by Lionheart39
23:00 December 24th 2011
Kate Stewart sat alone in her office looking out over the river Thames. The boys were away with their paternal families this year. Kate had always insisted that Christmas day's would be split between her ex's and herself. After Mum and Dad split up she remembered Dad had begged her mum for the chance to have a few hours with Kate on Christmas Eve. But the monsters that no one believed in, and Dad couldn't tell anyone about, had ruined that.
Over the last few years, after reconnecting with her Dad she had spent Christmas Eve with him and Christmas Day with her Mum. Last Year they had spent Christmas Eve at the nursing home with Dad sharing a bottle of Whisky, playing Gin Rummy and swapping stories about the Doctor.
Kate poured herself a whisky and rubbing away the tears that were blurring her vision quietly whispered. "Merry Christmas Dad!"
Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart had died in February. She had visited his grave this afternoon, leaving flowers and a miniature bottle of Dewar's single Malt. But she hadn't had the heart to do anything special tonight. She just wanted to be alone!
Four things stood on Kate's desk, a bottle of whisky, a shot glass, a child's storybook she had found in an incident archive box, and a red dusty folder containing a UNIT incident report. Top Secret was stamped prominently on the cover and it was dated December 24th 1972.
Kate rubbed away a tear as she looked again at the book with it's yellowing pages. She had read the story for the first time earlier in the evening and it's meaning had shattered her legendary self control.
She heard the door of her office open.
"Kate Stewart, what are you doing here all alone, it's Christmas Eve you know!"
A bleak smile just touched Kate's lips, but she didn't look at the visitor.
"Just remembering, Doctor," Kate said in a voice that caught with emotion, "just remembering." Her voice trailed off.
There was an awkward pause.
"Yes, of course ... sorry Kate, I suspect this must be your worst Christmas ever, your first without your Dad!"
Kate shook her head and a her breathing hitched.
"No, Doctor," she pointed to the file on her desk, "that was the first of a long line of Christmas's without my Dad!" Kate said brokenly.
The Doctor saw the date on the file and winced.
With that the flood of tears Kate had been fighting back all day overcame her self control and Kate found herself unable to stop them.
"And ...the worst part of it all," she spluttered, unable to control her voice, "is there was no need for it.. if , if .. Mum had known ... then she maybe would have understood.. and let me see Dad! Because he didn't let me down for no good reason! There wasn't anything else he could have done!"
The Doctor dropped to his knees and enfolded the daughter of his oldest and dearest friend in his arms.
16.05 December 24th 1972.
"You sure you've got enough gifts there old man?" The Doctor asked eyeing the mound of brightly wrapped presents that were covering the Brigadier's desk with amusement.
This was a side of his friend he very rarely saw. The cool, efficient Brigadier, who barely betrayed any emotion seemed to be filled with an inner glow of joy.
The Doctor picked up a large story book, that hadn't been wrapped.
"You've forgotten to wrap this one!" he said amusement in his voice.
"Arrr, well, that's not really a gift for Katie, it's more than that! I'm going to read it to her tonight!"
As the outer door of the office opened the Doctor flicked through the book reading the story in that Timelord way.
It was the story of a little girl who missed her father, but not as much as her father missed her. And how every night they both stared at the moon and said Goodnight to each other, sending their love across the miles between them.
Sargent Benton was in the radio room when the call came in. Carol Bell was manning the radio, as
it was a skeleton crew on duty tonight. The Brig was going to be out for the evening so Bell was taking her turn on the radio.
"Right Sir, but you are sure It's a job for UNIT?"
John Benton raised an eyebrow, Carol wasn't one to question offices.
"No, Sir, Sorry Sir, I was just clarifying the facts, Sir!"
Benton Looked over Bell's shoulder and grimaced seeing the note she was writing.
"Yes Sir! The duty officer will call you back on route!"
She handed the note to Benton and sighed sadly. "Why couldn't they just have waited another few hours?" the corporal murmured.
With a sinking heart Benton knocked on the Brigadier's office door. Inside he could see his commanding officer, already in his sheepskin coat and flat cap, stood with his arms outstretched while a grinning Doctor was stacking a pile of presents in them.
At Benton's knock both men looked up. And seeing the expression on the Sargent's face both men's good humour vanished.
"What is it Sargent?" the Brigadier asked efficiently. His professional manner barely hiding his dissapointment.
"Whatever it is I imagine, Mr Benton, Mike and I can handle it, for an hour or two at least! No reason for you not to get off and see your daughter! Isn't that right Sargent?" The Doctor stated willing the Sargent to agree.
