I love this story in general, so to see the Doctor do a take on this was just incredible. I love Kazran's story, and even though it was not the best photoshop I've ever done, I think it looks pretty good. :)

In this chapter, just how well does the Doctor do when Jessie's not at his side to calm him down? And what will happen to Abigail in the end since Jessie's an Asgardian?

Enjoy "A Christmas Carol!"

***

The Doctor fell down the chimney and landed with a crash, soot flying everywhere. He shook his head. "Ah, yes, blimey!" he grinned at the mass of people inside the living room. "Sorry, Christmas Eve, on a rooftop, saw a chimney, my whole brain just went 'what the hell!'" He was babbling again, and he knew it. But he couldn't help it. Jessie had insisted on staying on the starliner to help with panic . . . and that added to his panic. He didn't like her being so far from him, and he didn't like thinking about her dying, either. That meant he died, too. Well, didn't that just add adrenaline to things? And an added boost of squeaky bum time. "Don't worry, fat fellow will be doing the rounds later," he added, brushing himself off and walking over. "I'm just scooping out the general chimney-ness. Yes, nice size, good traction, big tick."

"Fat fellow?" one of the men echoed.

"Father Christmas," the Doctor nodded. "Santa Claus. Or, as I've always known him, Jeff."

The little boy eyed him. "There's no such person as Father Christmas."

"Oh, yeah?" The Doctor whipped out a black and white photograph. "Me, Jez, and Father Christmas, Frank Sinatra's hunting lodge, 1952. See him at the back with the blonde? Albert Einstein. The four of us together? Brrm. Watch out. OK? Keep the faith. Stay off the naughty list."

The Doctor turned to the organ-like device in the corner. "Ooo," he grinned. "Now, what's this, then? I love this! A big flashy lighty thing. That's what brought me here. Big flashy lighty things hae got me written all over them. Not actually, but give me time, and a crayon."

"No more crayons for you," Jessie warned.

"Well, maybe not a crayon," he admitted. "But this big flashy lighty thing is connected to the spire in your dome, yeah? And it controls the sky. Well, technically, it controls the clouds, which technically aren't clouds at all. Well, they're clouds of tiny particles of ice. Ice clouds. Love that." He then inspected the cryochamber the family was by. "Who's she?" he asked, looking at the young woman inside.

"Nobody important," the old man, Kazran Sardick, answered.

"Nobody important?" the Doctor repeated. "Blimey, that's amazing. Do you know, in nine hundred years of time and space, I've never met anyone who wasn't important before." He went back to the device. "Now, this console is the key to saving that ship, or I'll eat my hat . . . if I had a hat. I'll eat someone's hat. Not someone who's using their hat. I don't want to shock a nun, or something."

"Breathe, Doctor," Jessie soothed. "We're just fine."

"Sorry," he shook his head, ready to punch the controls angrily. "Rambling, because this isn't working!"

"The controls are isomorphic," Kazran said, shaking his head and walking over. "One to one. They respond only to me."

"Oh, you fibber," the Doctor snorted. "Isomorphic. There's no such thing." Kazran just turned the machine off, then on again. The Doctor glared and finally did a scan with the sonic screwdriver, then shook his head at the result. "These controls are isomorphic."

"The skies of this entire world are mine," Kazran said smugly. "My family tamed them, and now I own them."

"Tamed the sky? What does that mean?"

"It means I'm Kazran Sardick," he shrugged. "How can you possibly not know who I am?"

"Well, just easily bored, I suppose," the Doctor shrugged right back. "So I need your help, then."

"Make an appointment," he sneered.

The Doctor glared. "There are four thousand and four people in a spaceship trapped in your cloud belt. Without your help, they're going to die."

"Yes."

The Doctor stared at him, shocked. "You don't have to let that happen!"

"I know, but I'm going to. Bye bye. Bored now. Chuck!"

The Doctor simply phased through a servant's grip - he was getting quite good at that now - and stormed over to Kazran as he sat in a tall arm chair. "Ooo, look at you, getting all showy now," Kazran said sarcastically.

"There are four thousand and four people I won't allow to die tonight," the Doctor hissed angrily. "Do you know where that puts you?"

"Where?"

"Four thousand and five." Or four thousand and two, if he got Jessie, Amy, and Rory off.

"Was that a sort of threaty thing?"

"Whatever happens tonight, remember you brought it on yourself," the Doctor warned.

"Yeah, yeah, right," Kazran snorted. "Get him out of here! And next time, try and find me some funny poor people."

As they were bustled out, the little boy threw a piece of coal at Kazran. Furious, the man charged over, raising a hand to hit him. "No, stop!" the Doctor shouted. "Don't!"

"Don't you dare!" the boy's father warned. "You leave him!"

Kazran hesitated, then spat, "Get him out of here! Get that foul-smelling family out of here! Out!"

"We're going!" the boy protested as they headed out.

The Doctor watched them go, then turned to Kazran, who rolled his eyes, seeing him still there. "What?" Kazran grumbled. "What do you want?"

"A simple life," the Doctor answered. "But you didn't hit the boy."

"Well, I will next time."

"You see, you won't. Now why? What am I missing?"

Kazran glared. "Get out! Get out of this house!"

The Doctor looked around the room, trying to put himself in Jessie's place. He observed everything, then felt like hitting himself in the forehead. "The chairs," he muttered. "Of course! The chairs! Stupid me. The chairs!"

"The chairs?" Kazran repeated.

"There's a portrait on the wall behind me," the Doctor answered. "Looks like you, but it's too old, so it's your father. All the chairs are angled away from it. Daddy's been dead for twenty years, but you still can't get comfortable where he can see you. There's a Christmas tree in the painting, but none in this house on Christmas Eve. You're scared of him, and you're scared of being like him, and good for you. You're not like him. Not really. Do you know why?"

