Doctor Who: Winterlude (2/2), (2/Jamie, background Ben/Polly), G.

[van]

Title: Winterlude
Author: Van Donovan / vandonovan
Characters: The second Doctor, Jamie McCrimmon, Ben Jackson, Polly.
Pairing(s): Second Doctor/Jamie, background Ben/Polly.
Rating: G
Word Count: 12,383
Warnings: Spoilers through "The Macra Terror."
Summary: There is fun for all at a winter carnival.
Note: Written for dwliterotica's April Easter challenge. Mine prompt was "Winter Carnival." Have tried a British writing style for this, so I hope it works. Posted in two parts because I broke LJ.
Disclaimer: I own nothing. I made no money from this, but if you want to hire me, I'm cheap. Betaing provided by irreparable. Much thanks to lithrael for encouragement and the occasional snippet of dialogue.
(crossposted to two_love and dwfiction)

Chapter one





The Doctor and Jamie picked out their food items-hamburgers and French fries for each, along with another round of hot cider-and settled on one side of a picnic table together to eat. Jamie devoured his food with great gusto. If his ankle still bothered him, it did nothing to impede his appetite. The Doctor consumed his food somewhat more modestly, watching Jamie with twinkling eyes as the boy licked the last remnants of ketchup off his fingers.

‘Fond of American cuisine, are you?’ he questioned.

‘Eh?’ Jamie asked. ‘What’s that?’

‘What we’ve just had, of course,’ he replied. ‘These hamburgers are rather Western styled, and, well, we’re in America.’

‘Are we?’ Jamie asked, looking around curiously.

‘Well, it would go a ways towards explaining all the American accents, wouldn’t it?’ the Doctor mused. ‘Or maybe they are Canadian,’ he added thoughtfully.

‘Aye,’ Jamie said in a dismissive sort of way. He drank the last of his cider, unbothered by the heat of the drink, and then his eyes settled on the remains of the Doctor’s hamburger.

It was a look that did not go unnoticed. ‘Jamie,’ the Doctor warned, waiting until the boy lifted his eyes before continuing. ‘Are you having untoward thoughts about my meal?’

‘Eh?’ Jamie said. ‘Och, no. I just, if you’re no going tae finish it, I’d do the job for ye.’

‘I’m certain you would,’ the Doctor said. He studied Jamie for a few moments and found himself grinning again. The way Jamie was openly admiring the remains of his hamburger was irresistible. How could he deny eyes like those anything? ‘You could have asked, though,’ he pouted, sliding the burger in its paper dish over to the boy.

‘May I eat your hamburger, Doctor?’ Jamie asked with fluttering lashes. He picked it up with sticky fingers.

‘Well, you had better now that you’ve put your filthy hands all over it,’ he teased. The Doctor sat back to sip his cider, watching as the boy devoured the sandwich in three large bites.

When he finished, Jamie once again licked his fingers clean, despite the fact that the Doctor threw a small stack of paper napkins at him in dismay. The boy pointedly ignored them. When he was finished cleaning, he twisted about to look at the view of the carnival behind him. Ben and Polly were nowhere to be seen, but as the night had worn on the carnival filled up with patrons. Music played from somewhere-a lively, cheery band-and the twinkling of the lights over the snow and ice gave everything a rather ethereal look. ‘Now what?’ Jamie asked.

The Doctor turned to look with him. ‘Well, whatever you’d like to do, Jamie.” He observed what was available. ‘There are carnival games, the ice sculpture gardens, and of course ice skating, which I think we’ll pass on for now. We’ve just eaten, so that’s out, but there is still lots to see, if you don’t mind walking around a bit.’ He glanced to Jamie’s injured leg.

The boy tugged down on his kilt, as though he were self-conscious. ‘Aye, I think a wee bit of walking about would do me good.’ He pushed to his feet again, grimacing once more before he got his crutches in place. Once situated, he spent some considerable time blowing his warm breath onto his very cold hands.

‘Are you quite all right, Jamie?’ the Doctor asked, moving to stand behind him.

