Put Away Childish Things
Title: Put Away Childish Things
Characters: One, Steven/Dodo
Genre: Het
Ratings: PG
Beta: renn ;)
Word Count: 4,040
Spoilers: Everything from The Ark to The Gunfighters
A/N: Written for the I-Ching challenge at dwliterotica. I-Ching #46 :Advance must be made in the manner a tree grows from its seed, moving around obstacles but persevering. You may not gain as much as you wish, but with care you need not lose all.
Her aunt thought she was still just a child. But Dodo had never felt more grown up. Oh sure, the old man treated her like a child, but Steven…. Okay, so Steven treated her like a child, too. But she was determined to change that. It didn’t alter the fact that she was now travelling through time and space, and she had responsibilities. Both the Doctor and Steven obviously needed her to look after them. Of course, they didn’t see it that way. They thought they were taking care of her. She was happy to let them think that; it gave them something to do.
Although they needed her, it was in different ways. Dodo was very fond of the Doctor. She thought of him like an uncle. He was sweet and kind, and although he would lose his temper occasionally, he always apologised for it later. He treated her like family, and twice he had actually called her “Susan,” a name she knew belonged to his granddaughter.
But Steven needed her differently. Oh, she was sure he didn’t know it. At least, not yet. He would insist on treating her like a child. And Dodo was determined to change that.
Her first adventure with them, for they were adventures she told herself, she was just coming down with a terrible cold. Dodo didn’t think anything of it, and the Doctor would persist in babying her and insisted that she take care of herself. Steven ignored it as best he could. When they were hiding in the jungle from the Monoids, she tried to stifle a sneeze and failed. When she felt a second sneeze building, Steven must have seen it on her face, and he rushed to her, throwing his arms around her and forcing her head into his shoulder.
They stood like that for several long seconds before he finally released her; the danger had passed. Dodo may have suffered from blocked sinuses, but being that close, practically in his clothes with him, she could smell him. And he smelled wonderful. Strong. Masculine. Adventurous. Protective. When she turned away a moment later to blow her nose, he actually thought she was crying and leaned into her, to see if she was all right.
“Look, are you crying?”
She turned to him, trying not to laugh at his misunderstanding. But she was caught off guard by his proximity. Oh, his face was so close to hers. “No, me nose is runnin’.”
Steven released her with an eye roll, and escorted both her and the Doctor from their hiding place. While she stood with the Doctor in the jungle, Steven went to have a scout ‘round. It wasn’t long before they were captured by the Monoids and escorted before the elders. It was then that they learned where they were, when they were, and that these people had no resistance to Dodo’s germs.
Dodo felt guilty enough, seeing the last humans succumb to her illness. But when the virus mutated and Steven fell ill, she felt truly terrible. Steven was forced to stand trial for her actions, for infecting everyone. The Doctor and Dodo watched from their cell, and the longer the trial lasted, the more ill Steven appeared. The Doctor was obviously worried, and Dodo tried her best to comfort him. But when Steven collapsed during the proceedings, Dodo felt her heart leap into her throat.
If it hadn’t been for the Doctor, Steven would probably have died, along with the majority of the remaining humans. As the Doctor treated the elders and “made rounds,” Dodo stayed by Steven’s side. She held his hand, and brushed his hair from his forehead. He was hot and his skin was sticky with sweat. Dodo didn’t care. She would tend to him. Whatever he needed. Whatever he wanted.
Even after all that, he still treated her like a child. He would talk down to her, and sometimes scold her. Sometimes she would look appropriately dejected, but more often than not she would stand up to him. She wasn’t a child, and she intended to prove it.
It didn’t help matters that the Doctor kept referring to her as a child, and often treated her as such. She didn’t mind it from him, in fact she appreciated it, loved it even. Her own parents had died, and her aunt was terribly mean to her. Dodo had never thought she’d have a family, and suddenly having the Doctor treat her as a granddaughter was, well, sweet. But it did make it difficult for her to prove otherwise to Steven.
After they left the ark, they landed on a planet the Doctor insisted was called Gridia while the natives insisted it was Gridia Beta. While the Doctor tried to sort out that mess with the local authorities, Steven and Dodo got mixed up with a small gang of ruffians. In hindsight, Dodo realised that acting mature did nothing to impress the groups of kids, most of whom were barely older than Dodo herself. They looked to Steven for leadership, and he wanted nothing to do with it. When Dodo tried to take his place they merely laughed and shunned her. She retreated to the Doctor’s side, licking her proverbial wounds, waiting for Steven’s return.
Although Steven wanted nothing to do with the group, they would insist on following him anyway, and on advice from the Doctor he took control of the ragtag crew. At least he managed to get them to stop disabling the anti-grav thrusters on the Governor’s transport. It was a step in the right direction.
The Doctor sorted out the difficulty he was having with his star charts - a problem that was never-ending, it seemed to Dodo - and they left Gridia Beta.
