Until the End of Time

by marauders4evr

Sherlock Holmes has always been brilliant. He knew that he was the smartest child in London. He knew that the other children thought of him as daft. He knew that the funny man with the bowtie really was daft. He knew that the safest place in the universe was in his brother's arms. He knew that no matter where they went, Mycroft would be there to protect him. Until the end of time.

33. Chapter 33

Author's Note: Happy Halloween, wonderful readers! Here's a scary thought: The story is slowly but surely coming to a close. Just a few more adventures now…

Chapter Thirty-Three

"Sherlock? SHERLOCK!"

"Mycroft?"

"Mycroft! Sherlock!"

"Boys!"

The group coughed as the smoke cleared. The Doctor scrambled to his feet and frantically cried, "Is everybody alright?"

Mycroft shakily crawled over to his brother. Sherlock had tears in his eyes.

"Sherlock, what is it?" Mycroft frantically asked, "What's wrong? Are you hurt?"

"My violin," Sherlock whimpered.

"What?"

Mycroft saw that Sherlock's violin was nothing more than a charred pile of wood.

"But are you alright?" Mycroft pressed.

"My violin's destroyed!"

Mycroft sighed with relief and pulled his brother into a hug. Sherlock pushed him away and miserably stared at the destroyed instrument.

Mycroft rolled his eyes and glanced around. The street was covered with soot and a small fire was burning a few feet away. River and Jack put it out as Mycroft helped Carina to her feet.

"What was that?" Mycroft gasped.

"Vatican cameos!" Jack shouted.

"What?" Sherlock asked, surprised.

"Get down!" Jack frantically roared, pushing Mycroft and Carina to the ground. River pounced on top of Sherlock, shielding the poor boy as fireballs rained down from the sky.

"Oh no!" Carina gasped.

"What is it?" Mycroft asked as they dodged the explosions.

"Something not very good at all," the Doctor murmured.

"They are horrendous beasts!" Carina gasped.

Mycroft glanced up and his jaw dropped. In striking contrast to the wintery elves, several beastly flames were zooming around the air.

"Are they…are they demons?" Mycroft whispered.

"They might as well be," the Doctor solemnly said, "They're called Infernos. They're the opposite of everything that the North Pole stands for. They're hatred and despair and…"

He screamed and ducked out of the way before adding, "…fire. And pain. And danger."

Mycroft helped Carina to her feet once more, gently asking, "Are you alright?"

"Oh, sure," Sherlock growled, still sprawled on the ground, "Make sure that your girlfriend's alright. Don't worry about me."

"What?" Mycroft hotly cried, "I repeatedly asked if you were alright and you cared more about your blasted violin!"

"It wasn't a blasted violin!" Sherlock roared, wrenching away from River as she tried to kindly help him up.

"Easy, easy," the Doctor cried, looking alarmed, "Boys, we need to…"

"Shut up, Doctor!" Mycroft angrily snapped.

"Mycroft!" Jack cried, completely shocked. River and the Doctor looked alarmed as they both stared at the furious teenager.

"Oh," the Doctor whispered, "Of course…River, Jack, help me get these two inside."

Sherlock and Mycroft heatedly protested as River and Jack pushed them back into the warehouse. Carina nervously followed and the Doctor sighed, closing the doors.

"Boys," the Doctor sincerely whispered, "I am so…so…sorry about this. Truly I am…"

He took a deep breath and regretfully mumbled, "River, can you…?"

"Do I have to?"

"Yes," the Doctor sadly said, "I…can't."

River sighed. Without further ado, she slapped both Mycroft and Sherlock.

"Ouch!" Mycroft shouted, "What do you think you're…?"

He broke off, suddenly feeling dizzy as he murmured, "Bloody hell…what am I saying?"

Sherlock clutched his head, looking guilty as he whispered, "I didn't…I…"

"Doctor, I'm so sorry," Mycroft gasped, "I don't know what came over me."

"It's quite alright, Mycroft," the Doctor assuredly said, "It wasn't your fault. It's what they do, you see. The North Pole, the elves, Santa, Christmas…everything here is literally the embodiment of happiness. And the Infernos…those things are the opposite. They fill children's minds with hate and anger."

"And now they're here," Jack spoke up, "They're at the happiest place on Earth."

"We need to stop them," Carina urgently said.

"Right," River briskly said, "You said that you have an ice blaster? I'll be needing that."

Carina handed it over and the brothers found two fire extinguishers.

