AN: I had this almost ready to go on Christmas Day, and then my cat got seriously ill. I spent 36 hours focused solely on nursing her back to health. She's doing much better, so I was able to finish it today. I'll hopefully be updating my other holiday story today or tomorrow as well.
Rose watched the Christmas snow fall for a few minutes, then pulled on a warm coat and snuck downstairs. This was a moment she wanted all for herself, without her little brother's company or her mum's commentary.
Outside, the first dusting of snow just covered the walk. Her boot melted through it instantly, leaving a dark footprint behind.
She held out her hand, and a snowflake melted into her black leather glove. On an impulse, she tilted her head back and caught one on her tongue, just like she'd done when she was younger.
She hummed happily. "Still tastes like icing sugar."
Then she pulled her scarf up to keep out the cold and stepped off the walkway. The whispering sound of her boots stepping through the fresh snow only highlighted the peace that had settled over the estate.
Like everything, snow brought back memories of the Doctor. Those were some of those non-trouble parts she loved so much about her life with him. Days spent traipsing through quaint villages with snow-covered streets. Snowball fights in a park, when she'd enlisted an army of children to ambush him. Ice skating on a frozen pond.
Rose burrowed her cold nose in a fold of her scarf, then laughed when that brought up the memory of the ridiculously long scarf she'd found in the wardrobe room. The Doctor had rolled his eyes and muttered something about his old fashion sense when she walked into the console room with it looped around her neck three times. But he hadn't complained when she used it to pull him into a kiss.
Lost in her memories, Rose didn't notice the warmth spreading over her chest until it was almost uncomfortably hot. "What…?" She fumbled with her zipper and reached under her jumper to pull out her TARDIS key.
Her heart started racing when she saw the way the key was glowing. She'd seen a TARDIS key glow like that once before, and the Doctor had said it was because it was trying to tell him it was still connected to the ship.
"Oh my God." She clutched the key tight and turned in a slow circle. "Please, please, please…"
She hadn't felt a thing from the key in years. If it was connected to the TARDIS now, then maybe that meant the Doctor was in this universe.
The wind picked up around her, but Rose refused to believe it was anything other than the snowstorm until she could see the outline of the TARDIS forming. Her hands started shaking when she could see the light on top of the ship flashing at her and feel the warm hum in her mind.
The door flew open as soon as the ship landed, and Rose watched in shock as the Doctor rushed out. They stared at each other for a long moment, then somehow, they were in each other's arms.
The Doctor cradled Rose's face between his hands, thumbs brushing over her cheekbones. Rose! He reached out for her, and there she was, her mind just as beautiful and vibrant as it had been that night so long ago when they'd bonded.
Rose gasped, then her hands curled around his lapels and tugged him down for a kiss. Thought I'd never see you again, she said as she carded her fingers through his hair. I missed you so much.
I know, love. I know. The Doctor snagged her bottom lip between his teeth and nipped gently, then swept his tongue into her mouth when she parted her lips in surprise. But I'm here now and I'm never letting you go again.
She sighed, then melted into his kiss. The Doctor pulled her close, not wanting there to be even an inch separating them after so long spent apart.
The wind blew snow around them. Even through the passion and joy of their reunion, the Doctor could feel Rose shiver. "You're freezing," he mumbled between kisses. "Let's go inside."
Rose hummed her approval and slowly pulled out of the kiss. But when the Doctor tried to turn towards the TARDIS, she shook her head. "Come with me," she whispered, walking towards the house with his hand in hers.
The Doctor dragged his feet a bit. "But our room is in the TARDIS," he protested.
The impish humour he could feel over the bond intrigued him, and he waited for Rose's response. "Indulge me," she said, and the Doctor's resistance melted away.
"Lead the way."
She rewarded him with a brilliant smile, and they raced across the lawn hand-in-hand. When they reached the back door, Rose held her finger to her lips. "I think everyone is asleep," she whispered. "They should be, anyway. But just in case…"
The Doctor leaned down so he could whisper in her ear. "Rose Tyler, are you trying to sneak me into your mum's home?"
She shivered when his breath hit her neck, and he couldn't resist nuzzling into the sensitive spot. When she sighed his name, he nudged her scarf aside with his nose and kissed her neck.
Rose hummed her approval, then stepped away from him. "Come on, inside."
With one last caress over their bond, the Doctor pulled back and gestured for Rose to open the door. He stifled a chuckle when she crept stealthily into the kitchen, looking around to make sure they were alone.
"Ooh, biscuits," the Doctor said, spying the plate that must have been left out for Santa. He snagged one on the way by and munched on it as they started up the back staircase. Rose rolled her eyes at him, and her indulgent affection warmed him.
