From whofic.com
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Dodo had thought the Doctor was teasing her when he called her into the console room one evening and plainly told her that he was going to give her elocution lessons. He was met with a tirade, an absolute refusal to change for anyone.
“If you don’t like me for who I am, then you don’t like me at all,” Dodo replied, folding her arms.
“My dear, this has nothing to do with not liking you, it’s more for your own good, opportunities in your own time and all that. It can’t do any harm, can it, hmmm?”
His twinkling eyes were enough to convince Dodo to have a go, even if just for a laugh. She watched as Steven came into view, his arms folded and pulling that expression he often did when something confused him. He approached the Doctor and with one finger prodded the old man on the shoulder. “And what have we here?” he asked. “What are you doing this time?”
“He wants to give me elocution lessons!” Dodo exclaimed.
Steven laughed, his whole body shaking with humour. “He wants to do what? What for, Doctor, are you that bored?”
The Doctor scoffed and turned back to where he was setting up an old-fashioned blackboard and getting prepared to write some exercises onto it.
Steven approached him again. “Doctor, why are we giving Dodo elocution lessons? As funny as that sounds, is it really necessary?”
“My dear Steven, it’s merely an experiment, nothing sinister.”
Dodo laughed nervously. “Experiment! You make me sound like some poor rat in a lab!”
“Doctor, she doesn’t need all that nonsense. In my time there’s pride in the way you talk, and so many accents, well, it’s just not heard of for there to be a correct one.”
The Doctor grumbled. He didn’t like having his motives questioned, and he scowled at his young friend. He ignored him and began to write some words onto the blackboard with some chalk.
“Doctor,” Steven said as he walked around him, placing his hands on his hips, and leaning in closely to the old man. “You’re a snob, that’s what you are. Dodo’s way of talking is annoying granted, but I wouldn’t change it for the world, it’s who she is.”
“Can we stop talking as if I’m not in the room?” Dodo said.
The Doctor and Steven ignored her again and resumed their conversation, the Doctor most put out that he’d been called a snob. “How dare you, young man, I am nothing of the sort! I am doing this for Dodo’s well being. I care a great deal about the child and only want her to have the best in life.”
“Makes you wonder about those people of yours on your own planet,” Steven muttered. “Face it, Doctor, yes, maybe you do want to help Dodo, but part of you is also doing this for yourself. Dodo’s speech gets on your nerves and you’d like to alter it to more your liking.”
The Doctor pouted and shook his young friend away- clutching his lapels and sticking his nose in the air, which made him appear exactly as Steven had described him- a pompous old fool. Dodo laughed. He was always so funny when he was being petulant and superior. She linked her arm through his. “If you want to teach me to talk proper then I’ll have a bash. I don’t mind really, Steven, it might be fun. Learn to stand on me own two feet without you needing to defend me at every moment you feel like.”
“You mean ‘my feet’,” the Doctor said, correcting her.
“Why would I stand on your feet?”
Steven laughed. “I hope you’ve got a good long time to do this, Doctor.”
…
“The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain,” Dodo repeated after the Doctor. Her version sounded completely different to his, and she stopped when she could see Steven from the corner of her eye, laughing and clutching his stomach.