"I want you all to be very careful," the Doctor gently said, "There's a lot at stake."

He turned to Carina and kindly said, "Perhaps you'd want to stay inside?"

"Perhaps not," Carina firmly said, "I'm not going to let them ruin Christmas."

The Doctor grinned and said, "Very well! Geronimo!"

They raced outside, prepared to fight the Infernos.

The thatched roofs were now burning and the spotless snow was covered with ash.

River used the ice blaster to freeze several of the beastly creatures. Mycroft and Sherlock quickly raced around, distinguishing the fire. Jack and the Doctor found a hose, using it to spray the Infernos away. Carina quickly helped the other elves get to safety.

Unfortunately, one of the Infernos zoomed towards her.

"NO!" Mycroft shouted, leaping in between them. He felt a white-hot pain as the Inferno grabbed his arm. His scream of pain was drowned out by his brother screaming his own name.

River raced over and pulled the trigger. The Inferno was immediately encased in ice, allowing Mycroft to rip his arm away. It was already beginning to blister.

The Doctor ran over, looking alarmed.

"I'm fine," Mycroft grunted, tears of pain streaming down his cheeks, "I'm fine."

The Doctor immediately placed his hands over the burn.

"Oh, no," Mycroft quickly said, "Doctor, don't!"

Too late. The golden light was already spreading around it.

"You shouldn't have," Mycroft and River both accusingly said.

The Doctor didn't answer and continued to heal.

"Is he going to be alright?" Sherlock nervously asked.

"He'll be fine," the Doctor gently promised before muttering, "Chivalrous idiot."

"What?" Mycroft cried, "She's made of snow! I don't think that regeneration energy could have fixed that!"

"Hey, it was a compliment," the Doctor assured him.

"Even the idiot part?"

"Especially the idiot part," the Doctor said with a smile, "Well done, Mycroft."

"Thank you, Mycroft," Carina bashfully said before crying, "Watch it!"

Another fireball shot towards them. Jack pushed the three of them out of the way and was subsequently hit.

"JACK!"

Mycroft screamed out of habit but relaxed as he remembered that it was, after all, Jack.

Carina gasped as the flames engulfed him and Mycroft quickly said, "Don't worry."

The Doctor grabbed his fire extinguisher and quickly put out the flames.

"Oh no," Carina whispered as they stared at his lifeless body, "I'm so sorry."

"For what?" Mycroft asked before hastily saying, "Oh no. He's fine."

Sherlock and River both looked impatient.

"Come on, come on!" River burst out after a few seconds, "Get up, already!"

"Alright," Jack snapped, looking winded, "Blimey…that hurt."

Carina laughed and Mycroft gently said, "Thanks for the save."

"No prob…Ah no!"

"What?" Carina cried, "Are you alright?"

Jack didn't answer and instead slipped out of his greatcoat, sadly staring at it. It was completely charred.

"It's just a coat," Mycroft sighed, "Honestly, you and Sherlock need to prioritize!"

"Says you," Jack mumbled, "Your suit looks absolutely dashing! There's not a soot mark on it! Besides, this coat was special."

"It's just a coat!" Mycroft repeated.

"No, it's not," the Doctor grimly said, "His coat is my bowtie."

Jack looked truly dismayed and Mycroft solemnly said, "I'm…I'm sorry, Jack but…you really ought to prioritize."

Sherlock nodded and added, "For example: your hair is on fire."

"Hmm?" Jack asked before realizing that it was so.

The Doctor drenched him with more foam before asking, "Is everyone else alright?"

"Everyone's fine," Carina gently assured him.

"Look," Sherlock whispered, "The elves are still preparing for Christmas!"

"Of course," Carina said with a bright smile, "Nothing's going to stop us."

They heard a rush of air and gasped as the largest Inferno—the leader—flew above them.

The Doctor took a deep breath and bellowed, "LOOK! LOOK AT THEM! THEY'RE PREPARING FOR CHRISTMAS! AND YOU ARE NOT GOING TO STOP THEM! YOU NEVER HAD A CHANCE! BECAUSE THEY WILL STOP AT NOTHING TO BRING HAPPINESS TO THE CHILDREN AROUND THE WORLD! AND CHILDREN ARE NEVER GOING TO STOP BEING HAPPY! THERE IS ALWAYS GOING TO BE HAPPINESS AND THERE IS ALWAYS GOING TO BE HOPE! AND YOU AREN'T POWERFUL ENOUGH TO TAKE THAT AWAY FROM A CHILD! AND IF YOU DO, I'M ALWAYS GOING TO BE ONE STEP BEHIND YOU, GIVING THAT HOPE BACK! I AM THE DEFENDER OF THE CHILDREN ACROSS THE UNIVERSE! I AM THE PROTECTER OF THEIR HOPE AND THEIR HAPPINESS! I AM THEIR GUARDIAN! I AM THE DOCTOR!"

