A/N: Hello everyone! Here's the Christmas one shot I promised...expect a drunk Rory, cringey relatives and Fred and the Doctor cramming into a single bed!
Thanks to all who reviewed the last one shot: MayFairy, Mrs 11th, kie1993, Simpa007, Muffin-Queen78, Olive Russell and alyssa love! Extra chocolate for you!
An Eternal Christmas
"Can you wrap this for me?" Amy said wearily, holding up a box of chocolates to Fred who took them, happy to help seen as she had finished her own wrapping. Amy turned her gaze to her husband who was sat on their bedroom floor, attempting to stick a piece of tape on the present in front of him. "Are you nearly done?"
"Don't rush me!"
"Rush you?" Amy repeated, incredulous. "You've been trying to wrap that for an hour!"
Rory's only response was a grumble. Amy rolled her eyes but Fred could see the affection in them. She smiled to herself as she taped the wrapping paper around the box. As much as Fred has always thought that she wasn't really the settling down type, it was hard not to crave what Amy and Rory had.
"Christmas at home is going to be so great!" Amy said joyfully, organising the wrapped presents into corresponding piles.
"I know I can't wait." Fred was eager to spend a couple of days with her family; she never thought she'd miss her mum's fussing or her dad's bad jokes but she felt like they were what she needed right now. She could definitely do with a break from all this – if nothing else it would at least remind her how much she loved travelling.
"So the Doctor's dropping us off tomorrow which is Christmas Eve on Earth, right?" Rory asked, having finally stuck a piece of tape on the paper.
"That's what he said." Fred finished her present with a flourish.
"Yeah, I bit...worried about him." Amy confessed, a frown crossing her pretty face. Fred nodded.
"Me too."
"Worried?" Rory piped up. "Why?"
"Well it's Christmas and no one should be on their own at Christmas. I said he could come and stay with us in Leadworth for a couple of days but he said he had stuff to do. For god's sake, what does that even mean? Stuff?"
"I think it means – in Doctor terms – that he has things he wants to sulk about for a couple of days." Fred said, only just holding back a sigh.
"Yeah, that sounds about right." Amy stood back and surveyed the piles of presents. "There. All done...except one."
"Finished!" Rory called on cue, pulling himself to his feet and handing Amy the present. Amy wandered over to the pile closest to the door and placed it on top, her wrist jangling as she walked. She looked down at her wrist, a smile breaking out.
"Thanks for this again." She said, fondling the charm bracelet Fred had given her. She glanced over her shoulder at Rory who was slightly pink-eared. "And thanks for getting Rory that bottle of wine. Looks like he's already been sampling it."
Fred chuckled. "No problem. And thanks for these shorts; I've wanted a pair like this for ages."
"Pleasure." Amy beamed, satisfied that her gift was liked. She glanced at Rory again who hiccupped and gave her a woozy smile. Amy half laughed, half winced. "I think we'd better get you to bed."
Fred grinned, watching Amy snuggle against a tipsy Rory as she left them to their sleep. She stood outside their door, her hands in her pockets, debating where to go next. She didn't feel like sleeping.
"Oh...custard!" The Doctor mock-cursed, as the wires sparked above him sparked and scorched his hands. He shifted in the swinging seat, rooting around for his screwdriver. He pulled it out and soniced the wires. He tried to place the wires together again but they sparked even more wildly than before.
"Whatcha doing?" Fred's voice called from behind him as he heard her descend the steps beneath the console. He craned his neck to see her wandering towards him in a small pair of high-waisted denim shorts and an oversized striped jumper, her wild hair pulled up into a messy bun on the top of her head. He grinned at the sight of her, so young and careless.
"I'm trying to re-root the taps on the console to control the cyniconting jeweribuncian which will let me lessen the amount of coveine we experience while we travel."
Fred looked up at him, her green eyes wide before she blinked and said, "Right. I didn't understand a word of that but...right."
The Doctor chuckled.
"Can I help?" Fred offered lightly. "I'm bored and Amy and Rory are napping." She stuck her bottom lip out a little and looked at him through her lashes, trying to make herself seem all innocent and naive.
The Doctor was surprised but pleasantly so. He tried to hide his pleasure at spending time with her by saying cheekily, "I suppose you can be trusted."
