him until she'd walked up the stairs. Her eyes widened slightly in surprise and slight bewilderment.
"Merry Christmas!" he exclaimed, posing smugly in his bright red outfit.
"Yes," she replied slowly. "You're-You're Santa?"
"Of course not," he said. "I'm just dressed as Santa." He spun around. "What do you think?"
"Why are you dressed as Santa?" was her reply and he deflated slightly.
"Well, it's Christmas, isn't it?" he replied. "I thought it would be festive," he looked down at himself. "Do you want me to go change?"
She shook her head, walking over with a smile on her face. "No, I like it," she told him and he beamed again. "I wish you'd told me you were dressing up, though. I have a lovely Mrs Claus outfit I've not worn since I was ginger."
"But then you wouldn't have been surprised," he pointed out before reaching down to his side, picking up a brown sack that he'd hidden behind the console for her. "Surprise!"
Her eyes lit up. "Presents?" she asked hopefully before shrinking back slightly. "I've not got you anything. You didn't tell me it was Christmas until you woke me up!"
"Again, surprise," the Doctor replied, chucking them over his shoulder. "They complete the outfit. How could I dress up as Santa without any presents?"
She rolled her eyes, then reached up to his cheek. She cupped it gently before placing her lips on his, giving him a quick and tender kiss. "Merry Christmas, you sentimental old fool," she offered when he allowed her to break away. "Can I open them now?"
"No!" he exclaimed happily, putting them down on the floor. "Not until we get back."
Oh! She'd forgotten that he was taking her somewhere. She'd been distracted by the sack of presents – who wouldn't be?
He watched the intrigue, the eagerness spread on her face at the thought of something new sitting behind those wonderfully magic doors. She looked at him, waiting for permission and he nodded. She grinned, and dashed over, the chucking the doors open with as much excitement as anyone ever could.
Her eyes darted around, drinking in every little detail she could see. The ground outside was grassy with a touch of white covering it all. Snow fell lazy from the sky in such a way that it caused the dusting on the ground, but nothing more, but it made Danni rather happy that she was still clutching the black cardigan she'd grabbed, shrugging it on quickly. Maybe the high heels weren't the best idea, but they weren't particularly high so she dismissed the idea of changing them.
The sky above them swirled with the grey clouds that caused the flutter of snow to fall, but it was the landscape that held her attention. If you ignored it, then she would have guessed they were on Earth, but it was so incredibly bumpy that she knew that not even the most hill-filled area of Earth was this broken. They were, in fact, parked on one of the multiple hills that seemed to little the area. She knew that once they'd made it down to the bottom of one, they'd have to start climbing another.
"Where are we?" she asked as she stepped out onto the grass. The gravity felt slightly weaker than in the TARDIS and she stumbled a little to catch herself. The ground was also hard, probably frozen by the weather.
The Doctor joined her outside the TARDIS, clicking his fingers to close the doors behind him. Immediately he was hit with the temperature change. He'd not expected it to be so cold. He glanced down at Danni. He didn't want her to get too chilly.
"This is Hemjo Boaco," he told her as he shrugged off the big red jacket he was wearing. He'd kept his shirt on underneath it, topped with a festive bow tie, so he knew he'd fare much better in the cold air than she would. "The year is 1275, and this is where the myth of the flying reindeer came from."
He dropped the jacket around her shoulders and, as he suspected she would, she tightened it around herself quickly to warm herself up. She shot him a grateful smile, which slowly fell to a frown.
"I thought reindeer were from Earth?" she said and he nodded.
"Well, they are, yes," he agreed.
"And doesn't that myth have something to do with reindeer eating some sort of mushroom that gets them all excited, and they jump around?"
He nodded. "This is also true," he admitted.
"So how can it be where the myth came from?"
"Well, alright, it's not," he replied with a bit of a pout. "Not exactly, anyway. When humans come here in the late 3200s, they see the wildlife and decide that it's where the myth comes from."
"Then why did you tell me it was where the myth was from?"
"Because it sounds better than 'it's where the myth-that-isn't-really-the-myth of flying reindeers come from'."
She was grinning up at him, highly amused by being able to pull him up on his little embellishment. He, on the other hand, was a bit put out that he'd not been able to keep up the mystery for any longer. He'd been planning on explaining it to her once they'd found the sight he'd brought her to the planet for. He'd expected to have been able to get beyond the front door at any rate.
"Come on, we've got a little bit of a walk," he told her, grabbing her hand. She immediately threaded her fingers through his, like they had done a thousand times before. "Maybe you should have chosen different shoes."
