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THE FISH AND
A SHARK
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HOLLIE STOOD WAITING IN THE TARDIS. Nearly ten minutes had passed since the Doctor disappeared out the doors. When he finally returned, she noticed he was no longer holding one of the winning lottery tickets that he had when he left her alone in the blue box.

Without a word, the Doctor made his way to the console, his expression unreadable as he yanked the dematerialisation lever. The TARDIS responded with its familiar wheezing and groaning, the room trembling briefly before everything fell still. The only sound left was the soft tap of the Doctor's footsteps on the glass flooring as he made his way toward the doors, purpose guiding each step.

Hollie sighed softly, her heart aching with a mix of affection and frustration before she trailed after him.

Stepping outside, she blinked in surprise. They were on a balcony that looked a lot like a rooftop—not the same one as before, but unmistakably atop the same house. The Doctor stood in front of a large, round glass window, peering inside with an intensity that made Hollie's chest tighten.

"See?" he asked, nodding towards the younger Kazran on the other side of the glass. "Back."

With a gentle push, the window swung open, inviting them in.

Kazran, eyes puffy from tears, looked up at the newcomers, confusion covering his face. "Who are you?"

"Hi. I'm the Doctor," the Time Lord announced and gestured to Hollie next as she stepped behind him. "And this is Hollie. We're your new babysitters."

The Doctor hopped off the window ledge with an ease that made Hollie shake her head in amusement at his antics and she stepped through the window after him.

Kazran frowned, wiping at his nose with the back of his hand. "Where's Mrs. Mantovani?"

The Doctor smirked, his eyes twinkling. "Oh, you'll never guess. Clever old Mrs. Manters—she only went and won the lottery." He looked over at the bed, the corners of his mouth twitching into a grin as he clambered up onto it. Hollie sighed, already anticipating his next move as he began to bounce on the bed with the excitement of a child on Christmas morning.

Kazran watched him, a puzzled expression on his face as he looked at the Time Lord. "There isn't any lottery."

"Exactly," Hollie replied, stepping closer to the boy and gently ruffling his hair. "It's okay, Kazran." She cast a sidelong glance at the Doctor, who was now mid-air. "Sorry about your bed."

The Doctor shot her a mock glare, his eyes sparkling with barely contained laughter. Hollie stuck her tongue out at him, earning a huff of mock indignation as he executed one final jump before landing with surprising grace.

"If you're my babysitter, why are you climbing in the window?" Kazran asked, his voice tinged with suspicion.

"Because if I were climbing out of the window, I'd be going in the wrong direction," the Doctor replied, a smirk tugging at his lips. "Pay attention."

"Just ignore him," Hollie advised, crouching down to Kazran's level, her tone soft and reassuring. "He's an idiot in a box."

"A blue box!" the Doctor corrected, puffing out his chest. "And it's madman, not idiot."

"I say it's idiot," Hollie retorted, crossing her arms with a smirk.

The Doctor grumbled under his breath, defeated.

Kazran looked between them, his young mind struggling to make sense of his visitors. "But Mrs. Mantovani's always my babysitter."

"Times change," the Doctor said, walking over to the camera and peering into it with exaggerated curiosity. "Wouldn't you say?" He glanced at Kazran, then back at the camera. "Christmas Past."

Kazran's brow furrowed in confusion. "Who are you talking to?"

"You," the Doctor replied matter-of-factly, not bothering to face the boy as he continued to look into the camera, only leaving Kazran more puzzled than before.

"Just nod in agreement—it's what I do," Hollie chuckled, flashing the Doctor a teasing grin.

The Doctor shot her a playful scowl before refocusing on the camera. "Now, your past is going to change. That means your memories will too. Bit scary, but you'll get the hang of it."

"I don't understand," Kazran said, his voice wavering with uncertainty.

The Doctor knelt down, his grin softening into something more comforting. "I'll bet you don't," he said with a hint of affection. "I wish I could see your face." He looked back at the camera, pointing at it, then back at Kazran, who still looked lost in the middle of this peculiar exchange.

Hollie shook her head, a soft smile playing on her lips. "I'm sure he's absolutely thrilled at the thought," she said, rolling her eyes with gentle sarcasm.

