Just a quick note before you start reading, Viviana's outfit for this chapter is on my profile.
Chapter 2: Christmas
"Come on, everyone! It's time for presents," Jackie said once all of us went back into the flat. Rose and I plopped down on the couch and the Doctor was at my feet. Mickey sat in the armchair and Jackie began sorting through the presents. Most of them were for Jackie and Rose, but Mickey had brought over his gifts so he had some too. I was extremely surprised when Jackie handed me a gift, and the Doctor was even more surprised when she handed him two. Mickey started. He opened my gift last and I couldn't help but be excited when he saw it. Mickey opened the envelope and the keys fell out when he took out the letter.
"What are these?" Mickey asked. I merely gestured to the letter. He looked down and began to read it aloud. "Dear Mickey, to be honest, I'm not the biggest fan of that old bug of yours, so I'm giving you my grandfather's…" Mickey trailed off and looked at me with wide eyes. I nodded.
"Her grandfather's what?" Jackie asked.
"Porsche," Mickey answered. "Her grandfather's Porsche." Jackie and Rose gasped and the Doctor gave me a surprised look. I merely smiled. "Enclosed are the keys and the documents to make the car officially yours. Merry Christmas, Mickey. Love from, Viviana." Suddenly, Mickey launched himself at me with a bear hug.
"Oh, Mickey!" I squealed in surprise before hugging him back.
"Thank you so much, Viviana!" Mickey said enthusiastically.
"You're welcome. Besides, if I'm going to be travelling with the Doctor for the rest of my life, I don't really need a car, now do I?" Mickey laughed and went back to the armchair, happy with his gift.
"That was very nice of you," I heard the Doctor say. I looked down at him.
"I figured he'd like it, and I don't really need a car," I said.
"Rest of your life, huh?" he asked. I nodded.
"Yes."
"That's a long time."
"I don't care. I'm never leaving. I would miss the TARDIS too much," I joked at the end. The Doctor's face fell and he looked put out. I merely kissed his cheek, cheering him up instantly.
"Mum, you go next," Rose said to Jackie. Jackie nodded and began opening her gifts, either crying out in delight when she saw them or grumbling about them. Like Mickey, she opened my gift last.
"Viviana is this from you?" she asked. I nodded.
"Be careful opening it though. It's fragile," I said.
"It's so big," she replied beginning to open the present. She opened it gently like I told her to and gasped when she saw it. I knew how much she liked tea, so I had given her my aunt's antique tea set. It was made of white porcelain with gold and bronze detailing. The set included a coffee pot, a teapot, a creamer, a sugar pot, and 6 cups and saucers.
"Oh, Viviana, it's all so beautiful. I love it! Thank you so much," Jackie exclaimed.
"I'm glad and you're welcome," I replied.
"Where did you find this?"
"It was Aunt Maggie's. She loved antiques and tea. It was just sitting in my apartment, not being used. So, I decided you should have it." Jackie beamed and began inspecting each piece, a smile on her face.
"Thank you so much!" Jackie got up from the floor and gave me a big hug. I returned it before it was Rose's turn to open her presents. Rose, unlike Mickey and Jackie, opened my gifts first. The first gift was a blue a purple shirt, one that Rose really liked. The second gift had a lot more feeling to it.
"What is this?" Rose asked while opening my second gift to her.
"You'll see," I said. Rose opened the box and gasped. She gingerly lifted the charm bracelet from the box and looked at it.
"Did you make this?" Rose asked. I nodded.
"I have one too," I replied. I showed her my wrist. I was wearing a matching bracelet. The bracelets had 8 charms each. A police box, the Earth, a ghost, a barrage balloon, a wolf, a Christmas tree, and two personalized charms. Rose's bracelet had an R for her name and the British Isles while I had a V and the USA. Rose looked at the charms, each one representing us or a memorable adventure we had. She laughed when she saw the barrage balloon charm. As scary as that experience had been for us, it certainly was memorable, and it led us to Jack.
"I love it, Viv," Rose said. She and I hugged before she continued opening her gifts. Soon, I was opening my gift from Jackie. It was a thin box, like a box you put clothing in. I tore off the wrapping paper before gently opening the box. I gasped when I saw what was inside.
"Oh, Jackie!" I cried. I looked at the dress inside the box. It was gorgeous! It was a light grey with darker grey and black swirls. I stood up and held it against myself. "How did you know my size?"
"I guessed. I'm glad I got it right," Jackie sighed with relief.
"It's so beautiful," I breathed.
"Oh, I'm jealous, Viv. That really is a beautiful dress," Rose agreed. She came up and we looked it over and felt the fabric.
"Seriously, Jacks, that's very pretty," Mickey chimed in.
"Come on, Viv. Let's go try on our stuff," Rose suggested. I nodded and the two of us took our stuff and went into her bedroom.
"Oh, I want to see!" Jackie called.
"We'll model for you!" Rose called back. I scowled at the thought of that, but didn't say anything. Rose had gotten a top and dress from Jackie as well as the shirt she got from me. She slipped into my shirt first, and as I thought, it fit her perfectly and looked amazing. She quickly went and showed everyone while I slipped into the dress. By the time I was ready, Rose was back and pulling on the top Jackie got for her. The both of us walked out of her bedroom and showed everyone.
