A/N: Oneshot. A little Christmas cheer, set a few months after the end of "Tracking Torchwood." Read that first, or this won't make any sense.
As always, thanks to aibhinn for beta work!And also as always…I don't own it.
"Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!"
The Doctor smiled as Jack's cheerful voice rang through the TARDIS. Rose had wanted a normal Christmas. Not a stopping-the-Gelth Christmas. Not a fighting-the-Sycorax Christmas. "Just a normal Christmas with my family," she'd said. "This family."
This family. Five million languages at his disposal, and he'd never been able to come up with the right word for his companions taken as a whole. He'd overthought it, of course. Leave it to Rose to cut to the heart of the matter and find the one word that would fit.
Family.
Jack wanted a white Christmas, so he took them to the Bavarian Alps, where they introduced Madhukar to the art of snowball fighting before setting out in search of a Christmas tree. Finding one that Rose declared perfect, they brought it back to the TARDIS.
Now they were gathered in the library, a fire crackling merrily in the hearth, the Doctor settled comfortably in his favorite chair. Madhukar curiously watched Rose and Jack hanging tinsel on a tree and caroling. Not exactly a picture print by Currier and Ives, but still…
The scene was so domestic, it would have sent his last self screaming. Amazing how much he had changed. Mellowed, just like the wine in his glass.
He'd never admit that to anyone, of course.
"It came upon the midnight clear
That glorious song of old
From angels bending near…the earth.."
Rose's voice faltered at the shadow that suddenly crossed Jack's face. "Oh, Jack. I'm sorry. I didn't think. That's just one of my favorites."
Jack waved it off, but the longing was still clear in his eyes. "It's all right, Rose. It's not as if—it's not as if I'm not thinking about her all the time anyway. She'll be with us again. She promised." He smiled. "That's one of my favorites, too. Let's try it again?"
"It came upon the midnight clear
That glorious song of old
From angels bending near the Earth
To touch their harps of gold."
The Doctor leaned back in thought as he listened, and then quickly came to a decision. He rose from his chair, mouthing I'll be right back to Rose, and left the library, the song echoing behind him.
"Peace on the Earth, good will to men
From heaven's all-gracious king
The world in solemn stillness lay
To hear the angels sing."
He could feel approval radiating from the TARDIS as he set coordinates. Just one more thing to do.
Jack was teaching Rose the Altairian version of The Twelve Days of Christmas when the Doctor came back into the library, grinning broadly.
"You moved us, Acarya," Madhukar said. "I thought we were staying for a few days?"
"Oh, we'll go back. I just wanted to make a little Christmas Eve side trip. Warm coats, everyone. It's quite chilly outside. Meet me in the console room."
He was just pulling on his own long coat when they joined him a few minutes later. He hefted one of two picnic baskets, and indicated that Jack should take the other. "Just a few things to help us all stay toasty out there," he said.
"Where have you brought us, Doctor?" Rose asked. He smiled and put an arm around her shoulders, leading her to the door.
"A pivotal night in Earth's history, Rose," he said, pulling the door open. "Madhukar, Jack, you two will especially enjoy this."
They walked out of the TARDIS into a crisp, cold night. Stars glittered overhead in a perfectly clear sky. A brushy hill stood before them, and they could hear the sound of bleating animals in the distance.
"So, we're having a picnic on a pivotal night in history, in the freezing cold, in the middle of nowhere, with no one around except for sheep?" Rose asked with a grin.
"Goats, actually," the Doctor replied, smiling back at her. "Doubting me, Rose Tyler? Then let me tell you where we are, and we'll see whether you paid attention in Sunday school. This isn't the middle of nowhere. This is Judea, Earth, in March of the year 2 BCE."
Rose shook her head. "I didn't go to Sunday school, Doctor."
"Neither did I, but I know what he's talking about," Jack said. "This is the real Christmas Eve, Rose. The night Christ was born."
"Top marks, Captain! No matter what you believe, you cannot ignore the tremendous impact that little baby had on Earth's culture and history."
Jack looked around. "So why are we out here with picnic baskets?"
The Doctor raised a finger to his lips. "Shh. Wait for it." After a moment, he heard what he had expected to hear. Many voices, raised in exquisite harmony. A golden glow began to emanate over the hill.
