TENTH DOCTOR
"You can get that thing of your head! Now!" Shouted Donna.
"Why? What's wrong with this?" The Doctor pointed at the Santa hat on his head.
"It may be Christmas on Mars, but here it's the middle of July!"
"One: I'm not from Mars. Two: I'm really not from Mars so just forget it. Three: It's always Christmas somewhere in time and space! We can celebrate it any time we want!"
"But why now?"
"Do I need a reason?"
Donna rolled her eyes.
"I told you before! I hate Christmas! I really do!"
"Why Donna? You never did tell me."
"I don't know. Just never have."
"You must have loved it as a kid though. Running down those stairs. Opening those presents, Christmas Dinner. You must have loved it at some point. Think Donna. When did that stop?"
Donna thought. And then she realised.
"It was the night I stayed up all night... and realised there was no Santa."
"Oh! That's stupid! There is a Santa! He just operates in a slightly speeded up time stream when he works so that's why you can't see him! When you do see him it's often because he wants to remind you he's real. It's something deeper than that Donna. Think. Tell me it's alright."
Donna thought hard. And then she began to cry.
"Donna? What is it?"
"I just remembered. My Nan died on Christmas Eve. A few years ago."
The Doctor paused.
"How can you forget that? I mean, how daft must you be to forget something like that?! Oh wait. I'm being rude again. Oops Sorry. I don't know why I'm rude all of a sudden. I think it's ever since that Sycorax tried to charge me when I wasn't looking on Christmas Day. He was very rude. And then of course I killed him with a satsuma which was of course very ru- OW!"
Donna had slapped him.
"Alright sorry" he said. "So... where did your Nan die?"
"Alone. At the home. They found her the next morning. "
"Hang on. Your Nan? This isn't Wilf's wife?"
"No. It's my Dad's mum."
"Right. And the home? Where is it? And when is it?"
Donna told him the address. The Doctor pressed some buttons and the TARDIS took off and landed.
"Outside those doors... it's Christmas Eve... 15 minutes before your Nan died. Go out. Say goodbye."
"Thank you" Donna said.
She stepped out and walked over to the bed. The old woman in the bed stirred.
"Who is it? It's not medicine time already?"
"Nan? It's me. Donna."
"Donna love? I thought visiting hours ended?"
"Nan... be quiet for a minute... Let's just talk."
And they talked. They talked for a long while. They laughed and disscussed old times. And then... Donna watched her Nan's eyes close... for the last time. Donna wiped her eyes and kissed her Nan on the head. Donna stepped back into the TARDIS. She looke dup at the Doctor.
"Thank you."
He nodded.
"Merry Christmas Donna."
She smiled.
"Merry Christmas Doctor."
"Right then!" The Doctor bounded to the controls. "Adventures!"
"Why? What's wrong with this?" The Doctor pointed at the Santa hat on his head.
"It may be Christmas on Mars, but here it's the middle of July!"
"One: I'm not from Mars. Two: I'm really not from Mars so just forget it. Three: It's always Christmas somewhere in time and space! We can celebrate it any time we want!"
"But why now?"
"Do I need a reason?"
Donna rolled her eyes.
"I told you before! I hate Christmas! I really do!"
"Why Donna? You never did tell me."
"I don't know. Just never have."
"You must have loved it as a kid though. Running down those stairs. Opening those presents, Christmas Dinner. You must have loved it at some point. Think Donna. When did that stop?"
Donna thought. And then she realised.
"It was the night I stayed up all night... and realised there was no Santa."
"Oh! That's stupid! There is a Santa! He just operates in a slightly speeded up time stream when he works so that's why you can't see him! When you do see him it's often because he wants to remind you he's real. It's something deeper than that Donna. Think. Tell me it's alright."
Donna thought hard. And then she began to cry.
"Donna? What is it?"
"I just remembered. My Nan died on Christmas Eve. A few years ago."
The Doctor paused.
"How can you forget that? I mean, how daft must you be to forget something like that?! Oh wait. I'm being rude again. Oops Sorry. I don't know why I'm rude all of a sudden. I think it's ever since that Sycorax tried to charge me when I wasn't looking on Christmas Day. He was very rude. And then of course I killed him with a satsuma which was of course very ru- OW!"
Donna had slapped him.
"Alright sorry" he said. "So... where did your Nan die?"
"Alone. At the home. They found her the next morning. "
"Hang on. Your Nan? This isn't Wilf's wife?"
"No. It's my Dad's mum."
"Right. And the home? Where is it? And when is it?"
Donna told him the address. The Doctor pressed some buttons and the TARDIS took off and landed.
"Outside those doors... it's Christmas Eve... 15 minutes before your Nan died. Go out. Say goodbye."
"Thank you" Donna said.
She stepped out and walked over to the bed. The old woman in the bed stirred.
"Who is it? It's not medicine time already?"
"Nan? It's me. Donna."
"Donna love? I thought visiting hours ended?"
"Nan... be quiet for a minute... Let's just talk."
And they talked. They talked for a long while. They laughed and disscussed old times. And then... Donna watched her Nan's eyes close... for the last time. Donna wiped her eyes and kissed her Nan on the head. Donna stepped back into the TARDIS. She looke dup at the Doctor.
"Thank you."
He nodded.
"Merry Christmas Donna."
She smiled.
"Merry Christmas Doctor."
"Right then!" The Doctor bounded to the controls. "Adventures!"