The Doctor was sure that Christmas would never become as bad as the last. He wasn't going to allow it. However, that didn't mean that fate would allow it. After all, Christmas may be wonderful but families aren't always, especially not his family when it came to his wife and mother.
The Most Wonderful Time of the Year (Pt. II)
The Doctor was determined that Milly's next Christmas would not be a repeat of the last. There was no way while his heart was beating that he was going to let Clara have a Christmas like the last. He had said never again and he meant it. He actually thanked his lucky star that Milly had been too young to both understand and remember.
Christmas that year was something Milly shared with her baby sister, Charley. At only five months old, she had absolutely no idea of the importance of the day but Milly, just how he had hoped, had grown to love Christmas. She couldn't wait for Santa to come, so much so he'd already had to replace her advent calendar since she'd eaten all of the chocolate in order to reach twenty-four thinking that would have made Santa come quicker. How he loved kid logic…
Clara had hoped to have a Christmas as just the four of them. Originally her Dad had been invited down but regrettably he'd had to cancel in order to go into hospital for a tonsillectomy. She was more than happy he was finally getting it done, whether it was over the Christmas season or not. Those things had been giving him jip for years.
They were all prepared for the big day, the Doctor having gotten the turkey crown and Clara having ensured all of Milly's secret presents had been hidden under the tree at the back where she couldn't find. However, then came the bombshell. The invitation.
Clara was stood in the kitchen doorway, feeding the baby in her arms, when the Doctor dared himself to read out the text message he'd received only four days before Christmas Day. It one of those communal messages that was sent to a large group at once and as his eyes skimmed over the text, he did gulp. He could almost feel Clara's stare burning into him…
He did hesitate before he finally brought himself to read it. "I'm throwing a Christmas bash at the Rose & Crown on Christmas Day. Home-cooked Christmas dinner will be at two in the afternoon followed by a private party in the lounge. I expect everyone will be in attendance barring my younger son if…" he trailed off, the action making Clara noticeably take a step closer into the living room, her eyes tight.
"If what?" her head dropped a little, her gaze icy. He daren't look up.
The Doctor shuffled on the spot, daring himself to look at the tiny baby in his wife's arms. At only 5lb6oz when she was born, she really had been much more delicate than Milly after her birth. She had grown remarkable well since then and she certainly fed well. He was sure that since her birth, she had never not finished a bottle.
"I… I'd rather not say in front of Charley." he confessed quietly.
Clara pursed her lips together. "Doctor." she warned.
He gulped again, looking at the phone in his hand.
"I expect everyone will be in attendance barring my younger son if his wife has anything to do with it. Hope to see you all there, Leanne. Kiss, kiss."
Clara raised her eyebrow further than expected.
"Um-hm." she didn't believe a word, "What's it really say?"
The Doctor looked like a deer in headlights. "Just that!" he swore, backing away as she advanced further into the room. She may have been small but she could still frighten him to a certain extent. She was most definitely the boss.
"You know, you may be a total screaming genius who's rather modest and even a tiny bit sexy but you're also a lousy liar." she actually dared to smirk for a fraction of a second, "What does it say, Doctor? Honestly?"
His shoulder's dropped and he began reading instantly, his voice not flat in tone.
"I expect everyone will be in attendance barring my younger son if his so-called thing of a wife has decided she's too above spending Christmas down the pub and has anything to do with it. Anyways, hope to see you all there, Leanne. Kiss, kiss."
Clara nodded slowly, her tongue pushing against the back of her lips. Wow.
The Doctor watched her uncertainly, amazed how the wheels in her mind were turning and she still was able to feed Charley without a problem. It was as if she was on autopilot.
Clara scoffed rather loudly after a few moments, the sharp noise making him jump.
"Well, if she thinks that lovely invitation gonna make me go down her pub for Christmas, she's got another thing coming." she allowed herself to smile after finishing.
She turned back towards the kitchen, completely missing her husband's arms flailing about.
"Actually-Actually Clara…" he paused as she turned, her face dropping.
He could almost hear the inside of her head screaming at him.
"Please tell me you weren't going to suggest we actually go…?" she was hopeful but his face said it all, "Do you not remember last Christmas at all?"
"Clara…" he tried to speak.
"You know," she continued, cutting him off, "I might take it back when I called you a total screaming genius a few seconds ago."
"Clara, please." he sighed, the action making her go quiet. He was serious. Actually, properly serious.
"Really?" she stressed, "Why?"
The Doctor's following smile was clearly false. "She'll only make it more difficult for you if we don't turn up." he had a point, "In the long run, it's easier."
Clara rolled her eyes. "Seriously, when did you lose your backbone?" she softly cried, "You always used to rebel against her as a teenager!"
The Doctor just stood there. "A lots happened since we were teenagers." he stated, "We didn't have children then, Clara. I don't want her trying to poison their minds against you because, come on. You know she'd try something like that…"
Clara sighed. He was right. She hated to admit it but he was.
"Please, darling. I'm only thinking of you." he breathed in and out, "Just for dinner and an hour of the party. Then we can get the hell out of there."
Clara rolled her eyes, much softer that time. "Fine…" she agreed.
So on Christmas Day four days later, Clara found herself walking into the dimly-lit pub and dreading every moment she was about to endure. She couldn't think of anything worse in the festive season. She was actually walking straight into Leanne's web.
Dressed in her black and red tartan dress, she aimed to get Charley's pushchair through the incredibly narrow door, very thankful the Doctor had opted to go in first to hold it open. She'd always hated the pub ever since Leanne had taken it over. If felt like a lifetime ago when she worked there part-time as a waitress during her summer holidays in Sixth Form.
"Daddy?" Milly was sat on the Doctor's free arm, looking down at her Mummy and baby sister, "Why Charley sleeping?"
Clara had just managed to get through the door with a huff when the Doctor turned to face his eldest daughter, his smile gentle.
"Because she's a baby." he explained in a rather happy voice, "And babies sleep a lot."
Milly frowned and folded her arms, her expression one he had to bite his lip at in order to stop himself laughing. He loved how expressive she was. He much preferred her being expressive rather than having the Terrible Two tantrums. So far they'd been very lucky. He could count on one hand how many tantrums she'd had and considering they were eight months into her second year, he was pretty happy about that.
