Perfect Present (short story)

Perfect Present was the fifteenth short story in the Short Trips anthology Short Trips: A Christmas Treasury. It was written by Andy Campbell. It featured the Seventh Doctor.

Summary
The Doctor visits the Montagues, whose family he has known for at least a century. Herbert tells the Doctor that strange things have been happening. Huge claws have appeared in the yew maze, wet clothing cannot be dried out, history books are opened to pages without anyone doing it, the Christmas tree has been carved into an odd shape and a doll house that Herbert and Mary plan to give to Sarah for Christmas is slowly turning white inside, with strange round circles appearing on the walls. The thing that bothers Herbert the most is that the children keep claiming to have seen Father Christmas.

The Doctor investigates these strange occurrences, and finally realises the cause. He tells Herbert that his great-great-grandparents' footman, Klaus, was killed defending the family from an alien presence exactly a hundred years ago. If Klaus had lived, he would have begun travelling with the Doctor after this event. His anger at missing out on this life is keeping his spirit, or as the Doctor describes it, his "discorporeal cognitive energy", is manifesting in the house. The occurrences represent adventures in which he should have taken part, and the doll house is slowly turning into the TARDIS, which should have been his home.

Suddenly a figure comes out of the chimney, and the children and their parents run from the room. The Doctor apologises to Klaus, who is dressed as Father Christmas, but is filthy and mouldy. He gives Klaus the memories of the adventures that he should have shared, and Klaus leaves. The Doctor now has no memories of these events.

Characters

 * Seventh Doctor
 * Herbert Montague
 * Mary Montague
 * George Montague
 * Ann Montague
 * Sarah Montague
 * Klaus

Continuity
to be added