THE CHRISTMAS WISH
This is a plot bunny which refused to let go of my mind. It is a Thirteenth/Rose story not in the canon of the series. It also features Trillion, the faerie from my Cinderella series, and "The Trouble With Wands." This story occurs a little after some other stories in the series, and has the Doctor married to Rose. It is an Alternate Universes story and happens a little before "The Child's Pets".
For those who don't know, Alexis Denisof is Doctor Number Thirteen, a younger David Tennant is Davin, and an older Billie Piper is Rose Tyler.
As usual, the disclaimer that I don't own any publicly recognizable characters applies. Trillion, Davin and Torry are mine, however.
The Doctor and Rose walked the snow covered streets of Northern England, pausing to look at the lights. Davin and Victoria, who was Davin's companion, followed close behind, the former carrying the packages Torry had bought.
"Tell me once again why we're doing this?" The young Time Lord asked, his face showing displeasure that he was carrying so many packages. "I mean, couldn't you have gone the gift card route?"
"That's so impersonal," Victoria complained. "I am a very personal girl."
"As long as you have a slave to carry for you," Davin grumbled in Gallifreyan so that Victoria could not understand him. After the others finished checking out the light displays, the dark haired man turned down the road toward his TARDIS. The Doctor, who was now a few feet in front of his son, said nothing at his son's complaint but turned toward Davin, giving a stern look at the young man.
"What was that?" the titian haired woman asked, raising a brow.
"Nothing," Davin answered, fibbing. "I just said 'as long as you have your friend carrying your packages for you'".
Victoria glared at Davin (even though his face was blocked by the packages and he couldn't see her), whipping out her TARDIS key and opening the door. All four walked into Davin's console room.
Davin muttered, "So you don't have anything fragile in here, yeah? Good, well…" he dropped the packages to the floor.
"Hey!" Torry yelled. "Just because there's nothing fragile in there doesn't mean I want you to just dump them anywhere!"
"Davinnnn…" Rose said warningly. "Apologize to your companion."
Davin crossed his arms, scowling. "Don't want to," he said.
"Davin, tis the season," the Doctor said, thinking toward him, besides, if you don't apologize, you'll never hear the end of it.
"I'm sorry," Davin mumbled.
"Okay," Torry replied grudgingly. She glanced at the Doctor, inquiring, "party's in your TARDIS, right?"
The older Time Lord nodded, saying, "follow me." All four left Davin's ship and entered the blue box sitting next to Davin's red one.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
The quadruple sipped hot apple cider in the living room and listened to carols.
"Great party, Father," Davin praised as he drank some more cider.
"Yeah, I thought a quiet get together like this would be boring, but after facing down so many family get togethers with difficult relatives, and monsters, especially around holiday time, it seems anti-climactic. That's refreshing," Torry commented.
Rose helped herself to some Christmas goodies and nodded her approval. "Love the decorations, Theta," she said.
"Thanks," the Doctor replied, taking his wife's hand in his, and smiling.
Just then, a bright light shined in the room. When the light winked out, a man dressed in a green sweater and tights with a shock of red hair and dragonfly's wings materialized. Mischief and excitement danced in his deep, blue eyes.
"Trillionanaoscapie," the Doctor greeted.
"Doctor," the male faerie greeted back. He looked at the older Time Lord and commented, "You've changed again, I see."
"So, I have," the Doctor commented. "What are you doing here?"
"Well, I finished my Christmas missions, and I came to give you my Christmas present," Trillion told the 1200-year-old.
"I'm almost afraid to ask what it is," the Gallifreyan muttered, earning a snort from the fae.
Victoria cleared her throat, saying, "Excuse me, but aren't you going to introduce us to your friend, Doctor?"
Turning back to his son and Torry, the Doctor told them, "This is a fairy I know, Trillionanaoscapie. To the fae, the Doctor said, "and this is my son, Davin."
He gestured to the dark haired man dressed in a pinstriped brown suit with a Hawaiian print shirt beneath, "and his current companion, Victoria Sage." He pointed to the red orange haired woman with a brown top and blue jeans. Turning to Trillion, the Doctor said, "You know Rose."
"Hello," Trillion said, using a high five sign. "You can call me Trillion."
"Where's Cinderella?" Rose asked.
"Back home, resting," the fey answered. "She's expecting, so this is gonna be a short visit."
"He's married to a woman named Cinderella?" Torry whispered.
"Not a woman named Cinderella, but the woman named Cinderella," Trillion emphasized.
He pulled out his white wand, and waved it once. A beautifully wrapped box appeared. "This is your Christmas present, Doctor," he explained.
