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As It's the Season, Thought I Would Write a Little Christmas One-Shot

Nadolig Llawen

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You as Y/N L/N

Ncuti Gatwa as The Doctor

Millie Gibson as Ruby Sunday

Michelle Greenidge as Carla Sunday

Angela Wynter as Cherry Sunday

Steffan Rhodri as F/N L/N

Anita Dobson as Mrs Flood

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'Twas the nights before Christmas, and all down the lane,
The goblins were scheming, with plans quite profane.
A child was taken, their fate grimly laid,
To the Goblin King's feast where dark songs were played.

But our friends, with courage to spare,
Faced time-surfing goblins in their lair full of snare.
With wit and invention, they stood up to the fight,
Bringing hope to the stars on that magical night

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Christmas, is a special time of year. While it has the festivities, the annoying songs, over priced market food, the one thing Christmas is good at, is bringing people together. And it would be that one special Christmas, two friends would have their lives forever altered, by meeting a man who called himself, the Doctor. 

"And that's how I got my name. Ruby. Named after Ruby Road" a young blonde haired woman revealed, almost with excitement as she sat down in front of a interviewer, around the woman named Ruby were cameras and microphones. "That's where I was found, almost... 19 years ago"

"So you were a foundling? And you were fostered by Carla, who then went on to adopt you. Is that right?" the woman interviewing woman named Davina asked, trying to get as much footage as possible for this episode.

"Yeah. And she's amazing" Ruby blurted out. " I mean, she's nuts, but... she's... the best mum I could ever have. Yeah" Ruby added, although she gripped her skirt, trying to get a handle on her emotions and not say too much.

"So life's been good, would you say?" Davina asked smiling.

"Yeah. Not bad. I mean, we've had a mad time with it, haven't we?" Ruby tried to explain, moving her arms around. "And my A-levels were not the best, cos we had to leave Manchester to move down here, cos we came and looked after my gran and we couldn't afford care and she would never move to the north, not in a million years. So, yeah, that's been tricky and expensive" she fully went on to explain, slightly pushing her teeth together in slight frustration.

"No one would move to London" Davina replied, that comment made a young man, about Ruby's age watching from behind the camera smile and place a hand to his mouth to stop himself from smiling.

"I know!" rusty exclaimed. "So that's left me a bit stranded. Er, I think I'm just still waiting for my life to begin-" before Ruby could go on she was cut off.

"Sorry, can we stop?" a technician asked, stepping forward and holding his headphones close to his ears. "Is there a radio or something? Is there a door open?" he asked, looking round to the rest of the crew to see if they had any idea.

"You sure it's not the wind?" the young man asked, as he finished he pretty much shoved a whole digestive biscuit into his mouth.

"No it's definitely voices, like a whisper" the technician responded as he went back and listened to the recording.

"It won't be long" Davina said to Ruby. "You don't mind me using the word foundling, do you? It's just some people think it's a bit old-fashioned, and..." she trailed off, and Ruby herself came to the rescue.

"Oh, no, no, no. No, no, that's fine" she said, making sure Davina was on the right page. "I mean, it's what I am. I was found. I was foundled" she joked.

"PSSSSSST" the young man said, sneaking into the shot as the technicians were getting ready. "You okay Ruby" he asked, holding out a bottle of water to her. "You need anything? Water? Tea? Biscuits? Cause let me tell you they've got tons of them" he smiled, and Ruby noticed there was a suspicious amount of biscuit packets poking out of her friends pockets.

"I'm fine Y/N, thanks though" Ruby said with a smile. "Although would you mind taking a few packs for me for the road?" she cheekily asked.

Y/N smiled in return, his left hand moving to his pocket and gently pushing the stolen packets inside deeper inside his coat pockets. "I'll see what's left, cause some of these technicians let me tell you, they's scoffing em down" he said, moving away from the interview table and back towards the snack area.

"Seems to have gone. Sorry about that" the engineer let out, raising his hand as everyone got back into position. "Sound speed" he let out.

"Okay, so let's pick it up" Davina let out. "So Ruby, the reason why we make this show is to see if we can help you. In the old days, foundlings were left without a trace, but now we really can work magic with DNA" she continued, Ruby holding her breath the entire time. All the while, Y/N raised another biscuit to his mouth, smiling happily at the prospect of his friend finally getting answers. "So we've taken your sample, and we're going to use it to help track your genetic heritage. And we're hoping to be able to trace your birth mother, or birth father or someone in your family" but as Davina began to explain, something was amis in the studio, a small, green hand crept up and grabbed a put down coffee, unnoticed, not even heard. "But, Ruby, we can't work miracles. And even if we do make contact, they might not want to be found, and we have to respect that" she added, Ruby nodding, but hoping deep down something would come of it. "Can I ask you something?"

But as the question went on, the drinker of the coffee noticed that is now, somehow just out of reach. She crossed over, reaching for said coffee but not everything was it seemed. As a wire had been strung up underneath the coffee, causing the woman to trip over it as she reached. The pulling of the wire caused a domino effect, the pulled wire caused a light to collapse, startling everyone, this fell into another light, and another.

"Look out" Davina warned to Ruby who was pushed out of her chair and onto the floor right before the light could crush her. Y/N yelled an rushed forward, but he failed to notice a light falling down next to him, barley missing him as it collapsed and crushed the snack table next to the young man.

"Iesu Grist!" he let out in his native tongue, holding his chest in complete panic as everyone went by so quick. "Ruby are you okay?" he asked, looking towards his blonde friend but not moving at all out of pure fear something else could go wrong.

"Yeah" she nodded. "I'm fine, I'm fine. It missed. I'm okay. It missed. I'm fine" she repeated, taking in sharp breaths.

"That was lucky" an assistant let out, moving forward. But just as all had seemed to have calmed down, a strained plug socket flew out, and hit Davina on the back of the head causing her to screech in pain.

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It was now a few weeks later, December 22nd, or as Y/N dubbed it, Christmas Eve, Eve, Eve. Which was only an excuse he would use to not do any Uni work. Currently the young man was sat at a bar, watching Ruby and her friends perform Winter Wonderland in their band on a small stage. Y/N smiled at he looked at his friend, her fingers dancing elegantly across the keyboard.

The young held a pint in his hand, and raised it in Ruby's direction as their eyes made contact. But little did they, or anybody know, something else was at play. Those little green hands were once here, yet again they played with the electronics nearby.

Just as the singer Trudy was about to finish the chorus, every instrument fell silent causing the crowed to sigh in disappointment.

"Sorry everyone, sorry" Trudy apologised. "What's happened?" she asked turning to Ruby.

"I don't know, I think it's just dead" she tried to reply, although she shot Y/N a look and shook her head indicating for him to have a look. Said young man nodded back, and moved through the crowed towards the abidance of electronics and extension leads. "Do you know what's happened?" she asked her friend as he crouched down and had a look.

"Probably something to do with the outlet" Y/N strained as his arm struggled to get behind and grab the socket. "This stuff is always going wrong with--" before he could finish, a drink which had been placed atop the electronics fell. And bumped Y/N right on the forehead. "Ah, Cachu!" he yelled in slight pain, holding his forehead.

"You alright?" Ruby asked, looking down the spilt drink to see thankfully the bottle wasn't broken or anything.

"Yeah, yeah" Y/N tried to say, holding his forehead. "Just a bump" he smiled.

"Can you do Gaudete?" the voice of a woman in the crowed called out, hoping the music would resume.

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"Well that could've definitely gone better" the voice of Y/N half yelled, trying to get through the loud pulsing music. After the slight disaster that was the concert, Ruby and her band had decided to venture to a nearby club to lose themselves in the music.

"Oh yeah, definitely" Ruby agreed with a small laugh. "It's just one bad thing after another feels like" she added, shaking her head as Y/N raised his drink, took a small sip and placed it back down.

"Don't worry about it Rubes" he tried to wave it off. "Bad stuff just kinda happens, but what's important is how you respond to it, and rubbish I don't know what I'm trying to say" Y/N tried to say, only to fall flat halfway through and give up. "All you gotta remember is...."

