Advent Vignette
The Doctor steps out of the shop, the bells above the door jangling. Outside it is crisp and cold, making him grateful for his long coat. The holiday atmosphere was muted out here under the inky sky. There’s no moon, and he glances up at the dense, smoky clouds overhead. ‘Cumulonimbus,’ he thinks.
The bells sound again and Rose is beside him.
“There you are. Got us some tea.” She passes him the cheery red cup festooned with the various symbols denoting holiday cheer.
He takes a sip, grateful for its warmth. “Thanks.”
Rose pulls her coat tighter around herself against the bright cold.
“All done then?” he asks, wincing a bit at how hopeful he sounds.
The corner of her mouth quirks up. “You wish. I still need something for mum.”
“Girdle? Muzzle?” He supplies helpfully. "Some kind of containment device."
“It’d never work.” When she exhales her breath is a soft, visible puff.
“I suppose not.” He sighs and gives her back the cup. Her free hand finds his and slides home.
He’s looking up at the sky again and she follows his gaze upward. The first icy flake hits her cheek. Another lands on his shoulder. The air is suddenly full of lacey crystals, swirling around them.
“Snow,” she says softly, then clears her throat. “Real snow.” And she smiles at him.
He grins back, helpless to stop. “Yep.”
Her smile disappears. “Doctor.” Her brown eyes are dark and serious.
That look worries him. “Yeah.” His voice is a little thick and a little low and entirely too uncertain.
She leans in and places a soft kiss on his cool lips. “Happy Christmas.”
He’s quiet, lost in memory, but she’s looking back up the street they’d come down hours earlier.
She sighs. “Too bad we have to finish the shopping.”
“I thought we had," he says innocently.
She rolls her eyes. ”Mum.”
“Oh yes. What about chocolates? Everyone loves a big box of chocolates. Well, that is if they aren’t worried about their teeth.” His tongue slipped out and skimmed across his uppers. “On the down side, more chocolates could mean more of…well…anybody. More Jackie…” He paused on that thought.
“No good. She’s watchin’ her figure.”
“Really?” The shocked question bursts out before he can reign it back. She shoots him a look but he doesn't even try to recover; Rose wouldn't buy it anyway.
They walk back toward the hustle and bustle of the holiday crowd through a light curtain of snow. A woman rushes past, moving awkwardly under the weight of her packages. A man bustles out of a shop and bumps into them before disappearing into the throng of shoppers. The Doctor contemplates the way this crush of humanity seems undeterred by the dropping temperature.
“Look at this,” he says, with no little amazement. “All of these people, running around, buying presents, decorating trees, eating rich food they’ll swear off again on New Years. All this madness and they make it through just to do all again next year.” His voice holds a mixture of admiration and frustration. “It’s amazing really, brill--"
She bumps his shoulder affectionately to shut him up. “’S the commercialism, yeah? Ruins it for you?”
He doesn’t answer immediately, thinking of a single footprint in the snow and paper crowns.
“Doctor?” She calls him back to himself with one word.
“What? No. Oh no.” He smiles gently as he looks over at her. “I love Christmas.”
Fin
Sources:
“A single footprint in the snow. This is the recent past and for some reason in Wales, and there is a lady more properly dressed and she is smiling & smiling, but there is always the dead in the air around us”
Page 26 of the Journal of Impossible Things regarding ‘The Unquiet Dead.
A Song For Ten and Christmas Invasion
The bells sound again and Rose is beside him.
“There you are. Got us some tea.” She passes him the cheery red cup festooned with the various symbols denoting holiday cheer.
He takes a sip, grateful for its warmth. “Thanks.”
Rose pulls her coat tighter around herself against the bright cold.
“All done then?” he asks, wincing a bit at how hopeful he sounds.
The corner of her mouth quirks up. “You wish. I still need something for mum.”
“Girdle? Muzzle?” He supplies helpfully. "Some kind of containment device."
“It’d never work.” When she exhales her breath is a soft, visible puff.
“I suppose not.” He sighs and gives her back the cup. Her free hand finds his and slides home.
He’s looking up at the sky again and she follows his gaze upward. The first icy flake hits her cheek. Another lands on his shoulder. The air is suddenly full of lacey crystals, swirling around them.
“Snow,” she says softly, then clears her throat. “Real snow.” And she smiles at him.
He grins back, helpless to stop. “Yep.”
Her smile disappears. “Doctor.” Her brown eyes are dark and serious.
That look worries him. “Yeah.” His voice is a little thick and a little low and entirely too uncertain.
She leans in and places a soft kiss on his cool lips. “Happy Christmas.”
He’s quiet, lost in memory, but she’s looking back up the street they’d come down hours earlier.
She sighs. “Too bad we have to finish the shopping.”
“I thought we had," he says innocently.
She rolls her eyes. ”Mum.”
“Oh yes. What about chocolates? Everyone loves a big box of chocolates. Well, that is if they aren’t worried about their teeth.” His tongue slipped out and skimmed across his uppers. “On the down side, more chocolates could mean more of…well…anybody. More Jackie…” He paused on that thought.
“No good. She’s watchin’ her figure.”
“Really?” The shocked question bursts out before he can reign it back. She shoots him a look but he doesn't even try to recover; Rose wouldn't buy it anyway.
They walk back toward the hustle and bustle of the holiday crowd through a light curtain of snow. A woman rushes past, moving awkwardly under the weight of her packages. A man bustles out of a shop and bumps into them before disappearing into the throng of shoppers. The Doctor contemplates the way this crush of humanity seems undeterred by the dropping temperature.
“Look at this,” he says, with no little amazement. “All of these people, running around, buying presents, decorating trees, eating rich food they’ll swear off again on New Years. All this madness and they make it through just to do all again next year.” His voice holds a mixture of admiration and frustration. “It’s amazing really, brill--"
She bumps his shoulder affectionately to shut him up. “’S the commercialism, yeah? Ruins it for you?”
He doesn’t answer immediately, thinking of a single footprint in the snow and paper crowns.
“Doctor?” She calls him back to himself with one word.
“What? No. Oh no.” He smiles gently as he looks over at her. “I love Christmas.”
Fin
Sources:
“A single footprint in the snow. This is the recent past and for some reason in Wales, and there is a lady more properly dressed and she is smiling & smiling, but there is always the dead in the air around us”
Page 26 of the Journal of Impossible Things regarding ‘The Unquiet Dead.
A Song For Ten and Christmas Invasion