━━━━━∙⋆⋅⋆∙━━━━━
CHRISTMAS PRESENT
AND FUTURE
━━━━━∙⋆⋅⋆∙━━━━━

THE SLEEP HOLLIE DID MANAGE TO GET WASN'T VERY RESTFUL. Truth be told, she hadn't slept well since she regenerated, and she wasn't sure what or who was at fault for that. She supposed the time alone was somewhat useful. It at least allowed her to enjoy a bit of calm, to finish one of her sketches she had been putting off, and to relax in a bath.

Sadly, her relaxation ended abruptly when she found herself back in the console room, only for the Doctor to place his hands on her shoulders and steer her back towards the TARDIS corridors. Hollie looked confused as she turned to argue, but the Doctor quickly silenced her by mentioning four magical words: 'you', 'party', '1950s', and 'dress up'—all in the same sentence.

Well, she wasn't about to argue with that, especially not when Kazran and Abigail stood in the console room, giving her pleading eyes.

So, she hurried back to her room to change.

And now, standing in the middle of a party she wasn't sure was even worth attending, Hollie found herself wearing a deep burgundy dress with a rich, off-the-shoulder neckline. The TARDIS had thoughtfully laid it out for her when she returned to her room. The fabric felt and looked luxurious, cascading gracefully from her fingertips. The bodice was fitted, hugging her waist before flaring into a full, flowing skirt—perfect for twirling, not that she'd done much twirling since the Doctor had vanished as soon as they'd stepped out of the TARDIS.

As she stood amongst a sea of strangers, Hollie felt a sudden chill in the air. The length of the dress was perfect—hitting just below the knee—but it wasn't ideal for the cool evening breeze, especially without the Doctor around to drape his jacket over her shoulders.

To make matters worse, she hadn't realised that Kazran and Abigail had slipped away as well, leaving her truly alone. She sighed, wondering why she'd even bothered. Her eyes scanned the party, taking in the faces around her. Some were vaguely familiar—she remembered the Doctor introducing her to a few people before he vanished. He wasn't that much of a dick. She recalled being introduced to Marilyn Monroe, who had stood a little too close to the Doctor for her liking... and then there was Frank Sinatra and Connie Haines. Hollie had never heard of either singer before, but they seemed pleasant enough from their brief conversation.

However, she wasn't focused on them at the moment. She needed to find the Doctor. He had brought her here, and he usually had the decency not to disappear on her until they'd returned to the TARDIS. But this time, he had.

After speaking with Frank again—who informed her that she'd just missed the Doctor singing karaoke—she continued her search. According to Frank, the Doctor had gone as far as agreeing to marry Marilyn Monroe... It was one thing for him to avoid her, but to go off and propose to someone else, while he was supposed to be dating her, was another thing entirely.

That's when she spotted him, half-hidden behind some bushes. His back was turned, and though she couldn't see his face, his posture was tense, almost fearful.

Quietly, Hollie walked up to him, clearing her throat, arms crossed. The Doctor spun around quickly, his eyes wide with surprise. He froze for a moment before relaxing slightly, seeing it was just her.

"Excuse me?" Hollie's voice was sharp as her gaze zeroed in on him. Her eyes caught the smear of pinkish lipstick dangerously close to his mouth, and the way his bow tie hung undone over his white dress jacket and shirt. "What exactly do you think you're doing?"

The Doctor swallowed hard under her icy glare, wincing at the sheer intensity in her expression. "It was... an accident!" he blurted, quickly pulling her away from the bushes, his head darting around nervously as if checking for an escape route.

"An accident?" Hollie's voice dripped with disbelief as she yanked her hand free from his. Her eyes flicked back to the lipstick on his cheek, and she wiped it roughly with her thumb before thrusting it in his face. "What is this?"

"Lipstick," he replied matter-of-factly, as if that somehow explained everything.

Hollie rolled her eyes. "I can see that, Doctor, but whose lipstick is it?"

The Doctor shifted awkwardly, glancing around as if looking for a distraction. "Marilyn Monroe's," he mumbled under his breath.

Hollie's brows shot up, but she wasn't going to let him get away with that mumbled nonsense. "Sorry? Didn't catch that."

He sighed heavily and huffed. "Marilyn Monroe's," he repeated in a louder whisper.

Hollie blinked in stunned silence for a moment, letting the words sink in. "You're telling me," she said slowly, "that youkissed Marilyn Monroe?"

"She kissed me," the Doctor clarified, his voice defensive as he shifted under her piercing gaze.

Hollie's eyes narrowed. "And why, exactly, did she kiss you?" Her tone sharpened, her arms crossing tighter.

The Doctor huffed, visibly uncomfortable. "Why does her kissing me have to be my fault?"

"You obviously gave her a reason." Hollie raised her eyebrows, waiting for the inevitable confession. "So... what did you do?"

He muttered under his breath, barely audible. "I... I might have said yes."

Hollie's frown deepened. "Yes? To what?"

"To... marrying her."

"WHAT?!" Hollie's eyes widened, she didn't think Frank was actually telling the truth as she stared at him, her expression quickly morphing into one of fiery annoyance. "How on earth did you manage that?"

The Doctor rubbed the back of his neck, glancing away. "I just heard, 'Do you want to, Doctor?' and I said yes! I didn't know what was happening!"

Hollie shook her head as they began walking through the party grounds. "Honestly, Doctor," she muttered. She caught sight of Kazran and Abigail by the pool, seemingly enjoying a quiet moment together—though as they got closer, it became clear the pair were much too busy kissing to notice anything.

"Guys!" the Doctor called out, quickening his pace. "We've got to go, really quite quickly." He gestured frantically between them as he passed, Hollie following just behind. When neither of them moved, he stopped and waved a hand in front of their faces. "Hello? We're leaving!"

They didn't respond. They were too engrossed in each other.

"I just accidentally got engaged to Marilyn Monroe," he muttered as he glanced back at Hollie, wincing at the look of stone-cold annoyance still etched on her face.

The Doctor turned back to Kazran and Abigail, knocking lightly on their heads in frustration. "How do you keep going like that? Do you breathe through your ears or something?"

When he still got no response, he threw his hands up. "Right, fine! I'll just go and get married then, shall I?"