The Doctor took the box in his hands, commenting, "It feels light."
"There's nothing in it," Trillion said, adding, "at least, nothing physically in it."
"I don't understand," the older Time Lord replied, shaking the box.
"That contains your wish," Trillion responded. "The box is sort of like a failsafe option. See, you have to wish for, or command that something be done, then take the lid off. Once the lid is removed, the wish will be granted. Choose wisely 'cause it can't be taken back."
The Doctor was speechless for a moment, then, clearing his throat, said, "Well, all, any ideas?"
"You know all of your selves pictured in the other room, yeah?" Rose asked. "How about you wish to spend Christmas with them?"
"And without Daleks, Cybermen, or the Master or any other assorted monsters spoiling it?" Victoria put in.
"I don't know…" the Doctor said, considering. "Disrupting the time streams to bring them here is risky."
"Not if the magic of the fey helps you, it isn't," Trillion corrected. The Doctor mulled over the suggestion Rose provided, then grinned.
"Okay!" he decided. "I'll do it!" He opened the box, saying, "I wish I could spend Christmas with my other selves without any problems in the Time Streams and with no interruptions by monsters, villains or disturbances of any kind." A glittering light emerged from the box, then the box disappeared.
"Bravo, Doctor," Trillion praised the Gallifreyan. He pulled a whistle out of his pocket and handed it to the older Time Lord, saying, "just in case you need me, blow on this once, and I will come to you instantly."
"I don't think I will," the Doctor said. "Still, it's better to have this and never need it than to not have it and need it." He slipped the whistle into his black pants' pocket. After saying his goodbyes to everyone, Trillion dematerialized.
"Wow!"Victoria breathed. "You guys sure know how to put on a show!"
"So, when do you think your other selves will come?" Rose asked.
"They should be here in a moment," the Doctor responded. As if on cue, the sound of a TARDIS materializing could be heard. The quadruple group emerged from the Doctor's ship in time to see a baggy trousered little man come out of another blue box.
"I don't understand," he muttered, taking in the humongous back yard. "This doesn't resemble Canada at all."
"Mebbe you got the coordinates wrong again, Doctor," a voice with a more pronounced Scottish accent than Davin's said. The owner of the voice emerged; he was a young Scottish man named Jamie McCrimmon, one of the Doctor's companions.
"Wrong? WRONG?!" the second Doctor shouted, bristling. "I don't get things wrong!"
"Twoie's here," the current Doctor mouthed to Rose and the others. Aloud he said to his previous self and Jamie, "Blame that on me. I wanted you here, so I wished for you."
The second Doctor and Jamie turned to see a slightly older looking man with spiky black hair and a camel colored suede jacket staring at them. "Doctor, who're they?" Jamie asked.
Doctor Number Two indicated the older looking man, saying, "he is me…and those must be his current companions," he pointed to Rose, Davin and Victoria.
Another two TARDISes materialized. From the first one, a white haired man in an Edwardian frock coat exited. He was followed by a young twenty something man and a girl who looked like something out of the swinging 1960s. The man was dressed in a sailor's uniform; the girl was dressed in a mini skirted dress.
"Doctor, you've botched things up again," the girl complained in a high pitched voice.
"Young man," he said in an authoritative voice to the man beside the girl, "kindly tell this young lady that I do not 'botch things up', as she calls it, and that if she wishes to continue travelling with me, she should change her tone."
"Do I look like a messaging service?" the man cried indignantly, while the girl said simultaneously, "I do have a name you know…Polly, remember?"
The second Doctor ran over to Polly, crying, "I'm so glad to see you both again! Ben…Polly my dears, how have you both been?"
Polly peered at the man dressed like Charlie Chaplin, saying, "you daft, or something? We haven't met!"
"Of course not," the second Doctor said. "And, um, you haven't met this me, either…" he pointed to the current Doctor.
"Doctor, what's going on?" Ben asked, confused.
"Exactly what I wish to know," the first Doctor said.
"I will explain after all our guests have arrived," the Doctor said.
Ten other TARDISes appeared in the back yard. The third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth, eleventh and twelfth Doctors emerged, as did Sarah Jane Smith, Jo Grant, Tegan Jovanka, Vislor Turlough, Peri Brown, Dorothy "Ace" McShane, Fitz, Mariah McCloud (the eleventh Doctor's companion), Donna Noble, and the twelfth Doctor's companion, Humphrey Harris.
"Doctor…it's happening again," Tegan said, worry in her eyes. "Is it Gallifrey's Death Zone calling again?"
"I don't think so," the fifth Doctor responded, "unless the Death Zone has been changed to look like a back yard." He indicated the barbecue grill and the door which read 'swimming pool' on it.
