Christmas Shopping

by futbalfreak18

No, I don't own any of Doctor Who, nor do I lay any claim on them. Otherwise, Rose never would've been sent to another universe. NEVER!!

November 24, the day after Thanksgiving. The day each year that human civility died, and aggressive savagery conquered all semblance of progress since the days when Neanderthals roamed the earth.

The Doctor (9) watched with sleep-deprived horror as once woman pretended to be severely crippled to work her way up the two-mile line extending in front of this god-forsaken store. Did this woman have no morals? Cheating people out of half-priced bread machines and clothes steamers because their few remaining shreds of sympathy fueled her selfish desires. It was only 3:00 am. Maybe he should try.

This was by far the best time to go shopping on earth for Christmas…except for the "before the crack of dawn" thing. Everything was cheaper than dirt. But this was EARTH in the TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY. C'mon with a TARDIS he could co anywhere, anytime, and get a really good gift for Rose (because of course she was the only one he was shopping for). But that stupid fourth Doctor, had whisked the TARDIS away. He'd finally found his old control room (because the Doctors don't have time to redecorate, they only move from one section of the TARDIS to another) since he couldn't decipher the 9th Doctors counsel. Then he'd left Rose and the Doctor outside Jackie's apartment and disappeared saying he'd be back soon.

The Doctor was not happy. You couldn't just take a man's TARDIS and leave. He'd have to lock off the 4th Doctor's control room, and maybe tie him up…

The Doctor leaned against the brick wall of the store, trying to rest his sore feet. The store wouldn't open for another thirty minutes, and the Doctor hoped he could stay awake until then. He'd been there since 2:00 am, so there was no way he was having someone hold his place in line while he ran to get a coffee. With people like the severely crippled lady, you couldn't trust anyone. He'd gotten a darn good spot, and he wasn't going to let it go.

And he'd need it in order to get his target. He'd seen it in a magazine, but this store only had one. But with luck and a little fiddling with the sonic screwdriver the Doctor hoped to have the perfect gift. Rose would be so happy. He would do anything to make her happy, because you never knew what could happen. He knew this better than anyone, but he loved Rose more than anyone, ever. And she loved him. That's all that mattered.

With a smile on his face and a warm, tingling feeling coursing throughout his body, the Doctor resumed his place in line reenergized, and had to strongly resist the urge to trip the man who'd walked to his car and returned without legs or arms.

The fourth Doctor danced around the TARDIS counsel, pushing buttons here, pulling levers there, and in general caressing the entire structure. His beloved TARDIS. He'd found her, and he'd never lose her again. C'mon 70's décor never went out of style, and his TARDIS had been through it all. She was one companion who'd never leave. Not like Sarah Jane Smith and Leela…and Rose. Rose wouldn't always be there would she. The Doctor thought back to his wife, and children who had died in the time war. Suddenly thoroughly depressed and grumpy, he slumped against the wall of TARDIS by the coat rack. He covered his face with his hands, and sat there. He'd loved his wife and kids, and while he was never romantically involved with any of his other companions, he loved them nonetheless. But Rose…He didn't want to let go of Rose. He would be perfectly happy to end his days with her, but she was human. He still had hundreds of years left to live, and she only had decades.

The Doctor scooted across the walkway so that his back was now against the TARDIS counsel. He could feel and hear the rumble of her insides, almost as if she was humming to him to make him feel better. It reassured him.

"You're right", he said. "When you travel through all time and space, you don't have a definite future or past, so all you're left with this is the present." He smiled. He was still sad, but he couldn't remain so for very long. He and Rose would be as happy as they could be for what time they had.

And besides he had thought of the perfect present for her. She would be so happy. Grinning broadly at the mental image of a beaming Rose, he closed his eyes and settled into a light doze as he and the TARDIS hurtled off to find Rose's gift.

Rose lay wide awake in bed. It was sometime before dawn, because no light was coming in through the blinds. She should have been asleep. She normally slept until lunchtime, unless she had to get up for something. But it was Thanksgiving break right now, so nothing was going except shopping, and even for that she wasn't going to get up before the rooster. Except here she was staring at the dots that speckled her ceiling. She had told the landowner they were from a "paint effect" she had been trying. They were actually the birthing juices from a pregnant alien the Doctors had helped. She'd been both ecstatic and disgusted. An alien baby in her room, a slimy, gross alien baby in her room. Either way, it was a memory she'd never forget. And stains that would never go away. The Doctors had been so happy then. Both of them were ecstatic at the creation of new life. They were so cute that way.

