Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor who in any way shape or form.

A/N: Hi guys, here's the next chap. Unfortunately classes have started up again so I might be a bit slow on updating :P. I designed Claire's outfits on Polyvore if you guys wish to check them out. The links are on my profile. Enjoy the chap! :)

Outfits: claires_outfit_chapter_14/set?id=97310853

We had just returned to the TARDIS when my cell phone started going off again. I sighed heavily as I pulled the device out of my pocket and glanced at the caller ID. It was my mom again.

"Home calling?" The Doctor asked as he began flipping random switches on the console.

"Yes, can you please try to be quiet? I need to take this." The Doctor nodded in agreement as I took a seat on the captains chair and answered the phone.

"Hello?"

"Claire, you know, you tell me that you're going to call back and you never do." My mom stated angrily on the other end of the line.

I winced. Oh crap what day is it for her?

"Sorry, lost track of time again." I answered. I glanced at the Doctor who pulled a worried face. "What?" I mouthed to him. He waved me off and went to the lower level of the TARDIS. I watched him as he fiddled around with something through the glass floor as I tried to listen to my mom on the phone.

"It's almost Christmas and I haven't heard from you in a few months now."

"Oh god, has it been that long? I am truly very, very sorry about that mom." A loud crash rang throughout the TARDIS.

"What was that?" My mom asked on the other line.

"Oh, that was nothing I just dropped something." I covered up quickly glaring at the Doctor as he mouthed apologies to me while trying to fix whatever he had just broken.

"Well, anyways we were hoping that we could see you for a change. We would really love it if you came home for Christmas."

I paused not sure of what to say. "Oh Christmas!" I said loud enough for the Doctor to hear. His head perked up and he pointed at himself. "You want me to come home for Christmas and have dinner with you and the family. Umm…" I trailed off as I glanced at the Doctor who seemed to be having some sort of inner battle with himself. Finally nodded and gave me a thumb's up sign when a medium sized metal thing fell on his head causing him to cry out in pain.

"Ouch!"

"Claire, what is going on over there?" My mom asked growing suspicious.

"Don't worry my friend just dropped something on his head, he's ok though." I said quickly before mentally cursing myself.

"Did you say 'he'? Oh my goodness! Claire, do you finally have a boyfriend?" She asked excitedly.

"No, no! He's just a friend." I said quickly turning away from the Doctor so he wouldn't see me blushing. Claire, get a hold of yourself! "Yes, I'll be there for Christmas." I said quickly changing the subject.

"Oh good! I can't wait to see you again. I've missed you so much, same with everyone else in the family."

"I missed you too." I smiled sadly.

"I have a wonderful idea. Why don't you ask your friend to come too? The more the merrier." My mom suggested excitedly.

"Oh no, I don't think he'll want to come-" I started to protest before my phone was grabbed out of my hand. I turned around and felt my heart drop into the pit of my stomach.

"Hello Mrs…" The Doctor paused and turned to me covering the phone with his hand. "Claire, what was your last name again?"

"Carlo." I groaned.

"Ahh! Carlo! 'Ello, Mrs. Carlo! Claire and I will definitely be there for Christmas dinner." He spoke cheerily into the phone.

I face palmed wishing he would get off the phone before my mom said something embarrassing to him.

"Why yes, I do have a British accent! Oh thank you! You're accent is quite lovely too. I've always loved visiting America. Well, except for the Lincoln assassination; that wasn't a very pleasant time."

"Ok, that's enough." I said grabbing the phone from his hands.

"Oi! I wasn't finished talking!" The Doctor whined.

I walked away from him and held the phone back up to my ear. "Sorry, about that. He can be a bit weird sometimes."

"Oh no, he seems nice." My mom answered with a laugh. "See you for Christmas. Love you."

"See you Christmas, love you too, bye." I hung up and spun around to face the Doctor who was pouting at me. "What?"

"I was talking to your mum and you took the phone away." He pouted.

I rolled my eyes. "You can talk to her and the rest of my family on Christmas." I shrugged.

The Doctor clapped his hands together and smiled widely. "Well, this is exciting! I've only done Christmas dinner twice. Well in this body anyway."

