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Timely Lovers Part 6: Every Time A Bell Rings
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the_redjay. (Next up the next chapter of Dating & replying to comments...)
When Rodageitmososa looked into the Time Vortex at the age of eight, a series of events were set in motion that would lead to the survival of one more renegade at the end of the Time War, a self-proclaimed Robin Hood-esque Time Lady called the Redjay. (She was - long before the Time War - exiled from Gallifrey for interfering.)
Summary: Roda learns the meaning of Christmas.
Setting: Follows on from /ˈimˌpas/ (and Last One Standing).
Characters: Second Seeker (OC) and Roda (OC)
Rating: PG-13.
Wordcount: A tiny bit over 2600 words.
Every Time A Bell Rings
It was snowing.
Roda stopped in surprise in the doorway of her TARDIS, looking out at the Seeker's courtyard. The invitation had been official - date and time carefully stipulated - if oddly whimsical and mysterious, and she looked around at the scene in astonishment. What on earth did he have planned? The sky was dark, and filled with gently falling flakes that had already settled in a perfectly smooth white blanket on the ground.
The only illumination came from strings of tiny lights, hung above the main doors and along the curving walls. It was very beautiful, although Roda couldn't help but wonder at the purpose.
The next second the large doors swung open and the Seeker appeared, dressed in a festive green jacket, and smiling widely.
"Roda! Come in, come in, you'll catch your death standing there in the cold."
Daintily making her way across the snow-covered cobblestones she looked at her young lover's beaming face without bothering to hide her confusion.
"What is this?" she asked, but he only smiled wider and brought out a red silk scarf.
"A surprise," he said solemnly. "And I need you to wear this - just for a little while."
A beat, as she eyed the scarf in his hand and tried not to back away. She wasn't good with... restraints. A blindfold was a simple enough thing, and yet-
"Do you trust me?" he asked, voice suddenly serious. "The blindfold isn't necessary really - but your trust is."
Roda knew a symbolic gesture when she saw one, and - momentarily dwelling on her latest, unsettling meeting with the Master, as well as... other recent developments - eventually nodded acquiescence. The Seeker responded with a swift kiss, before tying the scarf around her head.
"Don't worry, you're going to love it," he murmured, and she smiled, doing her best not to let her nervousness show. Taking her hand he led her through the house, as she tried to orient herself with her other senses. Something was definitely different... After a moment she decided that it was the smell. New and unusual smells, strange but very pleasant, and she almost forgot her discomfort as her puzzlement grew.
Eventually they stopped, and she heard a door open, which made the smells intensify, and now she could also hear music. Once through, gentle hands undid the scarf, and - as the Seeker pulled it off with a flourish - he announced:
"Roda. I give you - Christmas."
Her eyes widened in pure wonder at what she saw. They were in the main room of his house, but she could barely recognise it.
It was dominated by a large green tree - an Earth tree, one of those with needles that stayed green all year round - although it was covered in colourful ornaments: Something winding and sparkly that she couldn't identify (but that was undeniably pretty), and countless little oddments - shiny round spheres every colour of the rainbow, birds, angels, miniature figures dressed in red, stars, hearts, tiny bells, little upside-down cones hanging from straps... And candles. Hundreds of candles, seemingly one on every branch, bathing the whole room in a warm, flickering glow.
Slowly she took in the rest of the room, marvelling. It seemed that every surface was covered in decorations, with more of those little lights she’d seen outside strung out across the walls. There were also branches of the evergreen on every surface as well as branches of holly, shiny and spiky, red berries glowing in the light from the candles.
In the fireplace a large fire was merrily blazing, and - mysteriously - on each side a large sock was hanging, one with 'Seeker' embroidered on the top, the other saying 'Roda'. In the middle of the room was a table, decked out with a feast that was surely meant for more than two, even though she could only see two places set. The music was still playing - rich, warm and soft - and had to be coming from some sort of sound-system, as he couldn't have hidden an entire orchestra anywhere. (Although she wouldn’t put it past him.)
"Christmas?" she finally echoed, and he nodded and took her arm.
"Come, sit down and let's have some food. I hope you're hungry? I'm pretty sure I included that in the invitation..."
"You did," she said, continually distracted by the surroundings.
