A short while and a few of the Doctor's unusual concoctions later, the boys finally finished preparing Christmas dinner.

"Voila!" The Doctor exclaimed as he placed the turkey on the table with a flourish. He rubbed his hands together with excitement. "Allons-y, as I used to say! Let's dig in!"

"Doctor, hold on," Amy said, bouncing Freya in her arms, "we have to wait for River."

The Doctor fidgeted impatiently. "Where is she?"

"I think she said she was going to get Freya's highchair…" Rory answered.

"River!" The Doctor growled down the hallway.

"Sweetie, calm down! I'm coming!" She called back as she appeared from the lounge. Her hands were filled with a highchair and a diaper bag was slung over her shoulder.

"Well….move faster!" He murmured.

"I would if you actually helped me with your daughter's things…" She rebutted.

"Oh so she's my daughter now?" The Doctor questioned playfully as he marched up to his wife.

"Well…" River teased with a shrug. A playful smile graced her lips. "You did…participate…after all."

The Doctor, slightly taken aback by the innuendo, stepped forward and took the highchair from River with a huff. He leaned in so that his face was only a few inches away from hers and ruffled his brow as he locked eyes with her alluring gaze. Her face, in contrast, gave nothing away; it was expressionless, in fact, save for her eyes. Those blue-green eyes The Doctor loved so dearly revealed everything: every sensuous, naughty thought. Such a tease, his wife. She knew just exactly how to push his buttons.

River cocked an eyebrow suggestively. The Doctor's chest constricted as he breathed deeply with frustration and arousal.

"River," he whispered.

"Yes?" she responded, her voice deceptively emotionless.

His eyes narrowed in confusion, his nostrils flaring. It drove him absolutely mad when she teased him like this. And he wouldn't have it any other way.

"Hehemmmm…" Rory suddenly coughed uncomfortably.

The Doctor and River were jolted out of the moment and suddenly realized they were in a room of people, relatives no less, shamelessly flirting their faces off. The Doctor made some strange, nervous noise and abashedly shuffled over to the kitchen table, all the time avoiding eye contact. River's face was flushed, her cleavage heaving slightly in response to her husband. She bit her lower lip with a combination of embarrassment and amusement.

"Right then," she exhaled, adjusting the diaper bag strap across her shoulder, "Let's all eat, shall we?"

"Um…okay." Rory responded, still feeling overwhelmingly awkward from witnessing his daughter and best friend-turned-son-in-law interacting with a palpable sexual tension.

Amy repressed a laugh as she placed Freya down in the highchair. The baby's curls bobbed as she rocked back and forth in her seat, her hands patting the tray in front of her with excitement.

Brian stood there, looking confused as usual, until Rory ushered him to his seat.

And so, dinner began at last. The Doctor, with the help of Brian and Rory, had prepared an extravagant meal.

"Oh sweetie, this is absolutely splendid!" River gasped in appreciation.

"You boys seriously outdid yourselves." Amy added.

The Doctor smirked as he fiddled with his bowtie. He certainly did have something to be proud of: in addition to the marvelously juicy turkey, there was rich nutty stuffing, steaming hot gravy, magnificently dark red cranberry sauce, both roasted and mashed potatoes, brussels sprouts and green beans steamed to perfection, and mini hotdogs wrapped in crispy bacon, not to mention an array of divine-smelling cookies, pies, puddings, and of course, fish fingers and custard.

"Sweetie, dessert with dinner?" River asked in quite the wifely manner.

"Well, why not? Desert after dinner is just boring!"

River held a mince pie up to inspect.

"Doctor, what did you put in these?" She asked. Her husband was prone to making strange, and sometimes unappetizing dishes, after all.

"Oh don't worry, Mrs. Lovett," The Doctor joked, "it's perfectly edible."

River rolled her eyes, but she still took a bite despite her reservations. It was absolutely delicious.

The Doctor had found some Christmas poppers, and he barely hesitated in opening them with Brian. Soon thereafter, everyone was decked with colorful paper crowns.

"Sweetie, it's too big for her head…" River protested as her husband tried to place a crown on little Freya .

"No it's not," The Doctor pointed out, "look, her hair holds it up!"

But it didn't stay on very long, because Freya, of course, had to grab everything within her reach and try to shove it in her mouth.

"No no no, Freya." River corrected as she removed the crown from her clutches. "Here, look, do you want to try some of the yummy food your Daddy and Grandpas made?" She cooed in an attempt to distract the baby.

Freya gurgled happily as her mother spooned some of the mashed potatoes on to her tray.

Amy laughed as she watched her granddaughter awkwardly lick a fistful of potatoes. "Oh my god, she is so adorable."

River smiled fondly.