"Oh, you look amazing!" Jackie cried out.
"Which one?" Rose and I asked at the same time.
"Both of you!" Rose and I laughed and blushed while Jackie, Mickey, and the Doctor stared at us. Mickey whistled at the two of us and the Doctor smiled.
"You two look beautiful," the Doctor said. Rose and I smiled before both going back to her bedroom to change. Rose modeled her dress for us before it was the Doctor's turn to open his gifts. When he opened Grandpapa's, his eyes widened.
"Let me explain," I said before he could ask me any questions. "Grandpapa used to tell me that when I met you, not that I believed you were real at the time, I was to give you this. He said you never had one and he happened to find one." The Doctor's eyes widened even more as he glanced at the blank pocket watch that was used by Time Lords to change their physiology.
"This is… this is great!" the Doctor exclaimed, a grin on his face. He pocketed the watch and moved on to the next gift. I was actually a little nervous about this one. I had been working on it for months and I had finally finished it. I had meant to give it to him after we dropped Margaret off on Raxacoricofallapatorius, but then we had been transmatted onto Satellite 5. Now seemed like a good time to give it to him. He unwrapped the present and stared at the wood box slightly confused.
'It's a music box. I've been working on it for a while now. I finally finished it and figured now would be a good time to give it to you. It plays an Old Gallifreyan Lullaby,' I told him. The Doctor's eyes widened and he gingerly lifted the lid of the box. Immediately, a slow, beautiful tune filled the air and the Doctor looked nostalgic and blissful at the same time.
'Thank you. I… I love it. This means so much to me," the Doctor said. I smiled and nodded. The Doctor closed the box and the melody stopped.
"Oh, there they go," Rose grumbled beside me. "It's so annoying when they do that." The Doctor and I laughed lightly but Mickey and Jackie looked confused.
"When they do what?" Mickey asked.
"They have telepathic conversations all the time," Rose said. "It's so annoying."
"Wait, they can talk in their minds?" Mickey asked.
"What are you going on about?" Jackie demanded. "Of course they can't."
"Yes, we can," I corrected. Mickey and Jackie looked stunned, but didn't say anything.
"Okay, I'm curious about something," Rose said. I looked over at her. "Since when do you wear glasses? I've known you for almost a year now and I've never seen you wear glasses."
"Something went wrong when I revitalized and now I have crap eyesight," I said. "Everything was blurry to me until the Doctor gave me these."
"So, something went wrong, but… you're okay right?" Rose asked nervously. The way she was looking at me suggested that she expected me to keel over like the Doctor did. I gave her a reassuring smile.
"Yes, Rosie. I'm fine," I said. Rose immediately relaxed and smiled. Mickey and Jackie were talking to each other and Rose and I started a conversation as well. But before we could, the Doctor stood up and looked at us.
"I'm going back to the TARDIS. I'll see you two in the morning," he said. I raised my eyebrows.
"What, you're letting us stay the night?" Rose asked, almost not believing it.
"Of course, you're with your family and it's Christmas," the Doctor said like it was obvious. Well that was different. His last self probably would've made us come back the TARDIS right away. He would've threatened to leave us behind, even though we all knew he wouldn't. Still, it was a change. The Doctor smiled and left the flat before Rose turned back to me.
"So, Viviana. I believe we didn't finish our conversation." I looked at the blonde genuinely confused.
"What are you talking about?"
"You and the Doctor." Rose was smirking and I rolled my eyes.
"What do you want from me?" I cried exasperated.
"This new Doctor's kind of foxy," Rose said. I blushed. I had been thinking the exact same thing. "I knew it!"
"Okay, Rose. Yes, I have feelings for the Doctor. Is that what you want to hear?" I gave in.
"How long?" Rose asked. I thought for a minute.
"Well, I didn't figure out I had feelings for him until after Jack kissed me," I admitted. Rose nodded, still waiting for an answer. "I mean, right from the start I was drawn to him, but so were you. It turned into something more when made the mental bond. I mean, he saved my life. At first I thought it was just me feeling grateful to him, but the feelings didn't go away. They just got stronger and stronger."
"Do you love him?" Rose asked.
"No, not quite. But Rose, I can tell that I'm very close to being in love with him, and it scares me. Not only have I never felt something like this before, but once Incolae fall in love, it's for life. I don't know what to do, Rose." My voice was getting shakier the more I spoke and Rose gave me a sympathetic look. She gave me a side hug and I leaned my head on her shoulder.
"I'm sure it will work out," she said.
"How do you know?"
"Because I'm going to make sure it works out." Her voice was determined and serious, but I couldn't help the small laugh that escaped my mouth. I lifted my head off her shoulder.
"Of course you are," I said shaking my head at her fondly. "Thanks, Rose."
"You're welcome." Then, Jackie brought both of us two cups of tea. "So, tell me what your Christmas's were like. This is pretty typical for me. Minus the sick Time Lord and alien invasion." I laughed at that.