Hollie rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "Oh, I'll just stay here then, or are we getting married?" she asked sarcastically. "Or do you just need a witness to make it official?"

The Doctor huffed in exasperation, grabbing her hand and starting to pull her away. "No one's marrying anyone!" he hissed. "We're disappearing before she notices—and before you try to kill her... or worse, me!"

"Make up your mind," Hollie grumbled, yanking her hand out of his grasp again. "Go tell her you didn't mean it! Honestly, Doctor, how do you only hear half a conversation and still manage to say yes to a marriage proposal?"

"I was distracted," the Doctor muttered quietly, avoiding her eyes.

Hollie raised an eyebrow. "Distracted? By what?"

He didn't answer, his eyes flickering back to hers for a moment, before darting away. Hollie sighed, getting a simple answer out of him would have just been too easy. "You're an idiot," she groaned. "Stop saying yes to everything!"

"What if someone offers me a fez?" he protested, his tone defensive. "I can't just turn down a fez, Hollie!"

She crossed her arms, fixing him with a sharp look. "Who's randomly offering you a fez?"

The Doctor shifted uncomfortably, clearly struggling to come up with a response. When the silence stretched too long, Hollie smirked knowingly. "Exactly," she said.

"Shut up," the Doctor mumbled, refusing to meet her gaze.

Hollie's smirk only widened, enjoying his frustration. "I don't like the situation you got yourself into," she teased. "But watching you squirm to get out of it? That's kinda cute."

The Doctor opened his mouth to retort, but then quickly closed it, pressing his lips together. Instead, he pointed at her, wagging a finger in mock warning. "I am not cute," he declared. "I'm the Doctor and this is not the time for flirting, Hollie Aria."

Hollie grinned, her tone light and teasing. "Oh, but you make it too easy."

The Doctor frowned, shaking his head. "This is serious, Hollie."

"And yet, I think this is exactly the perfect time to flirt," Hollie called back, her voice trailing off as she walked ahead of him towards the TARDIS. "Soon-to-be Mister Monroe."

The Doctor huffed in frustration, about to respond when he suddenly caught sight of Marilyn Monroe out of the corner of his eye, searching for him. His eyes widened in panic.

"Hollie, wait!" he hissed, quickly running after her. "Come back!"

Hollie ignored him, marching straight into the TARDIS and heading for the console, her arms crossed as she leaned against it, waiting. When the Doctor followed her inside, he ran around the console to face her.

"I told you I didn't mean it," he said, breathless.

"I don't care," Hollie shrugged, rolling her eyes. "Honestly, I don't."

The Doctor frowned, confused. "But you cared before."

"Well, I don't now," she replied coolly. "It's not like you meant it. You said so yourself."

He opened his mouth to respond, but snapped it shut as Kazran and Abigail entered the TARDIS behind them. "Marilyn's looking for you," Kazran said.

"And we're leaving," the Doctor quickly announced, running around the console and pulling levers. Hollie sighed, shaking her head but still frowning at the smear of lipstick still on his cheek.

The TARDIS hummed softly as it landed back at the Cryo vault. The doors swung open, and the Doctor strolled out confidently, with Kazran and Abigail following closely behind. Hollie trailed a step behind, her gaze shifting between the young couple. There was something off. She couldn't quite put her finger on it. Maybe she'd been too focused on the Doctor to notice earlier, but now, a sense of unease was biting at her like the little fish nibbling on the end of the Doctor's sonic from where he stood away from them, studying the thick fog on the ground as Kazran quietly guided Abigail back into her cryo pod.

Hollie tilted her head, her attention drawn to Kazran's face just as his expression shifted—his eyes growing distant, cold. The sight made her stomach sink. Something about that look... it reminded her of the older Kazran, the man they had first met, hardened and callous. That same harshness flickered in his gaze now, only for a moment, but it was enough to send a chill down her spine.

"Right, there we go!" the Doctor called cheerfully, completely oblivious to the tension building around him. He turned, patting Kazran on the shoulder as he headed back towards the TARDIS. "Another day, another Christmas Eve!" His tone was light, unaware. "See you in a minute—I mean a year."

Hollie didn't miss the paleness creeping across Kazran's face, nor the way his jaw tightened as the Doctor moved past him. She stepped a little closer to the Time Lord, that nibbling feeling of something being wrong refusing to disappear.

"Er, Doctor," Kazran's voice cut through the air, forcing the Doctor to stop and glance back. Hollie froze as well, her heart quickening as she saw the guarded look in Kazran's eyes. It was familiar—eerily familiar.

The Doctor's smile faded as he met the young man's gaze. Hollie felt the tension in the air thicken, and that same icy dread from earlier crept back. She took another step closer to the Doctor, instinctively wanting to be near him.

Kazran hesitated for a second, his fingers twitching as he forced a casual shrug. "Listen... maybe we should leave it."

The Doctor frowned, his usual playfulness replaced with concern. "Sorry, leave what?"

"Oh, you know." Kazran's tone was deliberately nonchalant, but Hollie wasn't fooled. He gestured vaguely, a careless motion of the hand. "This. Every Christmas Eve. It's getting a bit old, don't you think?"

"Old?" the Doctor repeated, his confusion clear.

"Well, Christmas... it's for kids, isn't it?" Kazran undid the bowtie around his neck, his movements almost mechanical as he continued speaking. "Got work to focus on now, with my dad. Time to get that cloud belt under control."

The Doctor's face fell slightly. "Sorry. I didn't realise I was boring you."

"It's not your fault. Times change," Kazran muttered, his tone flat, devoid of the warmth he once had. He turned on his heel and began walking away, his posture stiff, his expression unreadable.

"Not as much as I'd hoped," the Doctor murmured, glancing at Hollie for a moment. Her eyes met his, filled with the same concern that was now reflected in his own. Something had shifted in Kazran, something they hadn't foreseen.

"Kazran," the Doctor called, catching up to him. He reached into his coat pocket, pulling out half of the sonic screwdriver. "I'll be needing a new one of these anyway," he said, holding it out to him. "What the hell—Merry Christmas. And if you ever need me... just activate it. I'll hear you."

Kazran took the sonic, staring at it for a moment. His face hardened, and when he looked up, his voice was laced with icy resolve. "I won't need you."