"Why?" Kazran challenged.

The Doctor raised an eyebrow. "Because you didn't hit the boy," he answered simply. "Merry Christmas, Mr. Sardick."

"I despise Christmas!" Kazran shouted as the Doctor turned to go.

"You shouldn't," he snorted. "It's very you."

"It's what?" Kazran asked. "What do you mean?"

"Halfway out of the dark," the Doctor shrugged as he left.

***

The Doctor leaned against the TARDIS, on the phone, hearing the crewmembers of the starliner in the background. "Have you got a plan yet?" Amy asked.

"Yes, I do," the Doctor lied.

"Are you lying?"

"Yes, he is!" Jessie shouted.

"Don't treat me like an idiot!" Amy accused.

"Was he lying?" Rory's voice came.

"Yes, he was!" Jessie answered.

"OK, the good news," the Doctor broke in. "I've tracked the machine that unlocks the cloud belt. I could use it to clear you a flight corridor, and you could land easily."

"Oh, hey!" Amy said happily. "Hey, that's great news!"

"Bad news?" Jessie asked.

"But I can't control the machine," the Doctor cringed.

" . . . less great," Amy grumbled.

"But I've met a man who can."

"Ah, well, there you go!"

"And he hates me."

"Dear, were you being extra charming and clever again?" Jessie asked.

"Yeah . . . how did you know?"

"I know you."

"Sir?" The Doctor turned to see the man from inside tapping his shoulder. "Sir?"

"Hang on," the Doctor told the three, turning to the man.

"I've never seen anybody stand up to Mr. Sardick like that," he said with a smile. "Bless you, sir, and Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas," the Doctor smiled distractedly. "Lovely. Sorry. Bit busy."

"You'd better get inside, sir. The fog's thick tonight, and there's a fish warning."

"All right, yeah," the Doctor nodded, turning, before turning back. "Sorry . . . fish?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "You know what they're like when they get a bit hungry."

"Yeah . . . fish. I know fish. Fish?"

"It's all Mr. Sardick's fault, I reckon. He always lets a few fish through the cloud layer when he's in a bad mood. Thank you. Bless you once again, sir."

"Fish?" the Doctor repeated in confusion.

"Doctor, the captain says we've got less than an hour," Amy said. "What should we be doing?"

The Doctor was about to answer when he saw a few small fish swimming around one of the lights. "Fish," he repeated.

"Sorry, what?"

"Fish that can swim in fog." He grinned. "I love new planets."

"Doctor? Doctor, please don't get distracted!"

"Now, why would people be frightened of you tiny little fellows?" the Doctor asked as the fish nibbled at his fingertips. "Look at you, sweet little fishy-wishies. Mind you, fish in the fog, so the cloud cover . . . ooo. Be careful up there!"

"Great, thanks!" Jessie shouted. "There was a real danger we were all going to nod off! We've got less than an hour!"

The Doctor jumped. "I know!"

"Doctor?" Amy asked. "How are you getting us off here?"

"Oh, just give me a minute!" the Doctor shouted. "Can't use the TARDIS, because it can't lock on. Jez got on because of the Vortex. So, that ship needs to land. But it can't land unless a very bad man suddenly decides to turn nice just in time for Christmas Day."

"Doctor, I can't hear you. What is that? Is that singing?"

"A Christmas carol," the Doctor brushed off before pausing, his eyes widening.

"A what?"

"A Christmas carol," he repeated thoughtfully.

"A what?"

"A Christmas Carol!" the Doctor cheered.

"Doctor?"

"Kazran Sardick," the Doctor chuckled. "Merry Christmas, Kazran Sardick!"

***

The Doctor watched as Kazran watched the video of him and his father when he was younger, then walked up and put a hand on his shoulder. Kazran gasped and flinched. "It's OK," the Doctor said. "It's OK."

"What have you done?" Kazran snapped. "What is this?"

"Found it on an old drive," the Doctor shrugged. "Sorry about the picture quality. Had to recover the data using quantum enfolding and a paperclip." Kazran raised a hand. "Oh, I wouldn't bother calling your servants. They quit. Apparently, they won the lottery at exactly the same time, which is a bit lucky when you think about it."

"There isn't a lottery."

"Yeah. As I say. Lucky."

Kazran stared at him. "Who are you?"

He smiled. "Tonight, I'm a Ghost of Christmas Past." He looked back at the reel. "Did you ever get to see a fish, back then when you were a kid?"

"What does that matter to you?"

The Doctor nodded as the younger Kazran cried. "Look how it mattered to you."

Kazran slumped. "I cried all night, and I learned life's most invaluable lesson."

"Ah?" The Doctor raised an eyebrow. "Which is?"

"Nobody comes!" Kazran snapped. "Get out! Get out of my house!"

"OK, OK," the Doctor held up his hands, heading for the back door. "But I'll be back. Way back. Way, way back."

***

The TARDIS rematerialized right outside younger Kazran's window, and the Doctor jumped in through said window. "See?" he grinned. "Back!"

"Who are you?" younger Kazran gaped.

"Hi," he grinned. "I'm the Doctor. I'm your new babysitter."

"Where's Mrs. Mantovani?"

"Oh, you'll never guess. Clever old Mrs. Manters, she only went and won the lottery!"

"There isn't any lottery."

"I know," he smirked. "What a woman!"

"I'm still in your head, love," Jessie warned.

"Oh, I like that endearment."

"If you're my babysitter, why are you climbing in the window?" Kazran asked.

"Because if I was climbing out of the window, I'd be going in the wrong direction," the Doctor rolled his eyes. "Pay attention!"

"But Mrs. Mantovani's always my babysitter!"

"Times change." He eyed the camera recording. "Wouldn't you say? You see? Christmas Past."