His words rang through the entire North Pole.

Mycroft squeezed Carina's hand and put his other arm around Sherlock's shoulders. His brother didn't tug away and instead triumphantly grinned as the Doctor finished his speech.

"You may protect the children," the Inferno hissed, "But can you protect him?"

He took a deep breath and they were knocked back by the sudden explosion. They all shakily stood up and Mycroft gasped, "Where'd he go?"

"He must have extinguished," the Doctor explained, "He used so much energy…"

"And he had a good aim," Sherlock suddenly whispered, looking pale.

Santa was lying in a heap on the ground.

The Doctor was speechless for a moment before screaming, "No, NO!"

They all raced over. Sherlock cried out as he realized that Santa wasn't moving.

"Is he…is he…?" Mycroft numbly whispered.

The Doctor sighed and sadly nodded.

Sherlock made a strange grunt and River put her hand on his shoulder. Sherlock shrugged away, though he still looked upset.

Quite suddenly, a golden light swirled around the fallen soldier.

"Doctor, don't!" Mycroft worriedly said, "You can't!"

"I'm not," the Doctor gently assured him.

"Hang on," Sherlock gasped, "He's…Regenerating?"

"Santa's a Time Lord?" Mycroft asked.

"Well…it's not that simple," the Doctor gently explained, "There was an incident a few years ago with the Tardis and…yes…he's not a Time Lord but he has characteristics."

"Like you?" Sherlock excitedly asked, turning to River.

"Yep," River cheerfully said, "Only without the sociopathic characteristics."

The light diminished and Santa opened his eyes.

"Are you alright?" Jack urgently asked.

"Of course," Santa grunted, trying to stand up, "Of course, I'm…no!"

He abruptly passed out and the Doctor solemnly caught him before sadly saying, "I thought as much. Help me."

River, Jack, and Mycroft helped him carry Santa into the Workshop. They gently set him on the couch and the Doctor murmured, "He's going to need some time to completely heal."

"But it's Christmas Eve!" Mycroft pointed out, "He can't take the time."

"He doesn't have a choice," the Doctor miserably said, "If anything happens to him, he could be lethally injured."

"No Regenerations?" Sherlock whispered.

The Doctor shook his head.

"But…but what about Christmas?" Sherlock frantically asked.

"What about the presents?" Jack asked.

"Won't someone think of the children?" River dramatically cried, if only to earn a glare from her husband. The Doctor didn't answer and instead turned on his heel, stomping back outside. The others quickly followed.

One of the Infernos zoomed over and cackled before hissing, "What are you going to do, little Doctor? Santa Claus is injured. Christmas is ruined. You have failed."

"Yes," the Doctor quietly said, "It does appear to be that way, doesn't it?"

He sadly hung his head before enthusiastically crying, "However, appearances can be quite deceiving! Take that blue box over that. That's not just a police box. She's the Tardis and she's mine. And she can take me exactly where I need to go!"

"You're joking?" Mycroft gasped.

"Doctor," River cried, "Are you thinking what I think you're thinking?"

"I think," the Doctor teased with a mischievous grin, "You usually do! Come along! We need to save Christmas!"

Without further ado, he ran into the Tardis.

Carina and Mycroft exchanged glances.

"Are we really going to act as Santa Claus?" Sherlock asked, stunned.

"Apparently," Jack said with a smile, "We'd better go."

They hurried towards the Tardis before realizing that they were one short.

Carina had remained where she was.

"Well come on!" Sherlock excitedly cried.

"Can I come?" Carina whispered.

"I don't see why not," River remarked.

"You've always wanted to go around the world, right?" Mycroft gently asked.

Carina beamed as she entered the box.

"Oh, good," the Doctor exclaimed, "You're going to love this! Geroni—"

"Sweetie!" River quickly interjected, "Don't you think that we're forgetting something?"

The Doctor glanced around, frowning.

"The presents!" River, Jack, Sherlock, Mycroft, and Carina burst out.

"The presents? The presents!"

They frantically piled the presents into the console room before taking off. Carina's jaw dropped as the Doctor pressed the necessary buttons for them to go.

