Chapter 2: Slessor Glacier, Antarctica, 2005

There was a relative silence in the TARDIS as the Doctor worked on his repairs. He could hear the subtle sound of pages turning as Rose flipped through the travel brochure she'd picked up at some travel agency near the estates. He was pondering the need for said brochure when she suddenly spoke up.

"A whole year. I can't believe it. I missed so much."

He didn't have to ask what she was talking about. Her slightly disastrous late return home had been weeks ago, relatively speaking, and she still hadn't brought up his off calculation. To be honest he'd been wondering when she would finally say something, and just how bad her retribution would be. Hoping to keep her from tearing into him then and there, he tried to play it off.

"Not really. Reagan died; nice man. Armstrong won the Tour de France again. Couple of hurricanes. Bush was re-elected. Ken Jennings! Talk about an alien fitting in. Changed the Price is Right announcer. Never the same after that. Thinks it's why Bob finally left. Bit of flooding in January. World of Warcraft came out. Sure Mickey knows all about it. Freighter hit the Belt Bridge. Earthquake in Japan…"

"No," she smiled, obviously holding back laughter. "That's not what I meant. I mean like... my birthday. Christmas. New Years. All that fun stuff."

The Doctor looked up at her with a grin, then slid out from under the console and began adjusting the controls. "Right. No problem there."

Rose laughed from her position on the jump seat, thoroughly enjoying his theatrics as he skirted around the console, throwing switches and flipping buttons. Within seconds she felt the TARDIS lurch as they hurdled through the vortex, stopping with a jerk that sent her sliding to the floor. She let the Doctor help her up, then ran over to the door.

"So what's outside this time?"

The Doctor merely smiled.

"Oh come on," Rose prodded. "What is it?"

"Christmas."

Rose frowned and he couldn't help chuckling at the look of confusion on her face. "You might want to change," he told her. "Bit cold out there."

To her credit she listened right away and took off down the hall, returning a few minutes later wearing a thick hoodie covered by a warm winter jacket. He gave her a quick nod and led the way outside.

"Oh my God it's freezing!"

Rose squealed and ran back towards the TARDIS, hopping inside to stand in the doorway and look out.

Cast out in front of her was nothing, save for the Doctor, apparently unfazed by the cold in his usual jeans and jacket. The entire landscape was covered in pristine snow that looked like it had rested undisturbed for years. The sky was a thick white and she couldn't tell where it met the land, both top and bottom seeming to go on forever.

She closed her eyes to inhale the crisp air and sputtered as a clump of snow made contact with her jaw and the corner of her mouth. She opened her eyes instantly and turned to the Doctor who was looking across the land nonchalantly. She might have believed him if he said he hadn't thrown it (stranger things had happened since she'd met him), but the scraped ground next to him proved otherwise. She squat down to scoop up some snow but caught him watching from the corner of his eye and thought better of it. Instead she moved to stand next to him.

"24th of December, 2005. Slessor Glacier, Antarctica."

"Couldn't have picked London?"

"Nope. Would throw off the timeline. You were gone for a year, so you stay gone for that year. If anyone recognizes you, everything changes."

"So that's why you chose the most remote and desolate continent on the planet..."

"Exactly."

They stood in companionable silence for a while, then started walking, the snow giving a satisfying crunch with each step. Rose let out a satisfied sigh.

"Always do like a white Christmas. Guess you can't beat this."

The Doctor merely smiled, letting her take everything in. After a while she started humming softly.

"White Christmas," he announced after listening to her for a minute. "Written by Irving Berlin. First performed by Bing Crosby in Holiday Inn."

"You just know everything, don't you?"

"Just about."

The two smiled at each other.

"Kind of a cheap Christmas though in'nit?"

The Doctor gave her a hurt look so she did her best to explain herself.

"It's just that, it's supposed to be all presents and singing and crackers and stuff like that."

"I'm not singing. But you- You go right ahead.' He waved his hand in the same way you would when telling a child to run along. Rose couldn't help but laugh.

"Shut up. You could at least give me something."

The Doctor heaved a heavy sigh. "Right. Save your life. Take you anywhere in time and space in, quite frankly, the most fantastic ship in existence, and you want a present. Remind me to stop in at Tesco next time and I'll pick up a fruit cake."

Rose rolled her eyes. "Fine fine. An entire glacier of snow all to ourselves will have to do."

The Doctor grinned, obviously proud of himself. Rose smiled up at him sweetly.

"'s a good gift. Thanks… Merry… no, Happy Christmas Doctor."

The Doctor patted her head, letting his hand rest there for a moment before reaching down to take hold of hers and head back to the TARDIS

"Happy Christmas Rose."