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A CHRISTMAS CAROL
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HOLLIE SIGHED AND LEANED BACK FROM HER ARTWORK. Amy and Rory had been on their honeymoon for a month now, and she was still no closer to the Doctor since their trip to Xirilan. He had improved for a while, but soon enough, he slipped back into the same habits, while she found herself adopting a new clothing style—darker, more reserved.

Her wardrobe had taken on a predominantly black palette: black jeans, whether skinny or not; black tops; black ankle-length lace-up boots; and an unbuttoned shirt layered over the top. Today, it was a dark green shirt, unbuttoned and resting casually on her shoulders.

Oh, and her hair was still blonde. She wasn't that miserable—yet.

She now spent most of her days in her art room, from morning until it was time to sleep and decided to focus on her paintings; she had plenty of photos of beautiful places the Doctor had shown her before her regeneration, and memories preserved in her diary entries. Now was as good a time as any to start new projects.

It wasn't as if she'd add to her list of possible paintings anytime soon. It had been a few days since their departure from Xirilan, and since then, he hadn't landed them anywhere or engaged much in conversation.

Hollie frowned as the lights in her art room began to flash. "What?" She tilted her head as the lights stilled. "TARDIS?"

The lights flickered again, and she tensed slightly. "Is something wrong?"

The lights flickered frantically this time before stopping; her heart raced as she wondered why the ship didn't just talk to her; it had before, so it clearly could again. "Is it the Doctor?"

The lights flashed once, and she relaxed slightly. "Is he in the console room?"

Unlike before, the lights went crazy, and this time they didn't stop.

Hollie quickly put her art supplies away and made her way to the console room.

The Doctor turned to her and blinked when she entered. "Hollie," he stated, cringing at how ridiculous he sounded. Seeing her shouldn't have come as a shock to him.

"The TARDIS brought me here," she crossed her arms. "I think something's wrong."

"The TARDIS?" he repeated and lightly touched the console. "You okay, old girl?"

The lever suddenly moved, and the Doctor and Hollie both stumbled, grabbing onto the console as the TARDIS wheezed. The Doctor swung the scanner around to face him and frowned at the thick clouds. "What's wrong?" He typed into the scanner as Hollie moved to his side, looking over his shoulder.

"Where are we?"

The Doctor blinked. "We're getting a distress signal," he informed, picking up the device he had built to communicate with Amy and Rory before they went on their honeymoon.

With his track record, Hollie had suggested the Doctor give them something in case things went awry so he could communicate with them, and much to the Doctor's slight annoyance at wanting to prove Hollie wrong, it had proved quite helpful with the trouble the Ponds were getting into recently.

The Doctor met her worried blue eyes and swallowed hard as the device in his hand flashed a red light. "It's the Ponds," he announced.

"Amy and Rory?" Concern filled Hollie's voice. "Aren't they on that space cruise?"She frowned, struggling to keep up with their honeymoon itinerary—unsure if the Doctor had whisked Amy and Rory off to another location while she was occupied."

The Doctor nodded, pressing a button as Hollie leaned in to view the scanner. "Scanning the planet now," he declared.

While she couldn't decipher the data like the Doctor, the stark spike on the screen was unmistakable. "That doesn't look promising," she murmured, eyeing the abrupt rise with apprehension.

The Doctor's expression darkened. "Indeed, it's far from normal. I'm detecting abnormal readings not only from the planet but also from the surrounding clouds—they're unlike any typical cloud formations, and there's a ship in distress..." He trailed off, fingers flying over the console's typewriter. "We must intervene."

"We?" Hollie's eyebrow arched.

Meeting her gaze firmly, the Doctor nodded again before pulling a lever and pressing a button. The TARDIS responded with a wheeze and a slight jolt. "Message dispatched to the ship," he said with a grin. "Now comes the interesting part."

He spun and strode briskly to the TARDIS doors, Hollie hastening after him. As she stepped out, she just caught sight of the Doctor leaping joyfully into a large chimney. "Doctor!" she cried out, dashing forward and peering down as his silhouette vanished into darkness.

Biting her lip, she scanned the area, noting a massive machine embedded in the roof of the substantial building they were atop. A vibrant purple beam shot from it into the dense, cloudy sky above.

Hollie toggled her gaze between the chimney and the TARDIS, her face contorting with indecision. As far as she was concerned she had three options.

