Serena wasn't entirely sure why the rest of her family were so intent on going out for the evening on Christmas Eve, but the plans were being made around her and there didn't seem to be any point in arguing with them. Osgood's parents were staying over at their daughter's house to babysit the twins and everyone else was heading out for a few drinks. Bemusedly, Serena listened as plans were formed around her, happy as long as she got to spend time with the people she cared about.

When it came around to deciding whether they'd just go to the bar, or head off somewhere else afterwards, things got a little more heated. Emily laughed at the idea of her mother joining them at a club, shaking her head and pointing out that Kate would probably hate it.

"No offence, Mama, but I think sitting in Albie's with Serena and her mates drinking wine and checking out the F1s is far more your speed." Emily informed her mother with a shrug. "If you're really worried about what I'm going to get up to, you don't have to be. Osgood's coming out with us, ain't ya?"

"Uhh? You did mention it, but I wasn't sure that you were serious." Osgood said, glancing at her stepdaughter warily.

"Of course I'm serious, Os! I need someone sensible to make sure I get home in one piece. There's no way I can leave that up to Jasmine or Nicky… let alone any of the UNIT guys. I could trust Morven, possibly?"

"I think I'm a little offended…"

"Why?" Emily frowned at her. "That's not the only reason I want you there, obviously. If you want to go with Mum and Serena, it's fine."

"I'm just… I'm not sure your kind of night out is really my thing." Osgood told her apologetically. "I'd probably be cramping your style. I'm flattered you asked me, though."

Her stepdaughter smiled at her. "That's OK, I understand. Lorna's coming, though, right?"

"She is suitably terrified." Gordon confirmed with a firm nod at his sister. "Who else is coming? Is there anyone she'll actually get on with?"

"Uhh… Well, you, obviously. Jas, Morven and Nicky and a couple of others from the hospital. We invited Dom, but you know what he's like for actually making plans. Jac told me she'd rather eat her own internal organs, so I've got her down as a maybe." Emily informed them with a shrug. "Then there are some people coming from UNIT. Josh and Sam said they'd look in if they were around. I asked Greta, but she didn't really want to; she said that she and Jason might pop into Albie's to see you lot. Oh! Bucket said he'd come."

"None of your school or university friends?" Osgood asked, frowning.

"Nah… probably for the best, though."

"This sounds like a really big event." Serena said suddenly, furrowing her eyebrows as she looked between the others. "I thought we were just going out for a few drinks?"

"Yeah… but Jas, Morven and Nicky suggested going out and I didn't think you'd mind?" Emily told her quickly, the expression on her face suggesting that she was suddenly reconsidering the idea. "If you do–"

"No, of course I don't," her fiancée told her at once, smiling warmly, "as long as you come home in one piece before Gwennie's up and about."

"Of course I will be." She promised immediately, glancing quickly in her mother's direction. "I'll be home relatively early… my days of hungover Christmas dinners are long gone."

"Well that's a relief." Kate announced, arching an eyebrow at her daughter. "There have been far too many of them already."

Albie's was noisy and crowded on Christmas Eve – not that Emily needed an excuse to drape herself over Serena in an armchair. Kate was resolutely not looking in her daughter's direction, distracting herself by chatting with Donna and Fletch. Jason and Gordon had gravitated towards each other as usual, while Lorna was being monopolised by Jasmine who was thoroughly enjoying the chance to get to know someone new.

"Oi! Stewart… come up for air for a moment, will you?"

Emily grinned and looked up at the irritable voice above her. Jac was watching them with an ostensibly annoyed expression on her face, although the younger woman could see the twinkle in her eyes as she regarded them. She exhaled sharply as Emily rolled off the arm of the chair and pulled her into a tight hug, immediately shouting across to her brother to buy Jac a drink.

"I'm not staying." The redhead informed her quickly. "I just knew I'd never hear the end of it if I didn't show my face."

"You have to stay for a drink… Gordy's buying it now."