"Well, Grandpapa and I kept Christmas pretty simple. It was always the two of us. We would sit down and have a home-cooked meal before exchanging gifts. Christmas was a time where the two of us could sit down, and not to worry about school or work. We could just sit and be ourselves," I told her.
"What about with your Aunt?" Rose asked. I smiled, thinking about the Christmas's I spent with Aunt Maggie.
"We had these neighbors. They were an older couple with six children, all but one of them older than me. They would always invite us over to their house plus the rest of their family for a huge formal Christmas dinner. They were like a second family, to be honest. There would be a gift exchange and lots of Christmas traditions. Judy, the woman who always hosted the party, was a stickler for tradition. There would always be eggnog to drink, crackers at the table, and mistletoe in the doorways. If she caught you and another person underneath the mistletoe there was no getting out of it. She would force you to stay there and kiss while she took pictures." Rose laughed and I joined in. "She always said the best gift she ever got was a bottle of Apple Cider from Monticello."
"What's Monticello?" Rose asked.
"That's Thomas Jefferson's house and property," I said. Rose nodded. "She loved the stuff and was always disappointed if she didn't get a bottle at Christmas. And sometimes, if it wasn't too cold and there was snow outside, the kids would go and build snowmen and play while the adults would sit on the porch and talk. Then, at the end of every night, she took a group picture and then mailed it to everyone."
"That sounds amazing," Rose said wistfully. I looked over, realizing she was imagining it.
"Yes it was. Her house was about a mile from mine, but Aunt Maggie and I would always walk. Now that I think about it, she and her family were the ones who bought the house when Aunt Maggie died and I moved. They needed to downsize because half their kids were in college by that time."
"God, I would never have six kids," Rose said. I laughed.
"Never," I agreed. Rose and I finished our tea before heading to bed. I was feeling drained and exhausted after revitalizing and dealing with the Sycorax.
"I just want to tell you again, Viv," Rose started. "I'm really sorry about earlier. I had no right to say any of those things and I was wrong. I'm sorry."
"It's okay, Rose. I understand and I forgive you," I said.
"Thanks." With that, I fell asleep.
~)8(~
The next morning, I woke up to find Rose still asleep. I looked over at her alarm clock, it was 9 o'clock. I gently shook her awake before dragging myself out of bed. I took off the pajamas Rose lent me and put on my outfit from yesterday before freshening up as best as I could. I fixed my braid and moved to grab my hat when I realized it wasn't there. I frowned, where could it be? With disappointment, I realized I must've left it in the future on Satellite 5. Feeling a little sad, I went into the kitchen and ate some breakfast. Within 30 minutes, Rose, Mickey, Jackie, and I were walking down to the TARDIS. Jackie gave me a hug and a kiss on the cheek before I hugged Mickey.
"I wish you would come with us," I told him. Mickey shrugged.
"I can't do it," he said. "It's just too much." I nodded in understanding and gave him another hug before Rose and I stepped into the TARDIS.
"Hello!" the Doctor said from the console. He was running around it, pressing buttons and pulling levers as he went. I frowned, what on Earth was he doing? "Rose, Viviana, go get ready."
"Ready for what?" I asked.
"Our next trip, of course," he said. "You need to get dressed up." Rose made to go to the wardrobe, but I stood my ground and crossed my arms.
"I seem to recall making a promise," I said to the Doctor.
"Ah, well, yes…" he trailed off.
"I promised that I wouldn't dress up again until you did," I reminded him. Rose tried desperately to hide her snickers as the Doctor stumbled for a reply.
"But, um… I just regenerated!"
"So?"
"I just changed outfits. Come on, please. Just this once? Please, Evy?" The Doctor unleashed an unexpected pair of puppy dog eyes. They were wide and brown and irresistible. I caved almost instantly.
"Fine, but you owe me," I grumbled.
"The dress you got from Jackie will be fine," the Doctor said. I gave him a look, but nodded. Rose and I walked towards the wardrobe. Rose scoured the racks for the perfect dress while I went towards the accessories. I found a cute pair of tights that would go with the dress and grabbed them. I saw a nice pair of dangly earrings also and put them in. I quickly ducked behind a clothing rack and put on the tights and dress. I held my clothing as I went to go get suitable shoes from my room.
"I'll meet you in the console room, Rose!" I called to her.
"Okay!" I heard her call back. With the clothes in hand, I quickly walked to my room and began rummaging through my closet. I wasn't a shopaholic, but I admit, I owned more shoes than I needed. I had a real weakness for shoes. I looked through my collection until I found a pair of ankle boots. I put them on and laced them up before moving to do my hair. I braided the front sections of my hair before twisting the back section of my hair into a bun. Then, I wrapped the braids around the bun and pinned them in place. I made sure the updo was secure, put on a black bracelet and made to leave my room. However, I stopped and grabbed a black coat. There was no telling where we were going. I put the coat over my arm before walking back to the console room. Rose was already there, talking with the Doctor. She was wearing a green dress with lace, black leggings and boots. Her hair was down and she had silver makeup. When they heard me coming, they immediately stopped talking and looked at me like they were two kids who had been caught doing something they shouldn't have.
"You look pretty, Rose," I told her.
