Just a Kiss
I had been yelling at the Doctor about his poor piloting skills as usual, but for some reason I was more upset than normal, though that might've been because Turlough had been trying to get my goat again, but when we landed the Doctor told us not to leave the safety of the TARDIS until he'd returned from making sure there was no impending danger. Too bad I was too mad at him to listen.
Shortly after he'd walked out the door I did as well. Turlough, the coward, stayed behind like the Doctor said. At first I didn't see anything around that could be seen even as mildly dangerous, but what the good Doctor failed to mention, as usual, was that the people on Alpha Major were still fairly primitive in the time that we had landed. Needless to say that I don't think it would've made much difference if I had known.
After a couple minutes of walking through the forest that we hand landed in my temper began to cool and I decided to head back to the TARDIS. I even hoped that the Doctor had yet to return and that Turlough would be a good sport and let me back in.
Unfortunately I'll never know because just as I stared to head back I was grabbed from behind. The natives tied me up and carried me back to their village without much effort despite my struggles. Once there they put me in a hut with a guard at the door. I was so worried about what might happen to me. Would I have to marry someone? Would they kill me? Would the Doctor find me and be able to save me?
Suddenly I heard voices just outside the hut. I began to fear the worst until a familiar blond Time Lord poked his head in.
"Ah, Tegan, I thought it was you they had captured." He said disappointedly as he walked in.
"Doctor, you have no idea how happy I am to see you." I told him, and I truly was happy to see his face. "Please tell me you're here to get me out."
"I am, but there's something I should tell you." He began telling me as he walked over while pulling out his sonic screwdriver. I could hear the reluctance in his voice, almost as if he regretted doing something even though it was necessary.
"What did you tell them Doctor?" I asked as he broke the rope with his favorite gadget.
"Well due to the fact that we appear to be quite close in age even though I'm actually hundreds of years older than you I couldn't tell them that you were my daughter or granddaughter like I might've in my previous lives," I could tell he was trying to prolong the inevitable, but I knew it would do no good to rush him and simply listened, "and due to there being no real resemblance between us you can't pass as my sister," he gulped as though he feared my reaction, "I had to tell them that you're my wife."
I was shocked at first. The idea of being married to the Doctor was not an entirely unpleasant one, but was most certainly a surprising one. I took a deep breath before answering. "Okay, is that all?"
"Well, no." He stood back up and offered me his hand. "There's one more thing."
"What is it?" I asked him as I stood with his assistance.
"They need us to prove that we're together with some show of affection." He told me nervously, and even in the darkness of the hut I could see him blushing.
"A show of affection?! What does that mean?!" I had no idea what this tribe's culture might consider a sign of affection, but if it was making the Doctor blush it couldn't be anything a human like me would consider normal, or so I thought.
"Brave heart Tegan, it's just a kiss." He told me in the tone of voice he always used when saying his favorite phrase.
"That's all we have to do? Kiss." I let out a sigh of relief. A kiss is so simple, and I had secretly wondered what it would be like to kiss the handsome young-looking alien, not that I'd ever admit it. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's get out of this village, back to the TARDIS, and off this planet." I grabbed his hand and tried dragging him to the doorway.
"Tegan." He pulled back on my hand and looked me in the eyes. "We can't look as though we want out of here; the kiss needs to look like we're really in love or they won't believe it."
I nodded and took a deep breath to calm down. "I understand Doctor. I promise they won't be able to tell we're faking it." He seemed to believe me and we exited the hut.
The entire tribe seemed to stop what they were doing and gathered around us. The Doctor pulled me to him, gently lifted my chin, looked me in the eyes, leaned down, and sweetly pressed his lips to mine. When he pulled away the village members dispersed and we casually walked away. Once we were out of sight we looked at each other, nodded, and dashed towards the TARDIS.
After we got inside and were safely in the time vortex I looked at the Doctor, who seemed to be abnormally fascinated with one of the console's control panels. "Doctor." I tried to get his attention.
"Yes Tegan?" He didn't even look up.
"I just wanted to say I'm sorry for not listening to you and getting into trouble again." I told him earnestly, not daring to bring up the kiss.
He raised his head a bit and looked at me. "It's not the first time one of my companions has done as much, and I'm sure it won't be the last, but in your case I think I might simply need to start taking you with me while I look about to keep you from getting hip deep in trouble again." He winked playfully before going back to the console panel.
"Or she could simply not leave the TARDIS until you've said it's safe." Turlough suggested mockingly. I simply rolled my eyes and waited for the TARDIS to land and for our next adventure to begin.