The coldness in his words sent a shiver down Hollie's spine. She watched from a few paces away, her arms crossed as the uneasy feeling deepened. She didn't like this at all—the way Kazran's tone had shifted, the way his eyes had darkened. The boy and now young man they had spent so many Christmas Eve's with to make into a better, nicer person was going back to the old man they had met when falling down his chimney.

The Doctor, too, felt the weight of Kazran's words. His gaze softened, his voice tinged with sadness. "What's happened?" he asked quietly. "What aren't you telling me?"

But Kazran offered no response. He simply turned, walking away, the finality of his departure hanging in the air.

The Doctor's voice rose. "What about Abigail?"

Kazran stopped, his back still turned to them. After a beat, he turned around, holding his arms wide to the cryo pods around him. "I know where to find her," he said, his voice cold, before disappearing into the fog.

Hollie swallowed hard, her gaze fixed on the Doctor as he sighed and closed his eyes, the weight of the situation pressing down on both of them. Something wasn't right. She could feel it like a heavy cloud hanging between them.

"Something's wrong," she whispered, stepping closer to him, her voice soft yet filled with concern.

The Doctor nodded, his expression grim. "But what?"

Their eyes met, and without another word, the Doctor grabbed her hand, pulling her with him as they hurried back towards the TARDIS. He didn't need to say anything—his urgency said it all. Hollie followed, her frown deepening as the Doctor rushed to set the ship in motion the moment they stepped inside.

"Where are we going now?" Hollie asked, watching as he yanked the dematerialisation lever with purpose.

"Next year," the Doctor replied, his eyes fixed on the console. "Maybe he'll change his mind."

Hollie raised an eyebrow, folding her arms. "Do you really think he would?" There was doubt in her voice, doubt mirrored in her eyes.

The Doctor didn't answer directly, his shoulders lifting in a slight shrug. Instead, he dashed to the doors of the TARDIS as it landed, darting outside, clearly hoping for something different this time. Hollie hesitated, trailing behind him as they stepped out of the TARDIS.

Kazran's large round window was in front of them, glowing faintly in the night. The Doctor moved to lean against the frame, peering inside. His face was serious, as though waiting for some unspoken signal, something that might tell him he was on the right path. Hollie stood behind him, her arms still crossed as she watched his tense figure.

Then, she saw Kazran, standing inside his room, staring up at the Doctor through the glass. There was a coldness in his eyes—a distant look that chilled Hollie to the core. Without a word, Kazran reached for the curtains and pulled them across, shutting the Doctor out.

Hollie's heart sank as she watched the Doctor's shoulders slump. He slowly turned to face her, his expression heavy with disappointment, his eyes searching hers for an answer neither of them had.

"What do we do now?" Hollie asked quietly, stepping closer to him.

The Doctor hesitated for only a moment before a familiar glint of determination flickered in his eyes. "Now, Kazran meets the Ghost of Christmas Present," he said, his voice filled with resolve as he turned on his heel and headed back into the TARDIS.

Hollie followed, though she still couldn't shake the lingering unease. Once inside, the Doctor suddenly spun around, holding his hand out in front of her.

"Phone," he demanded, his voice brisk.

Hollie blinked, confused. "What?"

"Your phone," the Doctor repeated, nodding at his outstretched hand.

With a sigh, Hollie handed over her mobile, raising an eyebrow as he suddenly grinned and found Amy in her contacts. "Amelia Pond!" he chirped, clearly pleased with himself.

Hollie rolled her eyes. Of course he used her phone, despite having created a device specifically to communicate with Amy and Rory.

"Time to initiate the backup plan," he said into the phone, giving the console a sharp twist of the lever. The familiar groan of the TARDIS taking off echoed through the room.

"Where are we now?" Hollie asked, though her tone was more curious than worried. She was used to these sudden shifts in plans by now.

The Doctor's eyes twinkled mischievously. "Did I say Christmas Present?" He smirked, pointing towards the doors. "I also meant Christmas Future. Out there is Kazran, just after he first met us, when he was twelve. We need to show him his own future, make him see what's coming if he continues on this path."

Hollie frowned, unsure if this was the right approach. "Is that really a good idea?"

The Doctor shrugged, his voice softer but resolute. "It's the best one we've got, Hollie."

She sighed, rubbing the back of her neck. "Let me guess... you want me to go get him?"

The Doctor grinned, that familiar spark returning to his eyes. "Exactly!"

Hollie rolled her eyes, though there was affection behind her exasperation. "Alright, fine. Be back in a minute."

"Thank you!" the Doctor called after her, his voice lightening as she stepped outside.

The air inside Kazran's room was quiet, almost eerily so, as Hollie entered. It was different now, much different from when she had first met the young boy. Drawings scattered the desk—sketches of the shark, of him and Abigail, of her and the Doctor. The boy had clung to those memories, those fleeting moments of joy.

A creak from the doorway drew her attention, and young Kazran stood there, wide-eyed and beaming. "Hollie!" he exclaimed, running up to her and wrapping his arms around her in a tight hug.

Hollie chuckled softly, ruffling his hair. "Hey, Kazran. How are you?"

"I'm good! You're really early, though—it's just been Christmas!"

Hollie smiled, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "I'm not here for Christmas this time," she said gently, crouching down to meet his gaze. "I've got a job for you, Kazran. And it's really important."

The boy's smile faltered, a frown forming as he looked up at her. "What kind of job?"

Hollie sighed softly and took his hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "Follow me."

The moment they stepped inside the TARDIS, Hollie felt the shift in the air. She noticed that the Doctor had now changed out of the white suit jacket and back into his usual tweed, and thankfully, the smear of pink lipstick was also gone from his cheek. The Doctor didn't even look at Kazran when she entered the TARDIS with him and he piloted the ship to their destination. Kazran felt the tension too, stepping closer to Hollie

Hollie frowned as soft singing of the passengers on the Space liner filled the air, the tune of 'Silent Night' drifting through the speakers, accompanied by Amy's voice.

"Well, he doesn't hold back. You know the Doctor," Amy said, her voice a mix of empathy and frustration.

"How do I?" the older Kazran's countered bitterly, his voice sharp with confusion and anger as it contrasted the singing of 'Silent Night' and Hollie realised he had somehow connected her phone through the TARDIS while allowing them to hear Kazran too. God he was good. "I never met him before tonight, and now I've known him all my life. How? Why?"

