Every Christmas

Chapter Five

“So, you want me to cook something or…” Emily opened the fridge to grab some ingredients. “No, it’s fine. I got this,” he opened the fridge and pulled out an entire carton of eggs. “Apparently eggs are healthy. So I’ll just add a bunch of that.”

The Doctor looked around the kitchen and grabbed a blender, took the lid off and put five eggs, complete with the shell, inside the blender.

“Ah, Doctor. You’re supposed to crack the shell.” Emily warned.

The Doctor looked at her with a silly grin. “Yeah, ‘supposed’ to.” He went back to putting eggs inside the blender, before getting bored and pouring the entire carton of eggs inside the blender.

“Um,” Emily was about to say that that’s she was going to use those eggs later but decided it was too late at this point.

“No, you’re right.” The Doctor tore off a piece of the carton and placed it in the blender.

“Uh, how we just—”

“Not now, I’m busy cooking!” He started grabbing random boxes of food from the pantry and pouring the contents into the blender.

“But you said you don’t know how to cook!”

“I know right?!” Soon the blender was full, which didn’t take long since it didn’t have a large capacity. Despite this, the Doctor still went to grab an orange juice box and attempted to squeeze the contents into the blender. The top layer of Scooby-Doo biscuits and gummy bears absorbed a little of the juice, but the majority ran down the jar that contained all the ‘ingredients’.

“Doctor. That’s my kitchen.” Emily said, unenthusiastic about the mess that was just made. She was fine with the mess in Sam’s room, at least she didn’t have to clean that up. But the kitchen was where she ate, and she had no doubt that the Doctor would just leave it as it is instead of cleaning it up.

“I know it is! And I’m putting it to good use.” He said, pushing the ‘Mix’ button.

Just as he pressed it, Emily saw the lid of the blender sitting on the table. “Doctor, NO!”

But she noticed too late and witnessed the first of its kind (in her kitchen anyway). A shower of biscuits and gummy bears and chocolates and ice-cream. She saw it all... Slam into her face, on her clothes and all over her kitchen.

She wiped a couple of soggy biscuits and chocolates off her face and clothes before sighing and grabbing a cleaning towel from under the sink. “The lid goes on before you turn on the blender, Doctor.”

The Doctor stared at the now wet and food covered clothes which he had recently acquired. Well, he borrowed them from one of the kids he met and didn’t really think about how they managed to fit him at the time. He was also contemplating when he would have a chance to return them. Perhaps after he got the TARDIS back. “Well, you learn something new everyday.”

Emily sighed, suddenly not in the mood to clean anymore.

At least he didn’t empty the fridge. She opened the fridge and surveyed what was in it. Something simple… I don’t feel like cooking.

Her eyes landed on some custard and instinctively reached for it and a box of fish fingers. Night after night of having midnight snacks consisting of only those two ingredients did that to her.

“You like fish fingers and custard?” She asked the Doctor.

“Yeah—” The Doctor stared at Emily as memories of a young redhead girl were brought back. “What did you just say?”

****

Sam had his hands in the air as he desperately tried to think of a means to escape the robots in front of him. They all had a silver thing poking out from their left side and had them pointed at him which led him to believe they were guns.

He couldn’t think of anything to say but luckily, he didn’t have to as one of the robots spoke first. It was a red one. Well, it was the only red one. And his— Sam assumed it was a ‘he’ because of how deep the voice was— voice was a tad deeper than what he heard from the other robots. “Who. Are. You? How. Did. You. Get. Here? Explain!”

Sam took a deep breath.

Stalling time. Great! I have a chance to stall. I just hope someone’s going to save me, otherwise stalling would just become useless.

“Uh, well. Which question do you want me to answer?” He said awkwardly, the pressure of dying was really getting to him.

“All. Of. Them.” Came the reply from the red robot.

“Uh, well. I’m Sam. Pleasure to meet you.” He was about to walk over to one of them and extend his hand for a handshake, but realised they didn’t have any hands… Plus, he was really scared of them shooting him.

“Um. So, who are you guys…?” Sam held his breath, afraid he made a mistake by asking them a question.

Are they going to shoot me?

To his relief, the robot replied. Without killing him. “We. Are. The. DA-leks.”

Sam nodded, not sure what to say. He wanted to comment on how slow their talking was, but he decided that that would probably get him killed, so he tried to make conversation but was cut off.“So, uh—”

“How. Did. You. Get. Here?” demanded the red Dalek.

“Uh, well. You see… I was in this blue box when I heard your… robotic voices from outside. Uh… yeah.” Sam had imagined that he would be able to talk for longer, but apparently not. Luckily, the Daleks gave him something to talk about.

“Why. Were you. In. The TARDIS?”

Sam took a couple of breaths before answering. He didn’t want to add in a bunch of unintentional ‘Uh’s and ‘Um’s this time. “Oh, well. You know. It’s interesting. It can just disappear and appear somewhere else. Kinda like something out of a science fiction movie.”

Even though Sam was sure that he was about to die, he actually impressed himself when he managed to get that out with any interruptions.

****

The Doctor sat in silence as Emily tried to enjoy her fish fingers and custard. She was trying to ignore the awkward silence, but it was a bit difficult for her since the Doctor had been staring at her for the past three minutes. After a minute more of staring, she decided to say something to break the silence. And stop him staring. “Doctor, that’s really creepy.”

“I’m thinking.” Was all he said before going back to staring. Thankfully, at the table this time and not her.

A few minutes passed before he spoke again. “Why don’t you have any family pictures?”Emily choked on the custard when she heard the question. It wasn’t one that she liked answering. Also one of the reasons why she never had anyone over. “They were all burnt.” She answered bitterly.

The Doctor saw that it wasn’t something she wanted to talk about and decided it was better if he just shut up. Sadly, he couldn’t undo the tension that was now in the air.

He hoped something, anything would happen. Because he really needed something to do. His knuckles tapped the marble table as he let out a sigh. Then he got a bad feeling.

He couldn’t explain it, but his heartbeat had quickened and his breath stopped short. Someone or something had just messed with the universe.