Remembering - Doctor Who, Second & Eleventh Doctor eras (m, Jamie)

[angora48]

Title: Remembering

Fandom: Doctor Who, Second & Eleveth Doctors

Disclaimer: Sadly, not my characters.

Summary: When Jamie catches a cold, the Doctor expects him to stay on the TARDIS. Little do they know, more than one TARDIS has materialized that day.

I should warn that this isn't a TRUE multi-Doctor story, since there's no direct interaction between Two and Eleven themselves, but I thought there was a lot of potential for Eleven, Amy, and Jamie. This story is set mid-series 6 for Two, Jamie, and Zoe and late series 5 for Eleven and Amy - sorry to all the Rory fans, but I thought that, with all the memory-related stuff that happened in that part of New Who, Jamie could be most interestingly placed there. Spoilers for classic series 6 episode The War Games and new series episodes Journey's End (series 4) and Cold Blood (series 5.)

I've written the entire story, so I ought to be able to do my usual daily updates. Hope you like it!

One more thing before we start: main players!

The Eleventh Doctor (http://i42.photobuck...resofVenice.jpg)

Amy Pond (http://i42.photobuck...1h25m38s123.png)

The Second Doctor (http://i42.photobuck...6h02m17s190.png)

Jamie McCrimmon (http://i42.photobuck...4h29m07s234.png)

Zoe Heriot (http://i42.photobuck...7h13m18s254.png)

And one more of the Two crew, just for cuteness factor (http://i42.photobuck...pacePirates.jpg)

Now... on to Part 1!

The Doctor wiped his brow with a grimy hand. He was lying on his back, waist deep into the belly of the TARDIS console. An assortment of odd-looking tools was in a small box at his side, none of which had any apparent purpose to the untrained observer.

Something was wrong with the TARDIS. She could still fly, but for some reason, she wasn’t fully materializing until the doors were open. Upon throwing open the doors, the time vortex melted away and their new locale came into being. Not the worst problem to have, certainly. Still, it rendered the screens pretty well useless, making their travel even blinder than usual. There was also the possibility of Jamie or Zoe – more likely Jamie, truth be told – jumping out too soon and being swept into the vortex. Most definitely something to be avoided.

The Doctor was so wrapped up in his repair work that he didn’t realize someone else had entered the console room. There was a loud “Hih-CHIOOO-ehhh!” and the Doctor nearly jumped out of his skin. In his surprise, he pulled out several wires by accident, and the tool he was using fell clattering to the floor.

Evidently, the Doctor had startled the sneezer just as much as the sneezer startled him. “Doctor? Is that you? Where are you?”

It was Jamie’s voice, unmistakably. The Doctor would know it anywhere. Yet, it didn’t quite sound like Jamie. Huskier, and maybe just a bit congested. The Doctor could hear quiet sniffles.

“Here I am,” the Doctor called, hastily replacing the pulled wires before he shimmied out from the inner workings of the console. He absentmindedly straightened his black hair as he rose to his feet. “Just taking a peek at the TARDIS’s insides, trying to figure out what’s wrong.”

While he talked, the Doctor gave Jamie an appraising look. The boy was wearing a thick sweater, along with his usual kilt – ever the proud highlander. His dark sweater brought attention to his face, which was slightly pale, and it was plain as, well, the nose on Jamie’s face that he’d been rubbing it.

Now, he sniffled. He peered at the TARDIS console like it was an inscrutable riddle. “What d’ye reckod it is, Doctor?” he asked, frowning in thought.

Yes, most definitely congested. The Doctor stooped to tidy up his tools. “Well, I can’t be certain, but I’d say it’s probably a cold,” he replied offhandedly.

“What?” Jamie asked. He slid a quick finger under his nose and sniffed.

“Not a bad cold,” the Doctor assured him. “Nothing to worry about, no, but all the same, you ought to see to it. Wouldn’t want it getting any worse.”

It was another moment before understanding flashed in Jamie’s eyes, but that understanding was instantly pushed aside by a sort of puzzled defiance. “What’re you od about, Doctor?” Jamie queried. “I’be fide.”

“You will be,” the Doctor corrected. “Take it easy for a few days, and you’ll soon be fitter than any fiddle I ever saw.”

“But I havedd’t got a cold!” Jamie insisted. He was getting just a bit ornery now.

“Is that so?” the Doctor asked, unable to keep a glint of amusement out of his voice.

“Aye!” Jamie replied, but at that moment, he wriggled his nose with a frown. The Doctor gave him an expectant look, and he said, “All right, baybee by dose was a bit… itchy for a bidite, but it’s better dow!”

“We’re at an impasse, I’m afraid,” the Doctor told him. “I say you have a cold, you say you don’t. Unfortunately for you, I can prove my claim.”

“How’s that?” Jamie asked as the Doctor turned to rummage through a nearby cupboard. By way of explanation, the Doctor held up his sought-after item. Jamie, however, didn’t recognize theit. “What’s that thed?” he asked, stifling a slight cough.

“This, Jamie, is a thermometer,” the Doctor informed him.

“Oh, aye,” Jamie replied, but he clearly had no idea what the Doctor was talking about.

“It measures temperature,” the Doctor went on. “What you place this end here under your tongue, I can measure your internal body temperature. If you’re ill, your temperature will be elevated somewhat.”

“You’re dot serious!” Jamie cried, looking at the thermometer in disbelief. “That wee thing?”

“It’s all true,” the Doctor vowed. “Come on, then – open up.”

Jamie looked skeptical, but he opened his mouth as instructed. The Doctor placed the thermometer under Jamie’s tongue. “And close… excellent.” Jamie made a face as the Doctor patted his cheek.

Jamie stood there in the console room with the thermometer in his mouth. He was trying so hard to look down at the thin line of mercury that he was nearly cross-eyed. His nose must have been starting to bother him again, because he sniffled hard as he waited.

Zoe came in, yawning a little as she blinked the last traces of sleep out of her eyes. “Good morning,” she said. “What are you two up to?”

“Thib ib uh –” Jamie began, his speech garbled by the thermometer under his tongue.

“No talking,” the Doctor chided with mock severity. He turned to Zoe. “Jamie is feeling rather unwell this morning –”

“I ab dah!” Jamie protested.

“Jamie!” the Doctor said in a lightly warning tone. “Anyway, thought I ought to check his temperature.”

“That’s too bad, Jamie,” Zoe commented, tossing Jamie a hint of a sympathetic smile.

“All right, that’s long enough,” the Doctor told Jamie. He carefully took the thermometer out of Jamie’s mouth.

“It’s called a therbometer,” Jamie explained to Zoe, sniffling. “It tells you what your body’s tebperature is – it’s wod of the Doctor’s space alien devices.” The Doctor caught Zoe’s eye, and the two shared fond, knowing looks. Of course Jamie would think a thermometer was an alien invention.

Jamie turned and grabbed the thermometer from the Doctor. “Here,” he said, holding it out to Zoe. “Give it a try. See, you cad watch this part boove.”