However, the 4th Doctor was gone with the TARDIS and her Doctor was gone somewhere or other. Since the two were staying with Jackie, the Doctor had been given a different room, but that didn't stop him from coming in to hug her to sleep at night. He usually stayed with her until the first light of dawn came in and then he left. He'd never touch Rose within a million miles of Jackie, but she couldn't deny him this. He was so caring.

Rose rolled over in her sleep wishing she could feel his warm body laying next to hers. Even if he was only gone for a few minutes, she still missed his presence. The same went for the fourth Doctor two. She loved him just as much. Rose had fallen head over heels for the both of them, and she sincerely hoped no one would pick her up.

However, Rose had a conundrum. What kind of a Christmas present could she get them? She knew she still had a month, but who knew how long they would be on earth. She had a snowball's chance in hell of finding a gift while on an alien planet. It was now or never.

Whatever she got had to be special, and from the heart. She couldn't just get them the typical boyfriend gifts. Whatever those were. She and Mickey had gone out off and on for a couple of years, but never around Christmas time. Rose had terrible luck. Besides, Christmas was one of the most romantic times of the year. She couldn't just waste it.

A goofy, carefree Doctor, and a happy-go-lucky, oblivious Doctor. So much the same, but subtly different. Romantic, caring, goofballs. Rose sighed. She wished she was with them.

Wait…she got it. They'd be perfect, and travel-size too. Her gifts were going to be amazing. Content, Rose settled back down to try and catch a few more hours of sleep before Jackie came in, voice booming, to wake the world.

Within a few hours Rose's Doctor returned, and later in the day the fourth Doctor came back too. So off the trio went to travel and save the universe from itself. Over the course of the next month, Rose's Doctor spent a lot of time locked away in one of the TARDIS's work rooms (after locking the old control room of course), and the fourth Doctor worked in the green house most of the time, between forays outside of the TARDIS. Rose wondered what they could possibly be working on. She knew they were probably her Christmas presents. After all, what else could drag the Doctors away from her for so often, and so long.

Still, Rose took to talking to the TARDIS, when she was lonely and bored. Her gifts didn't need any maintenance. She knew talking to the TARDIS was a little weird, but the Doctors did it. Besides, she was a very good listener. Sometimes she would make a humming sound, that never failed to comfort Rose, especially after she called her mother and felt homesick.

It was through Jackie, that the trio kept time on the TARDIS. Traveling through time, meant it wasn't easy to celebrate Christmas, on the actual day. Nevertheless, based on Jackie's concrete passage of time, they celebrated Christmas on December 25, on a little white planet where men dressed like elves abounded.

"It's the North Pole", explained the ninth Doctor.

"What?", exclaimed Rose. "You've got to be joking."

"No, no. This is the North Pole. There wasn't enough room on earth to keep up with demand so Santa moved here."

"So Santa is an alien? Why would an alien want to travel around the world giving gifts to human kids? Besides, that's the parents job."

"How do you think Santa get around the entire world in one night? Alien tech. The cold weather? It's for his health. And why would he want to deliver gifts to kids? He's a businessman. He delivers toys and picks up cheap energy from happy humans the next day to sell at inflated prices to alien junkies across the universe. And the coal? Yes, some kids do get coal, and that's basically garbage drop off."

Rose turned to the fourth Doctor who had been silent. He had a big grin across his face, and he nodded at Rose's questioning look as she sought reassurance. Rose just gaped at the elves in awe, laughing quietly. Whenever she saw new technology, new horizons, or new species, a warm feeling would just fill her up to brimming, and she'd break out in laughter. Pulling the two Doctors close to her, she walked one on each arm out of the TARDIS door where they had been standing, into this new world.

Two steps out the door though, and the Doctors simultaneously started pulling her towards a spot to the left of the TARDIS where no elves, or reindeer-aliens stood.

"Now you see," said the fourth Doctor, "We've called ahead, and reserved ourselves a space of the best snow and winter landscape in all of the universe."

