Author's Notes: I do not own Doctor Who. Thanks for the reads and reviews. Okay, so you probably should have seen The Christmas Invasion to follow this. I don't know why you wouldn't have. It's on Netflix. Also, some wibbly wobbly timey wimey stuff but I suspect you can roll with that. Oh, same disclaimer as usual, if I screw up British Christmas, I am sorry. Thanks again and happy reading!

A/N: Edit: VanillaOrchid95 has kindly pointed out that I got my dogs mixed up and put Esther, not Greta. I assure you I was picturing a Miniature Schnauzer at the time. I keep screwing that up while I type, I think it's some delayed Freudian thing I have going on, but at any rate I fixed it. Sorry everyone.

The Brigadier, Sarah Jane and Jack met for their monthly "What is the Doctor's problem and how do we protect him?" meeting. Truthfully, there hadn't been much happening at it in years. John Smith's life was pretty ordinary. Jack and Sarah Jane had begun using it as a forum to discuss Pop Idol much to the Brigadier's dismay. They had discussed Christmas and then a few months later Rose Tyler had come up.

"We have to make this quick," said the Brigadier. "I'm off to Peru in three hours."

"Peru?," asked Jack. "What are you doing in Peru?"

"You never do say," said Sarah Jane.

The Brigadier deliberately ignored them. "Where are we on the Tylers?"

Jack spoke. "Jackie Tyler has cooperated fully and the retcon seems to have taken on Rose. It's been weeks. Not a word."

"And Mr. Smith?" He sighed. "Mr. Mickey Smith?"

"Fully cooperating," said Jack. "I would keep an eye on him. UNIT might want to hire him someday."

"And the hand?"

"Right," said Jack. He dug into his bag and put a jar with a hand in it on the table.

"What is that?," Sarah Jane said, recoiling.

"This is the Doctor's hand. The one I picked up Christmas Day. Mickey and Harriet Jones said that one of the Sycorax cut it off."

"Any further confirmation?," asked the Brigadier.

"Do you think some other hand fell from the sky on Christmas Day?," asked Sarah Jane.

"We could take measurements," said the Brigadier.

"Don't you think he'll ask what it's for?," Jack asked with a wink.

The Brigadier groaned. "That'll do. I'm off to Peru."

"Oh, you always leave when things get interesting," moaned Jack.

Sarah Jane could only try to hide her smirk as the Brigadier stalked out.

"You always bring out the best in him," said Sarah Jane.

"So, Rose," said Jack, "I can't help wondering if I did the right thing. Maybe I should have trusted her."

"It didn't sound as if Mickey thought the Doctor did," said Sarah Jane.

"He used to, though."

Sarah Jane shook her head. "You know what sort of impression travelling with the Doctor can leave on a person. She had already gone that far, I doubt she would have left it alone."

Jack shrugged. "He does have that effect on people," he remarked with a smile.

Christmas 2005

Zoe Smith loved Christmas. Most four year olds do.

There were, of course, presents. She certainly wasn't refusing presents and this year, she, her mum and twin brother had made a special excursion to Harrod's without the big kids to look around Toy Kingdom and come up with their lists for Santa. Zoe wanted a real Barbie, like Charlotte had, not just the big dolls she had played with. She also wanted a bicycle- Jamie would need one as well so they could ride together. She was also hoping for a Peppa Pig playset and art supplies.

She also might have made a back room deal with her Great Grampy about a pink tea set, but that was between them.

There were other things, though. She liked not going to nursery school, she liked that her older siblings were at home. She liked that her dad was home for some of the Winter break and wondered why he couldn't be home all the time like Mummy. There were excursions almost every day, the big trip to see Father Christmas, ice skating in the park, Christmas pantomimes, present shopping! It was her favorite time of year.

Her birthday was also quite good.

As was summer.

She had just finished the last trip to the shops with her dad and brother. He swore it was the last trip, so help him God, whatever that meant. They had bought presents for Charlotte and Jack. They were wrapping them in the sitting room while they were confined upstairs. Well, her dad was doing most of the work with the scissors and tape. Zoe was directing the placement of bows and glitter stickers.

When she wasn't busy with other things.

"Christmas! Christmas! Christmas!," Zoe cried, jumping up and down on the sofa.

