T'was a night like any other, when all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.

This silent night was quickly interrupted with a groaning, wheezing noise that soon filled every corner. One of the children, who always had trouble sleeping, crept carefully down the stairs to see what was going on. What she found baffled her.

Firstly there was a blue box that hadn't been in the orphanage's main dining hall this morning. Likewise the strange tree covered in lights was new, as were the funny coloured boxes. She watched as four individuals seemed to dip in and out of the blue box, bringing forth all sorts of strange things.

"Hello?" she said, curiosity getting the better of her. The four individuals jumped in fright, before turning to see who was addressing them.

"I told you you should have put the TARDIS on silent," said the older gentleman.

"It is on silent!" the blonde woman said. "Okay, yes, it could be better, but the TARDIS is a wonderful piece of technology I'll have you know."

"It's just not stealthy," said the young man.

"What are you doing?" the little girl asked. The four looked at each other, confused. The blonde woman fished something out of her pocket.

"We're Santa's elves," she said, holding up a piece of paper. "Elite squad, top secret, best say nothing."

"I'm sorry," the little girl said. "But what's a Santa?" Before any of them could answer another figure appeared at the top of the stairs, brandishing a gun.

"Get off my property!" the owner of the orphanage said. Before any of them had a chance to react, she fired.

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Doctor Who

The Planet that Santa Forgot

Part 1

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Twelve hours earlier

"So you're saying that this planet doesn't celebrate Christmas?" asked Yaz, as the Doctor made her way around the console.

"No," said the Doctor. "It was outlawed centuries ago, and despite the fact that the tyrannical government is no longer in power, no one has ever thought to bring it back."

"That sucks," said Ryan. "But what does it have to do with us."

"Well ever since saving Kerblam I've been given a carte blanche gift card," said the Doctor.

"Hold up," said Graham. "Are you suggesting what I think you're suggesting?"

"Well it would be nice, wouldn't it?" said the Doctor.

"Sorry, what's going on?" asked Ryan.

"Let's do something wonderful," said the Doctor. "Let's give this planet Christmas!"

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"I'm not sure we can process all of this," the receptionist said, as she looked over exactly what the Doctor had ordered. It was certainly a tome, and was only the first in a rather large collection.

"Oh that's fine," said the Doctor. "I mean I only saved this entire company and the artificial intelligence that runs it. My mistake for being a little bit entitled."

"Doctor," said a Kerblam man, as it made its way over to the four of them. "If you'd like to come with me."

"Certainly," the Doctor said, beaming. "You three, stay here and help organize all this. We don't want a child to be forgotten now."

The three nodded as the Kerblam man led the Doctor away from the lobby and into a private office. Sitting opposite them were two beings. One was a human, the CEO of the company. The other was a more sharply dressed Kerblam man, a representative of the artificial intelligence that had sprung up after centuries of learning.

"Please, take a seat," the man said, gesturing towards an exquisite sofa.

"No thanks," said the Doctor. "Kinda on a time crunch here, don't want to miss Christmas."

"Yes, about that," said the CEO. "While I certainly appreciate everything you've done for the company, the scale of what you're proposing..."

"Surely this is brilliant PR for your company?" the Doctor asked, as she casually sauntered around the room, hands in pocket, not giving either beings her full attention.

"Yes, but it would cut into our profits quite a significant amount," the CEO said.

"Oh I'm sure a man of your worth could easily part with a few trillions," the Doctor said, admiring a portrait of the man. "I mean you are the richest man in the galaxy, would it really effect you that much?"

"It's not that," the man said. "I mean there's my reputation... Maybe if we cut back some of our workers, had more automation, we could perhaps feasibly do it..." He trailed off as the Doctor stopped what she was doing and focused all her attention on the man. He squirmed in his seat, feeling the gaze bore down on him.

"Mister Kerblam," the Doctor asked the robot, not taking her eyes off the businessman. "Could you kindly tell your associate here some of the things that I've done in my past. Especially in relation to 'empires' and 'toppling'."