Fred made an indignant noise and laughed."Ok, so what have I got to do?"
The Doctor hesitated. He knew what he wanted to do but he wasn't sure if he should. He wasn't sure if he trusted himself to be so close to her. But when he glanced down at her, her eyes wide and dark and her lips pressed together and pink, he found that he couldn't deny himself. He stretched out his left hand to her. She frowned, unsure of what he was going to do but took his hand nonetheless. He twirled her so she had her back to him and then held her around her waist and lifted her.
Fred squealed with surprise as he placed her next to him in the swinging seat. The seat was small for one person so to have two in it was an incredibly tight squeeze. As much as they tried to fidget and get themselves comfortable, their legs kept tangling together. The Doctor flushed with embarrassment and pleasure while Fred just grinned, happy at the Doctor's willingness to be so close to her.
The Doctor shook himself and reached up for the wires again, passing one to Fred this time. She took it quietly, holding a little warily. The Doctor passed her the sonic screwdriver and she looked at him in surprise before taking that too. They worked in silence for a few minutes before Fred suddenly grinned and said,
"Rory's drunk on that wine I bought him for Christmas."
The Doctor laughed. "Is he? I don't know who to feel sorry for; Amy for having to put up with him drunk or Rory for the telling off he'll probably get when he sobers up."
Fred paused, thinking before settling on: "Rory. I definitely feel more sorry for Rory."
"Yeah, you're probably right. Poor Rory."
They lapsed into silence for a few more minutes more before Fred said,
"They're worried about you."
The Doctor shot her a quizzical look, his concentration breaking so quickly a bundle of sparking wires nearly fell on his head. "Worried? Why would they be worried?"
"Well, they think you're going to be on your own at Christmas." Fred replied, twisting the wires above her so it no longer sparked.
"I suppose I am." The Doctor's mood fell a little but he painted on his classic boyish grin and said, "But that's fine. Could do with a break from you lot anyway!"
Fred rolled her eyes. "Oh, Doctor don't be silly! You're not going to be on your own. You're coming with me to my house for Christmas."
"Am I?"
"Yes of course!" Fred grinned, throwing him the sonic casually. "You'll be there whether I want you to be or not. You know my mum loves you; as soon as she sees you, she'll drag you inside and you'll be wearing a Christmas hat and eating mince pies quicker than you can say, "No thanks, Mrs. Knight. I'm just going to spend Christmas sulking in the TARDIS.""
The Doctor was offended and pleased at the same time so all he could manage was an: "Oh." He thought for a second more. "Do you want me there?"
"What?" Fred frowned, confused.
"You said that I'd be there whether you wanted me there or not. I don't want to go if you don't want me to."
"Doctor, I was joking! Of course I do!"
"Oh." The Doctor said again, his cheeks flushing. She grinned at his awkwardness and pressed a quick kiss to his lips before resuming her work with the wires above them.
The Doctor smiled to himself and followed suit. He picked up the two wires again, pressed them together and sighed with relief when they didn't spark. They fitted together perfectly.
"Another mince pie, Doctor?"
The Doctor winced, the mere smell pushing him close to being sick. "Er, no thanks Mrs. K. I think seven is quite enough for me."
"You ate seven?" Fred cried, wandering into the living room where the Doctor was sandwiched on the sofa between Fred's mother and grandmother, both of whom were keen to 'feed him up'.
"Oh, now don't make fun, Fred dear." Fred's Gran said, patting the Doctor on the shoulder. "He's all skin and bone! He could do with a few good meals."
Fred rolled her eyes but said no more on the subject. "Come on, Doctor. We'll be sleeping in my old room tonight."
"Right!" The Doctor glugged down the last of his tea and said, "Mrs K, Mrs...Gran, it's been a pleasure!"
Fred grinned and sighed when her mother pecked the Doctor's cheek and bade him goodnight and sat back down in her seat without even acknowledging Fred herself. "Err, night mum!"
"Oh, I'm sorry dear! Goodnight, my darling. Sleep tight." She pulled Fred into a bone-crushing hug and stage-whispered in her ear, "And if you and he...get up to anything...could you keep the noise down? You know your father's a light sleeper."
Fred spluttered and the Doctor gaped, the two of them glowing red. Fred's mother just smiled and said again, "Goodnight, dears! See you tomorrow!"