As they began eating he began expounding (he rather loved talking, but then considering the people who’d brought him up that wasn’t surprising).
She knew of Christmas already, vaguely - a human tradition tied in with the winter solstice and religion, but the items and symbols all around her were unknown.
"You've told me so much about Gallifrey, about... all the things I never knew. This is a small way of giving something back? Because this is my childhood, my youth. One of the magical parts of it, one of the things that makes the Doctor love humanity so much. One of the things I wouldn’t be without, ever. And one of those things that can’t be explained, it has to be experienced."
"In that case-" she shifted the paper crown a little as it had slipped into her eyes (it had come out of something called a cracker, along with a small plastic toy and a joke she didn't understand), "-why didn't you invite the Doctor too?"
The Seeker stared at her, a forkful of food halfway to his mouth.
"Oh no no no. The Doctor has terrible Christmases. I think he attracts danger. And I wouldn't want a Cyberarmy marching through my nice living room. Torchwood isn't much better, which is why I didn't invite Jack either. And well... there are other reasons too, of course."
He lifted an eyebrow, and she smiled. The atmosphere was beginning to soak into her (or maybe that was just the wine) - a wonderful feeling of warmth and safety and comfort. And the promise of good things still to come.
The meal seemed to go on forever, but once finished Roda was glad to discover that they weren't going further than the sofa, where the Seeker pressed a button to reveal the built-in screen by the fireplace.
"I've tried to explain what Christmas is, and the decorations help, but really, this will do it better." Letting his arm slide around her shoulders, he gently kissed her cheek.
"You see - Christmas isn't a party or a commemoration or trees or decorations... It's a miracle."
Too sated from food and drink she didn't respond to this latest declaration, although she was mildly puzzled by the words. Instead she just leaned back to enjoy whatever was coming - human Christmas entertainment would surely be as pleasant as everything else on offer this evening.
She certainly hadn't expected to cry...
It was 'It's A Wonderful Life' that did it. They'd already watched a handful of ‘cartoons’ - one about a mouse and a cat, one featuring some children with oddly shaped heads called ‘Peanuts’, and one with the Simpsons (the funny yellow people Jack had already introduced her to) - and also a marvellous tale about a grouchy old man called Scrooge who was haunted by the Ghosts of Christmas (human tales were surprisingly rich - she couldn’t say she understood it all, but the entertainment factor was certainly high, especially the way half the cast was apparently made of living fabric); but watching the tale of a man standing up to the system, holding onto goodness and righteousness in spite of everything, yet almost despairing as he couldn't see the true impact of his actions and being helped by an unassuming angel... By the end she was a mess, the only thing keeping her upright being the Seeker's arms. Everything she had always believed, affirmed in ways she had never imagined.
"You see?" he whispered, as the credits scrolled past on the screen, and she nodded.
"Thank you," she finally managed, and he kissed her again, wiping away the tears.
"Told you it was a miracle..."
He hesitated, clearly unsure how much to pry, and then obviously decided to leave her be.
"And now, there's 'The Great Escape' and then Morecambe and Wise. And Wallace and Gromit. And then-"
"Seeker," she said, shaking her head, too touched for words, yet amused. "I will pass out soon."
"That's the idea," he laughed, and she stared: "I can't decide whether this is more wonderful or bizarre. Is there logic to any of it?"
He shook his head.
"None whatsoever, Roda. That's the beauty of it - it's a patchwork quilt of odd traditions, and all you have to do is wrap it around you. Falling asleep is perfectly acceptable."
She eventually dozed off as the two men called Eric and Ernie were doing the strangest dance she had ever seen with a very tall woman whose name had ‘Red’ in it somewhere.
~~~
The next morning she woke on the rug, the Seeker asleep next to her. This was a common occurrence, as - despite the fact that his bed was perfectly large and comfortable - falling asleep in front of the fire was easier still. She didn't remember undressing, but her clothes were neatly folded on the sofa behind them, next to his. Looking around she realised that he'd done more than just tidy her clothes - he'd also cleared away the remainders of the food and all the dirty dishes. Although the droids had probably helped. Still, he had to be exhausted, so she tried to get up as silently as possible when his eyes snapped open.