Standing in the Console Room, Steven and Dodo watched the Doctor as he worked around the console, tutting to himself. Dodo was a little hurt that Steven seemed so patronising when they were dealing with those kids, and even more so that the Doctor was always calling her a child. But if she was going to convince them (especially Steven) that she wasn’t a little girl, she was going to have to do something.
“Well, Steven, how did you end up dealing with The Irregulars?” she asked, baiting him.
“Oh well they just needed, wait, who?”
“The Irregulars,” Dodo replied casually.
Steven looked confused.
The Doctor tutted from where he was working. “Oh, do learn your literature, my boy. The Baker Street Irregulars? Surely you’ve read Sherlock Holmes, even in your century, hmm?”
“Oh, right.” Steven nodded knowingly, but not looking entirely convinced.
Dodo smiled to herself. This time she had the Doctor on her side. Not that there were sides amongst them. But there were times….
Leaving the men in the Console Room, Dodo went to her room to get some sleep. Standing in front of the mirror in her bedroom she looked at herself. She was still wearing the costume she found in the Doctor’s wardrobe. He said it was something from the crusades, and he had more than a touch of sadness in his voice when he said it. Looking at herself she realized why Steven hadn’t taken her seriously. She looked like a kid playing dress-up.
Stripping from the ridiculous clothes, Dodo slid into a nightgown and then between the sheets in her bed. Sleep found her just a few minutes later and Dodo dreamt of dark-haired men riding on white horses. She woke five hours later and after her morning (or was it afternoon? It was so hard to tell) ablutions, she returned to the wardrobe for something more mature to wear. Finding something suitable, but not too forward, wasn’t as difficult as she thought. It seemed that the very thing she was looking for was right in front of her. Almost as if the wardrobe knew what she needed.
Taking the skirt and top - and on a whim a cap that seemed to match - Dodo retreated to her room to dress. After dressing, she placed the cap on her head at a playful angle. Stepping out into the Console Room she noticed that Steven looked well rested. He was wearing a striped pullover that accentuated his muscles and the fact that his trousers were just a hair too tight did not go unnoticed.
“Look what I found,” said Dodo proudly as she spun around for the men to admire her new attire. She stepped over to Steven who looked her up and down appreciatively.
“Not bad,” he said.
Dodo thought she detected approval in his voice, and it pleased her. Perhaps he had dreamt of petite brunettes the night before? She was about to say something coy when the Doctor faded from view and they became embroiled with the Toymaker and his infuriating games.
Steven grew more and more agitated the further they played, and it seemed to Dodo that he was taking his frustrations out on her. She had to admit, the games didn’t seem entirely fair, but she felt sorry for the toys they met. They had once been people, and she always kept that thought in the back of her mind whilst playing. Steven, however, either wasn’t aware of this fact, or deliberately chose not to think about it. Dodo assumed the latter because it indicated a sensitive side to Steven’s personality.
It was during the frustrating game with the chairs that Dodo made the rather silly mistake of not consulting Steven. It nearly killed her. They were down to two chairs, one they knew would kill, the other they knew would allow them to win the game. While Steven had his back turned, lost in thought, Dodo chose between the chairs and sat. She had a fifty/fifty chance, after all. Immediately she began to feel cold, not just against her skin, but it was seeping into her muscles.
Steven heard her moan in pain, and he spun to face her. He stared at her, terrified. “Dodo!”
“I’m cold, Steven.” Her teeth were chattering. She couldn’t convey just how cold she truly felt. Her bones had turned to ice, and it was getting difficult to draw breath.
“You have to get up, Dodo!”
“I can’t!” She felt like a block of ice, she couldn’t move.
Steven placed his hands over Dodo’s encouraging her to get off of the chair; Dodo was insisting that she couldn’t move. She could feel Steven’s hands on her own, burning hot, and could see the terror in his eyes. He was afraid. For her. The reality of this statement tried to make an impression in the snowy depths of her mind, but it disappeared in drifts of ice and wind. She knew she had to get up, and someone was there, begging her to, but she couldn’t. Dodo was so tired, so cold. She wanted to sleep.
Suddenly she found that she was standing upright, Steven’s strong arms around her. He was rubbing her back, her arms, trying to restore the circulation to her frozen limbs. Dodo clung to him, soaking up the heat that radiated from his body. She felt herself thawing; Steven continued to rub her arms vigorously even as he chastised her for doing something so stupid.
“It was so cold.” She shivered, and held Steven tightly.
Steven took a deep, calming breath. “The Doctor would never forgive me if something happened to you.”
Dodo mumbled into his jumper. “What about you?” She never would have been so bold before. Perhaps it was being so close to death that caused her to speak her mind more freely.
“I couldn’t forgive myself, either,” he said softly, his vigorous rubbing slowing, becoming gentler, more tender.
Dodo sighed into him. She felt safe. Secure. The thought that they wouldn’t win these games and would be trapped forever in the Toymaker’s domain terrified her. But for a second the thought of spending forever with Steven made it seem almost bearable.