"Do you want to try some custard, Freya?" Amy asked the baby as she placed a dollop of it on the tray. The baby grabbed at it immediately with her mashed potatoed hands. Both River and Amy couldn't contain their laughter at the sight of her.

Still chuckling, River reached for her glass of wine to take a sip.

"River, don't!" The Doctor chastised her grabbing the glass from her hands.

"Sweetie, what are you doing?" River asked.

"You can't…you know…you're…" He was embarrassed to say.

River raised an eyebrow. "Sweetie, I'm not pregnant anymore, I can have the occasional drink."

"Yes, I know, but you…you're…"

River smirked. "Breastfeeding?" She finished for him.

The Doctor's face turned red with embarrassment. "River, don't talk about…" He whispered.

"About what? My breasts?" River said loudly so as to mortify her husband more. "You didn't seem to mind them last night…or this morning for that matter…"

The Doctor's entire face was a blushing red.

Amy nearly choked on her wine. Rory just shook his head.

"River…stop it." The Doctor whispered. He knew she wasn't going to; she liked this far too much. He sulkily stared at his plate, playing with his fish fingers to avoid further eye contact with his wife.

"I still don't understand why you eat that," Brian interjected to diffuse the tension, "dunking fish fingers in custard?"

"The Doctor came up with it, actually." Amy explained, glad the awkwardness was finally over.

"Did you really?" Brian asked.

The Doctor smiled. "Yes, well, some of your human-y food is a bit…disgusting…" His entire plate was filled with fish fingers, custard, and jammie dodgers.

Brian just continued being confused.

"I remember the first time I ate this," Rory recalled as he held up a fish finger that was coated in creamy custard, "I thought it was gross at first…"

"Remember when we were…oh we must have been about eleven," River added, "and we filled a giant bowl with custard, cooked three whole packages of fish fingers, and at them up in the tree house?"

"Oh yes!" Amy clapped her hands together, "I had the worst stomach ache after that…"

"Yeah, but we still had them again for lunch the next day," Rory reminded her.

Amy laughed.

"Oh, you Ponds," The Doctor smiled, his mouth full of fish and custard.

Brian was confused again. "Hold on, I think I'm missing something…River, you said we?"

Amy and Rory looked at each other. She gave him a nudge. "Go on," she hissed.

Rory put his half-eaten fish stick down on his plate and wiped his hands. "Dad, you remember that girl Mels we used to hang out with?"

"What, you mean that delinquent?"

"Brian, she was our best friend," Amy defended.

Rory cleared his throat, "Well, um, it turns out that Mels was actually River…in a previous regeneration, you know…"

"W-w-w-what?" Brian sputtered, looking at River in disbelief. She shrugged and smiled.

"That was you?"

"Yes, that was me," She confessed.

Brian's eyes were practically crossed in confusion and amazement. "Time travel, eh?" He whispered.

"I'm afraid so."

"But wait!" Brian suddenly exclaimed, "you-you stole a bus!"

The Doctor raised an eyebrow at his wife. "You stole a bus and a car?" He asked.

"Oh, they got returned eventually…" River replied nonchalantly.

"River!"

"Yeah, right after you drove it through the botanical gardens…" Rory added, "Who even does that?"

"I told you before, it was a shortcut."

Amy let out a snort.

"River!" The Doctor gaped at his wife.

"What? I was a brain-washed teenager! What else did you expect me to do?"

"Well, not go around stealing everything…" he muttered.

"Ha!" Amy laughed, "That was the least of it! Little miss rebellion here nearly drove us mad with her stunts."

"Didn't they have to bail you out of jail once?" Brian asked.

River nearly blushed.

"Um, actually it was three times," Rory corrected.

"I remember coming home one night and seeing you shimming down my drain pipe!" Brian declared.

"Yes, I can explain that…" River said with a smile, "You see, these two didn't understand how I got into the third story of the neighbor's house…"

"Wait, what were you doing in the third story of the neighbor's house?" Brian interjected.

"She stole a pair of the wife's pearl earrings." Amy said.

"River, you stole some woman's pearl earrings?!" The Doctor practically yelled.

"Oh, don't get all righteous with me," River retorted, "Don't you think I don't know what you do on your adventures…walking straight into alien bases, people's homes…"

"Yes, but I don't steal things or go around waving a gun and committing felonies!"

"Oh where's the fun in that?" River scoffed, crossing her arms, "And, for the record, you had me banged up in jail for years, so I think I've paid my dues…"

"Well that still doesn't excuse you!" The Doctor practically growled. "Freya-" he looked to their daughter, who was still occupied with her food-covered hands, "don't you ever do what Mummy did…"

The baby giggled, her chubby cheeks covered in messy food.

