URGENT NOTE: As you may know, the BBC starts shooting the 50th anniversary special this week. If you'd like to see a proper tribute to Sarah Jane in the special, please consider signing the petition at www dot ipetitions dot com / petition/sarah-jane-smith-dr-who-tribute (automatic link removed because we don't want to break any rules) and passing it on to any groups you belong to. If we all pass it on, we can make a difference! Time (ironically) is of the essence! Thanks!

Just a quick one-shot that happens after Little Girl, Big Magic. Happy Christmas, if that's your thing, and Happy Holidays if it's not!

London, Christmas Eve, 1957

"Hurry Auntie, I can see the grotto, it's just ahead of us," exclaimed Sarah Jane Smith with all of the enthusiasm her six year old body could muster.

"Slow down, Sarah Jane," laughed her Aunt Lavinia. "You're going to tear my arm off."

"I'm sorry, Auntie," she said, trying to hold herself back. As they turned the corner, the door opened and for a moment she could see Father Christmas sitting on a bench with a boy who looked to be about five seated next to him. He was smiling as he listened to him. He looked so gentle and kind sitting there in his red fur trimmed robe with it's matching hooded cloak. She was sure that he must be the real Father Christmas. He just simply had to be real, it was so very important to her. There was a short line, but to Sarah Jane it seemed as if it were miles long.

Lavinia held her hand as she stood next to her, anxiously awaiting her turn. Lavinia was catching her breath and very grateful for the break. She smiled at Sarah dotingly, admiring how sweet she looked in her new green wool coat with white fur trim with matching hat and little fur muff. She had to admit, Sarah had been well behaved as she they did their Christmas shopping, but now that it was over she could barely keep up with her. For weeks all Sarah Jane had been talking about was Father Christmas and her special Christmas wish that she couldn't tell to anyone but him. Lavinia wasn't old yet by a long chalk, but trying to keep pace with her niece's energy since she got out of school for the holidays had made her feel positively decrepit.

Sarah Jane watched and counted. There were three other children in front of her. She put her hand in her pocket and once more gently touched the little package in it to make sure it was still there. In just a few moments she would be telling her heart's dearest wish to Father Christmas. She just knew he would grant it to her. She started daydreaming about what she wanted and an angelic expression came over her face. She was startled out her reverie when she heard her name being called. She looked up and there was Father Christmas beckoning to her. She smiled shyly at him and walked towards him as her Aunt gently nudged her.

"Well, look what a pretty little girl you are, Sarah Jane," Father Christmas said, patting the bench beside him. "You certainly have grown since last year."

Sarah beamed up at him as she sat down. "Yes I did, and you remember me," she said with a mixture of surprise and joy.

"Of course I remember you. I remember all of the good little girls and boys. And have you been good this year?"

"Oh yes, extra special good Father Christmas," she said, nodding her head. "Didn't you see when you checked on me with your magic snowball?"

"Well, of course, but I like to give children the chance to tell me themselves. Now then, since you've been extra special good this year, what would you like for Christmas?"

Lavinia was listening as closely as she could to their conversation. Try as she might, she had not yet been able to find out what that one special thing on her wish list for Christmas was. She even had taken the note that Sarah Jane placed in the back of the fireplace so the draft would carry it up and deliver it to Father Christmas. She read it, but aside from the things she already knew about, like a Circle Grocery Set, a Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head, some licorice allsorts, a few books and a Mobo scooter, she had yet to comprehend what it was that Sarah had listed as 'My Extra Special Present'. With any luck, perhaps now that Sarah was telling Father Christmas what she wanted, she could find out what she needed to know.

Sarah looked at him with scrutiny. "First you have to tell me if you're really Father Christmas. Jeremy Eckhart says there is no real Father Christmas," she frowned.

"Of course I'm really Father Christmas," the bearded man said. "Don't you let Jeremy Eckhart bother you. He may wind up with a lump of coal in his stocking, the way he's going this year."

Sarah Jane giggled when she heard that. "Good, because he's been teasing me ever since school started this year. He hasn't been very nice at all."

"Well, I'm very sorry to hear that, and I'll keep it in mind when I'm packing my sleigh. But what is it that you want, Sarah Jane?"

She ran off the list she sent him and then she motioned for him to lean down so she could whisper in his ear. As he did, she said softly, "I know that you're magic, just like my prince, and that you can go everywhere with your reindeer and sleigh, so all I really want in the whole world is for you to deliver my present to him. His name is the Doctor, I'll bet that you even know him."

Father Christmas paused. "There are a lot of Doctors in the world," he whispered back. "Which one is he?"