Just like a little kid, she told him as they reached the first floor landing.
The Doctor raised an eyebrow, then let her see a few of his plans for their reunion. Rose's breathing shallowed, and she pressed a hand to her heart.
Or not, she agreed shakily. Come on. We're almost there, then you can show me what else you've been planning.
They crept up another two flights of stairs, then Rose took his hand again and backed up, leading him to one of the two doors. The Doctor put his hands on her hips as she leaned back against the door and twisted a strand of hair around her finger.
"Never brought a bloke up here before." She bit her lip and looked down—if the Doctor didn't know better, he would have thought she was genuinely nervous.
He huffed softly and stepped closer. "I'll try to make it worth the risk," he whispered against her lips.
He felt Rose's lips curve up into a smile, then she turned the handle and they went inside.
oOoOo
Later, Rose relished the comforting weight of the Doctor's arm around her waist as she lay curled against his side. After five years without, she didn't think she would ever get enough of his touch.
The hand that had been running absently up and down her back paused. "It's been five years for you?"
Rose nodded, and his guilt and heartbreak made her throat tight. She swallowed, then quickly redirected the conversation.
"That's not important though," she said. "How did you get here? I thought travel between parallel universes was impossible."
The Doctor pressed a kiss to her temple before answering. "I might have had some help with that, actually," he admitted. "It turns out, I'm not the only pan-dimensional being left in the universe."
Rose propped herself up on her elbow and looked down at him, just able to see his face in the moonlight. "You aren't?"
"Nope." The Doctor mirrored her position, and the duvet slid down a few inches. "Martha and I were in the console room this morning when we heard a tapping on the roof."
Rose frowned, trying to picture the story he was painting. "You heard… On the TARDIS roof?"
"Yep! The tiny hoofbeats of eight miniature reindeer, as it turns out."
"You have got to be kidding me," Rose breathed.
The Doctor giggled and shook his head. "Even I couldn't make up a story this unbelievable," he assured her. "I opened the door, and Santa was there, in his sleigh, floating in the middle of the Vortex."
"Santa Claus. Father Christmas. Bearded fellow dressed in red velvet."
The Doctor nodded. "The very one. He'd come to get me to fulfil Tony's Christmas wish."
Rose blinked, trying to stop the sudden, unexpected tears. "Not just Tony's," she murmured.
The Doctor took her hand and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. "Anyway!" he said. "It turns out Santa is able to travel between dimensions. That's how he gets all the toys delivered every year."
"So Santa in this universe is the same as Santa in our universe, and he heard our Christmas wish and decided to make it possible?" Rose summarised.
"Yep! Pretty much."
Rose took a moment to process that. It was mental, but didn't that describe their whole life? Looking up at her husband, she decided there were better ways to spend the night than trying to understand trans-dimensional physics.
She rested her hand on the Doctor's hip and licked her lips. "You know, Doctor, I hear that Santa won't come if we don't go to bed."
The Doctor blinked. "I just told you. He already came."
Rose shook her head and waited for him to catch on to her not-so-subtle innuendo. A moment later, amusement and approval sparked over their bond, and he slung a leg over hers and rolled them over.
He leaned down and brushed his lips over hers, then whispered, "Well in that case, Rose Tyler, let's go to bed."
oOoOo
It took Rose a moment when she woke up the next morning to realise what was different. Then she felt the lean body wrapped around hers, and more importantly, the Doctor holding her close over the bond.
He pressed a kiss to her neck. "Happy Christmas, love," he murmured against her skin.
Rose tilted her head to give him more access. "Happy Christmas, Doctor."
The words sparked a memory in Rose's mind, and she sat up abruptly, elbowing the Doctor in the ribs in the process. "It's Christmas!"
"Yes, I know," he groaned, rubbing at his side. "And if that's how you're going to react every Christmas, we might never land on Christmas again."
Rose shook her head impatiently. "It's Christmas morning," she emphasised. "Presents."
He scratched at his sideburn. "Ah, I don't have anything for you… though I'm sure I could find something in the TARDIS…"
Rose rolled her eyes. "No, you plum. You are the present."
She felt the moment it clicked. "That's right. Santa said Tony had been asking to meet me."
Rose listened carefully. "I don't think he's up yet, which is a Christmas miracle all of its own." Her mind whirled, trying to think of the best way to spring the Christmas surprise on her little brother. "Come on. I have an idea."
They dressed hurriedly, Rose in flannel pyjamas and the Doctor in his suit.
"You do an awful lot of sneaking," the Doctor commented in a stage whisper as they went back downstairs.
Rose looked over her shoulder at him. "Part of living with a very curious younger sibling," she explained. "Now, shush! We're almost there."