"Where are we, exactly?" Mariah asked, her Brooklanese accent revealing itself. The platinum blonde flapper took in the huge back yard and other things neatly stacked to the side of it.
"I'm not sure," Doctor Number Eleven answered, his slightly more cultured British accent coming to the fore. He adjusted his chocolate brown leather pants, looking around with his deep midnight blue eyes.
"Professor," Ace asked Doctor Number Seven, "you think the Master did this? Kidnapped us, somehow? And if he did, you think I can use my nitro nine?" She pulled out a can of some explosive material, brandishing it about her.
"Ace, put that away!" The Seventh Doctor admonished, tucking the can back into the girl's knapsack.
In another part of the yard, Doctors Nine and Ten regarded each other, the former commenting, "you always go out dressed like that?" Nine pointed to Ten's pinstriped look, saying, "I'd never be caught dead in those togs!"
"You should talk," the Tenth Doctor criticized his leather clad former self. He spied the older Rose out of the corner of his eye, saying, "excuse me." Ten crossed over to the older version of the woman he loved.
"Rose," he murmured softly. "How have you been?"
Rose turned around to see the second Doctor she had been with. He stood quietly before her, blinking back the tears threatening to fall. They embraced in a warm hug.
"Doctor," Rose whispered, not letting go. "My Doctor."
The current Doctor frowned, his eyes casting a venomous look at his younger self. Rose caught her husband's stare, and broke apart from the Tenth Doctor.
"Sorry, but I…" Rose started, faltering.
"What is it?" ten asked, worried. He then saw the current Doctor and pouted, recognizing the presence of a fellow Time Lord. "My…self?"
"Yes, he's a future version of you," Rose answered.
Both eyed each other warily. Nine came up between them, saying, "too bad my dress sense hasn't improved."
He looked at the fifty year old version of Rose, nodding his approval. "You've gotten even more beautiful with age, Rose Tyler," he said in his Northern accented voice.
"Thanks," Rose said.
Nine glanced at his other selves, saying, "'s weird! This shouldn't be able to happen," he muttered. He said to her, "imagine, though, if the younger version of you were here instead of shopping with her mother back on Earth! What a paradox that would be!"
"I did it, actually," the current Doctor said, explaining what happened.
"So, you're the nutter who transported us all here?" Doctor Number Six cried coming up to Rose, the Doctor, and Doctors Nine and Ten.
The current Doctor glared at his chubbier, multi-color-coated former self. The Byronic Eighth Doctor came toward the pair.
"It's not like it hasn't happened before," Eight soothed, trying to diffuse a fire.
"Besides, if there is an emergency, we need to combine our resources, and stop it now, not keep nattering on, like a couple of ninnies!" the Fourth Doctor said, adjusting his scarf.
The current Doctor raised a brow, saying to his fourth self, "are you saying you don't believe me?"
"That faeries exist and that they manufactured all of this?" Four cried in a derisive tone. "Not bloody likely."
"Doctor," Sarah Jane said to number four, "you're always telling me to expect the unexpected, and maybe faeries are part of those expectations. Besides, if he is your future self that could theoretically happen, right?"
Four fixed Sarah with a glare, but conceded, "I suppose."
"We must get to the heart o' the matter," Doctor Number Twelve said with his Irish accent. "You said you wanted to spend the Christmas Holiday with us?"
"Yes," the current Doctor replied. "I wouldn't have attempted this if I thought this would bring untold disasters to either my other selves, or to my companions."
He looked at all of the occupants in the yard, muttering, "of course, there is always a disaster when we get together, kind of like meeting cousins you don't want to acknowledge exist."
"See here, old chap," Doctor Number Three said, "I resent your comments!"
"I should say," Number Two added. "No need to be rude!"
"Because we are always the epitomy of gentility when it comes to addressing each other," the Doctor said sarcastically, crossing his arms.
"Theta…" Rose warned.
"All right! I'm sorry…" the Doctor said, throwing up his hands. Davin, who seemed to be awfully quiet throughout all of the meetings and greetings, said, "father, aren't you gonna introduce yourselves?"
The Doctor pointed to all of his other selves, who by this time were closer to him. "These are my previous selves, numbers one through twelve."
"I think you guys should have name badges," Humphrey commented, earning a withering stare or a rolling of the eyes from each of the Doctors. He tipped his felt tipped fedora to Rose, saying, "Bonjour, Madame! Como tallez-vous?"
"I'm married," Rose said dryly.