"Oh no" Ruby said, raising her hands to her ears to block out the incoming noise.

"IT'S CHRISTMAS!" he smiled, half yelled, causing a few people around them to cheer.

"You been watching Gavin and Stacy again?"

"No........okay maybe a little but you need to understand it's pretty much the Welsh Inbetweeners" he said to shake it off, half emabqbarased his little joke had been found out causing Ruby to laugh at that. "It's engrained into a lot of Welsh stuff, so I gotta rewatch it".

"Oh trust me, mum makes me watch the Christmas Special every year. So I know that episode off by heart"

One might think from the outside, how these two young people played off each other, that Y/N and Ruby had been friends for a while. Well one couldn't be more wrong, in fact they had only met a few months ago when Y/N moved in and became neighbours with Ruby and her family. The young man was a student at the University of London, and needed some accommodation. And so, after a few chance meetings, some of which were when Y/N was a little drunk, the two had become close friends.

The two friends looked at each other with a smile, and then nervously turned their heads towards the dance floor. The way the music caused people to move against one another, the smiles, the laughs, it was everything. It's what made special moments like this so special. But yet again, those little green hands were at it again, as the two were distracted, their drinks moved ever so slightly towards the edge of the table. Closer........closer.......closer, and just as Y/N reached for his rum, he knocked over both his and Ruby's drink they were both grabbed by a man who would change their lives.

"Careful" the man smiled, placing the drinks back onto the table.

"Cheers mate" Y/N said, lifting his drink to his mouth.

"Thank you" Ruby said, but unlike Y/N she took notice of something. "But you were just over there" she tried to say, noting the man was just on the dance floor.

"Health and safety" the man answered. "Spirits and Mixers division" he added, holding his holding which held his ID, showing that the man was indeed head of a spirits and mixer devision. "Can I ask, does that happen to you two a lot? Knocking things over?" he said, Y/N put his glass down.

"Oh all the time. But I'm just clumsy" Ruby tried to say.

"Same here" Y/N spoke. "Knowing me I could fall over a grain of rice and somehow break something important".

"No, no, you're both not. It's worse than that" the man shook his head. But before he could explain, he stood up and began to walk away. "Merry Christmas" he said cheerfully walking away, both Ruby and Y/n followed the man with their eyes watching him disappear into the crowed.

"Well, he seems nice" Y/N said, going to place his drink down. But his drink just fell and smashed to the floor, as the entire table had seemingly vanished into thin air. The smash of the glass caused the young man to yelp in surprise, causing Ruby to jump on the spot in shock. The two looking at each other, and then to where the table should have been.

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"Honestly you two, you both gotta be cursed or somethin" Trudy said to Y/N and Ruby as the whole grouped walk back from the club.

"I know" Ruby began. "And then I lose that 20 quid. Honestly, it's like for the past three weeks, bad luck has just been following me around. I lose that job, I broke that thing, I broke my heel, then I fell over in front of that fit dentist" listing all the bad stuff that had happened to her over the last few weeks.

"Oh same here" Y/N spoke up as a taxi began to pull up alongside the group that had been called. "First my alarm clock fails, then the hard drive on my laptop taps out, then the ATM eats my card, and last week I fell over in front of an entire packed lecture hall" he complains as the taxi door swing happen.

"You're both jinxed I swear" a girl who was part of the band joked causing everyone to laugh.

"Innit? I am telling you, there's a whirlwind of bad luck" Ruby responded, but noticed Y/N hadn't gotten in the taxi. "You coming or what?"

Y/N reached into his pocket and pulled a pair of headphones, "Nah, it's only a half an hour walk like" he smiled. "Besides, been dying for a takeaway all night. I'll message you when I got home though, promise" he smiled as he began to shut the door. "Merry Christmas all" he waved, and they waved back wishing him the same. Watching the taxi take off down the road, he clapped his hands together. "So, burger or pizza?" he asked himself out loud, plugging his headphones into his ears, unknowingly passing the man he and Ruby had briefly met earlier in the club. "Or maybe a kebab, haven't one of those in a while"

But even as the young man walked down the road, those little green hands were at work. He just didn't know it.

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The next day, Christmas Eve, Y/N was slumped at his desk in his modestly cluttered flat. His laptop lit up his annoyed face as he was surrounded by academic texts. The screen bore the familiar empty whiteness of a word document. A blinking cursor at the top of the screen mocked him. Y/N tapped furiously at the keys.

"Social dynamics in 19th-century British literature often reflect..."

He grimaced, hit backspace until the sentence vanished, and tried again.

"Through the lens of Victorian narratives..."

Delete. Again.

"Argh, come on!" he muttered, pushing his chair back with a groan. He rubbed his temples and stared at the ceiling as if the perfect opening sentence might descend from above like divine intervention.

As if on cue, his phone rang, breaking the silence. Y/N glanced at the screen: Dad. A small smile crept across his face as he answered.

"Hiya, Dad."

"Y/N! Finally, thought you'd fallen off the edge of the earth" his father's warm assuring voice carried a smile through the line.

"Sorry, been buried in coursework," Y/N explained, shifting uncomfortably. "I wish I could've made it home."

"We know, lad. Train prices this time of year could bankrupt Santa. Your mother understands, even if she grumbles about it."

Y/N chuckled softly, feeling a pang of guilt. "Tell her I'm sorry again. I'll be back for Easter, promise."

"We'll hold you to that." His dad paused. "So, how's it going over there? Making friends? Eating properly?"

"Yeah, I'm managing. Got a good friend next door, Ruby, you'd like her. And her mum's always pushing food on me, so I'm not starving, don't worry."

His dad laughed. "Good. And your essay?"

Y/N hesitated, glancing at the blinking cursor. "It's... coming along," he lied, injecting as much optimism into his voice as he could muster.

"Well, don't let it ruin your Christmas, eh? Right, I'll let you get back to it. Merry Christmas, son."

"Merry Christmas, Dad. Love to Mum."

"Will do. Take care."

The call ended, leaving Y/N in the quiet flat once more. He stared at the screen, sighed, and pushed himself up. Maybe a cup of tea would help.

As he filled the kettle, muffled noises from the flat next door caught his attention. Y/N frowned. It wasn't unusual to hear Ruby's family Carla's booming laugh, Cherry's constant bustling, it was creams of excitement. He looked to the empty word document, he could use a little distraction.

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Knock Knock

"Oh that must be her now" the voice of Carla Sunday could be heard on the other side of the door. Y/N almost felt bad at disappointing her, but as she opened the door, her smile didn't fade. "Hiya Y/N how you been?" she asked.

"Been alright Miss Sunday, thank you. I just heard shouting was wondering if everything was okay? Sorry didn't mean to be the noisy neighbour I just-" before the nervous man could further yap he was cut off.

"Oh don't worry about it, it was pretty loud, no come, come in, need someone to help out with this anyway" she offered, moving aside as Y/N entered the spacious flat. "And how many times have I said call me Carla, Miss Sunday makes me feel old".

"Sorry, Miss-Carla" Y/N corrected himself with a wince. "Hey Ruby" he said with a wave to his blonde haired friend who looked over the moon at something.

"Your never gonna guess what!" she said with excitement. "Mums taking in another baby!" she screamed with joy at the prospect of having a new sibling.

"Oh my days that's amazing!" Y/N said, his voice slightly going pitchy as he joined in on the families happiness.

"Isn't it brilliant?" Carla asked them both clapping her hands together with joy. "All of a rush. I couldn't say no".

"Wait you mean today? Like now today?" Y/N asked, slightly shocked at this.

"Today, Christmas Eve" Carla confirmed.

"That's amazing, how old?" Ruby asked, continuing to smile, going into the fridge to put some shopping away. Meanwhile Y/N realised he would not be getting any sleep and his face reflected this.

"Newborn"

And Y/Ns face continued to drop into despair.

