Thank you everyone for following this story! And please review, if you could. I know, it might sound like too much to ask, but as I see the number of people following this story of mine growing, I can't help feeling the need to learn what you think of it while you are reading it. Would be forever grateful. "bows."

Rose felt herself being pulled somewhere with a bright light. Oh, it's just becoming a habit now, isn't it? Still eyes closed, she could hear a loud cheer, echoing from all over the place. She fluttered her eyelids and backed down, startled, as the Sycorax leader was standing face to face with her, almost too close.

He started speaking something, but, of course, Rose couldn't understand. TARDIS was kinda out of reach. She narrowed her eyes questioningly and that seemed to be held as a rude gesture, because soon she found herself being dragged by a rough hand.

"Alright alright, I'm coming." She spoke, annoyed. She glanced her surroundings to see Harriet Jones, looking at her with fear and delight.

"Rose. Rose!" She reached out for her to meet her in a hug. "I've got you. My Lord. Oh, my precious thing. The Doctor, is he with you?" she whispered in her ear.

"No. We're on our own," Rose whispered back. "For now."

Harriet pulled away a bit. "Does that mean he is coming?" Still in a low voice.

"Yeh." Rose smiled fondly. "But I don't know when."

Frankly speaking, she had no idea in what situation the Doctor was in. True, he called her. Meaning he should be awake now. But was he cured yet? Did the regeneration progress end? Did Mickey deliver the tea? The tea. Oh, God. The tea! She suggested the Doctor to take tea as a cure of synapses. Only now she seemed to understand it. She has finally done it. She slipped up in a way, from where she didn't have a way out.

The leader began speaking something again.

"The tree girl." The man called Alex began reading translations from his device. "She was clever enough to hide from us for 3 human hours, therefore she speaks for your planet."

"The tree girl?" Harriet asked Rose in a half-whisper. Rose laughed nervously at her. "Well, I guess that explains-" Harriet continued, but was cut short by a roar.

"Silence. Nobody interferes," Alex translated in monotone again.

"Alright then." Rose stepped forward. "Someone's got to be the Doctor," Rose half-joked.

"But you can't!" Harriet tried to grab Rose. "They'll kill you."

"Never stopped him," Rose muttered, before clearing her voice to speak in an authorized voice."I address the Sycorax." Her voice firm. "I command you to leave this world with all the authority I have gained on behalf of our planet. If you refuse, you'll be stopped." Her voice lower. "Now leave this planet in peace!" she yelled out in a commanding voice.

The Sycorax all burst into laughter.

"You are very, very funny. And now you're going to die," the leader of the Sycorax announced, or more like Alex translated it.

"Leave her alone!" Harriet tried to defend the girl, but soon was held back by another Sycorax, as the leader walked up to Rose.

"Did you think you were clever with your stolen words?" he began in a proud voice, but soon was interrupted.

"Oh, no, mister. I'm just stating the truth," Rose stated in a mocking voice. "If you don't leave this planet in peace, like." She stopped to count. "Right about now, you'll be stopped," she said lightly. "And then you better not cry as a wailing child for mercy," she finished in a deadly voice.

The leader seemed furious, when he spoke again. "And who would stop us!? Is it you?" he stated and everyone started to laugh again.

"Is it you?" Alex repeated in translation. "Hold on, that's English." Alex grimaced.

"He's talking English," Harriet added.

"You're talking English." Rose sighed in relief.

"I would never dirty my tongue with your primitive bile," the Sycorax leader protested in disgust.

"Oh, that's English." Rose shook her head smiling. "Can you hear English?" she asked Harriet and Alex lightly. They nodded.

"I speak only Sycoraxic!" the leader roared.

"If I can hear English, then it's being translated. Which means...the TARDIS-" She turned around to see a blue box materialising. After a short while the whooshing sound ceased and the doors opened, revealing the all too familiar face.

"Did you miss me?" he asked lightly.

"You're late!" Rose chided him, smiling.

The Doctor opened his mouth to reply, but one of the Sycorax cracked his whip towards him, interrupting. The Doctor caught it by the end, pulling it out of the leader's hand like it was the easiest thing to do.

"You could have someone's eye out with that." The Doctor scolded him while walking towards Rose.