Madhukar ran forward in excitement. "You called this a pivotal night in history? That would call to the Ekala!" He began to climb up the hill.
Jack turned wide eyes to the Doctor. "That would mean—"
"Merry Christmas, Jack."
They turned at the soft voice behind them, and looked up. Kit was sitting on the roof of the TARDIS, her arms hugging her drawn-up knees as she smiled down at them. She had taken human form, clad in a soft, silvery long-sleeved robe that shimmered in the starlight.
A huge smile broke out over Jack's face. He set his picnic basket down and opened his arms to her. With a laugh she jumped down into his embrace and kissed him eagerly. When they parted he set her down with a smile, and she whirled to hug the Doctor, her skirt flaring out. "Very clever of you to come find me," she told him.
"You never said we couldn't," he said with a grin. "Merry Christmas, Ka'alakit'kathalia. Or should I call you Kit-kat?"
She made a face at him. "You do and I'll see to it there's coal in your stocking! I should anyway. You're here too many times tonight, Doctor," she scolded him. But she was smiling as she said it, moving back to Jack.
"You're already here?" Rose asked him in surprise. "I thought that was dangerous."
Defensively, the Doctor replied, "It is when you don't know what you're doing. I just need to keep away from my other selves and we'll be fine."
"As long as you stay here in the meadows, everything will be all right," Kit said. She closed her eyes to concentrate for a moment. "Right now, Tall, Dark and Brooding is at the stable in Bethlehem." She sighed sadly. "So much pain."
The Doctor nodded. He'd gone to Bethlehem not long after the Time War, one of many stops through history as he unsuccessfully tried to run away from the memories and nightmares.
"You don't know it, but one of my people is with that you. You were never really alone," she said softly. Then she chuckled. "Ah. Short, Scottish and Infuriating—" Rose giggled, "—is in the Magi's caravan, arguing with Melchior."
The Doctor was laughing himself. He hadn't heard Ace's description of his seventh incarnation in a long, long time. "It's a philosophical discussion!"
"A loud one!" Kit countered with a laugh as she opened her eyes. "Doctor, here's a chance to set a good example for your companions. Show them how to stay put. It's safe for you to go over the hill, and I see Madhukar's already gone. Go ahead. It's one of the few times so many of us will manifest on Earth. Just stay there and enjoy the song. Rose, sit on him if you have to."
"That sounds like an idea," Rose said with a sly smile. She tugged at the Doctor's arm. "Come on, before Madhukar wanders too far off."
Following her up the hill, the Doctor fingered the mistletoe in his pocket and thought it wouldn't be too bad if Madhukar did wander.
Just a little bit.
Jack watched them climb the hill for only a moment before turning back to Kit and pulling her into his arms tightly. "I have missed you so much," he whispered.
She laid her cheek against his chest. "This isn't the right time, you know," she said softly. "It's not the one I saw. When this night is over, the TARDIS will have to leave without me."
"Then let's make the most of the time we've got." He gave her a gentle kiss, then drew back to just look at her. Blue eyes reflecting the starlight, dark curls falling to her shoulders. He caught one strand around his finger. "Your hair's a little longer. I like it." He tenderly stroked the side of her face. "So beautiful." She shivered under his gaze. "Cold?" he asked.
"A little," she admitted. "When we take full human form, we're subject to human frailties."
"Here." He pulled his long RAF coat off and wrapped it around her.
She smiled. "You've been practicing your knight in shining armor routine?"
He winked and gave her a little courtly bow. "Indeed, milady. Chivalry is not dead. Merely freezing!" He looked over at the waiting basket. "The Doctor said he'd packed some things to keep us toasty. Let's take a look."
He led her around to the back side of the TARDIS and opened the basket. The first thing out was a pair of soft blankets. With a flourish, he spread one blanket on the ground. She made a quick curtsy and settled down on the blanket. "With milady's permission?"
"Permission granted."
He sat down next to her, pulling the second blanket around them as she snuggled close. He dug into the basket once more and found a thermos filled with coffee.
"Ooh. I'll have to cancel the coal," Kit said as he poured her a cup and passed it over. She took a sip and sighed. "Just right. Sweet of him to remember."