"Merry Christmas!" he said, and she put a hand on his arm.
"Just sleep dearest," she said, but he shook his head. "Not a chance. It's present time!"
Sitting up he with a sweep of his hand indicated the fire place, and in the dim morning light she - when focussing - noticed that the stockings she'd seen last night were now bulky and lumpy.
"Go on," he urged, and she retrieved the loot, with mounting excitement pulling out a whole host of presents. Gold tipped arrow heads ("In case of Cybermen" he said, rather superfluously), a necklace with her name inscribed in Gallifreyan and several other thoughtful trinkets and oddments, until she neared the bottom of the sock and pulled out a sphere that made her gasp in surprise.
It was see-through and faintly glowing and covered in circular markings, and within it there was yet another sphere and another within that... the little globes were all slowly turning, creating endless, ever-changing patterns, and she watched it in silence for a long moment, mesmerised. She had not seen its like since before her exile. Slowly she turned to the Seeker, realising that he had gone completely still, watching her with bright eyes.
"What does it unlock?" she asked. A key like this... What could it possibly protect? And why was he giving it to her?
He didn't answer her question, instead tilting his head.
"You've been to see my father," he said, and she nodded, suddenly on edge again. He bit his lip.
"As I am sure he made you aware, I... spoke to him, trying my best to lessen the impact of... us. It should last for a while, but-"
He sighed, looking far older than his scant 200 years. "When all is said and done, he is insane. And nothing can really hold him back. So-"
Eyes fastening on her face, he studied her carefully.
"Am I right in thinking that you don't really have a home, apart from your TARDIS? I know you're presently at Torchwood, but I can't imagine that you'll buy a little house and settle down to 21st Century life any more than the Doctor."
"That's correct..." she said cautiously, unsure where he was going with this, and he nodded.
"You see, I've been thinking. About the future. About us. Because as we both know, you and I-" he followed the line of her lips, as he watched her with quiet sadness and resignation, "-you and I won't last. Apart from anything else, we'd drive each other insane in the long run. Now... as I'm sure you know, my house is as good as Jack's other home, right down to him leaving wet towels on the floor. Except it's not that simple when it comes to you and me, and I don’t want you to feel... obliged towards me in any way. So this is what I came up with."
He plucked the glowing globe out of her hands and held it up.
"This is a key to the planet. I generally keep things fairly open - apart from the standard intruder warnings - but it can be locked should need arise. The only other person I have ever made a key for is Jack, as he is the only person I trusted completely - until you."
His eyes shifted back to her face. "It's a large planet and I only use a fraction. I want you to consider it as your own. Come and go as you please. Build a house, hunt the game, disappear into a forest - stay as long as you like, no need to ever let me know what you're doing, and no one will be able to find you. You lost a home once, so this is my gift to you, should you ever want it: A safe place to call your own."
Roda could only stare at him in silence, hearts beating as the words refused to make sense. This didn't happen. She was barely aware of his touch as he cupped her cheek. She felt like she had wings - she certainly wasn’t touching the floor any longer.
"The only thing is that I need to do is make the key inherent to you, as I'm sure you know. I tied Jack's key to his immortality, but yours..." A soft smile, and his hand moved to her arm, gently touching her brand. "If you don't mind, then this would be far the best place for hiding it. Thought you might appreciate the irony..."
But she wasn't listening anymore.
A home. He was giving her a home. The thought was too big, too unwieldy to fit. Then her eyes caught a bell, hanging off a red ribbon, part of one of the decorations on the mantle piece, and the previous night came back to her all in a rush - all the stories, all the things he had told her. (Trust me/It's a miracle/Every time a bell rings/God bless us everyone) Love. Family. Friendship. Home. Often far from the home of childhood and real family, but created through kindness and friendship and generosity and the story of a baby born thousands of years before and fat man in red who brought presents and whatever other countless human impulses and stories met up in the moment when the skies were darkest and the hearts warmest.
After last night she understood the meaning of the term 'Christmas Miracle' - and now she had one of her own.
Clever boy. Clever, clever, beautiful boy. A miracle in himself, she was sure of it.
Finally able to move, she took the globe and carefully placed it on the sofa where it would hopefully be safe. She wasn’t exactly sure what was going to happen next, except the feelings building inside her were too strong for mere words.
