[oncoming_storms] - Caught in an embarrassing situation, [caer_awen] - A time to dance
Set after the short story Salva Mea (from Short Trips: Snapshots) with spoilers. Also, brigadiertardis, I blame the TARDIS' constant insistence on being active in my fics completely on you.
“Well, that went even better than I expected,” the Doctor commented with a grin.
“And just what were you expecting?” Charley asked as she finished helping C’rizz free himself from the butterfly net.
“Probably to have finished that chocolate orange first,” the Eutermesan commented dryly as he took a towel from Charley, wiping a large smudge of chocolate off his face.
Charley snorted. “And I’m sure he didn’t expect you to fall over from a flying chocolate projectile, either.”
C’rizz looked hurt. “That was just part of the act!”
“It threw you off-balance. Admit it.”
“I fell on purpose!”
“Just like you planned to almost kill me with a luggage trolley?”
“I wasn’t aiming it at you!”
“Yes, yes, it was all good fun,” the Doctor interrupted. “Except for almost being throttled. Next time, C’rizz, don’t squeeze quite so hard.”
“Oh. Sorry, Doctor.”
The Doctor shook his head. “That was quite the impromptu finale to our little adventure, though,” he added. “It seems Luke is as clever as his grandfather.”
“Yes, let’s defeat an insane alien menace with a portable music device! Honestly, that’s something I would have expected from you, Doctor.”
“Why thank you, Charley.”
“Just what was that thing he put on me?” C’rizz asked, setting down the towel and fishing the object out from the net.
“An MP3 player,” the Doctor replied. “You can keep it, if you’d like.”
“Of course he can; we already stole it from Luke.”
“Yes, well. I’m sure he can get another.”
C’rizz gave the Doctor and Charley an uncertain look, then put the earbuds in, poking at the buttons on the device. He jumped as something very loud blasted out of it, eyes wide.
“Here.” The Doctor reached over, turning a dial. The music volume immediately went down.
“This is really interesting,” C’rizz said, unconsciously beginning to move slightly to the music.
Charley grinned. “I didn’t know you liked music so much, C’rizz.”
The Eutermesan reddened slightly. “Well, L’da always loved dancing.”
“Did she now?” the Doctor asked, sounding intrigued.
C’rizz reddened even more, taking the earbuds out and poking at the device until the Doctor reached over and held a button for him. The music stopped. He decided to try to change the subject. “So I can keep this one?”
“Of course you can!” Charley declared. “On one condition.”
The Doctor gave her an odd look, clearly wondering when this had become her decision. She smiled innocently and held out a hand to C’rizz.
“You’ve been in enough scuffles for today. Can I have this dance?”
C’rizz stared. The Doctor looked bemused. Suddenly, somewhere in the TARDIS, music began to play--something jazzy, from Charley’s era.
C’rizz shook his head and smiled. Why not? He took her hand. The two began a slightly awkward dance as they tried to figure out just what the other was doing. The Doctor chuckled.
Charley shot him a look. “I hope you know you’re next.”
The Doctor’s eyes widened. “Well, actually, I’m not feeling terribly well, after almost being throttled. Terrible for coordination, you know...”
Charley raised an eyebrow, then leaned toward C’rizz and whispered, “Give me a spin and let me go.”
C’rizz grinned and obliged--a bit too zealously, perhaps, as Charley nearly lost her balance and fairly careened into the Doctor, who caught her with an air of not-quite-enough surprise.
“Miss Pollard.”
“Doctor.”
The music abruptly changed to something very loud involving a lot of screaming. Charley half jumped out of her skin. The Doctor stepped away from her, looking upwards and sighing. “Was that really necessary, Old Girl?”
The music increased in volume.
“All right, I get it, I get it! No dancing!”
The music continued. Charley covered her ears. C’rizz retrieved the MP3 player, offering it to her. They each put in an earbud, and C’rizz began playing with buttons again. The two watched in amusement as the Doctor continued attempting to reason with the TARDIS.
“It was just a little fun!”
“I think Luke made our day more interesting just as much as we made his,” Charley commented.