The Doctor shot her an exaggerated look of annoyance before he threw himself onto the bed once more. "Right then, your bedroom." He clapped his hands together, his eyes darting around the room with a mix of curiosity and excitement as he began to curiously drift towards under the bed, raising the duvet up. "Great. Let's see. You're twelve years old, so we'll stay away from under the bed." He smoothed the duvet as he straightened, his gaze snapping to the walk-in cupboard across the room a moment later. "Cupboard!" he declared, making his way over to it with newfound enthusiasm. "Big cupboard. I love a cupboard." He opened the doors just enough to peek inside. "Do you know, there's a thing called a face spider? It's just like a tiny baby's head with spider legs, and it's specifically evolved to scuttle up the backs of bedroom cupboards."

Hollie sighed loudly, catching the way Kazran shifted uncomfortably, his eyes growing wide with fear. "Yeah, I probably shouldn't have mentioned that," the Doctor muttered, catching the pointed look Hollie was now giving him. He clapped his hands together again, rubbing them as if trying to warm the mood. "Right. So. What are we going to do? Eat crisps and talk about girls? I've never actually done that, but I bet it's easy. Girls?"

Hollie raised an eyebrow, a mischievous grin tugging at her lips. "And what girls would you talk about, Doctor?"

A blush crept up the Doctor's neck, and Hollie smirked, savouring the rare sight of him flustered. It had been so long since they had even ventured anywhere near what she would call flirting with each other, and the ease with which they slipped back into it, as if nothing had happened, only made Hollie feel worse. The sickening feeling in her stomach twisted as guilt washed over her. How could they banter so effortlessly after the pain and silence he had put her through for weeks? Her wound was still fresh, not even close to scabbing, and yet she let him in so easily, like an infection creeping under her skin. He huffed, clearly at a loss for a quick comeback, unaware of the storm of thoughts in her head. "Hush, you," he muttered, his teasing tone doing nothing to ease the tension she felt.

Kazran watched them, his face scrunched up in thought. "Are you really a babysitter?" he asked, still uncertain.

The Doctor looked rather smug as he pulled out his psychic paper, holding it up with a flourish in front of Kazran's face. "I think you'll find I'm universally recognised as a mature and responsible adult."

Kazran squinted at the psychic paper, his confusion deepening. "It's just a lot of wavy lines."

Hollie burst into laughter, snatching the psychic paper from the Doctor's hand with ease. She turned it around, her laughter bubbling over as she saw the lines for herself. "Even the psychic paper disagrees!" she giggled, the sound infectious.

The Doctor's cheeks flushed as he shot Hollie a faux-annoyed look. "Yeah, it's shorted out. Finally, a lie too big." He continued to glare as Hollie giggled louder. "Laugh all you want, Hollie. Ha, ha." With a huff, he snatched the leather wallet back and stuffed it into his pocket. "Okay, no, not really a babysitter, but it's Christmas Eve. You don't want a real one. You want me—and I'm afraid Hollie has to come along because Gods know what trouble we'd be in if she doesn't rescue us."

"Why?" Kazran asked, his curiosity piqued despite himself. "What's so special about you?"

Hollie smiled gently, leaning down to meet Kazran's gaze. "Ever seen Mary Poppins, Kazran?"

He shook his head. "No."

"Good," the Doctor interjected quickly. "Because that comparison would've been rubbish." He suddenly made his way to the open window, standing on the ledge. "Fish in the fog. Fish in the clouds. How do people ever get bored?" He hummed thoughtfully, placing his hands on his hips like a statue contemplating the mysteries of the universe. "How did boredom even get invented?"

"My dad's invented a machine to control the cloud belt," Kazran said, standing up from his chair. "Tame the sky, he says. The fish'll be able to come down, but only when we let them. We can charge whatever we like."

"Yeah," the Doctor replied, his tone darkening ever so slightly. "I've seen your dad's machine."

Kazran frowned, his confusion deepening. "What? You can't have."

"Tame the sky," the Doctor mused, his gaze sweeping across the windows. "Human beings. You always manage to find the boring alternative, don't you? You want to see one? A fish. We can do that. We can see a fish."

"Aren't you going to tell me it's dangerous?" Kazran asked, scepticism creeping into his voice.

The Doctor almost scoffed at the suggestion. "Dangerous? Come on, we're boys." He jumped off the ledge and back into the room, ruffling Kazran's hair lightly. "And you know what boys say in the face of danger?"