Finally they moved on, from one game to the next. Steven would occasionally ask Dodo if she was all right, and she would nod. She liked that he was so concerned, and it may have been her imagination, but his concern seemed more than just the brotherly kind she had come to expect from him.
They played the last game, and because of a foolish mistake by Cyril, they ended up winning by default. As they made their way around the electrified floor on the safe triangular platforms, Steven held Dodo’s hand, helping her from one step to another. She held his fingers tightly, not wanting to let go. The thought that Steven was being genteel swept through her mind, and Dodo smiled. He had even held out his hand to help her up onto a step at the beginning of the game. Was he beginning to see her as she wanted to be seen? Or was he just being more cautious with her because of the incident with the chair? She couldn’t be sure. But at that moment, she didn’t care. She just wanted to leave. And since they had beaten all of their games before the Doctor finished his Trilogic game, they could.
Dodo was really beginning to enjoy these little adventures. Not only because of Steven, but she found that they had their own value. Within the very short time she had spent with the Doctor she felt that she had already grown up quite a bit. By the time they arrived in Tombstone in the old west, Dodo felt quite mature. The Doctor was in desperate need of a dentist, but Dodo wasn’t too sure he’d find one there.
The Doctor had grabbed a hat before heading outside, not willing to change into less conspicuous clothes. Steven and Dodo, however, found some appropriate attire in the wardrobe (Dodo began to think of it as some sort of magic cupboard) and went to their rooms to change.
Stepping into the Console Room, Dodo saw Steven waiting for her. He held up a warning finger. “Now, you’ll be careful won’t you?”
“Of course I will, Steven. I’m not a child, you know.”
Steven looked at her pointedly. His eyes drifted over her skirt and the bit of leg she was showing, before settling on her face properly. “I just don’t want you to do anything stupid like before. Sitting in that chair, for example.”
Dodo stepped towards him. “But with you there to protect me, what possible danger is there?” she asked coyly, before leaving the TARDIS and an open mouthed Steven.
As it turned out, they both had plenty of trouble to deal with. Dodo was held hostage by Doc Holiday, to ensure the Doctor’s cooperation, and several times she had to fight off his advances. Dodo sat quietly in the room he rented in the saloon, and listened to the ruckus in the street outside.
“Sounds like a lynch mob,” said Doc Holiday knowingly. He turned to Dodo. “Wonder who they’re gonna hang.” He didn’t sound the least bit curious, but then he knew the truth.
Dodo looked out the window and saw Steven in the middle of the mob, a rope already around his neck. They were standing just outside the sheriff’s office, calling for the Doctor to come out. They thought the Doctor was Holiday, and were waiting for him to appear so they could kill him. And if he didn’t, well, they would just kill Steven instead.
Terror gripped Dodo’s heart and she waited, breathless. Someone she knew was going to die, and she was going to witness it. If it was the Doctor, she and Steven would be stuck in the old west forever. If it was Steven…. No, she wouldn’t let herself think that. The Doctor would find a way. He always did.
Dodo couldn’t watch and sat back from the window. She began to listen for the crack of the rope being snapped taut. When it didn’t come, she assumed that the Doctor gave himself up. But since she hadn’t heard gunfire she assumed he was all right. She took a deep breath, relief swelling up within her.
“You’re fond of Mr. Regret ain’t ya?” asked Doc, using Steven’s nom de guerre.
Dodo stared. “Yes.” She didn’t want to give him any extra ammunition against her.
Doc began to leer. “Jus’ how fond is he of you?” he asked.
Dodo shuddered, disgusted. She couldn’t wait to leave.
When she was finally reunited with Steven she wanted to cling to him and tell him everything, but they were in a public place, and she didn’t want to act like such a child around all those cowboys. Once they got back to the TARDIS and safety, Dodo wanted nothing more than to strip out of her cowgirl clothes and into something considerably more comfortable.
She retreated to her bedroom silently, and after changing into something from her own era, she sat on the edge of the bed, deep in thought. Dodo was tired, and wanted to sleep. Lying down, she tucked the pillow under her head. Her eyes closed and she was about to drift off when there was a soft knock on her door.
Dodo sat up, ran her fingers through her hair and said, “Come in?”
The door opened, and Steven popped his head in. “Are you all right, Dodo?”
She nodded. “Yeah. Fab.”
“Sorry. Where you sleeping? I’ll leave you alone.” Steven was backing out of the room.
“No, I was just resting my eyes.”
Steven looked at her, disbelieving. “No, I’ll leave you to your sleep.” He left the room, closing the door behind him.
Dodo sighed. “Steven!”
A second later her door opened again. “Yes?”
“Come in. Please?”
Steven appeared to think this over, then entered, leaving the door ajar.
Dodo patted the edge of the bed, but Steven leaned against the far wall, his arms crossed. Dodo watched him for a few silent moments, unsure what to say. Finally she spoke. “Are you all right?”
“Why wouldn’t I be?”
“You were almost hanged, Steven.”
Steven shrugged. “I’ve been through worse.”
Dodo smiled to herself. “I didn’t know you could sing like that,” she said teasingly, referring to his singing in the saloon in Tombstone.