"How dare you come here uninvited!" the Sycorax began again.

"Uninvited?" The Doctor frowned in disbelief. "I though I was being expected," he cried.

Another Sycorax tried to get in the Doctor's way with a thick club, but the Doctor once again took it out of his hands and broke it in half across his knee.

"You just can't get the staff," the Doctor muttered, clearly unhappy with his welcoming. "Now, you!" he gave a pointed look at the Sycorax. "Just wait. I'm busy," he shot, as he began to walk off, but suddenly turned around to face him once again. "Better not try to interrupt me again," he said in a dangerous voice.

"Harriet Jones!" he exclaimed happily. "MP for Flydale North. Blimey, it's like This Is Your Life," he said in a hurried voice, his mouth open in a smile. "Tea! That's all I needed, a good cup of tea!" He talked hurriedly, while looking around in all kind of directions. "Superheated infusion of free radicals and tannin." He gestured lightly towards his temple. "Just the thing for healing the synapses. How did you think of that?" he asked Rose fondly.

Rose began to get nervous. "Um, I done my homework, you know." She shrugged half joking. Oh, boll. This is not working.

"That's great, that's great," the Doctor said absentmindedly as if considering the answer. Then his head shot up to meet her eyes.

"Now." His voice serious. He opened his mouth, but then it twitched. Rose looked at him questioningly. The Doctor's mouth quivered some more, before he burst out laughing.

"Wha-?" Rose began in bewilderment. The Doctor was still laughing.

"Stop it." She chided him.

"Ok ok. Sorry." He put his lips together, while gesturing them to be zipped up. Then he cleared his throat. "I was going to ask you how do I look, but I think you should be asking me that instead." The Doctor's mouth quivering again.

"What?" Rose asked, not getting the situation.

"Nice wild look you have here," he continued lightly, gesturing at her. "Gotta say - modern." He paced a circle around her, checking her from head to toe.

Rose was just looking at him with her expression blank. "Love the branch you know," he joked while getting something out of Rose's hair. It was a tree branch, about 30 cm long.

"Oh." Rose looked at the thing in his hand suspiciously.

"Had one wild of an adventure, didn't you?" He mocked her, while patting on her head some more with his other hand, letting leaves fall out. Rose grimaced.

"Okay!" he exclaimed, as he dropped the "wild things" out of his grasp. "First things first." His voice back to serious. "Be honest, how do I look?" he asked while getting a bit nervous himself, locking his gaze to hers.

"The same," Rose answered softly, already forgetting the incident seconds ago, just beaming at him.

"The same?" the Doctor cried in disbelief. "But I got this..hair!" He ran a hand through them. "And sideburns! These are sideburns, and not just a bad skin, right?" Rose began to say something, but he was faster. "And a mole! It is there!" He looked at her slightly hurt.

"No, what I meant..." Rose held out a chuckle. "You look the same, in a different way." She shrugged.

"Oh, okay." He seemed to calm down, but his voice serious, seconds later. "Good different or bad different?" he asked in a low voice.

"Just different." Rose shrugged while smiling at him.

Then the Doctor prepared himself for the most universally important question. As he asked. "Am I...ginger?"

Rose snorted, but soon stopped it with her hand. "No, you're just sort of-" She gestured. "Brown."

The Doctor was highly disappointed by that remark.

"Aw, I wanted to be ginger." The Doctor walked further away from her, complaining. "I've never been ginger." He was walking with his back on Rose, before abruptly turning. "And you, Rose Tyler." He shouted out while pointing at her. "Fat lot of good you were. You left me there with your mother." He seemed to catch himself. "Oh, that's rude." Rose rolled her eyes. "That's the sort of man I am now, am I?" He was thinking deeply about it in concern. "Rude," he said it, as if trying it out with his tongue. "Rude and not ginger." The conclusion.

"I'm sorry." Harriet stepped in "Who is this?" She gestured to the Doctor.

"I'm the Doctor," the Doctor replied absentmindedly, as if in reflex.

"He's the Doctor," Rose added in confirmation.

"But what happened to my Doctor?" Harriet asked in concern. "Or is it a title that's just passed on?"

"I'm him." The Doctor began to walk towards her haughtily. "I'm literally him. Same man, new face," he stated. "Well, new everything," he joked.