Jamie noticed the worried look in the Doctor’s eyes and shrugged quickly, to reassure him. ‘I’m fine,’ he lied. ‘Just a wee bit cold, is all.’ He did not give the Doctor the chance to protest, hobbling off, away from the concession stands. ‘A bit of walking will aye get the blood flowing again.’

Jamie didn’t really know where he was headed, but he was aware the Doctor was following him. He mostly just wanted to keep moving, to keep his circulation up. His foot pounded as the blood rushed down to it, but that was a small price to pay compared to the numbness in the rest of his body. He had been cold since their arrival, and his crash on the ice had done nothing to help. It was almost all he could do to keep his teeth from chattering together.

‘Maybe we had better go inside?’ the Doctor mildly suggested. ‘I believe they’ve got games for children in that barn. It might be fun to watch.’

‘Och,’ Jamie said, wrinkling his nose. ‘I’ve no desire tae watch a bunch of bairns at game,’ he chided. Not even his cold was enough to make him do that.

He ignored the way the Doctor curiously eyed him and took off, limping towards a strange archway that had been created from a tall hedge. It looked void of chattering patrons, and through the arch was what appeared to be a hedge maze of sorts. As such, it was largely cut off from the bitter wind, and therefore warmer than the rest of the carnival. Jamie’s breath huffed heavily as he entered, and he didn’t look back to see if the Doctor was following him.

‘Jamie,’ the little man called warningly. ‘Jamie, I’m not sure this is such a good idea.’

Jamie turned a corner, easily navigating the narrow hedge maze. It was well lit with fairy lights, and even if it weren’t, the moon overhead was bright enough to illuminate the area. ‘Och, it’s just a wee maze, Doctor,’ Jamie admonished. ‘Ye cannae tell me you’re scared?’

As he spoke he turned another corner and found the maze opened up somewhat. Various types of evergreen were planted in pots aesthetically around the clearing, set around the occasional stone bench. In the centre of the clearing was a slightly raised dais, holding a trumpeting angel carved of ice. A single spotlight illuminated the ice sculpture and the whole scene was so startlingly unexpected that Jamie came to a halt.

‘Oh, that’s quite lovely, isn’t it?’ the Doctor crooned, sidling up besides Jamie.

‘Aye, but what’s it doing in the middle of a hedge maze?’

The Doctor quickly pushed his fingers together thoughtfully, down casting his eyes somewhat guiltily. ‘This isn’t a hedge maze, Jamie. Not quite as such.’

Behind them, the sound of someone loudly clearing his throat made the pair spin around. There they found a rather irate looking man glaring at them. In the man’s arms was a large-eyed brunette girl, whose mouth was dark from kissing. The pair was neatly wedged on a stone bench, against a bush, nearly out of sight. ‘Do ya mind?’ the man snapped. ‘Can we get some privacy here, buddy?’

‘Oh dear,’ the Doctor said, fretting instantly. He grabbed Jamie by the arm rather abruptly and started dragging him away from the man and his woman, completely ignoring Jamie’s cries of complaints as he did.

It wasn’t until they were safely down another corridor of the hedge maze and back into a similar clearing that the Doctor acknowledged that perhaps Jamie was lamenting for a reason. The boy suddenly sagged against him and might have toppled over completely had the Doctor not grabbed him in support.

‘Oh, my word, Jamie! What’s wrong?’ He attempted to straighten the boy.

‘I have a sprained ankle, ye daft old man!’ Jamie hissed, clinging to the Doctor. He adjusted his weight, leaning heavily against the Doctor with one hand so he could use the other to rub ineffectually at his foot. ‘Ye cannae just go dragging me about like that!’

‘Oh, my!’ the Doctor cried, the lines on his face deepening. ‘I’m so sorry Jamie, it completely slipped my mind.’

‘I’ll say,’ Jamie grumbled.

Before the boy could protest anymore, the Doctor looked around anxiously and then guided him to one of the stone benches to sit. Jamie thought about protesting, because the bench was undoubtedly freezing cold, but his ankle really did hurt and he was anxious to rest it if just for a moment. He sat down heavily, grunting as he did. His eyes finally alighted on the ice sculpture in this clearing. It was a rearing winged horse wearing a real pine wreath.