"So do you," she replied. She turned to the Doctor, expecting him to say something but he remained silent. I looked at him, suddenly feeling a little shy.
"You look good… great, actually," he said. I felt my cheeks heat up and I smiled.
"Thanks," I replied. The Doctor offered me his arm and I took it, feeling a little confused. He led me outside, Rose following behind us. The TARDIS was parked on the side of a road. Well, I think it was a road. It was lightly snowing, but there was already four inches on the ground. I slipped my arm out of the Doctor's to pull on my coat. Rose pulled on hers as well and both she and the Doctor were looking at me expectantly.
"Okay, what is it? I know the two of you did something," I said. "Spill."
"Do you know where we are?" the Doctor asked. I gave him a confused look.
Of course… not…" I trailed off as I looked around me again. Now that the Doctor mentioned it, the place did look familiar. The road was surrounded by tall spruces and pines. There were only a few tire tracks in the snow and up the road, I saw something very familiar. It was a birdhouse shaped mailbox. I gasped before sprinting up the road.
"Viviana, wait!" Rose called behind me. I ignored her and ran to the mailbox, hardly able to believe it. I gingerly reached out and touched it. It felt the same. I kneeled down and looked on the bottom of the box. I gasped again, seeing my name and Aunt Maggie's written there in permanent marker. I was back in Colorado. If I were to walk up the ½ mile drive, I would be at my old house. I looked up, seeing Rose standing next to me and the Doctor standing a few feet away, a bottle in his hand.
"Is that what I think it is?" I asked. The Doctor smirked and showed me the label. It was Apple Cider from Monticello.
"Merry Christmas, Evy," he said. My eyes filled with tears.
"We both felt bad about you giving us such amazing gifts and not giving you anything in return. Besides, I got to see my family this Christmas, you should get to see yours," Rose said. "After you fell asleep, I went and told the Doctor what you told me, about the Christmas dinners and traditions from when you lived out here. I asked if we could do this for you. He agreed immediately." I looked between the two of them, trying to keep my happy tears from falling. I stood up, noticing I was still kneeling and hugged Rose.
"Thank you so much. This means so much to me," I said. I hugged the Doctor before stepping back, a smile on my face. Seriously, this meant a lot to me. I hadn't seen these people in almost a decade now. I had missed all of them so much. With that, the three of us walked up the drive. It took longer than expected with the snow on the ground, but before too long, we were walking up the steps of the porch. The house was decent sized, much bigger than two people needed, but I loved it. I briefly looked at the porch swing, lots of memories coming back to me. I smiled softly before ringing the doorbell. I could hear the chatter inside and bit my lip nervously. A few seconds later, the door opened to reveal an older, but still cheery looking Judy. Her eyes widened when she saw me and she looked stunned.
"Hello, Judy," I greeted.
"Why, it's little Evelyn," she breathed out. I smiled and she immediately pulled me into a hug. "Oh, my goodness! Look at you!" She pulled away and looked me over. "Not so young any more, but you are still a little thing." I laughed lightly.
"I'm sorry to just show up like this, but I wanted to surprise you," I said. Judy smiled.
"Oh, it's fine. This is… I can't believe it. How old are you now?"
"I'm 20." Judy smiled sadly.
"Oh, they grow up so fast," she sniffled. I smiled and turned to Rose and the Doctor.
"Judy, this is my best friend Rose." Rose stepped forward to shake her hand, but Judy pulled her into a hug.
"Hello, Rose. It's nice to meet you," Judy said. Rose looked a little thrown by the woman's hug, but smiled.
"You too," she replied.
"And this is the Doctor," I continued. The Doctor walked forward, the bottle of Apple Cider in his hand. Judy took one look at it and laughed heartily.
"Oh, come here!" she said pulling the Doctor into a bear hug. He stiffened and looked surprised, just like Rose did, but hugged her back. "Nice to meet you, Doctor. Thanks for the Cider. I haven't gotten one of these in years! Oh, this is going to be such a good Christmas. Oh, goodness me! Where are my manners? Come in, come in, you must be freezing." Judy ushered the three of us inside and the warmth and familiarity of the house filled me to the core. I breathed in deeply before shedding my coat. The Doctor, Rose, and I hung our coats on the rack before following Judy into the dining room.
"Hey, everyone! Look who's here!" Judy announced as we walked into the room. Dozens of eyes turned to us. I recognized most of the people, but there were some I didn't know.
"Well, I don't believe it," Judy's husband, Bill, said. I smiled. He looked the same as ever. He was bald, but had a beard and mustache. His eyes still had the crinkles around them and his ears were even larger than the Doctor's, well, the last Doctor's anyway. "It's Evelyn."
"Hello, Bill. It's so good to see you," I said as he engulfed me in a hug. There were countless of other people who greeted me after that, lots of hugs, and I didn't stop smiling the entire time. The last person to greet me was a boy a few years younger than me. I didn't recognize him at first, but my eyes widened when I did. He looked so different.
"James?" I asked. He nodded and smiled. I immediately beamed and lept into his open arms and he lifted me off the ground. "Jamesy!" James was Judy and Bill's youngest son. He was three years younger than me and the closest to my age. He and I had been good friends when we were younger.
