Inside the TARDIS | Aubrielle's Bedroom |
"How did you sleep?" The Doctor asked as Aubrielle finally woke up.
"Better than I have in years honestly. We're you awake this entire time?" Aubrielle questioned, worried.
"Don't worry, love. I don't sleep like you and your sister have to."
Aubrielle smiled at him, turning over in the bed to face him fully. The Doctor ran a hand through her hair, smiling down at the girl next to him. He allowed his hand to fall down to cup her cheek and she softly kissed his palm.
"I really love you." She whispered, closing her eyes.
"And I really love you." The Doctor whispered, kissing her lips softly.
Once the two broke away, Aubrielle slowly opened her eyes and looked at the Doctor with a smile.
"So, what's the plan for today?" Aubrielle asked excitedly.
"I was thinking....."
Later that morning...
Inside | Starliner Flight Deck |
A Starliner was crashing and became stuck in a thick cloud layer of some kind.
"Would all passengers please return to their seats and fasten their safety belts? We are experiencing slight turbulence." A computer voice asked through the whole ship.
The Captain of the Starliner then arrived on the primary flight deck.
"Both engines failed, and the storm gates critical. The ship is going down! Christmas is canceled."
"Entering atmosphere now! - Level keep her level!" The first pilot instructed.
"Level with what?" The second pilot asked. "I can't see! What is that stuff?"
"Clouds?" The Captain guessed.
"What kind of clouds?"
"Are you sending a distress signal?"
"It's not me!"
"Who's in the honeymoon suite?" The Captain question, checking the ship to locate the signal.
At that moment, Amy burst in, wearing her police outfit.
"I've sent for help." Amy informed.
"Who the hell are you?" The Captain asked, turning to look at her.
"Look, there are my little sister and a friend of mine, ok, and they can help us, they'll come!"
"And what are you wearing?"
"That doesn't matter." Amy said, tugging at her skirt hem, a bit self-consciously.
"Are you from the honeymoon suite?"
"Oh, shut up!"
Rory then entered the room dressed as a Roman soldier. He was thrown into the walls as the ship shuddered. He was holding a device in his hand.
"Amy, the light's stopped flashing Does that mean they're coming?"
"Honeymoon suite?" The first pilot asked.
Rory glanced down at his outfit and back up. "Oh, the clothes, um It is just a bit of fun."
"Really, shut up!" Amy said, glaring at Rory.
"Sensor-loss on 80% of the hull..." The second pilot informed.
"So does this mean they're coming?" Rory questioned again. "Or does it mean I need to change the bulb?"
"They'll come. They always come." Amy replied adamantly.
"Right, well, they are cutting it kind of fine!"
"If we can't stabilize the orbit, we're finished." The Captin informed.
"There's nothing to lock onto. I am flying blind."
"Come on, guys, come on..." Amy said, praying they'll show up soon.
"There's something coming alongside us. Something small, like a shuttle."
"Just this once, don't be late. Common little sister, help him."
"Ma'am...incoming message. It's from the other ship."
"On screen."
The words then appeared on the screen in front of them.
Come along Pond.
The TARDIS whizzed by and Rory looked at Amy who had sighed in relief.
"Thank you, little sister." Amy whispered.
"What does that mean?" The Captain questioned.
"It's Christmas!" Amy cheered.
Outside | City | Night
A red beam of energy shot through the sky from the tallest building in the city. The ship was caught in the beam and begun to plummet towards the planet's surface. The city itself was very steampunk: Victoriana mixed with high technology. In the streets, the people prepared for the holiday.
"On every world, wherever people are, in the deepest part of the winter, at the exact mid-point everybody stops and turns and hugs. As if to say, "Well done. Well done, everyone we're halfway out of the dark. " Back on Earth, we called this Christmas. Or the Winter Solstice."
Inside | Sardick Residence
Kazran Sardick was looking out a large window out onto the stormy sky.
"On this world, the first settlers called it the Crystal Feast. You know what I call it?" Kazran turned around. "I call it expecting something for nothing!"
Kazran walked into the room where a family was standing.
The father was pleading with Kazran. "Sir. Mr. Sardick. We're only asking for one day. Just let her out for Christmas."