"You didn't tell me there'd be walking," she pointed out. "Do you always keep information back from me? It makes me wonder how many other planets we've been to that you've lied about."
"I wasn't lying!" he exclaimed as the snow crunched underneath their feet. "I was just making it sound better than it actually was. There's nothing wrong with adding a little bit of extra magic into a trip out on Christmas."
"I'm starting to think you're not the real Santa," Danni continued. "Are there even any presents in that sack?"
"If you're going to keep being so cheeky; no," the Doctor warned her. "It's not too far from here. Just down this hill and up the next."
Danni groaned. "But I'm wearing heels," she protested. "I can't walk up hill in heels!"
"Stop moaning or I'll take you back to the TARDIS."
She smirked up at him, that cheeky glint back in her eyes. "You've never told me to stop moaning before," she teased lightly.
He used his grip on her hand to pull her closer. "Don't, Danielle," he scolded lowly. "It's too cold out here."
~0~0~0~
Snow laid upon the ground, a thin white blanket that was only broken by the occasional trail of footprints made by the local wildlife and the grass poking out from underneath. The hills broke the horizon, all different heights and breadths that made it impossible to see too far ahead. On one, the air fluttered and an unnatural sound wheezed, scaring off anything that may have been getting close to the crest of the hill. From nowhere a blue earth police box began to appear, slowly solidifying until it sat majestically on the snow.
There was a pause, then the doors were thrown open and the Tenth Doctor stepped out. He had his long overcoat on to fight off the cold, and a pair of boots to keep out the moisture from the snow, but otherwise he looked rather dashing in his pinstriped suit. His hands, which had been on the doors, quickly made their way into his trouser pockets.
He took a deep breath of the chilly air, a grin breaking out across his face. "Oh, can you smell that?" he asked loudly. "The freshness, the winter, it would clear the lungs if you are that way inclined."
A redheaded woman bounded out after him, bundled up a bit more tightly in a fluffy black jacket and fleece tights. She had a panda bobble hat on to keep her head warm, and fluffy black gloves to protect her fingers from the cold. Her eyes darted around, eagerly taking in the bumpy but otherwise rather empty scenery.
"It's a proper winter scene, isn't it?" Danni replied and he turned his grin to her, relieved and overjoyed that she liked their new location. He held his arm out to her, keeping his hand in his pocket, and she looped her through.
"This is Hemjo Boaco," he explained as they set off, boots crunching in the snow. "1275, just a few lightyears away from earth. Up there," he glanced upwards and she followed suit. "If there weren't any clouds, you'd see a wonderfully blue sun."
"And why have you brought me here on Christmas?" she asked, knowing there was more to his description of the planet but unable to wait to know. She'd woken up in the TARDIS library, curled up underneath a blanket she didn't remember grabbing. When she'd found him in the console room, asking what he was up to, he'd paused for just a moment before declaring it Christmas. Danni was a big fan of Christmas, which was understandable considering she'd never made it to the one before she'd been shot into the magically wonderful universe she now lived in, so her only question was how they were going to celebrate it.
Apparently the Doctor didn't have to think long, because they were soon being thrown around the time vortex.
"Well, it has a place in Earth Christmas lore that is pretty special," he replied. "This is where the myth of Father Christmas's flying reindeer comes from."
Danni frowned. "No, it's not," she replied bluntly. "I know this. The reindeers would eat those spotted toadstool mushrooms and get a bit too jolly."
"Well, when I say…"
"And you said a few lightyears from Earth, and the flying reindeers have been around for pretty much as long as Santa has, right?"
The Doctor took his free hand out of his pocket, running it through his spikey hair. "Also true, I guess…"
"So it can't be from here, can it?" Danni replied, looking up at him expectantly.
He sighed. "Well, no, not exactly," he agreed. "If you'd let me finish, I can explain."
She nodded. "Alright, Spaceman, do tell," she replied teasingly.
"Well, you see, in the late 3200s, when you humans were spreading out into the universe, you stumbled across this little planet. You saw the wildlife, and the snow, and the hills and decided that it was a better story to tell to your children as in encouraged space exploration. So, the flying reindeer were now from Hemjo."
Danni nodded along. "And let me guess," she said with a fake thoughtful frown. "We're here to see the reindeers behind the myth?"
He looked down at her, shooting her a slightly exasperated look. "Oi, you think you know everything, don't you?"
"Well, it's not good for you to be the only one with a big head," she teased back. "How long do we have to walk for?"