"No, that's a coincidence" Ruby pointed out, and Y/N suddenly realised what occasion it was, besides Christmas Eve, he had forgotten to Ruby a birthday card. "Wait. So... Oh, my God, are we... are we even ready? What did they say? What happened?" it finally seemed to hit Ruby at exactly what had happened. Carla had moved deeper into the flat to continue working on the crib, with Ruby and Y/N following her. "We're having a baby" she declared to Cherry, Carla's bed bound mother and giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"That's Christmas ruined" Cherry declared with a huff. "Sleepless nights and stinky nappies" she added and noticed Y/N standing there. "Ruby's friend make a cup of tea" she asked, while it was slightly rude, Y/N knew she was old, and he always liked to help out around the flat.

"Will do, give me 2 secs" he said following Ruby after Carla.

"So what did they say?" Ruby asked as they entered the furthest room with a half build cot on the floor.

"She's coming round with the baby right now. She's on her way" Carla declared with some slight alarm. "It's been years since we fostered one this young. I can't remember how to put this thing together" she added with some slight frustration picking up a screwdriver.

"Hey, funny, though. A baby on Christmas Eve. Just like me" Ruby pointed out, kneeling onto the cot.

"I got lucky, all those years ago" her mother reminisced, looking at Ruby with every ounce of emotion a parent could have. "f you ever find her, your other mother, I'm going to tell her... you were so small" she declared, with some tears welling up in her eyes.

"Hey, come here. Come here" Ruby replied, bringing her mother in for a hug and letting her know she was so grateful for everything she had done.

Meanwhile Y/N kinda just, stood there with hands at his side not knowing what to do. "I got lucky with my name" Ruby said, pulling back from her mother. "I bet this one's all Christmassy, like Noele, or Eve" she added, trying to cheer her mother up.

"Or Holly"

"Or Carol"

"Or Joy" Y/N added, causing the mother-daughter duo to remember he was there.

"Now then Y/N" Carla said, wiping tears from her eyes and standing up. "Ruby tells me you're good with building stuff"

"I paint DnD miniatures" he said quietly.

"You know how to put this thing together?" she asked gesturing to the cot before them.

Y/N took one look at the cot, and and then to the mother and daughter, and then back to the cot. He git his teeth. "I don't know" he sadly declared, but his hand dug into his pocket and had the Youtube app ready to go. "But I bet someone on here does" he said with a slightly assuring smile.

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"She's called Lulubelle" the voice of Ruth, the child care officer declared now in the flat. And this revelation of the name caused the three to look at each other, and then to the durable baby right in front of them.

"What a terrible name" Carla declared using a calm, gentle babyish voice.

"Oh, an absolutely terrible name" Ruby did the same.

"But she's adorable nonetheless" Y/N said with a similar voice, although his was a lot more high pitched causing Ruby to laugh at her friend to which Y/N reeled back in embarrassment .

"Isn't it awful? That's for the safe box" Ruth said, handing Ruby some papers in relation to Lulu. "Happy birthday. Carla said. What a day!" she said to Ruby. "Oh, and I raided the provisions, but the cupboard was bare. So, it's a section 20. We'd have kept little Lulubelle on the ward, but we haven't got the staff" Ruth explained as Carla picked little Lulu up and carried her through the other room.

"What happened to the mum?"

"Just can't cope. And the family is too complicated for words. But I'm hopeful. I think she'll be with you five or six days? Till we can see what's what. Oh, you've been painting"

"Making the place our own. Cos we're never going to move her" Carla pointed out, as they passed Cherry's bedroom.

" I am not going anywhere. Shackle me to this bed. And where is my cup of tea?" she asked.

"Sorry" Y/N apologised, doing a 180 spin back to the kitchen to get it.

"Merry Christmas, Cherry" Ruth said to the bed bound woman. "We should really get you a ground-floor flat".

"Not moving" Cherry said back with some going spite, going back to focus on what was playing on her tablet.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry" Y/N repeated, moving into the room and holding the aforementioned cuppa. "Sorry Miss Sunday, you know me, like let the teabag settle" he added placing it down on the bedside table.

"I don't know why you bother with that stupid idea"

"More flavour, otherwise its just, hot water" he replied awkwardly to rejoin the others.

"And don't call me Miss Sunday!" she called out.

"We're all off until the 27th, but maybe, as a rough plan, you could bring her to the hospital on Thursday 28th, maybe ten o'clock. I'll text you. It's just for a meeting with Mum. Start bonding" Ruth explained as Carla put baby Lulu down and let her get settled in the cot.

"Yeah, we might have to go shopping first" Ruby said inspecting some of the stuff that was in the bag. "These nappies are for six-month-old" she said, gently holding some of the nappies up.

"Oh I'm an idiot" Ruth said to herself.

"Shops are still open" Carla tried to say, and then suddenly remembered something. "Hold on" she told everyone else there. Digging into a nearby beside draw and taking out an old polaroid style camera. "I like to stake a snap" she said with glee, looking down at baby Lulu.

"Can you even get films for those anymore?" Y/N asked with a raised eyebrow.

"You wait long enough, they're fashionable again" Carla said back to the young man. "Smile!" she said, snapping a picture of Lulubelle.

The picture was then pinned to a wall, a wall filled with other pictures of children Carla has taken in over the years, and it all started with Ruby. "There you go. Welcome to the family, Lulu" she declared, facing the others in the living room/kitchen. "Lulu sounds nice".

"Okay, we won't be long" Ruby said, gesturing to herself and Y/N.

"We?" he asked in confusion.

"Well I need someone to carry the shopping" she answered with a teasing smile. "We can get some more eggs. Anything else?"she asked her mum.

"I'll go" Carla replied to the young adults. "And I'll walk to Portobello Road and have a proper shop"

"I'm happy to help" Y/N offered with a shrug, anything to put off his essay.

"No, but then I can get something for Lulu. Christmas and birthday" Carla replied putting her thick red coat.

"You soft thing. She might only be with us for a couple of days" Ruby tried to say, only to be met with a smile from her mum, always caring for others, that's one thing Y/N noticed about Carla.

"I'm leaving you two in charge" she pointed to the her daughter and neighbour. "Rule number one, don't lose the baby".

"We'll do our best" Ruby encouraged.

"I'm off, Mum. I'll just be an hour" Carla called out down the hall to Cherry.

"Where is my blasted tea?" she called out.

"I just made her one" Y/N said slightly frustrated and clicked the kettle on.

"How much are these flats underneath you? What do they go for?" Ruth asked as she and Carla opened the door.

"We're the last little pocket of fixed rent up here" she answered, opening the door walking through it and closing it behind her. "That's why Mum won't move".

"Nice jacket by the way" Y/N complimented Ruby.

"Oh this old thing" she said, showing off the black leather jacket with white fluff on the collar. "Just something I got, it's freezing innit?"

"Oh tell me about it, aint no way I'm putting the heating on though. Not with the prices bills are going up" he half joked.

"So what you got planned for-" but right before they could continue the conversation Ruby's phone began to go off just as the kettle finished boiling.

"Oh, shush, don't wake the baby" she said to her phone and she went to answer it.

As Ruby talked on the phone to who Y/N could hear was Davina. He didn't want to intrude, as he knew this news would be personal he went about making the tea for Cherry. He could hear the sadness in Ruby's voice, it wasn't good news. He wanted to hug her, to let her know the world hadn't ended and that whatever news it was wasn't all doom and gloom. But being on the phone isn't the right time for that. So Y/N didn't let the teabag settle for his five minutes, and quickly took into the room for Cherry.

"Whose Ruby on the phone to?" she asked as she took the cuppa from Y/N.

"Someone, important" Y/N answered shortly, wasn't his place to tell the bad news or even if Cherry knew about Ruby looking for her birth parents. "Oh Missssssss" he cut himself off. "Cherry" he corrected. "You drank that fast" he pointed out, picking up the cup from the previous tea he had made her.