“Not today,” the Doctor said as he plucked the thermometer out of Jamie’s hand.

“Why dot?” Jamie asked.

“Because it has your germs on it, and it’ll make Zoe ill,” the Doctor explained.

Jamie sighed in exasperation. “But Doctor, I told you –”

“I know you did, but the thermometer tells me you’re not well,” the Doctor countered.

“It does dot,” Jamie argued, taking the thermometer back. “Where does it say that?”

“37.6,” the Doctor replied. He showed Jamie the height of the mercury inside. “It means your temperature is higher than it should be. No arguments, Jamie – you have a cold.”

Jamie started to stammer a half-formed retort, but the boy’s nose was clearly conspiring against him. “Ah… heh-SHUHHHH!” he sneezed wetly.

As Jamie sniffled, wiping his nose with his hand, the Doctor gave him a pat on the shoulder. “Have a rest, drink some tea,” he instructed. “You’ll be sorted soon enough.”

“But –”

“The thermometer has spoken,” the Doctor reminded him. “You’re not about to argue with space alien technology?” Jamie didn’t have an answer to that.

“We’ve landed, haven’t we?” Zoe asked, changing the subject. “Where are we?”

The Doctor strode to the console and switched on the screen. “Let’s see,” he said, “or at least see if we can see.” To his satisfaction, a lush forest of immense crimson trees flickered into view. “Ah,” the Doctor said thoughtfully. “It’s not Earth, I can tell you. Somewhere in the Dion System from the looks of it.” He raised his eyebrows to Zoe. “Care to explore?”

“Oh, let’s!” Zoe exclaimed.

“Wonderful,” the Doctor replied, flipping the switch to open the doors. “I mean it now – bed,” he called back to Jamie as he allowed Zoe to lead the way out of the TARDIS. “We’ll be back later.” He and Zoe stepped into the strange forest, letting the doors shut behind them.

Till tomorrow!

[Salamander]

Argh, lovely and really sweet interactions. I love how caring but dispassionate the Dr is here. Assertive caretakers are fun! And of course Jamie doesn't know what a thermometer is. I'm excited for more when you're ready xx

[NorthernLady]

Wow More Doctor Who sneezy fanfic You make my day! Don't know this doctor really well but I like the interaction so far... looking foward to what you have cooking for those characters...

[angora48]

Here's Part 2. The beginning is a bit plotty, but keep going, and you'll find more sick!Jamie goodness in the second half.

Zoe knew she ought to pay attention to the tangle of underbrush at her feet, but as she walked, the massive trees kept pulling her vision upward. The Doctor had briefly indulged her desire to know how big around they were, but holding hands, they’d been unable to reach even halfway around one of the colossal trunks.

The leaves were thin and feathery but plentiful; the canopy was so dense that Zoe hadn’t the faintest idea how tall the trees were. Try as she might, she couldn’t catch a single glimpse of the sky, and she wanted to. If the trees were red on this planet, what color would the sky be?

“It’s marvelous, isn’t it?” the Doctor said, steadying Zoe. She’d stumbled yet again – really ought to watch where she was going.

“Brilliant,” Zoe replied. “Have you figured out where we are?”

“I do believe this is Cotera,” the Doctor told her. “While the vegetation is rather similar to what they have on Shimerin, the Coterine climate is so distinctive. Can you feel it in the air?”

“I’ll say!” Zoe cried. The Doctor had taken her to humid places before, but nothing like this. The air was so heavy with water that her clothes were actually damp from it. Huge drops of condensation clung to the tree bark. And yet, humidity was usually accompanied by heat, and there was a touch of chill in this air. She really shouldn’t try to classify alien planets in terms of Earth – it was the Coterine climate, nothing more.

Some type of animal – an insect, most likely – chattered unseen in the canopy above. Zoe looked up nervously, not sure if she wanted to know what sort of insect lived in trees this size. “Doctor,” she said, eager to take her mind off such thoughts, “do you think we were right to leave Jamie in the TARDIS?”

“Oh, yes,” the Doctor replied. He held Zoe’s elbow as she stepped over a fallen branch that was easily a meter high. “Contrary to what he might say, Jamie isn’t well, and he’ll be better off nursing his cold. Besides, you see how damp it is here. He’d have been miserable in no time.”

“I know that,” Zoe said. “But leaving him alone? Maybe we ought to have stayed.”

“He’s not as ill as all that,” the Doctor assured her. “Jamie can take care of himself.”

“It just seems a bit unfair,” Zoe explained. “We go off to have an adventure and Jamie has to stay behind?”

“Don’t worry over Jamie,” the Doctor instructed. “Come, let’s keep moving. Something’s not right here.”

* * *

The Doctor had said to lie down, but Jamie still hadn’t left the console room. The young highlander paced restlessly, doing just about anything that didn’t involve resting.

He’d been sent to bed, like a wee child. A McCrimmon! Jamie wouldn’t stand for this. He couldn’t, not when there was an alien planet just outside the door. “Silly old Doctor,” he grumbled to himself. “What do you doh addyway?” No reason he couldn’t leave the TARDIS; they might need him after all.

It took Jamie a few minutes to get the doors open. He was mite skittish about the console – he didn’t want to flip the wrong switch and take off by mistake – and so he spent some time deliberating over which switch worked the doors. In due time, though, he found it and the doors went swinging open.

Jamie smiled, pleased with himself, but the smile faded as a sputtering cough overtook him for a moment. He peered out the door with a self-conscious glance. Assured that he was alone, he rubbed his throat, which was beginning to feel a bit sore.

Jamie stepped out of the TARDIS, sniffled, and pushed the doors shut. He was immediately struck by the strange air. It wasn’t raining, that much was clear, but it felt near enough. The air was wet; Jamie could almost see it.

With the wet came the cold. Jamie grimaced as he tightly folded his arms across his chest. It was so cold and damp that he nearly turned round and went right back inside. “Eh-SHOOOO!” he sneezed, a shiver running through him.

Jamie realized he couldn’t see the Doctor or Zoe, and he didn’t know where they’d gone. Rubbing his nose, Jamie looked all around him. He thought about climbing one of the huge trees to get a better look but quickly decided he wouldn’t be able to see anything through all the leaves. He sighed, frowning.

“Ah-heh-SHOOO-uhhh!” Jamie sneezed again, turning his face toward the ground. He scrubbed his nose with a groan, but when he opened his eyes, he could see the deep tracks he was leaving in the muddy ground. With renewed purpose, he looked about again and soon found two pairs of footprints weaving through the trees. It had to be his friends; Jamie set off determinedly.

Hope you like it!

[angora48]

Here's Part 3.

The Doctor was walking faster now, with mounting purpose. “Doctor, I can’t keep up!” Zoe exclaimed. “Not so fast!”

“Don’t you understand? This is all wrong!” the Doctor insisted. “We’ve been walking for nearly an hour, and we haven’t seen a single Coterine.”

“Well, we are in the forest,” Zoe pointed out. “Sort of remote, don’t you think?”