The Kerblam man started to rattle off the Doctor's various accomplishments, governments that had mistreated their people and paid the price, empires who thought they were above it all before realizing just how vulnerable their position was the moment a certain individual came a-knocking. During the list the Doctor continued to stare at the CEO, watching him flinch with every story told.

"Enough," the CEO said. The Kerblam man looked at the Doctor, who nodded. Silence filled the room. The Doctor decided to make her final move.

"You're lucky I'm kinder than I use to be," the Doctor said. "I use to a man who'd let no one have any second chances. But I decided to cut you some slack, give you a chance to turn this business into a humane venture, use the system for good instead of ill. But do not test me. Do you really think your little business will be able to survive me?"

The CEO said nothing, still trying to figure out his win condition. The Doctor decided to change track.

"Surely you must have fond memories of Christmas?" she asked. "That excitement you got in the morning, seeing all those presents under the tree, spending the day with your family? Don't you want others to have that feeling? To have that joy fill their bodies, that hope swell up inside of them? To remember that on this day, if no other, that there can be between peace amongst men, that we can all work together and create a better world? Of course you do. So all you need to do is take a small cut of your profits to do the right thing. You agree with me, don't you Mister Kerblam?"

"Of course I do," said the artificial intelligence that ran the entire company, speaking through the voice of one of its many servants. "I will do anything you ever ask of me. You did help me gain my sentience and freedom, after all."

"I mean it sure would be awful if the literal embodiment of the company turned against the CEO," said the Doctor. "I don't know how long that business relationship would really last..."

"Alright fine," the CEO said. "You win, okay? I'll pay for it out of pocket."

The Doctor let out a huge, childish grin.

"See," she said joyfully. "That wasn't that hard, was it? Now then, lets get to it, shall we?"

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"So the Kerblam men will be delivering a majority of the items?" Graham asked.

"That's the plan," the Doctor said.

"So tell me," he continued, "why is that I need to dress up as Santa?"

"I think it suits you," said Ryan, trying to stifle his laughter. Graham said nothing, scratching at his beard that had grown in a matter of moments. The Doctor's hair growth tonic was certainly effective, even if it does make him realize how grey he was getting.

"Here, put this on," said the Doctor, giving Graham a red suit. "It'll automatically inflate to give the right appearance. You two, meanwhile," the Doctor continued to rummage through the chest, pulling out some red, green and white clothing.

"We have to dress up as elves?" Yaz asked.

"Well it'd be weird to have Santa hanging around with ordinary people," the Doctor said.

"Santa's not real," said Ryan.

"You what?" said the Doctor. "Course he's real. I hear talk like that again and you're off the TARDIS. Next you'll be saying the Easter Bunny isn't real either, and that will totally ruin our next picnic with him."

Ryan said nothing, knowing that arguing with the Doctor was occasionally a waste of time due to the weird things she tended to say, and at this point Ryan had no reason not to presume they were all true.

"Anyway, hurry up," the Doctor said. "We're arriving at our first house. While the Kerblam men can get to most places, there's a few where their programming won't allow them to get to, or where it would be too difficult for them to get in unnoticed. Hence why we need to do some legwork. As such, lets decorate the orphanage as quickly as possible. Hopefully we'll be in and out before anyone knows that we're there."

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"I told you you should have put the TARDIS on silent," said Graham, as the little girl watched them from the stairs.

"It is on silent!" the Doctor said. "Okay, yes, it could be better, but the TARDIS is a wonderful piece of technology I'll have you know."

"It's just not stealthy," said Ryan.

"What are you doing?" the little girl asked. The four looked at each other, confused. The Doctor fished something out of her pocket.

"We're Santa's elves," she said, holding up a piece of paper. "Elite squad, top secret, best say nothing."

"I'm sorry," the little girl said. "But what's a Santa?" Before any of them could answer another figure appeared at the top of the stairs, brandishing a gun.

"Get off my property!" the owner of the orphanage said. Before any of them had a chance to react, she fired.