""You were right" she said with joy holding the new cuppa in front of her. "Those five minutes really did make a big difference" she added.

As Y/N stepped back into the kitchen, he caught Ruby ending her call. She placed her phone down with deliberate care. She stood by the counter, staring at nothing in particular, her eyes glossed over with the weight of unspoken emotions.

"Ruby?" Y/N ventured softly.

She blinked, turning her gaze toward him. "It's nothing," she murmured, forcing a tight smile. But her voice cracked ever so slightly.

Y/N took a hesitant step closer. "What did she say?"

Ruby looked away, biting her lip. "Davina couldn't find them. My birth parents." Her words fell heavy, the kind of heavy that filled a room and pressed down on everything. "She said it happens sometimes. People get their hopes up and..." She exhaled sharply, as though trying to push the sadness out of her chest. "...And there's just nothing."

Y/N didn't speak right away. He simply closed the gap between them and wrapped her in a hug. At first, she tensed, as though she might push him away, but then she melted into him, her arms folding around his waist.

"It's not fair," she whispered into his shoulder, her voice thick with suppressed tears.

"No, it's not," he agreed, his voice low and steady, like an anchor. "But it doesn't mean it's the end, yeah? You've still got Carla, Cherry"

Ruby sniffled, and Y/N felt the faintest shake of her head against his shoulder. "I know," she whispered.

They stood there for a moment longer, the silence between them speaking volumes. Finally, Ruby pulled back, dabbing at her eyes with the sleeve of her jacket. "You're such a sap, you know that?"

Y/N grinned, relieved to see a hint of her usual cheekiness return. "Well, someone's gotta balance out your stubborn streak" the two smiled at one another yet again. But before the conversation could proceed, something weird came from the baby monitor. There was some sound, some unearthly, in-human sound that came from it, and baby Lulu could always be heard. Both Y/N and Ruby looked at one another, and then down the hall towards the room. The baby monitor echoed with the sound of Lulu crying, and then a growled, high pitched voice said

"Happy Birthday" and the two sprang down the hallway.

As soon as they entered the room, the crib was empty, Lulu was nowhere in sight. Ruby checked under the nearby bed while Y/N looked around completely puzzled. Ruby found the polaroid camera, and the image that had developed has it fell, was haunting. It was a creature, both young adults looked at the small blue face with large black eyes puzzled. Then some high pitched laughter could be heard, and the two looked up to the window to see something quickly vanish.

"What the?" Y/N asked almost confused whatever that thing was, it taken Lulu. Quickly the two followed, using a ladder to get up to the window and pull themselves onto the roof, with Y/N making sure Ruby didn't lose her balance. While the sight of being on the roof was slightly discombobulating, the sight before them was even more so. Small black eyed creatures, dressed in rags and Christmas hats, placing Lulu into a basket that was being held from a rope that stretched far into the sky.

One of the creatures turned around, and hissed at the duo.

"Did you just hiss at me? Was that a hiss?" Ruby asked trying to be confrontational.

"Ruby, maybe it's not the best idea to antagonise the sky creatures" Y/N suggested, slightly backing away out of pure fear to what these things could be. But before the two could act, a ladder quickly dropped from the clouds, to which the creature began to climb, with the rope Lulu attached to beginning to be hoisted upwards.

"No, no, no, no, no. Give me back my baby!" Ruby called out, running towards the ladder as it gently began to drift away. Mustering her courage, Ruby grabbed hold of the ladder. Y/N looked at the ladder as it slowly began to be hoisted away, he looked at Ruby, then back to the window.

"Ooooooo I don't like this" he complained out loud, grabbing hold of the ladder section just below Ruby. His legs on the last step. "I really don't like this" he repeated as the ladder began to drift away. Soon enough, the ladder began to drift across the rooftops, slowly ascending as the duo looked around them unsure of their current situation.

"What the hell are you doing?!" an angry voice called back, looking to the rooftops, the duo saw the man from the club. Dressed in a long leather jacket, he leapt from rooftop to rooftop chasing after the duo and the ladder. "But what did you do that for? Who sees a ladder and just pops on? A ladder in the sky and you thought, "'Yeah, I'll give that a go?'" he complained further.

"They've got the baby!" Ruby angrily shouted back.

The ladder slowly moving upwards. but right before it got away from him, the strange man leapt from the rooftops. Grabbing hold of the wooden ladder, on the opposite side of Ruby, face to face with the woman and just above Y/N.

"So, what're your names?" the strange man asked.

"Ruby, Ruby Sunday" she answered.

"Hello, Ruby Sunday. And it's a Sunday right now. That's a coincidence" he laughed.

"Y/N L/N, just hanging about" he tried to make a joke, his hands gripping tightly onto the rope. "Wait, haven't we met before?" he called up.

"Yes we have, I'm the Doctor" he finally gave his name, a name that had changed countless lives.

"There are creatures" Ruby tried to warn, his grip wavering.

"Goblins" the Doctor corrected.

"Goblins?" Y/N repeated. "Like DnD and Tolkien?" he asked, now feeling the rope burn his hands due to the grip.

"Meh kinda" the Doctor laughed back.

"I'm slipping" Ruby warned, her hands slowly giving way to the mavity and weight.

" Oh, right, right, right. Wait, wait. Wait, wait, wait" the Doctor said, trying to calm the duo down, digging into the pockets on his coat and picking out three wool gloves. " Cos I spend a lot of time hanging off things, I er... I invented these"

"Gloves?" Ruby asked confused.

" Intelligent gloves. One each. Should work" he responded, handing one to Ruby, and dropping one down to Y/N who got it in his teeth. "Put them on. Cos I thought to myself" the Doctor began as all three put the gloves onto their hands. ""What's the problem with hanging on?" It's all the friction and the weight and the burn, so I got rid of that. The glove's a kind of super-kinetic transfer of mass. Ah, that's better. The glove takes all my weight." he said as the gloves fingers joints began to light up with a golden glow of energy. "All the weight is in the glove. So nothing burns. Nothing pulls. Nothing hurts. Ta-da!" he showcased, leaning off the ladders in its entirety, only holding on with the gloved hand and his body not even shifting. Y/N had to admit, it was like magic, all that tenseness, and burning sensation vanished he didn't feel anything. It was gliding on the air itself.

"I'm lightweight" Ruby said in shock, looking at the glove and then to the Doctor.

"Yeah, all the mass and density and mavity exists in the glove, not in you" the Doctor further explained.

"What? Like magic gloves?" Y/N called up, still confused on what was happening.

"I mean no, but-" before the Doctor could go onto to explain the difference between science and magic, he looked up, seeing that they had now passed the clouds. "They're pulling us in" he said.

"But where? What's up there?" Ruby asked.

"Goblins. Do you know why they call them goblins? Cos they like to gobble you up. And this lot want to gobble up the baby"he began to explain, the trip passing one final dark cloud as he goblin hideout came into view. "And this... is where they feast. The goblin ship" he revealed as said ship came into view. It was a massive mighty ship, with three strong masts with many great stained sails. Along its sides were what appeared to be wings, that helped the goblin ship travel across the sea of clouds.

"A pirate ship?" Y/N asked, extremely confused.

"That's......impossible" Ruby added, both almost hypnotised by the sight of this massive structure in the air.

"It's beautiful" the Doctor smiled.

"And... what will they do to us?"

"Oh. Oh, they'll eat us too" the Doctor replied, as the remains of the ladder was hoisted upwards into the bowels of the ship. The three looked around, seeing a horde of blue goblins before them, dressed in ill fitting clothing from humanities past, some even had eye patches. "Hiya" the Doctor waved, only to be met with hisses and growls from the goblins.

-------------------------

"Well this is great isn't it?" Y/N complained out loud, the trio were now tied down to a mast deep within the ship. The insides of the ship were what you'd expect, everything was being held together by rope and was cobbled together. Bits of light bled in from the outside, everything was either wood, rope or some form of cloth.

