Fic: The Winter Planet
The Winter Planet
by me, doctorpancakes
Fandom: Doctor Who
Characters: Barbara Wright, Ian Chesterton, First Doctor, Susan Foreman
Rating: G
Word Count: 778
Warnings: I've never written for this TARDIS team before
Author's Note: A Christmas fic present for life_downsized. Enjoy!
It was nighttime when they left the TARDIS, and Barbara was grateful to have the heavy coat and boots the Doctor had insisted she wear. Moonlight twinkled against the soft, thick snow that carpeted the ground and hung heavily against the lush evergreen trees. Large, intricate snowflakes floated lazily through the air like dandelion seeds, or tiny feathers. Susan watched the falling snow with wonder, catching the snowflakes that stuck to her mittens, examining their complex patterns. Barbara breathed in the clean air, chill and refreshing, and so very much those winter nights back home when it would snow. It was always so magical when it happened, she thought.
“Yes, yes, a very nice planet,” declared the Doctor, examining a tree branch. “The air is quite bracing, wouldn’t you say, hmm?”
“Hey Barbara, have a look at this,” Ian elbowed her playfully, then began puffing out plumes of breath while making the strangest faces.
“I give up,” Barbara rolled her eyes, “what exactly is that supposed to be?”
“I was trying to blow smoke rings,” Ian grumped. “I used to be quite good at it, you know.”
“Guess I’ll have to take your word for it,” Barbara chuckled. “Don’t these trees remind you of Christmas back home?”
“Oh, wouldn’t it be lovely to take one back to the TARDIS? It is Christmas, after all,” Susan beamed at her Grandfather.
“Sounds good to me,” Ian concured, “a nice glass of brandy by the fire, Christmas crackers, roast turkey with all the trimmings, and - I don’t suppose you’d fancy whipping us up a Christmas pudding, would you, Barbara?”
“No, I don’t suppose I would either,” she replied.
“Ah! Here’s a nice small one,” said the Doctor, presenting an evergreen that stood about four feet tall. “This will fit nicely by the hatstand. Did you bring your pen knife, my boy? Well, go on then!”
Ian grumped slightly at the prospect of chopping down a tree - even a little one - with nothing more than his pen knife, but quickly got to work. Before he could hammer at the trunk more than twice, however, there came a great, disembodied scream.
“Grandfather, what was that?” Susan whispered, distressed.
“Oi!” came a voice. “Just what the actual hell do you think you’re doing with that knife?”
“I think I’d put the knife down if I were you, Chatterton,” the Doctor spoke gingerly, then turned to face the tree. “I’m sorry, have we disturbed you?”
The Doctor was talking to a tree, thought Barbara. Just when she thought she had seen everything. Then again, it was the tree who spoke first, after all.
“You ought to be more careful with that thing, you silly creature,” admonished the tree. “There I was, having a lovely nap, when somebody starts poking me right in the trunk! Scared the hell out of me, you did. Imagine if you were asleep and somebody started hacking at your ankles? Don’t think you’d like it very much either, would you, friend?”
“No, I... I suppose not,” replied Ian, setting his pen knife safely back in his pocket. “I suppose I’ve never really thought about it.”
“Yeah, well, I’d have a little more respect from now on if I were you,” said the tree.
“We really are terribly sorry, my dear,” the Doctor said with an apologetic bow.
“Yeah, well, I guess I can forgive you, seeing how you didn’t know any better and all,” grumbled the tree. “Just don’t let it happen again, yeah?”
“Certainly not, madam, certainly not, hmm!” replied the Doctor, as they made their way back to the TARDIS.
“Sorry to have woken you up!” Susan called back to the tree before they were out of earshot.
“So much for a Christmas tree,” sighed Barbara. They had been away from home for so long that some little moment of normality would have been most welcome. She did not want to say, but sometimes, she really missed her life back on Earth. She wondered if anyone knew to water her plants, or what the school’s headmaster must have thought about two teachers and their pupil all vanishing without a trace. She wondered if she would ever see home again, in spite of her amazement at the wondrous things she had seen and done in the TARDIS, and her love of the friends she had made in her travels.
“Well, we might not have a tree, but I for one could still use some brandy and a fireplace,” smiled Ian.