"But you can't be." Harriet didn't budge.

"Harriet Jones, we were trapped in Downing Street and the one thing that scared you wasn't the aliens, it wasn't the war." The Doctor was talking in a simple way. "It was the thought of your mother being on her own," he ended softly.

"Oh, my God," Prime Minister exhaled.

"Did you win the election?" the Doctor asked her proudly, leaning forwards at her.

"Landslide majority." Harriet shrugged, feeling slightly embarrassed.

"If I might interrupt," the Sycorax roared.

"Yes, sorry." The Doctor shook his head, as he seemed to remember him existing there. "Hello, big fellow." His hands behind his back, eagerly waiting to listen what that "Big fellow" has to say.

"Who exactly are you?" Sycorax stated a question.

"Well, that's the question," the Doctor agreed lightly, nodding with a smile.

"I demand to know who you are!" the Sycorax roared at him.

"I don't know!" the Doctor yelled out at him, imitating his roar.

"See, there's the thing." Back to nonchalant. "I'm the Doctor, but beyond that, I just don't know." He nodded apologetically. "I literally do not know who I am. It's all untested. Am I funny?" He tried asking, while slowly walking further inside. "Am I sarcastic? Sexy?" He winked at Rose, who just shook her head, smiling. "Right old misery? Life and soul?" He passed by the leader casually, as he continued walking. "Right handed? Left handed? A gambler? A fighter?" He began to quicken his pace. "A coward? A traitor? A liar? A nervous wreck? I mean, judging by the evidence, I've certainly got a gob." He concluded in a hurried voice. "And how." He looked delighted, when spotting the button. "Am I going to react when I see this." He pointed in its direction casually.

"A great big threatening button." He laughed as he began jumping up the stairs. "A great big threatening button, which must not be pressed under any circumstances, am I right?" He looked at the Sycorax teasingly, clearly getting on their nerves. "Let me guess. It's some sort of control matrix, hmm?" He looked at them with big eyes. "Hold on, what's feeding it?" The Doctor squatted down to open the base of the pillar, under the button.

"And what've we got here?" He put his finger in the liquid as he licked it. "Blood? Yeah, definitely blood." Rose rolled her eyes.

"Human blood. A Positive, with just a dash of iron. Ah ah." He shook his hand in disgust as he grimaced. "But that means" He considered. "Blood control. Blood control!" he exclaimed enthusiastically. "Oh, I haven't seen blood control for years," he cried. "You're controlling all the A Positives." He nodded in understanding, the Sycorax growling at him. "Which leaves us with a great big stinking problem." The Doctor put his lips together sarcastically. "Because I really don't know who I am. I don't know when to stop." He stopped for a second to look at Rose.

"What do you think about this big threatening button which should never ever be pressed under any circumstances?" he asked her casually.

"Looks dangerous." Rose nodded sarcastically. Harriet looked her over sceptically.

"It does, doesn't it?" he agreed with her in the same manner. "So that leaves me only to this." As he hit the button with a force.

"NO!" Harriet yelled out.

"You killed them," Alex exclaimed.

"What do you think, big fellow?" the Doctor asked Sycorax's opinion. "Are they dead?" He looked at him solemnly.

"We allow them to live." The Sycorax choked under his breath.

"Allow?" The Doctor mocked him. "You've no choice! I mean, that's all blood control is." He began pacing about, picking on his ear. "A cheap bit of voodoo. Scares the pants off you, but that's as far as it goes." He began his rambling. "It's like hypnosis. You can hypnotise someone to walk like a chicken or sing like Elvis. You can't hypnotize them to death." He shrugged nonchalantly. "Survival instinct's too strong."

"Blood control was just one form of conquest. I can summon the armada and take this world by force," the Sycorax countered him. Never know when to give up, does he?

"Well, yeah," the Doctor agreed casually. "You could, yeah, you could do that, of course you could. But why?" he asked in deep concern. "Look at these people." He gestured to the group. "These human beings. Consider their potential. From the day they arrive on the planet and blinking step into the sun, there is more to see than can ever be seen. More to do than-" He cut himself short, as he looked to the side. "No, hold on." Blinking a few times. "Sorry, that's The Lion King." He apologized sincerely. "But the point still stands. Leave them alone!" He came to stand in front of the Sycorax.