‘Let me see your ankle,’ the Doctor fussily said. He didn’t wait for Jamie to react, just reached out and pulled the Scots injured leg delicately into his lap. Jamie nearly toppled over backwards, but reached behind him and braced himself against the bench.

‘I’ll be fine,’ he began.

‘I’m not usually so clumsy,’ the Doctor cut in, by way of apology.

‘Och, yes ye are. Ye are all the time.’

The Doctor looked momentarily wounded, but then his expression cleared. ‘Yes, well, I am sorry. The very last thing I wanted was to hurt you more.’

‘Nay,’ Jamie said, a teasing lilt to his voice. ‘The last thing ye wanted tae do was stay in that other glade and watch yon lass be half devoured by her man.’

‘Yes, well,’ the Doctor said, coughing subtly and looking properly shamefaced. ‘They quite clearly wanted some privacy.’

‘Well, they shouldnae go tae a winter carnival full of people if they want that!’ Jamie protested.

‘Some people don’t have a choice about that sort of thing. Besides, I believe it’s rather well known that this area is used for such . . . meetings.’

Jamie raised an eyebrow. ‘I dinnae see why.’

‘It’s secluded,’ the Doctor ventured. ‘Lovers think the setting is romantic and the solitude gives them a false sense of privacy. It doesn’t really matter whether or not it makes sense, it’s just the way things are.’

Jamie suddenly felt rather self-conscious with his leg up in the Doctor’s lap, with those deft little fingers gently prodding the bandage. ‘These are the ice gardens,’ he stated in sudden realisation. It wasn’t a question. Ben’s words from earlier rang through his head, and he was starting to realise what he meant.

‘Yes, I’m afraid so,’ the Doctor agreed. ‘It did appear to be a hedge maze when we entered, though. In fact, I think it is one, with the sculptures arranged throughout it.’

As if on cue, a new couple appeared from the direction Jamie and the Doctor had come, cuddling close as they strolled along. The girl giggled softly at something her companion said, looking up at the large ice sculpture. The two only stopped laughing when they noticed the Doctor and Jamie sitting in plain sight together, the boy with his leg in the old man’s lap. The girl coloured appreciably.

‘Sorry!’ her companion blurted, as the two attempted to shuffle quickly past.

Jamie felt a sudden surge of dread and excitement rush through him and would have been instantly spluttering on his feet if he weren’t injured.

As if picking up on Jamie’s sudden discomfort, the Doctor quickly released his hold on the boy’s foot, which was still in his lap. ‘Not at all!’ he called to the departing couple. He then said to Jamie, ‘If you’re all right to walk, I suppose we had better find out way out of here.’

Jamie found that his had foot hurt significantly less when it was elevated in the Doctor’s lap, but he did not protest the movement, setting it lightly back down on the ground. He could feel his ears burning now from embarrassment, although what exactly he was embarrassed about he couldn’t quite say. ‘I dinnae want tae walk back through there and bother them again,’ Jamie said, inclining his head in the direction they’d come from.

‘I’m afraid we’re likely to just encounter more of the same the further on we go.’ The Doctor gestured in the direction the couple had gone. ‘Those two, for instance, are likely to settle somewhere to cuddle.’

‘Och. Is there no way out besides those two paths?’

‘Well it is a maze, Jamie.’

‘So we’re trapped.’

Thoughtfully, the Doctor said, ‘It isn’t a very big carnival, all things considered. Perhaps the maze isn’t very long. There might be only a few clearings after this. Besides, if we’re quiet, I doubt the happy couples will even notice us.’

Jamie grumbled under his breath. ‘So we go on.’

‘Yes, I think that’s the best course of action.’ Getting to his feet, the Doctor brushed his frumpy clothes free of snow.

Jamie followed suit, taking a bit longer to steady himself on his crutches. His hands were numb with cold by now, as was his backside from sitting on the stone bench for so long. The throbbing in his ankle persisted as well, now more acute since the Doctor had dragged him around. ‘What do we do if it’s no a short maze?’

‘Perseverance, Jamie,’ the Doctor encouraged. ‘We’ve faced Cybermen, Redcoats and even giant crabs together. I think we can handle a few innocent couples.’

‘Aye,’ Jamie said dourly.