The younger Kazran, standing next to Hollie, looked up at her with wide, confused eyes. "I'm confused."

Hollie's heart clenched. She knelt beside him, her fingers gently brushing his shoulder as if trying to offer some small comfort, but before she could speak, the Doctor's voice cut through the moment.

"You need to listen, Kazran," He said in a serious tone.

Hollie turned her head, concern etched into her face. "Doctor—"

"No." The Doctor glanced at her briefly, his expression hard. "We've been nice, Hollie. It didn't work."

"He's just a child," Hollie whispered, the ache in her voice clear as she looked back at the younger Kazran.

"You're the only person who can let that ship land," Amy's voice came through again, this time more determined. "He was trying to turn you into a nicer person, and he was doing it nicely."

The Doctor shook his head, his eyes dark as he stared ahead. "It's this, or they all die."

The tension in the room was palpable, thick and suffocating. The older Kazran's anger broke through the silence as he replied to Amy. "He changed my past! My whole life!" His voice was filled with fury.

The younger Kazran's eyes widened, his small face twisting with confusion. Hollie's chest tightened as she watched the fear creep into his expression. Was it because of the Doctor's harshness, or his older self's sharp words? Maybe both.

"Time can be rewritten," Amy's voice countered, steady but uncertain.

"Well, you can tell the Doctor," Kazran snapped, his voice icy, "tell him from me—people can't."

The silence that followed was heavy. Hollie kept a close watch on the young Kazran, her heart aching at the sight of his worry and confusion. He was just a boy, caught in something far too complex for him to understand. She shifted closer, offering what comfort she could as the older Kazran's anger simmered in the background.

After a few tense minutes, Amy's voice broke the stillness again. "That's Abigail?"

The Doctor remained at the console, piloting the TARDIS in near silence, the handbrake off to keep everything as quiet as possible. He didn't look back at anyone as Amy's words filled the space.

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

Hollie's gaze moved to the Doctor's face. His jaw was clenched, his eyes locked on the console. He was angry and upset, rightfully so, and so was she. Quietly, she made her way over to him and gently placed a hand on his shoulder. The Doctor flinched away for a moment before he relaxed slightly. She watched him closely, her hand still on his shoulder. He placed his hand on hers, nodding, before moving away towards the doors. Hollie returned to the younger Kazran, who hadn't moved from his spot since entering the TARDIS.

"Well... that's good, isn't it?" Amy's voice sounded hopeful as she answered Kazran.

"No," he replied coldly, his tone sending a shiver through Hollie.

Amy's next question came, softer this time, but the weight behind it was clear. "Why is she still in there? You could let her out any time."

Kazran's response was filled with a bitterness so deep it made Hollie's skin prickle. "Oh yes. Any time at all. Any time I choose."

"Then why don't you?" Amy pressed, her voice a quiet challenge.

"This is what the Doctor and Hollie did to me." Kazran's voice dropped, and for a moment, Hollie thought she heard a hint of something fragile beneath his anger—something broken. "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 has used up her time. All those Christmas Eves with me..." His voice grew sharper, more defensive and Hollies heart sank as he continued: "I could release her, any time I want, and she would live a single day."

The younger Kazran flinched at the harshness of his older self's voice, and without thinking, Hollie reached out and placed her hand on his shoulder. The boy looked up at her, his eyes wide and frightened. Hollie squeezed his shoulder gently, trying to reassure him but also distract herself from the wave of nausea that hit her at how blinded she was to what Kazran and Abigail were going through. It suddenly all made sense, the number on Abigails cryo pod, it was a countdown.

"So tell me, Ghost of Christmas Present," Kazran's voice dripped with sarcasm and anger, "how do I choose which day?"

Hollie felt Amy's hesitation through the speakers, the weight of the situation pressing down. "I'm sorry," Amy whispered, her voice thick with empathy. "I really am. I am very, very sorry. But you know what?" She paused, her voice soft but steady. "She's got more time left than I have. More than anyone on this ship."

Hollie's grip on the younger Kazran's shoulder tightened ever so slightly, her eyes narrowing as she listened to the older Kazran's bitter response. This was what anger, grief, and pain could do to a person—it could twist them, make them cold, distant, unreachable. But it wasn't over yet. It couldn't be. "Good," He replied simply, his voice almost a growl.

"Rory," Amy's voice cut through, firm now. "Widen the beam."

"How did I get here?" Kazran's voice came through, his confusion evident a moment later.

"You didn't," Amy replied calmly and Hollie guessed that Kazran was inside the Space liner, as if he was on it. "It's your turn to be the hologram. Since you're going to let a lot of people die tonight, I thought you'd like to see where it's all going to happen."

"The singing?" Kazran questioned, the singing voices still coming through the TARDIS speakers. "What is it? I don't understand."

"It's the Doctor's idea," Rory's voice answered, and Hollie smiled softly at the sound of his voice, she hadn't heard her other friend in what felt like forever, she missed them both dearly. "The harmonies resonate in the ice crystals—that's why the fish like it. He thought that maybe it would stabilise the ship, but it isn't working. It's not powerful enough."

"Then why are they still singing?" Kazran asked, confusion lacing his words.

"Because we haven't told them," another voice replied, one Hollie hadn't heard before but she guessed it was someone who worked on the Space liner. "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."

"Everybody has to die," Kazran replied calmly, almost coldly. His tone made Hollie shiver, her gaze flickering down to the younger Kazran, who was looking more confused than ever. How could an innocent child become so bitter and heartless?

"Not tonight," Amy countered.

"Tonight is as good as any other night," Kazran shot back, his voice harsh. "How do you choose?"

"Doctor?" Amy spoke but he wasn't there anymore. He was standing against a cryo pod his arms crossed as he stared at the older Kazran, who stood nearby, still a hologram on the Space liner. Hollie moved towards the scanner, taking the younger Kazran with her. She activated the screen, instantly displaying the scene unfolding between the Doctor and Kazran.

"Where is he?" The older Kazran's voice was low, and he looked around, his eyes searching. He couldn't see the Doctor through the hologram projection of the crashing ship. "Doctor? Where are you?"