"Or what?"

"Or-" The Doctor trailed off, as he took a sword from an aide and ran back towards the TARDIS.

"I challenge you," he announced grandly.

An echo of laughter echoed from the place.

"Oh, that struck a chord." The Doctor looked around. "Am I right that the sanctified rules of combat still apply?" He talked casually while taking off his gown.

"You stand as this world's champion," the Sycorax roared while pulling his own sword out.

"Thank you. I've no idea who I am, but you just summed me up." As he threw his robe at Rose.

Oh, boll. This's plain wrong. You don't know who you are, while I, on the other hand, know you well enough. At least way beyond your own knowledge. How ridiculous is that?

Rose frowned while deep in her thoughts. She was too focused on her own world that she didn't even notice how the fight emerged and the Doctor was gradually making his way outside. Just before disappearing out of their sight, the Doctor called out.

"Don't fall asleep there, Madcap-y!" Rose shook in surprise. That sounded way beyond weird. Seconds later, she was outside, looking at the Doctor and the Sycorax in the middle of intense fight.

"Better don't wanna miss the show!" The Doctor called out for her in a grin, when he spotted her.

"Never!" She called out, grinning herself.

After sparing for a few more whiles, the Doctor was driven back to the edge and soon enough, hit on the nose.

Rose instinctively took a step towards him, the Doctor stopping her at once. "Stay back!" He held a hand in defence. "Invalidate the challenge and he wins the planet."

Of course, she knew that. But as much as all this was a repetition of the things she had already been part of, she couldn't help feeling protective.

They both - Sycorax leader and the Doctor ran towards at each other with full speed and clashed their swords. Unfortunately, the Sycorax seemed to be a lot stronger as he knocked the Doctor down, slashing his hand seconds later, which fell to Earth.

Rose placed the hand over her mouth.

"You cut my hand off," the Doctor breathed.

"Ya! Sycorax!" The leader began to cheer, but was stopped for a moment, when he spotted Rose's smug face. He seemed to be lost for a second, before the Doctor's voice disturbed him.

"And now I know what sort of man I am." The Doctor stood up. "I'm lucky. Because quite by chance I'm still within the first fifteen hours of my regeneration cycle, which means..." He paused meaningfully. "I've got just enough residual cellular energy to do this." He held his arm up, as his hand slowly regrew, right before their eyes.

The Sycorax leader grimaced. "Witchcraft," he hissed.

"Time Lord," the Doctor stated in a low voice, making no doubts about his identity.

Rose looked at him proudly with a smile, when she remembered that he needed a new sword. She spotted another Sycorax behind her. As she managed to distract him, she took the sword from him.

"Doctor!" She yelled out for him, while tossing the sword at him. The Doctor caught it without any sweat. He grinned at her in gratitude.

"Want to know the best bit? This new hand?" The Doctor directed the question at Rose.

"What is it?" Rose replied with enthusiasm.

"It's a fighting hand!" he replied in a manic grin.

He was now fighting with a whole new power, and soon after they started to fight again, he quickly disarmed the Sycorax and thumped both hilts into his abdomen, twice as that. He fell right on the edge, overlooking London.

"I win." The Doctor put the edge of his sword under the leader of Sycorax throat.

"Then kill me."

"I'll spare your life if you'll take this Champion's command. Leave this planet, and never return." He was speaking in a low authoritative voice. "What do you say?"

"Yes."

"Swear on the blood of your species," the Doctor hissed while dangerously pointing at his throat.

"I... swear," the leader exhaled.

"There we are, then." The Doctor's voice back to casual. "Thanks for that. Cheers, big fellow." As he placed the sword in the ground.

"Bravo!" Harriet was first to applaud proudly.

"That says it all," Rose muttered while skipping her way towards the Doctor. "Bravo!" she exclaimed happily, his gown in her hands, as she helped him to put it back on.

"Did you like the show?" he asked her teasingly.

"Mm, gotta consider this." Rose faked a deep thinking expression.

"Hey!" the Doctor cried, making Rose laugh out loud.

"Yep yep, loved it." She told him while tugging on his arm.