"Not very long," he replied. "Just over a couple of hills we should reach the edge of a hilly forest where there should be an abundance of reindeer for us to see."
Danni couldn't help the little skip in her step. She was going to see real flying reindeer.
~0~0~0~
For the third time in her infinitely long lifespan, the TARDIS materialised on the crisp snow of a hillside, startling a few birds that had been sat on the blanket of snow, trying to peck through for some of the tasty bugs that lived underneath the grass. There was no movement for a few long minutes, then the door tentatively opened.
Danni peeked out nervously, glancing from side to side to ensure that they weren't anywhere strange and dangerous. The flight had been as smooth as always, the Doctor had learnt to fly when he regenerated it seemed, but there was always a chance that it'd be a silent enemy.
Everything seemed alright, though, so she opened the door fully on the snowy landscape. "What did you say this place was called again?" she asked as she stepped out into the snow. The Doctor had told her that it was going to be chilly, and she was glad of it, because the knee-length coat and waterproof boots she had chosen were definitely needed.
"Hemjo Boaco," the Twelfth Doctor replied as he stepped out after her. In true Doctor fashion, he was still in the dark blue jacket and black trousers he always wore. She was sure that he felt the cold like everyone else but just didn't show it, however he didn't even seem to flinch at the change of temperature. "1275, a Thursday I believe."
The pair started down the hillside together, Danni reaching out and taking her husband's hand. Her gloves made the grip slightly bulkier than normal, but she was just content for him to hold her hand in his. He was more than happy to hold it as well. Even without the skin on skin contact, he knew that it meant a lot to her for him to hold her hand, and he was not going to complain about being able to hold her in any form.
"So the woods aren't too far from here?" she asked. "Because when we headed to Holiday Castle you said it was only a fifteen minute walk and it ended up taking three days."
"You weren't complaining," he purred. "We had a wonderful time in that tent, if I remember correctly."
She flushed slightly at the memory. They had spent more time in the tent than they should have, really. But how could she say no to him? Especially when those grey eyes bore into hers…
She cleared her throat. "These flying reindeer, then," she started. "Are the ones we saw in the zoo in the 37th century?"
He nodded. "For some reason, they decided that they made a better origin story for Father Christmas's flying reindeer and they became a bit of a spectacle. A lot of people from a lot of places wanted to see the animals behind the story. Eventually it became illegal to trade them within the human empire due to over domestication and over working."
Danni frowned despite the sound of her shoes crunching in the snow. It was a sound she always loved, especially in untouched snow as this had been. "People always take it too far," she said sadly. As much as they both liked humans, they could also be rather cruel without even trying. "There was nothing wrong with the old myth. Toadstools add magic to any story."
"I quite agree," he told her. "Old Saint Nick won't like how they've butchered his story in any case."
The way he said it told Danni he was being completely serious. His sense of humour was much drier these days, and his jokes ended with a bit of a smirk from him. "Like you know Father Christmas," she retorted. "You would have taken me to see him years ago if that was the case."
"I seem to recall planning on taking you back with the Ponds," he mused. "I think you may have left me before I could, though. Or maybe you distracted me." He gave her hand a tight, suggestive squeeze. "You do have a way of doing that, my Pet."
Danni nudged him, her cheeks warming up once again. "Stop it, Theta," she warned half-heartedly. "We're not even in the woods yet."
He smirked, glancing towards the hill they were aiming for. "Not long, though, my Pet," he promised. "I'm sure the reindeer will be able to wait."
~0~0~0~
"You know, that's really pretty," Danni told her husband, looking up at him and away from the woods they were stood above. He looked back at her rather smug, and if they'd not been holding hands she knew he would be straightening his bowtie. She turned back to look back at the woods.
From the top of the hill they could see just how far it stretched, and how densely populated it was. The treetops were covered in white, but the relatively flat ground below looked almost untouched. She jumped slightly as a flock of birds flew up into the sky, but she laughed at herself as she watched them go.
The Doctor adored the look of awe on her face that came with every single trip they went on. It was the most addictive part, and he got to see it every day. He still thanked his lucky stars about the fact that she regenerated, and he knew he'd never take it for granted. Their time together was precious, and he was going to show her as much wonder as he could.
However, they weren't here to watch birds, so he gently tugged her forward. She had been struggling in her high heels, but when he'd finally suggested that she go change them, she'd shook his head. She'd dressed up, just like he said to, and she wasn't going to ruin her outfit with wellington boots.
