Christmas Dinner

December on the outskirts of London that year was decidedly chilly. Snow flurries blew around, sticking to the lawn, but melting on the hard asphalt of the roadway. A light scent of pine added to the Christmas-y feeling as people bustled here and there, getting ready for the big day.

Rose decided on rather short notice that she wanted to host the family meal for their first Christmas in Pete's world. Despite Jackie's insistence that they should come to the mansion, she'd remained steadfast, promising she'd be fine preparing everything on her own. They'd moved into their home a few months before and she wanted to do something that felt grown up.

Everyone was due to arrive in an hour and a half's time and nothing was going according to plan. The potatoes were boiling over, the oven was chiming because it was time to baste the turkey again, and the rolls hadn't risen, despite Rose following the instructions exactly. She ran over to turn down the heat on the burner, blowing gently on the boiling potatoes. Upon opening the oven, a hot puff of steamy heat hit her square in the face and she gasped before stepping aside. Anxious and annoyed, she blew at a wisp of stray hair and pulled out the large roasting pan, carefully basting the turkey before replacing the tin foil and sliding it back in the oven.

"Smells wonderful in here," the Doctor said softly as he entered, dressed for dinner.

She sighed. "Thanks."

"Need a hand?" he asked, smiling as he surveyed the kitchen.

She shook her head, feeling flustered and helpless. "I don't know. The rolls haven't risen and the carrots need done and I haven't gotten started with the beans and…" she trailed off, suddenly feeling very overwhelmed. "The potatoes were boiling over, and now," she glanced at the stove. "God, I turned them all the way off and they need to cook!" She ran over and turned the gas back on the burner. "What was I thinking, right?" Her lip wobbled.

The Doctor walked over and rested a hand on her shoulder. "Hey now," he said smiling, "You're doing an excellent job. It really does smell fantastic. C'mon. Sit down for a minute."

"Doctor, there's not time! I still have so much to do and-" she looked around frantically, trying to figure out what else needed done.

"Rose." His voice was quiet and kind. "Come and sit down. There's time. C'mon, love."

The rest of her resolve slipped away and she sank down into a chair and started sobbing. "Why did I say I'd do this?" she asked. "I don't know anything about cooking a big meal and I'm making such a mess of it. Christmas is going to be rubbish this year because of me."

He rubbed her back as she cried, trying to console her. "Rose, this is your family. They know you've never tried anything like this. They'll understand if it's not perfect."

She looked up and shook her head. "You don't understand. M-my gran. S-she used to have the most wonderful Christmases and…and I wanted that. I just wanted it to feel like it used to. B-because everything is different and…and Pete's house has servants!" She bit her lip, trying to stop the flow of tears. "I-I just wanted to…"

The Doctor licked his lips. "I know it's been hard on you, adjusting to this new life."

"It's just…it's Christmas and I wanted it to be the same. I wanted…" She looked up at him. "I just wanted something familiar that reminded me of home."

He handed her a tissue and she blew her nose.

"Is that being selfish?" she asked in a very small voice.

"You're one of the least selfish people I've ever met," the Doctor said honestly. "You could have asked your mum make a Christmas dinner like your gran used to, but instead, you took it upon yourself to cook it." He rubbed the back of his neck. "This is the first Christmas dinner you've ever made. There's bound to be a few bumps, eh?"

"Gran used to have everything perfect."

"About how many Christmas dinners had she cooked by the time you were old enough to remember them?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

She sniffled. "Um…"

He squeezed her hand. "I bet it was a lot. She'd had a lot of practice. D'you think she started out making a perfect dinner? Or was it something she learned to perfect over time?"

"Over time," she said in a small voice.

He looked down at her adoringly. "Yep. But I still think you're doing a wonderful job. Come on, then," the Doctor encouraged. "You can do this. Let me help. Think for a moment. What can I do?" He removed his jacket and slung it over a chair, rolling up his shirtsleeves.

Rose stood up and surveyed the kitchen, feeling a little bit more confident. "Peel carrots?"

The Doctor grinned and rummaged through a drawer, triumphantly holding up a vegetable peeler. "Right then- watch out carrots, here I come. Allons-y!"

~OoO~

Forty minutes later, when things had been reasonably sorted, Rose was pushed out of the kitchen to shower and dress for dinner. "I'll take care of the turkey," he said reassuringly as she glanced back to the golden brown bird, still sitting in the roasting pan.

A quick shower did little to quell the nervous anticipation of feeding her family. She mentally went over the menu and how the buffet needed to be set up as she dried her hair, applied makeup, and slipped into the navy blue dress she'd selected for dinner.

Stepping back into the kitchen, she was surprised to see the counters completely cleared of the pots and pans she'd left there. The Christmas buffet sat neatly in their place. The side dishes were in their serving bowls, covered loosely with tinfoil, and the turkey was out of the roasting pan, resting on a platter, ready to be carved. The rolls were tucked into a bread basket, covered with a towel and the Christmas pudding was glistening in its bowl on a glass pedestal. It looked every bit the way she'd wanted it to.

The Doctor was at the stove, whisking a flour and water mixture into the pan of turkey drippings, preparing to empty it into the gravy boat.

When she walked in, he smiled. "You look stunning."

She looked down at the dress and then over at the countertop. "How did you manage all of this?"

"Oh, didn't take long. You had everything ready. I just popped it all into bowls and loaded the dishwasher. It just looks like I did a lot."

She shook her head. "It looks amazing."

The Doctor carefully poured the thickened gravy into the waiting container. "No," he said, kissing her cheek, "I already told you. You look amazing." He squeezed her bum and smiled. "Honestly Rose, you did almost all of this; all I did was put it in the bowls you set out."

She grinned. "This is really happening, yeah?"

He leaned down for a kiss, pressing his lips firmly against hers. "It really is."

The doorbell chimed and they broke apart, standing a bit straighter. She drew in a deep breath and looked up at him adoringly. "They're here," she said softly.

"Come on, love," said the Doctor, his hand at the small of her back. "Let's go celebrate Christmas."