Fic - Let Nothing You Dismay
Title: Let Nothing You Dismay (Twelve Days of Christmas - Day 5)
Series: Doctor Who
Characters: The Doctor, Donna noble
Rating: PG
Prompt: Fi-i-i-i-ive sticks of celery
Beta: Going commando
Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or the characters therein, they belong to the BBC and RTD. Any original characters and places are my property. Any similarity to real people or places is meant in respect. No money is made from this.
Summary: The Doctor tries to remind himself of who he was and could be despite several trials.
Author’s Note: Part of the Twelve Days of Christmas fic for 2010. Day Five was submitted by bacon_fiend
Author’s Note 2: These are behind on being posted since I have been sick lately, and having problems with the net.
Let Nothing You Dismay
The first time it had appeared, the Doctor hadn’t noticed it until he rolled on top of it in his sleep. There were better ways to wake up than a stick of celery trying to embed itself in his nose. He held it up above his head, burrowing down into his bedsheets. Squinting his eyes, he gave up wondering how it got there and tossed it onto the table next to his bed. All he wanted to do was sleep, and wipe the stink of the pyroviles from his mind. He hadn’t told Donna, but their psychic link had started pushing into his mind at the end. He hated when species just took like that. At least now they were safe. He yawned and pulled the blanket up, waiting for sleep to claim him again.
*** *** *** *** ***
They had dropped Martha back off at home, on Earth, and Donna was doing some investigating in the TARDIS’ library when he looked down and saw the stick of celery almost standing at attention on top of the console. He picked it up and sniffed it. It smelled like celery. He took a nibble. It tasted like celery.
“Doctor, why don’t we-”
Donna had startled him, making him drop the celery between the grating that made up the floor of the console room. He dropped to his knees, peering down into the black recesses. He didn’t know where the celery had gone, nor where it had come from for that matter.
“Donna, did you leave some celery lying around?”
“Did I leave some celery lying around?”
“Yes.”
“I haven’t touched celery since I tried to lose weight to impress Cedric Waterston.”
“Right.” He stood up again, brushing off the knees of his trousers. “What did you want then?”
“I was thinking, maybe we need to go somewhere shiny and not dying. It might help you deal with losing Jenny.”
“I’ll be fine,” he said, grabbing the controls and checking their trajectory. “But I wouldn’t say no if there was anyplace specific you wanted to check out. Where did you have in mind?” He plastered on a smile and winked at Donna.
*** *** *** *** ***
It wasn’t fair. He always had to save them, and here was an intriguing woman who seemed to know so much about him, and he couldn’t save her. Just thinking about the Vashta Nerada gave him shivers. Something so primal as they were did. He sat in his library, feeling safe for once, the almost imperceptile hum of the TARDIS noticeable as he pressed his fingertips to the table’s surface.
He wondered how many corpses he had left behind in his wake without realising it. He was “The Oncoming Storm” after all, and few things could withstand a storm that brought with it the knowledge of time and space itself.
Propping his elbows on the table, he buried his head in his hands. Donna was resting in her room, and things were finally sorted at The Library. Maybe he should have read the book. Knowing ‘spoilers’ he could have saved so many more lives. His eyes burned, but the Doctor didn’t cry. Rubbing his face with the palm of his hand he looked up and saw a stick of celery sitting on the table in front of him.
Gritting his teeth and snarling, he picked up the celery and threw it against the wall.
*** *** *** *** ***
He was drained. Physically his body craved sleep so it could replenish itself, and perhaps some tea. Mentally… he didn’t even want to go there. They had never known the hostess’ name. She sacrificed herself for all of them. She had even stopped the others from tossing him outside the shuttle bus when they thought he had been the one possessed. All this and they never knew her name. Oh, it wasn’t because she hid behind a moniker like he did, they had just never bothered to ask.
Collapsing onto the jump seat, he barely registered the fact that Donna had left to get them some tea. He should be figuring out their next destination. Maybe some place nice to take his mind off their little retreat. Perhaps a bazar or something. He leaned his head back and saw a flash of green in the rafters. A flash of green that didn’t belong there. Concentrating, the Doctor was finally able to discern that there was a stalk of celery hanging in the roof of the TARDIS.
He let out a sigh and closed his eyes. That could be dealt with another day.
*** *** *** *** ***
The Doctor was just letting the TARDIS drift along space currents. He had nowhere specific he wanted to go, he just needed to get away. If he never saw another Dalek, he would be a very happy man. Time and time again they just kept taking from him, making him pay eternal penance for a war he had never started. Sure, he had fought many a battle in the war, but hadn’t he paid enough? He had lost his people and was the only Time Lord left. He had left his friends behind. Despite having two hearts, he didn’t know if either would be able to love someone again as much as he had in the past. There would be constants in his life - Jack for one - but he was tired of the fighting, and the losing.
Shoving his hand into the pocket of his trousers, he felt something inside. Wrapping his hand around it, the Doctor pulled out a stick of celery. He looked around the TARDIS, wondering if he was truly alone. This wasn’t in there before, and he certainly hadn’t stopped at a produce store.
“To days to come.” He could hear the words echo off the walls of the control room. He knew he had just said them, but his voice sounded different, older. It had been different. He had been a different man when he said those words to himself.
He smiled, despite no one else being able to see. He had lost one of his best friends when he had to do… He sighed, missing Donna. He missed all of them, even Jackie. The TARDIS felt so empty now. He tapped the celery against his mouth, thinking. He was right, and he knew it. The days would continue to come, and so would the adventures, and the friends. It wasn’t easy, and he would have bad days, but he had to go on.
Walking to the main doors, he opened them, watching the stars sail past. Holding out his hand, he opened it and watched the celery drift away, dancing among the stardust. “All my love to long ago.”