Suddenly, the hologram disappeared, leaving the older Kazran face-to-face with the Doctor, standing by Abigail's cryo pod. "I'm sorry," the Doctor said softly, trying to meet Kazran's eyes. "I didn't realise..."

Kazran stepped closer to the pod. his gaze fixed on Abigail's frozen form. "All my life, I've been called heartless," he began, his voice tight. "In my other life, my real life. The one you rewrote. Now look at me." His eyes drifted to the chamber again.

"Better a broken heart than no heart at all," the Doctor said quietly, his voice full of sincerity.

"Oh, try it," Kazran spat back. "You try it."

The Doctor hesitated, his eyes flickering towards the TARDIS. Hollie frowned at the screen, feeling the weight of his gaze. For a brief moment, it was as though the Doctor was looking directly at her, even from across the distance and through the scanner and suddenly the churning in her stomach came back.

"I have," the Doctor finally admitted, his voice barely a whisper that Hollie could just about hear.

Kazran turned to him, his face a mask of bitterness and pain. "Why are you here?"

"Because I'm not finished with you yet," the Doctor replied, stepping closer. "You've seen the past, the present, and now you need to see the future."

"Fine," Kazran snapped, his words sharp. He glanced over at the Doctor, his eyes narrowing. "Then show me the future. Prove me wrong."

Hollie's heart clenched as she watched the older Kazran on the screen. This was the moment that could make or break everything. She glanced down at the younger Kazran beside her, his wide eyes filled with fear and confusion. The innocence in his face made the weight of the situation even heavier.

"It's time to come in Kazran," Hollie whispered gently, giving the boy's hand a reassuring squeeze. She tried to offer him a smile, though it wavered slightly.

He shook his head, his voice trembling. "I don't want to go."

"You have to," she whispered back, her voice soft but firm.

Outside, the older Kazran's anger continued to simmer as he ranted at the Doctor, his face only inches away. "I don't even want to be like you! I don't and I never, ever will care!"

"I don't believe that," the Doctor replied, his tone steady, filled with quiet conviction.

Kazran scoffed, his bitterness rearing up once more. "Then show me the future," he challenged, his voice harsh and unyielding. "Prove me wrong."

"I am showing it to you," the Doctor said to the older Kazran. "I'm showing it to you right now." He paused for a long moment before speaking louder, his eyes still locked on Kazran. "So what do you think?" His eyes shifted to the TARDIS parked nearby, and to Hollie and the younger Kazran, who stood outside it. "Is this who you want to become, Kazran?"

The older Kazran slowly turned and saw his younger self standing just out of the doorway of the TARDIS, still dressed in his dressing gown. He hesitated before walking slowly towards the boy. Hollie remained in the doorway, gripping the frame tightly as she watched the young boy's every step.

"Dad?" the younger Kazran asked, his voice small and full of uncertainty.

Suddenly, the older Kazran stepped forward again, raising his arm as if to strike. The younger Kazran flinched, and Hollie's grip on the TARDIS tightened. The Doctor stood still, not moving, as the older Kazran's arm shook in the air, his teeth gritted and tears welling in his eyes. The younger Kazran gasped, tears filling his own eyes as he watched the older man struggle with himself.

The older Kazran's arm wavered before he suddenly covered his face with his raised hand and began to sob. "I'm sorry," he said, his voice cracking. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." He dropped his arm and pulled the younger Kazran into a hug, engulfing him. "I'm sorry."

"Kazran," the Doctor said quietly, stepping forward. "We don't have a lot of time."

Kazran met his younger self's eyes before nodding. Together, they hurried through the cryo vault and up the stairs, with Hollie cursing herself for not changing out of her heels. She struggled to keep up, but eventually made it upstairs where the Doctor had connected a call with the Space liner.

"I just saved Christmas!" the Doctor announced with a triumphant grin.

"Oh, sure!" Hollie scoffed, rolling her eyes as she walked over to him. "Sure, you did."

"Oh, alright!" He huffed, glancing over his shoulder at her. "We saved Christmas!" He rolled his eyes at the screen. "Don't go away!"

The screen flickered and disappeared, and the Doctor turned towards Kazran and his younger self by the machine. They were attempting to get it to work, but the machine beeped loudly at them.

"We good to go then?" the Doctor asked, the beeping growing more insistent.

"The controls..." Kazran frowned. "They won't respond."

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

Hollie watched the Doctor as he continued to try, but Kazran shook his head in frustration. "They won't respond."

"That doesn't make sense," the Doctor muttered, shaking his head. "That's ridiculous. Why wouldn't they—oh." He sighed, his face falling as realisation dawned. Hollie frowned and stepped closer to him as he closed his eyes and lowered his head. "Oh, of course. Stupid, stupid Doctor."

She gently placed a hand on his arm, swallowing hard. He tensed slightly under her touch, and her frown deepened. Kazran looked at the Doctor, puzzled. "What's wrong?" he asked. "Tell me, what is it?"

"It's you," the Doctor said softly, his voice filled with sadness as he looked up and met Kazran's eyes. "I've changed you too much. The machine doesn't recognise you anymore."

"But no," Kazran stammered, his voice full of confusion, "my father programmed it—"

"Your father would never have programmed it for the man you are now." The Doctor ran a hand down his face, frustration and regret etched into his features as he paced away from them.

Kazran's shoulders slumped, the weight of the situation pressing down on him. "Then what do we do?" he asked, his voice tinged with desperation.

The Doctor turned back, his eyes darting around the room as if searching for an answer that wasn't there. "Er, er, I don't know," he muttered, pacing faster now. "I don't know."

"There must be something," Kazran pressed, his voice growing more urgent.

Kazran glanced down at his hand, a sudden thought crossing his mind. "This," he said, stepping forward and holding something out. "You can use this. I kept it, see?"

Hollie, who had been watching in tense silence, caught the glint of metal in Kazran's hand. Her brow furrowed as she looked at the Doctor. She could see the spark of an idea forming in his eyes, his expression shifting from confusion to determination.

"What, half a screwdriver?" The Doctor dismissed the idea instantly before pausing. He suddenly stopped pacing and turned to face her and the two Kazrans. He grinned, and if he hadn't been deep in thought, Hollie was certain he'd have been bouncing around the room like a tightly coiled spring.

