"Clara! Merry Christmas!"
Clara opened her eyes hesitantly, yawning. The Maitlands had gone visiting some of their family in the south, and she'd offered to house-sit, primarily because she didn't know these relatives, partly because she knew it was a family occasion, and partly because she was hoping to spend some time with the Doctor. She was due to catch her train to Blackpool at half past one that afternoon, so she was surprised to find herself awake at half past six in the morning. Or more specifically, to find herself being awakened at half past six in the morning.
"Doctor?"
The guilty party was standing by her bed, the look of an excited five year old in his eyes. He was wielding a medium-sized package under his arm, plus three smaller ones balanced on the top. "Morning! Merry Christmas!"
"It's half past six in the morning," she groaned, rubbing her eyes and shifting backwards. It was strange seeing the Doctor so animated whilst she was still in her reindeer-patterned pyjamas with her hair at odd angles, but he didn't seem to care, so neither did she.
"And? Always up early on Christmas! Surprised Angie and Artie hadn't woken you by now," he told her cheerily, leaning forwards to kiss her forehead gently.
"They haven't because they're in Brighton."
"And they left you alone?"
"I volunteered, but I'm going up to see my own family this afternoon, so I'm not alone forever."
"I should hope not! Can't have you alone for Christmas!"
She smiled at him, stretching. "Who's the parcels for?"
"You! Well, and the smaller ones are for the kids, but they aren't here, so I'll come back."
"Doctor, I told you not to get me anything."
"Well I wanted to, so I did. Meet me in the TARDIS in ten minutes?"
"Will do."
The Doctor disappeared inside the box (which Clara only just realised was parked inside her bedroom) as she swung herself out of bed. She decided on a Christmassy tartan skirt, plain shirt and her cardigan, dragging a brush through her hair and heading over to a small basket by her window. Opening the lid she removed a package of her own, before skipping lightly over to the TARDIS, a familiar feeling of Christmas excitement settling itself inside her.
It didn't take long to find him. The TARDIS had warmed up to her considerably since Trenzalore, and gave her handy hints as to where he was, flashing lights and opening doors to guide her. She soon found him in a large library, sitting on a sofa with A Chrismas Carol open on his lap. He looked up at her with a smile, patting the space beside him which she gladly sat down on.
Leaning over the arm of the sofa, he produced two of the parcels she'd seen earlier, handing them to her. "Merry Christmas, Clara," he said softly, as she smiled, taking them. She handed him the package she'd brought with her, feeling a swirl of affection as he grinned. It was clear he hadn't received a Christmas gift in quite a while, and he began to tear at the wrappings with the excitement of a young child. "Merry Christmas, Doctor," she said quietly, beginning to open her own presents.
The first one made her laugh, a dark jumper with small bowties all over it. Only the Doctor, she thought, removing her cardigan and putting it on, reaching for the second one, much smaller in size. Removing the wrapping paper, she was surprised to find a small key on a thin ribbon. Looking closely, she could see the metal was inscribed with tiny patterns, patterns she recognised as Circular Gallifreyan, his primary language. "What's this?" she asked him, watching his eyes light up as he saw what her gift contained.
She hadn't been sure what to get him at first, but had soon found a TARDIS-blue coloured bowtie. Bit cheesy, she knew, but it seemed so classically him that she had to get it. She'd slipped in a packet of Jammy Dodgers in there too, plus a wooden spoon to replace the one she'd set on fire by attempting to make a soufflé in the TARDIS kitchen (it hadn't been a pretty incident). He looked over at her with a look of gratitude on his features, and all she could do was lean forwards and wrap her arms around him, pulling him in to a tight hug. He pressed his lips to her temple as she sighed softly. What a morning, she thought contentedly.
Drawing back, she looked up at him. "You never answered my question."
"What question?"
"The key. What's it for?"
Memories of Victorian London made their way to the forefront of his brain, and he had to take a moment to push them back out again. "It's for you. It's a key to the TARDIS. I just thought that maybe you'd like to travel a bit more often than just Wednesdays."
There was a hint of a question to his voice, and she remained quiet, letting him go on.
"I wondered if maybe you wanted to make it more of a regular thing?"
"Doctor, you're trying to avoid saying something, so out with it."
"IwonderedifmaybeyouwantedtoliveintheTARDIS."
"Sorry?"
"I wondered of make you wanted to live in the TARDIS," he mumbled, clearly a bit embarrassed, though she wasn't sure why. In truth, she'd been wondering whether to ask him the exact same question. The kids didn't really need a nanny now Artie had hit thirteen, and Clara had mainly avoided the truth as she had nowhere else to go. But now? Now she was being offered the whole of everywhere. Any planet, time, dimension, anything and anywhere. Who could say no to that?
Certainly not Clara Oswald.
"Alright."
He looked up at her, eyes going from nervously glazed to bright and slightly astonished. "You will?"
"I will," she confirmed, letting the smile take over her face as she leaned over to place a kiss on his cheek, cupping it lightly. As she did, his hand found hers and gave it a tight squeeze in response.
"Merry Christmas, Clara