"Who are you talking to?" Kazran asked.

"You," the Doctor patted his head. "Now, your past is going to change. That means your memories will, too. Bit scary, but you'll get the hang of it."

"I don't understand."

"I'll bet you don't." The Doctor grinned. "I wish I could see your face! Right, then, your old bedroom. Great! Let's see." He checked the cupboards. "You're twelve years old, so we'll stay away from the bed. Cupboard! Great big cupboard. I love a cupboard. Do you know, there's a thing called a face spider? It's just like a tiny baby's head with spider legs, and it's specifically evolved to scuttle up the backs of bedroom cupboards - "

"Ahem."

The Doctor blinked, turning to see Kazran had paled considerably. "Which, yeah, I probably shouldn't have mentioned," he admitted. "Right. So, what are we going to do? Eat crisps and talk about girls? I've never actually done that, but I bet it's easy. I've got so much to say about one of mine. Girls? Yeah?"

"Are you really a babysitter?" Kazran asked suspiciously.

"I think you'll find I'm universally recognized as a mature and responsible adult," the Doctor sniffed, showing the psychic paper.

"Liar!" Jessie sang.

Kazran blinked. "It's just a lot of wavy lines."

The Doctor blinked and looked the psychic paper. "Yeah, it's shorted out," he sighed. "Finally. A lie too big. OK, no, not really a babysitter, but it's Christmas Eve. You don't want a real one. You want me."

"Why? What's so special about you?"

"Have you ever seen Mary Poppins?"

"No."

"Good, because that comparison would've been rubbish. Fish in the fog. Fish in the clouds. How do people ever get bored? How did boredom even get invented?"

"My dad's invented a machine to control the cloud belt," Kazran answered. "Tame the sky, he says. The fish'll be able to come down, but only when we let them. We can charge whatever we like."

"Yeah, I've seen your dad's machine."

"What?" Kazran stared. "You can't have!"

"Tame the sky," the Doctor sighed. "Human beings. You always manage to find the boring alternative, don't you? You want to see one? A fish. We can do that. We can see a fish."

"Aren't you going to tell me it's dangerous?" Kazran asked.

"Dangerous?" the Doctor huffed. "Come on. We're boys! And you know what boys say in the face of danger?"

"What?"

"Mummy."

"Are you my mummy?" Jessie asked innocently.

"Oh . . . I fell right into that."

"Yes, you did."

***

Later, as they were stuck in the cupboard, Kazran looked around nervously. "Are there any face spiders in here?"

"Nah," the Doctor shook his head. "Not at this time of night." Kazran sighed in relief. "They'll all be sleeping in your mattress."

"Kasterborous!"

He quickly turned the conversation away. "So why are you so interested in fish?"

"Because they're scary."

"Good answer."

"What kind of tie is that?"

The Doctor looked at his bow tie. "A cool one."

"Why is it cool?"

"Why are you really interested in fish?" the Doctor countered.

Kazran sighed. "My school. During the last fog belt, the nets broke, and there was an attack. Loads of them. A whole shoal. No one was hurt, but it was the most fish ever seen below the mountains."

"Were you scared?"

"I wasn't there. I was off sick."

"Ooo, lucky you." He paused. "Not so lucky," he said, moving his finger up and down so the string would move the sonic screwdriver that hung from the string.

"It's all anyone ever talks about now. The day the fish came. Everyone's got a story."

"But you don't." He raised an eyebrow at the camera. "I see."

"Why are you recording this?"

"Do you pay attention at school, Kazran?"

"Sorry, what?"

"Because you're not paying attention now." He pointed at the string, where it was obvious something was tugging at it. "Shush."

"Doctor, are you sure?"

"Trust me."

"OK."

"Oi! Eyes on the tie. Look at me. I wear it, and I don't care. Trust me."

Kazran looked at him and nodded. "Yes."

"That's why it's cool," he smirked. He went out the door and up to his sonic screwdriver, where a little fish was investigating his sonic screwdriver. "Hello, fishy," he smiled. "Let's see. Crystalline fog, eh? Maybe carrying a tiny electrical charge. Is that how you fly, little fishy?"

"What is it?" Kazran asked from the cupboard. "What kind? Can I see?"

"Just stay there a moment."

"Is it big?"

"Nah. Just a little one. So, little fellow, what do you eat?"

A shark suddenly swooped into the room and gobbled the fish and the screwdriver in one bite. The Doctor's eyes widened in shock. "How little?" Kazran called.

"Er . . . "

"Can I come out?"

"No, no!" he shouted, backing up. "Maybe just wait there for a moment."

"What color is it?"

"Big! Big color!"

Kazran looked at the Doctor as he went in and hurriedly closed the door behind him. "What's happening?" he asked.

"Well, concentrating on the plusses," the Doctor stammered, "you've definitely got a story of your own now. Also, I got a good look at the fish, and I think I understand how the fog works, which is going to help me land a spaceship in the future and save a lot of lives. And I bet I get some very interesting readings off my sonic screwdriver . . . when I get it back from the shark in your bedroom."

Kazran stared. "There's a shark in my bedroom?"

"Oh, fine, focus on that part!"

Something rammed against the door, then it was quiet. "Has it gone?" Kazran asked nervously. "What's it doing?"

"What do you call it if you don't have any feet and you're taking a run-up?"

The shark banged through the door, and its mouth was wedged open. "It's going to eat us!" Kazran gasped. "It's going to eat us! It's going to eat us!" He paused. "Is it going to eat us?"

"Well, maybe we're going to eat it, but I don't like the odds," the Doctor shook his head. "It's stuck, though. Let's see . . . tiny shark brain. If I had my screwdriver, I could probably send a pulse and stun it."

"Well, where's your screwdriver?"