"You 'called ahead'?" Rose asked.

"Well, you might say that the head honcho owes us some favors for saving the earth so many times. So he just gave us this" continued the Doctor, pointing at the ground they were now standing on.

Suddenly, a white blur came flying past the back of Rose's head, and hit the fourth Doctor right in the face. Rose turned to find her Doctor grinning like a madman with another snowball being packed in his gloved hands. She hadn't noticed when he had slipped out of her arm. The Doctor then stood up and threw this second snowball at Rose. She ducked, and it hit the fourth Doctor again, just as he had gotten the first wiped off.

A dark, scary look covered the fourth Doctor's face, as the second snowball was cleaned off. Both Rose and the other Doctor stared, worried they had seriously ticked him off. The fourth Doctor then released the snow that he had wiped off his face and repacked into a hard little ball. A broad smile stretched from ear to ear. The snowball hit the ninth Doctor in the face, who smiled in return. Rose watched with fear as the two Doctors shared a look, a nod, and then began to step towards her slowly. She began to back away. Without warning, the two rushed her, shoved some snow down her coat, and the raced away to a nearby copse of trees. Rose heard muffled laughter from an elf that was standing on a hill overlooking the Doctors area. Those two would not get away.

The trio continued to have a snowball fight for the next hour. By the end, Rose was by far the definitive winner. She remained fairly unscathed, while both of the Doctors were covered with snow.

Exhausted Rose fell back into the snow. She lay there for a moment, before she began to wave her arms and legs making possibly the best snow angel in the history of snow angels. Everything Rose did was perfect. Soon both of the Doctors were next to her making their own angels, although the fourth Doctor was having some problems with his scarf, and the ninth had laid down a little to close to Rose so he kept bumping into her. Nonetheless the three angels came out well enough, and the three time travelers lay there for a few moments recuperating. The fourth Doctor got up first.

"Now, you can't have fun in the snow without building snowmen" he said.

"You're right" agreed Rose, getting to her feet. "But I call building the Slitheen snowman."

"You can do that?' asked the ninth Doctor. His eyes went wide, and an expression of almost innocent shock covered his face. Rose loved how he could be so sweet and child-like at times, and still serious and dangerous at others.

"Of course," she replied. "I am Rose, snow queen, I can do anything." She smirked. "That is, only if my Doctors are close by."

The two turned bright red. Rose giggled.

"You guys shine brighter than Rudolph's nose." She was laughing fully now.

The Doctors' mouths turned down into identical frowns, but Rose ignored them and began building her life-size Slitheen.

It took her an entire hour to finish, but the time she was done Rose was quite proud of herself. Her Slitheen had branches for claws, a nice fat stomach, and was a full 14 feet tall. She'd had to use a stump to reach the top, but the overall effect was very impressive. Job well done.

Turning back to the Doctors, Rose found the two of them huddled, hiding something with their backs. They hadn't noticed her. To her left, Rose saw the fourth Doctor had built a snow-K-9. She wanted to go hug it, but she didn't want to melt it. K-9 was so sweet. To her right, Rose saw a miniature TARDIS about the size of a dog-house. Rose smirked. No one could match her snowman skills. Still, it was very accurate, and even had the "POLICE BOX" carved into the side.

Rose noticed a small engraving about halfway up the right side. She knelt down to get a closer look. It was the outline of a heart, and inside were the words "Doctor and Rose Forever". Rose could feel her heart melting. It had taken him forever to admit he liked her, but he had to be the most caring and loving man in all the universe. Looking over to snow K-9 again, she noticed that the lovable dog had hearts behind his view screen. How had she not noticed this? Okay, so the Doctor was definitely the most loving man in all his forms.

Rose stood up. The two Doctors were still busy working away at whatever their project was. They were so oblivious. Rose lifted herself up on tiptoe and crept over to so that she was just behind. She was worried they'd sense her she was so close, but they remained focused on their project. Rose had to resist the urge to look over their shoulders and see what they were working on, but she knew that they'd be sorely upset. They hated it when she ruined their surprises. So instead she pulled her hands out of her gloves with her teeth, and shoved her cold hands up under the back of their shirts and coats.