The look on Benton's face said it all.
Fiona Lethbridge-Stewart answered the phone quickly, "That'll just be grandma!" she told the six year old, who flashed her a painful look from her post at the livingroom window. "She'll just be letting us know what time they will be arriving in the morning!"
"Please God, please don't let it be Alistair." she muttered to herself.
The Doctor put a consoling hand on his friends shoulder. The vitriolic accusations from his wife and the sobbing cries from his daughter had wounded the Brigadier deeply.
"As soon as we get these three rogue Autons sorted I'll take you in Bessie to see Katie. I promise old man, you'll get to read her that story!"
"Benton, help me get these parcels into Bessie, while the Brigadier changes into his uniform. Oh, and Benton don't forget the story book!"
December 24th 2011
Kate smiled at the Doctor in a pained way then explained about losing contact with her father.
"Dad was supposed to be coming to spend Christmas Eve with me. Mum was going next-door to Jackies. But, Dad didn't turn up. And because I was so upset and it ruined Christmas for all the family, Mum and I went to stay with her parents on boxing day." Kate sniffed. "Mum didn't speak
to Dad again for years, and neither did I!" Kate said in a ragged breath.
The Doctor knew all about why his friend hadn't been able to see his daughter and why his promise to get the man there to read the story hadn't happened. And he felt very guilty about that.
The Doctor stood up decisively and fiddled with his bow tie.
"I just need to pop to the TARDIS, I'll just be a tick, there's something I forgot to do!"
January 12th 1973
Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart was sat on the couch in his apartment, he once again read the scathing letter from his ex wife. On the coffee table next to the pile of unopened presents, and a story book, was a solicitor's letter, that officially severed his right to see his daughter.
He was no longer allowed to contact Fiona, or Kate, except through the solicitors.
The other letter on the table was confirming the award of the Victoria Cross. This most prestigious medal had been awarded to him for saving a bus full of children, who returning from the pantomime, had been caught up in the cross fire of the Auton incident.
It in no way mitigated the ache in Alistair's heart, an ache that was more painful then the head wound that even now was only just healing.
Alistair put his head in his hands and he closed his eyes willing these last few weeks to have just been a nightmare he could wake up from.
The wheezing grinding sound coming from his bedroom was as surprising as it was concerning.
He got to the room in time to see the Doctor's blue box materialize in the far corner. That was all he needed. The Doctor had got his box fixed and now he'd be leaving too, someone else deserting him.
The door burst open and a tall young man in tweeds and a bow tie stepped out of the TARDIS beaming a wonderful smile.
"Brigadier! Excellent, we haven't got a moment to lose!"
Alistair blinked, what the hell had happened? Why had the Doctor changed again?
25th December 1972
Fiona took a deep breath as she stepped into Kate's room. The tears and tantrums from last night had at least stopped. Finally, at about 1.00 am hiccupping sobs had died down to exhausted sleep.
Now Fiona was preparing for what she expected her daughters first question to be.
Kate Opened her eyes and smiled up at Fiona.
"Happy Christmas Mummy!" she said smiling and giving Fiona a small package wrapped in gold paper!
"I'm sorry darling, but Daddy isn't here!" She said in trepidation.
Kate just smiled.
"I know Mummy, he had to go back to work, but he brought me my presents last night and read me a lovely story. And I gave him lots of kisses for Christmas. I kissed his head better too.
Fiona was confused and annoyed!
When had Alistair arrived! This wasn't his home any longer. He had no right to come and go whenever he wanted. In fact she had got a locksmith to changed the locks, so how had he got in.
As the excitement of the day wore on Fiona stewed more on Alistair's gall at firstly letting Kate down, then breaking in and disturbing Kate's sleep. There were limits and Alistair had gone way past them. As her parents and Kate played Operation, Fiona headed for the near by base.
Expecting to be stopped at the gate she was surprised when the young sentry recognising her gave her a sympathetic look and let her through.
She exited her car at the main door and saw Sargent Benton.
"Err, Mrs Lethbridge-Stewart, sorry I wasn't aware you were coming. This way Ma'am."
Confused Fiona was being led away from the office complex towards the infirmary. Then she remembered Kate saying she had kissed her Daddy's head better.
The Sargent led her to an office where a white coated Doctor, a young Captain and a man in a red velvet jacket were stood looking at the x-ray of a skull. At a polite cough from the Sargent all three turned to face them.
"Mrs Lethbridge-Stewart, Sir" he said addressing the officer.