"Oi!," said John. "Mind what you're doing. Do we jump on furniture?"

"Yes," said Zoe. "You let me jump on the bed."

"That was a special occasion and you didn't have shoes on. Come over here and help me finish wrapping."

Zoe got off the sofa and walked over to where John sat.

"Jamie! Where are you?," shouted John.

"Daddy," said Zoe.

"Yes, sweetheart?"

"Is Father Christmas real?"

John looked up in shock. "What? Of course he's real. You've met him, remember? At Harrod's."

"Emma said she saw him at Selfridge's."

"Well," said John, fumbling for an excuse, "of course she did."

"How?," asked Zoe.

Jamie entered carrying a watch. "Dad, look what I found."

John tried to focus on the object. It was an old fob watch.

"Jamie, were you in the eaves storage again?," asked John.

"But I found it!"

"You don't need to be in there! Especially not before Christmas!"

"Can I have it?"

"No," said John. "It's just an old watch and it's a broken one at that. Stuck. Won't even open."

"You could try," said Jamie.

"No need to get clever," said John. He held up the watch. "I am putting this back and you need to stay out of the eaves storage."

"Daddy," said Zoe.

"What?"

"How can Father Christmas be at Harrod's and Selfridge's at the same time?," she asked.

"Time travel."

"What?," asked Jamie.

John nodded, not knowing why he had suddenly come up with this explanation, just pleased that he had. Time travel. He should have thought of this while Charlotte was in nursery school! "Oh, yeah, go to Harrod's take requests and then pop over to Selfridge's on the same day. He just has to be sure to never run into himself, else he'll create a paradox."

"How can he carry all those presents on his sleigh?," asked Zoe.

"Because it's dimensionally transcendental," John answered, continuing to wrap gifts.

The twins looked at each other, having no idea what John had said.

"What?," asked Jamie.

John looked up at them. "It's bigger on the inside."

"Oh," said Zoe.

Donna entered from the kitchen. "Okay, just finished some biscuits. Would anyone like some?"

"Me!," the twins shouted and ran into the kitchen, nearly knocking down Donna in the process.

Donna smiled and walked over and sat on the chair next to John. "So, have I gotten anything good?"

"That depends," said John with a smile. "Were you a good girl this year?"

"No," said Donna, "I'm afraid I might have been a little bad."

"Yes," said John, "I think you might have. Want to come over and show me what you did?"

Donna slapped him on the arm. "Children! Christmas Eve!"

"Right, we'll send them to bed at six. How's that sound?"

Donna smiled. "I'm sorry, but I think I have to send you back out to the shops."

"What?," asked John.

"We need batteries for Jack's game whatever. I forgot to get Greta anything for her stocking and Zoe is one present short of everyone else. You know what happens if they figure that out."

John groaned and shoved the fob watch into his pocket as he stood. "Fine, madame, I shall go and do your bidding. Anything in particular for Zoe?"

"Anything with a pony ought to do," said Donna.

"Alright, Christmas Eve, who knows what I might run into out there?"

John fought the London traffic and made his way to a busy shopping center. The batteries were quickest to locate. He then made his way to one of the posh pet shops and found a new rope toy and some treats for Greta. He finally started making his way to the toy shop, wondering why he had saved it for last.

He walked over the road, past a brass band of Santas playing God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen. He noticed one of them turning to stare at him, just before all hell broke loose.

The tuba was concealing a flame thrower of some sort and the player starting shooting it at the crowd. He ducked into a shop with some other frantic shoppers and looked out the window at them.

They set one of the carts on fire and then the other instruments started shooting bullets into the crowd.

It was bizarre to say it, but somehow the scenario seemed familiar. He found himself holding the fob watch, not even realizing he had taken it out of his pocket.

"What are those things?," asked the old woman standing next to him.

"Pilot fish," John replied without thinking.

"Pilot fish?," she said incredulously.

John shoved the watch back in his pocket. He watched as the crowd ran and the tuba flamethrower shot at the giant display Christmas tree. It toppled over, crushing the band.

John walked out in a daze along with everyone else. He then realized that the toy shop would be closing soon. Flame throwing brass bands were nowhere near as frightening as Donna.