She could almost see their hair rise up. If only the ninth doctor had a little more, and the fourth a little less. They turned to her. Their faces held a mixture of shock and anger and a look that clearly said "I'm a little peeved, but nothing you do could ever really upset me". Rose couldn't resist a little smirk. They'd do anything for her.

" 'm dmome" she said. The gloves muffled her speech. She tried to smile without letting them fall out of her mouth.

The ninth Doctor looked over at the fourth who nodded. The fourth Doctor turned back to whatever it was they were working on, and the ninth Doctor swiveled so he faced Rose.

Gently taking the gloves from her mouth he replaced them with his lips, which pressed against hers sweetly and lovingly. They stayed that way whiled the Doctor put Rose's gloves back on her hands. He then interlaced his fingers with hers, and held her for a few more moments. Finally, he pulled away, and looked into her eyes. He was beaming.

"We have something to show you. Close your eyes" he said. She did as he asked. She could hear the two Doctor's murmuring a few feet away, but she couldn't tell what they were saying. Not even the birth of a new galaxy, or the destruction of earth could make her open her eyes though. Not now the Doctor had told her to. When she said she the Doctors would do anything for her, she should have added that she'd do anything for them too.

After a few moments she felt the brush of a scarf, and a gentle kiss pressed against her forehead.

"You can open your eyes" she heard the fourth Doctor say, in that voice which was simultaneously seductive and caring. How did he manage that?

Her eyelids fluttered open. Rose felt her breath leave her body in an enormous exhalation. She may have been the universe's best snowman-builder, but she was now solidly in third place. Before her stood three figures. On her left, was a life-size ninth Doctor, complete with snow-leather coat and short-cropped hair. To her right, was a slightly taller fourth Doctor who was identical to the actual one. Except he was white. But he still had curly hair, a hat, and a scarf that forwent logic. And right in front? Was a completely true-to-life Rose. Jacket, jeans, and nose were sculpted to perfection. Rose even checked the bust size, and they were true to that too. Nothing was enhanced. She was flattered they knew her so well.

Rose's gaze began to take a closer look now she had taken in the initial view. The figures were exactly like the actual people. How could they be so good? Rose saw now that snow-Rose held both of the Doctors' hands in hers.

"It's…It's beautiful." she gasped. "You guys are amazing." She looked first at the fourth Doctor and then at the ninth. "I love you."

The two knelt in simultaneously and kissed her on the cheek. The ninth on Rose's left, and the fourth on her right. Then they each grabbed an arm, and turned her around so they were heading back towards the TARDIS.

"I love you too" said the fourth Doctor. Then on seeing the ninth Doctor's frown, "And I suppose that guy does too. But not as much." He beamed at her, a smile stretching from ear to ear.

"I thought we agreed to be nice today" said the ninth Doctor.

"I am being nice."

"No, you're not."

"Yes, I am."

"No, no you're not."

"Yes, I-…"

"Stop!" interjected Rose. They were coming up on her snow-Slitheen about thirty feet from the TARDIS "Look. It's Christmas. Be nice and I'll give you a present." She gave a coy smirk and watched the Doctors' ears perk up. "But be bad and all you won't get anything. Except maybe some coal to keep you warm while you sleep outside the TARDIS." That had them cowed. Even though the TARDIS was theirs, they both knew she was perfectly capable of locking them out.

Just as they were about to pass the snow-Slitheen when the two Doctors broke away from her. They dashed up to the snow-alien. The ninth Doctor stretched an arm out lobbing off the beast's head, and the fourth Doctor brought his right arm across the Slitheen's stomach in a karate chop, effectively slicing it in half. Like in the cartoons, after about a second, the entire structure collapsed into a snowy mess.

Rose rushed up, and punched each Doctor in the arm.

"Hey, you ruined my snow-Slitheen." she said.

"Habit" replied the ninth Doctor.

"Reflex" explained the fourth.

"Shameful" she said, but she couldn't help smiling. "Absolutely shameful. You were two are so bad sometimes. You better promise to help me make a normal snowman before we leave"

"Promise" they spat out in world record time. Never upset the Rose. The two reattached themselves to her sides as she walked by and didn't say another word the entire way back to the TARDIS.