Two men wheeled a cryogenic pod into the room. Inside was a young woman with beautiful long blonde hair.
"She loves Christmas."
"Does she? Oh, does she? I see! Hello!" Kazran tapped on the window with his cane. "Wakey-wakey it's Christmas! Do you know what? I think she's a bit cool about the whole thing." He laughed but no one else did. "That was funny."
The servants laughed this time.
"She's frozen." The father's son said.
"She's what, sorry?"
"She's in the ice, she can't hear you."
"Oh, what a clever little boy. You must be so irritated." He looked to his servant. "How much?"
"Er, it's 4,500 Gideons, sir."
"You took a loan of 4,500 Gideons and Little Miss Christmas is my security."
The phone then rang and the servant answered it.
"We're not asking for her back." The father clarified. "Just let her have one day. Let her have Christmas with us."
"Sir, it's the President." The servant interrupted from by the phone.
"Tell him I'm busy. Now, where were we? Oh, yes! She's pretty, though, your daughter. Maybe I should keep her."
"She's not my daughter, sir."
"She's my sister." The woman informed. "She volunteered for the ice when the family was in difficulties many years ago."
The servant walked over. "Sorry, sir, the President says there's a Galaxy-class ship trapped in the cloud layer and well, we have to let it land."
"Or?" Kazran asked.
"Well...or it'll crash, sir."
"Oh. Well, it's a kind of landing, isn't it?"
"It's from Earth, sir, registering over 4,000 life forms on board."
Kazran chuckled. "Not if we wait a bit!"
"You can't just let it crash, sir."
The son started to hear a wheezing noise from somewhere.
"Says who? Oh, give it here. Look, petal, we already have a surplus population. No more people allowed on this planet. I don't make the rules. Oh, no, hang on I do. Right, you lot... poor, begging people, off home and pray for a miracle."
The father started to usher his family towards the door. The son looked back to the fireplace just as a huge amount of soot fell spreading embers in a gust.
The Doctor then fell through, somersaulting. He got up and dusted himself off. Aubrielle causally walked out behind him, shaking her head. "Ah! Yes, blimey. Sorry! Christmas Eve on a rooftop saw a chimney, my whole brain just went, 'What the hell!' He walked over to the children.
"Don't worry, fat fella will be doing the rounds later. I'm just scoping out the general chimney-ness." He leaned against the chimney. "Yes. Nice size, good traction. Big tick!"
"Fat fella?" The father asked.
"Father Christmas..." Aubrielle spoke up, smiling towards the man as she walked over to the Doctor. "Santa Claus or, as I've always known him, Jeff."
"There's no such person as Father Christmas." The son tried to say.
"Oh, yeah?" The Doctor pulled out a black and white photo.
"Me, Aubrielle and Father Christmas, Frank Sinatra's hunting lodge, 1952. See him at the back with the blonde...Albert Einstein. The three of us together...hrrroom! Watch out! Okay? Keep the faith, stay off the naughty list. Ooh! Now, what's this? And I love this, a big flashy lighty thing that's what brought us here." The Doctor grabbed Aubrielle's hand, walking over to a large control panel covered with knobs, buttons and flashing lights.
"Big flashy lighty things have got me written all over them. Not actually, but give me time and a crayon." He sat down in a chair, pulling Aubrielle onto his lap and swiveled to face Kazran.
"Now, this big flashy lighty thing is connected to the spire in your dome, yeah? and it controls the sky." Aubrielle questioned, getting up and walking forwards.
"Well, technically, it controls the clouds, which technically aren't clouds at all. Well, they're clouds of tiny particles of ice. Ice clouds love that. Who's she?" The Doctor questioned, pointing over at the cryo-chamber. Aubrielle walked over as well and looked inside to see the girl.
"Nobody important." Kazran replied.
Aubrielle scoffed, not believing a word as she walked over to the console and sat down in the swivel chair. She turned it around and looked over all the controls.
"Nobody important? Blimey, that's amazing. Do you know, in 900 years of time and space, I've never met anyone who wasn't important before." The Doctor went back over to the controls and started to use them.
"Now, this console is the key to saving that ship, or I'll eat my hat If I had a hat. I'll eat someone's hat. Not someone who's using their hat I don't want to shock a nun or something. " The Doctor continued.