She stumbled slightly down the slightly steep slope, but he held onto her tightly. "These woods are the perfect environment for the reindeer," he explained to her. "Plenty of hiding places, plenty of food. Protection from the harsh weather when it comes, and yet perfect for them to run out of and fly from when it's time for them to migrate in the summer."
"They migrate in the summer?" she asked with a frown. "I thought things migrated to get away from the horrid weather, not the nice weather?"
"They're reindeers," he pointed out. "Or, rather, they are a similar species to reindeers. They're built for the snow and the cold."
She nodded. "I guess they'd overheat in the sun," she agreed. "They can get rather fluffy, can't they?"
"Oh, you have no idea," the Doctor replied. "In the future, when the planet is much more populated, their fur is used for clothes and blankets. In fact, the one on the sofa is Grafta fur."
Danni looked at him, absolutely horrified at the idea of using anything's fur as clothes, let alone the blanket that she snuggled under while watching movies. He seemed to see this and quickly shook his head. "No, I don't mean like that," he quickly corrected himself. "It's more like sheep's wool. They shear it off and make clothes so that the animals don't overheat."
Danni visibly relaxed, then stumbled again on the hill, going over on her ankle. She cried out in surprise, though, more than pain and they both stopped while she righted herself.
"So they're not actually harmed?" she asked and he nodded.
"They rather enjoy it, actually," he explained. "It's only allowed for three or so of the months of the year, and only on the Graftas that want it. They come and go as they pleased, and boy do they turn up in their hundreds."
Danni grinned. "That's alright then," she replied, testing her ankle out. It didn't seem to hurt, but the Doctor decided at the gingerly way she tested her weight that maybe he shouldn't be taking any more chances.
She yelled again in surprise as he swept her off her feet, one arm underneath her knees so he was carrying her bridal style. Her arms immediately went around his neck in an attempt to keep herself from falling. "Theta, what are you doing?"
"Carrying you, Mrs Claus," he replied as he set off down the hill. "We'll be there quicker, and you don't want you photographs involving you grimacing in pain, do you?"
"Photos?" she asked, intrigued, but he said no more. So she smiled, leaning against his chest. "I love you, you old fool," she told him and he chuckled.
~0~0~0~
"Danni, hurry up," the Doctor called back to his favourite red-head – although, he was always sure to make sure that Donna never heard that. His long strides had been almost impossible for her to keep up with, so she'd been tugging at his arm to keep him by her side. However, just a few minutes ago, she had let him go and suddenly he much farther ahead than he had intended.
"I'm coming!" she called and he frowned, turning around. She was stood in the snow, grinning from ear to ear.
He flinched as the snowball hit him square in the chest and she started giggled, pleasantly surprised that she'd managed to catch him off-guard. He wiped the snow off his coat and shot her a look to tell her he wasn't amused at all.
She shot him back a look of pure innocence; her hands behind her back and her feet together as she fought hard to keep the smile off her face.
"Really, Danni?" he asked and she looked down, a look of chastisement on her face. After deciding that she'd suitably shown her remorse, he motioned for her to come closer. "Come on, then."
She looked up, grinned, and threw the snowball she had been hiding behind her back straight into his left thigh. He sighed; he should have known she had taken too long for just one snowball.
"Alright," he drawled, like he was disappointed it had come to this. "If that's how it is."
He was quick to the ground, picking up a handful of snow he quickly squashed into a snowball of his own. She yelped in surprise at the sudden declaration of war, and she tried to do the same.
Soon snowballs were flying and Danni was running in front of the Doctor, twisting backwards to just hurl her small armful at him, her tactic to just continue to throw them at him in the hopes that at least one would hit.
He was relentless, though. And each of his well-timed shot managed to hit her with enough force to let her feel it, but not enough to actually hurt her. He just wanted to show she wasn't going to win, not actually do any damage.
"Stop it!" she shouted as she threw her last snowball. "I need more ammo!"
"'All's fair'," he reminded as he quickly made up another snowball quickly. Danni bent down, turning away from him to avoid a rather cold face. Her cheeks were always red and rosy from the air and the running, she didn't want to look like a tomato for the rest of the trip. She wanted to make a good impression.
Of course, she couldn't see the Doctor aim and throw until it was too late. She stood up and turned, ready to chuck her snowball but his hit her first. Still mid-spin, she was knocked off balance by his throw and her own clumsiness, and found herself tumbling down the hillside.
The Doctor's eyes widened in horror as she disappeared in a mass of upturned snow and yells. He scrambled up from his strategic place on the floor and dashed after her. He could see her rolling down until she came to a stop in true cartoon fashion; with her legs stretched out in front of her and a dazed look on her face at the bottom of the hill.
