Author's Notes: I do not own Doctor Who, which should be obvious because there's a Christmas special with some killer snowmen on Tuesday and I didn't write it. This is in the Regarding Mrs Smith universe, set after The Best Is Yet To Come, but you don't have to read that. Basically, it's Christmas. A lot of fluff and I accidentally invented a plot. Thanks and happy reading!

Once upon a time, there was a Time Lord who married the Most Important Woman in the Universe and together they had beautiful ginger children. Every year, no matter where they were, they always came back to London for Christmas...

Donna stood in the kitchen of the London house, making lunch. Geoffrey sat in his high chair watching his mother with obvious delight. Zara and Chloe sat at the table. They had set upon a very important project: writing letters to Father Christmas. They were taking great pains with it, using crayons and glitter glue.

"Mummy," said Zara.

"Yes, sweetheart?"

"How does Father Christmas know what to get Geoffrey? He can't write a letter."

"Well, babies get a pass," said Donna.

"How can he know if he's been good or bad?"

"All babies are good," said Donna. She leaned over to Geoffrey and smiled. "Isn't that right?," she asked as he cooed back.

"Not Melody," offered Chloe.

"She's right," said Zara.

They had recently taken the TARDIS to Leadworth to attend Melody Williams' christening. That meant being introduced to Melody who, as it turned out, was the loudest, most crying baby in recorded history. The Doctor thought she might cry longer than some babies with four lungs. She had cried all through the service and had managed to break up her own party in about twenty minutes. Not helping was Zara calling her tart, resulting in Donna's cheeks turning a bright crimson for about two days.

"Come on, girls," said Donna. "You can't blame a baby for crying. They don't know any better."

"Can you make a sandwich for Stefano?," asked Zara.

"Of course I can," said Donna with a smile. "Is cheese alright?"

"Stefano eats everything," said Zara. "Can he have some biscuits?"

"Hmm," said Donna. "I think his mum would like it better if he had a bit of fruit first."

"Okay," said Zara.

Donna put a plate down in front of Chloe, then Zara and then the empty place next to Zara. Zara put a banana on Stefano's plate and stood up.

"Where are you going?," asked Donna.

"To give Stefano his lunch."

Zara then walked out to the back garden. Donna frowned as the Doctor came in the kitchen.

"What's wrong?," asked the Doctor.

"Zara's imaginary friend is eating outside."

Now the Doctor frowned. "Does Zara have an imaginary friend?"

"Of course she does. I've been making him lunch since we got back last week. Stefano."

The Doctor cleared his throat. "Uh, Donna, Stefano's not imaginary."

"What?," asked Donna.

"Haven't you seen the young man with the red hiking pack?"

Donna's jaw dropped. "What? Him?! With the tattoos and the nose ring! You knew about this?!"

"Well, I don't see the harm, Donna, he's just-"

Before the Doctor could further outline his argument, Donna was out the back garden door. The Doctor sighed. "Oh, here we go..."

"Mummy's mad," said Chloe.

"I'm aware!," said the Doctor.

Donna walked out onto the street. She saw Zara down the block talking to a rather thing young man. His pack sat on the pavement as he ate gratefully. Donna rushed down.

"I tried to bring biscuits, but Mummy said you had to have fruit first."

"Zara!," shouted Donna.

Stefano looked up. "Is this your mum?"

"Yes, Mummy, don't you know-"

"Zara, what are you doing? You can't talk to strangers, let alone feed them!"

Stefano looked down and Donna felt a twinge of awfulness. The Doctor arrived holding Geoffrey in one arm and holding Chloe's hand with the other.

"Hello, Stefano!," he said brightly.

"Hello, Doctor," said Stefano.

"Why can't I talk to strangers?," asked Zara.

"What? Who said that?," asked the Doctor.

"Mummy."

The Doctor looked at Donna. "Zara can't talk to strangers? Who is she going to talk to?"

Donna held her head in her hands. "Everyone back inside and finish your letters to Father Christmas."

Donna started in with Zara and Chloe.

"Uh, I'll bring you some tea by later," said the Doctor.

The Doctor went back in. The girls finished their lunch and went to the sitting room to help Esther write her letter to Father Christmas. The Doctor had been holding Geoffrey the whole time, waiting for his lecture from Donna. It began as soon as she saw the girls into the hallway.

"Don't you ever watch the news?," asked Donna.

The Doctor thought. "Uh, here and there. They usually get it wrong."

"You can't let children talk to strangers," said Donna.

"You take them to Father Christmas," said the Doctor.

Donna shook her head. "That's different."

"How is that different?"

Donna leaned forward. "Do you not find it unsettling to say the least that a child with multiple kidnap attempts against her doesn't have the slightest qualm about talking to strangers all day long?"

"He's just a boy, Donna. He's harmless. He ran away from home, everyone's been there."

"No, everyone has not been there. I have not been there."

"Yes, you have," said the Doctor.

"No, I haven't."

"Yes, you did. You ran away with me."

Donna shook her head. "I did not. I was thirty-seven. You can't run away when you're thirty-seven. It's not running away then, it's just going somewhere."

"Oh, it was so running away," said the Doctor. "Besides, I was at least four hundred when I left Gallifrey."

Donna rolled her eyes. "I just want her to be safe. Zara is just so..."

"Innocent," said the Doctor.

"Yeah," said Donna.

"Plenty of time to tell her the truth about the world later," said the Doctor. "Besides, she knows there's good and bad, Her world is more like a fairy tale."

"A fairy tale?"

"Yes, she's a princess in her mind- or maybe she got that from Disney, I'm not sure- her mother is the most important woman in Creation and her dad's a Time Lord."

Donna frowned. "I don't know any fairy tales with a Time Lord."

"Don't be ridiculous. All fairy tales have a Time Lord. Old hag in the beginning of Beauty and the Beast. Fairy Godmother in Cinderella, how else do you think the pumpkin happened? Fairly certain Rapunzel is part Time Lord. I'm still working that one out. That sorcerer in Fantasia Mickey is apprentice to? He was my uncle."

Donna shook her head as the Doctor claimed to be related to a character from Fantasia."Well, whatever. We had better hurry. We've got to get ready for Mum's party."

The Doctor groaned.

"I'll have none of that, Time Boy. We promised. Besides, I'm still hearing about her missing Geoffrey's birth. That reminds me, have you sorted out what you're getting her for Christmas?"

The Doctor frowned. "Getting her? Don't the children count?"

"No, they do not."

"Mummy!," Zara called from the sitting room. "We're ready to send our letters! Should I start the fire?!"

"No!," the Doctor and Donna shouted in unison as they rushed into the sitting room.