The Doctor shook his head worriedly. “We should have seen someone,” he told her. “Certain tribes of Coterines live in the trees, massive houses built out of woven leaves. We would’ve seen them hunting, playing, putting the wash out to dry – something! But there’s only us. We’re alone. Why?”

At that moment, the Doctor heard a distant shout of “Doctor! Zoe! Are you there?”

“Jamie?” Zoe called, puzzled. She looked about her. “Is that you?”

It was only a moment before Jamie burst through the trees, looking soggy and winded. “I fidally caught up to you,” he cried, breathing hard. “Booving awfully fast, you two.”

“What are you doing here?” the Doctor queried. “I told you –”

“I doh, but there’s beed a bistake!” Jamie insisted. “I thidk your therbobeter bust be brokedd, Doctor – I’be fide, really!” The boy’s nose was woefully stuffed up, and it rather belied his point.

“Are you now?” the Doctor asked, slightly bemused.

“I’be dot ill, Doctor,” Jamie promised. “Dow, I – eh-SHOOOO!” He gasped a little as a sudden sneeze caught him off guard, but he plowed right on as if his own body hadn’t just made a convincing rebuttal. “I heard what you said – there’s trouble about. I’be telling you, I’be all right, add I cad help!”

It was so earnest, so wonderfully, maddeningly Jamie, that the Doctor scarcely had the hearts to refuse him. And yet, Jamie clearly wasn’t going to be looking out for himself. If the Doctor didn’t see to it, who would?

“Back to the TARDIS, Jamie,” he instructed.

“But Doctor–!” Jamie began.

“You’re right; there’s trouble about,” the Doctor went on, “and I won’t have you coming along in your state. It’s not safe.” Jamie started to protest again, and the Doctor added a firm, “Now.” It sounded so serious, so grown up. It was very unlike him, and he was a little surprised that he did it so well.

“Ehh-SHOOO-hhh!” Jamie sneezed, wiping his nose with a glum sniffle. His cheeks reddened, and he looked a bit too chastened to reply, but he turned and started squelching through the mud back toward the TARDIS.

* * *

“Well?” Amy asked with excited impatience. “Where are we this time?”

The Doctor skidded to a halt in front of the scanner and examined the screen. “Ah, Cotera!” he said, pleased. “You’ll love Cotera, Amy – thrilling vegetation, delightful people, banquets for days. It can be a bit wet, mind; we may want our ponchos.” He crossed to a storage bin and began searching through it vigorously, flinging various items about the console room.

The Doctor was so wrapped up in his task that he didn’t notice the sudden change in Amy’s tone. “Doctor?”

“Half a moment, honestly!” the Doctor replied. “You humans. No patience at all.” He half-disappeared inside the bin.

“Doctor, someone’s trying to get in!”

The Doctor looked up sharply, ponchos now the furthest thing from his mind. He leapt nimbly to his feet and padded over to Amy, who stood staring at the door.

“It’s all right,” he murmured in a low voice. “We’re perfectly safe – assembled hordes of Genghis Khan and all that. There’s no way anyone can get in.”

“There’s something turning in the keyhole,” Amy whispered.

“What? Don’t be ridiculous. It’s just your imagination playing –”

But even as he spoke, he heard the soft “click” of the door unlocking, and a figure stomped in, boots caked in mud. Amy instinctively drew back, but the Doctor stood still, goggle-eyed.

The figure was halfway to a corridor before he noticed their presence. He snapped suddenly to attention. “Who’re you?” he demanded in that unmistakable Scottish tone of his. “Add what’re you doing id the TARDIS?”

Cliffhanger! ;-)

[matilda3948]

LOVE this!! Just getting into my Doctor Who groove and this is wonderful!

[angora48]

Part 4.

What’re we doing? What about you?” Amy asked. “Who do you think you are, and how’d you get in, anyway?” She leaned forward and spoke softly in the Doctor’s ear. “Doctor, how’d he get in?”

“With his key. He’s got a key.” The Doctor couldn’t tear his eyes away. He could feel his grin straining to touch his ears.

“Pardod, but I’be asking the questiods here, lass,” Jamie replied, blustery. “This is by hobe, add if you thidk I take kidely to idtruders, you dod’t doh be very well.” He sneezed a loud “Huh-CHIIIUHHH!” and then valiantly ignored any ill effect it might have had on his power to intimidate them.

“Yes, of course,” the Doctor murmured. “You’d come down ill.” It was coming back to him – it came in slight, wispy strands, but it was slight coming back to him. Jamie hadn’t been with them in Cotera; the Doctor had sent him back to the TARDIS with a cold. The boy, it seemed, had returned to the wrong one. He took a step toward his old friend. “Jamie.”

“How d’ye doh who I ab?” Jamie asked. He was in a state, muddy up to his ankles and damp all over. Just his luck to land on a planet whose climate made catching cold even more miserable than usual.

Now, he narrowed his sleepy eyes at the Doctor and spoke as if his stuffed-up voice didn’t render him any less threatening. “Have you beed watching us? I’be warding you, you’d better –”

“Jamie, look round,” the Doctor prompted.

Jamie’s eyes quickly roved about the room, and for the first time, he seemed to notice his surroundings. “What have you dud to the TARDIS?!” he cried, racing up the steps to the console. “It’s all…”

“Oi! Who said you could run round and do whatever you’d like?” Amy asked. She stepped in front of the time rotor, like she was trying to thwart some nefarious design Jamie had on it.. Exasperated, she turned to the Doctor. “Haven’t you got anything to say about this? Or are you just gonna stand there, grinning and useless? Doctor!”

Jamie’s eyes about fell out of his head. “You called hib…” he mumbled confusedly to Amy, then looked back at the Doctor.

Quietly, cautiously, Jamie stepped toward the Doctor, eyes on him the whole time. Sniffling as he wiped his nose absentmindedly, he stared hard at the Doctor’s face. “You’re the Doctor,” he said softly, continuing before the Doctor had a chance to reply. “You dod’t look like hib, you dod’t even… Heh… ih-SHOOOOO!” A hand flew up to his face to cover his sneeze. “You dod’t act like hib,” he went on, sniffling. “Dot quite – but… I dod’t doh – I thidk baybee you seeb like hib.”

The Doctor smiled. “Hello, Jamie.”

“Any time you want to explain, I’m all ears,” Amy grumbled. She still guarded the console and watched them from her vantage point.

“I dod’t udderstad,” Jamie confessed.

“Oh, I don’t doubt that,” the Doctor replied. “Suffice it to say, my people do this from time to time, change our form. I’m still me, just a different me from the one you knew. A later me.”

“Add the TARDIS?” Jamie asked.

“That changes too,” the Doctor said. “We can all do with a little reinvention now and then.”

Jamie worked this through in his head; he sniffled hard a few times. Whether or not it actually made sense to him, he seemed to accept it. His pale face broke into a grin. “Cobe here, you mad fellow!” he said, and he threw his arms about the Doctor.