"What?" Kazran asked, batting his hand away.

The Doctor smirked. "Remember what I said about being rescued?"

Kazran frowned. "What?"

"Hollie." His smirk widened.

She rolled her eyes at him, briefly eyeing the young boy who looked a mix of excitement and nervousness. "Are you sure this is a good idea?" She questioned the Time Lord.

The Doctor clicked his fingers, pointing at Hollie with a grin. "See what I mean? Cautious." He grinned and looked at Kazran again. "Hollie will look after us."

She rolled her eyes again, exasperation and affection warring within her. "I'm not your mother."

The Doctor wrinkled his nose in disgust. "Never say that again."

She sighed deeply after he didn't say anything else, and Kazran continued to look between them, smiling. Hollie looked at the Doctor again. "I'm not convincing you this may be a bad idea, am I?"

"He wants to see one of the fish, so let's show him," the Doctor said with a shrug, a grin spreading across his face. "What's the worst that could happen?"

She closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Really, Doctor?" She opened her eyes, pinning him with a look. "Did you really have to say that?"

He shrugged casually and pulled out his sonic screwdriver, the familiar whirring sound filling the room while the tip lit up green as he grinned at Kazran. "Let's catch a fish."

While Hollie didn't entirely agree with the Doctor's method for catching a fish, she couldn't help but watch in amusement as he fitted long, thick string to Kazran's lamp fitting and ceiling, securing his sonic screwdriver at the end, letting it dangle casually in the middle of the room."What are we going to do when the fish is in here?" she questioned. "And how will we get it out?"

"It'll only be a little thing." He waved his hand dismissively and glanced at the cupboard Kazran was now waiting in. "Stop worrying, Hollie. It'll be fine." His voice grew quieter as he added, "Plus, if this helps us save the ship, it'll be worth it."

She sighed, conceding that he did have a good point. "Sorry," she apologised, shaking her head.

He smiled at her, and Hollie couldn't help but give him a saddened look when he turned away. It was the first time he had genuinely looked happy to see her in a long time. She shook her head and followed him silently into the cupboard.

The Doctor took the string with the small loop on the end, hooking it around his finger while he sat beside Kazran, with Hollie sitting opposite them.

"Are there any face spiders in here?" Kazran asked nervously, looking between the pair.

"Nah, not at this time of night. They'll all be sleeping in your mattress," the Doctor replied absentmindedly.

Hollie lightly hit her head against the back wall. "Idiot..."

The Time Lord huffed at her for that remark and then turned his attention back to Kazran. "So, why are you so interested in fish?"

"Because they're scary," Kazran answered.

The Doctor nodded. "Good answer."

"What kind of tie is that?" the boy asked, noticing the bowtie around the Doctor's neck.

"A cool one."

"Why is it cool?"

Hollie chuckled softly at the exchange. "It's a bowtie," she explained.

The Doctor huffed again. "We could have left it at 'a cool one'." He pouted.

She shrugged at him, then looked at the young boy. "Kazran, why are you really interested in the fish?"

"My school. During the last fog belt, the nets broke, and there was an attack. Loads of them. A whole shoal. No one was hurt, but it was the most fish ever seen below the mountains."

"Were you scared?" the Doctor asked.

Kazran shook his head. "I wasn't there. I was off sick."

"Ooh, lucky you," The Doctor said, and Hollie gave him a pointed look. The Doctor noticed the shift in Kazran's expression at his words and quickly corrected himself: "Not lucky."

"It's all anyone ever talks about now," Kazran explained. "The day the fish came." He sighed. "Everyone's got a story."

"But you don't," the Doctor nodded, then eyed the camera in Hollie's hands that had been recording the entire conversation, likely to still be playing in the future for the older Kazran. "I see," he murmured quietly, his eyes lingering on the camera lens as his finger holding the string began to twitch, something having taken a liking to his screwdriver.

Kazran frowned. "Why are you recording this?"

"Do you pay attention at school, Kazran?" the Doctor asked him quietly, finger still twitching as the string moved with the screwdriver attached to it.

"Sorry, what?" the boy questioned.

"Because you're not paying attention now," he answered, his eyes drifting to the string. His finger twitched again as the string, along with his finger, was gently tugged. He brought his other hand up to his face, placing a finger against his lips. "Shush."