"Milly wanna be a baby!"
The Doctor followed his wife who was heading over to an empty table within one of the empty booths. It was rather close to the bar but she made sure to have her back on it so she didn't have the unfortunate pleasure of seeing Leanne every five minutes.
"Oh, no you don't." the Doctor smiled as he kissed Milly's dark hair, "Babies can't play with their Daddy like this!"
Clara had just sat down when she heard Milly's loud giggle. Having pulled Charley's pushchair as close as possible, she looked up from the sleeping baby to see the Doctor repeatedly pretending to drop Milly before flurrying her face with kisses as he brought her back up. It must have continued for a good two minutes before the Doctor, aware Rose was pretending to sneak up on him, stopped and let Milly work with her Aunty in order to scare him.
The laugh which followed from Clara made the Doctor smile as they shared a look. However, it was soon lost when Clara caught sight of the land lady coming from behind the bar and heading over to her husband.
"Oh, John!" she cried happily, her pink-painted lips positively smiling as she headed over to him. She clearly hadn't seen Clara yet.
The Doctor leant down into his mother's classic hug and two kisses, aware Milly had gone very still in his arms. She hadn't had the fortune of seeing her grandmother since her one and only visit to their home not long after Charley's birth five months ago.
"Happy Christmas, son." she gave him a final kiss, unaware of him wiping away her lipstick stain as soon as she turned to look at Milly, "And Happy Christmas Amelia!"
"Milly!" both the Doctor and Rose corrected instantly, their two voice merging into one.
The said little girl looked around, a little unsure what to do. The Doctor soon saw this and smiled softly at her.
"Say Merry Christmas to Nana, Milly." he encouraged gently.
She was shy, something she never was with anyone else. Watching from the small distance, Clara did feel a little happier than she should have at that particular fact. It wasn't that she wanted Milly to hate her grandmother but a large part of her was glad they weren't close. It meant there was less chance of having to see the said woman and that was certainly something she was glad for.
Milly pushed against her Dad's chest while she looked down at Leanne.
"Merry Kissmas."
Rose did start laughing softly at that and she soon shared a smile with the Doctor over it. She guessed being a mother herself allowed her to find some things that young children said and did completely and utterly adorable.
"Aww…" she cooed, her hearty laugh still present.
Milly turned to look at her Dad and Aunty, smiling herself when seeing them so happy.
"So John." Leanne's deep voice destroyed the moment, "Is Clara he–" she cut off abruptly, turning enough to see the mentioned woman only metres away sat in one of the booths.
Clara waved with a false smile bordering on a smirk, having watched the scene completely from her seat.
Leanne noticeably rolled her eyes, her shoulders dropping.
"You know what?" Rose whispered to the Doctor, sensing the forthcoming scene, "I'll come over and say hello in a minute."
She tapped his shoulder softly and immediately walked away, leaving the Doctor to follow his mother who was slowly approaching his wife. Now it began.
Leanne stopped, for the first time ever actually towering over Clara, and remained silent. The Doctor followed, his tension being senses by Milly who also remained quiet. Then again, she still didn't feel too comfortable around the older woman in pink.
"Clara…" Leanne acted as if the name were painful to say.
Clara silently sighed. "Leanne." she acknowledged, her arms folding defensively across her chest. She wasn't sure whether having her mother-in-law approach her was a good thing or a bad thing.
The Doctor didn't dare try and say anything. He'd have probably been shot at dawn.
Leanne turned her head slowly to face her youngest son, his eyes pleading with her not to do anything. He just wanted one Christmas, one Christmas, with no drama.
Somehow, much to his shock, she appeared to listen.
"Look, Clara…" she paused, acting disgusted with herself as she turned to face her, "I-I know we don't usually get along…"
Clara raised her eyebrow as she licked her drying lips. That was the understatement of the year.
"But since its Christmas," her voice was flat, "Why don't we try to be civil for the day?"
Both the Doctor and Clara were shocked, the Doctor more noticeably as he stood there with wide eyes.
"I can be civil." Clara was sharing the same flat tone as she lightly shrugged her shoulders, "Look, I have an every better suggestion." Clara leant forward on her knees. "Why don't we just stay out of each other's way? Make it even easier to be civil."
Leanne scoffed. "Fine by me!" she was adamant.
"Good." Clara actually smiled, waving her mother-in-law "Bye!"
Leanne swiftly left them be, the Doctor releasing his held breath as he looked down at his wife. That had gone surprisingly well…
Passing Milly down to her, he shuffled around the other side of the table and sat down, sticking his tongue out at the two year old on Clara's lap. That made them both smile, Milly copying which Clara just laughed. He always had been a child trapped in a grown up body.
"Ooh!" the Doctor remembered, reaching into his jacket pocket and depositing a bunch of strands of metal into her palm, "Can you put them in your bag?" It was the car keys.
She didn't answer, she just complied, nudging her handbag on the floor with her foot to expose the opening. The keys were then dropped expertly into it. That was a skill she had mastered a long time ago.
Within moments, Rose and her two girls had appeared in the other table in the booth, the lot of them all greeting each other and exchanging Christmas greetings. It wasn't long before Jenny dragged Milly and Sarah Jane up to the empty area which would soon become the dance floor, the three of them chasing each other around in a chorus of giggles.
Clara watched them with a soft smile. Jenny was now eight and had certainly grown into a lovely little girl, the spitting image of her mother. Sarah Jane on the other hand was more like her dad, her absent brother-in-law. With dark hair and goofy grin, the eighteen month old toddler seemed to be having the time of her life with her sister and cousin. Not bad since she was still rather unsteady on her feet despite having been walking since she was eleven months old.
It was the Doctor's kiss to her head when he stood which recaptured her attention.
"I'll get the drinks in." he explained softly, also wishing to go and greet his brother who he'd spotted working at the bar, "G&T's?"
"Ooh, please." Rose held her hand up softly and smiled as she leant across the soft booth towards Clara.
The Doctor then turned to Clara who he could tell was debating with herself. Did she play it safe or hit the strong stuff so early in the day? It wasn't her who was driving home later…
"Um… I'll have a Martini." she decided.