Lots of Eleven and Amy from here on out (and Jamie, obviously!) Hope you like. :-)

[count tiszula]

What a wonderful crossover story, and the first sneezefic I've seen containing the excellent Zoe as played by the lovely Wendy Padbury, originator of the sparkly catsuit for companions.

How embarrassing that my adolescent erotic life focused so much on the flirting of Jamie and Zoe. Now if only she had sneezed with those flaring nostrils which so often indicated her terror of the aliens; or possibly the bits of bread in her soup.......

[angora48]

Thanks for the kind remarks, everyone! I'm glad people are enjoying this story; I had a blast writing it!

count de tisza, there isn't a HUGE amount of Two and Zoe in this story I'm afraid - once Jamie connects with Eleven and Amy, it got a little hard to include them for any stretch of time. I think there are a few nice Zoe moments though, and I'm glad to hear you're a fan. The whole Two-Jamie-Zoe team is just so much FUN, and I can definitely see myself playing with them again in another story. I think a story where Jamie and Zoe both caught cold has potential. :-)

Also, for you or any other Classic Who fans, I might as well mention now that I've heard about the whole Series 6B thing, but I haven't seen The Two Doctors (I'm only up to the middle of Four's second series,) and anyway, the end of Jamie and Zoe's story in The War Games fit so perfectly with the stuff the Doctor and Amy had been dealing with around this time that I decided to just run with the memory theme. This next part is especially rife with it.

And so... Part 5!

By the time the hug broke, Amy was looking more than a little impatient. “Seriously, Doctor, what the hell is going on?” she asked.

“This is Jamie,” the Doctor explained, thumping the boy on the shoulders. “He’s an old friend – or rather, young old friend.”

“And he’s from Cotera, yeah?” Amy asked uncertainly. “Is Cotera the Scotland of the universe or something? Why’s he got a kilt?”

“What else would I wear?” Jamie enquired. “You dod’t expect be to wear breeches?”

“No, no, Amy – he’s not a Coterine,” the Doctor said. “He’s as Scottish as you are – more so, technically, since I found you in Leadworth, and Jamie’s actually from the highland.”

“Oh, aye,” Jamie said. “I thought I heard a bit of the old accent there.” He gave Amy a courteous nod. “Jabie BicCribbon, biss.”

“Jamie and I used to travel together,” the Doctor went on.

“So he’s the old me?” Amy said. “Or I’m the new him? Do you always travel with Scottish people?”

They were all three of them standing at the console now. The Doctor threw his arms over both their shoulders and drew them in close. “Only when I’m lucky,” he told them.

Amy gave him a playful shove. “It still doesn’t make sense, Doctor. Why’s he here?”

“Because, Amy,” the Doctor said, “apparently, I’m here.” She frowned at him. “The old me. Me as Jamie knew me. I went to Cotera with him once before, and evidently, this is it.”

“We just arrived a few hours ago,” Jamie added. “The Doctor add Zoe are id the forest.” He looked at the Doctor. “There’s sobething wrong, Doctor. There ared’t addy Cotereeds about, add the Doct- you say there ought to be.”

“Oh, yes, I remember,” the Doctor replied. “Yeshovi, if my memory serves. Nasty creatures.” A splendid little thought struck him. “I never did know how we got ourselves out of that one,” he murmured to himself.

A “Heh-CHIIIOOOO!” from Jamie brought the Doctor out of his thoughts.

“Memory also serves that you sat this one out,” the Doctor told Jamie.

“Oh, dod’t you start id od be, too!” Jamie said querulously. “You – the old you, I bean – dod’t doh what you’re od about. I’be fine.”

“Could’ve fooled me,” Amy replied.

“I cad help you find the others,” Jamie pressed, sniffling. “I doh whihh… SHIIUUHHHH! …Which way they went. Dod’t send be away, Doctor – please.”

The Doctor knew he ought to. Jamie looked worn out and sounded dreadful – badly stuffed up. Sending him back to the TARDIS those years ago had been the reasonable thing to do, and the Doctor like to think he had more reason now than he did then.

But it was Jamie, standing before him just as the Doctor had known him. And what’s more, he knew the Doctor, remembered the adventures they’d shared. By the Doctor’s reckoning, Jamie and Zoe only had a scant few weeks left. All too soon, the TARDIS would materialize on that false battlefield that led to the end of the travels. The Time Lords would unceremoniously drop them back in their own timelines, stealing their remembrances of him and the days they’d spent together.

It was a good day for the Doctor to stumble upon a Jamie who knew him. A single regeneration wasn’t enough to distance himself from the sting of Donna Noble’s eyes looking straight through him, and Amy Pond woke each morning with a smile on her face and tears drying on her cheeks, unaware that she was grieving for a fiancé so, so lost to her. No, there had been too many memories taken of late. Jamie coming upon the wrong TARDIS was like a gift; how could the Doctor possibly turn him away?

“All right,” he said, finally, in a quiet voice. “Come along, Jamie.”

“You bean it?” Jamie asked, hopeful but a bit unsure.

“Yes, of course,” the Doctor replied, pulled himself back to his usual jaunty demeanor. “Only cover your mouth when you sneeze – we don’t need Amy catching that cold you don’t have.”

Jamie let out an exasperated sign. “I said I wased’t ill.”

“Yes, yes,” the Doctor said, blasé. “Just humor an old man.” Giving Amy a quick wink, he jerked his head toward the door. “Look lively, Pond. Very important things to do.” And within moments, all three of them were traipsing off through the mud.

More tomorrow!

[Salamander]

Mm, I love the contrast and similarities between Two and Eleven. If the Doctors never meet then there's no paradox, so this is perfectly feasible, and a great idea for a plot. I love it

[matilda3948]

LOVE this!! Can't get enough Doctor Who

[NorthernLady]

Wow your Eleven and Amy are perfect Keep up the excellent writing Not asking for any spoilers but I hope Amy get the cold at the end... or before

[LovelyLinda]

Oh goooood! I just found this and I'm hooked!!

Your writing is very, very spot-on and fantastic! I have to admit that I don't know the second Doctor and Jamie, but after I googled them,

I fell in love with Jamie *_* He's so cute and I love his Scottish accent, it's behind sexy!

Imagening him all sniffly and sneezy is a wonderful thing to do.

Thank you so much for writing!

I really hope you continue soon

[angora48]

It's interesting, isn't it, Salamander? I don't think I realized how much Two and Eleven had in common until I wrote this fic.

And LovelyLinda, Jamie and Two (and Zoe) are so much fun together. Not all of their episodes are available (stupid BBC scrapped close to 2/3 of the Second Doctor's stories,) but I've enjoyed every one that I've seen. Those three really had a blast, and all three had such delightful friendship chemistry. They were like a (weird) little family.

Anyway.... here's Part 6!

Zoe and the Doctor raised their hands in the air as they found themselves staring at an impressive array of high-powered firearms.

“‘We’ll just slip round the back – they won’t even know we’re there,’” she grumbled to the Doctor, echoing his own words.