Hollie looked at the Time Lord, concern covering her features. "Is this really a good idea?" she questioned, noticing how wide Kazran's eyes had become while the Doctor stood up, hand resting on the cupboard doors.

"Doctor," Kazran whispered nervously, glancing at Hollie briefly, "are you sure?"

"Trust me."

"Okay," Kazran replied weakly, his eyes shifting away from the Doctor.

"Oi. Eyes on the tie," the Doctor ordered gently, gesturing to the bowtie around his neck. "Look at me. I wear it, and I don't care." He paused, watching the boy closely. "Trust me."

Hollie smiled slightly while Kazran nodded, his face brightening. "Yes."

The Doctor looked at Hollie, smirking as he winked. "That's why it's cool."

She rolled her eyes as the Doctor slipped through the cupboard doors and into Kazran's bedroom. "Doctor!" she hissed, climbing to her feet and cracking the door open slightly to watch.. She couldn't see past him as he inspected whatever was investigating his screwdriver. "Hello, fishy," she heard him whisper softly before watching as best she could while he made his way around the edge of the room, careful not to startle the fish.

"Let's see," the Doctor murmured, his eyes fixed on a tiny fish, no bigger than his screwdriver, as it swam in the air, nipping gently at the flashing light on the screwdriver as it buzzed. "Interesting. Crystalline fog, eh? Maybe carrying a tiny electrical charge. Is that how you fly, little fishy?"

"What is it?" Kazran pulled on Hollie's jacket, wanting to look for himself. "What kind? Can I see?"

"Just stay there a moment," the Doctor said, his eyes briefly meeting Hollie's through the crack in the cupboard.

"Is it big?" Kazran asked, not noticing how pale Hollie had suddenly become as a very large great white shark swam into the room incredibly fast, its teeth clamping around the tiny fish and the Doctor's sonic screwdriver.

"Er..." the Doctor breathed, slowly making his way towards the cupboard now, his eyes locked on the shark that had not only eaten the fish but was now happily chewing on his screwdriver. "Little..."

"How little?" Kazran asked, still oblivious to the danger.

The Doctor's voice was tense as he watched the shark with wide eyes. "Er, not as little as I thought..."

"Can I come out?" Kazran's voice wavered slightly at how high-pitched the Doctor's voice was becoming.

"Not a wise idea," Hollie breathed, her eyes darting from the shark to the Doctor while the Time Lord held his hands up to the door. "No, no. Maybe just wait there for a moment."

"What colour is it?" Kazran asked, looking at Hollie.

She swallowed hard, her voice trembling. "Grey..."

"Big," the Doctor replied, his voice rising in pitch as the shark suddenly turned towards him. "Big colour."

In the next second, the Doctor darted to the cupboard, the doors flying open with Hollie's help, and he nearly stumbled inside. He slammed them shut as soon as he was in, pressing his back against the wood, with Hollie beside him, her eyes wide and her breathing fast, matching the Doctor's.

"What's happening?" Kazran looked between them, confused.

"Well, focusing on the positives, you've definitely got a story of your own now," the Doctor said quickly, glancing at Kazran. "Also, I got a good look at the fish, and I think I understand how the fog works, which is going to help me land a spaceship in the future and save a lot of lives. And I bet I get some very interesting readings off my sonic screwdriver when I get it back from the shark in your bedroom."

Kazran stared at the Doctor in complete horror. "There's a shark in my bedroom?!" he exclaimed.

"Doctor!" Hollie snapped, lightly hitting his arm while staring at him with wide eyes.

"What?!" he snapped back at her. "What do you want me to tell him? It's a cute little dolphin?" He scoffed.

She huffed before squeezing her eyes shut as the shark slammed itself against the door again, making her breathing quicken again as she pushed herself against the door. "Doctor..." She whispered.

"Yes, yes, I know," he replied, grabbing her hand and pushing back on the door when the shark tried to get through again, his hearts racing.

Hollie's eyes slowly opened after a final bang erupted and silence fell around them, and she met the Doctor's eyes fearfully as Kazran whispered, "Has it gone?" No one replied, and he asked another question. "What's it doing?"

The Doctor swallowed hard. "What do you call it if you don't have any feet, and you're taking a run-up?"