Rose felt her eyes widen, sighing when she saw Clara's famous smile refusing to make an appearance.
"Get her two." she mouthed to the Doctor. Maybe getting her a little tipsier would make the day more enjoyable.
The Doctor laughed softly, leaving the two women be. While they began talking about everything and nothing, he reached the bar in only a few steps, smiling at his goofy-grinning brother. He'd just finished serving someone the Doctor could only guess was one of Leanne's friends.
"Righty-o, lil' bro!" James was enjoying his temporary job way too much, "What'll it be?"
The Doctor couldn't help but laugh just as James glanced over to Clara and Rose watching him from the booth.
He waved wildly. "Oh, I am loving this…" his voice trailed off in sync with his wave, "Right. Rose'll want gin and tonic."
The Doctor watched as James got on with it, vaguely aware of two older women coming to the bar and standing on his right.
"What d'you and Clara want?" James asked, the gin poured and tonic being added naturally.
"Um, double Martini and I'll have an orange and lemonade." he took the gin and tonic from his brother.
James grimaced. "Crike, its only half one and she's going on the Martini's?" he looked sympathetic, "Take it she didn't wanna come?"
The Doctor only laughed. That said it all.
"And an orange and lemonade?" he had to confirm, "Take it you're driving…?"
The Doctor nodded. "It's a long drive home." he somehow felt the need to explain, "I won't risk it with the girls."
James nodded, understanding completely. He knew it was safe to have a pint and drive but even he wouldn't risk it. His family were much more important than a drink.
As James got to work on preparing the drinks, the Doctor did watch for a few moments but it wasn't long before his keen ears began to pick up on the conversation of the two women next to him.
"Yeah, that's John…" the one whispered, "The one who married that Clara over there."
The Doctor's eyes rolled, his head falling against his hand as she pointed discreetly. He had no idea who the women even were, obviously two women Leanne knew, and yet there they were talking about his wife. Of course the only things they'd heard about her was from his mother.
"Oh, I know the one!" the other recalled in the same tone, "The one who Leanne said almost stopped him becoming a doctor because she didn't want him to go to university and leave her."
"Yeah!" she nodded, "The one who forced him to have a baby to make sure he'd never leave!"
The woman's jaw dropped, her head turning not-so-subtly to look towards Clara.
"Which one is she?" the one asked.
"The dark-haired one with the awful red dress and black tights." she explained, "The one next to Rose, James' wife."
The woman glanced over at the Doctor to make sure he hadn't heard. He obviously had but for the moment, he was listening. He needed to buy his time. After all, it was a rare look into exactly what Leanne said about Clara when he wasn't around.
"God, look at her!" the one cried, "Doesn't she know that red is seriously not her colour?!"
The Doctor's fingers began to tap against the bar. They didn't even know her and they were judging her based on what they'd heard. He knew that it was human nature but he didn't want to hear it, not when it came to Clara.
"I know, right." the woman agreed before she glanced towards the apparently-not-hearing Doctor, "What does he see in her?"
It was then he reached the limit, the hand he'd been leaning on dropping harshly against the bar.
"Alright, enough!" he cried, the two women jumping having been caught off guard, "That's my wife you're talking about!"
James was just about to put the two drinks onto the bar until he realised what was happening. His brows shot up, deciding it best to keep hold of the two breakable glasses for a few moments. He'd only turned around for a minute…
The two women stood, speechless.
"You don't even know her! All you've heard about her is from Leanne and I promise you, half of that will not be true." he was adamant, "So please… don't judge her before you know her."
He took the two drinks from James, directing his attention to the twenty pound note on the bar.
"Just bring the change over later, will ya?" he requested, turning away from the two women.
The women looked between each other, not that the Doctor could see that.
"Leanne said he used to be such a good boy…" the one sighed, clearly not understanding that their form of whispering wasn't very quiet at all.
"Ah, love can stop people seeing what some people are really like."
The Doctor sniggered to himself at that. So could ignorance…
. . . . .
After the dinner had been served, eaten and removed, Leanne's so-called Christmas party began. James had opted to not go back behind the bar and had pulled his family up onto the dancefloor. Rose was giggling away, bouncing Sarah Jane on her hip while watching Jenny trying to teach her father an almost-impossible dance for someone for someone of his age. Cartwheels and handstands seemed to be two of the most prominent moves and Rose was one hundred percent sure that that alone would be enough of a Christmas present if she got to see him attempt it.
"Am I late?!" a very distinct voice cried as the pub door burst open, "Did I miss the party?"
Rose's eyes widened, her growing smile making James turn around.
"Jack!" she cried, dashing over to hug the grinning individual.
"Well, hello there, Rose!" he hugged her tightly back, soon aware of a small person in her arms. He pulled away, smiling in awe at the dark-haired child. "And who is this?"
James stepped over, smiling broadly at the latecomer.
"Baby number 2." he announced, "This is Sarah Jane."
Jack's face softened. "Sarah Jane Smith…" he looked a little shaken saying that name as he looked up at her parents, "I was sorry to hear about Sarah Jane last year…"
James smiled sadly, shrugging his shoulders softly. "She had a nice send off." he told him.
Jack nodded. "And how's the boy?" he asked, "Luke, was it?"
Rose nodded. "He'd doing pretty well." she explained, "In his second year of Uni."
"Good for him." Jack smiled sincerely before looking around, "Where's that little brother of yours, Jay?"
The Doctor and Clara stepped forward, the two girls being carried between the pair of them. They were both smiling wide, amazed to see their friend once again. It had been far too long.
"Hello Jack." the Doctor smiled warmly, "Merry Christmas."
Jack looked between the pair, about to say hello when he saw the little one in Clara's arms.
"Another baby!" he cried, actually pointing to the curious little girl.
Clara laughed, kissing her little girl's head. "See the things you miss when you're away for so long?"
Jack looked away from the baby and glanced towards Milly. He knew she wouldn't remember him. She was only weeks old when he'd met her, too young for her recall, so he really was glad to see her smile at him.
"Is this your little sister?" Jack directed her attention to the baby.
Milly nodded immediately, all eyes on her.
"Nah, she's not…" Jack shook his head dramatically.
Milly nodded harder. "Yeah she is!" she countered, actually making the Doctor smile.
