Grace wore her coat wrapped snugly around her as did Donna; the Doctor wore his because that was what he did. The cold didn't bother him, but Donna and Grace held on to human temperatures so the cold was worse for them.

"You did get an axe right," Grace asked him with a smile that was hard to resist.

"I brought the laser," he told her waiting for the reaction. Of course he had brought the axe, he wasn't crazy. She may have been kind and gentle but she was also stubborn.

She looked at him, without blinking or smiling, finally Donna gave in. "Yes, he brought the axe, honey. He knows you're just a bit crazy about a proper Christmas."

Grace didn't look offended. "Not crazy, just right. All you had to do was talk to last year's tree and it laid down, oh please take me, and then let your TARIDS burn me."

The Doctor chuckled, and both Donna and Grace glared. "It was very pretty," Donna defended though the Doctor knew she wasn't upset with Grace.

Grace gave an exaggerated sigh and then leaned against Donna. "It was, Mom. I'm sorry…the TARDIS didn't enjoy it."

"Come on," the Doctor told them, not smiling until he turned his back.

He would never understand how he had been worthy of the pair of them, but he didn't want to miss a minute.

"Daddy," Grace asked him and he knew that she must want something.

"Yes, love," he asked leaning over to inspect a tree.

"Can I cut it down this year?"

The Doctor nodded but caught Donnas' eye, and she was shaking her head. "Donna, honey, she is nineteen, and I think she can handle an axe."

Donna sighed but finally nodded. "This acceptable," he asked Grace handing her the axe carefully.

She nodded and waited for him to move out of the way, though he stayed close too, trying to pretend he wasn't worried. Poor Grace had two parents that thought she was made of glass, of course it hadn't helped that several months ago they had almost lost her.

She swung and brought the tree to the last little bit and then gave it a shove and it toppled onto the fresh snow. Grace looked at them with a smile that was worth the worry, and then at the tree.

"Do I get some help getting it back, then," he asked as he moved to the tree. Grace and Donna moved into place and they marched back to the TARDIS with their prize.

DW

Donna helped the Doctor set the tree up while Grace had gone to make some hot chocolate "What happens when she is ready to leave us?"

The Doctors look was one of sheer surprise and she knew that he must not have considered that possibility. She didn't like to think about it but Grace might very well want to try her own life on some planet, probably Earth. Donna knew that children didn't want to stay with their parents forever, and she could feel the tears just thinking about only seeing her once in a while. Why she chose this moment to bring it up she didn't know.

"What do you mean," the Doctor asked her gently, making sure Grace was still gone. "Has she said something about leaving?"

"No," Donna shook her head, feeling silly and mad at for ruining the day with tears. "But that's what kids do, they find their own path."

The Doctors face showed that he didn't like to think about her leaving any more than Donna. "This isn't a normal situation," he reasoned.

"I know," Donna nodded. "But what then, we just leave her on a planet and go on with our lives. See you at Christmas, Grace?"

"After Christmas we'll talk to her about it okay," he told her gently.

Donna nodded and turned back to the tree just as Grace approached. Donna looked up and saw the frown on Grace's face. The hot chocolate was passed around but Grace went over to sit down on the grating.

Donna watched her for a moment as did the Doctor who finally spoke, "Are you alright?"

Grace looked up, "I'm always alright."

Donna sighed and the Doctor looked at her. She knew that it wasn't his fault that Grace hid her hearts like he did, though he had gotten better with time, but she still didn't like it. It wasn't easy to be the emotional one with two people who acted like nothing ever hurt them, even if she knew the truth, and she did know the truth.

"Want to put on the tinsel," Donna asked her, knowing that she would talk when she was ready and with them both distraction seemed to work best in the immediate.

Grace looked up and gave her a little smile, "Sure, but I get to do it my way."

Grace's way was messy but Donna would clean up any mess to bring back the joy in her eyes. "Okay, sweetheart."

Grace gave her a wide smile, feelings pushed deeper and she rose. She took the tinsel into her hands and ran around the tree tossing it randomly. Which made the tree into a gold covered glowing memory. When the tree was finished, Grace gathered up the cups and walked out of the room without a word. Donna watched her go.

"What's wrong, with her," Donna asked him.

He looked back at her and smiled. "I don't know, but I'll find out."

DW

The Doctor walked to the kitchen to find Grace, who was pulling out the ingredients to start making Christmas dinner. She didn't look up at him when he walked in but he knew that she saw him.

"Grace?" He asked gently.

"I said I'm alright," she defended against the words he hadn't spoken.

"No, you aren't. It's Christmas, love. Tell me what's wrong so I can make it better."

Grace looked up at him and he could see tears in her eyes. He didn't know what was wrong but he pulled her to him in a hug. "Do you and Mom want me to leave?"

She had heard the conversation he and Donna had been having. "No, honey." He pulled back so he could look down at her. "We want you to stay as long as you want to; we just thought that maybe someday you might want to."

"I can leave after Christmas," she told him, pulling away from him and returned to her task.

He felt his hearts panic; he didn't want her to go. "Please don't Grace. We love having you here and would never want you to go unless that was what you wanted."

She looked back at him, but didn't say anything. She started breaking eggs into a bowl and humming. Donna walked into the kitchen and looked to the Doctor who pointed to the hallway.

"She thinks that we want her to leave," he told Donna when they were far enough away.

Donna sighed. "Did you tell her?"

"Of course I told her," he found himself getting angry. Not at Donna or at Grace, but at the situation. This was Christmas and he couldn't stop the people he loved from hurting.

Donna looked lost in thought and then the Doctor thought of something. She would have to see if they gave her one of her Christmas presents. "I'll give her the present."

Donna looked up and smiled at him and nodded.

He jogged back to the kitchen and grabbed Grace's hands and pulled her gently ignoring her protest. When they made it to the console room, he led her right up to the console and put her hand on a lever. "You need to pull this first," he told her.

She looked up at him, and he could see her brain connecting the dots. "You're going to teach me?"

He nodded. "Yes, but I can't do that if you leave."

She smiled at him, all forgiven as only Grace could do so quickly. "Really," she ran her hand over the lever slowly.

"Yes," he nodded. "I was going to surprise you tomorrow, but now seemed better."

She hugged him, "Thank you," she told him and then ran from the room pausing only to hug Donna.

Now things were back on track.