Hollie's eyes snapped up to meet his before she quickly grabbed the Doctor's arm and pulled him to the other side of the cupboard just seconds before the cupboard door broke, with the part still on its hinges swinging open.

"That was close," he breathed, squeezed between the wall and Hollie as he entwined their joined hands. "Thanks."

Her eyes were wide as the shark snapped at them, trying to reach but unable to do so, and her fear diminished the longer it struggled. Kazran, on her other side, was screaming as he pressed himself against the wall as much as possible. "It's going to eat us. It's going to eat us. It's going to eat us!" he repeated over and over.

Hollie frowned at the shark as it attempted to reach them again but failed. Its mouth was wide open, but it couldn't fit through the door or even move. It was stuck. "Is it going to eat us?" Kazran asked suddenly.

"Well, maybe we're going to eat it," the Doctor suggested, wincing when Hollie shot him an annoyed look, "but I don't like the odds." He quickly added, "It's stuck, though. Let's see. Tiny shark brain. If I had my screwdriver, I could probably send a pulse and stun it."

Hollie groaned, closing her eyes after spotting a green glow emanating from the back of the shark's mouth. "Please don't tell me it's in the shark."

"It's not in the shark," he replied instantly.

"Doctor..." she drew out. "Don't try to humour me when we're trapped in a cupboard with an alien shark attacking us!" Her calm tone suddenly turned snappy.

"Fine!" he exclaimed, pointing at her before his anger subsided, and he looked thoughtful. "But focusing on the positives, it's within reach." He hummed slightly and looked at Kazran. "You know, there's a real chance that the way it's wedged in the doorway is keeping its mouth open."

"Only a chance?" Hollie repeated.

"You're not helping here!" he snapped.

"I'm sorry, I'm trying!" she countered.

He huffed as Kazran asked, "There is?"

The Doctor didn't reply and began to roll up his sleeves. Dread instantly filled Hollie as she guessed—and very much hoped—that he wasn't going to do what she thought he was.

"Just agree with me, because Hollie won't and I've only got two goes, and then it's your turn."

"Two goes?" Kazran repeated.

"Two arms," he grinned, wiggling them. "Right, then. Okay. Geronimo. Open wide."

"I should have just gone back to the TARDIS and waited," Hollie groaned, closing her eyes and squeezing them shut as the Doctor reached towards the shark. "I could be in my art room painting or reading in the library, but no, I'm here, stuck with you in a cupboard!" she snapped at the Doctor.

"This isn't my fault!"

"It's your sonic!" she argued.

The Doctor huffed at her, and Hollie covered her eyes with her hands as the Doctor moved closer towards the shark.

It took him a few attempts, but luckily, the Doctor didn't lose his arms and managed to retrieve at least part of his screwdriver. Initially, he was more upset about the state of his screwdriver than the fact that the shark was still trying to eat them—until Hollie glared at him sharply, forcing him to focus on stunning the shark. They then managed to carry the shark onto the balcony outside and lay it down.

Hollie sat beside the shark, with Kazran resting his head on her shoulder, tears brimming in his eyes as he and Hollie gently stroked the creature.

She couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for it, even if it had tried to eat them. After all, it hadn't asked to get stuck in Kazran's bedroom.

The Doctor stood nearby, pacing slightly as he tapped the half of his screwdriver that he had managed to retrieve against his hand. "What's the big fishy done to you?" he grumbled as his screwdriver buzzed wearily. "Swallowed half of you, that's what. Half a screwdriver, what use is that? Bad, big fishy," he scolded, looking at the shark.

Hollie looked up at him, gently shaking her head as Kazran sniffled and looked at the Time Lord. "Doctor? I think she's dying."

He used the remaining half of his sonic to scan the shark. After glancing at the results briefly, he nodded. "Half my screwdriver's still inside, but yeah, I think so. I doubt they can survive long outside the cloud belt. Just quick raiding trips..." He looked up from his screwdriver again, noticing the tears rolling down Kazran's cheeks and the way he leaned closer into Hollie. "On a foggy night." He added softly.

She looked up at him sadly as Kazran sniffed. "Can't we get it back up there? We were just going to stun it. I didn't want to kill it."

"She was trying to eat you," the Doctor reminded the young boy.

"She was hungry."

"I'm sorry, Kazran. I can't save her," the Doctor admitted. "I could take her back up there, but she'd never survive the trip. We need a fully functioning life-support."