“And I suppose you’ve never been wrong?” the Doctor replied. He smiled up at the enormous creatures who surrounded them.

* * *

Amy decided she liked the Doctor’s friend. Jamie was friendly and fun, and the Doctor seem almost buoyant with him around. Strange, but lately he’d seemed sort of down about something, and it was good to have him acting more like himself.

It felt more right somehow for there to be three of them. It made them seem slightly less mad to go up against these Yeshovi, who the Doctor had explained were making the locals work for them as slaves. Plus, Amy had someone to team up with in poking fun at the Doctor. Jamie wasn’t as quick as her to condemn the bow tie, but he told her that it was only because she hadn’t seen how his Doctor dressed.

“Oi – none of that!” the Doctor cried when the two of them began to giggle.

Jamie had loads of stories, too. He was a bit disappointed to hear she already knew about Daleks, but he told her all about Ice Warriors and Macra, and she in turn entertained him with stories of Atraxi and Weeping Angels. It was a nice way to pass the time as they slogged through the gloopy forest.

He obviously had a pretty bad cold but was determinedly not letting it get him down. The sneezing and sniffling didn’t stop him from keeping pace with the Doctor and Amy, and so long as neither of them alluded to the cold, he seemed cheerful enough.

Only snag, as far as Amy could tell, was that he kept taking incredulous peeks at her legs. Now, Amy knew she was fit, and the miniskirt she wore showed that nicely, but he didn’t have to look so gobsmacked about it. “Eyes front, boy-o,” she instructed.

“What?” Jamie asked, frowning.

“Don’t get me wrong – I’m flattered,” Amy told him, leaning in close, “but we’ve only just met.” She was surprised to find that this light flirting put an uncomfortable pit in her stomach; she couldn’t say why.

Jamie sputtered a little, blushing more furiously that Amy had seen any boy do in a while. “I just… ub…” he floundered. “What’s happedd to your dress?”

“Excuse me?” Amy asked, hands on her hips.

“Ah, no,” the Doctor intervened, stepping between them. “Cultural differences. Don’t worry, Jamie – Amy’s not lost her clothes or anything. That’s just how they dress in the 21^st century.”

“Wait – what?” Amy said.

“Zoe doesn’t dreh… eh-SHOOOO-uhhh!” Jamie sneezed hard into the crook of his elbow. “She doesn’t dress like…” He stole another glance at Amy. “…That.”

“Different part of the 21^st century,” the Doctor clarified. “They’re not quiet up to cat suits in Amy’s time.”

“So he’s not from the 21^st century?” Amy asked. She supposed that made sense. Jamie did seem… not quite up to speed on certain things.

“Not a bit of it,” the Doctor told Amy. “Jamie’s from seventeen forty…?”

“Six,” Jamie prompted, wiping his nose.

“Seriously? You’re from 1746?” Amy asked. No wonder he seemed a bit shy and massively confused over a miniskirt.

“Aye,” Jamie replied. He buried a “CHOOOO-ehhhh!” in his sleeve. “We used to travel with a girl called Polly, add she dressed a bit… But she was Egglish. I devver thought I’d see sobewod frob the highlad id such…”

“We get it, I think,” the Doctor interrupted. “You humans – show them all of time and space, and they still get surprised over women’s fashions.”

“I didn’t know you took people from other times,” Amy commented to the Doctor. “I thought it was just the present.”

“TARDIS, Pond,” the Doctor reminded her. “‘The present’ is an entirely relative concept.”

Jamie sneezed again, a strong “Hih-CHIUHHH!” into his fist. The Doctor clapped his hands together with purpose.

“All right,” he announced. “Next things, well, next. We need to find some sort of shelter before the sun goes down.”

“How can you even tell what time it is?” Amy asked, looking up at the dense canopy.

At the same time, Jamie protested, “But we haven’t foud Zoe add the Doctor yet!”

“You can tell because it gets terrifically cold at night, and don’t worry about Zoe and me,” the Doctor replied. He glanced at his watch. “If I’m not mistaken, she and I will have been captured by the Yeshovi by now.”

“You what?” Amy exclaimed.

“Oh, not to worry – happened to us all the time in those day,” the Doctor assured her. “And anyway, I’m almost positive we spent the night as prisoners, so we have some time.” He stepped forward as his eyes bounced from tree to tree. “Now, we want someplace dry – moderately dry, or as dry as possible. Perhaps if we –” And suddenly, he vanished completely from sight.

“Doctor!” Jamie yelled, and Amy couldn’t tell if it was his cold or his worry making his voice crack like that. “Doctor, where are you?”

“Come on,” Amy urged. The two rushed ahead, looking for any sign of the Doctor. Then without warning, it was the world that vanished; everything had gone black.

[angora48]

And then along comes Part 7.

Jamie fell sickly into the darkness, screaming as he slid down a narrow tunnel of slick mud. With a somersault and a thud, he tumbled to a stop at last. “The Doctor “oofed” as Jamie landed squarely on top of him.

“What was…?” Jamie started to mumble, but at that moment, Amy crashed onto him, knocking all the wind from him. He coughed breathlessly as all three of them worked to untangle themselves from one another.

“Doctor, what the hell happened?” Amy gasped. “Where are we?”

“Kurag hole,” the Doctor said, as if it even remotely explained things.

“Right,” Jamie replied in a low voice that was a bit hoarse from shouting. “What’s that thed?”

“Hole made by a Kurag,” the Doctor told him impishly – he was the same old Doctor, all right. As he continued, he grabbed Amy, who was still sitting, by the arm and pulled her to her feet. “Local animal – rather like a mole, but about the size of a cow. They’re burrowers, you see, and they make elaborate networks of holes and tunnels underground. Lucky of us to stumble onto one.”

“Literally,” Amy added.

“Yes,” the Doctor said. It was a bit too dark to see his smile, but Jamie could hear it in his voice.

Jamie wiped his nose on the back of his hand. By now, though, he was so muddy that he was just making a bigger mess of it. As his eyes grew accustomed to the darkness, he began to take stock of their new surroundings. The tunnel’s rounded walls were made of mud, tightly packed and pressed relatively smooth. Beneath his feet, the ground was firm; it might’ve even been rock.

“So!” the Doctor went on. “I’d say we’re sorted for the night. It’s warmish, dryish, and out of the way of any Yeshovi sentries prowling about. What more could you ask for?”

“I don’t know – maybe a bed?” Amy suggested.

Jamie’s drowsy mind had been starting to drift, but the mention of the Yeshovi brought him right back. According to the Doctor, they were great hulking brutes who were forcing the Coterines to dig up some kind of special metal that was good for building spaceships – tarkerite, it was called, and Cotera apparently had heaps of it. People were being hurt, all for money, and now his friends had been captured, too. He didn’t much like the thought of that.