"With the other half up in the sky, in a big old shark, right in the heart of the cloud layer," the Doctor continued. "If we use your aerial to boost the signal, set up a resonation pattern between the two halves..." He trailed off, the possibilities unfolding in his mind.

Hollie stepped forward, her arms dropping to her sides as she followed his train of thought. "Boost the signal..." She guessed with a small frown. "Sure, but how will that fix anything? We need more than just half a screwdriver."

The Doctor suddenly turned to her, grinning. "Exactly!" he exclaimed, pointing at her. "My screwdriver's still trying to repair itself. It's sending a signal—we can use that, but we send something else."

Kazran, still bewildered by the rapid conversation, furrowed his brow. "Send what?" The younger Kazran echoed his older self's confusion as the older man stepped closer to the Doctor. "Well, what? What?"

The Doctor's grin faded, his face growing serious as the weight of the situation settled in. He glanced at Hollie, his excitement now replaced with quiet sorrow. "I'm sorry, Kazran," he said softly, looking at the old man. "I truly am."

Kazran frowned, still not understanding. "I don't understand."

But Hollie did. The excitement she began to share with the Doctor faded, and her shoulders slumped slightly. They had no other option. If they didn't do this, everyone on the Space liner, including Amy and Rory, would die.

"We need to transmit something into the cloud belt. Something we know works." The Doctor swallowed hard, his voice filled with regret. "We need her to sing."

The older Kazran shared a look with his younger self before they headed back down to the cryo vault, Hollie and the Doctor following closely behind. She hung back slightly, keeping pace with the young Kazran, as the older man stood in front of Abigail's cryo pod.

Kazran stared at Abigail's face through the small porthole of the pod. "Her voice resonates perfectly with the ice crystals," the Doctor explained quietly, almost as if he were trying to convince Kazran. "It calmed the shark. It will calm the sky too."

"Could you do it?" Kazran asked, his voice trembling as he turned to meet the Doctor's eyes. "Could you do this? Think about it, Doctor. One last day with your beloved. Which day would you choose?"

Hollie could feel the Doctor's gaze on the back of her head but she didn't dare look at him. Especially not now, with how distant he had been. But she could feel his sad eyes on her, and she knew exactly what he was thinking about.

Stonehenge.

The Pandorica.

The Cyberman shooting her.

Her body on the ground.

Dead in the dust.

She tensed slightly, unable to help it, as the memory or what she could remember of her 'death' clawed at her. The room felt thick with unspoken words. The silence stretched on before Abigail's voice broke it.

"Christmas." Hollie hadn't noticed anyone open Abigail's cryo pod. She'd been too busy trying to ignore the feeling of th Doctors eyes on her to see her step out. Now Abigail stood beside Kazran, her eyes gentle and full of understanding. "Christmas Day," she said softly, cupping Kazran's tear-streaked face. "Look at you. You're so old now. I think you waited a bit too long, didn't you?"

"I'm sorry," Kazran whispered, tears slipping down his cheeks.

"Hoarding my days, like an old miser," Abigail said softly, her voice filled with sadness.

"But if you leave the ice now—" Kazran began, his voice trembling.

"We've had so many Christmas Eves, Kazran. I think it's time for Christmas Day," Abigail gently, smiling through her tears.

Kazran slowly nodded, his voice barely a whisper. "Yes."

"Let's save Christmas," the Doctor cut in, his tone soft but determined as he headed for the TARDIS. "I'll meet you all upstairs in a moment."

Hollie frowned, watching him walk away. "Where are you going?"

"We need equipment. Stay here, Hollie!" he called back over his shoulder, already halfway through the doors.

She sighed but nodded. The two Kazrans and Abigail made their way upstairs, while the Doctor returned after a few minutes, arms laden with cables wrapped together in a haphazard coil.

"Attach this to the machine," he instructed as he passed the bundle of wires to her. "I'll meet you upstairs."

"Why do I have to do it?" she huffed, eyeing the wires in her hands.

"Because you can't fly the TARDIS," he replied with an exasperated roll of his eyes, as if it were the most obvious answer in the universe. "And I need her up there in case we need a backup plan for the backup plan's backup plan."

Hollie rolled her eyes again but nodded, knowing better than to argue with him when so much was at stake. It didn't take her long to drag the bunch of wires up to the machine. After a few failed attempts, she managed to connect the wiring to it. She'd been travelling with the Doctor long enough to just try everything, **because something was bound to work. By the fifth try, the wiring slotted into place, and she stood outside with the others.

The Doctor quickly took the wiring off her hands and connected it to his broken sonic screwdriver. "My screwdriver is still trying to repair itself," he explained as he adjusted the signal. "Abigail, I need you to sing into it."

Abigail nodded and began to sing a song that Hollie didn't recognise but it sounded christmassy to her. Kazran looked up expectantly, waiting for something to happen with the clouds, but nothing changed. His brow furrowed.

"Well?" Kazran asked, his frustration growing.

The Doctor walked over to Abigail and tweaked the wiring again. "The singing resonates in the crystals," he explained as he double-checked his work. "It's feeding back and forth between the two halves of the screwdriver." He nodded towards the screwdriver in Abigail's hand. "Now, one song, filling the sky. The crystals will align, and I'll feed in a controlled phase loop, and the clouds will unlock."

The younger Kazran frowned, his curiosity piqued. "What does that mean, unlock? What happens when a cloud unlocks?"

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

Hollie followed the Doctor's gaze skyward, her frown deepening as she tried to figure out what he meant. Suddenly, she felt something soft and cold land on her head. She blinked, looking up just in time to catch another flake falling. Snow. Her eyes widened with surprise, and she smiled.

"Did it work?" Hollie asked, turning to the Doctor with a grin. "Did you do it?"

"We did it," he corrected with a nod, a smile tugging at his lips.

We did it, Hollie thought to herself, marvelling at the sight of the snow gently falling from the sky. Abigail's voice continued to echo through the air, and snowflakes began to settle on Hollie's arms, the cold biting through the thin fabric of her dress. Her feet quickly grew cold as the snow piled up beneath them.

Without warning, she felt something warm drape over her shoulders. She looked down to see the Doctor's jacket around her, and when she looked up to thank him, he was already walking towards the TARDIS, the younger Kazran trailing behind.

