Authors Note - Oops, sorry this should've been up on the 5th... sorry bout that, didn't get a chance til now, busy time of year both at uni and in general. Here's chapter 3, as usual rien nada niente belongs to me, all property of the fourth great and bountiful... British Broadcasting Corporation. Enjoy C x
Mince pies and Sherry
The Doctor was munching on a mince pie as he walked to the TARDIS, thinking how much he loved Christmas, and that he probably should have changed out of his red and white converse trainers.
"I hate wet feet!" he exclaimed as he neared the police box.
"Really? I always quite liked them. Do you think you could maybe let me into this contraption?" Father Christmas sounded a bit peeved, as you would if you'd been left standing in the cold whilst waiting for someone to return.
"It's locked? I thought I left it open." He snapped his fingers and in his mind heard the echo of female voices now you're just showing off Father Christmas was too busy looking at the doors opening to see the pain flit across his face. "Welcome to the TARDIS. Would you like anything? Tea, coffee, sherry?" he looked at Father Christmas enquiringly, perhaps a little slyly.
"A sherry to warm me through would be nice. And maybe a mince pie?"
"Of course." He disappeared into the depths of the TARDIS and returned with a pitcher of steaming mulled wine, a plate of mince pies with a bowl of brandy butter and two sherry glasses. He set them down on the steps near the TARDIS console and fiddled with a couple of switches.
"Are you taking me to the next stop?" Father Christmas asked, leaning over to pick up a mince pie. The Doctor looked round a little puzzled.
"What? Oh yes, all in good time my dear sir. Just need to close up that hole," he gestured towards the roof where the Sleigh still sat suspended. He fiddled a switch and the sleigh disappeared, the roof closing seamlessly. "There, that's better, no draft now. I'll just pop out and bring the sleigh in, think I'll need to hook it up to the old girl, so that she can work out how to do what you do. Back in a mo." He grinned a little madly and opened the door with its familiar creak. He stepped outside to find a couple of children playing in the sleigh.
"It's the man who gave me the candy cane." The curly haired girl said.
"Ah, yes, you again, hello. What are you two playing?"
"We're playing Santa's Sleigh. I'm Father Christmas, and I'm deciding who's naughty and who's nice, he's naughty." She said, nodding towards her brother.
"Ah ha. That's sweet. I'm very sorry, but I need to take the sleigh. Santa's business." He tapped the side of his nose secretively, winking at them with a grin. "Now, how bout you two have another candy cane and run along to find your mother?" the little girl glanced at her brother and nodded sticking out her hand. "Good girl. Behave for your mother." She nodded again and ran off. Watching her he had the funniest feeling that that wouldn't be the last time he would be seeing her. Shaking his head to loose that feeling for the moment, he took hold of the red wooden sleigh in front of him and tried to walk off. With a whomp he landed hard on his scrawny behind when it didn't move. He scrambled to his feet, checking around that no one saw him and glared at the sleigh. "I suppose you think that's funny." He muttered at it, temporarily forgetting that this wasn't his TARDIS and that it probably wasn't sentient. "Well, I'm not amused, come on, lets get you moving." He wrapped the harnesses around his arm and dragged it to the TARDIS door. "Come on." He muttered, floundering slightly in the pile of snow in front of the door. He snapped his fingers and the doors swung open. "A little wider might be helpful." He spoke to the TARDIS and grinned when she obliged him. He dragged the red and white sleigh inside and up the iron ramp, parking it in a gap near the console. "There we are, nice and simple, just need a couple of leads to attach it… oh." He stopped as he spotted Father Christmas' hand on the floor. "Saint Nick?" he called, jumping around the side of the console. Father Christmas was slumped down on the floor in front of the chair the Doctor had left him in. A sherry glass lay a couple of inches from his hand and he picked it up and sniffed. "Oh, that's not good. Pure Pooshian green Sherry, must have had some left over in the bottle the Pooshians gave me for finding their lost moon. Drat, it's a fantastic drink, but of course it's a heavy sedative for humans. Well looks like it's just you and me then dear." He spoke to the TARDIS. "Pity, bit of company wouldn't have gone amiss. Oh well, allons y." he returned to the sleigh and carefully hooked it up to the TARDIS.