"Really?" his mouth dropped open, "Well, if she's your sister you must know her name, don't you?"
Milly nodded again and Jack shook his head in response. "Nah, you don't…"
Milly was nodding so hard the Doctor had to steady her head. Any harder and she probably would have given herself a headache.
"Tell him." the Doctor whispered.
Milly grinned. "Charley!"
Jack covered his mouth, making the adults smile. He always had been one for drama and despite the fact he didn't have any, he loved children.
"Charley?!" he repeated, "Wow!"
The Doctor smiled, shaking Jack's hand. "It's good to see you, Jack."
"Likewise." he nodded, lightly moving over to hug Clara, "And you, Clara. It's been a while."
Clara sighed happily. "I know." she agreed, "And how are you? I heard you'd been in a car accident and then you were back on tour…"
Jack nodded. "Yeah, well it took a while." he admitted, "It was January last year when I had the accident. Some kid decided to take a joyride down the wrong side of the carriageway. My car must've flipped twice…"
All but the children grimaced, the Doctor actually going wide eyed. He was a surgeon and during his career he'd seen and dealt with many gruesome injuries. It was very rare that car accident victims didn't look a mess when brought into his operating theatre, no matter how hard the trauma nurses have tried to clean them up.
"My God…" Rose sighed, "Were you okay?"
Jack shrugged his shoulders. "Dunno. Don't really remember much after the car hitting me." he confessed, "I woke up after surgery and was told I'd been lucky. My back had been broken in two places but there was no spinal cord damage."
The Doctor nodded. "You were lucky." he seconded.
"But there were complications with the actual surgery." he added, "I lost a lot of blood. I actually died on the table."
"Oh God…" Rose sighed. The accident hadn't been Jack's only near-death experience throughout his life. Back when he'd been a teenager, he'd been in a boating accident with his father and drowned. Then too he'd died and been resuscitated by paramedics.
"You really on the man who never dies, aren't you?" Rose laughed lightly with them all barring James. He just stood there with a deep, confused frown.
"And the Army actually let you back in after all this?" he had to ask.
Jack winked. "Captain Jack Harkness doesn't let a little think like a broken back get in his way." he grinned, "When duty calls, duty calls."
The group had chatted for a while longer but it wasn't long after that Charley had been in need of a feed, making Clara depart the group in order to feed her. Now sat in the booth giving Charley her bottle, she watched the Doctor and Jack spin Milly around for what she believed was the fifth time… or sixth. She'd lost count after the third time but that didn't stop her being amazed that the little girl hadn't been sick yet.
Charley was down to her last ounce when a figure appeared at her side, a figure whom she didn't recognise. Clara swiftly looked around, a mixture of a frown and wide eyes appearing on her face.
The person remained silent, allowing Clara's frown to take over.
"Can I help you, Leanne?" she wondered, hoping her question would be enough to make her go away. Seriously, she never came over to her and if her memory served her correctly, they had agreed to stay out of each other's way.
Leanne sighed sharply. "I…" she scratched the side of her head, "I might make myself sick by admitting this but I… I need your help…"
Clara actually sniggered, softly shaking her head. "Why me?" she had to ask, allowing her curiosity to get the better of her.
"Because I'm being civil!" Leanne snapped.
Clara laughed that time. "Right…" she drew out, "No thanks."
Leanne cocked her head to the side. "Wow, you really are a bitch, aren't you?"
Clara rolled her eyes harshly. "Leanne, you haven't liked me since I met the Doctor… and we were four!"
Leanne sighed, running her hand over her dyed, ash-blonde hair.
"Look, I just need help taking a couple of boxes down the cellar." she explained.
Clara glanced back at the empty bar. "Haven't you got staff for that?"
"They're busy!" she was growing more agitated by the moment.
"I'm busy!" Clara objected, referring her attention to the baby she was still feeding.
"Just– one box!" Leanne exclaimed, making Clara roll her eyes. Was she really that desperate?
Clara sighed, using the action to show her annoyance. "Well, you're gonna have to wait." she pointed out, "Charley comes before you any day."
Leanne looked hopeful. Strange.
"So you'll help?" she queried.
"Yes!" Clara snapped, "Now go away. I'll meet you at the bar in a minute."
"Promise?" Leanne asked her.
"YES!"
Clara was unsure how to read the situation. Leanne was never that nice, not to her. In fact she was sure that they had never had a conversation alone where they didn't almost kill each other, so what exactly had just happened?
She met Leanne at the bar, leaving Charley asleep in her pushchair being watched by Sukie, one of Leanne's barmaid's. She was still uncertain why she was helping Leanne and not Sukie but she didn't query it. The quicker she got it over and done with, the better.
Leanne led her into the quiet kitchen, the only noise being from dishwashers. It was there on the table in the middle of the room that she saw the box in question. It was nothing more than a large cardboard box full of crisps.
Clara lifted it and immediately frowned. It was nowhere near heavy. Why did Leanne need her to help her carry it downstairs?
"Seriously?" she had to ask, "This is what you need taking down?"
Leanne rolled her eyes and actually pushed her towards the door to the cellar at the other end of the room. Clara actually did stumble and was rather thankful that she was able to regain her balance rather well in high-heeled boots.
"Just go!" she demanded.
Huffing, Clara rolled her eyes as she walked down the narrow staircase which led downstairs. She was as careful as she could be, doing her best to feel for each step with her feet so she didn't take an unwanted trip. All the way down, she was very much aware of Leanne being so close but she daren't say anything. A dark staircase would never be a safe place to tick Leanne off.
The cellar itself was rather well-lit, not exactly like she'd imagined it. For some reason, she'd expected stone floors and dark, damp walls with vague lighting. Instead, it was lit with strong lights in each corner and painted rather bright.
The wall to the left of the staircase had stacks of ale barrels lined up against it, some still full and a few empty. The smaller wall opposite to the staircase had three large wooden doors, all which were open so she could see were storage cupboards. She assumed that was where she was heading.
"Just in there at the back." Leanne pointed to one on the left.
Out of all three, the one on the left was the only one which had a partly blocked off doorway thanks to one of the barrels. Of course it had to be the awkward one.