Holding both of the TARDIS doors open for her, the Doctors waited until she was inside before they shut the door. Unseen by Rose they shared a quick nod. The ninth Doctor slipped away silently behind one of the TARDIS doors, as the fourth blindfolded Rose with his scarf.

"Doctor" she protested. But only a little.

He spun her around so she was facing him, before he removed the scarf of a thousand miles. They were only a few feet away from the door that led back outside.

The Doctor kissed her nose.

"You're cold" he said. He proceeded to kiss her entire face. He started at her left ear and gently kissed down her jaw line to her chin. He then stopped to press his lips against hers, before continuing up the other side of her jaw to her other ear. The Doctor didn't notice as Rose's hands looped themselves around his neck, and he didn't mind when she spun them around so that she was against the TARDIS door. He pulled her into a close embrace, when they heard a door open across the counsel room.

"Hey now," the ninth Doctor said. "There is to be no necking in my presence, unless I am involved."

"Well then, you better get over here" replied Rose. The ninth Doctor gave her a warm smile. He was just about to bound over to where she stood, when the fourth Doctor stopped him. He moved so that he stood, ready to step in should the ninth Doctor continue forward. Not even Christmas or Rose's threats were going to keep him from trying to hinder the ninth Doctor. He'd only be more discreet.

"Uh, is everything ready?" asked the fourth Doctor

"Yeah, its ready. Y'know you were supposed to blindfold her while I was gone, not smother her."

"I did, I just took it off. And now I'll do it again."

Again? thought Rose, as the scarf came back down over her eyes.

"Just hold on Rose, and I promise I won't drop you" said the fourth Doctor. As he was talking, Rose felt herself lifted up off her feet. Dang, the fourth Doctor was tall. There was a hand under her knees, and another under her shoulders. At first, she was a little disconcerted, especially as they began to move. However, she was soon quite comfortable, and only kept from curling into this Doctor's chest because she knew it would upset the other. She'd have to make it up to the ninth Doctor, since he'd seen them snogging. Not that she didn't snog in private with him too, but if there was one thing she had learned after living with two Doctors, it was that she had to pamper each one or else they'd get sulky and depressed. It was terrible when they were like that.

Before she knew it, Rose was being set down on a warm, fuzzy surface. She could feel waves of heat radiating off of a source in front of her. Where on earth in the TARDIS was she? The fourth Doctor's scarf was soon removed to reveal a large, glowing fire, a king-sized bed behind, a Christmas tree with presents in the corner, and a polar bear fur rug?

"This is…unusual décor for you Doctor" Rose said. She was okay with it though. In fact, the idea of a fur rug beside a roaring fire with two loving Doctors sounded awfully nice right now.

The ninth Doctor must have read her thoughts, for when she looked at him he was staring pointedly at the Christmas tree.

"It was designed by the sixth Doctor" he explained. "He had rather…creative tastes." Rose barely heard him mutter something about a multicolor coat and flaming pants before he continued.

"But no matter how he looked he will always be remembered. Now enough of him, on to presents!"

"Mine first" said the fourth Doctor. The ninth seemed he was content with this, as he handed the fourth Doctor his present to give to Rose.

"I traveled all the way to France to get that. Had a great time though. I wish you could've been there. Those people love jelly babies."

Rose opened the gift with care. It was wrapped in silver paper and was rather heavy. A red bow topped the gift which was shaped like a cylinder with a domed top.

Pulling away the paper, Rose saw, well, a rose. Except this one was encased in glass, and just happened to be floating. Only a single rose, but sparkled and caught the light to make it look as if it were made of crystal.

"It's beautiful" she said quietly, completely gob smacked.

"Like I said," the fourth Doctor began, "I had to go to France to get that. It's made by the same witch who cursed the Beast." He couldn't help smiling at Rose's reaction.

"Yes, they did really exist." he continued. "I helped her with a malfunctioning broom, so she made that for me. It will continue to bloom and grow even, until the improbable day that I no longer love you. And then it would die. But that will never happen."

Rose leaned towards him and kissed him sweetly.

"Thank you so much" she said.

"Well, flapdoodle. I never thought I could feel this good." he replied.

"Now it's my turn." The ninth Doctor seemed particularly eager, so Rose set the Rose down carefully by her side.