Hollie watched him for a moment, tilting her head in wonder. She didn't follow him, choosing instead to stay outside and savour the moment. She smiled softly when he turned back to give her a quick nod before slipping into the TARDIS with Kazran.

As the TARDIS dematerialised, leaving a square imprint in the snow, Abigail continued to sing. Hollie watched as Abigail cupped Kazran's cheek tenderly. The town was waking up now with what was happening around it, children laughing as they ran through the fresh snow, people stepping out of their houses to gaze up at the night sky in amazement.

Hollie spent the next hour quietly wandering through the snow-covered streets. She wasn't too bothered that the Doctor had disappeared for a while—he wouldn't actually leave her here. Besides, she had his beloved tweed jacket, and she knew Amy and Rory wouldn't let him leave without her.

She chuckled as she noticed snowmen popping up all around the town. She counted at least ten before she spotted the culprit behind them. There he was, jacketless, snow in his hair, carefully placing tiny coal pieces into the head of another snowman.

"Here I thought you left without me," she called out with a chuckle as she walked towards him.

The Doctor looked up at the sound of her voice and shrugged as she joined him beside the snowman. "Amy would kill me if I left you behind," he pointed out.

Hollie rolled her eyes. "So it's only because Amy would kill you that you waited?" she teased, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, I did give you my jacket..."

"Oh, right." She nodded slowly, a playful smirk on her lips. "It's not because you actually care about me or anything. Idiot."

He huffed as she nudged him, nearly making him misplace a piece of coal. "Hollie," he grumbled.

"Sorry," she winced, stepping back slightly as the Doctor finished the snowman by adding a carrot for the nose. "Ta-da!" he exclaimed, gesturing proudly at his creation.

"Very nice." She chuckled. "Give it a bowtie and a fez, and you could be twins." She tilted her head at the snowman. "Although... the chin's a bit off."

He pouted at her, pretending to be offended. "Oi! My chin's not that bad."

She giggled, shaking her head at him as he crossed his arms and looked back at the snowman. "Ignore her." He whispered to it.

Just then, a familiar voice made Hollie turn, grinning. Amy and Rory were walking towards them. "That could almost be mistaken for a real person," Amy joked as she gave Hollie a quick hug. "And the snowman's not bad either."

The Doctor straightened up and nodded at them. "You two, about time."

Hollie chuckled, noticing for the first time that Amy and Rory were still dressed in their Roman and policewoman outfits. "Why are you dressed like that?"

Amy raised an eyebrow. "Why is Hollie wearing a dress like she's from the fifties?"

"We went to a party in Hollywood," the Doctor said with a dismissive wave as if it was nothing. "That doesn't answer my question, though."

"Er... kind of lost our luggage," Rory replied sheepishly. "Kind of crash-landed."

"Yeah, but why are you dressed like that at all?" the Doctor pressed.

Hollie sighed, closing her eyes as Rory opened his mouth. "Please don't answer that."

Amy laughed nervously and gestured to the snowmen around them. "Yeah... they really love their snowmen around here, don't they?"

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

Hollie raised an eyebrow. "When exactly did you come back after dropping off Kazran?"

The Doctor shifted awkwardly. "When the snow started falling..."

She laughed, shaking her head. "Idiot."

"Oi!" he huffed, crossing his arms. "I think I deserve some enjoyment after saving Christmas, thank you very much."

She smiled at him fondly, shaking her head. Amy looked between the two of them and frowned softly. "Are you two okay?"

The Doctor nodded a little too quickly. "Of course I'm okay. You?"

"Yeah, of course," Amy said, though her eyes lingered on the Doctor for a moment. "It'll be their last day together, won't it? Abigail and Kazran."

"Everything has to end sometime," the Doctor replied quietly, his voice tinged with sadness. "Otherwise, nothing would ever get started."

Hollie frowned at the Doctor's words. Rory poked his head out of the TARDIS and looked at him curiously. "Your phone was ringing. Someone called Marilyn." Hollie raised an eyebrow at the Doctor. "Actually sounds like the Marilyn."

"Doctor?" Amy questioned.

The Doctor sighed, rolling his eyes slightly. "Tell her that was never a real chapel, thank you!"

Hollie crossed her arms, the Doctor's eyes flickered to her briefly before turning back to Amy as she asked, "Where are they? Kazran and Abigail?"

"Off on a little trip, I should think," the Doctor said with a soft smile.

"Where?" Amy pressed.

"Christmas," the Doctor replied.

"Christmas?" Amy frowned, confused.

"Yeah, Christmas," he nodded.

Amy disappeared back into the TARDIS, leaving the Doctor and Hollie standing alone. He looked up at the sky and smiled. "Halfway out of the dark."

"Come on, Doctor," Hollie said softly, shaking her head as she stepped towards the TARDIS. The Doctor hesitated, his eyes distant, clearly lost in thoughts he didn't seem ready to share. Without a word, he followed her inside.

Once inside the TARDIS, the console room felt emptier than usual. Hollie's eyes scanned the room, noticing that Amy and Rory had already disappeared to change. She tried not to show her disappointment, but it crept in when the Doctor drifted silently towards the controls, his attention focused entirely on the flickering lights and dials, refusing to acknowledge her.

Hollie stood there for a moment, watching him. Her chest felt heavy. He had given her his jacket, a gesture she appreciated, but once again she felt the emotional distance growing between them. With a small sigh, she slowly moved towards the chair near the console. Slipping his jacket off her shoulders, she gently placed it on the back of the chair. He was doing it again, avoiding her, it was harder to notice when they were with others but now they were alone and the long months she had endured and the feelings with them came back.

Realising there was no point lingering, Hollie sighed again. The console room felt too empty, too cold.

She turned and walked down the TARDIS corridors, her footsteps echoing softly in the stillness. Eventually, she found herself in the observation room, one of her new favourite rooms when the weight of everything became too much.

She perched on the headrest of the sofa beside the large round window, her feet where she should have been sitting, as she rested her back against the bookcase behind her. The room was a mystery to Hollie and she wondered just how real it all was. The stars couldn't have been real, she knew there were times they were parked somewhere on a planet and still the view looked like space, maybe the TARDIS knew it calmed her? She may never know.