"Well . . . concentrating on the plusses, within reach. You know, there's a real chance the way it's wedged in the doorway is keeping its mouth open."

"There is?"

"Just agree with me, because I've only got two goes, and then it's your turn."

"Two goes?"

"Two arms. Right, then." He rubbed his hands together. "Geronimo. Open wide!"

***

"What's the big fishy done to you?" the Doctor sighed as he examined half of the screwdriver, Kazran examining the shark at his feet worriedly. "Swallowed half of you. That's what. Half a screwdriver. What use is that? Bad, big fishy."

"Doctor?" Kazran asked. "I think she's dying."

"Half my screwdriver's still inside, but yeah, I think so. I doubt they can survive long outside the cloud belt. Just quick raiding trips on a foggy night."

"Can't we get it back up there? We were just going to stun it. I didn't want to kill it!"

"She was trying to eat you."

"She was hungry."

The Doctor sighed. "I'm sorry, Kazran. I can't save her. I could take her back up there, but she'd never survive the trip. We need a fully functioning life-support."

Kazran perked up. "You mean like an icebox? OK!"

***

"What is this?" the Doctor asked as they approached a vault area.

"The surplus population. That's what my dad calls it." He tried to turn the wheel to open the door, but he shook his head. "Oh, it's not turning. Oh, why won't it turn?"

The Doctor looked at the keypad. "Ah. What's the number?"

"I don't know!"

"This place is full of alarms," the Doctor fumed. "It's not just the door. I need the number! I need the number!"

"I'm not allowed to know until I'm older!"

***

When the Doctor took the TARDIS back to the future, he found the older Kazran shouting at the projection. "Seven two five eight!"

"Just what I was after," the Doctor grinned, giving thumbs up when Kazran spun to him. "Thank you!"

***

He went back to the vault and entered the number. "Seven two five eight. Seven two five eight!" He looked around to see a few fish swarming. "Ah. There's fish down here, too."

"Yeah, but only tiny ones," Kazran nodded. "The house is built on a fog lake. That's how Dad freezes the people. They're all full, but we could borrow one." He stopped by one. "Yeah, this one."

The Doctor looked through the porthole to see who was inside, and he smiled slightly, recognizing the young woman. "Hello again."

"You know her?" Kazran asked.

"Why her? Important, is she?"

"She won't mind. She loves the fish."

Kazran started a recording, and the Doctor watched the woman speak. "My name is Abigail Pettigrew, and I'm very grateful for Mr. Sardick's kindness. My father - "

"She starts to talk about the fish in a minute," Kazran added.

"But I would not allow it. I could not have chosen this path were it not for the compassion and generosity of the great philanthropist and patron of the poor, Mr. Elliot Sardick. But I'm also surrounded by the fish, the beautiful, iridescent, magical fish."

The Doctor looked around. "Why are these people here? What's all this for?"

"My dad lends money. He always takes a family member as, he calls it, security."

"Hard man to love, your dad," he remarked. "But I suppose you know that."

"Nature," Abigail said. "I am not alone, and I am at peace."

The Doctor watched the recording end, then looked down at his half of the screwdriver when it started beeping. "What's wrong?" Kazran asked.

"Just my half a screwdriver trying to repair itself," he shrugged. "It's signaling the other half."

Kazran stared. "The other half's inside the shark."

"Yeah? Sounds like she's woken up. OK . . . so it's homing on the screwdriver."

The shark burst into the room, and Kazran ran off to hide. The Doctor quickly opened the cryochamber and looked around for the shark. Abigail stepped out and took one look at the shark before smiling and started to sing. "In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan," she sang, and the shark started to calm down. "Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone." The fish swam over and laid on the ground, and Abigail sank to her knees, stroking it softly. "Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow. In the bleak midwinter long ago."

The Doctor joined Kazran. "It's not really the singing, of course," he said.

"Yes, it is."

"Nah."

"The fish love the singing. It's true."

"Nah," the Doctor shook his head. "The notes resonate in the ice crystals, causing a delta wave pattern in the fog - ow!" He slapped the back of his neck. "A fish bit me!"

"Shut up, then," Kazran said innocently.

The Doctor's eyes widened. "Of course! That's how the machine controls the cloud belt! The clouds are ice crystals! If you vibrate the crystals at exactly the right frequency, you could align them into - ow!" He spun around. "Why do they keep biting me?"

"Look, the fish like the singing, OK?" Kazran snapped. "Now shut up."

"OK," he relented.

***

"It's bigger on the inside!" Kazran gaped as they looked inside the TARDIS.

"Yeah, it's the color," the Doctor nodded, letting Kazran and Abigail inside as he pulled the cryochamber inside. "Really knocks the walls back. Shark in a box to go!"

***

"This is amazing!" Abigail gushed as they looked out of the doors at the cloud belt.

"Come on, then," the Doctor smiled. "Let's get this shark out."

Working together, they let the shark out of the cryochamber, and she swam out into the clouds. "Hey, look at her go!" Kazran beamed.

The Doctor was about to close the door when he saw the dials on it: 000 008. "Abigail, this number," he said. "What does it mean?"

"It pertains to me, sir," Abigail said. "Not the fish."

"Yeah, but how?"

Abigail swallowed. "You are a doctor, you say? Are you one of mine?"

"Do you need a doctor?" Something dinged. "Ah! Sorry. Time's up, kids."

"Why?" Kazran complained.

"It's nearly Christmas Day!"

***

"If you should ever wish to visit again," Abigail told the Doctor as she stepped into her cryochamber.

"Well, you know, if I'm ever in the neighborhood," the Doctor began.

"He comes every Christmas Eve," Kazran interrupted.

The Doctor blinked. "What?"

"Yeah, he does! Every time! He promises!"