~~~
(Mind to mind, touch to touch, skin to skin, luminous passion to luminous passion; a joy that couldn't be contained:
'Merry Christmas, Lover'.)
the_redjay. (Next up the next chapter of Dating & replying to comments...)Summary: Roda learns the meaning of Christmas.
Setting: Follows on from /ˈimˌpas/ (and Last One Standing).
Characters: Second Seeker (OC) and Roda (OC)
Rating: PG-13.
Wordcount: A tiny bit over 2600 words.
It was snowing.
Roda stopped in surprise in the doorway of her TARDIS, looking out at the Seeker's courtyard. The invitation had been official - date and time carefully stipulated - if oddly whimsical and mysterious, and she looked around at the scene in astonishment. What on earth did he have planned? The sky was dark, and filled with gently falling flakes that had already settled in a perfectly smooth white blanket on the ground.
The only illumination came from strings of tiny lights, hung above the main doors and along the curving walls. It was very beautiful, although Roda couldn't help but wonder at the purpose.
The next second the large doors swung open and the Seeker appeared, dressed in a festive green jacket, and smiling widely.
"Roda! Come in, come in, you'll catch your death standing there in the cold."
Daintily making her way across the snow-covered cobblestones she looked at her young lover's beaming face without bothering to hide her confusion.
"What is this?" she asked, but he only smiled wider and brought out a red silk scarf.
"A surprise," he said solemnly. "And I need you to wear this - just for a little while."
A beat, as she eyed the scarf in his hand and tried not to back away. She wasn't good with... restraints. A blindfold was a simple enough thing, and yet-
"Do you trust me?" he asked, voice suddenly serious. "The blindfold isn't necessary really - but your trust is."
Roda knew a symbolic gesture when she saw one, and - momentarily dwelling on her latest, unsettling meeting with the Master, as well as... other recent developments - eventually nodded acquiescence. The Seeker responded with a swift kiss, before tying the scarf around her head.
"Don't worry, you're going to love it," he murmured, and she smiled, doing her best not to let her nervousness show. Taking her hand he led her through the house, as she tried to orient herself with her other senses. Something was definitely different... After a moment she decided that it was the smell. New and unusual smells, strange but very pleasant, and she almost forgot her discomfort as her puzzlement grew.
Eventually they stopped, and she heard a door open, which made the smells intensify, and now she could also hear music. Once through, gentle hands undid the scarf, and - as the Seeker pulled it off with a flourish - he announced:
"Roda. I give you - Christmas."
Her eyes widened in pure wonder at what she saw. They were in the main room of his house, but she could barely recognise it.
It was dominated by a large green tree - an Earth tree, one of those with needles that stayed green all year round - although it was covered in colourful ornaments: Something winding and sparkly that she couldn't identify (but that was undeniably pretty), and countless little oddments - shiny round spheres every colour of the rainbow, birds, angels, miniature figures dressed in red, stars, hearts, tiny bells, little upside-down cones hanging from straps... And candles. Hundreds of candles, seemingly one on every branch, bathing the whole room in a warm, flickering glow.
Slowly she took in the rest of the room, marvelling. It seemed that every surface was covered in decorations, with more of those little lights she’d seen outside strung out across the walls. There were also branches of the evergreen on every surface as well as branches of holly, shiny and spiky, red berries glowing in the light from the candles.
In the fireplace a large fire was merrily blazing, and - mysteriously - on each side a large sock was hanging, one with 'Seeker' embroidered on the top, the other saying 'Roda'. In the middle of the room was a table, decked out with a feast that was surely meant for more than two, even though she could only see two places set. The music was still playing - rich, warm and soft - and had to be coming from some sort of sound-system, as he couldn't have hidden an entire orchestra anywhere. (Although she wouldn’t put it past him.)
"Christmas?" she finally echoed, and he nodded and took her arm.
"Come, sit down and let's have some food. I hope you're hungry? I'm pretty sure I included that in the invitation..."
"You did," she said, continually distracted by the surroundings.
As they began eating he began expounding (he rather loved talking, but then considering the people who’d brought him up that wasn’t surprising).
She knew of Christmas already, vaguely - a human tradition tied in with the winter solstice and religion, but the items and symbols all around her were unknown.
