A/N: My first Whovian fic... and it's not even TenxRose! Kinda strange, but oh well. Fun fact about this story- the first draft was written on a typewriter. Anyway, this was a plot bunny that would not leave me alone, especially with Christmas having been in the air. Enjoy!
The groaning of the TARDIS could be heard throughout the desert air, the night wind blowing with unusual force. After the timeship had landed, there was a blissful silence. This silence was broken by the creak of the door opening, with the warrior walking, no, stumbling out, limping and showing favor to his right leg. The laser burn was still smoking on his left calf, a gaping hole left in his trousers.
"Sweet Rassilon's pants, that stings!" The warrior whispered harshly. As he walked around the area in front of the TARDIS, his left foot dragged in the soft sand, making a trail.
His time sense kicked in as he surveyed the area. The night was crystal clear as he gazed at the constellations above him.
"Earth… yet again. Looks like early first century, maybe even a little farther back than that." He groaned at this realization. "You could have brought me to a place where I could get better than primitive medical attention, you could have brought me to a resort planet for some rest, but no, you send me back to the apes again." He furrowed his brow and shook his head at the TARDIS in dismay.
Seeing a nearby well, he limped over and drew up a bucket to wash his hands and face. He wetted a handkerchief from his coat pocket and began to wipe his face. The water washed away the dirt and grime and dry blood that had congealed in his crinkles and facial hair.
The cool liquid soothing the worn timelord's face, he sighed and looked down at the wavering reflection bathed in moonlight. This body had aged considerably during this war. His hair had turned white in the last three years, and he could barely make out his eyes among the crinkles that surrounded them.
"You're getting old, my friend." His gravel voice whispered into the darkness.
His whole body ached with pain and he stood with a constant slouch, the weight of the war having taken its toll on the soldier. Gone were the days of adventure and friends and love… and all that remained was the echoed shouts of Daleks and the cries of his dying people ringing through his head. His latest confrontation with the Daleks played on a loop in his head, including the searing pain of the cauterized wound on his left leg. It was one of many that had occurred throughout the Time War. The war atmosphere had become almost second nature to him, and that in and of itself was frightening.
The warrior observed the peaceful planet around him. He ached of a time when the people of Gallifrey knew such peace and tranquility. Normally he would make a snide comment about the primitive nature of these apes, but now their simple ways of life just made his envious.
The TARDIS had parked on the top of a hill, overlooking the small city below. The soldier appraised their dwellings, guessing that he was somewhere in the place later humans would call the Middle East. As he got a more localized and pin pointed location, the old timelord laughed with mirth.
He was in Bethlehem, the city of David. In the early first century… at night.
This was exactly when and where many humans said that a very important person was born.
"You know, after all these centuries, you still manage to surprise me, old girl," He called to his ship, who sent back a warm maternal response.
All of a sudden, the quiet Bethlehem atmosphere was filled with the sound of rapid footfalls, as a group of four men ran by the timelord, heading directly towards the city of David. By the look of their clothes and work appropriate staffs, the soldier had guessed that they were… sheepherders.
Just like the fable of the apes, he thought curiously to himself.
Wanting some amusement, he called out to the shepherds.
"Gentlemen! What's the big hurry? Are you not afraid that your sheep will be eaten or attacked?" His voice was weak and tired but still managed to be heard.
One of them turned around to speak with the warrior. His face was full of joy. "We have more important matters in the city."
The old man grew excited. It couldn't be, could it?
"More important than your entire livelihood?!"
This time the man responded but kept his head aimed toward the city, still keeping up with his fellow shepherds.
"YES!" And they picked up speed, running into the night.
Still keeping his eye on the running men, the timelord scratched his head. This was absurd. He had seen planets and solar systems and galaxies all throughout the multiverse. Along with those multitudes of heavenly bodies came multitudes of religions, which he assumed were all false in his eyes. There could be no reigning power, and if there was, why would it pick the EARTH as its birthplace and chosen people? The closest form of deity to his recollection would be a timelord… and they are certainly not the benevolent overseers of the universe. Not anymore.
As he contemplated the multitudes of religions he could think of, which at the moment was about three hundred thousand eight hundred and fifty two, the TARDIS called out to her thief. She sent an earnest pulse, heading in the direction of the shepherds.
The warrior laughed at his sentimental ship.
"You want me to follow them?!" He limped over to his ship and stroked her outer shell.
"What will I find?! What will be waiting for me? Will I find the answers to all my problems in a human infant that turns out to be an all powerful 'god'?" He mocked.
The TARDIS continued to urge him, intensifying as the shepherds faded into the city before them.
Groaning and pulling his jacket closer as a cool breeze swept the hill, he started walking in their direction.
"If it just turns out to be nothing but food or gold or a bleeding peasant festival, I will be so cross with you!" He called back as a warning to his ship.
Having a burning limping leg made it difficult, but the soldier made it into the city. It was the middle of the night, but he could see the lantern light from the windows of sparse houses throughout the city of David. One man was untying his donkey foal from a post to be taken into his stable, but the timelord stopped him.
"Excuse me, sir. Did you see some shepherds passing by not too long ago? Looking like they were in a massive hurry?"
The man stopped and nodded. "Yes, they seemed to be heading towards the east side of the city. Probably near the inn there."
He could tell that this man knew the alien did not belong here, by his pale skin and hair and his quite modern clothes. Before this local could come to any outlandish conclusions, the warrior thanked him and made for the east side of the city.
"Just wait," He muttered to himself. "There won't be any vacancies at this inn." This whole situation was getting stranger by the minute.