His smile was a mix of embarrassment and pride. “I can carry a tune,” he said modestly.
Silence fell again, and Dodo felt like she should say something. Steven looked perfectly comfortable standing there, waiting. Waiting for what, she didn’t know, but she found his presence comforting. Dodo pulled her legs up and tucked them underneath her. Leaning to the side on her hand she stared at Steven, who stared back.
“Are you sure you’re all right, Dodo?”
“I said I was, didn’t I?” she snapped. Dodo immediately regretted it; she didn’t mean to sound so rude.
Steven straightened. “I’m sorry. You’re obviously tired.” He began to leave the room again.
Dodo jumped up and placed a hand on his arm. “Wait. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to snap.”
Steven turned to face her. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, really,” Dodo said, shaking her head. “I just-.” Dodo stopped herself and looked into Steven’s face. His eyes were kind.
With a sigh Dodo turned back to her bed and sat. “I was thinking about what would happen to me if something happened to you. And the Doctor,” she added quickly.
“What do you mean?” Steven asked.
“Well, what happened in Tombstone? You were nearly hanged and the Doctor was nearly shot! And what about what happened on the ark? You nearly died!” She paused. “It’s not fun and games, Steven. We could get seriously hurt!”
Steven looked out into the corridor, and then closed the door. Crossing to Dodo, he sat next to her and angled his body so he was facing her. “Not long before we met, the Doctor and I were travelling with a girl from Troy.”
“As in the Trojan horse?”
Steven nodded.
“I thought that was just a myth?” she said, her curiosity getting the better of her.
“Oh no. It’s real enough.” Steven looked like his thoughts were far away.
“What happened to her?” Dodo asked after a moment, afraid for the answer.
“She died saving my life, saving the Doctor’s life.”
Dodo moved to place a gentle hand on Steven’s leg, but stopped herself.
“Then we met Sara. She stayed with us for a while, too.” Steven stopped and took a deep breath. “You’re right, Dodo. Travelling with the Doctor isn’t the safest of occupations.”
“Sara died, too?” Dodo’s voice nearly broke, but she swallowed and tried to compose herself.
Steven nodded sadly. “All because she wouldn’t listen to the Doctor.” Steven’s eyes had been distant, but they suddenly focussed on Dodo. “Which is why it’s so important that you listen to him, to me, Dodo.”
Dodo felt insulted somehow. “I’m not a child, Steven,” she said, defensive.
Steven stared at her, his expression sad, yet tender. “No. You’re not a child, Dodo.”
The silence in the room was heavy, and they both felt it. Dodo was suddenly aware that Steven was in her room, sitting with her on her bed and had just admitted that she wasn’t a child. Wasn’t this what she wanted? Raising her right hand slowly, Dodo placed it against Steven’s face, her thumb gently stroking the cleft in his chin.
Steven leaned into her hand for a moment before taking it away from his face, but keeping it clasped between his fingers. “No, you’re no child, Dodo. You’re a headstrong young lady. And if you’re not careful you could get yourself seriously hurt.”
Dodo frowned. Was he talking about travelling with the Doctor? Or was he talking about himself?
“I can take care of myself. I have been for years,” she said proudly. She tried not to let the fact that Steven was tracing lazy circles on the back of her hand distract her.
“Yes, I’m sure you can.” His voice was soft, tender. “But that’s no reason for carelessness, Dodo.”
She was about to object, but bit off the words before they formed in her throat. Steven was trying to protect her, trying to keep her safe, and that meant a lot to her. No one had ever cared about her like that before, apart from her parents. But they had been gone a long time, and she was an orphan. As mature and grown-up as she had been feeling just a few minutes earlier, she suddenly felt very child-like and was grateful for Steven’s concern.
“Thank you,” she said softly, a tear making its way down her cheek. Was the tear for Steven, who had lost two friends so recently? Or was it for herself and the realization that without Steven and the Doctor she had no one? Or was she crying for something less tangible, for the loss of her childhood?
Steven raised his hand from hers and brushed away the tear with his thumb. Dodo clasped her hand to his and held it against her face, her head leaning against his warm fingers, her eyes closed. She could hear him breathing, slow and steady. She could hear her own heart beating, rapidly. The room was silent again, and neither moved or spoke.
Dodo slowly opened her eyes and saw Steven, smiling tenderly at her. They focussed on each other’s faces for a long minute, the distance between them slowly shrinking. Dodo eyelids fluttered and closed, and Steven pressed his lips against her forehead.
Steven pulled his hand away and stood up. Dodo looked up at him, confused.
“Good night, Dodo,” he said gently before leaving her room. The door closed with a soft click.
Dodo stared at the door for a long time. Had she done something to upset him? Or did he just not like her in that way? Dodo felt the desire to set right whatever was wrong between them. Lying down, she tucked the pillow under her head again and closed her eyes. Who said there was anything wrong between them, anyway? Dodo drifted off to sleep thinking that perhaps she should just be happy with what she had. After all, it was a lot more than what she started out with.