"I can't believe this. I can't believe a single thing that's happening, and..." Ruby said, looking back towards the Doctor who seemed to be in his own world thinking of something. "...it's my birthday" she finished.

"It's your what now?" he asked.

"Oh never mind me. They're going to eat Lulubelle. What time's dinner?"

"No, but it's Lulubelle's birthday..." the Doctor said to himself, the dominos of the situation falling into place in his mind. "That is such a brilliant name. I wish I was called Lulubelle. And is your birthday on the same day?"

"Yeah, but it doesn't mean anything. It's just a coincidence"

"Learn the language" the Doctor said calmly, trying to point everything out to them. "That's why they went after Lulubelle. Coincidence is what makes the baby tasty. That's how these goblins work. Chance and coincidence and luck" he explained to the young adults, them barley understanding it. "That's how I spotted you two. You've been having lots of bad luck, yes?"

"Well... yes, but that-that-that started way back. I mean, Lulu arrived today. I started having accidents weeks ago" Ruby explained, shaking her head on the notion goblins were the reason behind everything.

"Yeah, and I've been having bad luck, like all the time, my laptop, my console, bad dice throws.....: Y/N tried to explain.

"That was paving the way. These goblins are Time Riders. They can surf the waves of Time. They spotted the chance of coincidence, and they went back and they wove you both in" the Doctor said.

"Wait. So they caused our accidents? Were they trying to kill us?" Ruby asked with concern.

"No. No, it's more like er... If you walk through a day without any bad luck, that's fine, that day is nothing" he began his explanation. "But if you have lots of accidents, it stitches you in. It weaves you into the day. You become all complicated and knotted and vivid" he continued, slowly everything clicking into place for the duo. Their constant accidents and failings, were down to the goblins wanting the baby to be more tasty. "All of it leading up to a baby on Christmas Eve. The same birthday as Ruby's, with a bedroom that is high up in the sky. All the more convenient for a goblin ship. Ha! Oh, it's like a tapestry. It's gorgeous!" he laughed throwing his head back against the wooden beam.

"Wait what about me? My birthday is in July and like, so what I have been caught in the crossfire?" Y/N asked to why and how he fit into all this.

"No, you're like, how do I say this...." the Doctor thought for a second. "You're like the seasoning, Ruby's stuff was to get the goblin in place, while yours Y/N, was to be to get Lulu taste all the sweeter, or sour depending on the accident" he finished.

"Oh well that's great innit?" he asked out loud annoyed. "Wait a sec how'd you know all this?" he said wanting clarification.

"I don't. This is a brand new science for me, and I love it. The language of luck" the Doctor explained. "Cos what is a coincidence but a form of accident? A few things bumping together unexpectedly. Like the three of us" the said, looking to Ruby and then Y/N.

"Wait, so what are you exactly?" Y/N asked, shuffling against the ropes binding him to look at the Doctor. "Are you some kinda Bear Grylls of time travelling goblins or something?".

"Oh! PSSH!" the Doctor spat out, almost offended at the notion. "They are not time travellers. Excuse me" he complained and Y/N reeled back slightly. Time travellers are great. Like the best. Like, wow. This lot just bimble".

"So if they're bimbling" Ruby began, sighing. "Why did they pick on Davina McCall?".

"Oh that was just fun" the Doctor said with a smile, and suddenly out stretched his arms freeing himself.

"Wait, how did you do that?" Ruby asked looking at the Doctors freed hands.

"I spent a long, hot summer with Harry Houdini. Now then..." the Doctor said, giving the duo a devilish smile. Quickly, with a few pulls of rope, the Doctor managed to free the two humans in front of him, both rubbing their hands together to get the blood following and shave off that burning feel. "Right. Let me see" the Doctor said standing up and looking around. "Door" he said rushing towards it and pushing the palms of his hands against it.

"Hurry up. They're going to eat the baby" Ruby said frustrated.

The Doctor then picked out something from his inner coat pocket, it seemed to be some kind of tv remote and pointed it at the wooden door. With it creating a wizzing sound as it lit up.

"Wrong world" the Doctor muttered as he put the device away.

"Ummmm, what is that?" Y/N asked pointing his finger at the strange device.

"Sonic screwdriver. But a screwdriver needs screws. This lot bind everything with knots. Ah..." he exclaimed, looking round and looked towards a bundle of bindings of rope all clumped together and moved towards them.

"Okay, we've got to get out, because they could be eating the baby any second now" Ruby said frustrated as Y/N looked at her, both trying to push down the small goblin door but to no avail.

"What time were you born Ruby?" the Doctor asked, studying the large amount of ropes.

"I don't know. They kind of just guessed. Two o'clock? 2pm?"

"Right... So.. Language, tapestry, coincidence. That must be the time for the feast. What... what time is it now?"

"Around five to two" Y/N answered looking down at his watch.

"We're circling back to your flat" the Doctor noted, peaking between the gaps in the wood to see the city of London. "The pattern is closing. We'd better hurry up" he exclaimed, looking back to see both Ruby and Y/N attempting to kick down the small wooden door.

"Yes! Well, if you gave us a hand!" Ruby snapped back.

"I am learning the vocabulary of rope!" the Doctor shouted back. "This stuff is their version of wires and electricity, so if we... trip the right switch..." studying the rope, Doctor then pulled on a small un-noticeable rope that was clumped together, and pulled on it. Like magic the pulled rope snapped downwards, and the small wooden door sprang open allowing the trio to make their escape.

"What, you can speak rope?" Ruby asked as she and Y/N began to follow the Doctor through the small crawl space. "You know, we can't exactly sneak around. We're like giants in this place".

"Oh, I think that even a leaky old goblin ship has the equivalent of..." the Doctor smiled, pulling on another piece of rope as a small wooden ramp fell on the other side of the room. "...Ventilation shafts" he finished, the three crawling into the shafts. Doctor first lighting the way with his sonic, followed by Ruby, and then Y/N.

But as the trio were making their way through the shafts, a loud BONG echoed through the ship startling the two humans and making the Doctor curious. "I think that's the dinner gong" he said to himself. "What's the time?" he called back.

"Three minutes to two" Y/N replied, but then something, weird, began to sound. What sounded like music began to play, leading them deeper into the ship. "

"Is that a band?" Ruby asked the Doctor, all three looking down to see the horde of goblins that had amassed to dine on Lulu.

(I'm Just Gonna Put this Here Cause Everyone Needs to Watch this Once in their Life)

https://youtu.be/XXgnqGTOXTE

Right before Lulubelle could reach the massive, grotesque Goblin King, the Doctor had pulled on a stand of rope, causing the trio to fall onto the conveyer belt silencing the whole ship. All the goblins roaring in disgust and hatred while the Doctor passed Lulubelle back to Ruby who made sure the baby was okay.

" I'm the Doctor and these are my friends, Ruby Sunday and Y/N L/N. And I would just like to say... why stop singing?" the Doctor smiled speaking towards the Goblin King. And then looked towards the goblin band. "Rock it Janis!" he called out, causing the band to start up again, playing a very similar rhythm to the previous song. The Doctor beginning to sing along;

"Cos the Goblin King, oh the Goblin King, it's so good to meet you, you great big thing. I can see you're having a fun day. Meet my friend, she's Ruby Sunday" he finished giving the beat towards the nervous Ruby pulling her in front of the Goblin King as he studied the ropes around them.

"t's good to meet you, good to greet you. Good to say "How diddly-deet you." It's my birthday, my, oh, my. I'm 50 miles up in the sky. But goblins, you can go to hell, cos you're not eating Lulubelle" she said with great confidence, looking towards Y/N ushering him to take over and basically pushing him to the front.

"I'm here, I think, to lend a hand,Though I barely understand this plan.I'm trying hard to keep you looking,Hoping this act is really cooking.So, Goblin King, don't look too close,I'm just a nervous, jittery ghost!" he sang, although rather nervously even taking Ruby by surprise. As Y/N sang, the Doctor gave the gloves back to the duo.

