Blue Christmas

Part 22:

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"Of all the irresponsible...selfish...downright stupid stunts the two of you have pulled over the years this has to go down as the most outlandish and conceited..." Kate Lethbridge- Stewart was on a roll, this outburst had been a long time coming and after being dragged out of her home on Christmas day, to deal yet again with a pair of Time Lords that made her teenage children look responsible, she had finally reached her limit.

Leaning back and resting her head against The Doctor's shoulder The Mistress did little to hide her yawn. Stretching her cramping back out she rubbed her cheek affectionately against him like a cat fussing at her human pet. Whilst part of her was almost impressed by baby Lethbridge-Stewart's stamina and vocabulary the majority of Missy just wanted to crawl back into the Tardis and into her comfy bed....preferably with a certain Time Lord teddy to keep her warm.

Of course that would entail dealing with Kate who was standing between Missy and her cuddles right now, a very dangerous position for anyone with any sense, but since Lethbridge-Stewart was only human you couldn't expect sense from such a species...well there were always exceptions.

Osgood was proving herself quite useful to have around and Missy was wondering if she could persuade The Doctor to allow her to bring her human pet along with them. The live in baby-sitting alone would compensate for having a human underfoot and leaving their scent on everything. Plus Missy had already trained her and goodness knows The Doctor was terrible at making tea and well Missy could hardly be expected to make her own now could she.

Of course Kate would probably object. Another excellent reason for removing her from the situation...

Snuggling closer against her Doctor Missy's began sliding her hand strategically over his backside, smirking as he stiffened. Yet unsettling The Doctor was merely an added bonus, Missy's real prize was attempting to retrieve her homemade laser pistol from where The Doctor had snatched it from her after she had shot at Tom Osgood for the second time and stuffed it in his trouser pocket.

"I know what you are doing Missy." The Doctor muttered out of the corner of his mouth, trying his best to keep his expression contrite and serious whilst Kate lectured them, a fact made increasingly difficult by the joy that was bubbling up within him that wanted to escape by any means necessary.

"Can't I just kill her?" Missy whined low in The Doctor's ear. "Please love?"

"No dear." The Doctor insisted a renegade smile dancing across his lips at Missy's turn of phrase; softening the refusal by pressing a kiss to his lover's forehead.

He had tried more than once to interrupt Kate to assure her that he really was sorry her day had been interrupted but that he certainly hadn't called her and so surely he was only partially to blame. Yet every time he so much as opened his mouth Kate would start pointing and wagging her finger at him to emphasis whatever it was she was saying. Honestly after the first five minutes The Doctor had started to run some basic quadratic equations just to keep his boredom from showing...after all humans had no respiratory bypass system and Kate was bound to run out of breath sometime.

Huffing as The Doctor reached down and took hold of her wandering hand Missy wigged her fingers and slid them through his, running her thumb rhythmically against his. Well if he was going to deny her fun then Missy was just going to have to make her own. With a particularly mischievous smirk twisting her lips Missy used their lingering telepathic connection and pushed a blatantly explicit image against The Doctor's still barely raised and fragile shields.

Gnntwcccccccccctkfff

It was somewhere between a cough, a choke and a sneeze, The Doctor physically recoiled as though someone had come out of nowhere and punched him in the stomach. Still it was a reaction and Missy smiled on serenely, secretly amused.

"Doctor?" Kate finally took a breath and took a moment to pay attention to her previously captive audience. "Are you alright?"

"Yea...Actually no...No Kate I think I must have eaten something that disagreed with me..." The Doctor replied lying through his teeth, his stomach was fine; it was the rest of him that was suddenly all at sixes and sevens.

"I think its best we leave now... we have clearly outstayed our welcome..." The Doctor added his grip on Missy's hand tightening, on a human it would have been painful but the Time Lady's smirk merely grew as he practically hustled her out of the kitchen and into the living room where the Osgood clan were gathered surrounded by armed soldiers.

"Ah..." here The Doctor's confidence failed him somewhat.

The look of knowing disgust that Mrs Osgood was shooting first the abashed Doctor and then the wholly gloating and unrepentant Missy was enough to stop the Time Lord in the threshold whereas Missy swanned in boldly like she owned the place.

Cooing at her children who reached up pudgy hands from their place in Skip's lap Missy pressed kisses to their hands and then their little faces, shooting Stacie a smile that promised prompt retaliation before she proceeded to smother kisses all over her pet human as well.

"Missy stop...just...I know where that mouth has probably been!" Osgood protested, squirming and pushing away a sniggering Missy who planted one last wet smacking kiss on the girl's cheek just for fun.

"Please you know you love me really darling Skip! I know you'll miss me terribly but do try not to cry too much it'll make your face all blotchy." Missy teased ruffling the girls brown hair until it fluffed up into something resembling a cockatoo. "Now my little angels I hope they've been good."

"Unlike their parents they have been the perfect guests." Mrs Osgood commented dryly from her armchair where she sat with a fortifying sherry. "Tell me Doctor if that is even your real name is my kitchen still standing or am I going to have to replace it for the second time in as many months."

Reaching forward and ushering Missy and the twins towards the nearest exit The Doctor forced an apologetic smile on to his face. "It's still perfectly intact Mrs Osgood...." He paused at the doorway. "It might need a little sanding in places..."

"Too much information honey.."

Fleeing before the inevitable explosion the time family made it back to the Tardis, the door safely shut behind them Missy moved to strap the twins into their safety seats as The Doctor did his usual routine and flicked totally pointless switches and levers.

"Honestly Thete you do know that does nothing but flash the landing lights."

Frowning The Doctor flicked the switch back and then on again, eyebrows frowning deeply before shooting up in surprise. "I didn't even know we had lights." The Doctor muttered before his eyes flickered up to stare at his family across the console.

His family...whole and complete for the first time...The Doctor was half convinced he would suddenly wake up to find himself dreaming and once more alone on his Tardis. He was half tempted to pinch himself.

Tilting her head as she basked in The Doctor's gaze and undivided attention Missy was unusually composed and her smile was gentle. "What are you staring at Thete?"

A smile played about his lips The Doctor bit the nail of his thumb. "Oh just you."

"Flattery as well as declarations of love my you are on a roll today I must have hurt you worse than I thought." Missy retorted tartly, her confidence fading slightly as The Doctor's smile faltered for a moment and when it returned it looked more than a little forced.

"So back to the time vortex." The Doctor added with little enthusiasm his fingers reaching out for the dematerialisation lever, only stopping when a red tipped hand covered his own.

"Actually." Missy stopped him reaching out and punching in some new coordinates into the console. "Well there are two of us now and as long as we are careful..."

Squinting The Doctor took a moment to study the coordinates before a sudden pleased grin lit up his face. It was a small thing, probably as close to an apology as he would ever get from Missy for her earlier attack.

"Barcelona? With the dogs with no noses!"

"That's what the coordinates say idiot." Missy tutted rolling her eyes, already his enthusiasm was irritating her slightly but she supposed she could put up with it.

"But you hate Barcelona...there are too many people and it's a fun planet..."

"Are you trying to make me change my mind Doctor?" Missy asked reaching out to the keypad as if to change the digits.

"No!" The Doctor's hand shot out and covered hers, fingers closing and squeezing her hand gently. "No." He added gently reaching up with his free hand to tuck an errant curl behind her ear and stroke her cheek.

"So then..." Missy prompted and they moved their conjoined hands over to the dematerialisation lever, pressing it down together, the familiar sound of the Tardis dematerialising filled the air and the pair clung on to the handrail and each other.

Next stop Barcelona...and then...well the rest of the universe.

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