Somehow Clara managed to slip inside, amazed how packed the cupboard was. It was full of large crisp boxed and contained an astounding number of unstable-looking shelves on the walls. Also, it was cold. Unbelievably cold.
"Here?" Clara asked, pointing to one of the closer spaces she could see where the box would fit.
Leanne was stood at the door shaking her head.
"No. At the back." she pointed at another crisp box at the back near to the wall. She wanted the one Clara was holding on top of that.
Clara leaned over, finding the task rather difficult due to her height. Even her heels weren't helping her. Why hadn't she asked someone else? Rose, James, the Doctor? They were all taller!
Before she even had time to ask, her answer came in the form of a loud bang.
Clara shot around, the darkness of the room obvious as the door was now closed. It took a few moments before she realised what had just happened.
"Leanne?!"
Then came the click. The lock.
The tiny part of her which had considered it may not have been deliberate were lost in a second. She was locked in a cold, dark cupboard… Leanne had locked her in a cold, dark cupboard.
"Leanne!" she banged her hand harshly against the door, "Leanne, let me out!"
Nothing.
"Leanne, let me out!" she demanded, "Leanne! LEANNE!"
. . . . .
The Doctor had to stop after almost half an hour of non-stop dancing with Milly. He wasn't as young as he used to be. James and Rose seemed to have the same idea, both finding that they could only keep up with Jenny for so long. Therefore, they all opted to return to their tables. Jack, on the other hand, remained with Jenny, Sarah Jane and Milly who he was happily keeping occupied. For the first time ever, his army training was proving handy as he knew how to conserve his energy enough to keep up with three young children.
The Doctor returned to the table, his face dropping when he saw it was empty. Stood frowning for a moment, his frown intensified when he saw movement in the pushchair. It was Charley.
Rose and James got to the table just as the Doctor lifted his youngest daughter from the pushchair. She wasn't distressed having being left alone, in fact she was smiling. However, that didn't stop the feeling which was building in his stomach. It wasn't like Clara to leave Charley alone, in fact, he knew she'd never done it and she never would.
"Where's Clara?" James' question voiced his concern.
The Doctor slowly pivoted, his eyes scanning the room at a rapid pace while he held Charley against his shoulder.
"I have no idea." he confessed.
He was getting a bad feeling. Any other time he would just have assumed she'd popped to the toilet but he was in his mother's pub. It was basic knowledge in their family, putting Leanne and Clara into the same equation never ended well. Never.
Rose and James had also begun to look around, both puzzled as to the whereabouts of the Doctor's wife. They knew Clara; she would never leave Charley alone. Not for a second.
"Perhaps she's just popped to the loo." Rose suggested, "I can go and have a look…?"
The Doctor didn't want to appear desperate but he was. Clara never disappeared, not like that, and there was no way she'd just abandon their little girl. The growing feeling of uncertainty building in his gut was something he couldn't ignore. Not that time.
He only nodded, watching Rose more than happily comply with his wish. Still looking around, the Doctor and James shared a look. This alone made the lanky young doctor spin on his heels and head towards the bar. He couldn't just wait for Rose to come back.
"Excuse me?" he got the two young barmaids' attention, "You haven't by chance seen my wife, Clara, have you?"
Leanne suddenly stepped out of the kitchen, her pink attire standing out harshly against her staff's black uniforms.
"Oh, I was meant to tell you." she sighed, easily capturing the Doctor's attention before coming to a stop at the bar, "She's gone home."
The Doctor wasn't sure he had heard right… What?
Instinctively he repositioned Charley in his arms. For a child so young, she wasn't half curious about the world around her. She wanted to look everywhere at once and that alone led to an awful lot of fidgeting.
"What?!" he managed to bring himself to ask.
Leanne sighed. "She went home." she repeated, "She said she wasn't feeling too well."
The Doctor shook his head in disbelief. She would have told him, surely…
"And she told you?" he genuinely wondered. That didn't sound like his Clara.
Leanne sighed sympathetically. "I'm sorry, John." she expressed, "I can't say I wasn't happy to see her go but I did tell her I'd tell you. Sorry…"
The Doctor sighed, rubbing around his mouth. Part of him didn't believe her. It may have been awful to admit but he didn't. Leanne McCrimmon wasn't someone who tended to be entirely truthful if it didn't suit her.
However, the longer he stood there, the longer his mind began to wonder if perhaps it was true. She wasn't in the lounge, that was for sure, and with how much she had been dreading the day, perhaps she had given up.
"If-If she's gone home, she's taken the car…" he said aloud, the realisation dawning on him as he looked between his daughter and mother, "How are we meant to get home?"
Leanne lightly shrugged her shoulders. "You can stay here tonight." she offered, "I'll drive you back tomorrow. I would do it tonight but I've had one too many already…"
Her following giggle was lost to him. He just sighed. He wasn't going to call a taxi. It would be far too expensive for the hour and a half journey back home to Whitechapel.
"Yeah…" he trailed off, unhappy about the situation, "Thanks Mum."
Leanne left him be, returning to the kitchen while he just stood there. He couldn't believe it. Clara wouldn't simply up and leave. She may have thought it, wished it even, but she wouldn't have done it.
He reached into his pocket and retrieved his phone. His thumbprint unlocked it luckily. He didn't think he'd safely type in a password with how he was feeling.
He found Clara's number, rung her and listened intensely to the line. He was almost desperate for her to answer.
Nothing.
Ending the call, the Doctor moved away from the bar and returned back to the booth. His sceptical-looking brother gave him a look. He seemed to be sharing the feeling he just couldn't hide. Even with Charley in his arms, he couldn't calm completely. The entire situation just didn't feel right.
"And?" James wanted to know.
The Doctor just shrugged his shoulders. "Apparently she's gone home…" he placed his phone on the table in front of him. "And she's not answering her phone."
Rose got back to the booth only to see the two Smith brothers looking noticeable tense.
"She's not in the bathroom…" the blonde trailed off, her hands falling to her hips, "What's happened?"
James sighed. "Apparently she's gone home." he raised his eyebrow.
Rose was now frowning. "Who said?"
James scoffed. "Leanne." he answered, his look sceptical.
Rose then copied her husband's earlier scoffed before looking towards the bar.
"Alright, what's she done to her?" her question was more than serious.
