A/N You know, I've reread this story on a typo-hunt numerous times now, and I just finally caught a Jane Austen whiff (or maybe as it's three in the morning I'm totally hallucinating) in the first sentence. Weird how long it takes for things to creep up on you...

Well, let the muli-chapter escapade of cute/quirkiness begin..

Chapter One

Through the course of their adventure, as it was want to happen, The Doctor found Sarah to be under hypnotic suggestion. As he had grown used to such an event, he took it upon himself to pull her throughout the danger at his side, under close watch, until he could reverse what had been done to her once the overwhelming threat had been dealt with.

So of course, it wasn't until after the mastermind behind the attempted destruction of the peaceful village of Talund had died in the fiery blaze of his own doomsday machine, did the Doctor realize that the man may have been a genius mechanic, but he was quite obviously a sub-par hypnotist. That, or all of the previous times Sarah's mind had been clouded and given instruction had finally had their repercussions, though he hoped it wasn't the later.

With a sigh, the Doctor began to root through the pockets of his coat for a sack of jelly babies. The reason he knew the would-be-doom bringer was a bad hypnotist, was because Sarah had told him a rather mean looking man had told her to kill him, and only after he had announced to the villagers that they were safe.

Also, she was fixated at making mud patties in the dirt next to the TARDIS, as she had refused to go inside. Sarah had a large grin on her face as she dug her fingers into the earth, pausing in her fake-baking to scratch at her nose, leaving dirt across her face to match the patches on her clothes.

"Sarah," the Doctor called, the teensiest bit of frustration leaking through when his hand was unsuccessful in his hunt for sweets. He began the search again with the other, "we need to get in the TARDIS now."

"I'm not done baking yet, we'll get hungry." Her hair was in a mess around her face, and as she leaned forward it began to get dragged through the mud she was playing in.

"There's plenty of food in the TARDIS," the Doctor finally tore his eyes away from her, staring down into his pocket. Where had they got to?

"It's all yucky."

"My TARDIS does not serve yucky food!" He protested.

She blew a raspberry at him.

The Doctor gave a great huff at her response, then decided he wasn't going to play any more games with her. "Young lady, into the TARDIS. Now."

"No!"

He felt something tap his chest, so he looked away from his pocket and down at his waistcoat, where there was now a tiny patch of mud. His eyes slowly tracked across the ground until they landed on where Sarah was. She was sitting up straighter, hands in the mud, preparing to throw more. There was a look of determination on her face that matched a toddler refusing to take a bath. The Doctor was seriously beginning to doubt he would ever make it off the planet when his hand, buried elbow deep in his pocket, finally grabbed onto something.

He grinned.

Sarah narrowed her eyes at his sudden change in demeanor.

The Doctor schooled the grin away then sighed dramatically, "well then, I'm just going to have to leave without you."

"Yea."

"All alone in the vortex.." he turned slowly back towards the TARDIS doors, pulling the long sought after white bag from his pocket, "no one to share jelly babies with." His back was to her, so he couldn't see her expression, but the sudden silence said more than enough. He grinned because he knew she wouldn't be able to see. "I'll get a cavity when I eat these all by myself.. ah, well. I used to have a friend, you know, a best friend, we could have shared, but she doesn't even want to travel with me anymore."

"I want to travel with you."

The soft voice at his elbow startled him, and his grin dropped when he looked in the direction of the voice. Sarah stared up at him, brown eyes wide and sad. The Doctor hadn't even heard her walk up behind him.

"Your best friend is a meanie."

The Doctor decided not to tell her that he had been talking about her, "yes, she was."

"I'll be your best friend."

"You just want my sweets," he accused, pulling the bag close to his chest.

"No! No, I want to travel with you too."

"Really?" His eyes grew wide, and he was finding it increasingly difficult not to start grinning at the incredibly earnest expression on her face.

"Yes!"

"Well then, into the TARDIS and we'll be off."

Bouncing on her toes (apparently she had abandoned the shoes somewhere) Sarah bounded into the TARDIS. Nearly sighing in relief, the Doctor hurried after her, quickly closing the doors behind them. Sarah was at the console, hands gripping the edge and she was leaning over so she could rest her chin on the backs of them. As he started the dematerializeation sequence she stared up at him.

His eyes fixated on the smudge of dirt across her nose. The Doctor decided not to mention it though, doubting that Sarah with the mind of a child would react much better than normal-Sarah if he told her she looked adorable with dirt on her face. "What?"

There was a beat of silence in which she held a look of someone who really shouldn't say something, but they were definitely going to anyway, before asking, "can I have a jelly baby?"