A. Remain in the TARDIS, waiting alone.

B. Leap into the chimney, risking soot and potential harm.

C. Attempt piloting the TARDIS, a daunting task she was most definitely not prepared for.

She sighed; there were really only two slightly logical options to pick from, but she had promised Amy she'd at least try to prevent the Doctor from accidentally killing himself due to his ego and 'charm'. With a sigh, she acknowledged that her only remaining option was far from her preferred one. She shook her head; she had only recently stopped having nightmares about being shot by a Cyberman, and now this new ordeal loomed over her head. She winced before climbing over the edge of the chimney. Hollie closed her eyes and let herself fall, screaming as gravity took hold and she plummeted down the chimney.

She was going to kill that bloody Time Lord if she broke a bone trying to stop him from doing something ridiculously stupid.

Truthfully, the fall wasn't that bad until she noticed that she had landed directly on top of the Doctor. He had just gotten up from his own fall when her impact knocked him back down, causing soot and smoke to fill the air.

She coughed up soot, her hair and clothes completely covered in the stuff, while the Doctor somehow rolled out from under her and jumped up, grinning, not at all fazed by what had just happened.

"Lovely for you to join us, Hollie!" he announced happily, pulling her up before patting down his clothes. They both turned as an older man and a few servants looked in their direction from one side of the chimney. Their eyes were wide, matching the looks of a small family of four in slightly torn clothes who stood on the other side of the chimney. In the middle of the room stood an icy cryo-chamber with servants on either side, guarding it.

"Ah. Yes. Blimey," the Doctor remarked. "Sorry. Christmas Eve on a rooftop. Saw a chimney, my whole brain just went, what the hell."

Hollie huffed. "You jumped down the chimney because it's Christmas Eve?!" She refrained from snapping at him and crossed her soot-covered arms over her chest. "Are you insane, Doctor?"

"Perhaps," he shrugged casually, looking over his shoulder at her before walking towards the stunned family and servants. "Don't worry, fat fellow will be doing the rounds later. I'm just scoping out the general chimney-ness." He waved back at the chimney before leaning against the mantle. "Yes. Nice size, good traction." He jolted away, wincing as he realized it was still quite hot from the fire that had been burning before he jumped down the chimney. "Big tick."

"Big headache," Hollie muttered, glaring at the Time Lord. "Because I had to jump down a chimney!"

The Doctor glanced at her sheepishly as a young boy looked at the pair oddly, while his father asked, "Fat fellow?"

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

Hollie wrinkled her nose at the name. Why did it always have to be Jeff?

"There's no such person as Father Christmas," the boy denied.

The Doctor smirked and dug into his pocket, pulling out an old photograph of himself standing next to the man he was referring to, with Albert Einstein on his other side. "Oh, yeah? Me and Father Christmas, Frank Sinatra's hunting lodge, 1952. See him at the back with the blonde? Albert Einstein. The three of us together. Brrm." He shivered slightly. "Watch out. Okay? Keep the faith. Stay off the naughty list." He patted the boy's shoulder before spinning around and walking toward a large machine, red curtains covering the small alcove where the machine was tucked in.

The Doctor smirked and dug into his pocket, pulling out an old photograph of himself standing next to the man he was referring to, with Albert Einstein on his other side. "Oh, yeah? Me and Father Christmas, Frank Sinatra's hunting lodge, 1952. See him at the back with the blonde? Albert Einstein. The three of us together. Brrm." He shivered slightly. "Watch out. Okay? Keep the faith. Stay off the naughty list." He patted the boy's shoulder before spinning around and walking toward a large machine, red curtains covering the small alcove where the machine was tucked in.

"Nobody important," the old man replied.

"Nobody important," the Doctor repeated, nodding at Hollie. "Blimey, that's amazing."

He turned to the woman frozen in the cryo-chamber and peeked through the small glass porthole, revealing her face through the window inside. "Do you know, in nine hundred years of time and space, I've never met anyone who wasn't important before." He suddenly ran over to the machine and began flicking switches, turning knobs, and pulling levers as he talked. "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." He continued to ramble as he tried more levers and switches, growing visibly frustrated when nothing seemed to work. "I don't want to shock a nun, or something. Sorry, rambling, because," he huffed, "because, this isn't working!"