"You've only celebrated Christmas twice?" I asked feeling sympathy towards him.

"Oh, no. I've celebrated it many times before. My past regeneration however, didn't do Christmas dinner. It wasn't really his area. As for my most current form, I've done it once with the Ponds and once with a poor family in the 1900s." He shrugged. "Besides, something always seems to be happening around the holidays. Some alien decides to take over. Usually London…. Don't know why…"

"Well, we'll just have to make sure this Christmas is a good one then." I said with a smile. The Doctor returned the smile and wrapped me up in a hug. "Speaking of the Ponds… when are we going to go back?" I asked pulling away from him.

"We'll pop back after Christmas. This time we're going to stay with them for however long it will take with those bloody cubes." He muttered.

"You're going to behave this time?" I asked raising an eyebrow at him.

"Yes, I'm going to behave." He rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Now get ready. I'm skipping ahead to Christmas."

With that I bounded down the hallway to my room to get ready for what was bound to be an eventful holiday.

"Ready?" I asked entering the console room dressed in a red blouse with a black sweater covering it, a pair of black flowered fishnets and a black skirt with red plaid covering one side. My hair was pulled half up half down with a red bow and a pair of low-heeled boots covered my feet. "Doctor?"

He wasn't there. I checked under the glass floor expecting him to be working on something that didn't need fixing, but he was still nowhere to be found.

"Doctor!" I called again this time a little louder.

"What are you shouting about?" The Doctor asked from above. "Did something happen? Are you ok?" He called, looking around in confusion. "Wait, where are you? Oh no, did you get stuck in the hydroscanner? I told you not to go near that. It could turn your skin blue if you stand in there for too long."

"Doctor, I'm fine. I'm down here." I laughed.

The Doctor looked down and a look of recognition flashed across his face. "Oh, there you are! What are you doing down there? We need to get to Salem, Claire. No more dilly dallying."

I ran up the stairs meeting up with him by the console, stopping dead in my tracks when I laid eyes on him. "You changed your outfit. You never do that. I thought you only owned different bowties." I said taking in his new outfit, consisting of a long dark purple tweed coat, a dark brown vest with a pocket watch attached to it and a dark brown bow tie with white polka dots decorating it.

"Don't be silly. Of course, I have different outfits. I wear a different outfit everyday." He argued.

"Doesn't look like it." I laughed. "But, no, I like this outfit. Looks very dapper."

The Doctor straightened his bowtie. "Why thank you." His eyes traveled up and down my body making me feel self-conscious. "And you're… looking… very pretty…" He breathed out before quickly changing to his usual happy go lucky mood. "Right, Salem. Can't keep the Carlo's waiting much longer."

I blushed and averted my eyes wishing that my heart would stop racing.

"Doctor, before we go in, what are we going to tell my family?" I asked. We had just stepped out of the warmth of the TARDIS and into the freezing winter air. Snow was just beginning to fall, decorating the darkened streets of Salem.

"We'll just make it up as we go." He shrugged as we strode up to the door.

"I'm not sure if winging it is going to turn out very well." I argued.

"What are you talking about? Every time we've gotten ourselves into danger I always found a way to get us out."

"Doctor, this is different." I pressed. He formed an "o" with his lips in understanding.

At that moment the door swung open revealing my older brother Spencer. A huge grin swept over his handsome face as tears shone in his sparkling brown eyes. "Claire!" I was suddenly pulled into a massive bear hug. "I thought I'd never see you again." He cried crushing me against him.

"I missed you too." I mumbled into his chest. "Uh… Spencer?"

"What is it lil' sis'?" He asked hugging me tighter. I thought for sure my ribs were going to break.

"I can't breathe." I gasped.

Spencer quickly let me go and noticed the Doctor. He kept his usual cheery smile, but I could sense him starting to act like the over protective big brother he was. "Hello, I'm Spencer. Claire's older brother who always looks after her and will beat any one who tries to hurt her into a pulp."

The Doctor gulped and looked around nervously.

"Spencer! Let them in already. We can't let them freeze to death." My grandmother called from inside the house.

