33

Walking up the stairs in the TARDIS Doctor knocked on the door and opened it when a voice answered the knock. Peering around the door he walked in and sat next to Phil on the bed. She was watching something on the television.

"You alright Phil?"

"I'm knackered."

"You've had a rather busy day, I don't think I've seen a person so busy before." Doctor said while eyeing up the small Christmas tree on her desk. "Yet not to knackered to decorate."

"Heh...Christmas spirit Doctor! I love Christmas."

"Which parts?" Doctor asked and then shook his head, "You better not answer the presents."

"The family time."

Doctor blinked and looked away from the television to her, she just smiled and nodded slowly. "It's like the one time of year that family can get together. Bury whatever problems they have towards each other of whatever, and enjoy themselves. I like that, I admire that even. It doesn't matter if civility appears on one day in the year, anything is possible at Christmas."

Doctor sat in thought for a moment thinking over her words, "Do you always spend Christmas on your own Doctor?"

"No, I've spent Christmases with people. Friends old and new ones, but they always seem so dramatic. The actual day not the friends, although the friends are dramatic anyway."

"You miss them."

"Yup."

"You should visit them."

"I don't do house calls, but I can't. Not all of them." Doctor looked at Phil who just looked at the television with a unblinking gaze.

"Why?"

"I just can't."

"Are you possibly afraid of what would happen if you did meet up with them by any chance?"

"Since when did you get so physiological?"

"Because," Phil said and sat more upright in bed. "You have this look, each and every morning. It looks lonely, but then you shake it off smile at me but it's still there. That lingering loneliness, but through the smiling you just seem to look like it'll be the last time you ever see me again when we walk out of those doors." She looked up at him sidewards, "I don't know if you know this or not, but I can't exactly go anywhere. I believe I'm now officially bound to this place thanks to an unofficial contract."

"You are so wise at times Phil that I forget that you're only human and that you're only twenty-one."

"And you're so silly and dense at times that I forget you're over a thousand and an alien."

"You should get to sleep Phil it's getting late, and you've had a rather chaotic day." Doctor stood up from the bed to let her lay down. "What is the unofficial contract?"

"Simple," Phil shut her eyes and yawned quietly. "I stay to keep you company, and the TARDIS doesn't feel sad for seeing you lonely."

"Good night Phil."

"Night Doctor," Phil said distantly already more asleep than awake.

Walking quickly down the corridor Doctor stopped and looked over the console room. Dropping the bow tie in his hands he turned on his heels and walked back towards Phils room.

"Phil! What have you done to sexy?" He banged on the door, a second later a half asleep face peered around the door at him.

"Good morning Doctor however can I help you?"

"What have you done?"

"Eh?"

"The console...you did...you oh you are so sneaky!" Doctor rambled and paced to and fro in front of her Phil yawned and rubbed her eyes. Reaching behind her she tied her curly hair up and nodded slowly at him, waiting to see if he'd finish processing everything.

"Happy Christmas Doctor!" Phil grinned and ran out of her room and down to the newly decorated console room. Phil couldn't help it, once Doctor had left her last night she'd waited for all to fall silent.

Phil came back on board with a suit bag and a rucksack, the suit bag had her dress in it. But that didn't mean the rucksack had anything to do with the wedding within it. On the contrary the rucksack was full of decorations, she'd already set her mind on decorating the TARDIS for Christmas. She'd done her room, she had a little Christmas tree up which was a little smaller than her forearm. Phil just wanted to spread the Christmas cheer throughout the ship.

So far in her eyes she had succeeded, but that didn't necessarily mean that the Doctor agreed. Obviously she has basically decorated his home and something that didn't belong to her.

"Oh come on! It looks nice." Phil skipped down the stairs, "Quit being such a spoil sport, where's your Christmas spirit huh?"

Doctor stood at the top of the stairs looking around. Phil hadn't gone overboard with the decorations – thank god – or he'd have to seriously take them down. Doctor liked Christmas, honestly he did, but he had to admit it would be the first Christmas in a long time that he'd spent it with someone as excitable as Phil. Doctor liked everything to do with the holiday really, just as long as it didn't find its way into in his home. TARDIS didn't need to be decorated for the season because she had enough flashing lights and everything to decorate a whole city.

Looking down at Phil who stood cross armed next to the console she rolled her eyes. "Fine! I'll remove it all happy now?" Phil asked childishly while running back up the stairs and past him.

Doctor shook his head and walked after her, Phil was in her room pulling out clothes for the day.

"She does look nice though," Doctor mused while lifting the collar up on his shirt, looking at his hands he looked around and disappeared from the room. Returning a few seconds later with his bow tie he put it on.

Phil smiled and turned to look at him, "I'm glad you agree with me."

Doctor nodded slowly and looked around her room, there were more drawings up. Some including the weird Dalek console, and the Daleks themselves. Edyna had been drawn too, he moved more into her room and eyed up the small Christmas tree. Raising an eyebrow he went to pick up a lone present only to have it snatched from his hands.

"What is it? I want to know! Who's it for?"

"I'm not telling you! You're not allowed to know what your present is," Phil muttered and clutched onto it tightly. Turning away from him and running away when he tried to get it she jumped onto her bed and towards the door. "You have to wait for it!" She exclaimed and ran down the corridor.

"You got me a present?" Doctor asked while peeking out of her room, Phil peered around the corridor wall and nodded. "Why?"

"Because," Phil jumped around the corner and walked back towards her room. "You tend to buy presents for friends. And quiet frankly you're one of the best friends I've ever had. So I think you deserve a present. It isn't much, but then again you don't look like the type to be overly picky with presents." Phil paused, "Heck I think if given a paper bag you'd be amused."

"There could be a whole universe in that paper bag Phil! You just never know," Doctor walked out of her room as she pottered in and put the present back under the small tree. "But thank you."

"Doctor you're meant to thank me when you've actually received the present and opened it. Not before!" Phil laughed and ushered him out of the room.