There wasn’t as much maze between that clearing to the next, and Jamie immediately noticed the large ice sled that dominated the new clearing. It was so large it had two spotlights illuminating it. A strange, jolly ice sculpted man sat inside the sled, and besides him was a real brown sack stuffed with presents. Immediately after noticing the sled, Jamie crashed into the back of the Doctor, who had stopped abruptly. ‘Och, what is it?’ he hissed.

The Doctor was staring fixedly at the only other occupants in the clearing-a couple on a stone bench against the hedge wall. Jamie was going to jab his elbow into the Doctor’s side and tell him to stop staring and keep moving, but then he realised that the couple in question was none other than Ben and Polly.

At first he thought they were necking, and the strange sensation that flooded through him at the sight was almost unbearable; he was unsteady enough on his feet as it was. It took a few seconds longer to realise that while the pair might not be far off from such activities, they weren’t there yet. Instead, the two had their heads together, brows nearly touching, and were talking secretively in low voices. Jamie had never seen Polly look so demure before.

They had not noticed the Doctor and Jamie’s arrival.

‘No good,’ the Doctor hissed, pushing back into Jamie, his eyes still riveted on the pair. ‘Back the way we came!’

Jamie did not hesitate to comply. They soon found themselves in the small passageway between the two clearings. Jamie found himself suddenly full of a strange energy he desperately wanted to expend, and the Doctor pawing him as he pushed him around was not helping. ‘Och, if only these weeds were no as thick!’ he cried, reaching out to grab the hedge. ‘I could cut us a way out!’

The Doctor busily mopped his brow down with his handkerchief. ‘I don’t think that would be very appreciated by the hedge owners,’ he said.

Sulkily Jamie turned around, pressing his back to the hedge. ‘I cannae go back through there, Doctor,’ he said pointedly.

‘No, no, neither could I, I’m afraid.’ The little man began stroking his chin, contemplating. ‘You know, I’m sure there must be another way out of here.’

‘Aye. If we had shovels we could dig our way out,’ Jamie sarcastically said.

‘No, no. But those ice sculptures; they’re very large, aren’t they?’

Jamie did not care to return to one of the clearings to make sure they were large; he knew they were. ‘Aye,’ he said, studying the Doctor warily. ‘What of it?’

‘Well, don’t you see, Jamie? They don’t plant the hedges around the sculptures, they bring the ice blocks here and let the carvers work on site!’ Seeing that Jamie still did not understand the significance of his words, he elaborated. ‘That means there must be a way to move these hedges to get the ice blocks in here!’ He turned and began feeling along the hedge wall. ‘If we can just find a break, we might be able to squeeze our way out!’

Jamie thought it was worth a try, so he started searching along the opposite side of the hedge. It was no easy feat, considering he had no idea what he was looking for, his hands were numb and his crutches kept getting in the way. The movement helped keep him from concentrating on how cold he was though, or on Ben and Polly, which was a welcomed distraction.

‘Aha!’ the Doctor triumphantly called. ‘Jamie, come quick!’

Turning, Jamie found the Doctor had somehow opened up a small part of the hedge, like a door. It seemed heavy though, as the Doctor strained to maintain the gap. ‘It’s wired up against vandals,’ he explained. ‘Hurry through.’

Jamie knew better than to question an order from the Doctor, so he ducked under the little man’s arms, tucking his crutches behind him, and hobbled across. The Doctor slid through moments later, letting the brambles slip shut behind them. Outside, the illumination from the spotlights and fairy light were cut off and it took several seconds for their eyes to adjust to just the moonlight. It was darker than Jamie had expected, having prepared himself for the white expanse of snow they’d seen coming in.

‘Where are we?’ he asked, confused.

The Doctor reached a hand out, brushing his palms curiously over the plants in front of them. ‘I do believe we’ve exited right into a cornfield, Jamie.’

‘Well that’s no good!’ he said. Getting his crutches under him again, he hobbled out a few paces, brushing against the cornstalks as he did. ‘How do we get back?’

The Doctor was contemplating that question as well. ‘We should be able to just follow the edge of the maze. The carnival is that way,’ he said, pointing in the opposite direction. He turned completely around and peered into the distance. ‘I think.’