"To me," the current Doctor added, placing a very territorial hand on her shoulder. Ten was hurt, but hid his feelings. Nine was annoyed, but equally squashed any emotional display.
"Be still my beating heart," Humphrey mocked, not hurt by Rose's rebuttal.
"Is he always like this?" Rose asked.
"This is one of his good days," the Twelfth Doctor said, tipping his round Bowler hat to Rose. He revealed a ginger colored head of slightly receding hair, saying, "pleased to see you again, Rose. Been a long time, it has." Rose took in the green plaid jacket, white shirt, and solid dark green trousers. This Doctor's outfit matched his deep, emerald green eyes.
"Poetic, my companion is, and he always has somethin' to say to a lady," twelve said by way of apology.
"S' all right," Rose replied, looking past Humphrey to Nine and Ten. "We need to talk privately," she said to them. Humphrey and Twelve walked to talk to some of the other Doctors and companions. Rose led Nine and Ten into the house. "You start," she addressed Ten.
"Married to me?" Nine cried. "Have you lost your marbles, or have I?"
"You know you're letting yourself in for hearts' break," Ten said softly.
"No," Rose said. "He is the last of you. Once his life is spent, that's it."
"It's still not the best idea," Ten admonished.
"Because it wasn't you?" Rose replied caustically.
"That's not it at all!" Ten defended. "Even if he is my last self, he'll still outlive you, more than likely. What happens to both of you when you age? How will it destroy him to watch you grow old and die?"
"He's got a point," Nine agreed.
"I know about that…in fact, that almost ended my desire to get married, and his," Rose said bitterly. "But we talked long and hard about it, and we decided that our love was stronger than anything. We decided that, come what might, we wanted to spend the rest of our lives together."
Ten studied Rose a long moment. Nine looked as though he wanted to be anywhere but where he was. "Okay," Ten finally said, "all right. At least, I found you. That's the most important thing."
"By the way," Nine queried, "I saw some bloke who looked just like Mr. Stipes, over there." The Ninth Doctor indicated the Tenth Doctor who pouted, glaring at his past self.
"Who was he?" Nine asked Rose.
"Your son," she answered. The shock on Nine and Ten's faces was priceless.
"You mean we…?" Nine asked, not wanting to finish his inquiry.
"We didn't sleep together," Rose answered both Time Lords. Not wanting to share any more of the future, Rose added, "He was…created by other means."
Both breathed a sigh of relief, to which Rose bit back, "Oi! You needn't be so relieved!"
"We were jus' glad you weren't…having any pain, from carryin' my—" Nine shot a look at Ten, amending—"his son for nine months," Nine replied. He looked sheepishly at the floor.
"Yes, yes, yes, that's it," Ten joined in. "I mean, terrible complications from miscarriage, an' who knows if it's theoretically possible, anyway…"
Donna suddenly entered the room, breaking the Tenth Doctor's prattling. She took in the immense size of the room, asking Rose, "So, this is your house?"
"Yeah," Rose said. "Great, isn't it?"
"Like Beverly Frickin' Hills," Donna commented wryly. The Tenth Doctor sent a warning frown in her direction. The titian haired companion shrugged, going into the kitchen.
"Where is there any water?" Donna asked.
"I'll see if I can spot it," Nine answered, going after Donna. Ten and Rose, both alone, faced each other.
"Are you really happy with all this?" Ten murmured, reaching out to touch Rose's cheek.
"Yeah," Rose answered, without hesitation. "I loved you, an' I still do, along with Nine…but, he is the one I fell in love with, if that makes any sense. It jus' felt so…right when we got married." She touched the Tenth Doctor's chest with her hand, saying softly, "be happy for me, and for your future son."
Ten stared out the window at Davin, smiling sadly. "I'll always love you…" he whispered. He and Rose leaned into one another, their foreheads touching. "I'm glad I got to finally say it."
"I'm glad, too," Rose said, smiling. "Let's celebrate Christmas together, what do you say?"
Ten nodded, pulling a small digital camera out of his pocket. He took a picture of the fifty-year-old, saying, "To go with my other pictures of you."
Rose nodded back, sad that he wouldn't remember her older self, Davin or his subsequent lives once he returned to his time line, but happy that maybe, just maybe, he'd have a glimmer of a memory to touch his dreams so he wouldn't feel so alone…so sad.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
The other Doctors and companions filed into the house, with Jo Grant's eyes as wide as saucers. "So, this is a future mansion! Beautiful!"
"Yes, it is," Doctor Number Three agreed. Davin offered the Third Doctor some wine, saying, "Madeira?"
"Thanks," the Third Doctor said. He drank a glass of the red liquid, commenting, "so, a fellow Time Lord, eh? I know the signature."
