Sylvia Noble glanced out of her kitchen window , preoccupied with washing the many dishes from her birthday barbecue , the one her daughter Donna had insisted that her friend, that Doctor attend. Sylvia didn't really think much of him , every time that they had met, he seemed to bring trouble along with him , and she couldn't understand why Donna travelled with him at all. She should have a job, a career.. even married . Not travelling. She would never settle down if she continued the way she currently was.
'Trust him to wander off when work is to be done, he eats all the food, and then doesn't offer to at least wipe the dishes' she muttered , observing the Doctor in the back garden. He had muttered something about ' checking out something' , and had set off from the table , his hand on his sonic screwdriver , as soon as the meal was over.
Donna spoke up from where she was drying one of the many plates, ready to defend her best friend.
'Leave it Mum, he normally would, but as he said, he needs to check something. He wouldn't race off like that if it wasn't important' Donna had noticed how fidgety the Doctor was right throughout the barbecue in the back garden, he kept dodging his eyes towards the tall fence separating their yard with their neighbours. He also couldn't sit still , he kept shifting in his seat. He had done well , she praised, putting up with her mother's continuous nagging towards her, and him as well. How they had laughed when she asked that Spaceman if he had a job at all .
'My job is to look after your daughter' he answered with a coy smile at Donna. That kept her mother quiet for a while .
Until he accidently set the small chocolate mud birthday cake on fire with his sonic screwdriver, he only offered to light the candles. Wilf had raced for a hose, and well..
' OI WATCH IT SPACEMAN!' Donna had yelled good heartedly , when the Doctor had sprayed her with the hose, lucky Donna was able to change into dry clothes. The Doctor however , was soaked.
Still. Wilf had offered some dry clothes, but the Doctor had waved him off, insisting that his clothes would dry off soon. That he would sonic them dry.
But he was still dripping water everywhere. He hadn't got around to drying his clothes still.
'Oh he can't do that Donna, look at what he is doing.. what would the neighbours think if they see that?' Sylvia complained at what the Time Lord was doing .
Donna opened her mouth again, ready to tell her mother that there was no way that the neighbours could possibly see what the Doctor was doing , unless they were looking directly over the fence, and stopped.
Her mother had a point. The Doctor and her grandfather ( she thought her grand dad had gone up the hill ) were at the strawberry bush by the back fence. The Doctor was stooped down, his sonic buzzing along the bountiful fruit growing on the leafy bush.
Her grandfather was watching curiously along, having a conversation with the Doctor, his telescope disregarded on the lawn, glistening in the sunset, while the Doctor was ..
Donna watched, stunned, as her mother strode out of the back door, dishes disregarded , ready to give the Doctor a serve. Donna hesitated, and then soon followed her mothers stride.
' What are you doing Doctor ? They aren't yours to eat!' Sylvia called, complaining. 'And you Dad, you let him eat them !'
The Doctor and Wilf stopped what they were up to , caught. Like deer in head lights. They stared at Sylvia's enraged face. Wilf his a small chuckle in his throat.
'Ay, looks like we are in trouble now' he observed.
The Doctors long fingers stopped mid way from where he was about to pluck another strawberry from the bush, and gulped, then grinned, trying to charm the two ladies. Wilf mumbled an apology, but his daughter didn't hear it.
' May I say Mrs Noble, that your strawberries are delicious?' he asked. He smacked his lips together and beamed at the pair.
'They aren't yours Time Boy!' Donna told him firmly. 'Besides, you don't lick the leaves as well, did you know that you have a very strange obsession with licking things Sunshine?!' She had witnessed him licking the long olive green leaves and was slightly disgusted , like she always was when he happened to do something like that in their travels. She recalled him doing the exact same thing with a dollar coin in Australia the other day , just to determine what mint it came from, showing off, trying to impress her with his knowledge.
'But.. but' the Doctor stammered, caught out.
'I have to use those strawberries to make jam!' Sylvia barked at him. 'Now your alien hands have been on them !'
'And your alien germs' Donna added.
'I don't .. I don't .. have germs, well I do .. but not like that Donna!' he insisted .The Doctors first thought was as he stared at them , Wilf getting out of the way , knowing he would be for a serve when he got home as he headed up the hill , was..
Like Mother, Like Daughter. They had the same furious face and they both had their hands on their hips in the twilight. He would've laughed , if he didn't know how furious Donna could get, and it seemed Sylvia was the same. He held up a hand, to stop what he could only describe as nagging.
'Wait, wait! Can I explain?' he called , as Sylvia started on him, something about eating strawberries when he could've helped out , and how her cake was now ruined. The Doctor sighed. He had promised to go out and get a new birthday cake , it was the least he could do . And he reminded Sylvia of that fact as well , to which she huffed.