She led the Doctor into the lounge, which was still half in shadow as the winter sun hadn't even risen yet. "And now we wait," she said.
The Doctor sat down in the corner of the couch and pulled Rose into his lap. "I missed this," he said as she settled into his arms. "Holding you, feeling you breathe, hearing your heartbeat."
Rose massaged his temples, and the Doctor felt his tension melt away. "I did too," she agreed. "But that's all over now."
Before the Doctor could voice his agreement, or kiss her, they heard a door bang against the wall upstairs, then what sounded like a herd of elephants thundering down the hallway. He could only assume Rose's little brother was awake.
"Rose! Rose!" a young boy shouted. "It's Christmas, and it snowed!"
The footsteps moved away from them, and Rose said, "He's running up the stairs to my room."
Another door opened, and a more familiar voice joined the cacophony. "Tony Tyler, what have I told you about running inside?"
The answer was faint, but chipper. "Happy Christmas, Mummy!"
Jackie's sigh was audible even in the lounge, and the Doctor pressed his lips to Rose's shoulder to suppress his laughter.
"Come on, Jacks, we might as well open presents." A light flicked on. "After all, it is Christmas."
"Mummy, Rose isn't in her room."
Rose slid out of the Doctor's lap and reached over the arm of the couch for something on the end table. "I'm already downstairs, Tony. I was just making sure Santa brought all the presents you asked for." Then she shot the Doctor a wicked smile and put a big red bow on his head.
The Doctor's squawk of surprise was drowned out by Tony's childish shout of delight. Footsteps echoed back down the stairs, and the Doctor felt the first glimmer of trepidation—how could he possibly live up to whatever image Tony had of him?
"Tony, stop running!"
A tiny red-headed boy skidded into the lounge on his stocking feet, heedless of his mother's command. His gaze landed on the tree first, then when Rose cleared her throat, he looked around the room.
Tony's eyes widened when he spotted the Doctor sitting on the couch. "Are you him?" he whispered, and the hope in his voice eased all the Doctor's worries.
He swallowed, then nodded and opened his arms as the little boy hurtled across the room and leapt into his lap. "I knew it would work, I knew Santa could bring you!" he mumbled into the Doctor's chest. "Rose said there wasn't any way for you to get here, but Santa can do everything."
Jackie and Pete appeared, then froze in the doorway. "How…?" Jackie said, for once unable to say anything else.
Rose nudged him when she picked up on that thought, and he smiled unrepentantly at her.
Tony squirmed until he was sitting properly in the Doctor's lap. "Look, Mummy! I asked Santa to bring the Doctor for Christmas, and he did!"
"Yes, he did," the Doctor agreed.
Jackie narrowed her eyes at him, and he knew she was about to tell him off for encouraging Tony's belief that Santa could do something so magical.
He shook his head quickly. "Strange as it sounds, Jackie, that is exactly what happened. He flew right up to the TARDIS in his sleigh and gave me a button that would let us travel between universes."
Jackie looked at him, then at Rose, and her shoulders slumped slightly. Pete wrapped an arm around her waist, and she smiled at them.
"This is the second Christmas party you've crashed, you know."
The Doctor frowned at her for a moment, trying to understand why she seemed so sad. "Yesssss…" he said slowly. "But it won't be the last." He'd mentioned that, hadn't he? "This was not just a one-time trip," he continued. "The TARDIS will need time to recover between trips… say, about a year. So, unless you object, Jackie, I think Rose and I will visit every year for Christmas."
Jackie stood stock-still for a moment, then she let out a shriek the Doctor hoped never to hear again. She ran across the room and pulled him and Rose both to their feet, wrapping her arms around them.
"I still don't understand that life of yours," she said as she pulled back after a few seconds. "But if it means we can still see Rose, I don't care. Just try not to get in too much trouble."
"It's the best life!" Tony protested. "Trouble is just the bits in between."
The Doctor looked over at Rose, his eyebrow arched. Rose smiled and put her arm around his waist. "I told him all of our stories. His favourite is the Sycorax, because you used a sword, but I think this is the one I'm going to love most of all."
"Tony, why don't you see what else Santa brought you," Pete suggested. Tony darted around the Doctor and Rose and ran to the tree.
The Doctor ignored the gift unwrapping happening a few feet away. He had already been given the best gift possible. He turned and pulled Rose close, resting his hands on her hips. Her head tipped back slightly, and he couldn't resist the invitation.
The best story of all, he agreed as they kissed. With the best possible ending.
Somewhere in the universes, he knew a jolly old man was chuckling as he flew over the snow-covered world. And even though he knew it was just his imagination, he thought he could hear the familiar words echoing in the air.
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night."