At least, thought Barbara, they might have something like Christmas after all.
by me, doctorpancakes
Fandom: Doctor Who
Characters: Barbara Wright, Ian Chesterton, First Doctor, Susan Foreman
Rating: G
Word Count: 778
Warnings: I've never written for this TARDIS team before
Author's Note: A Christmas fic present for life_downsized. Enjoy!
It was nighttime when they left the TARDIS, and Barbara was grateful to have the heavy coat and boots the Doctor had insisted she wear. Moonlight twinkled against the soft, thick snow that carpeted the ground and hung heavily against the lush evergreen trees. Large, intricate snowflakes floated lazily through the air like dandelion seeds, or tiny feathers. Susan watched the falling snow with wonder, catching the snowflakes that stuck to her mittens, examining their complex patterns. Barbara breathed in the clean air, chill and refreshing, and so very much those winter nights back home when it would snow. It was always so magical when it happened, she thought.
“Yes, yes, a very nice planet,” declared the Doctor, examining a tree branch. “The air is quite bracing, wouldn’t you say, hmm?”
“Hey Barbara, have a look at this,” Ian elbowed her playfully, then began puffing out plumes of breath while making the strangest faces.
“I give up,” Barbara rolled her eyes, “what exactly is that supposed to be?”
“I was trying to blow smoke rings,” Ian grumped. “I used to be quite good at it, you know.”
“Guess I’ll have to take your word for it,” Barbara chuckled. “Don’t these trees remind you of Christmas back home?”
“Oh, wouldn’t it be lovely to take one back to the TARDIS? It is Christmas, after all,” Susan beamed at her Grandfather.
“Sounds good to me,” Ian concured, “a nice glass of brandy by the fire, Christmas crackers, roast turkey with all the trimmings, and - I don’t suppose you’d fancy whipping us up a Christmas pudding, would you, Barbara?”
“No, I don’t suppose I would either,” she replied.
“Ah! Here’s a nice small one,” said the Doctor, presenting an evergreen that stood about four feet tall. “This will fit nicely by the hatstand. Did you bring your pen knife, my boy? Well, go on then!”
Ian grumped slightly at the prospect of chopping down a tree - even a little one - with nothing more than his pen knife, but quickly got to work. Before he could hammer at the trunk more than twice, however, there came a great, disembodied scream.
“Grandfather, what was that?” Susan whispered, distressed.
“Oi!” came a voice. “Just what the actual hell do you think you’re doing with that knife?”
“I think I’d put the knife down if I were you, Chatterton,” the Doctor spoke gingerly, then turned to face the tree. “I’m sorry, have we disturbed you?”
The Doctor was talking to a tree, thought Barbara. Just when she thought she had seen everything. Then again, it was the tree who spoke first, after all.
“You ought to be more careful with that thing, you silly creature,” admonished the tree. “There I was, having a lovely nap, when somebody starts poking me right in the trunk! Scared the hell out of me, you did. Imagine if you were asleep and somebody started hacking at your ankles? Don’t think you’d like it very much either, would you, friend?”
“No, I... I suppose not,” replied Ian, setting his pen knife safely back in his pocket. “I suppose I’ve never really thought about it.”
“Yeah, well, I’d have a little more respect from now on if I were you,” said the tree.
“We really are terribly sorry, my dear,” the Doctor said with an apologetic bow.
“Yeah, well, I guess I can forgive you, seeing how you didn’t know any better and all,” grumbled the tree. “Just don’t let it happen again, yeah?”
“Certainly not, madam, certainly not, hmm!” replied the Doctor, as they made their way back to the TARDIS.
“Sorry to have woken you up!” Susan called back to the tree before they were out of earshot.
“So much for a Christmas tree,” sighed Barbara. They had been away from home for so long that some little moment of normality would have been most welcome. She did not want to say, but sometimes, she really missed her life back on Earth. She wondered if anyone knew to water her plants, or what the school’s headmaster must have thought about two teachers and their pupil all vanishing without a trace. She wondered if she would ever see home again, in spite of her amazement at the wondrous things she had seen and done in the TARDIS, and her love of the friends she had made in her travels.
“Well, we might not have a tree, but I for one could still use some brandy and a fireplace,” smiled Ian.
At least, thought Barbara, they might have something like Christmas after all.