Spencer led us into the small foyer of my grandparent's house. The smells of food and pine needles mixed together filled my nostrils. As I remembered, the house was decorated with an assortment of family photos and Christmas decorations setting the mood for the holidays.

Before I could realize what was going on. My family poured into the crowded foyer showering me with hugs, kisses, and the occasional scolding for making them think I was dead.

The room was finally beginning to die down as everyone looked at me expectantly. I nervously gestured to the Doctor. "This is my friend-"

"I'm John Smith." The Doctor cut off quickly. "But most people call me the Doctor."

"Merry Christmas, Doctor." My grandmother said with a warm smile before wrapping him up in a hug.

The Doctor's eyes widened in surprise before returning the favor. A small smile graced my lips. Maybe this won't be so bad after all.

The Doctor and I were seated comfortably on the couch with Spencer and his wife Lexi, who was holding their four month old daughter Jenna and my older sister Ashlee whose hand rested gingerly on top of her swollen stomach.

"So when's the baby due?" I asked her.

"February. I want you to be her godmother. If you'll accept?"

"Of course." I said with a smile.

We turned our attention to the Doctor who was cooing over little baby Jenna. Lexi and Spencer exchanged looks of pure happiness before Lexi offered the Doctor to hold the baby. He immediately obliged and took the tiny baby girl in his arms a huge smile gracing his face. Warmth filled my insides as I took in the scene before me.

"Keep an eye on that one, Claire. He's definitely special." Ashlee whispered to me.

I turned to her, shock written all over my face. "That's the same thing Maia said to me the last time I saw her."

Ashlee smirked her blue eyes twinkling with mischief.

"She talked to you didn't she?" I asked already knowing the answer. We had grown up with Maia, Danae, and Molly. The five us had been the best of friends since I was three and Ashlee six. It was no surprise that Maia would share this information with my sister. Suddenly something dawned on me. Maia didn't tell Ashlee everything, did she? "Did Maia tell you… everything?" I asked nervously.

Ashlee smiled. "Yes, she did. Don't worry, your secret's safe with me." She quickly looked around the room, making sure no one was listening in on our conversation. "So, what's it like? Exploring space with an alien." She asked in a low whisper.

"Amazing." I grinned.

"Dinner's ready." My mom called from inside the kitchen.

The Doctor's POV

I was seated comfortably on the couch in between Claire and her sister in law Lexi. Claire had moved farther down the couch to speak to her sister Ashlee who sat in an adjacent armchair. The two spoke in hushed tones exchanging smiles here and there. It was nice to see Claire back with her family. I felt a pang of guilt in my chest for keeping her away from them for so long.

I heard a small giggle besides me, disrupting my train of thought. Little baby Jenna looked up at me with sparkling hazel eyes. A smile graced my lips as I turned to the baby and her mother.

"Hello, Jenna." I said softly. "No I don't have mammary glands. You have your mother for that."

Lexi let out a small chuckle. "What?"

"I speak baby." I said casually.

She let out another quiet laugh before offering me to hold the small infant. I took her gingerly into my arms and made funny faces at her, making Jenna giggle softly. The scene reminded me a lot of Sophie, Craig and Alphie (Stormageddon Dark Lord of All). I made a mental note to bring Claire to meet the happy family once we settled everything with the Ponds and the cubes. I glanced around the room noticing a few of the little devils strewn about the living room decorated with lights or small Santa's.

I gently handed Jenna back to her mother before quietly rising from the couch. I glanced at Claire. She was still talking to her sister, completely unaware that I had left the couch. Quietly, I exited the living room and walked out into the small foyer. I made my way down the hallway towards the kitchen, examining the family photos decorating the wall. A small smile graced my lips as I studied a picture of Ashlee and Spencer as toddlers holding a little baby Claire in their lap.

"Beautiful children."

I jumped at the sudden company of Claire's grandmother who stood beside me. She was a short woman with light gray hair pulled back into a messy bun decorated with a sparkling poinsettia.

"Yes."

"You're different aren't you?" She asked suddenly, taking me completely off guard.

"We're all different from one another." I answered coolly.

"Yes, indeed we are. But you're different from us. Very different."

