Blue Christmas

Part 13:

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"You have to promise me not to...well not to terrorise them." Osgood shifted awkwardly watching closely as the twins climbed and fawned and fought over their mother in the back of the taxi. "Missy please?"

"Honestly Skip dear what do you take me for an idiot?" Missy teased back as she tickled her children, delighting in their vocal and mental laughter.

So few beings in the galaxy had ever been this pleased to simply be with her and of those that had well they were either dead or now knew better...or were betrayers dressed in sheep's clothing or something else that Missy hadn't quite figured out yet but she would. Any and all threats to her family were to be neutralised before they could strike, only right now Missy still wasn't certain just what Skip was and she would be a fool indeed not to consider the potential benefits if the human was honestly serious about being her friend. The free babysitting alone was worth holding back.

"No...no not that." Osgood quickly assured her shifting awkwardly under the speculative look Missy had about her that caused her scratches to suddenly itch madly. "It's just you did once promise to make my sister regret her behaviour remember?"

"Did I?" Missy asked airily, lifting one elegant dark eyebrow as she cuddled her daughter who was currently displaying her dominance and natural talent by seizing a greater portion of Missy's mental attention.

Kissing her daughter and rewarding her brilliance with a mental caress that had her jabbering away in excitement Missy finally turned her attention back to the less evolved of her company. "Dear Skip I say many things, threaten more people than I could possibly ever deal with personally. Of course if you are really mentioning it because you are hoping I will actually follow through on this occasion then you need only ask?"

Shooting Missy a glare that even she couldn't misinterpret Osgood had to settle for Missy's smug smile.

"Oh dear is that a no then pet? Pity I was looking forward to it, and it would be a wonderful opportunity to teach the children."

"Please they are six months old." Osgood replied exasperated. "And it is Christmas and it's only for a few hours and there'll be food."

"Oh well as long as there's food." Missy deadpanned. "So did you tell them who you were bringing? You did tell them or am I to be a seasonal surprise?"

"A friend." Osgood replied, it was the truth after all, and it earned her a half smile from Missy. "And no they don't know that you're not human and I would rather like it if it stayed that way."

"We could have just stayed at the flat you know."

"I know but no one should be alone on Christmas Missy." Osgood insisted fingering the collar of her polo neck jumper, it was unseasonably warm for December but unless she wanted to answer some awkward questions she was stuck in the hot unflattering thing.

"Oh please Skip Dear that is such a human sentiment." Missy tutted. "Besides I think it is more likely that you were afraid to leave me home unsupervised."

"Can you blame me after what you did to my kitchen when you tried to make breakfast?"

"I still maintain that your cooker did that to itself." Missy insisted innocently batting her bright blue eyes, her act undermined by the twist of a smirk that pulled at her lips.

Unable to keep a straight face Osgood couldn't help but return her smile. That was until the taxi pulled up outside a large expensive suburban home. "Oh dear is it too late to change my mind?"

Leaning forward Missy patted her cheek patronisingly before opening the door and gathering children and baby bag. "There there pet don't worry, if it all goes tits up I can always kill them."

"Well that's alr..."Osgood began before she actually listened to what Missy had said. Scrambling to pay the taxi driver Osgood all but stumbled out of the cab as she tried to catch up with Missy who was already at the door.

She was panting hard when she caught up with Missy who had already pressed the doorbell.

"Just let me do the talking alright!" Osgood insisted and a moment later the door was opened and a well put together woman with a steel grey bob and a twinset appeared, familiar brown eyes raked over the motley ensemble that had dropped on her doorstep.

"Mummy." Osgood greeted her mother brightly yet her greeting was accepted with a pale reflection of the same enthusiasm and there was a definite crease in between the well-groomed eyebrows that only increased as Mrs Osgood's eyes raked over her younger daughter's choice of outfit.

"Petronella dear." The voice should have been pleasant, the cadence and tone were melodic yet it was distinctly lacking warmth. "And this must be..."

"I'm Missy." The Time Lady replied her own back bristling as Mrs Osgood actually wrinkled her nose a little as she looked over the twins.

Well nobody dared to look at her perfect offspring like that and it was only Skip's restraining hand on her elbow and the delight in finding out just how aptly she had named her pet that kept the somewhat manic smile on her face and her newly made disrupter hidden in her pocket.

"Are yes you are Petronella's..."

"Girlfriend." Missy cut in before either Osgood's could speak. Relishing the look of shock and revulsion that was barely masked by Mrs Osgood's stiff upper lip and the sudden choking noise from a petrified Skip who it appeared had forgotten how that breathing thing worked.

"And I cannot say how delighted I am to be finally meeting you Mrs Osgood." Missy followed up blue eyes glinting with hidden promises as she stepped over the threshold and a stunned Mrs Osgood stepped backwards out of habit. "Or should I call you mother?"

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