The Doctor sighed, his teeth biting into his inner lip. He didn't bother looking towards his brother or sister-in-law, he just sat looking at the phone. Any moment now Clara would call back and he'd learn his worrying was over nothing. Any moment now…
"Can I get you any more drinks?"
Rose turned to see her mother-in-law stood there, positively beaming in a way she'd hardly ever seen.
"Where's Clara?" she automatically asked, the question making Leanne's two boys look towards her.
Leanne just shrugged her shoulders, the movement making James tighten his eyes at her. She wasn't acting like the mother he knew. She was far too… happy. That alone probably was due to Clara's absence.
"She went home." Leanne seemed surprisingly relaxed, "Didn't John tell you?"
The Doctor stopped listening as she began to babble on about something or other. He didn't care about what Clara had apparently said to his mother, the same mother who spent every moment in his wife's company trying to find a way to limit their contact. Did she honestly expect him to believe she had stood there and listened to this explanation Clara had apparently told her?
He just continued to look towards his phone, completely missing the moment when Leanne walked off.
"She's lying." Rose's voice broke through to him and made him look up.
James loudly smacked his hand over his lips. "My God, really?"
Rose sighed, ignoring the sarcasm in her husband's voice. They were all feeling uneasy about everything. Christmas was supposed to be a fun and relaxed time but it most certainly wasn't shaping up to that.
The Doctor shifted, feeling his foot hit something under the table. Upon instinct he looked down, his frown intensifying at what he saw: Clara's handbag.
He felt the knot in his stomach shoot up into the back of his throat. There was no way in hell Clara would have left without her handbag. Her handbag was almost as important as Charley's bag which was hung over her pushchair handles. It contained her entire life: phone, purse, diary, everything. However, above everything, they contained something more important than anything else. The car keys. It was impossible for her to have left without the car keys.
. . . . .
"Doctor!"
Clara's throat was beginning to grow dry. It was clear no-one was coming. To be honest, she doubted anyone could hear her. She was in the cellar for goodness sake. Even if by some chance someone could have heard her, the loud Christmas music playing above would have drowned her out.
She was beginning to grow cold in that tiny cupboard, internally cursing herself for being stupid enough to even bother trusting Leanne for a second. Honestly, why had the fact that she'd promised actually made her believe, even for a second, that she could let guard down? Had she forgotten Leanne was pure evil wrapped up in that god-awful pink suit?
Clara hadn't realised she was shivering until she stumbled off her heels, moaning when her back collided with the corner of one of the boxes. It may have only been cardboard but it still hurt like hell.
When she managed to stand again, her hand involuntarily twisted back to rub her back. It amazed her how a simple rub to a sore area could convince the brain it wasn't as bad. Pure psychology.
However, what she hadn't realised is that her elbow had collided with the cardboard box behind her. It wouldn't have been a problem if that's all that had happened but the said box, having being shoved over, hit another box. That was the problem.
Before she even realised what had happened, the loose shelf on the wall began to fall. She knew it hadn't looked stable.
She did scream, not that anyone would have heard, as the entire metal contraption fell, the contents dropping harshly along with it. Somehow, she managed to move away but it wasn't far enough considering the space was so small. The heavy falling items hit her legs with no mercy and although she didn't feel her tights rip, she was pretty sure the skin underneath had.
The fall seemed to go on forever, the noise unbearably loud. Even when some of the items had stopped falling, the ones above fell upon them.
She cried out when what felt like a wooden plank hit her hand. She immediately pulled away but the pain remained. She could move it but she wasn't stupid. She knew the quickly cooling liquid rolling over her skin was yet more blood.
"Shit!" she cursed, her heartbeat loud enough to be heard as the falling items came to the relieving halt.
Clara gulped, trembling. The best Christmas present was certainly the shelf finally stopping its avalanche upon her.
She needed help. More to the point, she needed to get out. A large part of her wanted nothing more than to slash Leanne's throat, a violent thought but scarily true at that moment. However, a larger part just needed to get out. She was feeling awfully claustrophobic.
"I think it came from down here!"
Her head snapped towards the door. She was sure she'd just heard a voice… She certainly hoped she had. However, she wouldn't have been surprised if it had been her mind playing an evil trick on her.
"Hello? Is anyone down here?"
She recognised that voice.
"James…" she whispered to herself, almost disbelieving.
"Is there?" she heard another say.
She definitely knew that voice!
"Doctor!" she shouted, "DOCTOR!"
The commotion which followed actually made her sigh, relieved that she'd be locking in her prison cell no longer. It was clearly the Doctor and his brother running over to the door, one of them shoving the barrel she knew was blocking to doorway out of the way while the other pulled on the lock.
It clicked.
The door opened and Clara immediately grabbed for her husband, his hand falling to her lower back so she could step over the fallen mess.
"Doctor." her arms wrapped quickly around his neck, her sore legs actually giving way as she cried into his shoulder.
He lowered with her to the floor, his hand cupping around the back of her head. He knew she hadn't left.
With Clara in his arms, the Doctor let his eyes scan over the room in which she'd been confined. It was rather small and it took him a little longer than it should have to realise the shelf had only recently collapsed. That was when he felt his eyes widen.
"Are you okay?" he gently pushed her away enough to see her.
Her eyes were red from her tears and then he saw her hand was red from her blood. His first aid soon kicked in, especially as he could see the wound was still bleeding.
"There a first aid kit up in the kitchen?" he asked suddenly, lifting Clara's hand.
Clara glanced over his shoulder to see James heading towards the stairs.
"I need a bandage." he continued.
"I'll go have a look." James swore.
He quickly dashed up the stairs and within moments was back with the little green box, darting over and then handed it to his little brother. The Doctor immediately sprang into action, glad that his mother's pub contained first aid kits which did have the needed item.
He grabbed a sealed crepe bandage and ripped the packaging off, already having cleaned the area. He applied the pad to the wound and ensured the bandage was wrapped efficiently, enough to contain the bleeding until he could close the wound.
She was lucky. From what he could see, the cut had been a little deep but it wasn't too long so wouldn't require stitches. She'd probably get away with tissue adhesive or skin-closure strips, depending which he had handy in his kit in the car.
