- 𝐔𝐍𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐖𝐍 𝐔𝐍𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐄 !

061

—Chapter Sixty-one| A Christmas Carol

—ABIGAIL HAD REQUESTED TO SPEND CHRISTMAS EVE WITH HER FAMILY. The Doctor and Eve had met them before... in the future when they were older. The Doctor sat in front of the boy, holding out a stack of cards all spread out in his hands while Eve watched while sitting next to the boy. She smiled at the two. "Pick a card. Any card at all." The boy carefully picked a card.

"Every Christmas Eve." Abigail's sister held Abigail's hands as they sat a the table. "I don't understand."

"I'm not sure I do." Abigail chuckled before looking at Kazran.

"Memorise the card, put it back in the deck." The Doctor informed the boy as he held a card in his hand. "Don't let me see it." The boy glanced at Eve making her look over at his card. She smiled before looking back at the Doctor.

"Is this what it looked like last year?" Abigail's sister's husband asked as he placed lights on a shelf. Kazran stood next to him, covered in tinsel and fairy lights.

His wife turned to him. "Well, it doesn't have to be exactly the same." she told him. He looked at the lights before turning to his wife.

"I'm starting again." He removed the lights from the shelf and turned to Kazran. "Come on, Kazran, we're starting again." Without warning, the lights were shoved into the boy's arms.

"That's Sardick's boy, isn't it?"

"He's not like his father." Abigail tried to reassure her sister.

"His father treats everyone like cattle." Her sister explained shortly before pointing to Kazran without looking at him. "One day, that boy will do the same."

"No." Abigail shook her head, disagreeing, "He's different." 

"The three of clubs." The Doctor held up a card making Eve shake her head. It was the wrong card. 

The boy answered. "No." It made The Doctor flip the card to face him. 

"You sure?" He glanced at Eve who nodded. "I'm very good at card tricks."

"It wasn't the three of clubs." The boy told him and the time-lord flung the card to the side.

"Well, of course it wasn't, because it was the seven of diamonds!" The Doctor pulled the seven of diamonds card out of his jacket. Eve shook her head with a silent chuckle. Wrong again.

"No."

"Oi, stop it, you're doing it wrong." The Doctor told him. 

"No, you are." Eve laughed. 

"No, I'm not!" The Doctor pouted. Eve stood and walked behind the Doctor's chair, leaning against it. A voice echoed in the room. It was Abigail's sister who was speaking, it caused all to look up.

"Tomorrow's dinner is canceled," Eve furrowed her eyebrows. "as my sister refuses to attend." Abigail tried to call her sister's name. "Instead... we'll have it tonight." Isabella smiled brightly causing Abigail to do the same. Soon, smiles filled the room, and then the table was set for dinner.

With Christmas crackers and hats, candles, and food, the group all sat together. "Three! Two! One! Pull!" The Doctor shouted and the group all pulled the crackers they had in their hands. Cheers and laughter erupted, the boy pulled a card from his cracker and turned to the Doctor.

"How did you do that?"

"Your card, I believe." The Doctor smirked. Eve leaned over to look at the boy's card. The boy and her looked at the Doctor and spoke at the same time.