Fred shook her head, her mouth opening and closing before she gave up and led the Doctor upstairs in shocked silence leaving her mother and Gran to watch Christmas Eve television in peace.
"Are we going to fit in there?" The Doctor asked sceptically, eyeing the cramped single bed with suspicion as he messily brushed his teeth.
"Of course we will!" Fred said, emerging from the bathroom in her nightwear. "I've shared this bed loads of times."
The Doctor stopped brushing his teeth to raise his eyebrows at her.
"I shared it with friends! For sleepovers!" Fred defended herself fiercely before adding quietly, "Mostly."
The Doctor ignored her and returned to the bathroom to spit out the foaming toothpaste in his mouth. Fred took the opportunity to clamber into bed, picking the best side to sleep on.
"You know," The Doctor called from the bathroom. "We could just sleep in the TARDIS! There's much more room in there!"
"No! There's no point in me coming home for Christmas but still sleeping in the TARDIS!" Fred called back, scowling in the blue light. "And did you have to land her in here? There's even less room now!"
"I'm not leaving her outside! It's raining!"
"Doctor, if she can withstand a meteor storm I think she can withstand some heavy rain!"
"She needs a rest!" The Doctor entered the room again, closing the door behind him; his face thankfully toothpaste free.
"Fine." Fred sighed, giving up. "Just don't moan to me if your get up in the middle of the night for the toilet and stub your toe on her."
"I won't!" The Doctor clambered into bed next to her. "You're sure we'll fit?" He said, half of him still dangling of the edge.
"Yes. It just takes some reorganisation. Here." She leaned back right along the edge of the bed allowing the Doctor to slid further in.
"Now you're falling out!"
Fred just grinned and heaved herself back in, half on her body on the mattress, the other half overlapping with the Doctor. It was oddly comfortable. The Doctor put his arms around her to stop them both falling off and she snuggled against his chest, closing her eyes. The Doctor let his head sink into the pillows and sighed contentedly.
The Doctor's contentment didn't last long. It was an hour later when the sound of him huffing woke Fred from her pleasant sleep.
"What?" She grumbled into his chest.
"I'm bored. Time passing is so boring."
Fred was too tired for the Doctor's nonsense. "Shut up. Go to sleep."
"I can't." He whined. "I'm too bored to sleep."
"Too bored to sleep? Doctor, that's ridiculous."
"We're just sleeping to get to Christmas Day aren't we?"
"I suppose." Fred answered noncommittally. She should have known the Doctor would get restless at spending a few hours in a normal, domestic place where there was no threat of alien attack or planetary collapse.
"Well, we could just get in the TARDIS and skip ahead to – "
"No!" Fred hissed, sitting up and glaring at him. "For god's sake, Doctor can't just live normally for a night?"
The Doctor's hazel eyes were dark with confusion. "But I don't see why we should! If we're waiting for Christmas then why not just go to Christmas?"
"Because you have to go through Christmas Eve first! Doctor, some things...with some things the build up is the best thing." The Doctor looked baffled at this idea. "Christmas Day is nothing without Christmas Eve! You have to have all that excitement, the cooking, the wrapping first or...Christmas Day is nothing. If everyone skipped Christmas Eve, no one would have anything ready to do on Christmas Day."
"Oh. Well, I suppose..."
She glared at him again before settling back down against him. He tentatively put his arms back around her.
"Sorry." He apologised. "I just...I'm not used to living so normally. Finding it a bit odd."
"Listen, Doctor." Fred said without moving to look at him. "Really listen. When you live 'normally' you can hear everything. When you're not rushing around looking for something to solve, you can actually live. I can hear the rain outside, the people laughing in the next house. I can hear you. I can hear your hearts beating, your breathing, your voice rumbling in you before it comes out. That's boring, Doctor. That's amazing. There's so many beautiful things...if you take the time to look for them. They're life. And I don't want to skip all the way through my life."
The Doctor had no words to say after that; he didn't feel like he could respond. So instead, he squeezed her tighter and said quietly,
"I have a present for you."
She looked up at him then, smiling a little. "Do you? I didn't think you bought presents."
He shook his head. "No, no, I didn't buy it."
She squinted at him. "You didn't steal it, did you?"
He laughed gently. "No, I didn't steal it. It's not something you can buy."