“Doctor, do you rebebber where the Yeshovi bight have takedd you add Zoe?” he asked, wriggling an itchy nose. “If we got theb out to-to… dight… Huh-SHOOOOO-ehhh!” He turned to sneeze messily into his hand. “We could all work together to free the Cotereeds,” he finished, running his finger under his nose.

“He’s got a point, Doctor,” Amy said.

“Absolutely not,” the Doctor replied, sounding remarkably stern for someone who looked so young. “When I say I don’t know how we escaped, I don’t mean I’ve forgotten. I mean I remember not knowing. If Zoe and I had been saved by Jamie, a red-haired force of nature, and a dashing fellow in a cool bow tie, I’d have remembered it. No, we can’t be seen.”

“Okay, but all the more reason to act now when it’ll be dark out, “Amy argued.

“Aye,” Jamie said. To be perfectly honest, he was just about dead on his feet, but he was almost sure he could find a bit more fight within him, for the sake of the Doctor and Zoe.

“Things get tricky when timelines have been crossed,” the Doctor told them. “Every step has to be taken with care – we’d be unwise to rush in.”

“But that’s what you do!” Amy said. “You rush in where fools fear to tread.”

“It’d be a mistake,” the Doctor insisted. “No, in the morning, when we’re well-rested…” Here, he glanced at Jamie, who was sniffling. “…We’ll be much fitter to help everyone.”

“I suppose you’re right,” Amy admitted sulkily. She was looking Jamie’s way as well. Jamie didn’t like all this looking that was going on.

“Of course I am!” the Doctor replied in a bright tone. “That’s what I do, Pond. Let’s get ourselves to bed, then. Things will look clearer in the morning.”

Jamie waited for Amy to get settled in, then found a spot of his own a short distance away; he didn’t know her as well as Zoe, and it felt like the proper thing to do. “Get some rest,” the Doctor advised, giving Jamie a friendly pat on the shoulder.

“Aye,” Jame said, sniffling wetly as he rubbed his nose. He really was very tired, and even in this near-blackness, his head ached. He lay down on the rocky floor of the tunnel, which was hard but dry, and closed his weary eyes.

“Heh-CHII-uhhh!” he sneezed, cupping his hands over his face. It was with a long, quiet sigh that he rubbed his sore nose.

Jamie heard a soft rustling noise, and suddenly, he found that the Doctor’s jacket was being draped over him. Despite his own wishes – the jacket made him feel more comfortable and protected – he sat up and addressed the Doctor. “Woulded’t it be better to give this to Aby?” he asked.

In the quiet pause that followed, the Doctor looked down at him and Jamie could almost make out the indulgent smile on his face. “Not tonight,” he said simply. “Sleep well, Jamie.”

Jamie nodded sleepily as he lay down again, resigned to the Doctor’s whims. “Good dight, Doctor.”

[ichixshiro14]

Aaargh this is soo great!!! Thanks for sharing!!

[angora48]

Thanks! I had a lovely time writing it, and I'm glad people are enjoying it - even people who aren't familiar with Jamie!

On to Part 8.

The Doctor sat with his back to the curved wall of the Kurag hole, arms folded across his chest. By his estimation, it was early morning. He’d spent most of the night puzzling over how he could rescue himself and Zoe, and he hadn’t gotten terribly far. He could remember events and occurrences from that long ago, details that could help with the planning, but it required a great deal of sustained concentration to call up these memories and sift through them to find the ones he needed. There were so many adventures, imprisonments, and escapes, even once he narrowed it down to memories in which he wore the correct face. As such, he hadn’t exactly had an excess of sleep.

Furthermore, he’d been on alert for a good part of the night. Kurag weren’t generally vicious animals, but they could be aggressively territorial, and the Kurag who’d dug this hole probably wouldn’t take too kindly to three intruders. Several times, the Doctor had leapt to his feet, convinced that he could hear the snuffly breath of an approaching Kurag, but each time it had merely turned out to be Jamie’s sniffling.

The boy was indeed sounding very unwell. There was no evidence that Amy had been roused by Jamie’s coughing or sneezing, but the Doctor had heard every bit of it. Now, he rose and walked to where his dear old friend slept. He stooped to adjust the tweed jacket he’d given Jamie. It had shifted somewhat during the night, and the Doctor tucked it snugly under Jamie’s chin.

“Ah… heh… ih-SHOOOOO!” Jamie sneezed, stirring a little in his sleep.

The Doctor gave Jamie’s hair a slight tousle before rising to his feet. “Good – is it morning?” came Amy’s voice in the gloom.

“Fairly,” the Doctor said, softly, as he stepped toward her.

“Good morning then,” Amy replied. She didn’t notice the tears that had streaked down her muddy face while she’d dreamt.

“How did you sleep?” the Doctor asked in a gentle tone. His hearts went out to the girl who didn’t know she mourned.

If Amy picked up on his concern, she didn’t let on. “As well as can be expected on a bed of rock,” she told him, rubbing a knot out of her shoulder. “Where’s Jamie?”

“Still asleep,” the Doctor said, lightly shushing her.

As if he knew they were talking about him and wanted in on the conversation, Jamie sneezed a wet “Huh-CHOOOO-ehhh!” into the arm he’d tucked under his head for a pillow.

“Let him rest a bit longer,” the Doctor suggested.

“He’s an odd one,” Amy commented. “I mean, he doesn’t feel well – not like it’s a secret or anything! Why doesn’t he just admit he’s got a cold?”

“18^th century, remember?” the Doctor pointed out. “He’s probably afraid I’ll bleed him if he lets on that he’s ill.”

Amy let out a surprised giggle. “Seriously? With leeches and everything? Why don’t you just explain that –?”

“Don’t think I haven’t,” the Doctor replied. “But it can take him a while to catch on; that’s Jamie for you.”

“What about Jabie?” the boy demanded groggily, climbing to his feet with a long, wet sniffle. “What’re ye sayig about be?”

“Not a thing,” the Doctor assured him. “And how are you?”

“Fide,” Jamie insisted. He cleared his throat, but it didn’t make much of an improvement on his scratchy voice. “Add that’s all! Duthing bore to be said about it!”

“Of course,” the Doctor said. A wry smile crept across his face. Jamie could certainly get a bit cross when he was feeling ill. “All right, then – we have to rescue Zoe and me, free the Coterines, and defeat the Yeshovi, and we need to do it all without causing any paradoxes or ripping any holes in the space-time continuum. It’s going to be a busy day!”

Until tomorrow!

[matilda3948]

I'm so in love with this story

[angora48]

Thanks, matilda. :-) Here's Part 9.

Jamie stepped through the forest as lightly as he could manage, aiming to avoid the “schluuup” sound his boots made when they stuck in the mud. No one had said a word for quite some time. Jamie hadn’t made a sound, though he’d wanted to. His nose was bothering him, and he wanted to sniff, but he didn’t dare. Instead, he just kept wiping his nose, but it didn’t help much. More than anything, it just made his nose sore. Jamie shivered in his damp, muddy clothes, clenching his teeth together to keep them from chattering.