He skidded to a stop in front of her, crouching down and his eyes quickly scanning over her. "Are you okay?" he asked and she nodded, looking down at herself. Her head hurt a little, but otherwise she was just covered in snow. She brushed her arms down.
"I am," she promised before looking up at him. He didn't look convinced as he looked her over, and she was reminded of Eleven, who would come to look at her in the same way whenever she may have injured herself. She smiled softly at him. "Although, something is wrong," she replied with a suppressed smirk, a warmness filling her at his concern.
"What is it?" he asked, already reaching for his sonic screwdriver. He felt absolutely awful, and now they were going to have to head back to the TARDIS, and he'd never be able to show her the flying reindeer.
"You're not in the snow," she replied and reached out to grab him. Taking him yet again by surprise, she pulled him down into the snow next to her. He landed on his hands and knees with an 'oomph' and she started laughing at the stunned look on his face.
He glanced at her, and watched her laugh, and smiled at how happy she was. He loved it when the people he was with were having a good time, and Danni wasn't an exception. He turned and plonked his bum in the snow next to her.
"We're going to be soaking when we get there," he pointed out and she shrugged.
"We can get warm again," she replied. "What are we seeing, anyway? They can't be actual reindeers."
"Well, no," he agreed. "They're called the Grafta, and have the softest fur in the nearest five galaxies. And they voluntarily let people shear it off so the blankets and clothes can be made of it, because they're treated so well when they're having their haircuts."
Danni grinned. "Oh, do we have anything made of it?" she asked and the Doctor nodded, looking upwards thoughtfully.
"I think I have a blanket somewhere," he replied. "We'll take a look when we get back."
He hopped up off the floor and held his hand out to her. "Up you get, Danni-Girl," he told her and she quickly allowed him to help her up. "We've got to get about half way through the woods, but it'll be worth it."
"I bet," she replied eagerly and they set off, still holding hands.
~0~0~0~
The woods were simply stunning. The Twelfth Doctor cleared a little path for them to step in, crushing down a few wild spikey branches with is boots before letting Danielle in first. He had always liked to watch her eyes dart around, but he loved it more when he could wow her himself. He wanted her attention solely on him, the universe could come second, or third. She was his universe, and there was a dark side of him that wanted it to be the same the other way around as well.
"These trees will only grow in certain soil," he told her as she looked up at the leaves that shielded them. "It has to have an exact pH balance that only occurs within certain dips within the hills. The Grafta love the leaves, so it means that they only tend to congregate around the woods."
"So these woods appear all over the planet?" Danni asked in reply and the Doctor shook her head.
"Just on this continent, and there's only about twelve or thirteen of them. We're in the most central one, because it's the one that tends to be left alone."
"Does that mean there's other people on the planet?" she asked, and he could tell by her voice that she was slightly disappointed in that idea. He smirked slightly, motioning her down to what appeared to be a clearer path.
"I know there are," he replied. "But they won't bother us. We'll be totally alone for this whole trip."
"Oh?" she shot him a look, suspicious at his confidence. "What did you do?"
"I didn't do anything," he protested but she wasn't convinced. He could tell, and he huffed at the fact that he couldn't ever keep a surprise from her. "This way."
He stormed off and she giggled, watching him walk off. She didn't want to spoil his surprise, but he could be so transparent at times. She wasn't sure what he had in store for them both, but now she knew it wasn't just a normal trip, she couldn't help but get excited.
She made sure he thought she was right behind him before slowing down, crouching down and scooping up some of the snow on the ground. There wasn't a lot inside the wood, but enough for her to create a small ball in her hands.
He jumped a mile when it hit his back. He spun around, holding his sonic screwdriver in front of him like a gun and he looked ready to attack whoever had attacked him first.
He lowered his screwdriver as Danni forced back her laughter. "Really, Danielle?" he snapped and she nodded, continuing to giggle.
"You're just an easy target, sweetie," she teased and he raised one of his ever-imposing eyebrows.
"That sounds like a challenge, my Pet," he declared as a grin spread on his face. "One I'm very much up for."
She backed away slightly as he took a step towards her. "Has your aim approved with age?" she teased, slightly concerned that she would get pummelled by snowballs.
"Most definitely," he purred. "But I'm not planning on snowballs."
He charged at her, long legs striding and she shrieked in amused surprise as he chased after her. She ran deeper into the woods, knowing that he'd catch up with her at any moment but refusing to give him an easy time.