This was -originally- started for a request (Library fix-it + Nine/River) from Angus… who knows me well enough to know I can't resist a challenge.

Thanks for that, sweetie. And happy (much belated) birthday.

Disclaimer: Nearly everything here is owned by the BBC. Title is from the movie: Pete's Dragon

Prologue: Story time at Christmas

They gathered around him in his rooms; and from the big, almost grown-up children to the tiniest of the little ones, they all watched eagerly as the Doctor sighed, wriggling in his chair to get comfortable.

This -right here- was his favourite bit. This was what made Christmas worthwhile for him.

"Sometimes," the Doctor began, speaking loud enough that even the children in the back of the room could hear him, "we talk about amazing things that have happened, and we call them fables. Or legends."

"Or fairy tales!" a little girl sitting right in the front piped up. The Doctor frowned for a moment before remembering her name. Liz. A little ginger girl with big eyes and no front teeth. He nodded, giving her a cheerful wink.

"Or fairy tales," he agreed. "I even knew someone who mistakenly called them History... But of course, she emwas/em an archaeologist. Can't blame her for getting that wrong."

There were giggles from the older children in the room, the ones who had heard versions of this particular tale before; and the Doctor laughed himself as he looked into that crowd of small faces.

"You can call them a lot of things, but I've always preferred my word. emStories/em. Because that's what we all are, in the end. Some true or embellished, confusing or mysterious; some that are happy or sad or even have a little bit of magic and impossible possibilities... Oh, you get all sorts. And this one," the Doctor said, leaning forward and gazing around the room to meet every single pair of eyes, "is a little bit of emeverything/em.

"Because this one is about a very lonely Lord who went off see the world in his magic ship; and a beautiful Lady who got lost and stuck in a prison and was waiting to be rescued. There are quests to be fulfilled and items to be found and people to be saved. There's even a Sea Witch and an imp and a chatty computer and some fighting and running… well, lots of running."

"And a happy ending?" Liz called out again, too excited to keep still. "Is there a happy ending for everyone, Doctor?"

He looked at her, trying to be serious; but even he couldn't hold back the grin that crept slowly over his face.

"Hmm," said the Doctor thoughtfully. "emMight/em just be a happy ending… but that's no way to tell a story! Giving you the end and not the beginning! Time isn't a straight line, but still… there emis/em an order to these things.

"So." He sat back in his chair, templing his fingers and smiling benevolently at the children. "Shall I start this story with those old famous words, known throughout the Universe? Yes. I think that's a emfantastic/em way to start."

"Once upon a time," said the Doctor, "all the way back in 2004, the Ninth Doctor walked the streets of London…"