"The controls are isomorphic," the old man explained. "One to one. They respond only to me."

"Oh, you fibber. Isomorphic." The Doctor turned to the man, giving him a slight scowl. "There's no such thing."

The old man wordlessly walked over to the Doctor and flicked a switch on the machine to prove his point. The machine turned off instantly, and the Doctor looked at him. The old man then flicked the same switch again, and the machine turned back on.

"No such thing?" Hollie repeated, almost smugly, as she looked at the Time Lord.

"Shush, Hollie," the Doctor whispered scoldingly before trying to flick the same switch again, only to get an angry beep in return. He then did it again and again, the beeping getting quicker the more frustrated he became.

The Doctor then pulled his screwdriver out of his blazer and scanned the switch before doing the same to the old man, reading the results with a slight huff.

The Doctor looked at Hollie. "These controls are isomorphic."

She rolled her eyes at him but couldn't help smiling slightly, while the old man looked between the pair unassumingly. "The skies of this entire world are mine. My family tamed them, and now I own them."

"Tamed the sky?" the Doctor repeated. "What does that mean?

"It means I'm Kazran Sardick." He looked between their blank expressions. "How can you possibly not know who I am?"

Hollie sighed as Kazran turned away from them. "It's been a long day."

The Doctor shrugged, walking toward Kazran as he walked away from them. "So, we need your help, then."

Kazran, sounding quite bored, looked over his shoulder and replied, "Make an appointment."

Hollie blinked in disbelief. Did he really just say that? She quickly stepped in front of Kazran as he tried to walk away. He blinked, surprised to find himself face-to-face with the blonde. The Doctor opened his mouth to speak, but Hollie cut him off. "Excuse me?" she stared at Kazran. "What?"

"I said, make an appointment," he repeated, looking down at her.

"Yeah, I heard you," she replied, crossing her arms. "You're seriously asking us to make an appointment while there's a ship in your sky that could crash at any second?"

He nodded, and Hollie could swear he was actually smiling at the idea. "Yes."

The Doctor stepped beside her. "There are four thousand and three people in a spaceship trapped in your cloud belt," he reminded.

Well done," Kazran nodded, his praise sounding anything but genuine. Hollie narrowed her eyes further at him.

"You don't have to let that happen," the Doctor told him simply.

"I know, but I'm going to," Kazran said, turning away and waving a hand dismissively. "Bye, bye. Bored now. Chuck," he ordered.

Before she could react, a servant grabbed her arm and pulled her toward the door, another doing the same to the Doctor. Meanwhile, Kazran settled himself in a tall leather armchair near the burning fireplace.

Hollie twisted her arm just enough to break free, sending the servant a deadly glare just as the Doctor broke free from the servant holding him. The Time Lord marched up to the old man now relaxing in his armchair, despite the chaos that had just ensued around him.

"Ooo, look at you," Kazran remarked, unimpressed as he looked up at the Doctor, "looking all tough now."

"There are four thousand and three people I won't allow to die tonight," the Doctor calmly explained before he asked, "Do you know where that puts you?"

"Where?" Kazran asked in a bored tone, barely glancing up.

"Four thousand and four."

"Was that a sort of threat-y thing?" Kazran scoffed, almost smirking.

"Whatever happens tonight, remember you brought it on yourself," the Doctor warned, his voice low and serious.

"Yeah, yeah, right. Get them out of here," Kazran ordered the servants, dismissing the gravity of the Doctor's words with a wave of his hand.

The Doctor narrowed his eyes as one of the servants moved to grab Hollie. "Don't you dare touch her," he growled, his voice sharp as he took Hollie's hand in his instead.

Hollie blinked slightly, caught off guard. So he avoids me while on the TARDIS but is protective of me off it? What was wrong with him? She squeezed his hand back, feeling the tension in his grip, but her thoughts were a whirlwind of confusion.

"And next time, try and find me some funny poor people," Kazran huffed, oblivious to the tension building between the Doctor and Hollie.

The rest of the servants resumed ushering the family towards the large doors. The boy, however, ducked under one of the servants, slipping past with ease. He picked up a piece of coal from the floor and hurled it at Kazran, his small face twisted with defiance.

