Christmas in Pete's World

The crackling fire sent sparks dancing around the dry logs in the fireplace. A soft echo of 'the Christmas Song' whispered into the front room from the kitchen. The room was dark other than the white lights wrapped around the much too tall tree sitting in the corner, it's highest branches brushing the ceiling of the short flat. Piles of unwrapped presents lay scattered around the floor. Ripped pieces of paper were stuffed into an old grocery bag.

Rose's head was resting on the Doctor's chest as they lay on the couch. His hand mechanically caressed her arm. "Did you enjoy this Christmas?"

Rose's doey brown eyes gazed up into the Doctor's. Her lips parted, revealing a wide grin, and his soon mirrored. "Of course. How 'bout you?"

His eyes shifted from hers to the fire once more. In the background, 'Baby it's Cold Outside' began playing. "This is the best Christmas I've ever had."

Rose shook her head. "Ever? You're over 900 years old."

"Well," Suddenly, his weight shifted and he sat up, forcing Rose to pull herself upright before she fell over. "This is the first Christmas I've had here. In this body. In this universe."

Rose cast her eyes down. It had been such a difficult year. Finding the Doctor again. Being sent back here with the half-human Doctor. Adjusting. Beginning again. Such a long road to get to where they were now. Yet she wouldn't have missed any of it for the world.

The Doctor's hand intertwined with hers. Their eyes met once more and two wide smiles glowed in the firelight. His eyes focused behind her. Snow had begun to fall lightly onto the windowpane. "Follow me."

He jumped up off the couch with such velocity that Rose's eyes widened. It took her an extra moment to join him by the door. "Where are we going?"

"You'll see!"

The Doctor pulled open the door and stepped out into the porch. His bare feet were already starting to turn pink on top of the layer of snow covering the concrete. Rose stayed in the doorway. "I'm not going out there! We'll get hypothermia!"

"We won't. I promise. Just come stand here."

Reluctantly, Rose put one foot down onto the ice cold ground, then another. She hissed in a breath as a shiver went down her spine. The Doctor took her hand. It felt warmer now than it had before. "What are we doing?"

"Just wait."

His eyes were glued to the falling snowflakes, which were coating his hair and t-shirt in a layer of white. Her blinked a few out of his eyes. Rose eyes him with both wonder and suspicion.

Finally, he stuck his tongue out and caught a drop of snow. The freshness cooled his mouth as it evaporated. With a look to Rose, he smiled. "Our first snow in the new world."

Rose's lips curled into a grin before she herself caught a snowflake on her tongue. She didn't care that it wasn't exactly her first snow in this universe. She didn't care that they were probably going to be laid up in bed because of this escapade. She didn't care that the cold was stinging her feet and taking feeling out of her hand. This was her new life. This was actually happening. Against all of the odds, they had found each other. They were happy. This was the best Christmas ever.