"You've told me so much about Gallifrey, about... all the things I never knew. This is a small way of giving something back? Because this is my childhood, my youth. One of the magical parts of it, one of the things that makes the Doctor love humanity so much. One of the things I wouldn’t be without, ever. And one of those things that can’t be explained, it has to be experienced."
"In that case-" she shifted the paper crown a little as it had slipped into her eyes (it had come out of something called a cracker, along with a small plastic toy and a joke she didn't understand), "-why didn't you invite the Doctor too?"
The Seeker stared at her, a forkful of food halfway to his mouth.
"Oh no no no. The Doctor has terrible Christmases. I think he attracts danger. And I wouldn't want a Cyberarmy marching through my nice living room. Torchwood isn't much better, which is why I didn't invite Jack either. And well... there are other reasons too, of course."
He lifted an eyebrow, and she smiled. The atmosphere was beginning to soak into her (or maybe that was just the wine) - a wonderful feeling of warmth and safety and comfort. And the promise of good things still to come.
The meal seemed to go on forever, but once finished Roda was glad to discover that they weren't going further than the sofa, where the Seeker pressed a button to reveal the built-in screen by the fireplace.
"I've tried to explain what Christmas is, and the decorations help, but really, this will do it better." Letting his arm slide around her shoulders, he gently kissed her cheek.
"You see - Christmas isn't a party or a commemoration or trees or decorations... It's a miracle."
Too sated from food and drink she didn't respond to this latest declaration, although she was mildly puzzled by the words. Instead she just leaned back to enjoy whatever was coming - human Christmas entertainment would surely be as pleasant as everything else on offer this evening.
She certainly hadn't expected to cry...
It was 'It's A Wonderful Life' that did it. They'd already watched a handful of ‘cartoons’ - one about a mouse and a cat, one featuring some children with oddly shaped heads called ‘Peanuts’, and one with the Simpsons (the funny yellow people Jack had already introduced her to) - and also a marvellous tale about a grouchy old man called Scrooge who was haunted by the Ghosts of Christmas (human tales were surprisingly rich - she couldn’t say she understood it all, but the entertainment factor was certainly high, especially the way half the cast was apparently made of living fabric); but watching the tale of a man standing up to the system, holding onto goodness and righteousness in spite of everything, yet almost despairing as he couldn't see the true impact of his actions and being helped by an unassuming angel... By the end she was a mess, the only thing keeping her upright being the Seeker's arms. Everything she had always believed, affirmed in ways she had never imagined.
"You see?" he whispered, as the credits scrolled past on the screen, and she nodded.
"Thank you," she finally managed, and he kissed her again, wiping away the tears.
"Told you it was a miracle..."
He hesitated, clearly unsure how much to pry, and then obviously decided to leave her be.
"And now, there's 'The Great Escape' and then Morecambe and Wise. And Wallace and Gromit. And then-"
"Seeker," she said, shaking her head, too touched for words, yet amused. "I will pass out soon."
"That's the idea," he laughed, and she stared: "I can't decide whether this is more wonderful or bizarre. Is there logic to any of it?"
He shook his head.
"None whatsoever, Roda. That's the beauty of it - it's a patchwork quilt of odd traditions, and all you have to do is wrap it around you. Falling asleep is perfectly acceptable."
She eventually dozed off as the two men called Eric and Ernie were doing the strangest dance she had ever seen with a very tall woman whose name had ‘Red’ in it somewhere.
The next morning she woke on the rug, the Seeker asleep next to her. This was a common occurrence, as - despite the fact that his bed was perfectly large and comfortable - falling asleep in front of the fire was easier still. She didn't remember undressing, but her clothes were neatly folded on the sofa behind them, next to his. Looking around she realised that he'd done more than just tidy her clothes - he'd also cleared away the remainders of the food and all the dirty dishes. Although the droids had probably helped. Still, he had to be exhausted, so she tried to get up as silently as possible when his eyes snapped open.
"Merry Christmas!" he said, and she put a hand on his arm.
"Just sleep dearest," she said, but he shook his head. "Not a chance. It's present time!"