"Freya, I mean it!"

"Doctor, um, what are you doing?" Amy asked.

"Amy, I've told you before, I speak baby…" The Doctor said, exasperated.

"Um, no you don't…" Amy responded.

River rolled her eyes.

"This family is so weird." Rory muttered, looking up in disbelief.

"Well duh!" Amy exclaimed, taking a sip of wine, "I mean, he's a time travelling alien…"

"Hang on, why am I the weird one?" The Doctor said, defending himself. He pointed to River. "She's the one who goes around shooting things…especially my hats….And I love my hats!"

"Oh, I hate you." River muttered under her breath.

"No you don't."

"Oh, I almost forgot!" Amy said suddenly. She got up from her seat, walked down the hallway, and disappeared for a moment, only to return with her arms full of presents.

"For you," she said with a smile as she handed them to River, The Doctor, and Brian.

River was so touched that her mother had thought to get her a Christmas present. The fact that this was the only one she'd ever received, or would ever receive, for her parents made it even more special. Tears welled up in her eyes-God, she had gotten so soft since becoming a mother-as she gently broke the tape holding the paper together. She gasped: it was a scrapbook titled Family. On the front cover, there was a picture she hadn't seen in years. It was a black and white photograph of a mother holding her newborn daughter. It was of Amy and River. Attempting to hold back tears, River opened the book it was filled with pictures of her as a little girl.

"How did you get these?" She whispered in awe.

"Well, time travel has its benefits," Amy said, looking to The Doctor.

River's heart was bursting with love as she continued to peruse through the book. The following pages had more recent photographs: those of Amy and Rory on their wedding day, The Doctor dancing at their reception, a page full of Amy making silly faces on a Venetian stairway, countless post cards, some of Amy's drawings, and so many more sentimental images.

"Oh Amy," River cried, "this is more than I could have ever wanted. Thank you."

"Oh come here," Amy said, "give your ol' mom a hug."

River clung to her mother like never before, nearly breaking down in tears. That gift was so special, so meaningful. River had rarely felt like she had a family, at least a proper one, and that book would always remind her that she did in fact have a loving family.

"I've got something for you too," River said with a sniffle as she pulled away from Amy. She bent down and dug into the diaper bag, pulled out some packages and gave them to Amy, Rory, and Brian.

Rory thanked them for the 51st Century Book of Medicine; he couldn't wait to read it.

"We didn't really know what to get you," The Doctor confessed, "due to the fact that you didn't send us a Christmas wish list…"

"Doctor, I'm a grown man, I don't have a Christmas list…" Rory reminded him.

"Yes, but I am over a thousand years old and I have a Christmas list!"

Rory just shook his head and drew his attention back to his Christmas meal.

Amy's gift nearly brought her to tears along with River. In addition to an adorable skirt from a futuristic boutique, River had given her and Rory the most precious gift possible: the cloth prayer leaf with her daughter's name written on it.

Amy was speechless.

"You left it in the cot," River said, "and I thought you might want it back."

Amy hugged her daughter once more.

The other presents didn't generate such emotional responses, but they were nevertheless appreciated.

From his son and daughter-in-law, Brian received a set of dinosaur golf balls and from River and The Doctor, a fossilized Triceratops egg. He was smiling from ear to ear at the dinosaur themed gifts that would always remind him of his adventures in the blue box.

Amy and Rory, who were always prepared for when The Doctor came to call, gave him an authentic sombrero. The Doctor was as giddy as a child as he placed the ridiculous looking hat on his head.

River rolled her eyes, but nevertheless couldn't repress a smile. "You look absolutely ridiculous dear…"

"No! It's cool!" The Doctor declared, "And don't go shooting it! You know how attached I am to my hats…"

Yes, and that's why I shoot them, River thought.

"What did Santa bring you, Miss Freya?" Amy cooed, tickling the baby's belly.

"Ooh, fun fact," The Doctor said, "Santa was actually a Time Lord...You know, until he ran out of regenerations, and then the parents had to take over once they realized he wasn't delivering presents anymore."

"Are you serious?" Rory asked in disbelief.

"Of course I am!" The Doctor said, "How else do you think he was able to deliver presents to every child on the planet in one night?"

Everyone was dumbfounded.

"I know!" The Doctor exclaimed with a smug smile.

"Well," River said, "that explains a lot. Now then, who would like some tea?"

Several cups of tea and hot chocolate later, it was time to leave. The family had talked late into the night, catching up, telling stories, and enjoying each other's company. But as with all good things, Christmas too had to come to an end.

With heavy hearts, The Doctor and River packed up their things and hugged and kissed the Ponds goodbye.

And with that, the TARDIS departed from the Pond residence for the last time…