"What do you mean, different?" I pressed.

Her old brown eyes met my own ancient ones with an intimidating stare. "You aren't human. You're a Time Lord."

My eyes widened in surprise as a small smirk spread across the old woman's lips. "H- how?"

"Quit blubbering." She said with a hearty laugh. "I've always been able to sense when someone's not human. You could call it a gift."

"That's remarkable, but how did you know what species I am?"

"Easy. I've met one before. Fifty years ago a young woman appeared at my doorstep looking for a home for her daughter. I was immediately able to sense that she wasn't human, so I questioned her. She informed me of the war that was taking place on her home planet…. Oh what was it called?"

"Gallifrey." I choked.

"Yes, Gallifrey. Well anyways I told her that I would love to take the poor girl in, but I was having enough trouble trying to feed my own children. My youngest was sick at the moment, poor Lea died that winter; the fever took her."

"I'm so sorry."

"No need to grieve over the past anymore. Anyways, I pointed the woman in the direction of the orphanage at the center of town. I'm not sure who adopted the child or where she is now, but I know that she's out there somewhere. As for the woman, I never saw her again."

"I didn't expect you to." I answered gravely.
"Dinner's ready!" Claire's mother called from the kitchen.

Claire's POV

I met up with the Doctor again in the dinning room, taking a seat beside him and my grandfather. My grandmother led grace before we settled down into our meal. A light chatter filled the room before Ashlee's husband Richard cleared his throat rather loudly. I groaned inwardly afraid of what kind of subject the bastard was going to bring up.

"So Claire, I understand that you've been away for quite a while." He started.

"Yes, I have. I've been traveling the world with the Doctor." I answered coolly.

"Oh, and you abandoned your 'studies' to go exploring with a stranger. And I thought you wanted to attend art school. Clearly it didn't tickle your fancy like you thought it would." I opened my mouth to speak, but the jerk kept on going. "I knew you wouldn't find a job in the art field. A complete waste of time and money."

I slammed my hand down on the table in anger causing the room to fall silent. "I loved art school and I will still continue to pursue my art! I just happened to come across a once in a lifetime opportunity that I was not going to give up. And because I decided to follow that path, I ended up making life long friends as well as finding more confidence in myself. Now if you can't seem to accept that then you can go fuck yourself, Dick, because it's my life and I'm the one in charge of it." With that I rose from the table and exited the room. Hot angry tears were streaming down my face as I grabbed for my coat and headed for the front door.

"Claire, wait." I turned around and met a concerned Doctor standing in front of me.

I shook my head lightly before finally crumbling. The Doctor quickly wrapped me up in his strong arms, holding me close in a comforting embrace. "You were magnificent. You stood up for yourself, Claire. That's what makes you stronger. Don't let someone as low as him bring you down. I really hate to see you cry." He whispered kissing my hair softly. Slowly I began to calm down. I opened my eyes, my vision slightly disoriented by tears. Once I had blinked away the fog I noticed my grandmother walk into the room. A small smile graced her lips.

I wiped away my tears and let go of the Doctor before turning to her. "I think we're going to get going now. Tell everyone I said goodbye and that I'll be back soon. I promise to keep in touch more often this time."

"I know you will. Now go explore the universe with you're Time Lord. Don't lose him like I lost mine." I hugged her tightly before the Doctor and I left the house without a word.

I felt bad about not saying goodbye to the rest of my family, but I couldn't bring myself to be in the same room as my bastard brother in law. The Doctor unlocked the TARDIS and guided my inside. Once the door was shut I turned to him.

"How did my grandmother know about you?" I asked curiously.

"She's come in contact with a Time Lord before, well Time Lady, actually. She said that the Time Lady's child is still out there. She was brought to an orphanage fifty years ago and she hasn't heard about her since."

"So there are other's out there! You're not the last of your kind!" I wrapped the Doctor in yet another warm hug.

The Doctor kissed the top of my head again before pulling away. "You should get some sleep. You humans require more rest than I do."

"Goodnight." I said with a smile before leaving the room.

"Goodnight." The Doctor called back, before turning to the monitor and began typing furiously on the keys.