‘Och, with all the twists and turns we made in that maze, I’ve no idea which way tae go.’

Overhead, the moon was shining directly down, at its zenith. Not even it was going to provide them with a proper path. ‘Well, I think it’s this way,’ the Doctor repeated. ‘There’s a light on the horizon, which is most likely from the faire grounds.’

‘All right,’ Jamie said, despondently.

At his tone, the Doctor looked sharply at him. ‘You’re still all right? We can always return to the maze and rest a while longer.’

‘Och, no. I’m fine,’ Jamie insisted. The fact of the matter was, though, that he was terribly cold. Outside of the protection of the hedge maze, the wind seemed to slice right through what he was wearing. But standing around complaining was not Jamie’s forte, so he forged on.

The Doctor led the way, navigating neatly between the hedge maze and the cornfield. Jamie followed as best he could. At one point the hedge wall turned a corner and the pair found themselves out of the cornfield, but no nearer the carnival. Furthermore this side of the maze obviously faced the winds, and moderately sized snowdrifts had accumulated along the hedge. It kept the interior of the maze rather insulated, but outside it created something of a walking hazard for them.

They continued on, steering wide of the snowdrifts until they were trudging through calf-deep snow. Jamie focused solely on putting his crutches down and hobbling over the obstacle. It wasn’t until he stumbled and nearly collapsed onto his numb knees that he realised how far behind the Doctor he had fallen. ‘Doctor,’ he called, his crutches tumbling to the ground.

The little man pulled up short, obviously having gone into his own trace of foot-after-foot. ‘Jamie!’ he cried, turning to hurry back to him. ‘What happened?’

‘I’m fine,’ Jamie insisted, but he sounded weak even to his own ears. The Doctor’s hands pressed into him, pulling him to his feet and Jamie found himself unwittingly sagging into the older man.

‘You’re freezing,’ the Doctor fussed, drawing him closer.

A distant part of Jamie thought there was something odd about all this, but the only thing he could really focus on was how warm the Doctor felt. It was strange because Jamie knew that on average the Doctor was usually cool to the touch. He found it wasn’t worth contemplating right now though - warmth was warmth. Without asking permission, Jamie simply nudged his hands into the Doctor’s coat, sliding them around the Doctor’s waist and up his back, where everything was deliciously warm and welcoming. He felt like he could crawl inside the Doctor’s coat completely, if only he’d fit.

The Doctor straightened in surprise at the movement, but quickly relaxed into the pose. His hands slipped around Jamie’s back, rubbing his shoulders and arms gently, trying to work up some circulation in them. ‘I should have never dragged you out here,’ he murmured in Jamie’s ear.

Even the Doctor’s breath was warm and Jamie found himself involuntarily squirming against the Doctor at the ticklish way that heat blew over his ear. Unbidden, the thought of Ben reacting the same way to Polly’s actions came into his mind and he found himself burying his face against the Doctor’s neck as a flush of heat spread across his cheeks. It seemed inappropriate to think such thoughts in the position he was now in, but once thought, he couldn’t unthink them. ‘It’s all right,’ he replied, his voice muffled against the collar of the Doctor’s shirt.

‘I should’ve made you put on more than just this anorak,’ the Doctor protested.

‘I wouldnae have, though,’ Jamie answered. ‘I dinnae feel so cold at first.’

‘I suppose you’re right,’ the Doctor quietly conceded. ‘Hindsight is 20/20, as they say.’

Jamie could sense that the Doctor wanted to keep talking, to fill the silence, but that he had nothing really to say. They ought to keep walking, he knew, but he found himself loath to move away from the Doctor’s warmth, loath to pick up his crutches from the snow, loath to pull away at all. Even the strong, strange thudding of the little man’s heart was strangely appealing to Jamie. ‘I’ll be all right,’ he insisted softly. ‘In a few minutes.’

‘I’m sure you will be,’ the Doctor agreed. ‘And at least the view out here is spectacular.’

Curious at the words, Jamie lifted his head and peered over his shoulder. With the moon directly overhead there were nearly no shadows cast along the pristine snow. The field stretched on and on beyond them, eventually vanishing into a dark wood in the distance, which glittered silver and white in the snow and moonlight. Beyond the trees loomed a jagged, purple mountain and over it rose a glorious indigo sky, filled with stars.