Kazran's face suddenly lit up. "You mean like an icebox?" he asked, then nodded. "Okay."

The Doctor looked at Kazran, and the young boy instantly got to his feet, leading them through the large house.

They ran into the main room where they had first met Kazran. The Doctor suddenly sprinted towards a large Christmas tree as Kazran disappeared into another room.

Hollie laughed lightly as the Doctor grinned. "Ooh, a tree!"

She shook her head as the Doctor inspected one of the many baubles, and Kazran reappeared with a large lamp. "Come on, Doctor." Hollie smiled, following Kazran.

The Doctor glanced over his shoulder at her, his lip twitching into a small smile before he followed her and Kazran. She laughed when the Time Lord did a spin, giving the tree one last look as they left to head down more stairs.

She was so sick of bloody stairs.

They eventually reached a large bulkhead door with a small porthole. The Doctor peered through and saw rows upon rows of iceboxes, with the entire room on the other side covered in ice.

"What is this?" the Doctor asked.

"The surplus population," Kazran replied, trying to pull open the door. The Doctor went to help, and the two of them tried to turn the door lock. Even Hollie tried to assist, but the damn thing wouldn't budge. "That's what my Dad calls it."

"Oh, it's not turning," Kazran huffed. "Oh, why won't it turn?"

The Doctor spotted a nearby keypad and flashed his screwdriver on it, but the device buzzed weakly. "Ah, what's the number?"

Kazran shook his head. "I don't know."

"This place is full of alarms. It's not just the door." The Doctor shook his head, trying to help Hollie open it again. "I need the number."

"I'm not allowed to know until I'm older."

The Doctor grinned and sprinted out of the room, calling back loudly as he went, "Hollie, stay here!"

She huffed, crossing her arms. The Doctor reappeared a few minutes later, sprinting down the stairs while shouting. "Seven-two-five-eight! Seven-two-five-eight!"

Kazran input the code into the keypad. Hollie turned the door lock when she heard it click, and the Doctor helped her pull the large door open, allowing them all to enter.

Hollie looked down as a layer of fog hovered just above her ankles. "Ah, there are fish down here too," the Doctor hummed, spotting a few small fish swimming through the fog as they moved down one of the rows.

"Yeah, but only tiny ones," Kazran explained, leading them further in. "The house is built on a fog lake; that's how Dad freezes the people. They're all full, but we could borrow one." He stopped in front of one of the ice boxes. "Yeah, this one."

The Doctor took the lamp from Kazran and held it up to the porthole, his lips twitching upwards as he recognised the same young woman in the icebox that the older Kazran had upstairs when he and Hollie came down the chimney.

"Hello again," the Doctor whispered.

Hollie frowned softly, looking at Kazran while the boy turned to the Time Lord.

"You know her?"

"Why her?" the Doctor questioned. "Important, is she?"

Kazran shrugged. "She won't mind. She loves the fish." He pressed a button on the icebox, and a small hologram appeared in the porthole, displaying the woman's face. "My name is Abigail Pettigrew, and I'm very grateful for Mister Sardick's kindness," she began to explain. Kazran spoke over the top of her, nodding and smiling. "She starts to talk about the fish in a minute."

The Doctor nodded slightly and walked away from Kazran and Abigail in the icebox, shining the lamp at different iceboxes while Hollie followed him.

"But I would not allow it." The hologram Abigail continued. "I could not have chosen this path were it not for the compassion and generosity of the great philanthropist and patron of the poor, Mister Elliot Sardick. But I'm also surrounded by the fish, the beautiful, iridescent, magical fish."

The Doctor looked back at Kazran, standing a few ice boxes away. "Why are these people here?" he asked aloud as the recording of Abigail continued. "What's all this for?"

"My dad lends money," Kazran explained with a small shrug. "He always takes a family member as—he calls it security."

Hollie frowned, reaching out gently to put a hand on the Doctor's arm, talking to him telepathically. "There are hundreds of them."

He nodded grimly and looked at Kazran. "Hard man to love, your dad. But I suppose you know that."

"I am not alone, and I am at peace," Abigail's recording finished.

Hollie glanced at the Doctor as his screwdriver buzzed weakly in his pocket.

"What's wrong?" Kazran asked, looking towards them.