"Evelyn!" he cried as we hugged. He set me back on the ground and we smiled.
"Wow, look at you. You got tall," I said. He was about the same height as the Doctor. His dirty blonde hair was close cropped and his blue eyes were bright as ever.
"You didn't," James joked. I scowled playfully but he only laughed.
"It's so good to see you again," I said.
"You too," he replied. Then, I felt an arm come around my waist and I looked over to see the Doctor. He was glaring at James. I was confused on why he was doing that, but ignored it.
"Everyone," I announced, "these are my friends Rose Tyler and the Doctor." Everyone greeted Rose and the Doctor and the man was pulled away from me and into the crowd of people. I saw James had a smirk on his face. He leaned in and whispered in my ear.
"I think your boyfriend's jealous." My eyes widened.
"He's not my boyfriend," I hissed. I got how the Doctor's arm being around my waist might've suggested that, but he wasn't.
"Boyfriend or not, he doesn't look very happy with me," James said snickering. "But he doesn't have much to worry about." James suddenly looked uncomfortable, like he said something he didn't mean to say.
"James, what is it?" I asked immediately concerned.
"Nothing it's just. I'm usually so careful with what I say. I haven't told anyone yet," he said awkwardly.
"Told anyone what?" I asked, genuinely confused. James looked uncomfortable. "I'm sorry. You don't have to-"
"I'm gay," he cut me off. I blinked, not having expected that. I expected him to say he had a girlfriend. But then, I smiled.
"Your secret's safe with me," I said with a wink. James beamed and gave me another hug which I happily returned. After a few more minutes of catching up with him, Judy called out.
"Time to eat!" Everyone cheered, including me. The Doctor and Rose looked a little surprised at the sudden outburst, but laughed and smiled. Everyone sat down at the large table. I sat at the end of the table, the Doctor on my left. Bill sat next to me at the head of the table and Judy was across from me. Rose was next to Judy and James was next to Rose. Platters and dishes started getting passed around and within 10 minutes, everyone was eating and talking with each other.
"So, Evelyn, how's life been in Harry Potter land?" Bill asked. I laughed.
"It was hard to adjust at first. As a 10 year old, it was hard for me to wrap my head around the concept of driving on the left side of the road and that their currency is pounds, not dollars." Bill laughed. "But it's been good. I've really liked it."
"How's that grandfather of yours?" Judy asked. I smiled sadly.
"Oh, well, Grandpapa passed away almost two years ago," I told her.
"Oh, Evelyn, I'm so sorry. I had no idea," Judy immediately said.
"It's okay. I'm okay," I replied. Judy smiled.
"That's good. But remember, you're always welcome here," she said. I smiled.
"Thank you." We all returned to our meals, but not before James winked at me. I rolled my eyes and shook my head fondly. I was about to continue eating when I heard a strange sound come from the Doctor. I looked over, seeing him glancing at James again.
'Thank you for doing this, by the way. I know you usually don't do things like this, let alone two days in a row,' I said. The Doctor tore his gaze from James and smiled slightly.
'You're welcome. Most of them seem really nice.' I caught his words and stifled a laugh.
'Don't let James get to you. He's just messing around.'
'He's not getting to me.'
'You do realize this is how Mickey always feels when you pick on him, right?' The Doctor didn't reply and I felt frustration coming from him. Wait… felt? What was… but we didn't… I would have to figure this out later.
"So, did you all hear about what happened in London?" Bill asked. The Doctor, Rose, and I exchanged amused looks.
"You mean the spaceship thing? Pretty hard to miss," I said. "Do you think it was real?"
"I'm pretty sure it was," Bill replied. "It's hard to fake something that big. Especially with all the people standing on buildings around the world."
"I'm not so sure," Judy said. "They said it was a prank on the news."
"I don't think so," James piped up. "I think it was real. What do you think Evelyn, Doctor, Rose?" The three of us exchanged looks.
"Oh, you never know," the Doctor said. "I think it was real."
"Me too. Though, it's a little easier to believe after the Big Ben incident," I said.
"Oh, I don't know. What if it was a big hoax?" Rose chimed in. I knew she was just continuing the act and it took a lot of effort to hold back my laughs.
"They said there was a human hand found," Bill said. I literally had to pretend I was wiping my mouth with my napkin to contain my giggles.
"Oh, really?" the Doctor said, pretending he didn't know. He put his hand, the one he had grown back, on my leg and I nearly squealed.
'Are you… ticklish?'
'No!' I denied. The response came too quick and I knew it. 'You just surprised me. Plus, that's the hand you grew back.'