‘Mm,’ Jamie agreed, taking the view in. It was nothing at all like Scotland and yet his heart was yearning as he looked at it, in the same way it did when he thought of the rolling moors and billowing heather of home. ‘That’s aye more romantic than any daft ice sculptures and twisty mazes.’

‘I agree,’ the Doctor said, his voice barely more than a rumble in his chest.

Jamie turned his head back and nearly bumped his nose against the Doctor’s. The closeness surprised him and he instinctively pulled back. His eyes were suddenly drawn to the Doctor’s mouth and he shocked himself by suddenly wondering what it would be like to kiss the other man, out here in the icy cold, under the full moon and stars. Would his mouth be as warm as the rest of him? What would he taste like? How would he react?

‘Jamie,’ the Doctor said in a voice full of question.

Jamie swallowed tightly and pulled his gaze off the Doctor’s mouth. He suddenly found himself lost in those fathomless blue eyes. A slowly creeping heat began spreading through him. ‘I dinnae understand this,’ he softly said. His hands on the Doctor’s back flexed, tightening to grasp at the fabric of his shirt.

For once, the Doctor seemed a little lost for words. ‘You’re . . . you’re simply reacting to the environment,’ he explained. ‘It isn’t anything abnormal. Humans are just somewhat predisposed to react specific ways to certain stimuli.’

Jamie blinked slowly. ‘What does all that mean?’

Smiling somewhat nervously, the Doctor said, ‘I think it means you want to kiss me.’

Jamie felt his cheeks burn. ‘Why would I want tae do that?’

‘Well,’ the Doctor began, ‘well, because . . . it is romantic, isn’t it?’ The Doctor’s eyebrows rose, almost imploringly, vanishing into his fringe. ‘And we are very close, aren’t we?’

‘Aye,’ Jamie said, swallowing the lump that was suddenly in his throat. His chest was pressed against the Doctor’s, his arms around the man’s waist. He’d never stood like this before with anyone, not even the few girls he’d kissed back home in Scotland. The fact of the matter was that the Doctor was right: he did want to kiss him. Jamie was just surprised at how easily he could be read, like the Doctor knew what he was thinking. ‘Doctor,’ he whispered.

‘Yes, Jamie?’ he answered in a voice just as soft.

Tingly hot prickles raced through Jamie and all of his senses seemed to become hyper-aware. His eyes were back on the Doctor’s mouth and his throat felt dry. He could feel the warm breath of the Doctor as it washed over him, could smell the scent of him, so close, and the sharp cold smell of the snow, and the distant green, earthy smell of the nearby wood. There was still the icy wind on his skin, but it was largely countered by the heat of the moment, and even his ankle seemed to have stopped throbbing. The snow seemed brighter, the sky darker, the universe larger.

And then the Doctor’s hands tightened slightly against his back and Jamie closed his eyes to all the stimulation, pressing forwards until the Doctor’s mouth found his and he could focus solely on one thing. In all this cold, the Doctor was warm and inviting. His mouth was soft and gentle but eager enough to let Jamie know that this was not a one-sided affair. The boy’s grasp on the Doctor’s shirt increased as he pulled the little man harder against him, longing to deepen the kiss, to discover more than just this tantalising taste.

The Doctor let him, parting his lips slightly, tilting his head as he did. The man’s hands rose as they kissed, until one was cupped against the back of Jamie’s head. Then Jamie felt the Doctor’s tongue prod ever so curiously against his bottom lip and the jolt of electricity that surged through Jamie in reaction was incomparable. He opened his mouth in response, letting the built up passion inside him tell him what to do. His own tongue touched the Doctor’s lip, followed by his tongue and Jamie let out a strangled gurgle in the back of his throat at the intimacy of it all and redoubled his efforts.

The Doctor gave an appreciative sigh and Jamie felt the tension seem to flood out of the little man. He hadn’t noticed how rigid the Doctor had been, but now that the man was relaxing into the kiss, it was like the floodgates had come down. The Doctor was enthusiastic about all things in life and this was clearly no exception. Jamie had honestly never pondered such things before, but if he had he never would have assumed the Doctor’s absurd flailing and strange eccentricities would give way to such a deft tongue and enticing mouth.

