PARENTHOOD
Chapter One Hundred and Thirty Seven Duer sat in the nursery while trying to put together Faith's tricycle for Christmas when the TARDIS alerted him that Faith was coming and he stood up, heading for the door. He closed the door behind him when his obviously upset, three year old daughter came running at him and he knelt down, holding his arms out. She nearly slammed into him as he picked her up and held her in his arms. "Hush now, what's making my little lovey cry?" he asked as he rubbed her back and she gently sobbed in his ear. "Cam...he...he said...he....he..." she sobbed and Duer sighed, closing his eyes. He called out for his son to come to the nursery and he kissed Faith's hair. Cameron came down the hallway when he saw the anger in his father's eyes and stopped short. "Come here," Duer said as Cameron slowly walked closer and Duer glared at him. "What did you say to your sister?" "I was just telling her the truth," Cameron said and Duer pouted. "He says there's no...no....no Father Christmas!" Faith softly sobbed and Duer hushed her. "You did?" Duer asked, arching up an eyebrow. "Please, there is no scientific proof that he does exist or that what he can do in one night is logical," Cameron said and Duer sighed, wishing his son wasn't so brilliant. "Take for instance the fact that he lives somewhere in the North Pole. The climate is too cold and harsh for a person to live out in the open for a long period of time." "Cameron..." "What about the idea of elves making toys? Elves don't exist." "I wouldn't say that in front of Frazer, if I were you." "All right then, what about the reindeer? It is aerodynamically impossible for them to fly. Then there is the delivering the presents in one night. Unless, like you or the Doctor or Uncle Amato, he can travel through time and space, there is no logical way he can do it. Then there is the..." "Right, that will be quite enough!" Duer said then sighed, shaking his head. "You used to believe in him when you were her age." "I grew up," Cameron sighed and Faith glared at him. "Grinch!" she shouted then stuck her tongue out at him and Duer half smiled. "Now now, there is no need for that," he said then looked at Cameron and Cameron looked down at the floor. "Come with me." Cameron followed him down the hallway until they came to the control room and Duer placed Faith on the jump seat. They watched Duer moving around the console as he pushed buttons, moved switches, flicked levers then moved the main lever and the TARDIS hummed around them. "Where are we going, Daddy?" Faith asked and he looked over his shoulder at her and winked. A few minutes later they landed with a light thump and Duer walked to the coat rack, taking the fur coat off the peg. He placed the fur coat on as Faith giggled and he looked at her. "You look like a bear, Daddy!" "Ha ha, now come over here and get dressed," he said as she got off the jump seat and walked to him. He helped her put on a pink snowsuit, a woolen hat with a white fluffy ball on the top, a pink scarf, a pair of boots, pink mittens and a small pair of goggles then looked at Cameron, who was standing near the console. "Come on. Get dressed." "I don't...." Cameron said when Duer glared at him and he sighed, walking to the coat rack. After Cameron got dressed, Duer took Faith's hand then opened the door and Faith's eyes went wide. "Ooo..." she said while looking at the snow spreading out before them and the wind blew the snow around in large circles. "Where are we?" "Would you believe that this is the North Pole?" he asked and she smiled. "All planets have a north pole," Cameron sighed and Duer shook his head, rolling his eyes. "Well, Hum Bugger, this is the north pole on Earth. This way," Duer said as they walked away from the TARDIS and Duer held Faith's hand tightly in his. "Where are we going?" Cameron shouted over the wind but Duer didn't say a word and they walked toward a large snowdrift. After walking for a few miles, they stopped near the top of a large canyon and Duer looked down. "Daddy, look at that!" Faith said, pointing to what was at the bottom of the canyon. Cameron walked closer, looking down at what Faith was pointing to, and his eyes went wide. Before them was a large village with bright lights shining in the windows of the buildings and the lamp posts shimmered from the candlelight. At the center of the village was a large castle made of white and blue bricks and several small flags flapped in the wind. "Impossible," Cameron whispered when Duer noticed a pathway down to the village and tapped him. "This way," Duer said while they walked to the pathway