Kazran turned towards the boy after the coal hit him, his teeth gritted in anger. He quickly stood and marched over to him, his eyes blazing with fury. The Doctor's eyes widened in horror as he realised what was about to happen. The boy's father struggled against the servant holding him back, his desperate cries echoing through the room, while everyone else stood frozen, too afraid to move.

"No, stop!" the Doctor shouted, his voice filled with urgency.

"Don't!" the boy's father cried, his voice breaking with fear.

Hollie's eyes snapped to the boy, now trembling in fear, his wide eyes filled with terror. This isn't right. Without a second thought, she slipped her hand out of the Doctor's grip and stormed up to Kazran, her heart pounding in her chest. She didn't care if she got hit in the process; she had to protect him. She stepped in front of the child, her eyes ice cold as they met Kazran's.

But Kazran froze as she got there. He could have easily slapped the boy before she stepped in front of him, but something stopped him. It was almost as if he hadn't even realised she was standing there, his gaze completely transfixed on the boy slightly behind her. Kazran's hand hung in mid-air, trembling before a look of slight shame passed over his face. The Doctor tilted his head, frowning softly at the old man.

Then Kazran snapped out of whatever daze he was in, his expression hardening once more. "Get him out of here!" he exclaimed to the servants. "Get that foul-smelling family out of here," he demanded, turning away from them all, his voice shaking with barely contained emotion.

The servants quickly scurried about, dragging the family out, with one of the servants even hurrying forward to grab the boy. "Out!"

"We're going!" the boy cried as he was dragged out. The Doctor frowned slightly, his mind racing with thoughts, while Hollie let out a shaky breath, her body trembling with the adrenaline coursing through her. The Time Lord slowly crept up to her and took her hand, his touch gentle as he looked at her with deep concern.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his voice soft.

"I couldn't let him just hit the boy," she replied calmly, though there was still a slight tremble even through her telepathic link that betrayed her.

The Doctor nodded, understanding completely, and squeezed her hand reassuringly as he eyed Kazran, who had turned back to them, his expression unreadable. Suddenly, Kazran noticed that neither of them had left. "What?" he grumbled. "What do you want?"

"A simple life," the Doctor replied, his tone casual, though Hollie could sense the weight behind his words. She would have laughed if she hadn't still been slightly shaken. The Doctor continued, "But you didn't hit the boy."

"Well, I will next time!" Kazran exclaimed, though there was a hint of doubt in his voice.

"You see, you won't. You had plenty of time to hit him before Hollie went to intervene," the Doctor said, tilting his head in wonder. "Now why?" He looked at the blonde beside him, his eyes searching hers for the answer. "What am I missing?"

"Get out," Kazran demanded, his voice rough. "Get out of this house."

Hollie looked past Kazran, her eyes scanning the room before something clicked in her mind. "Your chairs," she said, her voice calm but firm.

The Doctor blinked, the realisation dawning on him as he lightly tapped his palm with his free hand. "Of course, the chairs. Stupid me," he said, pointing at the chairs as if the answer had been right in front of him all along. "Nice going Hollie."

She shook her head slightly at him. "The chairs?" Kazran repeated, confusion creasing his brow.

The Doctor nodded slightly. "There's a portrait on the wall behind me. Looks like you, but it's too old, so it's your father. All the chairs are angled away from it. Your father'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," he explained, his eyes darting around the room, piecing together the puzzle. "You're scared of him, and you're scared of being like him, and good for you, you're not like him, not really." His lips curved into a small, understanding smile. "Do you know why?"

"Why?" Kazran asked, his voice barely more than a whisper.

The Doctor raised an eyebrow at Hollie, and she answered for him softly, "You didn't hit the boy."

"Merry Christmas, Mister Sardick," the Doctor said, his voice gentle, almost kind.

Kazran growled at the pair, his anger flaring once more. "I despise Christmas!"

"You shouldn't," the Doctor told him, his voice laced with the wisdom of centuries. "It's very you."

Kazran frowned, confused. "It's what? What do you mean?"

The Doctor smirked slightly, his eyes twinkling with that familiar mischief. "Halfway out of the dark." He winked at Hollie beside him, and the pair left the room just as Kazran's servants entered to take them away.

"Get her downstairs with the others," Hollie heard Kazran bellow to the servants as they walked down the stairs. "And clean up this mess!"

By the time they got to the bottom of the stairs and were practically shoved outside, Hollie's legs and feet ached, the adrenaline finally wearing off.