"Me and my mates, we got just one hope, if I have understood that rope. Cos stuck up there when things got hot, I think I found the master knot. The master knot has been undone. That's when we start having fun!"

"Hold on tight" the Doctor told the duo, Ruby and Y/N holding onto the rope with their free hands while Ruby's other hand held onto Lulu.

"Wait why?" Y/N asked, but just as he finished his sentence the three of them shot through a hole in the bottom of the floor.

"If you reverse intelligent gloves, you get heavy" the Doctor shouted as three continued to speed up as they shot back down towards London. The clouds, the sky, all passing by them so quickly as Ruby and Y/N cheered in delight and fear.

"How do we stop?" Ruby asked and shouted,

"Love the glove, Ruby. Love the glove"

Quickly, without hassle the three landed back on the roof of the flats. Everything going by so quickly, Doctor and Ruby laughed and said wow to each other, meanwhile Y/N held his stomach thinking he was gong to be sick for a moment.

-------------------------

Back inside the flat, both Ruby and Y/N had collected themselves. With the Doctor now joining them inside.

"We're back, hey sorry we got distracted" Ruby said to Cherry who was finishing watching whatever she was watching.

"Y/N, that cuppa was worst than the last one, it just like hot water" she complained to the man seeing him pass the door.

"And this is why you wait the five minutes" he said smugly to Ruby.

"And who is this young fellow when he's at home?" Cherry asked seeing the Doctor lean on the door frame.

"Hi, I'm the Doctor"

"The last time I saw a doctor, he tried to murder me, so you stay away" she threatened.

"Oh. Oh, you don't need me. You got your family looking after you" the Doctor smiled, looking around the room to see it all cozy and snug.

"We three queens of the sky up here in the attic.......and Y/N is also here" she said remembering the young man existed.

"Oh. And your name is Cherry?"

"It is" she confirmed.

"Hmm. Cherry Sunday" the Doctor said with a smile upon his lips.

"Like a tasty treat" Cherry replied.

"Yes. I'll see you later, Cherry, okay?"

The Doctor moved into the other room, seeing Ruby place Lulu back in her cot while Y/N tidied up the mess the goblins had made.

"Gloves" he said to the two, with the two quickly removing them and handing them to the Doctor. It was thankful he had three, the third one was a spare he had made incase one of them failed. "Only three percent left" he said inspecting them, looking out the windows seeing the clouds begin to darken.

"So, are we gonna be safe down here?" Y/N asked placing a few pictures back on the bedside table. "They're not like, gonna do a Hobbit and take the fight to us are they?"

"No, no, no, no. I don't think they'd invade. Their world is up there and they creep into ours, on the edges" the Doctor explained as he began to walk back from the window, but just as he did, he tripped over a wire connected to a lamp. Causing it to fall to the ground, barley whipping around and catching it with the other two rushing to do the same.

"Shh, shh! Shh" Ruby hushed, trying to not wake the baby.

"Accidents. That is how they get us" the Doctor explained, lifting the light up and gently placing it upright.

"Do they cause all accidents?" Ruby asked.

"Maybe they do. Oh! Is there anything in the kitchen? Anything burning?" he asked, his eyes lighting up with realisation. He soon began to run back down the hallway towards the kitchen, followed by the two humans. "Oh! Uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-ahh. Deathtrap! Check everything. The... the wiring and the plugs" he said, swirling around the kitchen and pointing towards everything. Quickly they all began to go work, testing the toaster, the fridge, the cooker, the lights, everything. But as the Doctor began to check, he noticed the photos, all strung up and attached to the fridge. "Who are they?"

"Oh. That's the family. It's Mum's children" Ruby answered, as Y/N still frantically checked everything. "It's all the kids that she's fostered over the years".

"Wow. There's so many" he said with amazement.

"That's Carla for you, helping as many souls as she can" Y/N said, slightly out of breath as he rested his back on the table.

"You Ruby, have got the biggest family in the world" the Doctor with glee looking at the photos.

"I have. What about you?"

"Er, I've got no one" the Doctor replied rather quietly, alarming Ruby and Y/N causing the latter to raise an eyebrow. "Double check the oven is off, yeah?" the Doctor added, quickly changing the subject.

"You know, if you'd told me I'd be spending my birthday fighting magic..." Ruby called out as she checked the oven, Y/N checked the fridge and the Doctor moved down the hallway.

"It's not magic. It's a language. It's a different form of physics" the timecard shouted back.

"So basically magic" Y/N added in, and then something clicked in his head. "Have we seriously left the baby alone at a time like this?" the said to the other two, causing them to rush into the other room to check if Lulu was okay.

"Oh. She's all right. She's all right" the Doctor said with slight worry.

"Don't leave her" Ruby breathed out.

"We kinda all did" Y/N butted in joining them.

"I know........but don't" she finished.

"Here comes Santa" the voice of Carla called out, the front door opening with her walking inside with a few bags of shopping. "Laden with presents" she added placing the shopping bags on the kitchen table and moving down the hallway to see three of them standing there. "Who's your friend?" she asked gesturing to the Doctor.

"This is... the... Doctor" Ruby answered, rather awkwardly.

"Hello" he waved to Ruby's mum.

"There's nothing wrong, is there? Is she all right? The baby?" Carla asked the two, moving towards the doorway of her mums bedroom.

"Yeah" was all the Doctor could respond with.

"She's fine, the Doc is just.........a friend from Uni, he's come to help with my essay" Y/N quickly answered on the spot as Carla nodded with a smile and walked into the bedroom. As Carla was out of sight, both Ruby and the Doctor began ti whisper argue, talking at break neck speeds while Y/N stood there in silence and let the two of them talk but he couldn't even understand them. "Both of you, pack it in" he snapped silencing the two. "We got a serious situation and we can't have-" before Y/N could finish.

"So why do you need a doctor to help with an essay?" Carla asked, moving towards the bedroom where Lulu currently rested.

"It's just a perspective on a certain point in history is all" the Doc replied with a smile as Carla walked past the three of them towards Lulu.

"Oh, look at her. Little chicken. Hello, Lulubelle" Carla cooed, gently nudging the now awake baby as she yawned. "So she's been okay?" she asked the trio.

"As good as gold" Y/N said quickly, with the other two nodding along.

"What's this?" Carla asked, finding the picture of the goblin from earlier and holding it up to the three. "What's that supposed to be? Is that an eye?"

"No" Ruby answered.

"It's one of Y/Ns little miniatures, you know the ones he likes to paint" the Doctor butted in.

"Yeah, you know, thought Lulu would like to see some art stuff and.....you know stuff" Y/N said rather awkwardly.

"She's too young for your ghouls and gargoyles stuff. Why'd you bring it let alone take a picture?" she asked the young man.

" Oh my God. Mum, can we just...? Can we just stop for a minute?" Ruby said, taking in a sharp breath trying to calm everything as she looked towards the window. "Because I... I've had enough. This has been the worst day ever, and it is Christmas, and it's my birthday, and it's just been a disaster" she pleaded, looking towards her mother.

"No, but there... Look, there was a problem, but it's gone now. No point worrying your mum" the Doctor tried to but in.

" I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Just er... What I mean is..." Ruby began, struggling to find her words, she looked to Y/N, who just gave a nod. A nod of confidence, saying you can do this, because sometimes all somebody needs is encouragement from a friend. "They phoned. From the TV show. When you were out this morning. But they didn't find anything. Just..." she struggled to find her words. "No mum. No dad. No brothers or sisters. No cousins. Just... just... nothing" she finished.

"Oh sweetheart" Carla said with emotion as she held out her arms. "I'm sorry, darling. Come here" she said, bringing Ruby into a hug which she resisted at first. "Come here. I'm glad they didn't find her. Do you hear me? Glad. Cos I don't know if I could make room. Cos you're all mine" she said, words that brought a smile to Ruby's lips and a small laugh. "That's what you are. Isn't she gorgeous?" she asked the other two.

"She sure is" was all Y/N replied with, looking towards her blonde haired friend to which only the Doctor really noticed what he said.

