Title: All I Want For Christmas
--------------------------------------------
Walking down the pavement, Adam pushed the stroller and his daughter, River, smiled up at him. They had been out finishing the last of the Christmas shopping Rose hadn't gotten to but Adam still hadn't found the perfect gift for Rose. Walking to the gate to the Tyler mansion, Adam pushed the button and shivered. They had to move back to the mansion after the neighbors complained about the noise.
"She's a baby! Of course she's going to make noise!" said Jackie but Rose told her that it wasn't River that they were complaining about but the TARDIS. "Well, I told you having that thing in the living room was going to get you into trouble."
The gate opened while Adam pushed the stroller and looked at the snow falling around them. A snowman sat on the snow covered lawn as the wind blew the scarf the snowman wore and River giggled. Adam had helped Tony build the snowman a few days ago and the little pile next to it was River's first attempt at making a snowman. Smiling, Adam walked faster until they came to the stairs and Adam unbuckled the strap, picking River up. The door opened as Marie, the maid, came out of the mansion and walked down the stairs.
"Let me help you, Sir," said Marie as she took River and Adam nodded. Picking up the stroller and shopping bags, they went up the stairs and headed for the door. Adam placed the stroller and shopping bags on the floor then closed the door and Marie took River's snowsuit, hat and mittens off. "Was she a good girl?"
"Yep," said Adam, popping the "p". He took his coat, scarf and hat off, hanging them on the coat rack near the door, then took River from Marie and River bounced up and down, looking up at the ceiling. "Will you please take these upstairs?"
"Of course, Sir," said Marie, picking the shopping bags up and headed for the stairs. Pete had given them the entire west wing of the mansion until the house he was having built on the grounds was finished and Adam looked at the hallway. It was decorated from floor to ceiling with garland, decorations and Christmas flowers and a large Christmas tree sat at the center of the hallway.
"Oooooooooooooooo!" said River, pointing to the little snowflakes hanging from the ceiling and Adam looked up at them.
"Yes, very pretty," said Adam when Rose came into the hallway and smiled at them. She walked closer as he looked at her and smiled. "Hello, Mummy!"
"Hello," said Rose, kissing his cold lips, and River giggled. "Was she a good girl?"
"You are the second person to ask me that. Am I suppose to think that my little girl isn't the perfect little angel that I know her to be?!"
"No."
"Well, she was a very good girl and even got a free lollipop from the Father Christmas' Helper at the mall when we walked by where Father Christmas was talking with the other children."
"She did?!"
"Yep, and I got one for being her handsome daddy," said Adam and Rose took River in her arms and kissed the top of her head.
"Yeah, right, I bet you gave her those sad puppy eyes until she gave you one."
"I did no such thing!" gasped Adam and Rose smiled.
"Ah, don't lie or Father Christmas won't leave you anything!" teased Rose, making him frown. Rose ruffled his hair when suddenly they heard a scream coming from upstairs and they looked at each other. Adam headed for the stairs while Pete and Jackie came out of the living room and Adam ran up the stairs. "Rose, stay here with your mum and dad and River."
"But…"
"Stay!" shouted Adam, running up the stairs and Rose growled.
"Oi, I'm not your pet dog, you know!"
"I'm sure he didn't mean it like that," said Jackie and Rose sighed.
----------------------------------------------
Running down the hallway, Adam stopped at the door when he saw Tony in the room where they had hidden most of the Christmas presents and Tony stood at the center of the room.
'Uh-oh,' thought Adam, walking inside the room. Tony held one of the presents in his tiny hands while Adam knelt down next to him and saw the tears in Tony's eyes.
"Tony?" asked Adam and Tony dropped the present on the floor. Adam was glad that he didn't hear anything break as he placed the present with the others and Tony sniffed.
"He isn't real," whispered Tony, wiping his eyes.
"Who isn't real?"
"Father Christmas."
"Of course he's real."
"Then where did these come from?"
"Hmmmmm…" said Adam, checking the tag on one of the presents and saw TO ADAM FROM JACKIE on it. "Ah, these are family presents!"
"You mean like the sweater I bought for Mummy?"
"Yep."
"Where are the ones from Father Christmas?"
"They're still at the North Pole."
"And he won't bring them until tomorrow?"
"Right, he doesn't bring them until tomorrow," said Adam and Tony moved closer, leaning against him.
"And he won't get mad that I found these?"
"Naaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! Now, why don't we go and see if there are any cartoons on telly."
Nodding, Tony watched Adam stand up and giggled when he picked Tony up, placing him over his shoulder, and they left the room.
--------------------------------------------------------
Adam stood near the window, looking at the moonlight shimmering on the snow, when Rose came up behind him and slid her arms around his chest.
"Are you all right?" asked Rose. Turning, Adam looked into her eyes and softly smiled. He still couldn't think of the perfect gift for Rose and he sighed.
"Yeah, I'm…" whispered Adam and she brushed the hair from his eyes.
"Don't say that you're fine. You look like something's wrong. Are you thinking about him?"
"Who? Tony? He's fine."
"I meant the Doctor. We both know that Christmas isn't his favorite holiday."