"No, I don't!"

Kazran just shut Abigail's cryochamber.

***

A year later for Kazran, the two of them opened the door, both wearing fur-trimmed Santa hats. "Merry Christmas!" they told Abigail.

"The Doctor's got a great plan!" Kazran said eagerly. "Wait till you hear!"

***

"You are out of your mind," Abigail declared as they looked at the carriage with nothing to pull it later. "This will never work!"

"Oh, don't think shark," the Doctor shook his head, aiming his half of his sonic screwdriver at the sky. "Think dolphin."

"A shark isn't a dolphin."

"It's nearly a dolphin."

"No, it isn't."

"That's where you're wrong, because - "

"A shark isn't a dolphin, love," Jessie sighed.

The Doctor paused. "Shut up."

"It could be anywhere," Kazran sighed. "Will it really come?"

"No chance," the Doctor shook his head. "Completely impossible." He smiled, hearing a beeping sound. "Except at Christmas."

***

The three of them whooped in delight as the Doctor held the reins of the shark, the carriage swooping through the sky. "How are we going to get back?" Kazran asked.

"I don't know!" the Doctor answered.

"Do you have a plan?" Abigail asked.

"I don't know!"

***

"Best Christmas ever!" Abigail laughed as they returned to her cryochamber.

"Till the next one," Kazran smiled.

***

"Merry Christmas!" they cheered one year later.

"Doctor!" Abigail smiled. "Where to this time?"

"Did I mention, at any point, all of time and space?" the Doctor winked.

***

"Merry Christmas!" they chorused again a year later.

"Doctor!" Abigail beamed.

***

"Merry Christmas!" only the Doctor said a year later, Kazran not wanting to talk, long scarves around their necks.

"Doctor," Abigail smiled.

***

When Kazran was a young man, they returned again. "Merry Christmas!" they cheered.

Abigail's greeting was different this time. "Kazran!" she gasped as they headed to the TARDIS. "You've grown!"

"Yes," Kazran ducked his head.

"And now you're blushing."

"I'm sorry."

Abigail tilted his head up. "That's OK."

"So, Doctor, where this time?" Kazran asked.

"Pick a Christmas Eve," the Doctor smiled. "I've got them all right here."

"Might I make a request?" Abigail asked.

"Of course," he nodded.

Abigail swallowed. "This one."

***

"Who are they?" Kazran asked softly as Abigail stood outside the door of her family's house.

"Her family," the Doctor answered. "The lady's her sister. I met her once when she was older."

"Abigail's crying," Kazran noted.

"Yes."

"When girls are crying, are you supposed to talk to them?"

The Doctor smiled. "In my case, it does," he nodded.

Kazran went over to speak to Abigail, and the Doctor went in through the back. "Hello!" he greeted with a smile. "I've got a surprise for you."

"Who are you?" Isabella, Abigail's sister, blinked.

"I'm the Doctor," he smiled. "And I've brought Abigail."

At once, she brightened. "Oh, please, bring her in!" she begged.

The Doctor winked, then went to the closed curtains and opened them again. He smirked when he saw Abigail and Kazran whip to look at him. "Come in," he winked.

***

"Pick a card, any card at all," the Doctor told the young boy, Ben, holding a deck of cards out. The boy did. "You memorize the card, you put it back in the deck. Don't let me see it." He did his little trick, then held up a card. "The three of clubs."

"No," Ben shook his head.

The Doctor frowned. "You sure? Because I'm very good at card tricks."

"It wasn't the three of clubs."

"Well, of course it wasn't." He whipped out anther card. "Because it was the seven of diamonds!"

"No."

He frowned. "Oi! Stop it. You're doing it wrong."

"Tomorrow's Christmas dinner is cancelled, as my sister refuses to attend," Isabella announced suddenly, and they turned, surprised. Isabella just smiled. "Instead, we'll have it tonight."

***

"Best Christmas Eve ever," Abigail sighed as they returned.

"Ah," the Doctor smiled. "Till the next one."

"I look forward to it," Abigail smiled. "Now, I'd like to say good night to Kazran."

"Of course, yes." The Doctor nodded expectantly, but she looked at him. "Well, on you go." Abigail just gave him a pointed look. "Oh," he realized. "Oh! Yes, right. Sorry! I'll, er . . . I'll go, then. Good night." He whispered to Kazran. "Good luck." He backed up, waving. "Night! Good night!" He bumped into a cryochamber and jumped away. "Sorry," he apologized.

Kazran ran after the Doctor. "Doctor?" he asked. "I, er . . . I think she's going to kiss me."

The Doctor nodded. "Yeah. I think you're right."

"I've never kissed anyone before. What do I do?"

"Well, try and be all nervous and rubbish and a bit shaky."

"Why?"

"Because you're going to be like that anyway. Might as well make it part of the plan, then it'll feel on purpose. Off you go, then."

"What, now?" Kazran panicked. "I kiss her now?"

"Kazran, trust me," the Doctor clapped him on the shoulder. "It's this, or go to your room and design a new kind of screwdriver. Don't make my mistakes. Now, go."

"You made your sonic screwdriver because you didn't kiss someone?" Jessie asked incredulously. "Do I want to know?"

"No, you really don't."

***

The Doctor ran up to the pool at Hollywood, period 1952, to see Kazran and Abigail kissing. "Guys, we've really got to go quite quickly," he said, panicked. "Marilyn Monroe thinks I proposed to her and believes we're engaged. Believe me, we're not." He paused, seeing they were still snogging furiously. "How do you keep going like that? Do you breathe out your ears?" He looked around them. "Hello? Sorry, hello? Guys, she's phoned a chapel. There's a car outside. This is happening now."

"Yoohoo!" Marilyn called.

