Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who. Doctor Who is owned by the BBC.
With the Count Grendel of Gracht defeated, Strella and Reynart safe and the fourth segment of the Key to Time on their hands, Romana and the Doctor returned to the TARDIS to continue their search.
Inside the ship the Doctor was looking the chessboard for a game with K-9.
"Where have I left the damn board?", the Doctor asked angry with himself at not finding the chessboard.
"You should put some order in your closets from time to time", Romana reproached him seeing the untidy closet where her companion kept his 'junk'.
"I am a neat man... sometimes".
"You are untidy... always".
"You are exaggerating. She is exaggerating, isn't she, K-9?".
"The Mistress is right, Master".
"Oh, shut up K-9".
"I am going to my room. I leave you with your junk. Goodnight K-9".
"Good night, Mistress".
"Junk ... pfff", the Doctor snorted. "What does she mean by junk? These are not junk!".
"Junk: An object that is useless, it has no value or is cluttering up a site".
"What I said. These are not junk", he said as he put in the closet a tennis racket, a pair of skates, a bouncy ball, the Monopoly...
The Doctor turned his attention to a box which contained Christmas decorations.
"Do you know, K-9? We do not celebrate Christmas on Gallifrey".
"I know, Master".
"I have a little thing in mind. Will you help me?", he said with a mischievous smile on his face.
Romana got up from her bed; she dressed, combed her long black hair and went to meet the Doctor. Upon reaching the console room she saw it was slightly different as she left it the night before: bells, candles, candy canes, stockings, wreaths, mistletoe, Christmas balls ... the Time Lady did not know the reason for this strange decoration.
"Merry Christmas, Mistress", K-9 received her.
"It is not Christmas, K-9", Romana said the robot dog.
"I know, Mistress. But the Master told me yesterday that we should celebrate today a small Christmas party".
"Why?", Romana asked.
"Because you do not know what Christmas is", said the Doctor going into the console room.
"We are from Gallifrey, not from Earth, and I know what Christmas is: It is a Christian holiday that celebrates their God's birth, in which neither you nor I believe".
"Today Christmas is a celebration of family and social life, and that is what we are celebrating", the Doctor said.
"Doctor, although I think that it is lovely that you regard me as your 'family' we have more important things to worry about than a mere earth tradition. You should not have spent the night awake decorating the TARDIS so extremely naff", the Time Lady rebuked him.
The Doctor smiled.
"Nonsense, the decoration has not taken me a long time", he said. "You're forgetting a little Christmas tradition".
"Have you been writing carols?", Romana asked hoping the answer was 'no'.
"Nothing like that", the Doctor replied. Romana sighed with relief.
"I am referring to the tradition of gifts. As it is Christmas I am going to be good to you: today I am going to call you Fred".
"If that is your idea of a Christmas gift, why don't you call me Romanadvoratrelundar?".
"Because it is too long, even at Christmas. By the time I say Merry Christmas and your full name it is summer again".
"We are in the time vortex. Here there are no seasons".
"You lost your chance: 'thanks Doctor' would have been more appropriate".
"But ...", Romana began to say.
"Nothing", the Doctor said taking a Santa hat out his pocket and putting it on K-9's head. "This is for you".
"Gifts are not necessary, Master", the robot dog said.
"Do you see, Romana? In this way a gift is appreciated".
"Doctor, all this seems silly. I am going to see where the fifth segment of the Key to Time is hidden".
The Doctor took a small gift-wrapped package out his coat pocket and handed it to Romana before she could leave the room.
"Merry Christmas, Romana".
The Time Lady opened the package: in her hand she had a holiday water ball made of glass with a TARDIS in miniature inside. Romana shook the ball and the snow began to fall on the ship.
"Handmade", the Doctor said smiling.
"Have you spent the night doing this to me?", Romana asked amazed and grateful at the same time.
The Doctor nodded.
"You should not have bothered. I have nothing for you".
"No need. Your company and the K-9's is enough for me", he said.
"Mistress, the Master and you are under the mistletoe", said K-9.
"What does it mean?", Romana asked.
"Nothing", the Doctor said. "Norsemen and Celts dedicated the mistletoe to Baldr, god of spring…"
"Tradition says that if two people meet under the mistletoe they must kiss", K-9 said.
"Really?", she asked.
"Affirmative, Mistress".
"It is just a silly tradition without importance", the Doctor said.
"Were not you the one who wanted me to meet Christmas traditions? K-9, if two people kiss under the mistletoe must they begin a relationship?".
"Negative, Mistress".
Romana looked at the Doctor and smiled.
"I have my gift for you", she said giving the Time Lord a soft kiss on his lips. "Merry Christmas, Doctor".
The End