When at last Jamie broke the kiss, the Doctor buried his face against the boy’s neck, his lips picking out the skin there, leaving blazing hot trails along his flesh as he continued to kiss. Belaying his own control of the situation, Jamie let out a groan of appreciation at the unexpected continued attention, and his mind raced, remembering seeing Ben and Polly so recently and thinking they were engaging in such similar acts. And yet, as his fingers tightened again and again against the Doctor’s back, Jamie could not imagine either of them experiencing something as scorchingly hot or unexpectedly wonderful as this.

‘Doctor,’ he groaned, but it came out as more of a growl.

‘Mm?’ the Doctor replied. His mouth had moved to kiss the curve of Jamie’s jaw and his breath rushed loudly in Jamie’s ear as the little man fought to regain control of his breathing. ‘Oh, I got a bit carried away, it seems,’ he amended, pulling back.

Jamie thought of laughing at the absurdity of that; of saying ‘I don’t mind’ or ‘It’s all right’, but it seemed his mouth had completely stopped working.

An impish grin spread slowly over the Doctor’s face as he took Jamie in. His eyes twinkled in the moonlight. ‘And I can see it wasn’t exactly an unwelcome advance.’

‘Aye,’ he managed.

‘I’m glad.’ The Doctor’s hands dropped back down, lightly touching Jamie’s sides, but no longer holding him. ‘How is your ankle?’

‘Mm?’ he dreamily answered. Blinking a few times in rapid succession, he cleared his head. ‘It’s . . . I’m all right.’ The pain was still there, numb in the background, but he had found better things to concentrate on.

‘And the cold?’

If Jamie was ever sure of anything it was that he was no longer cold. Parts of his body felt almost as though they were on fire, but he couldn’t say that. Apparently the flush of his cheeks said it all for him, anyway.

The Doctor’s devious little grin widened. ‘Well, that’s quite the ego boost, I’ll say!’ he cheerily decried. ‘Now then, since you’re a bit revived, perhaps we can make it back?’

Jamie nodded wordlessly. Warm though he had become, he feared that perhaps his legs still wouldn’t support him, but for an entirely different reason now.

‘It does mean you’ll have to let go of me, I’m afraid,’ the Doctor kindly said. ‘Although I am flattered you’re so attached.’

Embarrassment drove Jamie to release him, but the smile the Doctor kept on his face alleviated Jamie’s fears that this was all too much, too soon. While he balanced precariously on one foot in the snow, the Doctor stooped down to pick up his crutches and handed them back to him.

‘Thanks,’ he quietly murmured, tucking them back under his arms. He felt foolish, acting so shyly around the Doctor, but he found it suddenly somehow unbearable to meet the little man’s piercing, knowing eyes. They began to walk slowly, keeping an even pace.

The Doctor casually reached out and put his hand over the small of Jamie’s back. ‘It’s all right, you know. The way you feel. We don’t have to discuss it, but you shouldn’t be ashamed of it.’ He glanced sidelong at Jamie.

‘I’m no ashamed,’ he answered, but kept his eyes firmed fixed on the snow he was navigating. His mind, however, was focused on the hand at his back, so casual and yet so intentional.

‘That’s good,’ the Doctor said. ‘I . . . I quite enjoyed myself, you see. I’d be terribly upset if you hadn’t liked it.’

‘I liked it,’ Jamie quickly said.

The Doctor studied him, grinning as he did. ‘I’m glad.’

They walked in silence the rest of the way, but both quickened their pace when the carnival finally came back into view. They’d somehow ended up on the opposite side from where they’d come in and had to walk the perimeter of the faire grounds as well, to get back to the entrance. The Doctor only dropped his hand off Jamie’s back when they were in view of the front gates.

‘Och! We dinnae have tae pay tae get back in again, do we?’ Jamie protested. He glared angrily at the ticket taker.

‘I suppose we must,’ the Doctor said, staring forlornly at the entrance. ‘Which is a pity really, as I’m sure Ben and Polly will be anxious to leave soon.’