C’rizz considered that, watching the Doctor covering an ear with one hand and waving the other at the TARDIS as he continued to protest. “You might just be right,” he said with a grin.
C'rizz
714 words
“Well, that went even better than I expected,” the Doctor commented with a grin.
“And just what were you expecting?” Charley asked as she finished helping C’rizz free himself from the butterfly net.
“Probably to have finished that chocolate orange first,” the Eutermesan commented dryly as he took a towel from Charley, wiping a large smudge of chocolate off his face.
Charley snorted. “And I’m sure he didn’t expect you to fall over from a flying chocolate projectile, either.”
C’rizz looked hurt. “That was just part of the act!”
“It threw you off-balance. Admit it.”
“I fell on purpose!”
“Just like you planned to almost kill me with a luggage trolley?”
“I wasn’t aiming it at you!”
“Yes, yes, it was all good fun,” the Doctor interrupted. “Except for almost being throttled. Next time, C’rizz, don’t squeeze quite so hard.”
“Oh. Sorry, Doctor.”
The Doctor shook his head. “That was quite the impromptu finale to our little adventure, though,” he added. “It seems Luke is as clever as his grandfather.”
“Yes, let’s defeat an insane alien menace with a portable music device! Honestly, that’s something I would have expected from you, Doctor.”
“Why thank you, Charley.”
“Just what was that thing he put on me?” C’rizz asked, setting down the towel and fishing the object out from the net.
“An MP3 player,” the Doctor replied. “You can keep it, if you’d like.”
“Of course he can; we already stole it from Luke.”
“Yes, well. I’m sure he can get another.”
C’rizz gave the Doctor and Charley an uncertain look, then put the earbuds in, poking at the buttons on the device. He jumped as something very loud blasted out of it, eyes wide.
“Here.” The Doctor reached over, turning a dial. The music volume immediately went down.
“This is really interesting,” C’rizz said, unconsciously beginning to move slightly to the music.
Charley grinned. “I didn’t know you liked music so much, C’rizz.”
The Eutermesan reddened slightly. “Well, L’da always loved dancing.”
“Did she now?” the Doctor asked, sounding intrigued.
C’rizz reddened even more, taking the earbuds out and poking at the device until the Doctor reached over and held a button for him. The music stopped. He decided to try to change the subject. “So I can keep this one?”
“Of course you can!” Charley declared. “On one condition.”
The Doctor gave her an odd look, clearly wondering when this had become her decision. She smiled innocently and held out a hand to C’rizz.
“You’ve been in enough scuffles for today. Can I have this dance?”
C’rizz stared. The Doctor looked bemused. Suddenly, somewhere in the TARDIS, music began to play--something jazzy, from Charley’s era.
C’rizz shook his head and smiled. Why not? He took her hand. The two began a slightly awkward dance as they tried to figure out just what the other was doing. The Doctor chuckled.
Charley shot him a look. “I hope you know you’re next.”
The Doctor’s eyes widened. “Well, actually, I’m not feeling terribly well, after almost being throttled. Terrible for coordination, you know...”
Charley raised an eyebrow, then leaned toward C’rizz and whispered, “Give me a spin and let me go.”
C’rizz grinned and obliged--a bit too zealously, perhaps, as Charley nearly lost her balance and fairly careened into the Doctor, who caught her with an air of not-quite-enough surprise.
“Miss Pollard.”
“Doctor.”
The music abruptly changed to something very loud involving a lot of screaming. Charley half jumped out of her skin. The Doctor stepped away from her, looking upwards and sighing. “Was that really necessary, Old Girl?”
The music increased in volume.
“All right, I get it, I get it! No dancing!”
The music continued. Charley covered her ears. C’rizz retrieved the MP3 player, offering it to her. They each put in an earbud, and C’rizz began playing with buttons again. The two watched in amusement as the Doctor continued attempting to reason with the TARDIS.
“It was just a little fun!”
“I think Luke made our day more interesting just as much as we made his,” Charley commented.
C’rizz considered that, watching the Doctor covering an ear with one hand and waving the other at the TARDIS as he continued to protest. “You might just be right,” he said with a grin.
C'rizz
714 words