"He doesn't have a last name, he's just called, 'The Doctor'. He's the one that travels all around in his magic police box. He's very tall and very handsome, just like a proper prince should be. He's got brown hair, brown eyes and the nicest smile you've ever seen. It's so nice, whenever he smiles at you, it makes you happy. Now do you remember him?"

Father Christmas squeezed his eyes together for a moment, then took a deep breath. "I believe I do, how could I not have known."

Sarah threw her arms around him. "Oh I just knew you would. I knew you just had to be the real Father Christmas too." She slipped her hand in her pocket and gave him the small box wrapped in dark blue shiny paper with a silver ribbon on top of it. "See," she whispered again. "The paper is the same color as his police box and the ribbon shines just like the light on top of it. Please, when you give it to him, tell him I love him very much and that I'm waiting for him to come back and visit me. Tell him I put a note in with the present too. I wouldn't want him to miss it. I'm writing in cursive now, you know," she said proudly.

Father Christmas looked at the box as though it were a hand grenade. "I'm afraid I can't take this with me. I mean, this is a very busy time of year for me, you know. And I haven't seen the Doctor in a long time, I don't have the first idea where to find him these days."

Sarah smile disappeared. She was crushed. "But it's a Christmas gift! You're going to give him gifts too, aren't you? He's been very very good this year. He even saved my life last spring on my birthday. You have to give him something." She looked like she was about to cry.

"All right, all right," Father Christmas said. "I normally concentrate on the children, but since he's been so very good, I suppose I will have to make an exception." He took the package and put it into the pocket of his robe. "There. All better now?"

Sarah Jane sniffled a bit and then started to smile again. "Thank you so much. I'm so sorry to cause you extra work, I know how busy you are. But I've been extra special good, honestly I have, and this is all I really want. I saved all of my money from doing chores, gifts and my allowance to buy it for him. It means everything to me for you to find him and give it to him."

He smiled, a tiny hint of sadness in his eyes. "Of course. I promise to do my best."

"Thank you, Father Christmas. I think you're wonderful," she said as she slipped off the bench and ran back to Lavinia. "He is the real Father Christmas, Auntie, and he said he's going to give me what I want more than anything else for Christmas." Sarah turned and waved at him with child like innocence and faith.

Lavinia wished with all her heart she knew what Sarah Jane had asked him for. Try as she might, she couldn't hear what they were whispering. Whatever it was, she knew that Sarah Jane would lose that special magic that small children have when they are still young enough to believe and dream that if they're good, everything they wish for will come to them. Sarah was happy for the present as she skipped along holding her Aunt's hand. Lavinia prayed she would stay that way as long as she possibly could.

Alfred Ashton walked back into the storage area he was using as a dressing room and rubbed his face. He took the box out of the pocket of his cloak and stared at it. He set it on a shelf and began to take off his Father Christmas costume, thinking.

Obviously this Doctor of hers was a fantasy. A man traveling around in a magic Police Box?

He hung his cloak carefully on its hanger, making sure the fur lining didn't get crushed. To him, there were only two seasons in life: Father Christmas, and waiting to be Father Christmas. He took off his robe and lovingly hung that up until tomorrow as well.

The box captured his gaze, the shiny silver ribbon almost gleaming in the otherwise dull light of the Harrod's storeroom. The little girl - Sarah Jane was her name, right? - was already under pressure not to believe. How could he accept this gift knowing that he couldn't deliver it, and be the reason she discovered there was no Father Christmas?

He ran his hand on the soft fur of his robe, wondering if he were fit to wear it again.

South Croydon, Christmas Day, 1957

Sarah Jane, like all children her age, woke up on Christmas day full of hope and eager anticipation. She threw her robe on, ran out of her room and dashed down the steps, taking them by twos. Lavinia was already up and making Christmas breakfast. She sighed heavily as she heard Sarah Jane up and about.

Sarah Jane didn't run into the front room by the tree. Instead, she ran to the door and flung it open. She poked her head out and looked around, waiting to be surprised. The street was quiet and there was nothing there. She frowned for a moment, and then ran into the front room. The tree was lit and there were lots of brightly wrapped gifts under the tree. Sarah Jane spotted the biggest first. It was big, but still much too small to be her heart's desire. She looked around the room and then in the closet. Nothing and no one jumped out at her. It was still early though, she told herself. Only half seven, still time to be surprised. She wouldn't be opening her gifts 'til at least eleven and well, she could wait until noon if necessary. After all, maybe Father Christmas was running late, or maybe he waited until he was done delivering all the other gifts, saving her gift for last. She smiled at that. Yes, Father Christmas was probably with her prince right now and he could be receiving her gift at this very moment. She walked into the kitchen smiling. "Merry Christmas, Auntie," she said, giving Lavinia a huge hug.