"Love, you're rambling again." Aubrielle pointed out, shooting him a bright smile.
"Sorry, rambling, cos...cos this isn't working!"
Kazran walked over and stood on the other side of Aubrielle.
"The controls are isomorphic, one to one, they respond only to me."
"Oh, you fibber...Isomorphic! There's no such thing." The Doctor and Aubrielle claimed.
Kazran reached across and flipped a switch, shutting the machine off. He then turned it back on. The Doctor following but nothing happened. He then ran the sonic over the controls. The Doctor then scanned Kazran with the sonic and checked the readings.
"These controls are isomorphic!"
"The skies of this entire world are mine. My family tamed them, and now I own them."
Aubrielle stood up angry. "These skies are NOT yours."
The Doctor came over and wrapped an arm around Aubrielle's waist, kissing her temple lightly. "Calm down dear."
Aubrielle sighed slightly, leaning into his side.
"I'm sorry." she apologized for her reaction.
"You have nothing to be sorry for love." The Doctor replied, kissing Aubrielle's temple.
"Tamed the sky? What does that mean?" The Doctor questioned after a moment of silence, rubbing his thumb over Aubrielle's waist.
"It means I'm Kazran Sardick. How can you possibly not know who I am?"
"Well, just easily bored, I suppose." Aubrielle spoke up.
The Doctor gave Aubrielle's temple another kiss before walking over to the console. "So, I need your help, then."
"Make an appointment."
"There are 4,003 people in a spaceship trapped in your cloud belt." Aubrielle explained. "Without your help, they're going to die."
"Yes."
"You don't have to let that happen. " The Doctor pointed out.
"I know, but I'm going to. Bye-bye. Bored now...Chuck!"
One of Kazran's servants came over grabbing Aubrielle by one arm and the Doctor by another. The Doctor managed to get out of his grasp, Aubrielle following suit. They both went and stood in front of Kazran, who was now sitting in a chair.
"Ooh, look at you two, looking all tough now."
"There are 4,003 people we won't allow to die tonight. Do you know where that puts you?" Aubrielle questioned, placing a hand on her hip.
"Where?"
"4,004." She replied with a smirk.
"Was that a sort of threat-y thing?"
"Whatever happens tonight, remember you brought it on yourself." The Doctor spoke up as nicely as he could.
"Yeah, yeah, right Get them out of here. And next time, try and find me some funny poor people."
The Doctor and Aubrielle were forced towards the door along with the family. The son picked up a lump of coal and threw it at Kazran, hitting him on the head. He stormed over to the son and raised his hand to hit him.
"No, stop, don't!" Aubrielle screamed, lifting her hand up preparing herself.
"Don't you dare! You leave him!" The father said.
Kazran lowered his hand. "Get him out of here! Get that foul-smelling family out of here! Out!"
The family was then taken out of the room and Aubrielle lowered her hand.
Kazran headed back to his chair but stopped when he saw the Doctor and Aubrielle still standing there. "What? What do you want?"
"A simple life." Aubrielle replied. "But you didn't hit the boy."
"Well, I will next time!"
"You see, you won't." Aubrielle spoke.
"Now, why? What am I missing?" The Doctor continued. He walked past Kazran, looking at something else. Aubrielle watched closely.
"Get out! Get out of this house!"
"The chairs! Of course, the chairs! Stupid me, the chairs!"
"The chairs?"
"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. Daddy's been dead for 20 years. But you still can't get comfortable where he can see you." The Doctor explained, Aubrielle walking over to him.
"Do you want to know what I noticed?" Aubrielle questioned.
"What did you noticed?"
"There's a Christmas tree in the painting, but none in this house, on Christmas Eve." She began, the Doctor smiling proudly at him. "You're scared of him and you're scared of being like him. Good for you, you're not like him, not really. Do you know why?"
"Why?"
"Because you didn't hit the boy." The Doctor explained. "Merry Christmas, Mr. Sardick."
"I despise Christmas!"
The Doctor took Aubrielle's hand, waiting for her to interlace them which she did immediately. He began to lead them away from Kazran.
"You shouldn't. It's very you." The Doctor said.
"It's what? What do you mean?"
"Halfway out of the dark." Aubrielle replied.