"For the record," River told her, "It's not supposed to make that noise."

The Doctor gently clamped a hand over her mouth, teasingly saying, "And yet she keeps insisting on making that noise."

They all chuckled and River affectionately pushed him away. The Tardis zoomed around the world, ready to save the holiday.

"Will Santa be alright?" Sherlock worriedly asked.

"Oh, sure," the Doctor assuredly said, "Like I said, he has Time Lord characteristics."

"What is he?" Mycroft curiously asked. He turned to Carina and politely asked, "If you don't mind me asking…what are you?"

"What are you?" Carina teased before gently replying, "We're elves."

"Yes but you're not the elves that we've heard about!" Sherlock burst out, "We were always made to believe that the elves are short, jolly, people with bright clothes."

Carina grinned and said, "I don't know where you could have gotten that idea. We're made of the snow. Literally."

"What do you mean?" Mycroft curiously asked.

The Doctor suddenly seemed to have a coughing fit and Jack nudged him.

"We're made from the snow," Carina repeated with a smile, "On the first of December, the winds carry the snowflakes to the North Pole. And we're formed."

"How does that even work?" Sherlock whispered.

Carina laughed and cried, "That's part of the magic, Sherlock. I can't explain exactly how our lives are formed because even I don't know. How were you created?"

Sherlock blushed at the thought.

Jack snickered and muttered, "A little too much dancing."

"Oi," Mycroft sharply said.

"Sorry, sorry," Jack quickly apologized, "That one was out of line."

He then raced over to help the Doctor, who was pulling a giant Christmas tree from the cupboard. Mycroft and Sherlock laughed and they all helped set it up. Jack grabbed a box of ornaments that seemed to be bigger on the inside. The Doctor clicked his Sonic and holiday music began to play. They all smiled as they decorated the tree. In between hanging up ornaments, the Doctor steered the Tardis across several countries. Jack and River used their vortex manipulators to rapidly zoom into the houses and deliver the presents. In between delivering presents, decorating, drinking eggnog, and eating cookies, Carina continued her story.

"We were formed from the snow," Carina gently repeated, "Formed from the snowflakes themselves. Our souls are divided amongst them."

"That must be horrid in warm weather," Sherlock asked, awestruck.

Carina smiled and assuredly said, "Don't worry. The flakes are immortal."

"Do you remember it?" Sherlock curiously asked, "Do you remember being snow?"

Mycroft nudged him but Carina happily nodded.

"What's it like?"

"It's hard to explain, really."

Carina looked thoughtful for a moment before saying, "At any rate, I'll get to experience it again…in a few hours."

"What?" Mycroft asked, dropping the present that he was handing to River.

The Doctor suddenly raced over, tripping over himself, as he cried, "Does anyone want some more eggnog? No? Tree? Decorating? Presents? No? Awkward conversation? Alright."

"I'm sorry, Mycroft," Carina sadly said, "We turn back to snow on the twelfth stroke of midnight…Christmas morning."

"Ah," Mycroft mumbled, "Well…that's…ah."

"Mycroft?"

The Doctor was carefully surveying him and Mycroft quietly said, "Doctor, can you help me with something in the bedroom?"

River joined them as well, making sure to carefully close the door.

"You knew?" Mycroft whispered, "You knew all along, didn't you?"

"I'm so sorry, Mycroft," the Doctor sadly said before abruptly crying, "Blame River!"

"Hang on," River exclaimed, "What did I do?"

"You're the one who said that it was perfectly fine for them to be together," the Doctor accusingly pointed out.

"And it is," River cheerfully said, "Remember what I said earlier?"

The Doctor sighed. River had gently whispered his own words to him.

"You're right, Sweetie. What's the point in them being happy now if they're going to be sad later? The answer is, of course, because they are going to be sad later."

The Doctor now scowled and sincerely said, "I'm sorry, Mycroft. I was against this from the very beginning. I didn't want you to get hurt."

Mycroft thought about it for a moment before bursting out, "You're a hypocrite!"

"Thank you!" River cried, looking triumphant.

"Not just because of your other companions," Mycroft curtly said, "Because of what I read in your journal. About a specific library."

"Stop," the Doctor quickly said.

"I'm not saying anything," Mycroft quietly assured him, "But you've known about that the entire time. And…"

He leaned forward, so that only the Doctor could hear, and murmured, "You're married."

The Doctor gave him a weird look and asked, "How far do you want this relationship to progress, Mycroft because we're on a pretty tight schedule here?!"