He had hurried home and had Christmas Eve with the children and Donna. They ate supper, hung the stockings and left the mince pies and brandy for Father Christmas and a carrot for his reindeer. He got Jamie and Zoe off to bed for a Christmas story, then headed back down to get Charlotte and Jack to bed.

"Jack, Charlotte, come on bedtime," said John.

"Not yet," said Charlotte.

"Yeah, Dad, they're about to show the transmission from Guinevere One," said Jack.

John sighed. "Alright, but right after you need to be in bed." He walked over and sat between them on the sofa. "Surface of Mars. Did you know Mars is 78,341,212 kilometers from Earth? That's just an average distance, though, because both planets actually have elliptical orbits from the sun and are sometimes on the same side of the sun, while at other times they're on opposite sides of the sun so you can imagine the variation in distance."

"It's starting," said Jack eager to shut his dad up.

John leaned back and caught a glimpse of some alien faces as he found Charlotte and Jack had jumped into his lap and were screaming. He heard Donna run from the upstairs and into the sitting room.

"What on Earth is going on?," asked Donna.

"Monsters!," cried Jack.

"John, what are you letting them watch?"

"It was the news!," he said in his defense.

Donna looked at the screen. "What sort of prank is this?," she asked as the clip was replayed, letting them better see the frightful faces.

"It's not a prank!," said Charlotte. "It's aliens, coming to invade."

"Charlotte, there's no alien invasion," said Donna.

"That's what you said when the spaceship hit Big Ben!," Charlotte snapped.

"Okay, time for bed," said Donna. "John, help me."

"Your mother's right. Big day tomorrow. Come on."

John helped put the two eldest to bed and helped Donna with the last of the Christmas chores, namely assembling two bicycles, drinking down Father Christmas' brandy and eating his pies. They let Greta chew on the carrot. He was about to get in his pajamas when he realized that he was still carrying around that daft old fob watch. He headed upstairs to the eaves storage when he heard sobbing from Charlotte's room.

"Charlotte?," he asked, opening the door.

"I'm fine," she sniffled.

"Is it about the aliens?," he asked walking in by the bed.

"No."

John sat by the head of the bed. "Your mother is probably right. It's probably just a prank or something."

"What if it's not?"

"Well, let's think. What would aliens want with tiny little Earth? One green and blue spec in a great big universe, eh? Look at humans and their potential. From the day, they arrive on the planet, blinking, step into the sun, there's more to be seen than can ever be seen-"

"Dad, that's The Lion King."

"Oh, sorry."

Charlotte paused. "Sometimes I think you're an alien."

John smiled. "What? Am I here to invade?"

"I don't know."

"Well, I'm not. I'm just your dad. All I want to be." He kissed her on the forehead. "I'm downstairs if you need me."

John went back and held the fob watch one more time. It was strange. As if it were speaking to him.

He shoved it back in the box, shut the door on it and hoped he wasn't going mad.

The next morning started out like every other Christmas. Jamie, Zoe and Greta led the charge to wake up their parents and older siblings. They all headed downstairs to unwrap presents. It always went quicker than John thought it should considering the amount of preparation involved and the amount of wrapping paper on the floor. He and Donna had nearly fallen asleep on the sofa while the children played with their new toys when he heard Greta barking at the front window.

"Greta, what are you on about?," he asked walking towards the window. The dog was on the window seat. John looked out.

Everyone was out walking. Somewhere, most looked as if they were in a trance, others were frantically tending to loved ones. Some were still in their pajamas.

"What's going on?," Donna asked.

"I have no idea. Hold on."

He walked outside. Donna was right behind him. He looked down the road and saw a tall building. The people in the trance were heading up the fire escape and standing on the roof.

"They're standing on the roof," said Donna. "All of them."

John nodded. "Let's get back in the house with the children and ring your family."

The Nobles were fine, arguing over whose job it had been to buy the Brussel sprouts and completely unaware of what was going on. John then went to ring his sister.

"Well?," asked Donna.

John shook his head. "She hasn't answered. Not her home, not her work."

Donna nodded. "You should go."

"Mummy! Peppa Pig's not on!," shouted Zoe.

"Oh, God," sighed Donna.

She and John went back in the sitting room. Peppa Pig was in fact not on, Harriet Jones was in her place.