Series: Doctor Who
Characters: The Doctor, Donna noble
Rating: PG
Prompt: Fi-i-i-i-ive sticks of celery
Beta: Going commando
Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or the characters therein, they belong to the BBC and RTD. Any original characters and places are my property. Any similarity to real people or places is meant in respect. No money is made from this.
Summary: The Doctor tries to remind himself of who he was and could be despite several trials.
Author’s Note: Part of the Twelve Days of Christmas fic for 2010. Day Five was submitted by bacon_fiend
Author’s Note 2: These are behind on being posted since I have been sick lately, and having problems with the net.
Let Nothing You Dismay
The first time it had appeared, the Doctor hadn’t noticed it until he rolled on top of it in his sleep. There were better ways to wake up than a stick of celery trying to embed itself in his nose. He held it up above his head, burrowing down into his bedsheets. Squinting his eyes, he gave up wondering how it got there and tossed it onto the table next to his bed. All he wanted to do was sleep, and wipe the stink of the pyroviles from his mind. He hadn’t told Donna, but their psychic link had started pushing into his mind at the end. He hated when species just took like that. At least now they were safe. He yawned and pulled the blanket up, waiting for sleep to claim him again.
*** *** *** *** ***
They had dropped Martha back off at home, on Earth, and Donna was doing some investigating in the TARDIS’ library when he looked down and saw the stick of celery almost standing at attention on top of the console. He picked it up and sniffed it. It smelled like celery. He took a nibble. It tasted like celery.
“Doctor, why don’t we-”
Donna had startled him, making him drop the celery between the grating that made up the floor of the console room. He dropped to his knees, peering down into the black recesses. He didn’t know where the celery had gone, nor where it had come from for that matter.
“Donna, did you leave some celery lying around?”
“Did I leave some celery lying around?”
“Yes.”
“I haven’t touched celery since I tried to lose weight to impress Cedric Waterston.”
“Right.” He stood up again, brushing off the knees of his trousers. “What did you want then?”
“I was thinking, maybe we need to go somewhere shiny and not dying. It might help you deal with losing Jenny.”
“I’ll be fine,” he said, grabbing the controls and checking their trajectory. “But I wouldn’t say no if there was anyplace specific you wanted to check out. Where did you have in mind?” He plastered on a smile and winked at Donna.
*** *** *** *** ***
It wasn’t fair. He always had to save them, and here was an intriguing woman who seemed to know so much about him, and he couldn’t save her. Just thinking about the Vashta Nerada gave him shivers. Something so primal as they were did. He sat in his library, feeling safe for once, the almost imperceptile hum of the TARDIS noticeable as he pressed his fingertips to the table’s surface.
He wondered how many corpses he had left behind in his wake without realising it. He was “The Oncoming Storm” after all, and few things could withstand a storm that brought with it the knowledge of time and space itself.
Propping his elbows on the table, he buried his head in his hands. Donna was resting in her room, and things were finally sorted at The Library. Maybe he should have read the book. Knowing ‘spoilers’ he could have saved so many more lives. His eyes burned, but the Doctor didn’t cry. Rubbing his face with the palm of his hand he looked up and saw a stick of celery sitting on the table in front of him.
Gritting his teeth and snarling, he picked up the celery and threw it against the wall.
*** *** *** *** ***
He was drained. Physically his body craved sleep so it could replenish itself, and perhaps some tea. Mentally… he didn’t even want to go there. They had never known the hostess’ name. She sacrificed herself for all of them. She had even stopped the others from tossing him outside the shuttle bus when they thought he had been the one possessed. All this and they never knew her name. Oh, it wasn’t because she hid behind a moniker like he did, they had just never bothered to ask.
Collapsing onto the jump seat, he barely registered the fact that Donna had left to get them some tea. He should be figuring out their next destination. Maybe some place nice to take his mind off their little retreat. Perhaps a bazar or something. He leaned his head back and saw a flash of green in the rafters. A flash of green that didn’t belong there. Concentrating, the Doctor was finally able to discern that there was a stalk of celery hanging in the roof of the TARDIS.
He let out a sigh and closed his eyes. That could be dealt with another day.
*** *** *** *** ***
The Doctor was just letting the TARDIS drift along space currents. He had nowhere specific he wanted to go, he just needed to get away. If he never saw another Dalek, he would be a very happy man. Time and time again they just kept taking from him, making him pay eternal penance for a war he had never started. Sure, he had fought many a battle in the war, but hadn’t he paid enough? He had lost his people and was the only Time Lord left. He had left his friends behind. Despite having two hearts, he didn’t know if either would be able to love someone again as much as he had in the past. There would be constants in his life - Jack for one - but he was tired of the fighting, and the losing.
Shoving his hand into the pocket of his trousers, he felt something inside. Wrapping his hand around it, the Doctor pulled out a stick of celery. He looked around the TARDIS, wondering if he was truly alone. This wasn’t in there before, and he certainly hadn’t stopped at a produce store.
“To days to come.” He could hear the words echo off the walls of the control room. He knew he had just said them, but his voice sounded different, older. It had been different. He had been a different man when he said those words to himself.
He smiled, despite no one else being able to see. He had lost one of his best friends when he had to do… He sighed, missing Donna. He missed all of them, even Jackie. The TARDIS felt so empty now. He tapped the celery against his mouth, thinking. He was right, and he knew it. The days would continue to come, and so would the adventures, and the friends. It wasn’t easy, and he would have bad days, but he had to go on.
Walking to the main doors, he opened them, watching the stars sail past. Holding out his hand, he opened it and watched the celery drift away, dancing among the stardust. “All my love to long ago.”