The Doctor gave her a tiny package wrapped all in red.

"I figured he'd get a rose, so I tried to be a little different." explained the Doctor.

Rose took the paper off, unveiling a ring box. She opened the lid. Inside, was a tiny gold ring with a small ruby heart sitting on the thin band. The ruby was not light, but it wasn't dark either. It was the just right sort of medium tone that implied this was a truly one-of-a-kind ring.

"Now I also fiddled with it a bit." the Doctor said. Rose loved his "northern" accent. "With some work with the sonic screwdriver and all the facilities in my work shop, I was able to attach it to the TARDIS. It will only work once, but if you're ever really in a jam, you can close your eyes and when you open you'll be back in the TARDIS. Doesn't matter where you are." He ended, looking at her, face tense, waiting to see what her final say would be.

That was her Doctor. Combining the practical with the beautiful, and never thinking he was amazing. Most of the time.

"It's gorgeous. I love it, and I'll wear it forever. Thank you" she said. She leaned in, and kissed him too, a little more passionately than the fourth Doctor. He deserved it though, since he had seen them snogging.

"I suppose it's my turn then. I feel a little nervous now. Both of your gifts are amazing, and mine is so…ordinary. But here you are." She handed each of them a tiny package. She waited nervously while they opened them.

The Doctors finished unwrapping at the same time. In each packet was a locket, the fourth's was gold, while the ninth's was silver. The lockets were both heart-shaped and engraved on the front was a rose within a smaller heart. Within the lockets, were pictures of Rose with the Doctor to whom the locket belonged.

"I thought this way you two could never…forget me." Rose started to cry a little, and soon silent sobs were wracking her body. She hadn't meant to cry. It just made her so sad to think that someday…she wouldn't…be with the Doctors.

The fourth Doctor came up behind her, and hugged her. He was murmuring that he'd never forget her, and he'd always love her, but Rose could feel tears landing on her shoulders. The Doctor himself, couldn't help, but think back to when he had been leaving to get Rose's Christmas present.

The ninth Doctor's face was focused on the locket still, but it had grown serious. Slowly, he moved until he was in front of Rose. He lifted her face in both hands and began to kiss her tears away.

"Rose," he began "We will always love you, and we will never forget you. I love your present." Rose could feel the fourth Doctor nod behind her. "Besides, you forgot to tell me you scratched that little note in there."

Rose remembered. She had scratched "I love you" on the back of both lockets. Oops, she'd left that detail out.

"And you know what," he continued "I," he kissed her, "Love", another kiss, "You. For now and forever."

Rose was still crying, but she was slowly beginning to regain control of herself. She didn't usually cry like this. The Doctors never failed to cheer her up.

Suddenly, a load buzzer started going off throughout the TARDIS. Both of the Doctors got up and sprinted to the main control room, with Rose not far behind.

As soon as they stepped in the room, the buzzer stopped. Rose heard a sound like a metal hatch shutting on the other side of the counsel near the outer door, but her attention was called to the monitor in the counsel panel.

"A Christmas gift from me to you, a Christmas gift from me to you, a Christmas gift from me to you…," intoned a cool, feminine voice. It sounded like a lady from a commercial. The screen then flashed on a blurry image in black and white. It showed Rose and both of the Doctors sharing gifts beside a large Christmas tree. There was no sound, but there was the impression that there was movement off screen. There was also a man that Rose didn't recognize sitting in a chair by a fire. He had an opera coat on and puffy white-blonde hair. There was a calendar in the background, and the Rose strained to see the year. 20...20 something. But given the way Rose looked, it must be years from now. Wait…years from now, and she was still with the Doctor?

The screen went blank. Rose looked first to the ninth Doctor, to the other, and back again.

"It could be illusion" said the ninth.

"Or an alternate reality" said the fourth.

"But it could be true" said Rose.

The trio knew it could be false hope, but nevertheless it settled their minds. Each of them felt as if an enormous weight had been taken off their shoulders.

The three shared a wide grin. "And you know what," Rose continued, "That warm fire and bear rug sound really nice right now. And you know what else?" She smiled coyly. "I think you two have been very good boys. So let me fetch the whipped cream and cherries from the fridge. Then we can get started."