Characters: One, Steven/Dodo
Genre: Het
Ratings: PG
Beta: renn ;)
Word Count: 4,040
Spoilers: Everything from The Ark to The Gunfighters
A/N: Written for the I-Ching challenge at dwliterotica. I-Ching #46 :Advance must be made in the manner a tree grows from its seed, moving around obstacles but persevering. You may not gain as much as you wish, but with care you need not lose all.
Her aunt thought she was still just a child. But Dodo had never felt more grown up. Oh sure, the old man treated her like a child, but Steven…. Okay, so Steven treated her like a child, too. But she was determined to change that. It didn’t alter the fact that she was now travelling through time and space, and she had responsibilities. Both the Doctor and Steven obviously needed her to look after them. Of course, they didn’t see it that way. They thought they were taking care of her. She was happy to let them think that; it gave them something to do.
Although they needed her, it was in different ways. Dodo was very fond of the Doctor. She thought of him like an uncle. He was sweet and kind, and although he would lose his temper occasionally, he always apologised for it later. He treated her like family, and twice he had actually called her “Susan,” a name she knew belonged to his granddaughter.
But Steven needed her differently. Oh, she was sure he didn’t know it. At least, not yet. He would insist on treating her like a child. And Dodo was determined to change that.
Her first adventure with them, for they were adventures she told herself, she was just coming down with a terrible cold. Dodo didn’t think anything of it, and the Doctor would persist in babying her and insisted that she take care of herself. Steven ignored it as best he could. When they were hiding in the jungle from the Monoids, she tried to stifle a sneeze and failed. When she felt a second sneeze building, Steven must have seen it on her face, and he rushed to her, throwing his arms around her and forcing her head into his shoulder.
They stood like that for several long seconds before he finally released her; the danger had passed. Dodo may have suffered from blocked sinuses, but being that close, practically in his clothes with him, she could smell him. And he smelled wonderful. Strong. Masculine. Adventurous. Protective. When she turned away a moment later to blow her nose, he actually thought she was crying and leaned into her, to see if she was all right.
“Look, are you crying?”
She turned to him, trying not to laugh at his misunderstanding. But she was caught off guard by his proximity. Oh, his face was so close to hers. “No, me nose is runnin’.”
Steven released her with an eye roll, and escorted both her and the Doctor from their hiding place. While she stood with the Doctor in the jungle, Steven went to have a scout ‘round. It wasn’t long before they were captured by the Monoids and escorted before the elders. It was then that they learned where they were, when they were, and that these people had no resistance to Dodo’s germs.
Dodo felt guilty enough, seeing the last humans succumb to her illness. But when the virus mutated and Steven fell ill, she felt truly terrible. Steven was forced to stand trial for her actions, for infecting everyone. The Doctor and Dodo watched from their cell, and the longer the trial lasted, the more ill Steven appeared. The Doctor was obviously worried, and Dodo tried her best to comfort him. But when Steven collapsed during the proceedings, Dodo felt her heart leap into her throat.
If it hadn’t been for the Doctor, Steven would probably have died, along with the majority of the remaining humans. As the Doctor treated the elders and “made rounds,” Dodo stayed by Steven’s side. She held his hand, and brushed his hair from his forehead. He was hot and his skin was sticky with sweat. Dodo didn’t care. She would tend to him. Whatever he needed. Whatever he wanted.
Even after all that, he still treated her like a child. He would talk down to her, and sometimes scold her. Sometimes she would look appropriately dejected, but more often than not she would stand up to him. She wasn’t a child, and she intended to prove it.
It didn’t help matters that the Doctor kept referring to her as a child, and often treated her as such. She didn’t mind it from him, in fact she appreciated it, loved it even. Her own parents had died, and her aunt was terribly mean to her. Dodo had never thought she’d have a family, and suddenly having the Doctor treat her as a granddaughter was, well, sweet. But it did make it difficult for her to prove otherwise to Steven.
After they left the ark, they landed on a planet the Doctor insisted was called Gridia while the natives insisted it was Gridia Beta. While the Doctor tried to sort out that mess with the local authorities, Steven and Dodo got mixed up with a small gang of ruffians. In hindsight, Dodo realised that acting mature did nothing to impress the groups of kids, most of whom were barely older than Dodo herself. They looked to Steven for leadership, and he wanted nothing to do with it. When Dodo tried to take his place they merely laughed and shunned her. She retreated to the Doctor’s side, licking her proverbial wounds, waiting for Steven’s return.
Although Steven wanted nothing to do with the group, they would insist on following him anyway, and on advice from the Doctor he took control of the ragtag crew. At least he managed to get them to stop disabling the anti-grav thrusters on the Governor’s transport. It was a step in the right direction.
The Doctor sorted out the difficulty he was having with his star charts - a problem that was never-ending, it seemed to Dodo - and they left Gridia Beta.