'Oh, you are ticklish!' I forced myself not to glare at him. Yes, I was very ticklish. I was ticklish on my… well, everywhere really. And now the Doctor knew it. I felt amusement coming from him… again with the "feeling" thing. I would really have to figure out what that was about. The Doctor moved his hand to take mine and I got a few butterflies. The Doctor squeezed my hand before dropping it and continuing to eat. Soon, everyone had finished with the main course and it was time to bring out dessert. But, before that, it was time for the crackers. Everyone crossed their arms and gripped and cracker with the person on each side of them. When Bill called out "3", everyone pulled. I won both of them surprisingly and Rose lost both. Inside the crackers were the paper crowns like normal. Everyone along the table put theirs on and I handed Rose the green one I won. I put the blue (of course) one on my head and went to help Judy bring in the desserts. Within another 10 minutes, everyone was eating pie, cake, cookies, and/or, pudding. By the time we were all done, everyone was slumping over, feeling full and satisfied. Coffee, tea, cider, and cocoa were poured and people began to disperse around the house. I thanked Judy when she gave me my cup of hot cocoa. I took a sip and instantly smiled.
"You remembered!" I said in delight.
"Of course I did," Judy said laughing. "You're the only person I know who like cinnamon in their hot chocolate."
"You like cinnamon in your hot chocolate?" the Doctor asked. I nodded. "I didn't know that." Judy smiled at us before going into the living room. I turned to the Doctor.
"Thank you, Doctor," I said.
"I wish you'd stop saying that," he moaned. "You've already thanked me. It's okay, Evy. I wanted to do this."
"I know but, this just means so much to me." I looked at him sincerely. "Thank you."
"You're welcome." The Doctor leaned forward to hug me, but Rose cut us off.
"Hey, Viv? You said Judy loved Christmas traditions right?" she asked. I furrowed my eyebrows.
"Yeah, why?" She didn't have a chance to reply as James walked towards us. He took one look at me and the Doctor before busting out laughing.
"Mom! Get in here!" he called into the house. "Bring your camera!" My eyes widened and my gaze shot to the ceiling. Sure enough, there was mistletoe right above me and the Doctor. I cursed in my head and the Doctor was stumbling for words.
"Oh… well, um…" he choked out. Before I could try to make a getaway, Judy arrived.
"Oh, no!" I protested. Judy squealed in delight and raised her camera.
"You're not leaving until I get a proper picture," she said laughing. Rose swooped forward and took my mug from me. "I was always hoping this would happen. I never managed to get her or Maggie underneath the stuff when they lived here. Evelyn would always bolt, quick little thing." I facepalmed and Rose, James, and Judy laughed. The Doctor had fallen silent and I looked at him shyly.
"Well, um… we could… well, no, um…" the Doctor started. I felt my cheeks heat up slightly. This was officially the most awkward situation I'd ever been in. Seeing the Doctor wasn't going to move, I rolled my eyes. To be honest, I just wanted to get this over with.
"Oh, for God's sake," I muttered. I pulled him forward by the lapels of his jacket and kissed him. I felt the Doctor stiffen before relaxing. He put his arms around my waist and before I could stop myself, my hands tangled in his hair. It was unbelievably soft and I immediately loved it. His kiss was exactly the same. New lips, same kiss. It made my body tingle and my knees weak. After a few more seconds, I forced myself to pull away. I didn't look at the Doctor as I reached past him and grabbed my coat. I pulled it on and saw the Doctor, Rose, James, and Judy out of the corner of my eye. The Doctor was standing there, he hadn't moved from when I pulled away. Rose's jaw was practically scraping the floor, but the corners of her mouth were turned up in a slight smile. James was smirking and Judy was giggling while looking at her photos.
I rushed past all of them, upstairs, and to Aunt Maggie's bedroom. I pulled open the window and pulled myself onto the roof. I released the breath I hadn't realized I was holding in. That had been… amazing and… completely horrifying at the same time. The kiss itself was amazing, just as his kisses always were. I just hated how we had been forced to do it while people watched. It seemed like every time we kissed, it was because he was saving my life or he was forced to, sometimes both. It broke my heart a little more each time. Each time we kissed, each time he had his arms around my waist, each time I felt his lips caressing mine, every little touch, every hand hold, every smile, it all made me fall harder for him.
I looked up, staring at the stars. There were so many. More than I had seen in a long time. It calmed down my raging emotions and racing thoughts. I closed my eyes and breathed in deeply. The air here was so fresh compared to the air in London. Granted it was thinner, but it was so much cleaner than the city air. I felt like I could breathe easier out here than back there.
"They're beautiful," I heard. I turned and saw Grandpapa sitting next to me, in all his blue mist glory.
"Hey, Grandpapa," I said.
"Hello, Viviana. I thought you might have questions." I nodded and mulled over which to ask first.
"Why can I feel the Doctor's emotions?" I asked. Grandpapa looked stunned.
"You can feel the Doctor's emotions?" he asked. I nodded.
"I only noticed it about two hours ago. We don't have an emotional bond, Grandpapa.
Why is this happening?"
"Emotional bonds are made by a serious exchange of emotions. Either the pair feels such pain or joy together, they forge an emotional bond. Sealed with a kiss of course," Grandpapa said.
"I know that, but nothing like that has happened," I said.
"Well, there is another way to forge an emotional bond."
"What is it?"
"It's if the two sacrifice their lives for each other." I paled.
"Oh, God," I breathed.
"Viviana, what happened?" Grandpapa asked.
"I'm surprised you don't know," I replied. "You're with me all the time."
"Just tell me." I sighed.