"I was counting when I was out" Carla stated as she and Ruby separated. "Lulubelle is the 33rd child I've fostered" she smiled towards the baby.

"Oh my God!" Ruby squealed.

"I've got photos. Have a look on the fridge. They're all there. I had some of them for days, some for weeks, some for years" as Carla spoke, the Doctor looked towards the baby Lulu, and for a moment was in thought. Her words whirled around in his mind, ringing true to his own situation and his own origins at what he had found out. "But only one of them stayed. And you made my life. You absolutely made my life. You can wonder about your parents, but I wonder who I'd be without you"

"I'm adopted" the Doctor whispered.

"Are you?" Ruby asked in return.

"Yeah, yeah. I, er... I only found out recently" he tried to say, uncomfortable to discuss the topic.

"That's a coincidence" Carla pointed out.

"Oh please no" Y/N sighed. "We've had enough of those today" he added with a chuckle.

"So do you know who your parents are?" Carla asked the Doctor.

"No, no, I was... I was abandoned"

"Oh, you were a foundling, just like Ruby. Even bigger coincidence" but as Carla talked, and gently waved the photo of the goblin around, a loud crash of thunder bellowed from outside causing Y/N to jump on the spot out of fear.

"Oh, maybe we'd better not talk about coincidence, okay?" Ruby tried to wave off, the trio shooting each other concerned looks.

"Do you want to just put that down? I'll take that for you" he said, taking the photo and placing it down. "All right".

"I took a photo of little Lady Lu when she arrived" Carla mentioned, moving over to baby Lulu and gently tickling her causing the baby to laugh. "Look at her, though. She's so gorgeous. Don't you just want to eat her up?" she said, and her choice of words causing the trio to look at each other with worries looks.

"Well that is a coincidence isn't it?" Y/N asked through grit teeth, but the moment he finished speaking another great crash of thunder could be heard from outside. The window shattered, sending the decorations on it crashing to the floor and breaking. Added to that, a massive crack began to form in the ceiling, extending all throughout the room and travelling down the flat through the hallway into the kitchen.

"Hold on. Don't move, don't move. Don't move" the Doctor warned, chasing after the crack and seeing where it lead. Following it into the kitchen, little did the Doctor know that this crack was a sign, the universe reshaping, folding in on itself, a scar left over from a time sensitive surgery the goblins had just performed. The Doctor looked out the window, seeing that the dark clouds had now passed leaving them with only standard British grey clouds. "They're gone. Parting gift. Lucky at last" he laughed, moving back through the hallway, feeling the wind from the crack in the ceiling "I think that was them saying goodbye. Cherry, all good?" he asked checking up on the bed bound woman.

"One more good cup of tea, massi Lawd. Just one" she pleaded.

"Thank you, Cherry. Thank you" the Doctor smiled, moving back into the bedroom where the baby rested with Carla and Y/N standing next to the window inspecting the damage. "All good, Lulubelle? Oh, such a good name" he said to the baby.

"But what the hell was that? Look at the ceiling! And the window! I'm going to freeze" Carla complained looking up at the crack and then to the Doctor.

"God knows the landlord doesn't do anything unless your the one who caused the damages" Y/N huffed as he looked up at the crack.

"Bye, bye. Ta-ra" the Doctor said to the window, hoping the last of these goblins were behind them.

"Who are you talking to?" Carla asked.

"No one. Nothing. Just er..." he then glanced at the picture of the goblin that was on some draws, seeing that it was now completely blank, he picked it up and walked back, laughing at seeing the goblins retreat from time. "Ah. Absolutely nothing. Yeah"

"But the whole flat just cracked in half. Now tell me, what the hell just happened?" Carla pressed.

"Maybe we should sit you down and tell you a Christmas story, huh?" the Doctor laughed, placing the photo down. "What do you think, Ruby?" he asked, asking a person who was nowhere to be seen. "Ruby?" he repeated, looking around in hopes of spotting the blonde woman but to no avail. "Where did she go?" this time he asked himself. Quickly the Doctor ran out of the flat, and briefly down the stairs, calling the girls name but to no avail. Quickly he moved back into the flat. "Sorry. Sorry, but... where's she gone?" he asked Y/N and Carla.

"Who you talking about mate?" Y/N replied with a raise eyebrow.

"Your friend, and her daughter" he pressed, gently pointing at Carla.

"Don't be daft. Lulu's not my daughter. I'm fostering her just for a couple of days" Carla complained, moving passed the Doctor and into the kitchen.

"Yeah well blame the system for that, all that stuff left over from that idiot Saxon I reckon" he complained at he prime minister from decades ago when he was just a child. Easier to blame the past than to blame the present. "Right I put the together cot, so I'm taking my tax" Y/N smiled, lifting up a mince pie that was on the table and gently humming as the taste hit his tongue.

"No, no, no, no, I mean... I mean your daughter Ruby" the Doctor said, asking for clarification from Carla.

"Who's Ruby?"

"Your daughter"

"I told you, this is Lulu. And she's a right old pain on Christmas Eve" Carla complained further, all this wasn't making sense for the Doctor. Was if the world had been transformed around him. "Last thing I need" Carla added.

"You telling me you don't know a Ruby" the Doctor asked Y/N who was still munching away at his mince pie.

"Nah mate" Y/N said, holding his mouth as a few crumbs fell out. "I know a Ruben though, if you're looking for him" he laughed, picking up another mince pie only for his hand to be slapped by Carla.

"I said you could have one" Carla warned.

The Doctor quickly moved to what would have been Ruby's room, only to find it as a spare room. With a bags of clothes and other junk littered about, moving out of the room, the panicked Doctor moved into Cherry's room finding the old woman drifting off into sleep.

"Cherry... Do you remember Ruby?" he asked.

"What you talkin' about?" Cherry replied, not wanting to move out of bed as she had just found the perfect spot.

"Your granddaughter is called Ruby" he clarified.

"There is no pickney in this home. We were never so blessed" Cherry replied, still half asleep. But as the Doctor moved out of the bedroom, the large crack that formed in the ceiling began to vanish and fold away, time mending itself correcting the error in its ever expanding river.

"You had another child named Ruby, she was your friend" he said at first to Carla, and the second half to Y/N.

"I've never had children, mate"

"Yeah and I'm not so good with the whole social thing, which is why I focus on myself, and only myself and my essays" it then suddenly dawned on the young man. "Which I do plan to start......eventually" he added.

"No. You adopted her" the Doc replied to Carla.

"I foster. Now don't be so stupid" Carla further explained. "I'm a foster mother. Just do it now and then, that's all. I've had about five or six kids" she finished, not knowing what the strange Doctor man was saying.

"No, no, no, no. You had..." the Doctor then looked at the fridge, seeing that all the photos, all the memories, all the children Carla had helped over the years, had vanished without a trace. "They've gone" he muttered to himself, sadness welling up in the Timelords eyes as the realisation at that the goblins did finally came to fruition.

"Who has?" Y/N asked, sneakily taking another mince pie.

"Her children" the Doctor clarified. "All those lives. You fostered 33".

"How many? Not me, darling. Don't be so stupid. That's too much like hard work. No way. I just put my name on the list when I need a bit of money" Carla said, and this revelation almost shook the Doctor, the kind hearted laughing woman he knew had just vanished before his eyes, even Y/N was slightly harsher and selfish than he was before.

"No, you don't"

"Eight hundred quid per child" she replied.

"Don't say that" the Doctor almost warned, dreading and hating what he was seeing, a world without Ruby Sunday.

"I think you got me mixed up with someone else. Cos there is no Ruby" Carla said, with some sense of dread and hopelessness. "There's just me stuck with my old mum up here in the attic. And I'm busy. I couldn't have a kid full-time. It'd be a nightmare. This little brat arrives, ruining my holiday. I was looking forward to it. Christmas Day, Mum's asleep by three, and I'll be all on my own, with this stupid boy to keep me company" she practically spat out looking at Y/N.