With another exasperated huff, Jac conceded the point and moved to sit in the space that Osgood had just made for her on the sofa opposite. She looked around, clearly wishing she was anywhere else, particularly when Nicky attempted to draw her into conversation. Emily laughed, winking at the redhead when she caught her eyes and earning herself a scowl.

"Right!" Jasmine caught everyone's attention a short while later. "We're all going into town, right?"

"Oh no!" Serena shook her head vehemently. "I'm staying right here."

"Seconded." Kate agreed, leaning across to clink their wine glasses together.

When Osgood, Ric and Sacha all agreed with them, Fletch announced that he needed to head home to the kids and Jason decided that he should probably do the same, all eyes turned on Jac. She raised an eyebrow and calmly announced that she'd rather eat her own liver, before draining her glass and walking out of the bar without a backwards glance.

Emily laughed, launching herself after the older woman and catching her in a hug – which was more of a rugby tackle than anything else – before she reached the door. The look of complete distain on her face was enough to set the rest of them off. No one was surprised when Jac made some vague threats about Emily losing her job, although all but the young woman in question missed the small quirk of her lips before she left.

"So, you ready?" Jasmine asked as soon as Emily rejoined the group.

"Mmmhmm… let me just…"

Climbing back onto the armchair where Serena was sitting, Emily straddled her lap before leaning in and kissing her heatedly. She completely ignored the whistles and groans from behind them, pulling back and looking at the older woman seriously for a moment. Then she smiled and leant in to kiss her quickly again.

"I love you." She whispered so that only Serena could hear her.

"Emily! Really? There are some things your mother doesn't need to see." Kate informed her in frustration.

"Yeah, yeah…" The younger woman grinned and shrugged, before turning to join her friends. "Right… don't do anything I wouldn't do and don't wait up."

Serena rolled her eyes fondly, reaching out and slapping Emily on the backside as she passed, causing Kate to let out another exasperated sigh. They watched the large group leaving, waving them off before settling down to the comparative quiet they had left behind.

"I always worry when she reminds me she loves me before going off on her own." Serena said, half-teasingly.

"You shouldn't." Osgood told her with a sincere smile. "She really does love you."

"I know that." The older woman agreed, staring at her Shiraz for a moment. "It's just that she's just been acting… oh, I don't know… a little strangely? I'm just a bit concerned that something's happened or she's done something that she doesn't want to tell me about."

"Oh, it's nothing like that."

"There is something?"

Kate shot her wife a look as Osgood suddenly became very interested in the cocktail menu on the table between them. "No, there's nothing. Em's just… well, she's Em isn't she? Knowing her she's just got you something over the top or a bit weird for Christmas. I wouldn't put it past her to have got the Doctor involved in something or other."

The mention of the Doctor distracted Serena sufficiently for Kate and Osgood to exchange a quick look. Luckily, Sacha and Ric arrived back at the table with the next round at that moment and the topic of conversation immediately wandered away from Emily and the Doctor, much to their relief.

"Right… you cannot let me get hammered tonight." Emily told her friends seriously as they tumbled out of their cab outside one of the clubs in the middle of town. "Jas, I mean it. I need to be functioning properly tomorrow."

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Jasmine agreed, rolling her eyes and slinging an arm around her friend's shoulders. "But we are going to have a good time tonight… before you go and ruin everything."

Emily laughed, shoving her away. "Piss off, Jas! Where's my brother? Gordy? Gordon!"

"Will you shut up?" He ordered, appearing beside her and pulling Lorna along by her hand. "I thought you said you weren't going to cause any scenes?"

"This isn't a scene, bro." She informed him seriously. "If I was causing a scene, you'd know about it."

"That's what I'm afraid of."

He sighed as he watched his sister and her friends making their way unsteadily into the club. Beside him, Lorna laughed softly, shaking her head and listing all the ways that Emily could get herself into trouble that night. Dreading her words coming true, Gordon followed them inside, deciding that it was going to be a very long night.