Lavinia hugged her back with relief. "Merry Christmas, poppet. I left something special for you on the table, go and see it before we have breakfast."

Sarah Jane went over and saw an envelope addressed to her. There was a red ribbon stuck to it sitting on her plate, propped up by her tea cup. She sucked in her breath, it was from her prince, he did get her gift! She reverently opened it. The card read: "To my Sarah Jane, with love, from Auntie Lavinia. Two tickets to see the Boxing Day panto performance of Mother Goose at the Theatre Royal." Her heart sank, but she tried not to show it. She ran over to Lavinia and hugged her tightly. "Thank you Auntie, I can't wait to see it with you."

Lavinia wasn't fooled, but she let it go for now. "You're very welcome Sarah Jane, now, let's have breakfast, shall we?"

Sarah Jane thought she was doing a wonderful job of being subtle as she peeked a glance at the kitchen clock. It was almost half eight. She wondered why clocks were always so slow on Christmas day and whenever anything important was about to happen. "May I go upstairs, get dressed and read my new book, Auntie?"

"Of course you may dear. I'll call you down if you're not in the living room by eleven." She watched Sarah walk up the steps. She took them slowly, one at a time. Shaking her head, Lavinia went back into the kitchen to clean up.

Sarah fidgeted in her room for what seemed like an eternity. Every ten or fifteen minutes or so, she'd pull the curtain aside and look out from where she was sitting on her window seat and only half reading. No matter how many times she looked, she didn't see the tall figure of anyone walking down the street to her house. She thought about giving up believing in Father Christmas, Jeremy's taunts ringing in her ears. Then she'd shake her head in anger. Everyone knew that you have to believe no matter what or what you wish for never comes true. She looked at the clock again and sighed. It was ten minutes to ten.

Lavinia finished the dishes and began to set the table for three thirty dinner. She put out Christmas crackers by each of the place settings. She looked up at the clock, it was three minutes to eleven, better call Sarah Jane down to open gifts.

Sarah Jane heard Lavinia calling her. She closed her eyes tight, crossed her fingers hard and whispered hopefully. "Oh please let my wish come true." She got up with renewed hope and headed downstairs. This time she she held her breath as she walked slowly down the steps, wishing with each one.

She had her eyes closed for the last three steps and when she reached the bottom, she opened them. There was her Aunt standing by the tree and smiling at her. She looked around again as she had that morning, but with the same results, just the two of them together in the house. Then she smiled once more, maybe the Doctor sent her something and it was under the tree with her other gifts. She went over to her Aunt and took her hand as the two of them sat together on the floor.

Lavinia smiled warmly. "Which one would you like to open first?"

Sarah looked at the gifts, they all seemed to be wrapped with the usual paper. Nothing looked to be an odd shape or out of the ordinary. She paused as she came to a box that looked like it had shoes in it. Since it was sort of shaped like the TARDIS, she decided to open that one first. "The one with the green paper with holly leaves on it please."

Lavinia handed it to her and Sarah handed one of the many home made gifts to Lavinia. "You first, Auntie."

Lavinia took the present from her and pretended to shake it as she made sill guesses as to what it could be. "A kangaroo," she said looking at the box and turning it about. "No, I'll bet it's an elephant umbrella stand," she guessed again.

Sarah Jane laughed. "Open it and see, I bet it's a stuffed turtle," she said joining in the silliness.

Lavinia opened it and it was a small plaster hand sitting up in a round dish. The hand had bright yellow and red flowers painted on it. She took it out of the box and examined it closely. "Oh my! This doesn't look like a turtle at all," she exclaimed.

Sarah Jane giggled. "No Auntie, it's a ring holder. I made it for you in school. It's my hand and you put your rings on the fingers," she said still laughing.

"Why thank you my dear. I really shall treasure it always. What a beautiful and thoughtful gift. I'll never lose sight of my rings again," she said, giving her niece a huge hug. "Now then, your turn, pet."

Sarah opened the box she was holding and found a pair of new house slippers in them. "They look just like pretty pink ballerina slippers Auntie. Thank you so much," she said, and hugged her Aunt again.

This exchange continued until all the gifts were opened. Sarah Jane ran her hands along her new scooter for a moment, then dumped out her stocking and picked up the box of licorice bits. "May I have some please," she asked.

