Fight or Flight ( Doctor Who Fanfiction )

'Slowly'

The Doctor had landed in the wrong place after dropping off the newlyweds for their excursion, and we had to climb out of a web of muddy caves, myself drawling complaints the whole time.

Upon surfacing, we emerged from behind a gentle waterfall and onto the rim of a huge alcove of water, overhung by earth and dangling with greenery and the echo of splashing water. Sunlight streamed in through rocky arches around the cove.

Winded from the climb, I shuffled out of my muddy shoes, stripped off my jacket, and sank into the water without waiting to hear if it was dangerous.

I floated on my back, ears underwater so I could ignore the Doctor's half-hearted protests.

"You can't have me climb for an hour and then scold me for cooling off." I floated over to a crystal-clear waterwall and placed myself directly underneath it, getting to a slippery stand on a rocky ledge.

"... Say the ... properties," he said from the ridge behind me, mostly drowned out by the water splashing down, and I jumped.

"What did you say?"

He dipped his head into a stray drizzle so he could slick back his sweaty hair, and raised his voice. "Locals say the water has healing properties."

"Does it?"

He narrowed his eyes at me, a playful smile giving him away. "Of course it does. It's water."

I rolled my eyes and leaned my head back, letting the cold, crisp water fall directly on my face, slicking my hair back and sealing my clothes against my body.

"We should go, or we'll be late."

We're already late, I wanted to say, but didn't budge.

Just in case it could heal you, I wanted to give the water a chance to work its magic.

"'Mara."

"Shhhh...ut up," I answered, refusing to open my eyes as I basked in the water. "Go play. Look at rocks or something. Entertain yourself."

I heard him sigh, and then heard his boots crunch in the dirt as he wandered away to occupy himself.

I just stood there, letting the cleansing shower ush over me, carrying away every other thought and sensation.

After a while I woke up to the fact that I hadn't heard him in a while, and opened my eyes to see where he'd gone. Surveying the ledge along the cavern, it seemed I was alone. I shuffled over to the ledge and out of the direct stream, peering around with a knot of concern in my stomach.

"Doctor?"

Beside me, the surface of the water broke suddenly, and I shrieked.

He was laughing at me. Jacketless, barefoot and tieless, he emerged to stand on the same ledge as me, dripping and smiling.

"Shit!"

"Oh, language," he chastised, and before I could back further away and fall of the ledge he was pulling me towards him by the wrist.

"You're mean," I said, twisting myself out from his grip and grabbing his arm in an iron grip, threatening to throw him back off the ledge.

"Oh, mercy, mercy," he laughed, looking less like a centuries-old alien and more like a schoolboy caught pulling a harmless prank.

I let him go, pursing my lips, and he sat down on the shore ledge behind us, running his fingers through his hair to keep it off his face.

"Well? What do you think?" He asked, still dripping. His eyes flickered to the waterfall closing us away from the rest of the cove. His voice still had a slight echo. "Is it magic?"