"Ah, I knew it. Not bad for a man in his jim-jams." He looked at her fondly. "Hold on, what have I got in here?" He unwrapped himself from Rose's grip gently while searching his pockets. "A satsuma." He picked it up, holding it and pointing towards Rose. She couldn't help laughing.

"Ah, that friend of your mother's." He tossed it in the air, catching it a few seconds later, while looking at Rose, nodding. "He does like his snacks doesn't he?" They began walking towards the exit. "But doesn't that just sum up Christmas?" He started juggling the satsuma. "You go through all those presents and right at the end, tucked away at the bottom, there's always one stupid old satsuma. Who wants a satsuma?"

Somewhere behind the two of them, the Sycorax leader got up, and after grabbing his sword, was now running straight at the Doctor's back. The Doctor threw the satsuma at a control on the spaceship hull angrily. The same moment a piece of the wing opened up and the leader fell to his death.

"No second chances. I'm that sort of man."

Once back inside the Spaceship, the Doctor stepped ahead of the group.

"By the ancient rites of combat, I forbid you to scavenge here for the rest of time," he began haughtily. "And when you go back to the stars and tell others of this planet, when you tell them of its riches, its people, it's potential. When you talk of the Earth, then make sure that you tell them this." He looked at the Sycorax meaningfully.

"It is defended."

Before long, the TARDIS, Harriet, Alex, Rose and the Doctor were beamed away.

"Where are we?" Alex was first to ask.

"We're just off Bloxom Road. We're just round the corner, we did it!" Rose turned to face the Doctor.

"Wait a minute, wait a minute." The Doctor looked in the sky as the spaceship flew away.

"We did it!" Rose squealed while jumping in her tracks. Seconds later, she ran into the Doctor, squeezing him with happiness. He hugged her back with as much enthusiasm.

Then they broke off the hug, but still holding onto each other, beaming at each other. Only when the Doctor spotted Harriet walk towards them, did he let go of Rose.

"My Doctor," she stated proudly.

"Prime Minister." The Doctor just as proudly, as they hugged.

"Absolutely the same man. Are there... many more out there?" She turned to look at the sky.

"Oh, not just Sycorax," the Doctor began softly. "Hundreds of species. Thousands of them. And the human race is drawing attention to itself. Every day you're sending out probes and messages and signals. This planet's so noisy. You're getting noticed more and more." Then he looked back at Rose.

"And they seem to always pick on you!" He pointed a sceptical look at her. "What's so special about you really?" He began to seriously think it over. "You are all just sort of...pink and yellow." He gestured. Then he saw Rose's dangerous look. "Oh no no no, I don't say you are not special, well, at least to me you are." He began to defend himself, while looking way.

"Hold on." He stopped for a second. "That was a bit too forward," he muttered. "But the point is-" He was left with his mouth half open, when Jackie yelled out, running towards the group, together with Mickey.

"Rose!" She was running with her hands opened.

"Mum!" Rose met her in a hug.

"Oh, talking of trouble," the Doctor muttered. "And why everyone is always interrupting me?" he complained to...nobody in particular.

"Oh, my God! You did it! And you were alive!" Jackie hugged her daughter from happiness and relief. Then Rose came to hug Mickey.

"Good to see you," Rose whispered softly.

"You too!" He had her in his arms, looking at her. "I thought I would never see you again after going home with that stupid tea." Rose chuckled.

"That was all I needed," the Doctor said, smiling at the group. "Cup of tea."

"Oh, I better buy a few extra pockets then," Jackie muttered. Rose tugged on her mother's arm happily.

"Oh, my God, it's the bleeding Prime Minister!" Jackie gaped, when she spotted Harriet.

"Come here, you." The Doctor urged the group for the group hug, as he extended his arms, waiting.

And then there it was. Jackie gently in the Doctor's arms, Rose and Mickey clinging on each of the Doctor's sides. One big family.

"Are you better?" Jackie asked the Doctor softly.

"I am, yeah." He looked at her fondly. Rose was so glad to see them all together. She just smiled at the picture in front of her. But then, from the corner of her eyes she saw Alex and Harriet speaking of some important matters. "Uh oh," Rose muttered under her breath, as she broke free from the group hug, running towards the Prime Minister.