"Yes, but just a few. We're having dinner soon," Lavinia said with experience. "And speaking of dinner, I have to go check on it. You play with your toys until I get back, Sarah Jane. I won't be a moment.

Sarah stuffed two pieces of candy into her mouth and chewed sadly. "There is no Father Christmas and Jeremy Eckhart was right," she said, putting her arms around her knees and frowning to herself as she plopped her head down on them.

"No, Father Christmas?" the Doctor said. "Since when is Jeremy Eckhart the expert?"

Sarah Jane startled and then grinned so brightly her face should have hurt. "Doctor," she shouted and ran, leaping into his arms. "You're here!" She covered his face enthusiastically with kisses. "I knew you'd come. I knew Father Christmas would give you my gift. He did give you my gift didn't he?" she bubbled over with joy. "This is the best Christmas ever. Auntie, Auntie," she called out as she hugged the Doctor and squeezed him. "Come quick, the Doctor is here. Father Christmas gave me my wish. He is real!" Sarah Jane mussed his hair as she laughed. "Can you stay for Christmas dinner? The Queen's going to be on the telly right before it's time to eat! Can you stay the night too, please? We can go to the pantomime together. I'm sure Auntie can get another ticket. Oh please, please say you'll stay and go with us," Sarah Jane cajoled as she tried to talk and catch her breath at the same time.

The Doctor picked her up and hugged her back, smiling at Lavinia, whom he'd greeted at the back door before coming into the living room. "Hang on, hang on," he laughed, "you'll have to give me a chance, if you want me to answer your questions. To start with the most important, of course Father Christmas is real. You didn't think he'd let Christmas go by without delivering all of his packages, did you?"

Sarah was so happy she was crying. "No, of course he wouldn't," she shook her head. "Did you like your present?" she asked hopefully. "I bought it with my own money."

"It's true Doctor," said Lavinia. "Though I did take her shopping, I didn't know what she got with her savings. She wanted to pick it out and pay for it entirely by herself. However, I can tell you that she worked hard all year to earn every bit of the cost."

"Well, I haven't actually opened it yet," he said, fishing in his pocket. "I though you might like to be here when I did." He pulled a well-worn blue-wrapped box out of his pocket, then looked up sheepishly. "I'm afraid it's... er... well, it's been bouncing around in a pocket for a while." He didn't mention that it had also been sitting on a shelf in the TARDIS for a few hundred years, a mystery object he'd acquired during one of his early regenerations. He sat down on the floor next to Sarah, then tucked his finger under one of the folds of wrapping paper and popped it open. He pulled out the small box and opened it.

Inside was a handwritten note. "To my prince," it said. "This isn't my real heart, but you can have it anyway. When you see it, please think of me and remember I love you always." He read it, blinked back a tear, and put it in his breast pocket. "I'll keep it close to my heart, always."

Then he picked up the tissue paper under it and saw a small golden heart-shaped locket with "Doctor" engraved on the front, on a fob. He popped it open to see a picture of Sarah inside. "Oh, Sarah, it's beautiful. Thank you." He hugged her.

"You're welcome," she hugged him back. "Did you see, there on the other side of it?" she pointed. "It's a lock of my hair. It's a keepsake," she said knowingly. "My teacher said you give keepsakes to people you love so they'll always remember you."

"Why so it is," he said. "And your teacher is absolutely right. That's why I brought you this." He pulled a medium-sized box out from behind him handed it to her. "Oh, and Lavinia, this is for you." He pulled another box out of his pocket and handed it to her.

Sarah Jane's eyes lit up. "For me," she asked.

"Well, it's Christmas, isn't it? You didn't think I would forget to give you a Christmas gift, especially when you went through so much trouble to make sure I got one?"

Sarah Jane slowly opened the gift, trying to get the most out of every second of it. When she peeled back the wrapping she opened the box and inside was a perky looking doll looking up at her with two dimples, one on each side of a very happy smile. She had green eyes and shoulder length brunette hair with a little red velvet ribbon in it. She was dressed in a red peppermint striped dress with a white lace shirt. She also had on a slip, red shoes with a bow and matching socks. Sarah's mouth dropped open when she saw it. "Oh she's so beautiful Doctor," she said in a hushed tone. "She's the most beautiful doll I've ever seen! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Sarah placed the doll down gently and threw her arms around the Doctor, smothering him with kisses once more. "You are the most wonderful person in the whole universe," she proclaimed with enthusiasm.

Lavinia looked at the doll and smiled. "Actually Sarah Jane, I think she looks quite a bit like you. I'm sure that was deliberate, wasn't it Doctor?" She smiled approvingly at him.