'Not likely, look at what happened last time, Donna, can't you see that he causes trouble, you need to stop hanging around with him..' to which Donna gave her mother a deep , dark glare. The Doctor had felt sorry for her all afternoon, ever since they arrived.
'Mum, don't tell me what to do!' Donna yelled.
Good girl, he thought proudly. He cut in before Sylvia could retaliate.
'As I was saying, your strawberries are delicious ..'
'Your freebies it seems' Donna muttered under her breath, the Doctor chose to ignore her. She would get a surprise when he told her what he had discovered, he had smelled them as soon as they sat down for dinner, begging him to taste them. He continued.
'Where did you get the bush?And have you noticed that they are the wrong shape, too round and large to be atypical strawberries and are too sweet?' he asked Sylvia .
Sylvia's furious face suddenly turned into one of confusion.
'Its been here since , well, we moved in. Mrs James from over the way wanted to know where she could buy a bush. Its been marvelous, we don't have to water or fertilise it. Every day , fresh fruit. I've won ribbons from that jam I made them out of' The Doctor stole a glance at Donna. Her mouth was a round ' O' . She may have quite possibly worked it out.
He was right.
'Are you saying that they are alien strawberries?' Donna gasped, while her mother looked dumb founded.
'No..' she gasped.
'Oh yes!' the Doctor exclaimed gleefuly . ' This fruit is from the Navicoas, one of the greatest explorers of other planets . Beautiful , delicious fruit, but , the leaves.. They were sour! Uggh' he made a face and Donna giggled.
'Serves you right for licking them' she muttered and he shrugged.
'I had to make sure!' he pleaded.
'You couldn't tell they weren't alien just by your sonic screwdriver? Typical , licking things. You just wanted to show off a little bit more!' she barked at him, but she was smiling at that crazy Time Lord. She wouldn't have him any other way. He gave her a cheeky grin as they set off to collect another birthday cake from a supermarket , well, Donna collecting it, the Doctor waiting in the car, he didn't want another excuse to make Sylvia angry, especially on her birthday.
'Ready to go Martian boy? Donna asked him as she got back in the car, placing the cake on the back seat. The Doctor's high senses could smell it from his position at the front, singing away to 500 Miles by the Proclaimers , he beamed.
'Turn that song down Spaceman, its annoying!' she complained loudly. Just to goad her, he soniced the radio, turning up the volume. The scent was overwhelming as Donna did up her seat belt and turned on the ignition and lights.
'Choc banana!' he determined with joy, his eyes lit up.
'Yeah, well, you put up with Mum , you deserved it.'
How thoughtful , he mused. But he wasn't sure Sylvia would be so impressed at the choice of flavour when they returned to the house.
His theory turned out to be correct , as soon as she opened the box containing the small , round cake. The Doctor was positively salivating at the smell and sight of it in the white cardboard box on the counter.
'I wanted chocolate, not choc banana, I don't even like bananas..' the Doctor hid a small smirk .
'Well, tough. It was either this , or a pear cake. And the Doctor doesn't like pears' Donna told off her mother.
'He doesn't like pears, well, its my birthday, so Mister here can ..' she didn't get to finish her sentence.
'STOP BEING SUCH A DRAMA QUEEN!' Donna yelled , stunning her mother at the kitchen bench. The Doctor , Sylivia and Donna heard clapping from the doorway to the kitchen.
'Ay, Ay, its about time someone said that! ' Wilf greeted them cheerfully.
Sylvia was in a bad mood for the rest of the night. She huffed as she blew out the candles , a scowl on her face , not saying a word , and stayed like that until the Doctor and Donna bid good night , returning to the TARDIS, parked on the front lawn.
However , Sylvia Noble , to this day , as she saw her two grand children , Donna's children swipe the berries of the bush, was thankful .
That even though Donna couldn't remember her travels , that a little part of the world she had forgotten , was still flourishing every day in her mothers back garden. Sylvia looked up to her daughters voice as Donna stepped up to the kitchen sink , and wiped a plate from the barbecue, Sylvia reminded of another barbecue five years earlier.
'Mum , can I have a cutting of that strawberry bush of yours? It seems like Rose and Jack loves them.. where did you get it from again?' as they observed the twins at the strawberry bush from the kitchen window , Wilf even sneaking a few himself as he chatted to his great grandchildren by the back fence. Shaun shrugged , and took a few himself , smacking his lips together.
Sylvia Noble could only smile when she told Donna , of course she could have a cutting , and the bush was given to her by an old friend , called John Smith.