He chuckled. "I should be very jealous that you're sighing over something he did for you." He shifted and pulled her a little closer against his side. "I i am /i jealous of every minute he got with you when I wasn't around."
"So should I be jealous of the way you danced with Rose in 1941?" she asked archly. "You were more than cozy."
He looked down at her in surprise. "You know about that?"
Mirth danced in her eyes. "Oh, yes. I was—oh, you'd say I was a guardian angel in London during the Blitz. Kept an eye on an American radio reporter named Edward R. Murrow." Her smile grew wider when she saw that he recognized the name. "Do you know how hard it was to keep him from noticing the spaceship parked next to Big Ben? You owe me, Captain. Big time!"
"Well, I always pay my debts, Angel," he said, and lowered his mouth to hers for another gentle kiss. Just a brief brush of lips against lips, then he drew back and took the cup from her to set it aside. With a wicked grin, he pulled her across his lap and descended on her lips again.
He kept the kiss soft at first, his right arm wrapped around her back and his left hand tracing gentle circles on her cheek. His lips followed his fingers, trailing kisses over her cheek. She whimpered a little as he left her mouth, until he reached her ear. She shuddered as his teeth grazed the shell, his breath warm in her ear as his hand slid into her hair. He took one more nibble at her earlobe, and then returned to her lips.
Now he became more insistent as their mouths met again. His tongue traced a line along her lips, and with a moan she opened to him. His tongue slipped softly inside to meet with hers in a dance of passion and need.
They broke apart, gasping for air and staring into each other's eyes. Then Kit took the initiative, moving to straddle his legs and then kiss him again, pushing him back against the wall of the TARDIS as she ran her hands over his chest and shoulders. She traced his jawline with her lips, finally focusing on a sensitive spot on his neck, nibbling and sucking at his pulse point.
She was going to drive him insane with that. His own hands had become caught in the blanket, preventing them from exploring her the way he was aching to. She kissed her way back up to his mouth, her own hands threading into his hair. Groaning, he pressed closer to her as their tongues tangled again and he could taste the flavor of coffee mingled with the sweetness that was all her own.
Just when he thought he really might go mad with want, she gave his lips one more nip and pulled back to rest her forehead against his, both of them breathing hard and sending curls of steam into the night air. When he managed to find his voice, he said, "I think I'm also jealous of whoever taught you to snog like that."
She made a face. "Snog. What an awful word for such a lovely activity. There's no music to it at all."
He laughed. "You're changing the subject!"
"Jealousy is not very 51st-century of you, Captain," she teased. "And it's silly to be jealous of yourself." She grinned at his surprised expression. "You've been thinking a bit loudly, Jack, telling me exactly what you want. Like this," she kissed him again, sucking gently on his lower lip and then releasing it, "and this," she moved to his ear, gently tracing it with her tongue and making him shudder, "and this." Her lips traveled back to that spot on his neck that she found so fascinating.
With a growl, he managed to free his hands. One hand snaked under the coat still draped over her shoulders, splaying out against her back to bring her even closer to him. The other stroked the hair at the back of her head for a moment, then tugged at it gently to pull her up, away from his neck. He looked into her eyes for a moment, then captured her lips once more, pushing his hips upward against her warmth. She moaned into his mouth and rocked against him as his hand moved around from her back to the front. He cupped one breast, kneading it gently as he kissed his way down her throat. She sighed and moved against him more urgently.
A sudden shock of cold made them break apart. Their movements had sent the blanket and coat sliding down to the ground, leaving them exposed to the frigid night air. Jack quickly pulled the blanket back up and kissed her forehead. "TARDIS?" he asked.
She sighed and kissed him again. "They'll be looking for me soon," she said. "Besides, it's not the right time, Jack."
He sighed himself. "Seeing what must be again?"
"I always see what must be," she answered. Her eyes took on a faraway look. "You won't be able to come to me again, Jack. I will find you. And once I do, we'll never have to find each other again." She looked back at him. "That's a promise." She leaned forward for another kiss. "And so's that. Every kiss a promise, Jack."
He cupped her cheek. "I'm holding you to that," he said softly. Just as softly, he pulled her close again, and their lips met once more, making each other promises of comfort, love and hope.
And the world in solemn stillness lay to hear the angels sing.