The Doctor took silent, creeping steps, looking a bit like a long-legged marionette, and Amy bit her lip to keep from laughing at the sight of him. Jamie could hardly wrap his head around how different this man was from his Doctor, and yet how much the same.

One thing was for sure – all this creeping about had better be worth it this time. More than once now, the Doctor had insisted they all go quiet, only to realize a few minutes later that they were tiptoeing in the wrong places. “I’m trying to remember details from absolutely ages ago!” the Doctor would argue. “I’d like to see the two of you do any better!”

So, they snuck through the forest, wary of Yeshovi who never turned out to be there. Jamie was cold and wet, and his head ached something awful. He almost wished he was back on the TARDIS, warm in his own bed; he wondered if, in this Doctor’s TARDIS, his bedroom was still the same.

He didn’t really wish to be on the TARDIS, though, no matter how tired he felt or how itchy his nose was. He wouldn’t miss an adventure with the Doctor – any Doctor – for the world, not even for a few days.

He was so busy thinking, being quiet, and trying not to sniff, that he didn’t notice the Doctor had stopped moving until Jamie nearly walked into him. He didn’t know what Amy was thinking about, but she must not have been paying much attention either, because she did walk into Jamie. “Oi!” she grumbled.

The Doctor shushed her severely and yanked the both of them into the underbrush. Jamie waited for the eventual sheepish admission that there was no one to hide from, but to his astonishment, he suddenly realized he could hear creatures in the distance.

The Doctor mouthed what was probably “Yeshovi” and silently beckoned them to peek through the bushes. They were near the edge of an unnatural clearing – it was littered with enormous tree stumps – and there, Jamie caught his first glimpse of the Yeshovi.

They were massive creatures, with brown plated skin and three big eyes situated across their foreheads. Fierce-looking tusks stuck out the sides of their mouths, and they carried blasters of some sort. There weren’t many of them in sight – six or seven – but Jamie didn’t care to tangle with any.

The Yeshovi were going round menacing a group of what had to be Coterines. They were much slighter than the Yeshovi, and they had sort of shimmery skin that seemed to change color as it caught the light. Slender hands and bare feet ended in long, curved claws, and yet, Jamie had the feeling they weren’t the least bit dangerous. Their wide eyes looked scared and sorrow-filled.

Jamie rubbed his nose, hard. He felt the Doctor’s eyes on him, and when Jamie turned, he found that his friend was beckoning again, this time for them to draw back. They stole softly through the forest, staying low to the ground and out of sight.

“All right,” the Doctor said when they came to a stop. “Quiet voices only, but they shouldn’t be able to hear us from here.”

And not a moment too soon. Almost gratefully, Jamie buried his nose in his cupped hands. “Huh-ih-shhhhh! Hih-chioooo!” he sneezed, stifling a groan.

Though they were a ways away, they could still see the activity down in the clearing. Small packs of Coterines would come trailing in with heavy loads of metal. Others would throw the pieces into a great steaming vat, where it looked like the metal melted into a big pool. They were awfully nervous about getting too close to it, but the Yeshovi would push them about, sometimes firing their weapons at the Coterines’ feet. Looming over everything was a white spaceship, not quite as tall as the highest trees. It glistened in the wet air.

“So,” the Doctor said, “all clear on the plan?”

“What plan?” Amy demanded, copying the Doctor’s quiet tone. “You’ve not told us anything; every time we ask what the plan is, you say you don’t know yet.”

“You said it’s a ‘plad-to-be,’” Jamie added, sniffling.

“Oh, for pity’s sake!” the Doctor exclaimed softly. “It’s the spaceship – that’s where Zoe and I are being held. We have to get inside.”

“Yeah, that still doesn’t sound like a plan,” Amy said.

“Doctor, those Yeshovi aren’t bessing about,” Jamie pointed out, his voice cracking slightly. “How’ll we baddage?”

“Excellent question, Jamie,” the Doctor replied, “and I have an equally excellent answer. You and I will create a distraction, and Amy…” He tossed his sonic screwdriver to the girl, “…will sneak aboard to –”

“Heh-ih-shooooo-iehhhh!” Another sneeze burst from Jamie. He covered his mouth with both hands to quiet it.

“Gesundheit, Jamie – to free Zoe and me,” the Doctor resumed. “Keep out of sight, remember; as far as Zoe and I know, we’re the only humanoids on board.”

“I don’t know about ‘excellent,’” Amy observed. “As plans go, it sounds a bit rubbish.”

“Nonsense! It’ll come off brilliantly,” the Doctor replied. “And since I’ve already lived it, that’s a guarantee.” He very nearly clapped his hands together, but he remembered they were meant to be quiet and simply pressed them together gently. “Go round the other side and get as close as you can to the ship. Wait for our diversion.”

“Which is?” Amy asked.

The Doctor grinned. “You’ll know it when you see it.”

[jezebel215]

this is really good

[angora48]

Part 10 - it's really short, but I'm fond of it.

They were going to upset the tarkerite, the big vat of metal. The Doctor remembered it had been streaming all over the ground when he and Zoe had escaped – “It’s amazing how these old memories come back to you!” he said. While the three of them had been searching for the Yeshovi camp, he’d apparently worked everything out in his head. He told Jamie he knew exactly which way to tip it so it’d make a huge mess without scalding the Coterines. “It’s the most delicate of operations,” he told Jamie. “We need to get it just right.”

They crept silently round to where the molten tarkerite was bubbling. Jamie felt the all-too-familiar flurry of excitement and apprehension that tumbled in his stomach when they were doing something mad and dangerous. He blinked hard a few times, trying to will the tiredness out of his eyes. He had to have all his wits about him now. Another ten paces or so, and they’d be…

Jamie stopped short. A sudden itch played at his nose; not a bad one, but he hadn’t been ready for it, and it threw him off-kilter. The Doctor turned and looked at him, perplexed. Jamie wriggled his nose and rubbed it with his finger, sure that he could coax the itch away, but it wasn’t as cooperative as he’d thought. It only teased at him more. He closed his eyes and drew in a sharp breath.

A small noise, but at that distance, it was enough to catch the attention of one of the Yeshovi. The enormous brute started plodding toward them.

With worry in his eyes, the Doctor clamped his hand over Jamie’s nose and mouth; swiftly, he dragged Jamie behind a tree. His lips formed an inaudible “shh” and he gave Jamie a stern, warning look.

They stood like that, tense, waiting. Jamie felt a prickling on his neck, as it the big beastie could see him right through the trees. He held the sleeve of the Doctor’s jacket with a white-knuckled grip.

Now, the itch seemed to flood Jamie’s head. Unable to hold it in any longer, he sneezed. It hardly made any noise at all, just a faint “ishhh-hmmmm!” into the Doctor’s tightly-muffling hand.

Again, not much, but only just loud enough for the Yeshovi to hear. It ventured closer still, making low, guttural noises. It hadn’t quite pinpointed them; Jamie could hear twigs snapping as it roved, so close to them. He held tight to the Doctor, who still had his hand over Jamie’s mouth.