"Yoohoo!" he called back, cringing. "Right, fine, thank you. I"ll just go and try and hide before she finds me, shall I?"

He darted off before Marilyn could find him.

***

"There we go," the Doctor smiled as Kazran sealed Abigail away. "Another day, another Christmas Eve. I'll see you in a minute, eh? I mean, a year."

"Doctor?" Kazran interrupted, looking stony-faced. "Listen, why don't we leave it?"

The Doctor blinked. "Sorry, leave what?"

"Oh, you know . . . this. Every Christmas Eve. It's getting a bit old."

"Old?"

"Well, Christmas is for kids, isn't it? I've got some work with my dad now. I'm going to focus on that. Get that cloud belt under control."

The Doctor sighed. "Sorry. I didn't realize I was bothering you."

"Not your fault," Kazran shook his head. "Times change."

"Not as much as I'd hoped," he muttered. "Kazran. I'll be needing a new one, anyway. What the hell." He handed over his half of the sonic screwdriver. "Merry Christmas. And if you ever need me, just activate it. I'll hear you."

"I won't need you."

The Doctor scowled. "What's happened?" he asked. "What are you not telling me? What about Abigail?"

"I know where to find her."

The Doctor narrowed his eyes. "Yeah," he said slowly, going back into the TARDIS.

***

Back in the future, the older Kazran was hanging up a phone when a green-tinged hologram of Amy appeared. "Hello," she greeted.

"Who are you?" Kazran stared. "What are you doing here?"

"You didn't think this was over, did you?" she smirked. "I'm the Ghost of Christmas Present."

"A ghost?" Kazran repeated, looking her over. "Dressed like that?"

Amy was pushed out of the way, and Rory took her place. "Eyes off the skirt!" he ordered.

Amy pushed him back. "You turned into a Roman," Kazran said blankly.

"Yeah," Amy nodded. "Yeah, I do that. I also do this."

"Do what?" Kazran frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"Silent night," people started singing from the cryochamber. "Holy night." Kazran stood slowly and started heading that way, seeing many people singing. "All is calm, all is bright."

"They're holograms," Amy said, following behind. "Projections like me."

"Who are they?"

"The people on the ship up there. The ones that you're going to let die tonight."

"Why are they singing?"

"For their lives." Amy looked around the cryovault. "Which one's Abigail? The Doctor mentioned to the Bad Wolf - "

"Did he now?" Kazran asked bitterly.

"Ah, he does't hold back. You know the Doctor."

"How do I? I never met him before tonight, now I seem to have known him all my life. How? Why?"

"You're the only person who can let that ship land. Not even the Bad Wolf can do it, and I've seen her do amazing things with the air. He was trying to turn you into a nicer person, and he was trying to do it nicely."

"He's changed my past, my whole life!"

"Time can be rewritten."

"You tell the Doctor," Kazran sneered. "Tell him from me, people can't."

He stepped through the holograms and walked up to Abigail's cryochamber. "That's Abigail?" Amy asked.

"I would never have known her if the Doctor hadn't changed the course of my whole life to suit himself," Kazran muttered.

"Well, that's good, isn't it?"

"No."

"Why is she still in there? You could let her out any time."

"Oh, yes," he chuckled. "Any time at all. Any time I choose."

"Then why don't you?"

Kazran scowled. "This is what the Doctor did to me. Abigail was ill when she went into the ice, on the point of death. I suppose the rest in the ice helped her. But she's used up her time. All those Christmas Eves with me. I could release her any time I want, and she would live a single day. So tell me, Ghost of Christmas Present, how do I choose which day?"

"I'm sorry," Amy said honestly. "I really am. I'm very, very sorry. But you know what? She's got more time left than I have. More than anyone on this ship."

Kazran sneered. "Good."

Amy glared. "Widen the beam."

Suddenly, Kazran wasn't standing in the cryovault. "Status update on engine one!" the captain shouted.

Kazran looked around, stunned, at the crashing starliner cockpit. "How did I get here?"

"You didn't," an American voice answered, and Kazran turned as Jessie walked up to him. "You're the hologram now. Since you're going to let a lot of people die, how about you take a look around where it's all going to happen? Does a lot to a man, I've learned."

Kazran looked up at the screen to see the masses of people still singing. "The singing. What is it? I don't understand."

"It's the Doctor's idea," Rory answered. "The harmonies resonate in the ice crystals. That's why the fish like it. He thought maybe it would stabilize the ship. But it isn't working. It's not powerful enough."

"Why are still singing, then?"

"Because we haven't told them," the captain answered. "Sir, I understand you have a machine that controls this cloud layer. If you can release us from it, we still have time to make a landing. Nobody has to die."

Kazran gave her a look. "Everybody has to die."

"Not tonight," Jessie spoke up.

Kazran glared at her. "Tonight's as good as any other. How do you choose?"

Jessie looked at him sadly. "Doctor?"

"Yeah?" the Doctor's voice came, tinged with fury.

"Are you hearing this, love?"

"I can hear, sweetheart."

Kazran's eyes widened, more at the use of endearments than anything else. "He's here?" Kazran asked, looking around. "Doctor? Doctor!" he shouted as the starliner disappeared.

"I'm sorry," the Doctor apologized softly from behind. "I didn't realize."

"All my life, I've been called heartless," Kazran turned to him. "My other life, my real life, the one you rewrote. ow look at me!"

"Better a broken heart than no heart at all," the Doctor said coldly.

"Oh, try it," Kazran challenged. "You try it. Why are you here?"

"Oh, I've tried it," the Doctor narrowed his eyes. "I've been through it. Never want to again. That's why I'm still trying. I'm not finished with you yet. You've seen the past, the present, and now you need to see the future."

