HAPPY HILLBILLY THANKSGIVING!

Chapter Sixteen

Eventually, Lori told them they were going to bed and to be quiet if they were going to stay up. Everyone lay down and tried to sleep, except for the Doctor who lay beside his wife and stared at the fire. Brittany had spread her blankets down beside the sleeping bags and Michelle curled up in her beanbag with her blanket over her. The Doctor smiled when the two children kept giggling.

"Hey, Giggleboxes, lights out," Amy teased.

"Doctor isn't asleep," Michelle said, pointing to him.

"I don't sleep that often so I'm enjoying the fire. But I can't do that when you're chattering like monkeys and giggling."

Michelle hooted like a monkey in response and Brittney snickered at that.

"I have a feeling we won't be sleeping for awhile," Rory said to his wife.

"I won't be sleeping at all," the Doctor said to him.

"Ooo, the Doctor's gonna watch us all night long," Brittney said, waggling her fingers.

"Do aliens do that?" Michelle said.

"Watch you?" the Doctor said, looking at her. "Yes, that's another pastime of ours. That's why we hover in the sky in our little spaceships. We snicker at you lot and your antics. It amuses us."

Michelle got up and leaned into his face and stared at him with wide eyes. The Doctor pulled his blanket up over his face.

"We don't like others watching us though, we're shy," he said under the blanket.

Michelle poked him repeatedly.

"And we don't like to be poked, we're tender," the Doctor said under the blanket.

"Leave him alone, Creepy, he probably has some alien disease."

Everyone giggled when the Doctor lowered the blanket and eyed Brittany.

"I could say the same thing about you," he said to her. "You're the alien in my eyes. What if you have some weird disease?"

"I don't but Creepy does."

"Rory, poke her with your nose," Michelle walking over to him and pointing to her sister.

"What is it with people making fun of my nose?" Rory said while everyone else laughed. "You poke her with your nose, she's your sister."

"Nah," Michelle said, running back to her beanbag.

"She is cheeky," Rory said to the Doctor.

"Told ya, she's cheeky beyond belief," the Doctor said. "But I like cheekiness so I won't get the cricket bat and use it on her."

Michelle kissed his cheek and the Doctor winked at her and squeezed her hand. She lay back down in her beanbag and everyone quieted down and began to fall asleep. The Doctor lay on his back and River snuggled against him. He put his arm around her while she lay her head on her pillow and drifted off to sleep. Amy and Rory put their hands on each other's arms and faced each other in their sleeping bags and Brittany yawned and closed her eyes. The Doctor listened to the house quieting down and stared out the window. Lori had left flood lights on and the back patio was illuminated. The snow was now blowing and swirling around and the Doctor was glad he had the TARDIS safely in the storage room. He listened to the wind howling while the snow swirled around.

"I hope it snows us in."

The Doctor looked back at Michelle and noticed she was still awake and watching the snow too.

"Better go to sleep if you want to watch the parade in the morning, poppet," he said softly.

"I'm just thinking," Michelle whispered.

"About what?" the Doctor whispered back.

"About you. About how you have a cool life and I wish I could go with you when you leave," Michelle whispered.

"I know, love, but you're too young at the moment," the Doctor said, taking her hand in his.

"You're the best thing that ever happened to me," Michelle said softly.

"Well, you're one of the best things that ever happened to me," the Doctor whispered while he squeezed her hand.

"Will you come back for Christmas?" Michelle asked.

"Not sure. But I'll try," the Doctor said softly. "Just don't worry about tomorrow. Get some sleep and we'll have fun even if your relatives are all rubbish."

"Okay," Michelle said. "I love you."

"I love you too, poppet," the Doctor said fondly.

Michelle got up and kissed his cheek. She whispered good night before she went back to her beanbag. The Doctor watched while she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep. When he heard her breathing deepen and he saw her eyes move under her eyelids, he turned his attention back to the window and the snow outside.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Michelle opened her eyes the next morning and looked over at the Doctor. The Doctor was looking at the window and she grinned as she slowly pulled her blanket off her. She tried to sneak over to him but the Doctor turned his head and smiled at her the moment she stood up.

"Were you trying to sneak up on me?" he teased. "Because I'm incapable of being snuck up on, you sneaker upper!"

"Good morning," Michelle said, kissing his cheek.

"Morning and salutations, happy Thanksgiving, my little bookworm," the Doctor said cheerfully. "It's still snowing so perhaps you'll get your wish after all."

"I wish the Doctor would shut his gob and let me sleep but I won't get that wish," Amy muttered while she kept her eyes closed.

"I'm going to get some breakfast before the parade comes on," Michelle said before hurrying upstairs.

"Me too," Brittany said, rising up.

"Come on, Doctor," Michelle said at the top of the stairs. "Mommy makes bacon and eggs and toast. Come on!"

"Better go get the bacon, eggs and toast, love," River murmured while she kept her eyes closed.

"Especially since your friend is waiting at the top of the stairs for you to get up," Rory said, rising up and pointing to Michelle.

"Oh, if we must," the Doctor said, sitting up with River while Amy and Rory stood up.

They went upstairs, much to Michelle's delight. She waited till they were with her before walking with them into the kitchen.

"Hello, everyone, happy Thanksgiving," Lori said when they walked into the kitchen. "Plates and glasses are on the counter, help yourselves."

Jim, Tom and Mandy were in the other room, eating at the long table so the Doctor and his family did the same after they got their plates of food and glasses of milk.

"Good morning," Jim said when they sat down. "Hope you survived the Terror Twins last night."

"You mean the Bookworm and the Teenager?" the Doctor said while Michelle sat down beside him and Brittany sat down beside her. "We managed."

Lori sat down beside her husband and everyone started eating.

"Mommy, can we turn on the TV so we can watch the parade?" Tom asked, pointing to the TV at the other end of the room.

"Yes, you can," Lori said.

Tom hopped out of his chair, ran over and turned on the TV. He found the parade and went back to his seat. The children glanced at the TV while they ate their meal. The Doctor watched while a marching band walked past a camera followed by a Snoopy balloon.

"Have you tried contacting anyone in the family this morning?" Lori asked her husband. "To see if they're gonna make it through the snow?"

The Doctor glanced at Michelle and noticed she was now listening to her parents intently.

"They haven't called so I'm assuming they're still coming," Jim said with a shrug.

The Doctor patted Michelle's shoulder when her face fell and she let out a sigh through her nose.

"I'll call em though, just to make sure," Jim said to Lori. "There's a lot more snow out there today. The road might be impassable right now."

The Doctor smiled when he noticed the hopeful look return to Michelle's face.

"You might have to stay a few days longer than you planned," Jim said to the Doctor. "The plows don't pay much attention to our road until all the other roads are taken care of."

The Doctor shared a glance with Lori.

"We'll make do," the Doctor said.

"You're welcome to stay for as long as you like," Jim added. "The house is big enough for all of us."

The Doctor noticed the hopeful look was now directed at him when Michelle looked his way. He smiled and tousled her hair.

"We'll see what happens," he said more to her than to her father.

After that, the adults made small talk while the children ate and watched the TV.

Back                         Home                              Doctor Who Main Page                          Next

Your Name or Alias:      Your E-mail (optional):

Please type your review below. Only positive reviews and constructive criticism will be posted.