Despite his cynicism towards this whole adventure the TARDIS was taking him on, his hearts were pounding in excitement. He was looking for THE manger, in THE city. He didn't often get these opportunities, and maybe an amusing distraction was what he needed right now, in the midst of all his chaos.
He came to a large building that he assumed to be the inn. Light was seen and raucous laughter could be heard from the multiple floors, the visitors to the city of Bethlehem still awake at this late hour. It looked to be quite full, which was even more amusing.
Remembering the myth, he looked around for a stable. What an unsanitary place for a baby.
True to form, he saw the light of a lantern coming from a small building. His laser burn hurting with every step, he limped toward the stable. His hearts raced in inevitable excitement.
The light coming from the stable looked like more than the simple artificial flame light from a lantern. It had more of a natural hue to it, like the like of a sun or a star in the sky. It was like a star was residing within a house of animals on Earth.
He looked into the doorless entryway, hearing hushed excited whispers from within. Cautiously, he peered further into the building, seeing the shepherds from before. They were looking down at something in the hay.
"Did you see the angels as well, sir?" Asked a small female voice from behind him.
The soldier looked and saw a young woman, whom the myths name Mary. She looked exhausted, but smiled warmly, the knowing smile of a mother. Next to her was a man, clutching her shoulder with affection, who the timelord assumed to be Joseph, her "most chaste spouse". They might have different names, but that was not important to him at the moment.
Realizing he had yet to answer her, he cleared his throat and responded.
"I was led here." He wanted his cause of arrival to remain vague. The concept of a time ship may confuse those from the first century.
Despite his cryptic answer, the young girl smiled and she nodded her head towards the light source in the corner.
"Do you want to see him?"
The soldier thought about that. Should he look? Would it even matter to him at all? Was this myth, above all others he'd heard, possibly true?
Regardless of how he felt, the warrior nodded and walked over to where the shepherds were gathered. Guessinf that the man wanted a closer look into the manger, they stepped back so the soldier could peer into the manger at the tiny human.
Without realizing it, the timelord broke into a large grin as he looked down at the infant in the make-shift crib. Like he had surmised outside, there was a natural light radiating around the cooing baby. He stood in awe as he viewed this impossible child. Maybe his eyes were deceiving him… maybe this was just an ordinary child and he was imagining the light. Nevertheless, looking down at the tiny face stunned him into silence. The serenity and peace and love he felt looking at the babe warmed him up from the inside. His battle worn face was soon covered in tears, his eyes crinkling with the force of his smile. The child began to awaken, the little eyes opening in the bright room. The baby boy looked up at the warrior, and he did something the timelord did not expect.
The baby in the manger smiled at him.
The warrior was again struck in awe. This infant, this baby ape, had beamed up at him like a loving friend. The warmth spread throughout his body and soul, refreshing his cold heart.
Since the world this weary warrior had come from was so full of despair and fear, the feeling that this baby had given this old timelord was unfamiliar to him.
The baby had not just shown him love.
In that one shining moment, this small child had given him hope.
Hope. Hope is so fragile, and it is tiny compared to all its adversaries. It is brought down by doubt and pain and suffering and the absence of courage in one's heart, but hope never truly dies. It endures and continues until the doubt and the fear is destroyed.
Hope was an emotion that the warrior had been missing for quite some time. And this baby, this insignificant human baby had given it back to him with a simple smile.
God or not, he had the power to change a man's heart of stone.
Knowing the whole story of this human made the old timelord sober, remembering what this "Son of God" was supposed to do, what pains he was to suffer in a few decades time.
But for now, he would be free to grow up in relative peace, with two parents that love him.
The warrior at last spoke. "Hello, little one." He whispered to the still smiling baby. Bracing his hands on his knees, the old man cautiously knelt down to get to his level, smiling broadly at the baby boy.
"I believe it is customary to give the king gifts… let's see here."
He poked around in his pockets, looking for a gift to bestow on him. His hands clasped around something cold and heavy, and he took it out. It was a medal awarded to him by the High Counsel, for his valor in some battle that was too painful for him to properly remember. He ran the fabric of the medal ribbon in his fingers, gazing down at the citadel imprinted on the gold. Taking the foreign fabric of the ribbon off of the medal, he held it out in front of the baby.
"For your valiant and loving endeavors to come." And he placed the lump of gold in the manger. The baby cooed and wriggled in his response, still looking up at the weary alien with love.
Feeling that it was time to depart, the timelord got to his feet, wincing at his bum leg. He looked down one more time at the beautiful infant, saluting him. The baby cooed and trilled his lips in happiness.
With a grateful smile directed at the baby's parents and group of shepherds, he turned toward the door and walked out of the stable.
Limping through the desert and sand back to his TARDIS, the warrior felt lighter than before. As opposed to the fear and dread that loomed over him before seeing the manger, he was filled with a sense of renewed hope.
Finally, he saw the dark blue box in the distance, waiting faithfully on the hill. He smiled at his time machine and spoke to her.
"So I guess the story was based on some truth after all." He admitted. "You clever old girl, you knew I needed that."
He unlocked the TARDIS door, and stepped into the console room. Instead of heading straight for the infirmary, he stayed near the door for a moment. He pulled out the ribbon from the medal, running the fabric between his fingers, leaning on the door.
For the first time in forever, the warrior felt a moment of peace. At least just for a moment, he got to experience new life and peace and the hope of a new beginning. He wanted that for his own people, now more than ever. He decided that the devastation and the fear was to end. There would be no more turmoil. No more dread. No more fear. On this, the first Christmas night, he wished for peace and hope for his planet, like the kind the Christ child had given to him.
THE END
Yes? No? Tell me what you thought.