Mycroft laughed and practically mouthed, "The point is that you're still happy. Even though you know what's going to happen to her…you still fell in love. And I'm not saying that it's the same but…but it's not entirely different and…if you can do it…if you can happily spend time with somebody who you know is going to get hurt…why can't I?"

The Doctor gave Mycroft such a pained look that the eldest Holmes brother took a few steps back. The Time Lord then smiled and said, "Alright…alright."

He reached out and put his hand on Mycroft's shoulder, gently asking, "Are you going to be alright when it happens?"

"Yeah," Mycroft gravely said, "I've faced it before."

River snorted and asked, "You've faced watching somebody turn into snow before?"

She then realized what Mycroft was saying and softly said, "Oh."

The Doctor squeezed Mycroft's shoulder and promised, "Don't worry. I'm going to be right behind you."

"Just like last time," Mycroft said with a sad smile.

"Just like last time."

"OI!" Jack cried, bursting in, "Nobody said that you could take a break! We're on a very tight schedule here! Move, move, move!"

"Yes sir!" River, Mycroft, and the Doctor chorused.

The three raced back into the console room and the Doctor sharply said, "Right. We're almost done with New York City which means that the states are nearly complete."

"Just think," Carina gushed, "Millions of children are going to wake up in the morning, flushed with excitement as they realize that Santa came. And they don't need to see him to believe in him."

The happy moment was cut short as Jack sharply said, "And unless we get all of these presents to every single child, there will be a few less believers."

"You're a bit tense, Jack," River exclaimed, "That's usually not like you."

"There's a lot at stake," Jack pointed out, "And I don't have an elf of my own to cheer me up. Why does Mycroft get an elf? Why can't Santa get me an elf?"

Mycroft and Carina laughed, both flushing.

"Were you good this year?" Sherlock teasingly asked.

"Oh Sherlock," Jack chuckled, "You and I both know that I wasn't."

He hit his vortex manipulator, helping River deliver presents to the neighborhood below.

In the end, even the Doctor didn't know how they had managed to do it.

But they did. The six went around the world and delivered every single present.

They were Santa Claus.

They saved Christmas.

The Doctor pulled Sherlock and Mycroft into a tight hug. River tenderly kissed the Time Lord and Jack clapped him on the back. Mycroft and Carina hugged and Mycroft amusedly hugged Sherlock, who naturally tried to pull away.

"We did it!" Jack cheered, "We actually did it!"

"Come along," the Doctor happily said, "Back to the North Pole."

They landed on the outskirts of the village and were met by roars of applause from the other elves. The heroes grinned from ear to ear as they stepped out of the Tardis.

The Doctor nudged Mycroft, who realized that Carina was thoughtfully walking away.

He sadly glanced at the clock tower and realized that it was five minutes to midnight.

"Go on," the Doctor whispered.

Mycroft took a deep breath before following her. He gratefully realized that she hadn't gone too far. She was standing in a glazed garden.

"Time to go?" Mycroft sadly asked.

Carina smiled and sadly said, "I'm afraid so."

They heard rustling and Mycroft knew that the Doctor, Sherlock, River, and Jack were standing nearby. He appreciated it.

"I honestly have no idea what to say," Mycroft admitted.

Carina laughed and gently whispered, "Thank you, Mycroft."

"For what?" Mycroft asked, shocked.

"Just…thank you."

Mycroft flushed and mumbled, "You never have to thank me."

He glanced over his shoulder and saw that the Doctor was beaming.

The bells of the clock tower suddenly strummed.

Midnight.

It was beginning to snow.

Carina gave him a sad smile and whispered, "Merry Christmas, Mycroft."

Quite suddenly, her lips brushed against his. Mycroft faltered for a split second before returning the tender kiss. A twelfth chime, a moment in time, and suddenly he found himself watching as a cluster of snowflakes drifted towards the stars.

River, Jack, Sherlock, and the Doctor solemnly stood nearby, jaws dropped.

"Sweetie," River finally whispered, "Sweetie, go…do your thing."

The Doctor looked confused as he murmured, "What thing?"

"You know," River gently continued, "Where you go off into a rant that may seem pointless at first but ultimately helps the person in the end…"

"I don't do that," the Doctor hissed, looking incredulous.

"Yeah, you do," Jack, River, and Sherlock responded.

"Do I?"

"Yes," River pressed, "And right now, Mycroft needs it. He needs you."