All three men looked at each other confused. "I'm sorry Ma'am, " the white coated man said, "I was unaware that you had been contacted!"
"That could be because I haven't been contacted. I just came to ask my husband why he thought it was acceptable to break into my home and wake our daughter up in the early hours of the morning, without my consent!"
"I beg your pardon, did you say you saw the Brigadier at your house this morning? At what time was that?"
"Not me, our daughter saw him. As for the time I went to bed around 2am so some time after that!"
All three men were looking at her as if she was insane.
"I assure you Ma'am the Brigadier wasn't in your home anytime after 2am. He was admitted to the infirmary at 00.47 and he has been unconscious the whole time. At 2.30 he underwent surgery that lasted just over two hours to remove a build up of pressure on the brain!"
The woman had gone white.
"But, that can't be correct, there are presents from Alistair in my daughters room and a book about wishing on the moon or some such nonsense!"
The Doctor blinked and looked at the woman totally perplexed.
"But that can't be, the Brigadier was hurt in a.."
"Terrorist blast, Yates added quickly. He rescued some children and was injured getting them to safety."
"Well, I don't know what this is all about, but I can assure you my husband has been at my house. I don't know why he got you concocting this silly story, because there is definitely a pile of presents and a book in my daughters bedroom that weren't there yesterday. And if I got the police involved I'm sure they would find his finger prints on them!" She said indignantly. "So stop this nonsense and take me to Alistair!" She demanded.
As they passed through the ward several soldiers lay recovering, most had loved ones sitting beside their beds.
As they reached a separate room Fiona stopped in horror.
The man on the bed was clearly seriously injured, he had monitors all around, a drip in one arm and a nurse monitoring him continuously.
"Alistair," she murmured quietly.
She was confused and now frightened as well, but she went up to the bed to take her husband's hand.
The Doctor and Benton went out to check Bessie, there wasn't any sign of the presents or the book in the car.
"But Doc, how..? How? It's impossible! He's been in the infirmary the whole night!"
"I know Sargent, I was sat next to him for most of it. More to the point how did they get those gifts out of Bessie? The alarm Is still on, but the presents are gone!"
A confused Doctor ran the Brigadier's wife back home as the woman was in mild shock.
After talking with Katie and seeing all the lovely presents from her Dad and flicking through the familiar story book, he stood outside the house with an equally confused Fiona Lethbridge-Stewart.
"But how?" The woman asked.
After a long pause the Doctor said "Well it is Christmas! Isn't it supposed to be a time of miracles in your tradition? Maybe someone thought Alistair deserved to get his greatest wish, to spend Christmas Eve with the person he loves most in the world!"
Fiona shook her head. I'll never understand what it is that Alistair does!
23:00 December 24th 2011
Kate Stewart sat alone in her office looking out over the river Thames. The boys were away with their paternal families. Kate had always insisted that Christmas holidays would be split between her ex's and herself. After Mum and Dad split up she remembered Dad had begged her mum for the chance to have a few hours with Kate on Christmas Eve.
Those evenings with her Dad had been magical. Even last year when they had spent Christmas Eve at the nursing home sharing a bottle of Whisky, playing Gin Rummy and swapping stories about the Doctor.
Kate pored herself a whisky and rubbing away the tears that were blurring her vision quietly whispered. "Merry Christmas Dad!"
Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart had died in February. She had visited his grave this afternoon leaving flowers and a miniature bottle of Dewar's single Malt. But she hadn't had the heart to do anything special tonight. She just wanted to be alone!
On Kate's desk, a bottle of whisky, a shot glass, and a well read child's storybook.
Kate rubbed away a tear as she looked again at the book with it's yellowing pages. Dad had always read it to her on Christmas Eve. He had even read it to her last year. Kate had tried reading it several time tonight but every-time her eyes just filled with tears
She heard the door of her office open.
"Kate Stewart, what are you doing here all alone, it's Christmas Eve you know!"
A bleak smile just touched Kate's lips, but she didn't look up at the visitor.
"Just remembering, Doctor," Kate said in a voice that caught with emotion, "just remembering." Her voice trailed off.
There was an awkward pause.
"Yes, of course ... sorry Kate, I suspect this must be your worst Christmas ever, your first without your Dad!"
Kate nodded her head and a her breathing hitched, but she managed a sad smiled while looking at the book on her desk.
She poured the Doctor a drink and pushed it towards him.
He reached over and picked up the book.
"Would you like me to read this to you?"
With tears running down her face Kate nodded!