"Fine," Kazran held up his hands. "Do it! Show me! I'll die cold, alone, and afraid. Of course I will. We all do. What difference does showing me make? Do you know why I'm going to let those people die? It's not a plan. I don't get anything from it. It's just that I don't care! I'm not like you. I don't even want to be like you. I don't and never, ever will care."

"And I don't believe that."

"Then show me the future!" he shouted. "Prove me wrong!"

"I am showing it to you," the Doctor said quietly. "I'm showing it to you right now." He looked over Kazran's shoulder. "So, what do you think? Is this who you want to become, Kazran?"

Kazran turned slowly to see his younger self there, staring at him with wide eyes. "Dad?" younger Kazran asked quietly.

The older Kazran went to hit him, but the Doctor kept his eyes on him. Older Kazran paused before he started to cry. His younger self did, too, and he hugged the little boy. "I'm sorry," Older Kazran sobbed. "I'm so, so sorry. It's OK. Don't be frightened. "I'm - I'm so, so, so - "

"Kazran," the Doctor said. "We don't have much time."

***

"We good to go, then?" the Doctor asked as he walked up to the Kazrans at the device.

"The controls, they won't respond," older Kazran shook his head.

"Of course they will! They're isomorphic. They're tuned to your brainwaves. They'll only respond to you."

"They won't respond!" he insisted.

"That doesn't make sense! That's ridiculous! Why wouldn't - "

"Time can be rewritten," Jessie reminded him.

The Doctor paused, eyes wide. "Oh," he realized. "Oh. Of course! Stupid, stupid Doctor!"

"What's wrong?" older Kazran asked. "Tell me. What is it?"

"It's you," the Doctor answered. "It's you. I've changed you too much. The machine doesn't recognize you."

"But my father programmed it!"

"No. Your father would never have programmed it for the man you are now."

He swallowed. "Then what do we do?"

The Doctor shook his head, frustrated. "I don't know," he admitted. "I don't know."

"There must be something!" younger Kazran insisted.

Older Kazran's eyes widened. "This!" He pulled out the broken part of the sonic screwdriver. "You can use this! I kept it, see?"

"What, half a screwdriver?" the Doctor snorted, before his eyes widened. "With the other half up in the sky in a big old shark right in the heart of the cloud layer!" He took the sonic, eyes wide. "If we use your aerial to boost the signal, set up a resonation pattern between the two halves . . . ooo, come on, that would work! My screwdriver, coolest bit of kit on this planet! Coolest two bits. It could do it."

"Do what?"

"Well, my screwdriver is still trying to repair. It's signaling itself. We use the signal, but we send something else."

"Send what?" younger Kazran asked.

The Doctor bit his lip, not wanting to say it. "Well?" older Kazran insisted. "What? What?"

"I'm sorry, Kazran," the Doctor said quietly. "I truly am."

"I don't understand."

"We need to transmit something into the cloud belt. Something we know works." He swallowed. "We need her to sing."

***

"Her voice resonates perfectly with the ice crystals," the Doctor explained as they looked at Abigail. "It calmed the shark. It will calm the sky, too."

"Could you do it?" older Kazran asked bitterly. "Could you do this? Think about it, Doctor. One last day with your beloved. Which day would you choose?"

"Up there, by her side, if I could be there," the Doctor admitted. "Right by my wife's side, where I always promised I would be until death do us part. But I would always choose this day to have with her."

"Christmas," Abigail said softly, answering for both of them as she stepped out. "Christmas Day." Older Kazran turned to her, stunned. "Look at you," she smiled. "You're so old now. I think you waited a bit too long, didn't you?"

"I'm sorry," he apologized hoarsely.

"Hoarding my days like an old miser."

"But if you leave the ice now - "

"We've had so many Christmas Eves, Kazran. I think it's time for Christmas Day."

He smiled. "Yes."

"What would you do to save the person you love?" the Doctor asked quietly.

He would save his love . . . but by doing this, Kazran's would die.

***

"We can't hold this!" the captain shouted as the starliner continued to crash. "Time's up! We're going down!"

"Doctor!" Amy screamed.

"Come here," Jessie swallowed, holding her arms out, and both of the Ponds went to her as she hugged them close.

"Captain!" the copilot suddenly called. "I've got . . . I don't know what I've got."

A woman singing came over the speakers, and the captain frowned. "What is that? What are you listening to?"

"This is coming from outside. This is coming from the actual clouds!"

Jessie smiled as the turbulence stopped. "It's not the clouds."

***

The Doctor smiled as Abigail took the screwdriver to the transmitter he'd whipped up and started to sing. "When you're alone, silence is all you know . . . "

"Well?" older Kazran asked. "Well?"

"Well, the singing resonates in the crystals. It's feeding back and forth between the two halves of the screwdriver. Now, one song, filling the sky. The crystals will align and I'll feed in a controlled phase loop, and the clouds will unlock."

"What does that mean, unlock?" younger Kazran asked. "What happens when a cloud unlocks?"

"Something that hasn't happened in this town for a very long time now."

Abigail smiled and continued to sing as snow started to fall. "When you're alone, silence is all you see. When you're alone, silence is all you'll be. Give me your hand and come to me . . . "

***

"We're flying normally!" the pilot gaped.

"Can you land?" the captain asked.

He grinned. "I can even land well!"

"Oh, he did it!" Amy cheered as Jessie laughed in relief. "The Doctor did it!"

"Yeah, he gets all the credit," Rory grumbled. Jessie gave him a look, and he gave in. "OK, fair enough, if you think about it."

"C'mere, you," Jessie laughed, giving him a huge hug.

***

The Doctor was walking through the snow later when he paused, feeling a familiar presence behind him. He turned and grinned widely, seeing Jessie holding a carrot out to a little kid for a snowman. She straightened and turned to him and grinned just as widely, taking off for him. The Doctor caught her when she jumped into his arms, twirling her around. "You did it!" Jessie cheered, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Abigail did it," the Doctor corrected, kissing her soundly.