Standing in the Console Room, Steven and Dodo watched the Doctor as he worked around the console, tutting to himself. Dodo was a little hurt that Steven seemed so patronising when they were dealing with those kids, and even more so that the Doctor was always calling her a child. But if she was going to convince them (especially Steven) that she wasn’t a little girl, she was going to have to do something.
“Well, Steven, how did you end up dealing with The Irregulars?” she asked, baiting him.
“Oh well they just needed, wait, who?”
“The Irregulars,” Dodo replied casually.
Steven looked confused.
The Doctor tutted from where he was working. “Oh, do learn your literature, my boy. The Baker Street Irregulars? Surely you’ve read Sherlock Holmes, even in your century, hmm?”
“Oh, right.” Steven nodded knowingly, but not looking entirely convinced.
Dodo smiled to herself. This time she had the Doctor on her side. Not that there were sides amongst them. But there were times….
Leaving the men in the Console Room, Dodo went to her room to get some sleep. Standing in front of the mirror in her bedroom she looked at herself. She was still wearing the costume she found in the Doctor’s wardrobe. He said it was something from the crusades, and he had more than a touch of sadness in his voice when he said it. Looking at herself she realized why Steven hadn’t taken her seriously. She looked like a kid playing dress-up.
Stripping from the ridiculous clothes, Dodo slid into a nightgown and then between the sheets in her bed. Sleep found her just a few minutes later and Dodo dreamt of dark-haired men riding on white horses. She woke five hours later and after her morning (or was it afternoon? It was so hard to tell) ablutions, she returned to the wardrobe for something more mature to wear. Finding something suitable, but not too forward, wasn’t as difficult as she thought. It seemed that the very thing she was looking for was right in front of her. Almost as if the wardrobe knew what she needed.
Taking the skirt and top - and on a whim a cap that seemed to match - Dodo retreated to her room to dress. After dressing, she placed the cap on her head at a playful angle. Stepping out into the Console Room she noticed that Steven looked well rested. He was wearing a striped pullover that accentuated his muscles and the fact that his trousers were just a hair too tight did not go unnoticed.
“Look what I found,” said Dodo proudly as she spun around for the men to admire her new attire. She stepped over to Steven who looked her up and down appreciatively.
“Not bad,” he said.
Dodo thought she detected approval in his voice, and it pleased her. Perhaps he had dreamt of petite brunettes the night before? She was about to say something coy when the Doctor faded from view and they became embroiled with the Toymaker and his infuriating games.
Steven grew more and more agitated the further they played, and it seemed to Dodo that he was taking his frustrations out on her. She had to admit, the games didn’t seem entirely fair, but she felt sorry for the toys they met. They had once been people, and she always kept that thought in the back of her mind whilst playing. Steven, however, either wasn’t aware of this fact, or deliberately chose not to think about it. Dodo assumed the latter because it indicated a sensitive side to Steven’s personality.
It was during the frustrating game with the chairs that Dodo made the rather silly mistake of not consulting Steven. It nearly killed her. They were down to two chairs, one they knew would kill, the other they knew would allow them to win the game. While Steven had his back turned, lost in thought, Dodo chose between the chairs and sat. She had a fifty/fifty chance, after all. Immediately she began to feel cold, not just against her skin, but it was seeping into her muscles.
Steven heard her moan in pain, and he spun to face her. He stared at her, terrified. “Dodo!”
“I’m cold, Steven.” Her teeth were chattering. She couldn’t convey just how cold she truly felt. Her bones had turned to ice, and it was getting difficult to draw breath.
“You have to get up, Dodo!”
“I can’t!” She felt like a block of ice, she couldn’t move.
Steven placed his hands over Dodo’s encouraging her to get off of the chair; Dodo was insisting that she couldn’t move. She could feel Steven’s hands on her own, burning hot, and could see the terror in his eyes. He was afraid. For her. The reality of this statement tried to make an impression in the snowy depths of her mind, but it disappeared in drifts of ice and wind. She knew she had to get up, and someone was there, begging her to, but she couldn’t. Dodo was so tired, so cold. She wanted to sleep.
Suddenly she found that she was standing upright, Steven’s strong arms around her. He was rubbing her back, her arms, trying to restore the circulation to her frozen limbs. Dodo clung to him, soaking up the heat that radiated from his body. She felt herself thawing; Steven continued to rub her arms vigorously even as he chastised her for doing something so stupid.
“It was so cold.” She shivered, and held Steven tightly.
Steven took a deep, calming breath. “The Doctor would never forgive me if something happened to you.”
Dodo mumbled into his jumper. “What about you?” She never would have been so bold before. Perhaps it was being so close to death that caused her to speak her mind more freely.
“I couldn’t forgive myself, either,” he said softly, his vigorous rubbing slowing, becoming gentler, more tender.
Dodo sighed into him. She felt safe. Secure. The thought that they wouldn’t win these games and would be trapped forever in the Toymaker’s domain terrified her. But for a second the thought of spending forever with Steven made it seem almost bearable.
Finally they moved on, from one game to the next. Steven would occasionally ask Dodo if she was all right, and she would nod. She liked that he was so concerned, and it may have been her imagination, but his concern seemed more than just the brotherly kind she had come to expect from him.
