Laughter Through The Snow
Title: Laughter Through the Snow
Summary: Ian and Barbara have found themselves in 19th Century England
Gift for: @demigodofhoolemere
Thank you LeerZore on Discord for reading this and giving me some pointers.
Laughter Through The Snow
It was 1811 – Barbara could not believe she was in the year Pride and Prejudice had been published. She had decided to purchase a copy. However, the Doctor was not happy by this date.
“Two months off,” he grumbled, “I was sure of our calibrations and calculations,” he put his thumbs behind his lapels and bounced on his heels. “It was supposed to be February,” he muttered to himself, “damned infernal machine.”
A confused Ian swapped a bemused glance to Barbara who then turned to Susan who just shrugged her shoulders, “Grandpa likes to see the arrival of big things, something big was supposed to happen in February.”
Something shifted into place and Barbara smiled, “I always wanted to witness the birth of Charles Dickens,” she sighed, “his contribution to our language and history is of note.”
“Why don’t you young things go outside and enjoy yourselves whilst I sort this out.”
“I don’t mind staying to help Doctor,” Ian said as he put his hands in his pockets and rocked also on his heels.
Susan and Barbara had dressed in time appropriate clothes, Susan wore an ethereal teal, whilst Barbara chose a more sensible blush colour, they wrapped themselves up in warm muffs, scarves and hats, and found some cash to spend. Why not celebrate in the time they had whilst the Doctor made repairs.
Ian blustered through into the wardrobe,
“The old,” he controlled his language for Susan’s sake, “the old man,” he whispered, “told me I was not going to help, why would a primaeval primate, like me know what to do with technology far beyond my status! I am a scientist, but I swear he thinks I’m still of the age where I knock on doors and run away again!”
Susan and Barbara laughed. “Come on, you can be a regency gent and carry our bags for us, we’re going shopping,” the girls linked elbows and Ian straggled behind fiddling about with his cravat.
“Grandfather,” Susan said, “we’re going shopping. This is Earth, yes?”
“Yes, you may go… confound the blessed thing, what is wrong with you my gel.”
Snow carpeted the road and the street. Riding up the walls, decorating the windows, the streets were dangerous and narrow but that did not hinder the girls in their exercise. They laughed all the way, even entering a chocolate drinkers paradise.
“Oh this is heavenly,” Susan sighed as she sipped some of the earthly concoction, “so, what do we do now? I doubt father’s sorted out the T.A.R.D.I.S.”
“Why don’t we find a park or wide-open space,” Ian suggested. “I miss the snowball fights we used to have at Coal Hill School.”
“There’s a field down the road and around the corner. What else do you want, lovies?”
They paid the lady for the drinks, and soon they were running to the field. In the exhilarating rush, Barbara skidded on an iced-over puddle, twisting her ankle and collapsed on her foot almost meeting the snowy ground head-on. “Why don’t you two just go ahead without me?” she winced as she tried to get up, feeling embarrassed and ashamed that her ex-pupil and her, well, crush, was seeing her in a state of vulnerability.
Ian immediately came to Barbara’s aid and packed her warm ankle with snow. “Susan,” he took charge and propped her ankle up on his leg, still using the snow to calm the swelling.
“Is she going to be all right?”
“She’s sprained her ankle,” Ian said, “she just needs to get back to the T.A.R.D.I.S,” he said as he picked her up, “Susan, you’re going to have to help me.” She hopped on her foot as Ian stooped to pick her up one side, whilst Susan was hoisting her up the other. Barbara’s ankle was at an odd angle, the threesome slowly made it through the village.
Eventually, they made it to the T.A.R.D.I.S and struggled through with the girls shopping bags.
Ian had to squeeze past the maze of tools to get Barbara in a bed. The T.A.R.D.I.S provided ice packs and pillows. “Thank you, Ian,” she sighed. “We were going to have fun and I spoiled it.”
“Don’t worry,” Ian said softly, as he tied the ice packs to her stockinged feet then he slipped her shoes off, “Barbara,” he gulped, “I was er…I was wondering if… erm, when we decide – if we decide it together… Could we…”
He felt a hand resting on his arm, “Of course, Ian, I would love to see a film with you and perhaps dinner,” she blushed, “you’re who I want.”
“Can I kiss you, Barbara?”
“Yes, Ian,” she smiled softly through her pain. “You may.”
Susan skipped past the door and watched the entranceway in curiosity as the two humans mouths seemed to be tenderly massaging each other’s, she had seen teenagers at her school do the same thing. On Earth, they called it kissing. She knew this was meant to be a private show, but her curiosity won over her rationality.
She heard them moan into each other’s mouths and she decided to leave them alone. She walked into the control room where her grandfather was tinkering about with the main control system.
“Grandfather,” she sighed, “what is that thing called when humans put their mouths together and…”
“I’m not even going to answer that question, Susan. Ask them when they’re finished.”
Without knowing it, she blushed, “Yes grandfather,” she said, “I will!”
They both rushed to the controls, “Where to next, Grandfather?” she asked.
“I don’t know,” he said with a wink, “let’s make it her decision, shall we?” he patted the T.A.R.D.I.S walls.
Ah well, at least there were no monsters this time, and they did have laughter through the snow.