"Have you got a plan yet?" Amy questioned through the device as the Doctor pulled it out of his pocket and connected the call. The Doctor stepped into the dark street with Hollie, who looked up at the building behind them, her mind still reeling from what had just happened.

"Yes, I do," he replied, his voice confident.

Hollie raised a brow at him and crossed her arms disapprovingly, knowing him all too well. Of course, he's lying. She could see right through him as she asked, "Are you lying?"

He looked at her and frowned at the disapproving look on the blonde's face. He had seen that same look before, but it wasn't on her—a face familiar and one he deeply missed, even if it had been months since he last saw her—and he sighed.

"Yes, I am." He answered Hollie with a slight glare.

Why was she looking at him like that, it was unsettling.

"Don't treat me like an idiot," Amy scolded, her voice sharp through the device.

"Okay," he replied, quickly continuing before Amy could say anything else. "The good news: 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, that's great news."

"But I can't control the machine," he added, his tone dimming slightly.

"Less great."

"But I've met a man who can," he said in a cheerier voice for it only to dip again, "And he hates us."

Amy sighed, the weight of the situation pressing down on her. "Where's Hollie?"

The Doctor grumbled, knowing where this was going. "Amy." He handed Hollie the device, not wanting to face the inevitable lecture himself.

"Hello?" Hollie frowned, pressing the device to her ear.

"You were supposed to keep an eye on him!" Amy snapped. "I told you to stop him being extra charming and clever."

Hollie winced, pulling the device away slightly. "I was a bit busy after having to chase him down a chimney!" She turned, glaring at the Time Lord beside her.

"A chimney?" Amy repeated, the disbelief clear in her voice.

The Doctor grinned, clearly pleased with himself, but his smile faltered at the unamused look Hollie continued to give him. "Don't ask," she grumbled into the device, wiping soot off her clothes before handing it back to the Doctor.

"Sir, ma'am?" The boy's father walked up to them, his voice filled with gratitude.

"Hang on," the Doctor said to Amy as he lowered the device, turning his attention to the man before them.

"I've never seen anybody stand up to Mister Sardick like that." He looked between the Doctor and Hollie, his eyes shining with admiration before taking Hollie's hand and shaking it quickly. "And thank you for protecting my boy. Bless you both and Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas," the Doctor and Hollie replied in unison, their voices soft but sincere.

"Lovely," the Doctor added, clearly eager to move on. "Sorry, bit busy." He went to turn away, already thinking of the next step in his plan.

"You'd better get inside," the man warned, his voice serious. "The fog's thick tonight, and there's a fish warning."

"All right, yeah," the Doctor nodded before he met Hollie's eyes, the realization of the man's words hitting them both at the same time. The Doctor looked at the man, his curiosity piqued. "Sorry, fish?"

"Yeah. You know what they're like when they get a bit hungry," the man replied, looking up at the large building looming behind them.

Hollie tilted her head again, trying to piece together what the man meant as the Doctor frowned deeper. "Yeah, fish, I know fish." He glanced at Hollie, his confusion evident. "Fish?"

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

The Doctor met Hollie's eyes again, his mind working rapidly as he muttered to himself, "Fish?"

Amy's voice crackled through the device. "Doctor, the Captain says we've got less than an hour. What should we be doing?"

"Doctor," Hollie interrupted, her voice soft with awe as she noticed something near the street lamp. Tiny fish swam gracefully through the air, their scales shimmering in the light. "That's beautiful..." she breathed.

The Doctor's frown softened as he realised what the man had meant. "Fish."

"Sorry, what?" Amy asked, confusion in her voice.

"Fish that can swim in fog," the Doctor remarked, his smile returning as he watched Hollie reach out, giggling as the fish danced around her fingers. He hummed thoughtfully. "I love new planets."

"Doctor," Amy huffed in frustration. "Doctor, please don't get distracted, pass me to Hollie."

But the Doctor wasn't listening. He was too focused on Hollie, watching her curiously as he held his hand up beside hers. The fish began to nibble at his fingers, and he couldn't help but chuckle. "Now, why would people be frightened of you, tiny little fellows? Look at you, sweet little fishy-wishies." His amusement faded as he considered the implications. "Mind you, fish in the fog, so the cloud cover..." His eyes widened slightly as a thought struck him. "Ooo. Careful up there."