‘Aye,’ Jamie said dejectedly. He secretly lamented to himself that they could have spent more time together, out in the snowfield.

‘Oy, Doctor!’ a voice called.

Both the Doctor and Jamie looked up to find Ben waving at them from across the perimeter fence.

‘Hey, Duchess! I found them!’ he said, turning to look over his shoulder. Polly shortly joined him at the fence. ‘You two about to nip off with out us then, eh?’

‘We were starting to get worried,’ Polly added. ‘We couldn’t find you anywhere.’

‘Oh, dear! I do apologise for worrying you two,’ the Doctor cheerfully said. ‘Jamie and I decided to enjoy the scenery out here for a bit. It’s lovely.’

Jamie studied his toes quite intently.

‘How is your leg, Jamie?’ Polly sweetly asked. Her eyes were full of concern when he looked up at her.

‘It’ll be all right,’ he said. ‘The crutches help a lot.’

‘I’m glad.’

‘Well, you two coming back in or are we headed out then?’ Ben asked.

Jamie noticed a suspicious looking pink mark on Ben’s collar that rather matched the shade of Polly’s lipstick. He wasn’t sure how any of it made him feel anymore, but the sight of the mark made him touch his own neck, where he could still feel the place the Doctor’s lips had been. The jealousy and animosity he’d felt earlier had dispersed though, and it seemed like Ben realised it too. ‘Think I’d like tae get back tae the ship,’ he said.

‘Aw, no wine tasting for you then, Pol,’ Ben said, gently nudging her.

‘Wine tasting?’ the Doctor asked, perking up slightly.

‘Yeah,’ Ben answered. ‘They got a little wine hut as opens up round ten. Me and Polly was thinking of having a taste or three.’

‘I didn’t think it’d be a good idea to go without telling you and Jamie though,’ Polly said. ‘I wouldn’t know what to do with a drunken sailor.’ She smiled delightedly.

‘Hey, I can hold my drink, I can,’ Ben protested good-naturedly.

The Doctor rubbed his hands together thoughtfully. ‘I do love a good merlot,’ he said eagerly. His eyes drifted to Jamie and his expression immediately changed. ‘Of course, I’d better see Jamie back to the TARDIS.’

Jamie blinked owlishly. ‘Eh? If ye want tae stay ye can,’ he quickly said. ‘I can find my own way back.’

‘Nonsense,’ the Doctor fussed. To Ben and Polly he said, ‘I’m afraid there’s no re-admittance, anyway.’

‘Well that ain’t half fair!’ Ben protested.

‘It’s all right,’ the Doctor insisted. ‘I’m sure Jamie and I can find something to occupy ourselves with back at the TARDIS, right Jamie? You two have a splendid evening together, but do try not to stay out too late?’

Polly beamed. ‘All right, Doctor. I promise we’ll behave.’

‘Oy, speak for yourself, Polly,’ Ben teased.

‘If there are any good wines, we’ll bring a bottle back,’ Polly called.

‘Oh, yes, please do,’ the Doctor replied.

‘Eh, why bother?’ Ben asked. ‘We could just go back in time and pinch whatever vintage we liked, yeah?’

‘That’s not the point, Ben,’ Polly fussed. She began waving. ‘Goodbye Doctor, Jamie! Goodnight!’

Jamie smiled, returning the wave, surprised he felt not at all bad, nor apprehensive, to be returning to the TARDIS alone with the Doctor. Neither did he begrudge Ben and Polly their night together anymore. ‘Goodnight!’ he returned.

‘Oh, and Polly?’ the Doctor called, turning back after several paces. Polly looked at him inquisitively. ‘If he gets too rowdy,’ he said, nodding at Ben, ‘shave his belly with a rusty razor and put him in the back of a paddywagon!’ he sing-songed.

They departed to the sound of Polly’s delighted laughter.

‘Come along, Jamie,’ the Doctor cheerily said, putting an arm around his shoulders. ‘We’ll have a wine tasting party of our very own back at the TARDIS.’

Jamie felt the warmth beginning to spread through him again and smiled up at the moon. He was starting to think that maybe this sprained ankle might just turn out to be the best thing that had ever happened to him.

..end