"That isn't true. He had one favorite Christmas," said Adam and the memory of the Christmas the Doctor shared with Rose, Jackie and Mickey Smith after he had regenerated into the body that Adam shared with him flickered across his mind.
'Wait, that's it!' thought Adam when he moved back and walked to the bed. Rose looked at him as he sat on the bed, near the headboard, and she walked to the bed and sat down.
"Adam?" asked Rose, moving closer, and he had his eyes closed. She jumped when he snapped his eyes open and smiled.
"Rose, you know that River and I share a special bond, right?"
"Yeah, it's like the two of you can read each other's minds."
"It's because we can. River, like me, has telepathic abilities."
"You mean like the Doctor?"
"Yeah, but not on the same level as him, well, I might. The thing is I don't want you to feel left out."
"I don't. I can feel River in my mind."
"That's because she bonded, linked, with both of us. I'm talking us. I want to share everything with you. Every thought, every dream, everything! But, if we do this, we'll know each other completely. I mean inside and out. So, do you want to do this?"
Rose saw the seriousness in his eyes as she nodded and he smiled. Moving closer, Adam placed his fingers gently against her temples and locked eyes with her. She felt herself sinking into the warmth of his brown eyes as she placed her hand on his chest and his heart thumped against her fingers. She felt his mind in hers when she closed her eyes and saw him behind her eyes. A warm white light started to appear as she watched everything grow brighter and he walked to her. His hair was being blown by an invisible wind as he smiled at her and stroked her cheek.
"Hello," whispered Adam as she looked at him and moved her fingers over his bare chest. Suddenly she heard the sounds of a double heart beat, one slightly faster than the other, and he smiled at her. "Those are ours."
"What do we do now?" whispered Rose.
"You have to see me as I truly am," said Adam as he stood back and placed his arms out, palms up. Rose watched as blood dripped from his hands and the burnt remains of daleks surrounded him. Everything was black behind him and he titled his head to one side. "This is the real me."
"No, it isn't!" said Rose when something appeared behind her and he looked at it. A golden wolf rose up behind Rose as it growled at him and locked eyes with him.
"The Bad Wolf," whispered Adam as it moved toward him and stood in front of him.
"Do you truly believe that this is what you are?" asked the Bad Wolf.
"Yes," said Adam.
"Because he told you that you are?"
"Yes."
"Yet he gave you the most precious thing in his life."
"So she could heal me."
"And has she?"
"Yeah, but…"
"THERE ARE NO BUTS!"/growled the Bad Wolf, making him jump.
"I have killed."
"So has she or did you forget that she too destroyed the daleks in an act of rage and anger."
"No, I haven't forgotten that but that was different. She was trying to save the others and save him. I did it because I remembered that they were the reason that he didn't have a world or a people anymore. All I wanted to do was be rid of them forever."
"Have you killed anyone or thing since?"
"No."
"And what is the reason why you haven't if you believe yourself to be a killer?"
"Her," said Adam, looking over at Rose.
"She has taken the hurt, anger and pain from you?"
"Yes."
"Do you repent and have remorse for your actions?"
"Yes."
"Then all this is not necessary," said the Bad Wolf as a warm breeze blew over Adam and the darkness vanished. Adam looked at his hands, seeing that the blood was gone, as the Bad Wolf nodded and walked away. He watched it vanish as Rose walked closer and slid her arms around his waist.
"Blimey," whispered Adam as he looked at Rose and she kissed him. The double heart beats went faster and faster as they kissed and a golden light moved over them. Suddenly he saw all of her memories, doubts, concerns, fears and fantasies and she saw his. Everything they were floated around them as he held her closer and looked at her. Her eyes were shining in a golden light as were his and the golden light shimmered around them. "This is me, Rose Marion Tyler-Storm, do you accept me? Do you bond with me until we take our last breathes and our hearts are still for all eternity?"
"Yes, I do. This is me, Adam David Storm, do you accept me? Do you bond with me until we take our last breathes and our hearts are still for all eternity?" asked Rose, kissing his lips.
"Yes," whispered Adam, kissing her, and held her head in his hands. The golden light flared as they heard the sounds of the hearts beating in the same rhythm and Rose smiled.
"Now what do we do?"
"Open your eyes."
Rose opened her eyes as Adam smiled at her and she got off the bed. Adam followed her when he moved the blankets back and she slid onto the bed. Adam slid in next to her as he moved the blankets back and turned the lights off. Resting her head on his chest, Rose held him and he kissed the top of his head.
"So, did you like your present?"
"Yeah, but all I need for Christmas is you."
"Oh, so I can return the other presents I bought then?" teased Adam and she leered up at him.
"Don't you dare!"
"Ok, ok, geez!" laughed Adam, holding his hands up.
"Well, I suggest that we go to sleep because a certain little boy will have us up at the crack of dawn," said Rose, snuggling closer and he wrapped his arms around her.
"Merry Christmas, Sunshine."
"Merry Christmas," said Rose, closing her eyes. Adam smiled while he looked at the ceiling then closed his eyes and slowly drifted off to sleep.
--------------------------------
The End