They played the last game, and because of a foolish mistake by Cyril, they ended up winning by default. As they made their way around the electrified floor on the safe triangular platforms, Steven held Dodo’s hand, helping her from one step to another. She held his fingers tightly, not wanting to let go. The thought that Steven was being genteel swept through her mind, and Dodo smiled. He had even held out his hand to help her up onto a step at the beginning of the game. Was he beginning to see her as she wanted to be seen? Or was he just being more cautious with her because of the incident with the chair? She couldn’t be sure. But at that moment, she didn’t care. She just wanted to leave. And since they had beaten all of their games before the Doctor finished his Trilogic game, they could.
Dodo was really beginning to enjoy these little adventures. Not only because of Steven, but she found that they had their own value. Within the very short time she had spent with the Doctor she felt that she had already grown up quite a bit. By the time they arrived in Tombstone in the old west, Dodo felt quite mature. The Doctor was in desperate need of a dentist, but Dodo wasn’t too sure he’d find one there.
The Doctor had grabbed a hat before heading outside, not willing to change into less conspicuous clothes. Steven and Dodo, however, found some appropriate attire in the wardrobe (Dodo began to think of it as some sort of magic cupboard) and went to their rooms to change.
Stepping into the Console Room, Dodo saw Steven waiting for her. He held up a warning finger. “Now, you’ll be careful won’t you?”
“Of course I will, Steven. I’m not a child, you know.”
Steven looked at her pointedly. His eyes drifted over her skirt and the bit of leg she was showing, before settling on her face properly. “I just don’t want you to do anything stupid like before. Sitting in that chair, for example.”
Dodo stepped towards him. “But with you there to protect me, what possible danger is there?” she asked coyly, before leaving the TARDIS and an open mouthed Steven.
As it turned out, they both had plenty of trouble to deal with. Dodo was held hostage by Doc Holiday, to ensure the Doctor’s cooperation, and several times she had to fight off his advances. Dodo sat quietly in the room he rented in the saloon, and listened to the ruckus in the street outside.
“Sounds like a lynch mob,” said Doc Holiday knowingly. He turned to Dodo. “Wonder who they’re gonna hang.” He didn’t sound the least bit curious, but then he knew the truth.
Dodo looked out the window and saw Steven in the middle of the mob, a rope already around his neck. They were standing just outside the sheriff’s office, calling for the Doctor to come out. They thought the Doctor was Holiday, and were waiting for him to appear so they could kill him. And if he didn’t, well, they would just kill Steven instead.
Terror gripped Dodo’s heart and she waited, breathless. Someone she knew was going to die, and she was going to witness it. If it was the Doctor, she and Steven would be stuck in the old west forever. If it was Steven…. No, she wouldn’t let herself think that. The Doctor would find a way. He always did.
Dodo couldn’t watch and sat back from the window. She began to listen for the crack of the rope being snapped taut. When it didn’t come, she assumed that the Doctor gave himself up. But since she hadn’t heard gunfire she assumed he was all right. She took a deep breath, relief swelling up within her.
“You’re fond of Mr. Regret ain’t ya?” asked Doc, using Steven’s nom de guerre.
Dodo stared. “Yes.” She didn’t want to give him any extra ammunition against her.
Doc began to leer. “Jus’ how fond is he of you?” he asked.
Dodo shuddered, disgusted. She couldn’t wait to leave.
When she was finally reunited with Steven she wanted to cling to him and tell him everything, but they were in a public place, and she didn’t want to act like such a child around all those cowboys. Once they got back to the TARDIS and safety, Dodo wanted nothing more than to strip out of her cowgirl clothes and into something considerably more comfortable.
She retreated to her bedroom silently, and after changing into something from her own era, she sat on the edge of the bed, deep in thought. Dodo was tired, and wanted to sleep. Lying down, she tucked the pillow under her head. Her eyes closed and she was about to drift off when there was a soft knock on her door.
Dodo sat up, ran her fingers through her hair and said, “Come in?”
The door opened, and Steven popped his head in. “Are you all right, Dodo?”
She nodded. “Yeah. Fab.”
“Sorry. Where you sleeping? I’ll leave you alone.” Steven was backing out of the room.
“No, I was just resting my eyes.”
Steven looked at her, disbelieving. “No, I’ll leave you to your sleep.” He left the room, closing the door behind him.
Dodo sighed. “Steven!”
A second later her door opened again. “Yes?”
“Come in. Please?”
Steven appeared to think this over, then entered, leaving the door ajar.
Dodo patted the edge of the bed, but Steven leaned against the far wall, his arms crossed. Dodo watched him for a few silent moments, unsure what to say. Finally she spoke. “Are you all right?”
“Why wouldn’t I be?”
“You were almost hanged, Steven.”
Steven shrugged. “I’ve been through worse.”
Dodo smiled to herself. “I didn’t know you could sing like that,” she said teasingly, referring to his singing in the saloon in Tombstone.