"Ladies and gentlemen... if I may take a moment during this terrible time. It's hardly the Queen's speech, I'm afraid that's been cancelled. Did we ask about the royal family?" The Prime Minister paused. "Oh. They're on the roof. But, ladies and gentlemen, this crisis is unique, and I'm afraid to say, it might get much worse. I would ask you all to remain calm. But I have one request: Doctor. If you're out there... we need you."

"Doctor," said John, letting it roll on his tongue.

"What does she mean 'Doctor'?," asked Donna.

There was a knock at the door. John went to get it.

"Mum, what's she talking about?," asked Charlotte.

"There's nothing to worry about, sweetheart," said Donna. "Your dad's just got to go find your Auntie Sarah Jane and make certain she's alright."

John opened the door to find Jack.

"Okay," said Jack, "no time to waste. Sorry."

"Cousin Jack!," shouted Jamie. "Come see my Legos!"

"I got a PSP!," Jack the younger shared excitedly.

"That's great, guys. John, you need to come with me."

"What?," asked John.

"Right now, we have to go," said Jack.

John shook his head. "Go where? I have to go find Sarah Jane. She's not answering either of her phones."

"I'll get somebody to find her, okay, but you need to come with me."

"For what?" He realized Zoe was standing next to him, having taken his hand.

Jack stood straight. "The TARDIS."

"The what?"

"The TARDIS."

"Jack, that's not even a proper word. Are you going to tell me what you want or not?"

"You really don't remember?"

"Remember what?"

Greta howled and they heard a huge sonic boom, reverberating throughout the house and shattering the windows.

"Everyone stay on the furniture," said Donna, lifting the dog onto the sofa.

"What was that?," asked Jack the younger.

"That was a sonic wave," said Jack the elder, looking out where the window used to be. "That is one big mother ship!"

John looked down at Zoe. She was sobbing and her face was bleeding.

"Oh, my God," said John. He picked her up. "Donna, Jack."

Donna looked up. "Oh, my God."

"Mummy!," Zoe screamed as John hurried her into the kitchen.

"I'm here, sweetheart!," Donna called, following them into the kitchen. "Everyone stay on the sofa until I clean up the glass!"

Donna held Zoe and Jack helped keep her still as John tried to clean up her face.

"Something's in my eye!," Zoe screamed, struggling against Jack and Donna.

"Okay, okay, sweetheart, just stay calm."

Zoe answered by screaming some more.

John shook his head. "I don't think I can get it."

"Can you flush it out?," asked Jack.

"We have to take her to hospital," said Donna.

This elicited more crying from Zoe.

"Okay, okay," said John, sitting her up to sit in Donna's lap. "I'll ring your parents to come watch the kids."

"John," said Jack.

"Seriously, Jack, once I get my daughter to hospital and find my sister, we'll do whatever your thing is, alright?"

Jack's mobile rang. "Hello?" He paused. "What? Really? Okay, I'll be down there as soon as I can."

John and Donna took turns hurrying to get dressed. Jack started sweeping up the glass from the sitting room.

"Okay, children, be good for your Cousin Jack until Gran and Gramps get here," said Donna. She looked at Jack. "Are you sure you're alright? You were right by the windows as well."

Jack smiled. "Not a mark on me."

Donna looked. "No, I guess not."

John came back in with Zoe, her coat wrapped around her. "Donna?"

"Right, we're going. We'll be back soon, children," said Donna.

The A&E was hectic to say the least with other injuries from shattered glass and some accidental falls. The screaming Zoe got them into a curtained off area with quickly dispensed pain medicine. She was hurried into surgery. John finally got a call from Sarah Jane saying she was alright, she had been on the edge of a building for a while, but was feeling much better now. Finally, John and Donna sat pensively watching television, which was all about Harriet Jones and her suddenly failing health.

"Don't you think she looks tired?," asked John.

Donna snorted. "She's not the only one."

John looked outside to see the sky had grown dark and it was snowing.

"So, snow and every window in London is broken," said Donna. She looked at John. "Are you alright?"

John shook his head. "I'm fine. I just have this weird sense of deja vu, like I've done all this before."

Donna frowned at him. "This has been the weirdest, most terrifying day of my life and you feel like you've done it all before?"

"I know," said John, staring out the window. "Does that look like proper snow to you?"