He sighed, running his thumb across Clara's damp cheek.
"I'll close that up when we get upstairs." he promised, "Just need to get the kit from the car."
"I'll do it." James offered suddenly, "Either that or I kill Mum."
Clara sighed deeply. "I'd be fine with getting it myself."
James smiled softly, completely understanding what she was suggesting.
"Thanks." the Doctor suddenly said, making James nod before disappearing up the stairs.
The Doctor sighed, looking over his wife.
"Do I even need to ask who…?"
Clara shaking her head cut him off. "I want to go home." she confessed quietly.
The Doctor nodded as he stood, reaching for her other hand to help her up. It was only then that he noticed the dark patches on her tights, indications she also had injuries on her legs.
"Come on." he ushered her gently to the stairs, "Let me get you sorted out and then we can."
. . . . .
Rose sighed when she saw Clara and the Doctor return, Clara immediately taking Charley from her as she stood. She didn't know what to say.
"James told me." she explained.
Clara nodded, bending down to strap Charley into her pushchair.
"Yeah…" she trailed off, "Should've known better really."
Clara ignored the slight pain in her hand as she used it to reach down and grab her handbag, tossing it over her shoulder once her coat was on. The Doctor had glued her hand and then covered the cut with a bandage, the best he could do. He'd also had to check her leg wounds. Luckily, they were all superficial cuts, the bleeding having stopped after having pressure put on them for a few minutes. The only thing she wasn't looking forward to was the inevitable bruises which would be making an appearance in the following days.
"You going?" Rose's hands slipped into her dress pockets.
Clara's lips were pushed together. "Oh yes." she answered.
While Clara said her goodbyes to James and Rose who were also considering leaving, the Doctor made his way over to Jack. He too said his goodbye to his friend and retrieved his elder daughter. She wasn't happy to leave Jack and Jenny but she understood it was home time.
"See you 'round, Doctor." Jack shook his hand, the action making a certain woman in pink notice.
"John?" she was frowning softly.
The Doctor's look was dark as he turned to face her fully. He would have yelled there and then but it would have only delayed their departure. Clara wouldn't have appreciated that.
"Mum." his tone was harsh to which she continued frowning, "You… You remember my wife, Clara, right?"
His smirk was dangerous as he directed his mother's attention to Clara stood near to the booth still.
Leanne's eyes went wide, the action making the Doctor have to work harder to contain his rising anger. It was even worse than the year before. Last year she'd only hurt Clara emotionally. This year she'd indirectly hurt her physically. He wasn't going to forgive that so readily.
"Doesn't she look pretty good for someone who'd already left an hour ago?"
Leanne turned to face her son. "John, I can explain…"
"Don't!" he cut her off, "I found her in the cupboard, Leanne. Locked in the cupboard… Bleeding in the cupboard."
Leanne's eyes did widen further, her cheeks draining.
"Bleeding?" she repeated, "I only locked her in. I-I didn't hurt her."
The Doctor quirked his eyebrows up. She'd actually just admitted it.
"No, your shelves collapsed." he explained, "You are lucky the worst she got was a cut hand… I swear if anything else had happened, Leanne…"
Leanne remained silent. He just scoffed. "I cannot believe you did this."
He turned and walked towards his awaiting wife.
"John…"
"NO!" the sharpness of his voice when he turned back made her stop, as well as making nearly everybody else look around. He just sighed abruptly to calm himself down. "No." he repeated, "Enough."
And that was that. They left.
Christmas since that year had never been as bad, mostly because the Doctor had ensured no further Christmas consisted of both his wife and mother being in the same place. Leanne hadn't been happy, she'd accused Clara of ruining Christmas for her forever. However, Clara no longer cared. Anything was better than spending another Christmas with Leanne and having it ruining one way or another.
The following Christmas, Milly's fourth Christmas, hadn't been anything special. The Doctor's old friends, Amy and Rory had popped around for a couple of hours in the morning which had been a treat. However, for the rest of the day was far from good. After a particularly bad coach crash, the Doctor had been called into work, something Clara didn't mind if she was honest. Granted she hadn't wanted him to go but she knew the patients needed him more than she did. All she had to worry about was making sure the dinner was cooked for herself and the girls and that the Doctor had one made up and saved so he could enjoy later yet there were people in the hospital fighting for their lives.
However, Milly's fifth Christmas made up for it. She sharing the day with two year old, Charley, and her six month old baby brother, Jack. It was actually the first Christmas they'd had alone as a family, nobody else but the five living under the same roof. Bliss.
Like every Christmas, Santa had miraculously visited without waking anyone. He'd even managed to put a fast-asleep Milly to bed after her pledge to stay up all night and see him had fallen flat on the face, literally.
It was actually Clara and the Doctor who were awake first, both grinning wildly up at their ceiling and making bets with one another as to who would be awake first. Clara had her money on baby Jack as he typically woke up at five o'clock for his feed. However, the Doctor was thinking differently.
"Merry." he whispered to his wife cuddled up at his side, "She's desperate for her Colour-Me-In Kittens."
Through the lightly lit room thanks to the flashing lights the Doctor had insisted on plastering their bedroom window with, he saw her gasp at him.
"Doctor!" her smirk was evident even in the dark, "Have you been peeking in Milly's sack?"
"No…" he drew out, leaning closer to her ear, "Don't tell the kids… I'm on first name basis with Santa Claus. I call him Nick."
Clara giggled into his neck, her ears pricking when she heard Jack move on the baby monitor behind her. He was still asleep.
She looked over at the clock on the Doctor's bedside table. 4:43am. She was the one getting desperate now. Even if it did make it a long day by being up so early, she didn't care. It was Christmas. Christmas was her thing, especially when Leanne didn't come into the picture!
"Never known you to be so eager, Mrs Smith." he commented as she pushed herself up on her arms.
Her eyebrow quirked up as she looked down at him, her hair curtaining her face.
"Never?" she wondered, her head dropping lower.
He smirked, grabbing her hips and flipping them around. She gasped quietly as he straddled her, giggling under her breath.
"Doctor…" she moaned, his breath tickling her neck as he lowered himself to her face.
His lips were soft against hers but rough enough to show his passion, his love for her. She made him feel like he was the only man in the world when they kissed.