Jessie kissed him back before plopping herself back on the balls of her feet, frowning. "She's dying, isn't she?" she asked.

"One day left," he nodded.

"Where are they?" Jessie asked, looking over his shoulder.

"Still by the transmitter, I guess," the Doctor shrugged.

"Right. Don't leave without me." Jessie headed past him, pulling her frock coat tighter around herself as she went to find them.

The Doctor frowned, but shrugged and turned to a snowman, rubbing noses with it. "You know, that could almost be mistaken for areal person," Amy remarked as she and Rory walked up, Amy shivering. "The snowman isn't bad, either."

"Ah, yes, you two," the Doctor nodded. "About time. Why are you dressed like that?"

Rory looked over his centurion costume, then Amy's police uniform. "Er . . . kind of lost our luggage. Kind of crash landed?"

"Yeah, but, why are you dressed like that at all?"

Amy glared at his smug look, sure he knew exactly why they were dressed like that. "Yeah, they really love their snowmen around here, don't they? I've counted about twenty."

"Yeah," the Doctor nodded. "I've been busy."

"Yeah," Amy smiled. "Yeah, you have. Thank you."

"Pleasure," the Doctor grinned, giving her a hug. "Right. Come on, then! Let's go!"

"Where's the Bad Wolf?" Rory asked, looking around.

"Looking around," he shrugged. "Not sure what she's doing."

***

Jessie walked through the snow and saw Kazran and Abigail starting to get into a carriage, a shark attached to it. "Kazran?" she called. "Abigail?"

They turned to her. "You're his wife," Kazran guessed.

"Yes, I am," she nodded, walking over. "I actually wanted to borrow Abigail for a moment, if you don't mind?"

"Of course not," Abigail shook her head, walking over.

"Come with me," Jessie smiled, holding her hand out.

Abigail took it hesitantly, and Jessie led her through the streets to a back alley. "Loki?" she called. "This is Abigail."

Loki turned from where he was waiting in the alley, smiling. "The girl put on ice to save her life?" he asked, walking up.

"That's her," Jessie nodded, putting an arm around Abigail. "And she's just been given another chance. I was hoping you could help."

Loki put a hand on Abigail's cheek and looked her over. "I believe I can," he nodded.

"I . . . I don't understand," Abigail looked confused.

Jessie smiled. "You don't have to be sick forever." Loki's hands glowed with a golden tinge, and Abigail's skin shimmered. "Nothing is incurable to an Asgardian."

Abigail's eyes widened, looking more lifelike than ever. "You - ?"

"Completely healed," Loki promised. "You will age quicker, however. I adjusted your time so you would die around the same time as Kazran."

Abigail's jaw hung open as she looked at Jessie, who smiled at her. "Why?" was all she could ask. 

Jessie smiled. "What would you do to save the person you love?" she asked softly. "Help him be better, Abigail."

"I will," Abigail breathed, giving her a hug. "If you ever need anything - anything - please say so. I couldn't repay you enough."

Jessie and Loki watched her run back to Kazran and speak to him excitedly. Kazran's eyes widened joyously, and he led Abigail back over to where they stood. "Thank you," he breathed, looking from Jessie to Loki. "I was an old miser who refused to save you at first, and now you've saved Abigail . . . why?"

"It's Christmas," Jessie said simply. "Once in a while, these little things called miracles pop up. Don't let this one go to waste."

"I won't," Kazran promised, smiling widely. "I never will."

"Ah, love," Loki sighed as the two walked off. "Reminds me of you and the Doctor after Asgard."

Jessie looked at him. "Don't tell me we were not that bad."

"OK."

She gave him a look. "Well?"

Loki laughed. "You told me not to tell you."

Jessie punched him in the arm. "Thank you for healing her, though," she said. "Really."

"Of course," Loki nodded. "I'm just happy you and the Doctor are alive and well."

"Thank you," Jessie gave him a hug. "And I'd better get back to him before he declares war on this planet to find me."

Loki waved as Jessie ran off, then turned and disappeared in a flash of Tesseract blue light, the only sign of his former appearance the Norse symbols in the snow where he'd been standing moments before.

***

The Doctor raised an eyebrow as Jessie strutted up, looking very pleased with herself. "Do I want to know?"

"No," she said cheekily.

Rory poked his head out of the TARDIS, scowling. "Your phone was ringing. Someone called Marilyn? Actually, sounds like the Marilyn."

Amy turned to the Doctor to see him looking very scared. "Doctor?" she asked expectantly.

Jessie looked at him. "Do I want to know?" she repeated.

"No," he shook his head, sighing. "I'll phone her back . . . eventually. And I made sure we did not get to a chapel!"

"What?!"

"Where are they?" Amy asked Jessie as they headed in.

"Kazran and Abigail? On a little trip," she smiled.

"Where?"

Jessie looked up and waved as Kazran and Abigail flew by overhead in their shark-drawn carriage ride. "Christmas," she sighed happily, pulling Amy in. "Merry Christmas, everyone."

***

Abigail will live! :D The moment I saw that in the end, I said, "Jessie would save her." Of course she would! Our favorite duo's saying is "what would you do to save someone you love." We saw what lengths the Doctor would go through, and we saw that Jessie gave Abigail a chance to help out Kazran.

But something was said here in the end that will come back to bite the Time Lords in the next book . . . and it was not said by either the Doctor or Jessie.

Coming up on the very end, folks! Just "Death of the Doctor" from The Sarah Jane Adventures, and then it's on to Book 6!!! O.O And to believe this whole thing started when I was bored in study hall . . . two years ago. Geez . . . anyway, see you soon!