She rolled over on her stomach, pressed against him. She fixed him with an intrigued look. "What is it?"
He seemed to hesitate, unsure if he really should give it to her or not, but he quickly decided he should and motioned for her to sit up. She did, sitting halfway down the bed, facing him.
"What is it?" She asked again.
"It's...a bit odd. I don't know if I should tell you about it first. You might not...you might find it intrusive."
At those words, she looked a little alarmed. "Intrusive? Bloody hell, what is it?"
"Do want me to tell you or should I just do it?"
Fred only thought for a second. "Do it. I trust you."
He blinked in surprise but nodded, moving a little closer to her on his knees. He placed on hand around the back of her head in her hair and slowly brought her head to rest against the side of his so they were temple to temple. For a moment, nothing happened though the Doctor was concentrating hard. Then, he rubbed the side of his head against hers like a cat rubbing against its owner's legs. Fred began to feel odd, a little dizzy, like she'd just taken a blow to the side of her head. The Doctor's other arm slid around her waist, making sure she didn't pull away. Fred understood why a second later when a bolt of white-hot pain shot through the side of her head and her instinctive reaction was to pull away. His arm kept her anchored to his side. He rubbed against her head again and this time Fred felt an odd tingle of pleasure. So she did it back. She felt the Doctor's fingers tighten on her waist and what the Doctor had been so evidently waiting for happened.
Fred gasped loudly as her mind was filled with things that weren't hers. It felt like someone had just opened a door between her mind and the Doctor's and know everything was running about wherever it pleased. After a moment, she realised it wasn't really mind reading or anything like that; it was a bond. Images of things she hadn't seen flashed in her mind and so did the emotions that went with them. She had wrapped her arms around him without realising, not wanting this contact to break yet. It was the most amazing thing she had ever experienced; she felt like he could tell her things now that she might understand better and that she might – finally – be able to comprehend his complex mood swings.
The stream began to slow until her mind was her own again and the door between them was closed. He pulled away gently, both releasing each other slowly. When they were fully parted, she suddenly felt cold. She shivered and the Doctor rubbed her bare arms.
"What was that?"
"Amoris vinculo. It's an old Time Lord ritual."
"Ritual?"
"Eternal bonding." The Doctor said, calmly.
"Eternal bonding?" Fred spluttered. "Bloody hell. Maybe you should've told me about it first. Not sure I want you for an eternity." His eyes widened in panic before she laughed. "I'm joking!"
He puffed out a breath, relieved. "It's not...I mean we're not bonded bonded. We're just sort of...linked. All Time Lords have physic links to each other where they can share thoughts, feelings, memories...even conversations. This is a little different. It's not so inclusive. This link will just be when we want it."
"Right. So every time we want to do it, we have to go through that?"
"It'll lessen the more we do it. If we do it enough, we might even be able to connect without touching each other." He said, excitedly.
"Have you ever done this before?"
The Doctor shook his head. "Nope. You're my experiment."
"Oh, great!" Fred said, laughing slightly. "If my brain melts during the night you'll know why." He snorted and she smiled. She touched his face gently and said, "Thank you." She pressed a long kiss to his lips before snuggling back down against him, tiredness crawling over her eyes. "You know, I think that Amoris vinculo beats the rotating bow tie I bought you."
The Doctor suddenly leapt up, Fred rolling to balance precariously on the edge of the bed. "You bought me a rotating bow tie?" He repeated, his voice brimming with joy. "Can I open it now?" He looked at the clock. "See? See? It's 3 o'clock. It's technically Christmas Day! Can I open it? Can I?"
Fred laughed. "If you want." She crawled down to the bottom of the bed when a stocking hung. She pulled out a small bow and handed it to him. "But it's really not that exciting! It's just bow tie!"
He ripped off the wrapping and prised open the box, peering inside like it was the most precious thing he'd ever owned. "Bow ties are always exciting! Especially rotating ones!"
She laughed again as he sat on the edge of the bed, watching it twirl over and over again, his joy never fading. She pulled the covers back over herself, trying to block out his hoots of laughter.
"Merry Christmas, Doctor."
I hope you enjoyed reading and please leave me a little (or big...I'm not fussy!) review as a Christmas present! I'd be such a happy lady!
Have a fantastic Christmas everyone!