Tom Wake was a human who lived during the 20th and 21st centuries. He was born in 1911.
At Christmas Eve 1920, nine-year-old Tom Wake couldn't sleep. He still believed in Santa Claus, and when he heard a noise he went downstairs. There, he didn't meet Santa Claus but the Tenth Doctor, whose head was sticking out of the chimney. Under the tree they found the sonic screwdriver and a message, in which someone said thanks to the Doctor for saving the family from danger in the next nine decades on Christmas. The message was from Christmas 2007. The Doctor did not know when exactly the family was in danger so he came again and again to the family.
In 1921, Tom was ten years old. He had lost his faith in Santa Claus. This time the Doctor didn't come through the chimney. Tom saw him in a street nearby and waved towards him.
In 1931, on Boxing Day, Tom's mother died. Tom's father took care of the funeral. Tom complained that the Doctor didn't save her. However, the Doctor told him that his mother died of natural causes and there wasn't anything that he could do.
In the summer of 1936, Tom met a girl called Alice in Blackpool. He told her about the Doctor and invited her over on Christmas. Alice was surprised to see that the Doctor was real.
In 1937, the couple married. They had a daughter called Mary.
At another Christmas, Tom was in the jungle in Burma. He had lost his friends, as well as his arm. The Doctor saved him from a deadly gun shot. When Tom returned home, he became an insurance salesman.
In 1962, Tom's father died.
In 1967, Mary left her parents' home. A short time later, she married an Indian lawyer and had children.
At Christmas in the 1970s, the Doctor played with Mary's children. They thought that he was a strange uncle that only appeared on Christmas.
In 1981, Tom and Alice had a family party when the Doctor arrived. The Doctor celebrated with them and danced.
In 1982, Alice broke her hip; she died under general anaesthetic. Tom was incredibly sad and talked with the Doctor about her. To him, the Doctor was like an old friend.
In 1992, Tom lived in sheltered accommodation. He didn't leave the house very often, because outside he was reminded of Alice. However, he had nice nurses and many of his family members and friends came to visit him. Besides that, the Doctor also visited him every Christmas.
In 2007, the Doctor and Tom travelled back to 1920 to see who had written the message. However nobody appeared. Tom recognised what had happened. He copied the original message and the Doctor put it on the tree. (PROSE: The Hopes and Fears of All the Years)