"Your future son," Davin replied.
"Don't tell me anymore," Number Three cautioned. He drank some more wine, savoring the taste. Number Eight also helped himself to some wine he'd found in the cupboard. Rose came with the current Doctor into the living room where Doctors Three, Eight and the other guests were.
"Doctor," Rose whispered to her husband.
"Yes, Ti'sh'ma'rhy?" the current Doctor asked, using Rose's Gallifreyan pet name.
"Can you get drunk off of wine?" she asked.
"Not at all," the Doctor said. "Of course, that doesn't mean I don't get inebriated from other things."
"Like what?" Rose asked, afraid of the answer.
"Oh, sweet things," the Doctor murmured. He peered at his sixth self, who swayed slightly, wagging his eyebrows at Peri.
"Uh, oh," the Doctor said. At his wife's questioning stare, he indicated the Sixth Doctor.
Rose looked at the swaying Time Lord, and at the stacked plates of chocolate pie he'd consumed. She stifled a giggle.
"Peri," Doctor Number Six breathed, "this wasn't such a bad idea, after all."
"Doctor, you sound funny," Peri said.
"I may sound funny, but I feel great!" Six declared. "In fact, I feel like dancing!" He grabbed Peri's hand in his, saying, "let's dance!"
"But there's no music," Peri protested.
"Use your imagination, you silly girl," Six slurred. He moved Peri in a waltz. In another part of the number five and Tegan talked over some eggnog.
"Well, Tegan, are you enjoying yourself?" Doctor Number Five asked, a sly grin creeping over his usually peaceful features. "I know I am!"
"I know you're snockered," Tegan pronounced. "How many glasses of eggnog did you have?"
"One," five said, then, as the Australian stared at him, he looked at her like a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar, "maybe two or three. The sugary drink is so great…I declare National Eggnog Day, in wisch everyone should drink at least a full quart!"
"Yeah," Tegan muttered, "maybe you should find your Zero Room an' lie down."
"Don't want to, Brave Heart," the Fifth Doctor slurred.
Tegan took his eggnog glass from him, earning a "hey!" from the Fifth Doctor. She steered the Doctor through the house, looking for a room where he could relax. Seeing a bed a few doors down, Tegan said, "come on, Doc. You'll feel better when you lie down."
The drunken Time Lord pulled Tegan on top of him. She cried, "rabbits!" as she struggled to get off of him. She was grateful when, after a brief moment, she could hear five snoring. Tegan emerged from the bedroom, leaving the older man peacefully sleeping.
Humphrey and Mariah stared at each other, making googly eyes. Humphrey gave Mariah a piece of paper with his number scrawled on it, and she text messaged a cell phone number to his cell phone. Doctors Two and Seven were getting into the holiday spirit by providing a concert of Two's recorder, and Seven's spoons. Six and Peri left the party to have one in six's TARDIS. Four and Sarah did the same.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
After three hours of drinking, flirting, and over all teasing, the Doctors and their various companions dispersed, their TARDISes dematerializing.
"Well, that's over," the current Doctor murmured. "Next time you wish for me to spend a holiday with my previous selves," he admonished Rose, "wish that I don't."
"Ahh, come on, father," Davin said, slightly slurring his words, "it wasn't all that bad, was it?"
"Yeah, I had fun, laughing at their dress sense, especially the fat one's!" Victoria commented.
The Doctor gave Davin's companion a withering look, saying, "maybe you should retire."
"Okay," Victoria said, grinning from ear to ear. She left, going into the guest bedroom.
"As for you…" the Doctor instructed his son, "sleep it off." Davin yawned, going to another bedroom. His snoring could be heard a few moments later.
"Theta, was it really that bad?" Rose asked.
The Doctor stared at his wife, his expression unreadable, then he said, "No, my Ti'sh'ma'rhy. I rather enjoyed it, and I'm glad you got to tell tenth me that you loved me."
"I know he'll sleep easier, now that he's got some kinda closure," Rose breathed, blowing a silent mental kiss to both the Tenth and Ninth Doctors.
"I have an idea, my own," the Doctor said, taking her hands in his.
"What?" Rose asked, feigning innocence.
"How's about we have a private Christmas party and I show you my present?" the Doctor said, the look of desire in his grey eyes.
Rose pretended to yawn, saying, "Not tonight, dear. S' been a long day!"
The Doctor scooped Rose in his arms, saying, "You can tell me all about it, in our bedroom." She giggled as he whispered Gallifreyan sweet nothings into her ear. He took his wife into their room and he gave her the best Christmas present Rose could ever want.
THE END