"Welllll, maybe," he smiled. "Actually, this is a very special doll. She's a ... er ... prototype. I got her from a friend who works for a toy company." He picked up the doll and faced it towards Sarah, then pulled a string. "My name is Rose Bud," the doll said.

Her eyes grew as big as saucers. "She's magic," said Sarah. "She's as special as..." she stopped herself suddenly and gave the Doctor a questioning look, then shrugged. "She's almost as special as you are Doctor."

"You're very sweet. But you've got something else there..." he said, pointing to the small box hanging from a ribbon around Rose Bud's wrist.

Sarah pulled the ribbon carefully until the box landed in her lap. She opened it up and there was a small silver bracelet set against a blue velvet background. When she held it up she could see it had a round charm on it. On the charm were two hearts entwined with a little blue sapphire set in it were the hearts joined. "Oh, it's beautiful, too. Can I wear it always," she asked him holding her hand up for him to put it on her.

"That's up to your Auntie, but I don't see why not," he said as he fastened it for her. "And every once in a while I'll get you a new charm for it."

"Of course she can wear it. Looks like you've just given us a reason for calling you 'Prince Charm-ing', Doctor," she laughed.

The Doctor laughed with her, noting that Sarah had to get her pun-iness from somewhere.

"Thank you for my gift too," Lavinia continued, "it's quite lovely and I shall cherish it always." Lavinia held up the prismatic multi-faceted crystal paper weight the Doctor had given her to the light and admired it. She pulled the Doctor aside as Sarah looked at her presents. "How did you do all this?" she whispered. She'd wanted to ask him when he'd first appeared at the back door, but he'd held a finger up to his lips so as not to spoil Sarah's surprise.

"Do what?" he whispered back.

"Sarah Jane's gift to you. However did you get it?"

"I told you, Father Christmas gave it to me," he smiled, then winked at her and sat back down next to Sarah.

"Now then," said Sarah Jane as she held her doll in her hand and climbed into the Doctor's lap. "You are staying for dinner and the night as well so we can all go to see the panto tomorrow, aren't you? Auntie and I would be absolutely crushed if you didn't, wouldn't we Auntie?" she said, throwing a pleading glance towards Lavinia.

Lavinia laughed softly. "I've already set a place for you at the table Doctor, and I'm sure we can get easily another ticket for tomorrow's performance, it is Mother Goose after all. Unless you have someplace else you'd rather be," she smiled at him with a challenge.

"I can honestly say," the Doctor said, "that there is nowhere else in the universe that I would rather be."

EPILOGUE: Hampshire, November, 1983

Mary Ashton stopped for a moment to close her coat against the cold and wondered if being outside were such a good idea. "It's awfully windy, perhaps we should head back."

"Nonsense," her father said. "It's bracing, is all."

Mary put the brakes on the wheelchair and knelt down in front of him. "Dad, you're 87 years old. You'll catch your death out here. Let's go home."

"Come on, Mary, we'll be at the shops soon, and then we'll be inside," Alfred said. "If you're so anxious, we can call that layabout husband of yours from there and have him drive us home."

Mary sighed. No point in arguing with him. "All right, we'll go, but I am going to call him to give us a ride back."

Before she could even take another step, they heard a sort of grinding, groaning noise, and a blue Police Box materialized about twenty feet away. A man stepped out.

Alfred stared at him for a moment, feeling his heart pound. Could it be? After all these years? The man didn't look anything like the little girl had described, but perhaps... He popped the brakes off his wheelchair and hurriedly wheeled himself over even as Mary protested. "Excuse me," he said, "do you know a man called the Doctor?"

Mary ran over. "I'm so sorry," she said to the man. "My father is ..."

"No, no, it's all right," the man said. "As it happens, I do know the Doctor, and quite well. Is there something I can help you with?"

Alfred pulled a small box out of his pocket, ignoring Mary as she rolled her eyes. "I've been carrying this with me since Christmas, 1957. It's for the Doctor. A little girl named Sarah Jane gave it to me. I saw so many children as Father Christmas, but she just touched my heart, you see. She said to tell him that she loves him and that she's waiting for him to visit. A bit late," he said sadly, "but I didn't know where to find him. Could you please give it to him anyway, and tell him that she's put a note inside?" He coughed. "She didn't want him to miss the note."

"That's it," Mary said, "time to go."

"Just a moment, please," the man said. He knelt down in front of Alfred, and gently took the well-worn box. "I give you my word, Father Christmas, that the Doctor will get his present from Sarah Jane. Thank you so much for holding on to it."

Alfred nodded and smiled, then sighed. "All right, Mary, we can go home now."