"We were on Satellite 5. Each of us had been transmatted into a game show. Thanfully, Jack and I ended up together. We escaped and found the Doctor. Then, we found Rose, but she was disintegrated before we could get there. I had been holding her hand at the time so the beam affected me too. I ended up in the TARDIS for some reason I have yet to find. We soon figured out that Rose hadn't been killed, but transported. She was on the Dalek Emperor's ship. He survived. The Doctor, Jack, and I rescued her. The Doctor wanted to build a Delta Wave to wipe out the Daleks and at one point, he tricked me and Rose into the TARDIS before sending it away. Emergency Programme One was activated. But Rose and I couldn't just leave him there to die, but the Doctor was blocking me completely. I couldn't remember how to fly the TARDIS. So, Rose and I absorbed the Time Vortex." Grandpapa's eyes widened.
"You did what?" he yelled. I rolled my eyes.
"Rose and I absorbed the Time Vortex, becoming the "Bad Wolves". Rose and I tried to release the Vortex, and she succeeded. Although, instead of it going back into the TARDIS, it flew into me. I had the entire Vortex swirling through my head and the Doctor drew it out of me. In the end, I revitalized and he regenerated. Technically, we died for each other," I finished.
"Did you and the Doctor kiss?" Grandpapa asked.
"He had to kiss me to draw the Vortex out of me," I answered nervously.
"There you go. Emotional bond formed. Both of you died for each other."
"Is it possible to forge an emotional bond accidentally?" I asked.
"Of course it is. Why wouldn't it be?" I didn't have an answer and sighed, trying to wrap my head around this. How was I going to tell the Doctor? In order to get my mind off the emotional bond, I asked my next question.
"How did you know we could trust Jack? You said you knew him," I continued.
"Ah, yes. Well, I never met Jack. I met the Face of Boe." I furrowed my eyebrows.
"That makes no sense," I told Grandpapa. The man merely smiled.
"That is all I can tell you on that subject." I rolled my eyes, but didn't push it.
"Now, for the most important thing. The prophecy and my death." Grandpapa turned serious, but before he could say anything, a voice called out.
"Evy?" It was the Doctor. I turned to say something to Grandpapa, but he was gone. I cursed under my breath.
"Up here!" I called back. Within a few seconds, the Doctor was sitting where Grandpapa just was.
"Judy said you'd be up here," he said. I gave him a small smile before looking at the stars. "Why did you run like that?" I stiffened, but knew I had to answer him.
"I was embarrassed!" I exclaimed. It was the partial truth. I was embarrassed, but there was more to it than that.
"Oh, well, I can understand that," the Doctor admitted. We fell into an awkward silence and I felt the sudden urge to tell him something.
"Doctor, I don't think I ever told you this but… you were my first kiss." The Doctor looked at me for that.
"Really?" he said it like he couldn't quite believe it.
"I wouldn't lie to you."
"So, there was no one? You never dated or had a boyfriend?" I shook my head.
"Never," I said. "Does that surprise you?"
"Yes." I looked at the Doctor. He was being entirely honest.
"Well, then you need to understand, Doctor. We've kissed three times. Twice you were saving my life, and this time we were forced into it. How do you think that makes me feel? That the only reason I've been kissed in my life is because he had to, not because he wanted to."
"There was Jack. He kissed you and made a love confession," the Doctor said. It sounded like he growled out Jack's name, but I brushed it off. It was probably nothing.
"It's a little different. I didn't feel the same way. Plus, he was attracted to you and Rose and about every other person on the face of the planet. I knew he was being honest, but…"
"I understand," the Doctor said. We sat in a comfortable silence, staring at the stars. Then, the Doctor spoke. "Judy has invited us to stay the night."
"We don't have to if you don't want to," I replied. Though, my heart immediately said yes.
"Rose and I already accepted," the Doctor said. I smiled.
"Then it's settled." The Doctor and I smiled at each other before turning our gazes back to the stars. The snow had begun to slowly fall again. "Hey, um, can I ask you something?"
"Of course," I replied.
"Why didn't you tell me your father was Prince Ronan of the Incolae?"
"I thought you knew," I swiftly lied.
"No, I didn't. I think I would've remembered if I knew my companion was the Lost Princess of the Incolae," the Doctor said. I frowned.
"Lost Princess?" I asked.
"No one outside the Incola race knew your proper name, so everyone called you 'the
Princess.' When the Time War started, you became 'the Lost Princess.' Everyone believed you had either died or gone missing," the Doctor explained.
"Well, I'm pretty sure I'm not dead," I said with a laugh. The Doctor laughed too before we fell into a comfortable silence. A few minutes later, I heard Judy calling to us.
"Hey, you two! Come down! It's time for the portrait!" I smiled and immediately dashed inside, leaving the Doctor behind. I rushed downstairs and shed my coat before finding everyone in the large living room. There was a roaring fire in the fireplace and three stockings hung above it. A beautifully decorated pine tree sat in the corner of the room. Judy was placing everyone for the picture. Soon, the Doctor, Rose, James, Bill, Judy, and I were the only ones left. Unfortunately though, there wasn't a whole lot of room left.