The Doctor pulled the screwdriver out of his pocket. "Just my half of a screwdriver trying to repair itself." He twisted it around in his hand. "It's signalling the other half."

Kazran's eyes widened, and Hollie slowly reached towards the Doctor, her heart pounding as a noise similar to the Doctor's half of the screwdriver echoed in the icebox room.

"The other half's inside the shark," Kazran stated nervously.

Hollie weakly nodded, a horrible feeling sinking into her stomach.

"Yeah?" the Doctor whispered. "Sounds like she's woken up." He looked between Hollie and Kazran. "Okay, so it's homing in on the screwdriver."

Hollie's eyes widened as the shark suddenly appeared, its mouth open wide enough to reveal the green glow of the screwdriver inside.

Suddenly, she felt herself being pulled sideways. The Doctor dived into one of the iceboxes, pulling Hollie with him. He took most of the impact, but she hit her head against one of the cold metal boxes, a sharp pain searing through her before everything went black.

Everything was fuzzy, and her hearing was off when she woke up. Slowly, it began to clear, and she blinked away the blurry vision before almost screaming at the sight of the Doctor's hair in her face, his ear inches from her lips. "Hollie!" he hissed, sighing in relief as he squeezed her against his chest.

She winced, her breathing quickening for a moment before calming. "What happened?"

"The shark," he replied.

Hollie frowned as a woman's singing echoed in the room. "Can you hear that?" she asked gently as the Doctor stood up, ice clinging to his clothes.

He nodded and helped her stand. They stepped away from the fallen iceboxes into the open space. Hollie blinked, spotting Kazran standing nearby as a young woman crouched beside the shark, gently stroking it while she sang.

The Doctor stepped forward to stand beside Kazran. "It's not really the singing, of course," he explained quietly.

"Yes, it is," Kazran replied.

"Nah."

"The fish love the singing. It's true."

"Nah. The notes resonate in the ice crystals, causing a delta wave pattern in the fog," he explained further before wincing and slapping his face. "Ow. A fish bit me."

Hollie chuckled slightly. "Maybe shut up?" she suggested. The Doctor huffed at her teasingly, and she shook her head. Then he blinked, realisation dawning on him. "Of course. That's how the machine controls the cloud belt. The clouds are ice crystals. If you vibrate the crystals at exactly the right frequency, you could align them into—" He yelped again. "Ow!" He turned to glare at another fish. "Why do they keep biting me?"

"Maybe because your voice isn't as soothing?" Hollie smirked.

"Hush, you," the Doctor pointed at her in warning.

She chuckled, and Kazran frowned at him. "Look, the fish like the singing, okay? Now shut up."

The Doctor turned to Hollie, looking slightly offended, and she shook her head at him. He huffed at them both. "Okay."

Hollie frowned as Abigail continued to sing to the shark. "How are we going to get it into an icebox and onto the TARDIS?"

"How else?" The Doctor smirked at the blonde. "Stay here, I'll be back in a mo!" he cheered, running off towards the exit.

Hollie shook her head and winced at the pain in her neck from the fall. She sighed and turned back to Kazran, kneeling beside him. "You'll like what comes next, Kazran."

The boy frowned, then his eyes widened as he spotted the TARDIS materialising slightly behind Abigail. A slight wind picked up as the box wheezed and groaned before landing. "Wow..." he breathed.

"Wow indeed," the Doctor agreed as he stepped out of the box. "Come on, let's get this big fishy inside." He laid Abigail's icebox onto the floor.

"It's a shark," Hollie corrected firmly.

The Doctor huffed in response. "Big fishy."

"Shark," she repeated, not letting him off the hook.

"Big fishy," he insisted, narrowing his eyes at her while carefully manoeuvring the shark inside the icebox with Hollie's help.

"Fine," she sighed, rolling her eyes as she gently pushed the shark's tail into the box, while Abigail continued singing and Kazran watched intently.

The Doctor grinned, pleased with their teamwork. "Righty-ho," he exclaimed, jumping up as the lid of the box closed. Kazran ran toward the TARDIS, poking his head inside with Abigail following close behind.

"It's bigger on the inside," Kazran breathed, turning to look at the Doctor in awe.