"Tell them-" Harriet began, when Rose's hand flew on top of her mouth. "Mghf." She tried to end the sentence, looking at Rose with wide eyes.

"No," Rose said firmly. "You don't have to do this. The Doctor and I, will protect the Earth." She put her hand down. Harriet tried to talk again, but once again Rose held out her hand. Just this time not covering her mouth, as Harriet shushed even before it came to that, pressing her lips together, while watching Rose's hand warily.

"These species are leaving," Rose continued. "Earth is not a murderous planet, Harriet. I'm sorry, but you were not elected for that. We defend our planet, and make others respect us."

"I'm sorry, Rose," Harriet began softly. "But as much as I adore you, and think highly of the Doctor, you are not the ones with authority here. It's my word."

"No, it's not," Rose stated with her voice cold, making Harriet a bit uncomfortable. "You may be one of the rulers of the planet, but you certainly have no experience with Foreign affairs." Harriet opened her mouth. "Much less with alien stuff...You may have seen a few Slitheen and now a spaceship full of Sycorax, but you are not the one fighting them. So if anyone has the right to maintain the relationships with aliens here, it's the Doctor."

"Couldn't have put it better myself." The Doctor' voice came from behind them.

"Doctor." Rose called out for him in instinct, holding her head backwards to look at him.

"Hello." The Doctor grinned at her.

"Hello." Rose beamed right back at him.

"Excuse me," Harriet began again.

"Yeh, right." The Doctor's attention back to Harriet. "What Rose said is true." He looked at Rose proudly, as he said that. "We'll be here to protect the Earth, as we always are. And you!" He pointed at her. "Better not try to commit genocide while I'm not aware. Oh, pointing is rude isn't it?" The Doctor looked at Rose for an answer, she nodded.

"Prime Minister." Alex butted in. "The spaceship, it's flying further away. If we strike, it's now or never."

Harriet glanced over from Rose to the Doctor, who were looking at her with serious expressions. They knew that they can't stop her word, but they can try to change her mind about it.

"Tell them..." she began. "To cease the attack," she ended, eyes closed.

"YES!" Rose exclaimed in happiness, jumping into the Doctor's embrace. "We did it!" They both laughed.

"I hope you won't make me regret this decision." Harriet sighed. The Doctor broke the hug gently, as he looked at Harriet Jones.

"I'm proud of you. Prime Minister. Britain at its Golden Age, and you right at the front lines of it." He looked at her, being as proud as he could ever be of this woman.

"You coming?" Jackie called out for the two of them, as she began walking away.

"Yeh!" Rose yelled back, still grinning.

"Come on." Rose tugged her arm on the Doctor's, urging for him to go. The Doctor didn't protest, as he began walking with her.

"So, Turkey?" he teased her. "Or nut leaf?" As he grinned all the more.

"Just gotta try out yourself," Rose teased him back.

"Yeh? Do I have to?" he asked casually.

"You bet." Rose's face dangerous.

"Alright alright, no arguments." They both laughed, when the Doctor suddenly sprang up to face Harriet once more.

"Oh, and by the way!" he called out for her. Harriet lifted her head to look at him. "Merry Christmas!" he exclaimed with enthusiasm, while going back to walking with Rose Tyler.

"Merry Christmas to you too," Harriet whispered to their backs.

"Oh, I gotta get the table ready!" Jackie began her blab once they reached the Powell Estate. "With you both disappearing all my preparations were stopped." Rose tried to say something, but Jackie gave no room. "Mickey you're coming over, right?"

Mickey looked at Rose, asking. "'Course he is." Rose pushed Mickey gently towards the entrance of the Estate.

"And you, Doctor with the new face." Jackie glanced him over, making the Doctor look at her like he was offended but in truth was laughing, as he glanced her over in the same manner. "Come on in you too," Jackie ended in a soft voice.

"Ah, I..." the Doctor began, pointing behind his back. "Got to change..." He trailed off, with his mouth half open, teeth showing. "And stuff..."

"Okay, then. Change and come back here," Rose said simply. The Doctor opened his mouth.

"I'll be waiting." Rose gave him a meaningful look while slowly going backwards from him.

The Doctor closed his mouth. "Right."