For a long, tense minute, Jamie scarcely dared to breathe. Even assuming the Yeshovi wouldn’t just kill them on sight, no good could from their being seen. The Doctor was very insistent that his other self couldn’t see them, and if they were captured, the Yeshovi would surely toss them into the same place where they were holding Zoe and the other Doctor. And what would happen then? The universe would explode or something. Jamie wasn’t sure of the details, but he knew it was meant to be awfully bad.

At long last, they heard a sort of shuffling, and the footsteps started clomping in the other direction. The Doctor raised his eyebrows to Jamie, who nodded, and the Doctor very slowly took his hand away. Both of them breathed a silent sigh of relief. Jamie rubbed his running nose. He sniffled once.

Instantly, a whole mess of Yeshovi whirled round and started galumphing toward them. “Run!” the Doctor cried, half-pulling Jamie as he scrambled to get away.

[angora48]

And Part 11, which is maybe my favorite part of this story. :-)

Jamie ran as fast as he could, gasping for breath while the brambles underfoot tore at his ankles. The Yeshovi’s weapons tore holes in the landscape all around them. He covered his head as a stray shot sent massive tree branches raining down.

A tangle of roots caught him by the foot, and he skittered in the mud. “Doctor!”

* * *

As she saw the Yeshovi tear off after the Doctor and Jamie, guns blazing, Amy could’ve rolled her eyes. “That’s your idea of a diversion?” she murmured. Well, the Doctor was right; she couldn’t have missed it.

Just then, one of the Yeshovi blasted the side of the big vat by accident. Amy jumped back as boiling tarkerite begin spilling out like metallic lava. “Right – spaceship,” she said. The coast was clear; she slipped inside.

* * *

Before Jamie had time to call his friend’s name a second time, the Doctor was pulling him up again. As they ran together, Jamie clung to the Doctor’s jacket. The Doctor could feel him starting to drag. Jamie wasn’t well; he couldn’t keep this up.

The Doctor leapt as a burst from one of the Yeshovi fusion rays nearly vaporized most of his left leg. “They’re gaining on us!” he shouted urgently.

Jamie’s pace was faltering. He lifted his free hand to his head, like he was dizzy. He shouted breathlessly, “Doctor, I cad’t –”

No, this wouldn’t do at all. The Doctor probed their surroundings for any resources. Within three seconds, he’d formulated what he thought was a smashing plan. “I’m sorry for this!” he announced.

“Whah…?”

Yanking Jamie by the arm, the Doctor threw the highlander off balance, and the two of them fell into a surging river.

Cold water battered them instantly. It was in fact the exact moment they were taken by the current that the Doctor remembered that Jamie wasn’t a strong swimmer. They hugged one another tightly and the Doctor twisted this way and that to keep Jamie’s head above water. Not that it was a huge success – Jamie kicked and spluttered the whole way.

However, they were almost immediately out of the range of the Yeshovi. They instead had the prospect of drowning to contend with, of course, but it still made for an awfully handy escape.

Once they’d given the Yeshovi a wide berth, the Doctor thought it was high time they came to a stop. He’d no idea how far the river had swept them from Amy, and for all he knew, they might go over a waterfall any minute. He reached up to snatch the nearest low-hanging tree branch, and they jerked to a stop.

“Hold on!” he called to Jamie over the noisy churn of the water.

As if he’d ever needed to tell Jamie to hold on. He couldn’t have extricated himself from the boy if he wanted to. Jamie’s grip on him was stronger than any current, and the Doctor was able to devote both to hands to easing them onto the shore, using the tree branch like a tow-rope.

Jamie coughed hard as he crawled onto the bank. The Doctor thumped him on the back. “Heh-SHUHHH! Ish-SHOOOO!” Jamie sneezed. “Hih… eh-CHUUHHHH-iooo!” He spat river water and took in choking breaths.

“Well, that was a bit bracing,” the Doctor mused. “All right now?”

“Bracing?” Jamie gasped. “I’be soaked to the bode, add I’ll be sore for days – I thidk w…” He coughed some more. “I thidk we hit just about every rock od the way dowd.”

“Right, sorry,” the Doctor said. “Desperate times and all that. But hey! A right sight better than being shot by one of those nasty fusion rays.” He flopped onto his back and stared at the blanket of leaves overhead. “As rescue attempts go, I’d say we did pretty well overall. Provided Amy does her bit, of course.”

Jamie’s breathing was beginning to calm down. “Devver chadges with you, does it, Doctor?”

“Never,” the Doctor affirmed with a grin. A sudden thought struck him so hard he was forced to sit up again. “Mind you, we didn’t actually overturn the tarkerite like we should have. I hope history doesn’t get too cross about that.” He took a moment to think about paradoxes and began calculating possible fallout. “Well, we… just won’t worry about that right now. So, what’s the plan? Rest here for a bit, regroup, and then it’s off to find Amy.”

Jamie nodded, sitting in something of a soggy lump on the edge of the river. He rubbed his nose and sniffled quietly. Though he seemed perfectly content with the “rest here” idea, waiting wasn’t one of the Doctor’s strong suits. If Amy were here, she’d inevitably point out that it had been his suggestion in the first place, but before long, he was absolutely itchy with boredom.

He was about to jump to his feet and announce that they’d had enough of this waiting business when Jamie spoke up. “…Doctor?” he said hesitantly.

The Doctor, desperate for something to occupy him, leapt at the chance of conversation. “Yes?”

Jamie’s eyes skirted the edge of the Doctor’s face, like he was about to make a shameful confession. “Doctor, I’be dot feeling very well,” he admitted hoarsely.

This was, of course, obvious enough to be visible from space, but the Doctor was able to resist the urge to point it out. “I’m sorry to hear that,” he said with a casual voice and a fond smile.

“Dot – I bead, it’s dot serious or addythig!” Jamie was quick to insist.

“Oh, no,” the Doctor agreed. “No, I shouldn’t think so.”

“Juh… heh-SHOOOOO!” Jamie sneezed into his hands. He sniffled. “Just a wee cold,” he finished.

“I believe you may be right about that,” the Doctor said. He noticed that Jamie’s teeth had begun to chatter and beckoned the boy over to put an arm round him.

“Shoulded’t –” Jamie cleared his throat, “Shoulded’t we go off to look for Aby?”

“In a minute,” the Doctor replied; he was ready to wait. The two of them sat side by side on the river bank, with Jamie’s head resting on the Doctor’s shoulder.

Hope you like!

[matilda3948]

Oh, this is just so good. Every time I check on this story I think, "No way this can get any better" and every time I'm wrong

If you ever want to do a story trade let me know. I'm really getting into Doctor Who...mmm....Doctor Who...

[jezebel215]

sneezy boy + cold river = :-)

[count tiszula]

Excellent. SwH AND FuN. In fact, I can't understand why All Dr Who fics don't include such a scene....

Of course, not being gay, I.....oh, with whom am I joking? I'd stil prefer Zoe....