and the snow fell around them. After a few minutes, they arrived at the village while Faith looked at the buildings and Duer had to gently pull her away from some of the store windows. Walking toward the castle, they stopped at the stairs and Duer noticed two elf guards at the door. Walking up the stairs, he turned and saw that Faith and Cameron were still looking at the castle. "Come on, we can't keep him waiting." Nodding, Cameron took Faith's hand as they walked up the stairs when they walked to the elf guards and the guards crossed the poles they were holding. "Halt!" one of the guards said. "Ah, yes, hello," Duer said. "Who are you?" the other guard asked. "I am the Doctor and these are my children, Cameron and Faith. We were wondering if he was home." "Yes, he is, but he is very busy," the guard said. "I'm never too busy to see an old friend," a voice said as they looked at the figure standing in the doorway and Cameron and Faith's eyes went wide. The man standing in the doorway was dressed in black leather boots, blue velvet pants, the blue velvet, fur trimmed coat was connected by a black leather belt, and the fur trimmed hood of the blue velvet cape framed his face. He had snow white hair and beard and his dark eyes twinkled. "Hello Christopher," Duer said, walking closer. "It is good to see you again, Doctor, though this is a new face, isn't it?" "Yes, it is. These are my children, Cameron and Faith. May we come in?" "Of course!" Father Christmas said, standing back so they could come inside, and closed the door. The main room spread out before them while they looked at the Christmas decorations and trees and Duer removed the fur coat, draping it over one arm. "Tell me, how did you know we were coming?" "We saw your TARDIS on the radar." "Ah, well, how are things progressing?" "We are ahead of schedule this year." "That's good to hear," Duer said when Faith slowly walked closer and pulled on the sleeve of the blue coat. "Yes?" Father Christmas asked as he looked down and she tilted her head to one side. "Are you really Father Christmas?" she asked and he knelt down on his knees. "Yes, I am," he said and Faith turned to Cameron, giving him a stern look. "See, Doody Head, I told you he was real!" she half shouted and Duer cupped his mouth, trying not to laugh. "Now, Faith, that wasn't nice, was it?" Father Christmas said and her mouth fell open as her eyes went wide. She didn't want to get on the Naughty List as she shook her head and Father Christmas smiled, standing up and looked at Cameron. "And when did you stop believing in me?" "I'm not really sure," Cameron sighed and Father Christmas walked to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I think it was when I started studying science at the academy. What they said about applied science and theory made what you do seem impossible." "Some would say the same thing about time travel," Father Christmas said, giving Duer a wink. "Daddy, look at the elves!" Faith said as she pointed to the elves walking by and the elves smiled at her. They were dressed all in green with pointy shoes and hats and one of the elves had a long beard. "Hello, Little One," the elf with the beard said and she waved to him. "See, elves are real," she said as Cameron looked at the elves and blinked. "Amazing," he said and Father Christmas smiled. "I think we better go to my den," he said as he led Duer and the children down the hallway and they went inside the room to the right. A large stone fireplace faced them while the fire crackled behind the large glass screen and they walked to the large overstuffed chairs. Cameron jumped when a small female elf tugged on his snowsuit and he smiled down at her. Duer helped Faith with the pink snowsuit, a woolen hat with a white fluffy ball on the top, a pink scarf, a pair of boots, pink mittens and a small pair of goggles while Cameron took off his snowsuit, boots, woolen hat and goggles and several elves took the clothing and boots out of the room. A few minutes later a small girl elf brought them a pair of fluffy bunny slippers with long ears and they slid their feet into the slippers. "Don't I get a pair?" Duer asked with a pout. Father Christmas laughed when a girl elf brought over a pair for Duer and he removed his boots. He slid the slippers on his feet as he sighed and they walked to the overstuffed chairs, sitting down. "Now, let's start with the questions," Father Christmas said as he looked at Cameron and a small elf girl handed Faith a small mug with hot chocolate and tiny marshmallows. Duer whispered in Faith's ear as she thanked the small girl elf and smiled. "Well, why