The two were gone just before the servants returned from escorting the family out.
"Get her downstairs with the others.: Kazran said, referring to the cryo-chamber. "And clean up this mess!"
Starliner | Flight Deck |
"Everything's offline! Secondary furnace just vented." The second pilot informed.
Amy was on the phone with Aubrielle and the Doctor. "Have you got a plan yet?"
Outside | Sardick Residence |
"Yes, we do."
"Are you lying?" Amy asked.
"Yes, yes, we are." The Doctor replied.
Starliner | Flight Deck |
"Don't treat me like an idiot." Amy said into the phone.
"Were they lying?" Rory questioned.
"No, no." Amy replied, patronizingly
Outside | City Street |
"Okay! The good news." The Doctor started. "We'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, hey, that's great news."
Starliner | Flight Deck |
"But I can't control the machine." The Doctor's voice resonated through the phone speaker.
"Less great."
"But we've met a man who can."
"Ah, well, there you go!"
Outside | City Street |
"And he hates us." Aubrielle pointed out.
"Were you being extra charming and clever?" Amy questioned through the phone.
"Yeah, how did you know?"
"Lucky guess."
The father from inside the Sardick house called to the Doctor and Aubrielle. "Sir, Miss."
"Hang on, Amy." Aubrielle told her sister as she and the Doctor walked over to the father.
"I've never seen anybody stand up to Mr. Sardick like that." He shook The Doctor's and Aubrielle' hands. "Bless you, sir, miss, and Merry Christmas."
"Merry Christmas. Lovely. Sorry, bit busy." The Doctor said.
"You two better get inside, sir. The fog's thick tonight, and there's a fish warning."
Aubrielle rose an eyebrow at the statement.
"Oh, right, yeah. Sorry, fish?" The Doctor questioned.
"Yeah. You know what they're like when they get a bit hungry."
"Yeah, fish, I know fish. Fish?"
"It's all Mr. Sardick's fault, I reckon. He always lets a few fish through the cloud layer when he's in a bad mood. Thank you. Bless you two once again." With that, the father left.
"Fish?" Aubrielle questioned, turning towards the Doctor.
Amy's voice resonated over the speaker. "Doctor, Elle, the Captain says we've got less than an hour. What should we be doing?"
The Doctor and Aubrielle looked up at a streetlight and saw small fish swimming around it like moths.
"Fish!" The Doctor and Aubrie exclaimed.
"Sorry, what?" Amy's voice question.
"Fish that can swim in fog." Aubrielle explained.
"I love new planets." The Doctor commented.
"Doctor! Doctor, please don't get distracted!" Amy begged. "Aubrie, don't let him get distracted, please!"
Aubrielle went to speak up but the Doctor quickly placed a hand to her lips, before kissing them gently. She looked up at him with a smile, lightly kissing him once more. He smiled at her once more before turning to the fish.
"Now, why would people be frightened of you tiny little fellas?" He held up his hand and the fish investigated.
"Look at you, sweet little fishy-wishies." Aubrielle smiled as they surrounded her hand.
"Mind you, fish in the fog, so the cloud cover...Ooh. Careful up there."
"Oh, great, thanks, Doctor, because there was a real danger we were all going to nod off. We've got less than an hour!"
Aubrielle glanced at the nearby clock. "We know."
Ding dong! Merrily on high began to play over the loudspeakers.
Starliner | Flight Deck |
"Doctor? Aubrie? How are you getting us off here?"
Outside | City Street |
"Oh, just give us a minute!" The Doctor replied into the phone. He handed the phone off to Aubrielle and begun pacing. "Can't use the TARDIS, cos it can't lock on. So that ship needs to land can't land unless a very bad man suddenly decides to turn nice, just in time for Christmas Day!"
"Doctor, Aubrie, I can't hear you. What is that? Is that singing?"
Aubrielle left the phone up to her ear. "A Christmas carol."
"A what?"
"A Christmas carol!"
"A what?"
"A Christmas carol!!"
"Guys!"
The Doctor looked up and at Aubrielle, a cunning smile crossing his face.
"Kazran Sardick!"
"Hello, guys!" Amy shouted over the phone.
"Merry Christmas, Kazran Sardick!"