At the Powell Estate Mickey together with Jackie and Rose were rushing about the table, making their last preparations - Mickey cutting the Turkey (it's Turkey after all), Rose already half eating, while joking around with the both of them.

And not many moments later, the door closed down with a thud. Rose meeting her Doctor looking same as always, just as she remembered - in his long brown coat, pinstripes suit and converses, grinning at her.

All she did was smile at him fondly. Good to see him again. It was just so good to see him.

Rose urged him to sit down under the table, as he soon found himself with the red paper crown. "Am I the king now?" he asked expectedly.

"Sure you are," Rose joked around, as she sat down under the table herself.

The Doctor shot the Christmas cracker in the air, when he found another crown inside. "Oh, that's yours." As he handed it over to Rose, placing his hands on the table.

"Yay," Rose exclaimed happily. "It's pink! Mum, it should be yours." She looked at Jackie together with the Doctor, smiling at her. "Look, it's Harriet Jones." Then she spotted the Prime Minister on the telly. She glanced over at the Doctor to see him grinning at the telly.

She did it!

He slowly stood up from the table, grabbing a cookie in his mouth.

"That that-" Rose began standing up herself, but was soon shut when the Doctor placed the cookie in her mouth, laughing and taking another one. Then he finally walked off to the living room and saw Harriet Jones, at her best. Calming down the Earth after the big alien invasion.

Then telephone rang and Jackie came to answer it.

"It's Beth. She says go and look outside."

"Why?" Rose began to get nervous. It couldn't be snowing with ash. They stopped it, didn't they?

"I don't know, just go outside and look. Come on, shift!" Jackie urged them.

Once outside they saw everything in white. Even Rose's face. It couldn't be.

"Wha-what is this?" she shuttered, looking worriedly at the Doctor.

"Oh come on. Like you never saw it before." The Doctor mocked her. "It's snow, of course! Great big snow on Christmas!" he exclaimed happily, like waiting for something.

There was a moment of pause, before Rose turned her head to face him.

"No." She looked at him in bewilderment. "No way."

"Yes way." The Doctor nodded haughtily.

"Seriously? You did this?" She beamed at him, too lost of words.

"Ah, well. I guess I did a bit of jiggery pockery with TARDIS and all that. Change of weather. Basic stuff." He shrugged nonchalantly, picking on his ear.

"Oh, you!" She flung herself in his embrace once again. "I keep hugging you." She laughed.

"Not complaining." The Doctor grinned at her, squeezing her.

"Oh, look at those two," Mickey stated.

"Two of the same kind," Jackie added.

"We certainly are," the Doctor agreed, as he looked down to face Rose. "I think my character was highly influenced by your mad outburst."

Rose shook her head, smiling. Who influenced whom.

"So you're leaving again?" Mickey said in a slightly disappointed voice.

Rose broke free from the Doctor's embrace, while looking from him to Mickey frantically. "Am I?" she asked the Doctor faintly.

"You don't want to come?" the Doctor asked, slightly scared. Okay, not fooling anyone. Quite a bit scared.

"I do, but I thought, maybe you didn't want me after all..." she said nervously.

"Oh, I would love you to come," he said gently.

"Yeh?"

"Yeh." He looked at her fondly. "I thought we already went past that."

"Yeh, but." She shrugged. "That was you not in your full mind, so-"

"Oh, I think I would want you to come with me even with my head split in two," he told her softly.

Rose gave him a nervous look. "Okay. That was a bit weird." The Doctor caught himself, making Rose laugh.

"Come on, then." He held his hand, waving his fingers in invitation.

Rose looked at the hand, as it was her whole universe. Well, it was. It's how everything started, and she never wanted to let go of his hand again. So she took it.

"Always fits," she said softly. The Doctor smiling at her. "So, where're we gonna go first?" she asked, tugging on his arm.

"Er." The Doctor looked at the sky. "That way." He pointed at one direction. "No, hold on. That way." To slightly bit different one.

Rose chuckled. "Just everywhere in order." She squeezed his arm.

"That's the spirit." The Doctor smiled at her approvingly. Then back to pointing. "That way for now."

"That way?" Rose pointed too.

"Hmm?" The Doctor asked her opinion.

"Yeah, that way."

to be continued...