The Doctor nodded in agreement and slowly walked forward. He put a hand on Mycroft's shoulder and the eldest Holmes brother immediately leaned against him.

"You know," the Doctor gently said, "In my experience, snow is often a very…versatile element. It…it can usually withstand thousands of…"

"Doctor," Mycroft softly interrupted.

"Yeah?"

"I'm…I'm okay," Mycroft assured him, "But, thanks."

The Doctor smiled and kindly said, "Hear me out. If the wind catches the average snowflake and allows it to drift along for as long as possible before it melts, imagine the possibilities of a snowflake that can never melt. Imagine the possibilities of snowflakes that contain fragments of a beautiful soul. They could travel anywhere around the world. They could go wherever the wind takes them…they could go anywhere."

Mycroft suddenly felt a burning lump in his throat. He ducked his head and quickly wiped his eyes. This wasn't unnoticed by the Doctor, who fretfully cried, "Mycroft? I'm sorry! I didn't mean to upset you!"

"You didn't," Mycroft mumbled. Despite the tears that were streaming down his cheeks, he was sentimentally smiling as he whispered, "Thank you, Doctor."

"You never have to…"

"I know," Mycroft quickly interrupted, "But I still want to."

The Doctor tightly hugged him and Mycroft returned it.

They then turned to the others, who offered kind smiles.

"So…Jack…" Mycroft awkwardly said, "Does that count? As my first kiss, that is."

"Oh yeah," Jack immediately said, "Definitely."

"Not a bad birthday present, eh?" River teasingly asked.

Mycroft chuckled and softly said, "No…not bad at all…"

"So?" Sherlock curiously asked, "How was it?"

Mycroft hesitated before bashfully admitting, "Warm."

Jack gave him a gentle smile and exclaimed, "Yeah. It definitely counted."

Sherlock craned his head back, aiming to catch several snowflakes on his tongue.

River noticed and gently put her hand over his mouth, calmly saying, "Err…I wouldn't do that, Sherlock. You don't want to eat Mycroft's girlfriend."

She paused, as though mentally going over what she had just said. The sheer randomness albeit honestly of the statement caused Mycroft to suddenly crack up. Within seconds, they were all tenderly laughing.

"How do we get back to the Tardis?" Sherlock giggled, "We're surrounded by snow!"

"Just…mind your step…" the Doctor awkwardly cried, "Careful…"

"Is every snowflake part of an elf?" River asked.

"Well, no," the Doctor admitted, "Some of it's just snow but…let's not take that chance."

Jack chuckled and said, "We don't have to."

He hit a button on his phone and the Tardis materialized around them. Mycroft sighed with relief and muttered, "Thanks, Jack."

"Well, I was wearing boots," Jack said with a grin, "It would be tedious to try and pick out all of the flakes."

Mycroft frowned and the Doctor lightly hit Jack on the back of the head. River gently pulled a lever and the Tardis materialized.

"Look!" Sherlock excitedly squealed, "Presents!"

Sure enough, several wrapped parcels were beneath the tree. There were five in all; one for each of them. They all had the same label: LOVE SANTA CLAUS.

Sherlock excitedly bounced on his heels but River gently whispered, "Timing, Sherlock."

Sherlock frowned and sadly asked, "Not good?"

"Well, I don't care," River replied, "But…"

"It's fine," Mycroft assured her.

The Doctor smiled and cried, "It is Christmas morning. Go ahead, Sherlock."

The boy grinned from ear to ear as he unwrapped his present. His shout of delight echoed around the entire console room as he held up a beautiful new violin.

River smiled as she unwrapped a dangerous looking weapon. Jack ducked the lethal blast before happily unwrapping a greatcoat. It was his own—Santa had repaired it. Jack beamed as he proudly put it on. The Doctor eagerly unwrapped a fez, which he defensively hid from River and her new weapon. Mycroft gently opened his box and realized that he was holding a snow globe.

A snow globe of the Tardis.

"It's perfect," Mycroft whispered.

"How about some music Sherlock?" Jack cheerfully asked.

Sherlock grinned and cheerfully played away.

River and the Doctor happily waltzed as Jack toasted with a pitcher of eggnog. Mycroft subtly crossed over to the door, pulled it open, and thoughtfully stared at the stars.

The Doctor came over and put his hand on Mycroft's shoulder, softly saying, "I know that it's technically the day after but…Happy Birthday, Mycroft."

Mycroft smiled before gently replying, "Happy Christmas, Doctor."