A Christmassy Carol
Title: A Christmassy Carol
Author: Asimus
Characters: The Doctor #9, Rose
Notes: One shot, set some time after Fathers Day, though no actual references to it, and no spoilers. Extract from A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.
A Christmassy Carol
He’s alone in the semi darkened library, the only sound present was that of an old fashioned, oak finished clock set on the mantle over the blazing fire. The Doctor leans back in his over sized chair, stripped of his leather armour, long legs stretched to full length and crossed at the ankle, black boots perched on the nearby coffee table. There’s an original leather bound copy of ‘A Christmas Carol’ open on Chapter 5 resting on his lap. He’s reading, or he seems to be, but the expression in his eyes implies that maybe he is not.
Rose bounds in, all smiles and cheer, a sheer contrast to days before, and with too much energy for the atmosphere of the room. She plops herself down on the arm of the Doctor’s chair, grabbing his oddly naked, but not naked arm, giving it a squeeze as she rests her chin on his angular shoulder blade. Her big brown eyes sparkle in the glow from the fire as she stares up at him, a grin plastering her face.
“Thank you thank you thank you!” her squeeze turns into a full body hug and her glow no longer seems to be from the fireplace but radiating from inside of her.
For a moment it appears that he hasn’t heard her, or even noticed her existence, but then he turns his head slowly and fluidly to observe every insignificant detail of her.
“You’re in a good mood.” He states after a pause, his expression neutral.
“I saw what you left on my bed.” She nuzzles into him a little, seemingly relishing the contact, “I wanted to thank you, it’s beautiful.”
He turns back to his book, aloof, supposedly not interested at all.
“I didn’t leave anything on your bed.” He says at last, not looking at her, absorbed in the text that he isn’t reading.
She pulls away, increasing the distant physically and emotionally, she’s frowning and puzzling and questioning and those little cogs are whizzing in her mind at a million miles per hour.
“There’s only you and me on board.”
He says nothing.
“Unless you smuggled someone else in here and forgot to mention it.” She gives a nervous laugh. Again he doesn’t respond, he simply turns the page, a new paragraph.
‘Running to the window, he opened it, and put out his head. No fog, no mist; clear, bright, jovial, stirring, cold; cold, piping for the blood to dance to; Golden sunlight; Heavenly sky; sweet fresh air; merry bells. Oh, glorious. Glorious!’
She smiles again, shining light into every shadowed corner of the room; she’s reached her conclusion. She leans over and kisses him soundly on the cheek.
“Thank you.” She says with all sincerity she can muster, and then, as suddenly as she arrived, she is gone.
The Doctor remains motionless, staring blankly at words that mean so little and yet so much. Eventually he casts his piercing blue eyes to the empty doorway, a small smile touching lips, a sad light in his eyes.
“You’re very welcome.” He says to no one at all.
Author: Asimus
Characters: The Doctor #9, Rose
Notes: One shot, set some time after Fathers Day, though no actual references to it, and no spoilers. Extract from A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.
A Christmassy Carol
He’s alone in the semi darkened library, the only sound present was that of an old fashioned, oak finished clock set on the mantle over the blazing fire. The Doctor leans back in his over sized chair, stripped of his leather armour, long legs stretched to full length and crossed at the ankle, black boots perched on the nearby coffee table. There’s an original leather bound copy of ‘A Christmas Carol’ open on Chapter 5 resting on his lap. He’s reading, or he seems to be, but the expression in his eyes implies that maybe he is not.
Rose bounds in, all smiles and cheer, a sheer contrast to days before, and with too much energy for the atmosphere of the room. She plops herself down on the arm of the Doctor’s chair, grabbing his oddly naked, but not naked arm, giving it a squeeze as she rests her chin on his angular shoulder blade. Her big brown eyes sparkle in the glow from the fire as she stares up at him, a grin plastering her face.
“Thank you thank you thank you!” her squeeze turns into a full body hug and her glow no longer seems to be from the fireplace but radiating from inside of her.
For a moment it appears that he hasn’t heard her, or even noticed her existence, but then he turns his head slowly and fluidly to observe every insignificant detail of her.
“You’re in a good mood.” He states after a pause, his expression neutral.
“I saw what you left on my bed.” She nuzzles into him a little, seemingly relishing the contact, “I wanted to thank you, it’s beautiful.”
He turns back to his book, aloof, supposedly not interested at all.
“I didn’t leave anything on your bed.” He says at last, not looking at her, absorbed in the text that he isn’t reading.
She pulls away, increasing the distant physically and emotionally, she’s frowning and puzzling and questioning and those little cogs are whizzing in her mind at a million miles per hour.
“There’s only you and me on board.”
He says nothing.
“Unless you smuggled someone else in here and forgot to mention it.” She gives a nervous laugh. Again he doesn’t respond, he simply turns the page, a new paragraph.
‘Running to the window, he opened it, and put out his head. No fog, no mist; clear, bright, jovial, stirring, cold; cold, piping for the blood to dance to; Golden sunlight; Heavenly sky; sweet fresh air; merry bells. Oh, glorious. Glorious!’
She smiles again, shining light into every shadowed corner of the room; she’s reached her conclusion. She leans over and kisses him soundly on the cheek.
“Thank you.” She says with all sincerity she can muster, and then, as suddenly as she arrived, she is gone.
The Doctor remains motionless, staring blankly at words that mean so little and yet so much. Eventually he casts his piercing blue eyes to the empty doorway, a small smile touching lips, a sad light in his eyes.
“You’re very welcome.” He says to no one at all.