Sitting up he with a sweep of his hand indicated the fire place, and in the dim morning light she - when focussing - noticed that the stockings she'd seen last night were now bulky and lumpy.
"Go on," he urged, and she retrieved the loot, with mounting excitement pulling out a whole host of presents. Gold tipped arrow heads ("In case of Cybermen" he said, rather superfluously), a necklace with her name inscribed in Gallifreyan and several other thoughtful trinkets and oddments, until she neared the bottom of the sock and pulled out a sphere that made her gasp in surprise.
It was see-through and faintly glowing and covered in circular markings, and within it there was yet another sphere and another within that... the little globes were all slowly turning, creating endless, ever-changing patterns, and she watched it in silence for a long moment, mesmerised. She had not seen its like since before her exile. Slowly she turned to the Seeker, realising that he had gone completely still, watching her with bright eyes.
"What does it unlock?" she asked. A key like this... What could it possibly protect? And why was he giving it to her?
He didn't answer her question, instead tilting his head.
"You've been to see my father," he said, and she nodded, suddenly on edge again. He bit his lip.
"As I am sure he made you aware, I... spoke to him, trying my best to lessen the impact of... us. It should last for a while, but-"
He sighed, looking far older than his scant 200 years. "When all is said and done, he is insane. And nothing can really hold him back. So-"
Eyes fastening on her face, he studied her carefully.
"Am I right in thinking that you don't really have a home, apart from your TARDIS? I know you're presently at Torchwood, but I can't imagine that you'll buy a little house and settle down to 21st Century life any more than the Doctor."
"That's correct..." she said cautiously, unsure where he was going with this, and he nodded.
"You see, I've been thinking. About the future. About us. Because as we both know, you and I-" he followed the line of her lips, as he watched her with quiet sadness and resignation, "-you and I won't last. Apart from anything else, we'd drive each other insane in the long run. Now... as I'm sure you know, my house is as good as Jack's other home, right down to him leaving wet towels on the floor. Except it's not that simple when it comes to you and me, and I don’t want you to feel... obliged towards me in any way. So this is what I came up with."
He plucked the glowing globe out of her hands and held it up.
"This is a key to the planet. I generally keep things fairly open - apart from the standard intruder warnings - but it can be locked should need arise. The only other person I have ever made a key for is Jack, as he is the only person I trusted completely - until you."
His eyes shifted back to her face. "It's a large planet and I only use a fraction. I want you to consider it as your own. Come and go as you please. Build a house, hunt the game, disappear into a forest - stay as long as you like, no need to ever let me know what you're doing, and no one will be able to find you. You lost a home once, so this is my gift to you, should you ever want it: A safe place to call your own."
Roda could only stare at him in silence, hearts beating as the words refused to make sense. This didn't happen. She was barely aware of his touch as he cupped her cheek. She felt like she had wings - she certainly wasn’t touching the floor any longer.
"The only thing is that I need to do is make the key inherent to you, as I'm sure you know. I tied Jack's key to his immortality, but yours..." A soft smile, and his hand moved to her arm, gently touching her brand. "If you don't mind, then this would be far the best place for hiding it. Thought you might appreciate the irony..."
But she wasn't listening anymore.
A home. He was giving her a home. The thought was too big, too unwieldy to fit. Then her eyes caught a bell, hanging off a red ribbon, part of one of the decorations on the mantle piece, and the previous night came back to her all in a rush - all the stories, all the things he had told her. (Trust me/It's a miracle/Every time a bell rings/God bless us everyone) Love. Family. Friendship. Home. Often far from the home of childhood and real family, but created through kindness and friendship and generosity and the story of a baby born thousands of years before and fat man in red who brought presents and whatever other countless human impulses and stories met up in the moment when the skies were darkest and the hearts warmest.
After last night she understood the meaning of the term 'Christmas Miracle' - and now she had one of her own.
Clever boy. Clever, clever, beautiful boy. A miracle in himself, she was sure of it.
Finally able to move, she took the globe and carefully placed it on the sofa where it would hopefully be safe. She wasn’t exactly sure what was going to happen next, except the feelings building inside her were too strong for mere words.
(Mind to mind, touch to touch, skin to skin, luminous passion to luminous passion; a joy that couldn't be contained:
'Merry Christmas, Lover'.)