"Not like I enjoy being here either, bloody uni" he huffed crossing his arms, glaring at the woman sitting across from him.

"Why would I want a daughter when I'm happy as I am?" she spitefully asked the Doctor, looking up at him.

"Then why are you crying?" he replied.

It then suddenly dawned on Carla, that she was indeed crying. Allowing the emotion of sadness to bubble up to the surface coming from seemingly nowhere. "I don't know. Why are you?" she replied, seeing that the man also had tears.

"They took the baby. They went back. They took the baby. The other baby" the Doctor finally realised, the pieces of the puzzle falling to place in his mind, moving about the flat. "They went back in time and took Ruby instead of Lulubelle. They cracked the timeline, but I will fix this" the Doctor told the two, quickly moving towards the front door of the flat. "I will fix this" he repeated, telling the two and opening the front door.

The two looked at the now open front door, with some confusion to what the man was rambling on about.

"Well the holiday shopping certainly got to him" Y/N said, looking at Carla, baby Lulu and then sat up. "Well Carla it's not as if I like spending time with you, because we both know I don't" he said with some spite and moving towards the front door. "But I have an essay to write" but as Y/N was about to walk out, the crack once again opened above him startling the two adults.

But this time, the crack brought a sense of hoe instead of dread. The crack, the scar of time, the Doctor while only been gone for a few seconds in his perspective had gone back. Chased the goblins down, and reversed their surgery on the time stream. Time was mending itself, the river becoming calmer as crack singled the end of the conflict. The Doctor was victorious in his journey, slaying the Goblin King and ending his blight upon humanity. Not that anyone would know.

"Oh, heyia Doc" Y/N greeted, seeing the man walk in front of him unto the flat just as he was about to leave. "Where'd you get off to?"

"Oh you know" he tried to laugh it off. "This and that" he said, and then spotted the whole reason he had gone back in time in the first place. "Oh, yes. Oh, there you are!" he laughed, pointing towards Ruby and charging towards her and embracing her in a hug. "Oh happy birthday" he greeted as well, and his joy and happiness caused Y/N to lift an eyebrow from where he stood.

" What happened? I turned around and you were gone. You were sort of... I don't know, cos I was here, but I got a bit lost. But what... what happened?" Ruby tried to explain, her memories failing her slightly.

"Oh, lots of things. Cos they went back. You were gone. They took you as a baby. So I went back, and then..." it dawned on the Doctor he had one last good deed to do. "I forgot something. Yes! Just..." he stammered, walking out of the flat and back towards his blue police box. All the Doctor had to do now, which he did, was ensure the goblins bad luck did not spell the end of Davina McCall.

"Hallelujah! Praise the Lord" Cherry cheered, placing her new cup of tea down after taking a sip from it. "Just the perfect way" she said to Y/N who smiled down at the woman.

"Now, don't you forget. What is it?" he asked himself, taking the empty plate of food away from Cherry. "Yeah, two yellow pills, five o'clock, don't miss em of Carla will have my head" he smiled walking out of the elderly womans bedroom.

"Oh she's the least of my worries" Carla said walking past Y/N. "What do we do tonight? This crack - it's like a wind tunnel"she complained following Ruby as she paced around the flat. "What are we supposed to do on Christmas Day? Sit here and freeze? And who is he anyway, that man? What's his name? Doctor what?" she asked the duo.

"He said he went back right?" Y/N asked Ruby, the two now in front of each other.

"Yeah, what did he mean?" she asked, tapping her chin.

"Where did he come from? Why was he even here in the first place?" Carla asked, the three of them in the kitchen. These same questions having been asked a hundred times, on a hundred different worlds.

"I don't know. He sort of popped up at the right moment. And then he was gone. Like...how?" Ruby asked speaking out loud, speaking to herself. "It's all been so mad, I haven't actually had time to stop and think. He said I was taken as a baby. Isn't that what he said just now?" she asked.

"I don't know. He's crazy"

"When was Houdini?" Ruby asked Y/N.

"Yeah I'm a bloody history student and I didn't catch that" he remembered, the Doctors words slowly turning the gears in their heads. "What, Houdini was about 1905? Height of his popularity" he spoke, those words not making sense. "But that can't......" he wondered.

"And then he spoke about time travellers and then he.." Ruby then clapped her hands together, and gave her mum a kiss on the cheek. Pulling Y/N along with her out of the flat grabbing her jacket and him his hoodie.

"Where is he? Where is he?" Ruby asked as she and Y/N stepped outside hoping to follow the Doctor, the supposed man of mystery, the time traveller.

"Mrs Flood you see where he went?" Y/N asked their elderly neighbour who was sat outside with a cuppa.

Mrs Flood smiled at the duo, and simply nodded towards the large blue police box in the middle of the road.

"What do you mean?" Ruby asked, to which Mrs Flood just nodded again, this time the door to the box now slightly open. The two walked towards the blue box, puzzled by its appearance. The two crept towards it, seeing the white lights within. And gently pushed the door open, and their world was expanded like so many before them. Looking inside, the two were shook their core, this tiny box. It loomed impossibly ordinary and impossibly strange, its edges sharp, its color vibrant against the dull world around them. Ruby reached for the door first, her curiosity outweighing hesitation. The creak of the hinge echoed into the air, and she leaned in to glimpse the impossible interior.

Ruby froze mid-motion, her eyes widening. Y/N, unsure of what she was seeing, moved to her side, his heart racing. His breath hitched as the door opened fully. It was vast unfathomably and so full of gleaming light, intricate consoles.

He stepped back instinctively, his mind reeling. Ruby, in contrast, walked around the box, almost inspecting it for any tricks or illusions that might be present while Y/N just stood frozen in amazement.

"Good Luck You Both!" the voice of Mrs Flood with a cheery smile.

"Nadolig Llawen Mrs Flood" the young man waved back nervously.

Ruby looked back at Y/N with a smile, and was the first to enter. Y/N meanwhile felt rooted to the spot, still grappling with the impossibility of it all. Ruby reappeared at the threshold, her hand extended toward him. Y/N hesitated, his pulse pounding in his ears.

With a breath, he reached out, and she pulled him in, this time she ensured him that everything was going to be just fine. The moment Y/N and Ruby stepped through the door, they were enveloped in a glowing, ethereal light. The interior was vast, impossibly vast, stretching far beyond what should have been contained within the small blue box.

The walls curved in a seamless, alien elegance, dotted with circular lights that pulsed softly, like stars in a newly born galaxy. A spiraling walkway wrapped around the room, leading to platforms and alcoves that hinted at untold mysteries to which the Doctor now stood and leant onto, smiling at the two.

"Just who are you?" Ruby asked the man, amazement still with her.

The Doctor only smiled, they knew exactly who he was:

"I'm the Doctor"

Was all he said, and the three of them had many adventures to come.

Author's Note

BOOM

One shot done and dusted, might be the last thing I publish of 2024 we'll see. I've always wanted to do a Doctor Who story, but didn't want to dedicate myself to a long series, and I'm not creative enough to come up with original storylines so Christmas Special = Christmas One Shot. I don't know if this will continue as a series, will have to see how I feel lol

I think it was okay, not my best certainly not my worst. To be honest the hardest parts was the original part of the song and the little rhyme towards the beginning, not gonna like it did take me a good while to come up with it. Especially the rhyme, I was half way through writing it, and I wanted to start the chapter nice and festive. But I couldn't find anything, had to ask my housemate who does English lit for a little help.

This turned out a lot longer than I thought, almost 13K words so I hope you liked it.

Finally got a story where I got inject a bit more of myself. Doctor Who is a British show, so thought it was the perfect opportunity to inject some of my Welshness into it, some small Welsh speaking moments, other writers do the same and I finally had my moment to shine lol

Anyway,

What was your favourite part of the one shot?

Please check out my other stories

Hope You Enjoyed

Have a Nice Morning/Day/Evening/Night

See You Next Time

Happy Holiday

Nadolig Llawen i Chi Gyd