Amy had decided that she, Rory, and the Doctor needed to go Christmas shopping. Rory just sighed and agreed, but the Doctor had mixed feelings.

"You mean…like a mall?" he asked warily.

"Well, yes," Amy laughed. "I thought you loved Christmas."

"My last few Christmases haven't been the best, Amy," the Doctor said, putting down his holiday knitting magazine. "Think about the one two years ago—that ship you two were on nearly crashed!"

"Er…all right, but what about the one before that?"

The Doctor sported a thousand-yard stare.

"That one was…eventful. You know how I can regenerate?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, Christmas 2009 was when I last regenerated."

Amy winced. "Oh. I see. So Christmas brings back memories for you, huh?"

"To say the least, yes."

Amy waited for a minute, and then burst out,

"But what have you got against malls? And shopping! You know, snow? Carolers? Seeing Santa?"

The Doctor sighed and got up from the Ponds' couch. "Fine, I'll come. But it has to be said that the only time the real Santa's ever been to a department store was 1987, and we were chasing down a rabid robotic reindeer at the time."

Amy and Rory just looked at each other and shrugged.

After some bad driving on Amy's part, they arrived at the mall in Gloucester. She immediately dragged them into the clothing stores. The Doctor, Rory noticed, was growing increasingly edgy until finally, with both their arms full of bags, he burst out,

"Doctor, what's wrong? You're so touchy."

"Those mannequins," the Doctor said softly. "Do you see them?"

Rory's head turned over his shoulder excruciatingly slowly to look at the mannequins in the window display behind them.

"What about them?"

"Are they moving?"

"No. Why would they be?"

The Doctor breathed a sigh of relief. "Okay, good, I thought I saw…whew." He continued in his regular jovial voice, "Nestene consciousness. It can control plastic, typically in the form of window-shop dummies, for some reason." He looked carefully at Rory. "Ring a bell?"

Rory was momentarily confused, and then his face twisted in pain. "Oh. OH! Oh."

"Yeah. Sorry to bring up painful memories and all, but now you understand my fears."

Rory nodded.

"So, boys, how's it going?" Amy asked, twirling towards them in yet another blue dress. "What d'you think of this one?"

"It's…fine, lovely, yes," said Rory. "Could you hurry up a bit, Amy? I'm starving."

"Just three more!" she said happily before ducking back into the changing room.

"So…mannequins. Encountered them before, have you?" Rory asked.

"Yes. In 2005, just a few hours after I'd regenerated again. You probably wouldn't remember it and besides, I don't think the signal got any further than Central London."

"Shop-window dummies everywhere?"

"Shooting people, yeah. Luckily I had a bit of help and stopped the Nestene Consciousness with anti-plastic."

"Help? Who from?"

"Oh, a girl…" the Doctor said uncomfortably. "But that was a long time ago and probably doesn't matter anyway."