His smile was a mix of embarrassment and pride. “I can carry a tune,” he said modestly.
Silence fell again, and Dodo felt like she should say something. Steven looked perfectly comfortable standing there, waiting. Waiting for what, she didn’t know, but she found his presence comforting. Dodo pulled her legs up and tucked them underneath her. Leaning to the side on her hand she stared at Steven, who stared back.
“Are you sure you’re all right, Dodo?”
“I said I was, didn’t I?” she snapped. Dodo immediately regretted it; she didn’t mean to sound so rude.
Steven straightened. “I’m sorry. You’re obviously tired.” He began to leave the room again.
Dodo jumped up and placed a hand on his arm. “Wait. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to snap.”
Steven turned to face her. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, really,” Dodo said, shaking her head. “I just-.” Dodo stopped herself and looked into Steven’s face. His eyes were kind.
With a sigh Dodo turned back to her bed and sat. “I was thinking about what would happen to me if something happened to you. And the Doctor,” she added quickly.
“What do you mean?” Steven asked.
“Well, what happened in Tombstone? You were nearly hanged and the Doctor was nearly shot! And what about what happened on the ark? You nearly died!” She paused. “It’s not fun and games, Steven. We could get seriously hurt!”
Steven looked out into the corridor, and then closed the door. Crossing to Dodo, he sat next to her and angled his body so he was facing her. “Not long before we met, the Doctor and I were travelling with a girl from Troy.”
“As in the Trojan horse?”
Steven nodded.
“I thought that was just a myth?” she said, her curiosity getting the better of her.
“Oh no. It’s real enough.” Steven looked like his thoughts were far away.
“What happened to her?” Dodo asked after a moment, afraid for the answer.
“She died saving my life, saving the Doctor’s life.”
Dodo moved to place a gentle hand on Steven’s leg, but stopped herself.
“Then we met Sara. She stayed with us for a while, too.” Steven stopped and took a deep breath. “You’re right, Dodo. Travelling with the Doctor isn’t the safest of occupations.”
“Sara died, too?” Dodo’s voice nearly broke, but she swallowed and tried to compose herself.
Steven nodded sadly. “All because she wouldn’t listen to the Doctor.” Steven’s eyes had been distant, but they suddenly focussed on Dodo. “Which is why it’s so important that you listen to him, to me, Dodo.”
Dodo felt insulted somehow. “I’m not a child, Steven,” she said, defensive.
Steven stared at her, his expression sad, yet tender. “No. You’re not a child, Dodo.”
The silence in the room was heavy, and they both felt it. Dodo was suddenly aware that Steven was in her room, sitting with her on her bed and had just admitted that she wasn’t a child. Wasn’t this what she wanted? Raising her right hand slowly, Dodo placed it against Steven’s face, her thumb gently stroking the cleft in his chin.
Steven leaned into her hand for a moment before taking it away from his face, but keeping it clasped between his fingers. “No, you’re no child, Dodo. You’re a headstrong young lady. And if you’re not careful you could get yourself seriously hurt.”
Dodo frowned. Was he talking about travelling with the Doctor? Or was he talking about himself?
“I can take care of myself. I have been for years,” she said proudly. She tried not to let the fact that Steven was tracing lazy circles on the back of her hand distract her.
“Yes, I’m sure you can.” His voice was soft, tender. “But that’s no reason for carelessness, Dodo.”
She was about to object, but bit off the words before they formed in her throat. Steven was trying to protect her, trying to keep her safe, and that meant a lot to her. No one had ever cared about her like that before, apart from her parents. But they had been gone a long time, and she was an orphan. As mature and grown-up as she had been feeling just a few minutes earlier, she suddenly felt very child-like and was grateful for Steven’s concern.
“Thank you,” she said softly, a tear making its way down her cheek. Was the tear for Steven, who had lost two friends so recently? Or was it for herself and the realization that without Steven and the Doctor she had no one? Or was she crying for something less tangible, for the loss of her childhood?
Steven raised his hand from hers and brushed away the tear with his thumb. Dodo clasped her hand to his and held it against her face, her head leaning against his warm fingers, her eyes closed. She could hear him breathing, slow and steady. She could hear her own heart beating, rapidly. The room was silent again, and neither moved or spoke.
Dodo slowly opened her eyes and saw Steven, smiling tenderly at her. They focussed on each other’s faces for a long minute, the distance between them slowly shrinking. Dodo eyelids fluttered and closed, and Steven pressed his lips against her forehead.
Steven pulled his hand away and stood up. Dodo looked up at him, confused.
“Good night, Dodo,” he said gently before leaving her room. The door closed with a soft click.
Dodo stared at the door for a long time. Had she done something to upset him? Or did he just not like her in that way? Dodo felt the desire to set right whatever was wrong between them. Lying down, she tucked the pillow under her head again and closed her eyes. Who said there was anything wrong between them, anyway? Dodo drifted off to sleep thinking that perhaps she should just be happy with what she had. After all, it was a lot more than what she started out with.