Amy's voice, tinged with irritation, cut through his thoughts. "Oh great, thanks, Doctor, because there was a real danger we were all going to nod off." She suddenly snapped at him, "We've got less than an hour!"

Hollie reluctantly lowered her arm as the Doctor's attention was drawn to the large clock nearby, its chimes ringing out to signal eleven o'clock. "I know."

"Doctor?" Amy's voice called out again, while Hollie frowned at the sound of a Christmas carol beginning to play through the town's speakers. The melody filled the air, adding an eerie yet festive atmosphere. "How are you getting us off here?"

"Oh, just give me a minute," the Doctor replied, absentmindedly tapping the device against his forehead as he glanced at Hollie. He began to ramble, his mind racing. "Can't use the TARDIS, because it can't lock on. 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?" Amy's voice crackled through the device. "Is that singing?"

"It's a Christmas carol," Hollie answered, barely registering Amy's question as the music swelled.

"A what?"

"A Christmas carol," the Doctor instinctively replied.

"A what?"

"A Christmas carol!" Hollie huffed, raising her voice to make herself heard over the music.

The Doctor blinked and turned to look at Hollie, a wide grin spreading across his face as the pieces of his plan began to fall into place. She stared back at him, slowly frowning as he looked up at the fish. "Merry Christmas, Kazran Sardick," he smirked.

"Doctor!" Amy shouted, but the Doctor was already moving, pocketing the device and grabbing Hollie's hand. "Come on, Hollie!"

"Where are we going?" she asked, frowning as he pulled out his screwdriver and unlocked the front door they had just exited.

"The roof!" he cheered, leading her inside and down a corridor.

Hollie sighed, her body protesting the idea. "Doctor, I don't want to jump down the chimney again. Everything aches!"

"We're not; you need to get to the TARDIS."

Hollie stopped abruptly, causing the Doctor to nearly stumble as she pulled him to a halt. "Explain, please."

"Kazran was scared of his father, yes?"

"Yeah." She nodded, her frown deepening as the Doctor rummaged through his pockets.

"And he turned that fear into hatred."

"Yeah." She nodded again, trying to follow his train of thought.

"What if we made him nice?" He grinned, tugging her along as they continued down the corridor.

Hollie hesitated, pulling him to a stop once more. "Can we do that?" she asked, her eyes searching his for reassurance.

"Of course we can," he shrugged, turning back to the long spiral staircase and pulling her along with renewed enthusiasm.

"But isn't that changing his past?"

"Past, future," he waved a hand dismissively. "It's all wibbly." He glanced back at her, a teasing glint in his eyes. "You humans are so linear."

She rolled her eyes but couldn't help the smile that tugged at her lips. "That's rude."

"That's the truth," he winked over his shoulder. "Now come on!" He quickened his pace, pulling her with him. Hollie yelped slightly as she nearly tripped on the stairs, trying to keep up with him.

They continued ascending until the Doctor suddenly stopped at the floor he needed. He turned to Hollie, giving her a quick, serious look. "Keep going until you reach the TARDIS," he instructed. "Under the main console, in one of the chests, there will be an envelope with some winning lottery tickets in there. Go get them, then bring them back here."

"Why?"

The Doctor huffed, expecting her to question him. It was very her, after all. "Mister Kazran Sardick will call his servants at the earliest moment possible, but what if he has no servants to call?" He smirked at the thought.

Hollie shook her head with a small smile, then continued up the spiral staircase as instructed.

The Doctor watched her go before turning to the door and unlocking it with his screwdriver. He opened the door cautiously, peeking inside the long corridor. "Right..." he whispered to himself, his mind already on the next step. "Time for phase one, Doctor."

It took longer than expected, but Hollie eventually reached the TARDIS. She quickly located the winning lottery tickets in the chest, just as the Doctor had said. Returning down the spiral staircase, she blinked in surprise upon seeing the Doctor standing exactly where she had left him. "Have you been waiting here all this time?"

"I've been... exploring," he shrugged casually. "Had to find where all the servants stay; in a place this big, they have to live here. And I was right." He gestured down the corridor he had just unlocked. "Last door on the left. Meet me back at the TARDIS."

Hollie sighed dramatically. "I have to climb all those stairs again?"