do you live up here in such frigid conditions?" Cameron asked, sipping on the hot chocolate the small elf girl gave him. "It has to do with security. It is true that this is a harsh place to live, but it keeps people from coming here and stealing my toy ideas." "But how do you and the others keep warm and get food?" "Well, the village is covered with a magical protection dome and the rest..." Father Christmas said then nodded his head toward Duer. "It's all a part of the job," Duer said and Faith smiled up at him. "What about the elves?" Cameron asked. "Are they slaves?" "Of course not!" Father Christmas said then sighed. "You see, Cameron, I was found abandoned as a baby and they took me in and raised me as their own." "And they make the toys because...?" "It's what they love to do." "But where do you get the equipment and supplies?" "Again..." Father Christmas said and nodded toward Duer, who sipped on the hot chocolate then smiled at Cameron. "What about delivering everything in one night?" "Your father lets me borrow the TARDIS. How do you think I get into houses with no chimneys?" Father Christmas asked and Faith smiled. "You make yourself really tiny and crawl in under the door!" she said and Duer softly laughed. "Well, I used to do that but I kept getting attacked by cats," Father Christmas said then gave her a wink. "What about the reindeer? Do they really fly?" Cameron asked and Father Christmas stood up, holding his hand out. "Come with me and find out!" Walking into the large stable, Father Christmas led them to the stalls and they looked at the reindeer. They had changed back into the snowsuits, gloves, hats, scarves, goggles and boots and the coat and Faith walked to the stall, looking at the reindeer. "Which one is this?" she asked. "That is Dasher," Father Christmas said and Dasher gently leaned its head down, looking at her. "You can pet him if you like." Faith, taking one of the gloves off, patted the soft fur while Father Christmas walked to one of the open feed bags and scooped a few grains of feed into his hand. Walking to Cameron, he took his hand and placed the feed in his hand. "What is this?" Cameron asked, looking at the feed. "This is what makes them fly." "It looks like normal deer feed to me." "Ah, that is the whole idea." "How does it work?" "Magic!" Father Christmas said, wide eyed. "Um, may I ask you something?" Faith asked. "Yes?" "Where's...." she asked when a red light flickering from the nose of the reindeer to her left and she walked closer. RUDOLPH was on the plaque on the door and Faith smiled, patting the soft fur. "This way," Father Christmas said while they left the stable and the snow fell around them. After a tour of the castle, workshops, hydroponic gardens, the shed where the sled was stored and meeting Father Christmas' wife, they walked inside a large room and Cameron gasped at the sight of the computer terminals. "Amazing!" he whispered. "What are they for?" Faith asked. "They collect all the emails from children telling me what they want for Christmas." "Does anyone still write to you?" Duer asked. "Of course they do. The mailroom is through that door there," Father Christmas said, pointing to the door at the back of the room. "Well, we've taken up enough of your time, Chris," Duer said as he looked down at Faith and she smiled up at him. "Guess it's time to go." "Why?" Faith asked and he knelt down, tapping the tip of her nose with his finger. "He needs to get going or there won't be any presents," he said and Faith nodded. After saying goodbye, Duer led them back to the TARDIS and he looked at Cameron. "Still not convinced?" Cameron kept walking as Duer sighed and looked down at Faith. She shrugged as Duer picked her up and the snow blew around them. The house was quiet while the moonlight from the window sparkled on the ornaments of the Christmas tree and a pair of boots walked toward the tree. A red velvet sack hit the floor when Father Christmas stood still then turned his head toward the couch. Cameron sat on the couch when he turned the light on and both of them blinked a few times. "What are you doing up?" Father Christmas asked as Cameron got off the couch and walked to him. "I forgot to do something," he said then hugged Father Christmas and Father Christmas smiled. "I am so sorry." "Now now, I knew you still believed in me," Father Christmas said as he patted Cameron's back and Cameron looked at him. "How did you know?" "I got your letter," Father Christmas said and Cameron slightly giggled. "Merry Christmas, Cameron." "Merry Christmas."
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