A/N: So... er, hello. I'm Bri. I'm 14 and I live in the US. This is my first story on . I joined about 5 minutes ago. This isn't even close to being done, so, please be kind with reviews, I'd appreciate it. :)
The door of the blue box opened with a creak, and a man with the long brown coat and spiky brown hair stepped out and peered around. He tapped an earpiece on his right ear and said something into it, then he strode into a back alley and onto the sidewalk next to the busy street in Chiswick, England. He blinked into the bright sunlight, which remained undaunted by the heavy grey clouds promising a snowy evening. All around him, people in heavy coats and stocking caps scuttled busily around the shops, admiring the elaborate window displays and the garlands strung onto the lampposts. Children pointed at various windows and cried, "Ooh, can I have that for Christmas, Mummy?" A windup plaster Father Christmas jerkily waved at passerby from a street corner.
The Doctor grinned. England was his favorite place to be for the holidays.
"So, what are you actually hoping to achieve?" came a girl's voice from the other end of the earpiece. "Are there more intergalactic Christmas visitors to England this year or something?"
"Not that I know of," said the Doctor. "Well, they could always be going by galactic standard time, which could mean that they planned to attack on Christmas but end up 4,982 days late by Earth time… but in the meantime I just want to enjoy the holidays." He chuckled. "You humans. It's ridiculous how you all go batty about a perceptively tiny thing. Brilliant, but ridiculous."
"I still don't get why you're so close to where I live, but you still leave me stranded here with Mum. Why couldn't you go someplace further away? Like… I don't know –"
"I was going to go to Anagonia, but as they're currently in the middle of World War 873 I thought I wouldn't interfere. Besides, I like it here."
"But what if something happens?"
"Come on, Rose. This earpiece will make it feel like you're here with me the whole time. Except when you sleep. I don't really want to hear that. Besides, it's Christmas in England. What could possibly happen?"
"Remember last Christmas?"
"Ennh. I'll be awake the whole time this time. Besides, this was the only compromise I could make with your mother. She insisted on having you home for the holidays, and if I didn't agree she threatened to cut off my – well, anyway, I barely got her to agree to the headpiece. She wanted me away so she could spend a nice quiet Christmas with you."
"Quiet! Ha!" Rose's snort of derision caused the earpiece to squeak painfully, and the Doctor winced. "It's barely been quiet with her newboyfriend over!"
"She's got another one?"
"She dumped Harold… four months ago?"
"Can't believe she kept him for that long."
Rose laughed. "Well, anyway, he's about as thick as a birch rod but he's a laugh enough. The trouble is, he plays the Rick Astley Christmas Album on full volume every evening and dances like a drunkard. Quiet indeed."
"By the way, your mum says you're not to wear the earpiece at dinner, and she also told me to tell you that Mr Martens wants you to shovel his driveway every time it snows while his son's on holiday, and that you're not getting paid for it. She said she'd take it better from me than her."
"Muuuum!" The earpiece crackled and went silent. Evidently Rose was about to say some things to her mother she didn't care for the Doctor to hear.
The Doctor chuckled out loud and put the earpiece in one of his pockets for the time being. It would beep when he had an incoming message from Rose, so he could relieve himself of it for now.
As much as he hated to admit it to himself, it was rather nice having a holiday to himself, if just for this time. He loved Rose's company, but in case anything did happen she was better off at Jackie's. Maybe that was how it should be, to keep her out of trouble….
Stop thinking like that, he snapped at himself. She wanted to come along and you let her. You told her about the danger and she came anyway. It was her choice.
And what would I do without her, he thought. Certainly he didn't want to go back to being by himself. He didn't think he could stand it. Besides, he loved having Rose around – in a way, she understood everything. Maybe not scientifically, but there was no denying she was clever.
He continued walking and looking around at the Christmas-decked city. The flyers in the store windows advertised Christmas concerts and readings, 50% of this and a great holiday deal on that. But one flyer caught his eye.
Are You Ready For The Next Attack?
I don't know how long it will take to continue this, so please be patient. I love to write, but I'm still learning and I'm new to this website. Cheers! -Bri
