Forgive me, please don't think badly of me. I simply couldn't resist. If it was any of them, I could see it being HIM.

This is just purely crazy, enjoy yourself!

W.W.M.

The Shock of the Season

~*~-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------~*~

Ace ran from the room, her eyes wide. Hands clasped over her mouth as if she was some silly school girl.

She leaned on the metal wall and sniffled through her fingers. She usually was far too tough to be acting so immature, but, she couldn't stop it.

The door beside her opened. The Doctor peeked his head out. "Ace, let me explain-"

Ace kept her hands over her mouth, tears dribbling down her cheeks. "Is that what you do while your companions sleep?!" She glanced at him, only to erupt again, slinking down the wall to the floor.

He crouched beside her, which made her scoot away.

Her strength gone from her current emotional state.

He scowled a little. "Oh, come along, Ace!"

She nodded, trying to compose herself. "Yeah. Yeah, Professor." She found something in that sentence worth starting all over again.

The Doctor sighed, and fingered the edge of his coat pocket. Just to keep his hands occupied. "Ace!"

He glanced back through the door behind him. Everything was still in order, although, there was a mess of small packing peanuts scattered. He'd dropped them when she came in.

Ace dabbed her eyes with the edge of her striped shirt and looked at him.

A huge smile tugged the corners of her mouth, and she began laughing at him, again.

"This is just brill'!" She motioned to his clothing, bursting out with a hearty laugh and falling over onto the floor.

He'd never before seen her have such a laugh attack. He'd been able to make her giggle, but, this was something he'd never encountered before. Refusing to be cowed, he smoothed out his red clothing, it was rather nice in the right lighting.

She was composing herself, slowly gaining control. Ace was smirking as she looked up. "I never would have suspected it, not from you, Professor…"

He rose an eyebrow, "Oh, really?" He rolled the 'R' and that sent Ace into a series of un-lady like snorts as she tried to stop herself. He stiffly got to his feet, what pride he had left a little wounded.

His hands went to the buttons, "Ace, must I change, for us to have a serious conversation?"

He was scowling. Wondering if there was anyway he could erase her memory…He'd been rather deft at Hypnotism at one point. If he could get back into the swing of that…

"Oh, come along, Ace! This doesn't change anything!"

She responded by grabbing her stomach as she tried to ease the stitches in her side. "Oh, Professor, you look like Father Christmas!" Ace went into another fit.

He straightened the jacket and opened and closed his mouth before finding an answer. "I know! You think I went out and bought this for a wedding?" He paused, "Unless, it's a wedding on Seffix, which this would be perfectly accept-"

Ace blotted her eyes again. "-You're telling me, you're Saint Nicholas?" She swallowed hard, trying to keep down the giggles.

"That's so hard to believe?" He felt a smirk of his own slowly rising.

She got to her feet, looking him over. "Where's the beard?"

He pulled a white tuft from his black belt.

Ace roared with laughter as he put it on.

"Would you like to come with me? I'm making all the deliveries for 1978 and 1883 tonight." He rolled the word 'Deliveries' and smiled underneath the rubbish beard.

Ace's face lit up."WICKED!" Then, the smile faded. "Professor…"

He blinked at her, as they walked into the room full of packages. "Yes, Ace?

She looked around with a mix of awe and worry, wrapping a hand tightly around her hip.

"Does that mean I have to dress like an Elf?"

.