They parted, his nose nuzzling softly against hers.
"Merry Christmas, darling." he sighed.
"Merry Christmas." she whispered back.
The Doctor fell to her side lay there for a few moments, rubbing her shoulder and listening out for any movement.
Still nothing.
He rolled his eyes. Honestly, when he, James and Chris were younger, they were itching to get up Christmas morning from at least 4am. The only reason they didn't do so at that time was because Leanne had a strict rule: get up no earlier than 7 o'clock or presents didn't get given out until the evening.
He shuddered at the thought. He remembered the one year he and James had dared to test it. He was five and regretted it the moment he got caught rummaging under the tree. He still couldn't remember what he did get when he eventually open up the presents at six o'clock that night.
"Penny for your thoughts?" Clara offered, her smile soft in the light.
He shook his head. "Just… Christmas." his eyes lit up, "Its Christmas, Clara."
Clara over exaggerated the way she looked around. "Is it?" she asked, her tone sounding vaguely like James' for a moment.
The Doctor sighed, turning on his side to face her properly.
"Do you remember our very first Christmas together?" he whispered.
Clara found herself grinning madly, softly nodding.
"We were 12. You were on my doorstep in nothing but your dressing gown and slippers clutching a little gold present." Clara laughed at the memory as she rolled onto her back, "Leanne was screaming across the whole street at you to come home."
"And I did." the Doctor objected playfully.
"Yeah, to change into sensible clothes." she recalled, "Then you were straight back over with presents for my Mum and Dad." she sighed, "Leanne was mortified when you told her that Christmas was better in our house than yours."
The Doctor laughed softly. "It was!" he objected, "You had fun. You didn't open your presents and then that was that. You actually spent time together, as a family… and I was honoured you let me be a part of that."
Clara kissed his shoulder. "I was honoured you agreed to be a part of it…"
"HE'S BEEN! HE'S BEEN!"
Both the Doctor and Clara shot up as their bedroom door almost flew off its hinges, their eldest daughter bursting through and diving onto the bed. Clara did gasp but it was soon taken over by her laughter as the three of them fall back.
The Doctor's eyes were wide as he looked up at the little dark haired girl almost sitting on his chest.
"Who has?!" he was almost as excitable as she was, "Who's been?!"
"Santa!" she squealed in excitement.
The Doctor's mouth dropped, his eyes wide in amazement as he pulled Milly into his chest for a big Christmas kiss and cuddle.
"Merry Christmas, Merry." he smiled as she pushed herself up against his chest.
"Merry Christmas, Daddy!"
She then pounced at Clara, exchanging the same greeting before hopping off the bed and out of the room back towards her and Charley's bedroom.
"Charley!" she cried, "Santa's been!"
The Doctor and Clara both pulled themselves up and watched the empty doorway for a minute, sighing as they heard Charley beginning to mutter something. She was awake.
"I win." the Doctor simply said, earning a soft shove from his wife. However, it was enough to make him fall back against the mattress.
Just as he pulled himself up, the famous gurgles from their son began to resonate from the baby monitor. Clara laughed to herself and looked towards the clock. 5 o'clock.
"Least he's on time." she smiled, swinging her legs off the bed almost in sync which her husband.
"I'll go get Charley." the Doctor smiled as he stood up and went over to switch their bedroom light on.
Clara simply nodded before standing herself up. It was going to be a long day.
. . . . .
All the presents from Santa were opened in the Doctor and Clara's bedroom and with nowhere to put the paper, it ended up dotted around the entire room, almost as if a large ball of paper had exploded and snowed down on them all.
Milly had got her Colour-Me-In Kittens as well as a large selection of cuddly toys, games and sweets and was now helping her little sister open her first present.
Clara, who was feeding Jack in her lap, gasped as Charley finally got the first present open.
"What ya got there, Charley?" she smiled down at the awestruck little girl, "What is it?"
"Doggy." she pointed at the toy dog in the box.
The Doctor's smile was beaming as he had just got his first Christmas present of the day, video footage of Charley opening her first Christmas present.
"And who got you the dog, Charley?" he smiled encouragingly down at the blonde haired little girl, one who looked oddly like her Aunty Rose.
"Santa!" she smiled.
Milly showed her little sister how to feel the toy through the gap in the box, grinning as she saw her copy. It made her feel happy that she had helped her sister, especially at Christmas. She had heard her Mum saying helping someone at Christmas always gave you a good feeling in your heart, and she was right. She always was.
"What's its name, Charley? What you gonna call it?"
Charley, completely fascinated by the softness of the dog, didn't even look up at her sister.
"Doggy." she repeated, ultimately answering the question.
The Doctor shrugged his shoulders, the action making Clara smile as Jack finished his bottle.
"Fair enough." he agreed.
. . . . .
Neither Milly nor Charley wanted to go to bed that night and as it was Christmas, they weren't made to. However, within half an hour of their normal bedtimes, they both were asleep. Charley went first and within minutes, Milly was too. They were both shattered.
Clara carried Charley upstairs and placed her gently in her big-girl bed, softly humming as she stirred briefly. By the time the Doctor joined her in the room with Milly in his arms, Charley was again asleep. She slowly stood, lifting Charley's bed guard and securing it as the Doctor tucked his eldest daughter into her quilt.
They both left the room and the Doctor softly shut the door. Within seconds of that, he found his free hand brushing Clara's tired face, his hand settling in a position which allowed him to gently stroke her cheek.
"Good day?" he wondered softly.
She smiled in response. "The best." he responded tiredly, leaning into his touch. She then glanced at her watch. "You got his bottle?"
The Doctor brought up his other hand which contained the blue Tommee Tippee bottle.
"I'll feed him when he wakes up." he promised, "You go to bed."
Clara actually frowned. "No, don't be ridiculous, Chin Boy." she shook her head, "I'll stay up with ya."
The Doctor frowned, the smile never leaving his lips. "Why?"
"It's Christmas, you moron." she sighed, "Jack's first Christmas. Let's end the day with him together."
And that's exactly what they did.
They finished Milly's fifth Christmas, Charley's third Christmas and Jack's first Christmas on a high, already excited for the one only a year away. After all, in the Smith Household, Christmas was certainly the most wonderful time of the year.