"Unless you want to try recovering video footage with a paper clip?" he teased, raising a brow at the exasperated look on her face. "Didn't think so."

"Why are you recovering old recordings?"

"Young Kazran Sardick made some video diaries. They're part of my plan."

"The plan you won't tell me," she shot back, narrowing her eyes at him.

"Trust me, Hollie."

She shook her head but relented. "Fine." She pointed at him warningly. "But I'm not using the stairs again after this."

He mock-saluted her before she turned to head down the corridor. The Doctor pivoted on his heels and started down the staircase, heading back to the small room he had discovered, filled with old footage labelled with various dates. "Now just have to find the right one..." he muttered to himself, focused on the task at hand.

It didn't take the Doctor long to find what he was looking for, and he quickly got to work recovering the old footage before setting up the projector in the room where he and Hollie had met Kazran Sardick earlier after falling down the chimney.

He hadn't been at it for long when he decided to change into a new shirt and jacket, after enduring ten minutes of Hollie's complaints about their dirty clothes. Honestly, he wasn't sure what was worse—her whining about their attire, how he looked like a twelve-year-old, or the Daleks. Who was he kidding? It was definitely the Daleks, but it was a close call.

Hollie had also changed into something warmer. She was now wearing fresh black jeans and a black top, but had swapped her shirt for a warm grey jacket zipped up over her clothes. She'd taken the time to brush out all the soot from her hair and had styled it into a simple plait. The Doctor, on the other hand, had simply swapped his usual attire for a fresh pair that was exactly the same.

As she watched him work, Hollie couldn't help but wonder just how many pairs of the same clothes he owned. Did he ever wear anything else? She had only ever seen him in roughly this outfit. His shirt and his bowtie occasionally changed but, except for the suit and tails at Amy and Rory's wedding he was mostly the same. Surely he didn't sleep in his clothes? Did he have pyjamas? Or... did he sleep naked?

A blush spread across her face at that thought, and she quickly tried to banish the image of a naked Doctor from her mind. But the thought persisted, refusing to leave.

Bloody hell.

She was jolted back to reality by the sound of the film rolling from the projector. The Doctor had been working silently for nearly half an hour, and now they both observed as the wall lit up with the projection, which faced the old man sleeping in his leather chair, blissfully unaware.

The video began with a young Kazran Sardick, who looked to be around eleven or twelve years old. He was sitting at a desk, smiling happily in a pair of pyjamas. "Hello, my name is Kazran Sardick," he whispered into the camera, glancing around briefly as if he shouldn't have been recording. "I'm twelve and a half, and this is my bedroom." He leaned into the camera, whispering even quieter this time. "This is my top secret special project. For my eyes only. Merry Christmas." He smiled.

"Kazran!" A booming voice echoed through the room from the speakers hooked up to the projection. The older Kazran jolted awake at the sound, his eyes darting around in terror before they landed on the projection in front of him. He slowly stood up, his eyes glued to the recording as Kazran's father, a man who looked quite similar to the older version of Kazran, walked into the room.

"Kazran, what are you doing?" his father asked before leaning in toward whatever was recording the footage. "I've warned you before about this, you stupid, ignorant, ridiculous child."

"I was just going to make a film of the fish," the boy protested.

"The fish are dangerous."

"I just want to see them."

"Don't be stupid," his father shot back. "You're far too young."

"Everyone at school's seen the fish."

"That's enough. You'll be singing to them next, like gypsies," he spat, narrowing his eyes at the boy.

Kazran looked up at his father helplessly. "The singing works. I've seen it. The fish like the singing."

His father scoffed. "What does it matter what fish like?"

"People say we don't have to be afraid of the fish. They're not really interested in us."

His father's fury intensified. Hollie watched sadly, her heart breaking for the young boy as his father stepped closer, his eyes narrowing even further.

"You don't listen to people. You listen to me!" Kazran's father raised his arm and brought it down, striking Kazran across the face.

Hollie narrowed her eyes at the screen as the older Kazran flinched, the loud slapping noise reverberating through the room.

The boy cried out before whimpering, "I'm sorry, Father."

"This is my house. While you're under my roof, you'll obey my instructions," his father snapped before turning and leaving the room.

Hollie watched closely as the Doctor quietly stepped toward the older man and gently placed a hand on his shoulder. Kazran flinched away, his eyes tearing themselves from the screen where the younger Kazran was sobbing into his arms, his recording device still playing. "It's okay, it's okay."