"Yeah, it's the colour," the Doctor joked. "Really knocks the walls back." Hollie laughed at his comment. "Shark in a box, to go," he added, tapping the icebox before he, with Hollie's help, carried it into the TARDIS.

"This is amazing," Abigail breathed, her eyes wide as she took in the console room.

"Nah, this is transport," the Doctor replied, dashing around the console as he pulled the dematerialisation lever. The TARDIS wheezed and groaned in response. "I keep amazing out here," he added with a grin, running to the doors and pulling them open. Hollie followed slowly, making her way to join the others by the doors. She watched closely over the Doctor's shoulder as groups of fish swam happily through the clouds outside.

"Come on, then. Let's get this shark out," the Doctor said, moving over to the icebox.

Hollie stepped forward to help, opening the icebox when the Doctor input the code. The shark immediately swam out of the TARDIS doors, much to Hollie's relief. "Hey, look at her go," Kazran said, watching the shark swim freely through the clouds.

Hollie smiled as she observed Kazran, who had taken out a small camera to capture pictures of the fish and Abigail as she admired the scene. Meanwhile, the Doctor examined the front of the icebox, noticing a set of dials showing "000 008." His expression shifted to concern.

"Abigail, this number," he began, frowning. "What does it mean?"

"It pertains to me, sir, not the fish," Abigail replied calmly.

"Yeah, but how?" he pressed.

"You are a doctor, you say?" Abigail asked, a hint of curiosity in her voice. "Are you one of mine?"

The Doctor eyed her briefly. "Do you need a doctor?"

Before Abigail could respond, a dinging noise—similar to that of a microwave—interrupted them. "Ah, sorry. Time's up, kids," he said, turning to Kazran and Abigail apologetically.

"Why?" Kazran asked, looking up at the Doctor with sadness in his eyes.

"It's nearly Christmas Day," the Doctor explained, closing the TARDIS doors and rushing back to the console. He navigated the TARDIS with his usual energy, though there was a tenderness in his movements as he flew them back to the cryo vault.

Once they arrived, the Doctor and Hollie carefully placed Abigail's icebox back in its original spot, aligning it with the others. "If you should ever wish to visit again," Abigail began, her voice tinged with hope.

The Doctor shrugged nonchalantly. "Well, you know, if I'm ever in the neighbourhood."

"He comes every Christmas Eve," Kazran interjected with a grin.

The Doctor's eyes widened in surprise, while Hollie laughed at his reaction. "What?"

"Yeah, he does," Kazran continued, nodding eagerly. "Every time. He promises."

"No, I don't," the Doctor tried to protest, but it was too late—Kazran had already shut the door to the icebox, sealing Abigail inside. The Doctor grumbled in frustration.

Hollie shook her head, amused. "You heard him, you promised."

The Doctor huffed, narrowing his eyes at her and pointing teasingly. "You..."

She grinned, taking his hand and leading him back to the TARDIS. "See you next year, Kazran!"

As they walked away, the Doctor questioned her telepathically, "What are you playing at?"

She shrugged, replying in kind, "You want Kazran to be nicer. This is the way, his way. He wants you to see him every year at Christmas with Abigail."

The Doctor blinked in realisation. "Why didn't I think of that?"

"Because you're an idiot in a box," she teased aloud as they entered the TARDIS.

He rolled his eyes, unable to suppress a smirk. "Madman," he corrected.

"Idiot," she countered with a smirk, satisfaction settling in when he didn't argue further and instead pulled the dematerialisation lever, grumbling to himself.

─── ｡ﾟ☆･*.☽ .* ☆ﾟ. ───

You wouldn't believe me when I say I am struggling to write this episode, especially with how productive I am currently with writing. I don't think I have written this much in months so it's nice to be writing properly again and having writing friends you can bounce and share ideas with certainly helps with that to keep the motivation going also HIGHLY suggest you read 'Red' by -bellerose- (the said writer friend) if you haven't already, it's so angsty it's beautiful. It's a Doctor Who fanfic based on seasons 5-7. I've cried once and almost cried multiple times. You will see my many comments because I love comments which reminds me... COMMENT please I beg you. Some writers hate spam comments but I love it, I'd rather you guys scream at me in the inline comments when the Doctor is being a dick than suffer in silence...

God that was a lot of rambling. Sorry to bore you all if you take anything away from this. COMMENT, oh and vote, I like votes too. <3