Ashildr sat in the main console room of the TARDIS they had been flying around, fiddling with the Santa hat that Clara had flung at her previously that day.
At the sound of Clara's footsteps, she glanced up. "I really don't know why you insist on celebrating this holiday. We literally travel through time. Holidays and dates on the calendar are irrelevant to us."
Clara, whose arms were full of Christmas crackers, sighed. "Because I love Christmas! We've been traveling around for probably three, four years of our own lives, and we haven't stopped to celebrate it once. I miss Christmas!"
Ashildr rolled her eyes, but sat the silly red hat on her head anyway. "Alright, fine. We'll celebrate. But I haven't had time to get you any gifts."
Clara set the crackers down on a chair and quickly made her way to Ashildr, a wide grin on her face. "You deciding to celebrate with me is all the gift I need. Also, you in that hat," she said. "You look adorable."
Ashildr couldn't help but smile when Clara complimented her. "Yeah yeah yeah, I know I look good," she said, posing with a giggle.
Clara nodded. "That you do."
Ashildr chuckled again. "Alright alright, let's get this Christmas thing started. What do we do first?"
Clara put a hand to her chin, thinking. "Well, we can start by pulling one of these Christmas crackers," she suggested. She went to grab one. "Now, you pull one end while I pull the other."
Ashildr nodded, taking the other end of the cracker in her hand.
"On the count of three."
"One... two... THREE!" the girls shouted in unison as the cracker made a loud cracking sound, and the contents of it fluttered to the floor. Clara immediately went for the green paper crown, which she sat on her head. Ashildr picked up a little piece of paper.
"Ooo, that should be the joke!" Clara said.
"Alright, I'll read it," Ashildr said, smoothing out the paper. She began.
"Twelve's hour is drawing late,
the clock is nearing one.
The hand is stuck,
but must let go
for the new day to dawn."
Ashildr furrowed her brow. "Well that isn't a very good joke, now is it? What kind of humor do you twenty-first century Londoners have?"
Clara shook her head slowly. "He's in trouble," she said softly.
"What do you mean he's in trouble? Who's in trouble? It's just a stupid unfunny joke, Clara."
"No, it's not. It's a sign. I've heard a poem like it before in a Christmas cracker, a long long time ago..."
Ashildr looked frustrated. "Please tell me what's going on. You're being annoyingly cryptic."
"It's the Doctor. He's in trouble. He's nearing the end of his twelfth life, but something is wrong, don't you get it? The hand is stuck, the regeneration process is somehow disturbed!"
Ashildr stared at her blankly. "You got all that from a stupid Christmas cracker poem?"
"Yes!" Clara exclaimed. "We have to go! We have to help him!"
Ashildr put a hand to her forehead, sighing. "Why? Clara, he doesn't even know who you are anymore. Wouldn't you be helping him more by staying away? You showing up would just confuse him..."
Clara glared at her. "We can at least try. Now get up, and help me pilot this TARDIS."
"Where do we even go? We don't have his coordinates..."
"The poem got to us somehow. We just have to trust it. Gimme the paper you read it from."
Ashildr handed it over. Clara read it once more, and then flipped it over to look at the back. A series of numbers was printed. "Yes!" she exclaimed excitedly, throwing her hands in the air. Ashildr managed a chuckle, and watched as Clara punched the numbers into the coordinates keyboard. Ashildr pulled a lever on the other side of the console, and away they went.
Clara stepped out of the TARDIS into a world of white, swirling snow. She walked a few steps, Ashildr close behind her. Soon, a familiar mop of grey hair came into view, and her stomach did a backflip. It was him. Beside him she saw a girl with dark skin, who she assumed must be his new companion. Clara bit her lip, ignoring the spike of jealousy. Ashildr came by her side and squeezed her hand.
"Thanks," she whispered.
"Of course. Would you like to go to him alone?" Ashildr whispered back.
"Yeah."
Clara walked towards him, feeling incredibly nervous. "Doctor," she called to him when she was a few feet away.
The Doctor whipped around, as did the girl beside him. His eyes went wide. Clara couldn't help but notice the orange light glowing around his hands as he gaped at her. It took him a moment, but then he said it. "Clara?" His voice sounded hollow.
Clara laughed in joy. "Yeah, it's me. You recognize me?"
The Doctor slowly nodded. He raised a glowing hand. "Perks of regeneration energy. Some lost memories have popped up."
Clara nodded. "So-so you're changing then?"
The Doctor sighed. "I don't want to. But Bill here, and old me are trying to convince me otherwise." He sounded grumpy.
"Old you?"
The Doctor glanced around. "Yeah, the first one. He's gone now, back to his own time. What are you doing here?" He drew near to her and grabbed her hand.
She smiled. "I heard you were in trouble."
"How?"
"A Christmas cracker poem, actually."
This made the Doctor smile. "It's Christmas?"
Clara nodded. "Yeah. Well, somewhere at some time, anyway."
The Doctor chuckled, and then pulled her into a hug. "Clara. My Clara. I'm so glad you're here."
"Me too."
"I don't want to go. I'm so tired of changing."
Clara pulled away so that she could see his face. "I know, Doctor, but you have to." Clara raised a hand to touch his face. "You have to. The universe needs you. A new day is dawning. You'll be okay."
"A new day, eh?"
"Yeah, that's what the poem said, anyway."
"Read it to me."
Clara stuck her hand in her pocket, pulled out the sheet of paper, and began to read.
"Twelve's hour is drawing late,
the clock is nearing one.
The hand is stuck,
but must let go
for the new day to dawn."
The Doctor listened, and he looked down at his hands. The glow wouldn't go away. He glanced behind him, to where Bill stood, tears running down her cheeks. He sighed.
"Alright." He reached out one hand to Bill and the other to Clara. They both took his hands and squeezed. He squeezed back.
"She's right. The universe needs you," Bill said.
The Doctor nodded, and then let his hands drop to his side. Tears ran down his cheeks, and he stepped back from them. He closed his eyes, and his hands began to glow more fiercely, his whole body began to glow.
"A new day is dawning."
A/N: I hope you enjoyed. Please leave a review, and happy holidays. :)