"Doctor, you sit in that armchair and Evelyn, you sit on his lap," Judy instructed. I immediately blushed and it only got darker when she shot me a cheeky wink. Rose and James were snickering I looked around the room, everyone was holding back laughs.
"Good to know you told everyone, Judy," I said. Everyone laughed.
"Oh, she didn't just tell them. She showed everyone the pictures," Bill said. Everyone laughed even more and I rolled my eyes. I went and sat in the Doctor's lap and Judy placed everyone else. Bill was in the last armchair in the room while James was kneeling next to him. Rose sat on the floor next to me and the Doctor. Judy started the timer and rushed to join the picture. She sat in front of Bill and everyone smiled as the flash went off.
"Okay, everyone. One more serious picture before the silly one," Judy said. Everyone cheered and I laughed. Suddenly, I stiffened as the Doctor snaked an arm around my waist and pulled me further back on his lap. Now, I was leaned against his chest. I looked back at him.
"For the picture," he merely said. I nodded and smiled.
"Then it's okay for me to do this," I said. I put an arm around his shoulder and leaned back into him even more. The Doctor smiled and tightened his arm around my waist. We turned back to the camera in time for the picture. The silly picture was taken and within a half hour, everyone had left to go home.
"Evelyn, you'll be in your old room. Doctor, you're in Maggie's old room. Rose, you can stay in the room next to Evelyn's," Judy told us once the three of us came back from the TARDIS with a few things. The house had five bedrooms. Aunt Maggie and I only used two. When Judy and Bill moved in, they used three. Four of their kids had already moved out. Now, James was the only one who still lived with them. I walked into my bedroom and gasped.
"It looks exactly the same," I said. Judy nodded.
"We kept yours and Maggie's rooms like that. It was our way of keeping the two of you close to us," she replied. I smiled and she bid me goodnight. Rose and the Doctor bid me goodnight as well and I changed into the pajamas I packed. Despite having gotten a full night's rest not long ago, I was tired. I could feel that my body was still recovering a little bit and the reunion with everyone had been tiring as well. Within minutes of getting into bed, I felt memories take over my mind, lulling me into a deep sleep.
~)8(~
I felt the sunlight on my face and slowly opened my eyes. I quickly rubbed the sleep out of them before sitting up. It was 8 in the morning. I looked out the window and smiled. Perfect. I quickly changed and got ready for the day before running out of my room. Then, I came back in, having forgotten my glasses. That was going to take some getting used to. I slipped them on and went into the bedroom next to mine.
"Rose," I said. I gently shook the blonde. "Rose, wake up. Get dressed. I want you to see something." The blonde didn't argue and got herself out of bed. She immediately went into the Jack-and-Jill bathroom that was shared with my bedroom. I walked out of her room and into the Doctor's. I paused, seeing the room. Just like Judy said, they kept it the same. I smiled and moved to wake the Doctor. He was fast asleep in the queen bed.
"Doctor. Up and at 'em." He merely rolled over. I grabbed a pillow and whacked him with it. "Doctor!"
"Evy!" he scolded. I merely smiled and opened the curtains. Light poured into the room and it was then I noticed that the Doctor was shirtless. I pretended I didn't care.
"Get dressed. I want to show you something." The Doctor nodded and got up. I got a full look at his (gorgeous) chest before walking out of the room and closing the door. I leaned against the wall in the hallway. Five minutes later, Rose walked out of her room and joined me in the hall.
"What did you want me to see? Did something happen?" Rose asked. I laughed and shook my head.
"No, no, nothing bad or alien. I just want you to see something I grew up with," I said. Rose immediately brightened up and nodded.
"Okay." We fell silent and another five minutes passed before the Doctor opened his door.
"All right, what's wrong? What happened?" the Doctor asked. I rolled my eyes before walking by him and into Aunt Maggie's room. I opened the window and climbed out onto the roof again. Thankfully, the wires had been activated this morning and now the roof was snow free. The Doctor helped Rose onto the roof before he climbed up. I led them to the top of the house before stopping and just looking.
"Oh, my…" Rose breathed.
"Rose, this is what I grew up with," I said. "Better in person isn't it, Doctor?" I remembered how I had showed the Doctor this image in his head, but it was just so much better in real life. The three of us looked at the view in front of us. We could see snowcapped mountains in the distance. The trees were coated in white fluff and the sunlight made the snow on the ground shine like a million diamonds. I smiled and put my arm around Rose's shoulders. Then, I put my other one around the Doctor's waist.
"This is beautiful," Rose said. She had a blissful smile on her face and she put her arm around me as well.
'It really is beautiful,' I heard the Doctor say. I looked up at him, wanting to see his face, but he was looking at me. I hid my slight surprise at that and smiled. The Doctor returned it and put his arm around my shoulders. I looked back at the view and my smile widened. Best. Christmas. Ever.
I hope you all liked my original chapter :)
Reviews:
NicoleR85: I'm glad you like the story! No, Rose will not get jealous of Viviana and the Doctor. Viviana has been with Rose and the Doctor from the start and has seen them grow closer together. She does not love the Doctor in this story. Hope that clears some things up :)