Hollie's eyes stared blankly out the window now, at the stars. One of her sketchbooks lay closed on the seat beside her; she wasn't in the mood to draw right now. The memories of experiencing so many Christmas Eves in one day hurt her brain, but what hurt more was how the Doctor was still acting toward her.

Why is it so difficult to talk to him now? she wondered, her fingers lightly touching the cool glass of the window. She thought back to before the Pandorica and her regeneration. Sure, they were still dancing around each other and their feelings—at least she was—but it was better than this. Whatever the hell this was.

At least it was better than now... now it felt like he was slipping away from her, like he was shutting her out. She wondered when he would take her somewhere on Earth and just leave her there, disappearing forever.

The thought sent a chill down her spine. She frowned, remembering back to when she had first regenerated; that's when it all started. He called her Hollie for the first time in ages—not Holls, not his rescuer. Just Hollie.

She hated it. She hated hearing him call her that; it was as if he wasn't even talking to her anymore, like she was just some kind of shadow of the person she used to be—a ghost, almost. That was a better way of putting it, especially since she did die. There was no sugarcoating that. She died and then she came back.

But this—this felt different. The Doctor had always been a complicated man; Hollie knew that when she first stepped into the TARDIS all that time ago. But now, he was being colder with her, more distant.

And then there was the chaotic adventure they had just returned from. His words to the older Kazran cut through her like a knife. She frowned at the stars slowly floating past as she recalled what he had said. "I have," he answered when asked to try having a broken heart rather than no heart at all. He probably didn't even think she heard him though the speakers but she did.

Why did he say that? What did he mean?

Her thoughts raced, the many possibilities endless. Why would he even reply with that?

She was confused and tired.

Then, to top it all off, there was the fact he 'accidentally' agreed to marry Marilyn Monroe. How do you even accidentally agree to marry someone? Especially when you're barely a good enough boyfriend to your current girlfriend.

The thoughts and memories continued to swirl around her head, each one creating a new knot of anxiety in her chest.

She wasn't even sure what she was supposed to think anymore, until she heard quiet footsteps approaching. She turned to see Amy, thankfully no longer in the police uniform but in the red jumper and skirt she had worn when they met the Weeping Angels.

"There you are!" Amy said, crossing the room to stand beside her. "I've been looking for you. You wouldn't believe what Rory just—" She paused abruptly, studying the frown and torn expression on Hollie's face. "What's wrong?"

Hollie hesitated, forcing a smile as she pulled her gaze away from the stars. "Nothing, just... thinking, that's all."

Amy wasn't convinced and crossed her arms over her chest. "Holls, I've known you since we were both seven years old. You're worried about something—now spill it."

Hollie sighed and closed her eyes, knowing Amy wouldn't drop it until she got the answer she wanted. She turned to face her friend, her eyes filled with nerves and uncertainty. "It's the Doctor. He's been... different."

Amy raised an eyebrow, concerned. "Different how?"

"One minute, he's acting like everything is fine between us, like I haven't even changed, just as he promised," Hollie began, her voice tired and tinged with frustration. "But then, he suddenly changes and becomes distant. He stops talking to me."

She paused briefly, biting her lip as she looked out of the window before turning back to Amy. "A few weeks ago, we went to a planet called Xirilin, and for the first time in over a month, I thought he was finally getting over it. We spent most of the time in silence, but I felt like for the first time, we were getting back to how we were before I changed, and we actually talked, you know? But then... nothing. I didn't see him for a whole week after that." She swallowed hard, her voice thickening as she squeezed her eyes shut, tears brewing. Amy looked at her friend sadly and gently took her hand, giving it a supportive squeeze. "I've seen him look at me like I'm a complete stranger he can't figure out," she added, her voice breaking slightly.

"I didn't want to say anything, but I've noticed it too." Amy frowned softly. "But, Hollie, he cares for you, even if he is an idiot at showing it. You know that, right?"

Hollie nodded softly, her voice quiet as she answered, "It's really hard when he keeps pushing me away. I thought we were finally happy. He'll be so close, and then he's nowhere to be seen. It's like he's trying to pretend I don't exist."

Amy dropped Hollie's hand and placed her own on Hollie's shoulder, rubbing soothing circles. "The Doctor has always had trouble with change, look at how he acted when Rory moved the cups in the kitchen." She joked lightly and Hollie cracked a small smile. "He's probably just scared—scared of losing you or scared of things being different between you now."

Hollie nodded slowly, but the weight on her chest didn't lift, no matter how much she talked to her ginger friend. "I understand, but it's hard, Amy. I feel like I'm constantly walking on eggshells, trying to figure out how to act around him to stop him from running away. I don't know what he wants from me."

Amy's gaze softened at Hollie's words. She gently guided them over to the nearby sofa in the observation room, sitting them both down. "Being in any relationship is hard enough. I can't imagine how much harder it is being in one when you can both change your faces." She shook her head, chuckling lightly at the very idea. "But you have to keep trying with him, Holls. He's going to come around eventually. Maybe it's just taking him longer to adjust because of how much he cares for you."

"Do I say something?" she whispered, her fingers fidgeting in her lap. "I already questioned him about it once... I don't want to push him so far away he never comes back."

Amy smiled sadly and took her friend's hands. "He won't do that to you. I've seen the way he looks at you, Hollie. Just... give him time. Keep trying with him; he'll eventually open his eyes wide enough to realise you're in front of him."

A small smile tugged at Hollie's lips. "You always know what to say, Amy."

Amy grinned, giving Hollie a light nudge with her shoulder. "That's because we've been friends for years." Her face grew serious as they both stood, and Amy pulled Hollie into a warm hug. "Call me if you need me. I don't care that I'm on my honeymoon, and I'm sure Rory won't care either."

Hollie nodded as they pulled away, a somewhat calming feeling settling over her. "Thank you."

Amy gave her a final smile before leaving Hollie alone in the room. She frowned softly as she gazed back out to look at the stars, wondering just when she would stop living in her own shadow.

─── ｡ﾟ☆･*.☽ .* ☆ﾟ. ───

Well that was a bit of a depressing ending wasn't it? I wish I could say things get better from here but they're probably only going to get worse before it gets better... Oops. You did get a longer chapter because I somehow wrote so much for an episode I complained about a lot.
I hope you all enjoyed it though and agree with me when I say the Doctor is a dick <3