Kazran jumped at the touch, stumbling back slightly as his eyes widened, but anger quickly overtook his expression. "What have you done?" he demanded, pointing at the crying younger Kazran projected on the wall. "What is this?"

"Found it on an old drive," the Doctor explained, gesturing up at the wall. "Sorry about the picture quality. Had to recover the data using quantum enfolding and a paperclip." He picked up a newspaper and sat down comfortably in Kazran's armchair.

Kazran stormed over to the large roped bell to summon his servants. Hollie smirked from where she stood in the shadows. "Oh, I wouldn't bother calling your servants," the Doctor called out without looking up from the paper. "They quit." He hummed for a moment and then continued, "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," Kazran stated angrily.

"Yeah, as I say," the Doctor replied, shifting his eyes away from the paper to Kazran. "Lucky."

Kazran focused his attention back on the recording, watching as his father returned to the room and walked towards the open window. "There's a fog warning tonight. You keep these windows closed, understand?" He pulled the window shut. "Closed."

Kazran turned his fearful gaze to the Doctor. "Who are you?"

"Tonight, I'm a Ghost of Christmas Past," the Doctor replied.

"Mrs. Mantovani will be looking after you tonight," Kazran's father informed him on the screen in the background. "You stay here until she comes. Do you understand? Do you understand?"

"Did you ever get to see a fish back then, when you were a kid?" the Doctor questioned.

Kazran narrowed his eyes at the Time Lord. "What does that matter to you?"

"Look how it mattered to you," the Doctor said, standing up and stepping closer to Kazran.

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

"Ah." The Doctor nodded slightly, moving around Kazran. "Which is?"

"Nobody comes," Kazran answered, his voice filled with bitterness. He suddenly glared at the Doctor. "Get out!" he exclaimed. The Doctor stepped back as Hollie moved towards them, but the Doctor shot her a warning look.

She had already stepped in to protect a child from this man today, and while the Doctor appreciated her loyalty, he didn't need her to do the same for him now. "Get out of my house!" Kazran snapped, his eyes flicking briefly to Hollie as she positioned herself beside the Doctor without saying a word.

"Okay," the Doctor nodded. "Okay, but we'll be back. Way back." He started to walk towards the doors where he had moved the TARDIS, parking it just outside. He held the door open and gave Kazran one final look. "Way, way back."

Hollie followed the Doctor through the doors and into the TARDIS. "So we're doing a Christmas Carol?" she guessed, following him to the console.

"Exactly!" he exclaimed, running around the console. "Well done, Hollie. Gold star." He paused his movements and poked his head around the rotor to look at her. "If I had any gold stars, that is..." He looked thoughtful for a second. "Should I get gold stars?" he mused before disappearing behind the rotor and pulling a lever. The TARDIS wheezed, and Hollie watched as the Doctor darted around again, pulling more levers and turning dials. "Then I could put you and the Ponds against each other." He laughed. "Now that would be cool!"

Hollie shook her head, smiling softly. It had been a while since she'd heard him laugh like that.

She missed it—their usual mix of flirting and banter. When was the last time they'd had a conversation that felt anything close to that?

She missed him.

"Come on, Hollie." The Doctor suddenly ran to the doors, and she followed him, watching as he bounded out like an excited puppy.

Hollie frowned when she noticed they were parked just outside Kazran's home, but something felt different. "When are we?"

"Good question." The Doctor grinned, pointing at her. "About..." He looked at his wristwatch. "Sixty or so years earlier than where we were." He tapped his watch slightly before shaking his head. "But that's not important. Stay here, I'll be a mo!"

Hollie shook her head and headed back inside the TARDIS. Of course, he wasn't going to tell her. She should have known better.

─── ｡ﾟ☆･*.☽ .* ☆ﾟ. ───

That took way too long to write. Every single damn time I tried to get any words out my brain simply did not want to cooperate and wanted to write for a chapter elsewhere in the book... or it was busy wanting to watch House of the Dragon (-Bellerose- I'm blaming you, sorry <3) I'm going to try and get the rest of this chapter out of the way and then we'll crack on with the Protector because I am determined to get the first book done if it kills me.

Which at this rate it probably will.

Oh also you already might have guessed but the chapters are longer now!