Hello, readers. I've decided to start cross-posting some of my fics from AO3 and tumblr over to FFN, so if you recognize this story most likely you've read it on either of my accounts there (Ray_Writes and raywritesthings, respectively). This one was a gift for my mutual and frequent beta, who felt it unfair that the Doctor's first best friend never got to see him naked in the show, while following ones did. If you haven't read it before, I hope you enjoy!
-RayWritesThings
TARDIS and Sarah Jane
Sarah pushed sweaty bangs back from her forehead not for the first time, wishing she'd thought to bring an elastic. The humidity was high in the jungle they trekked through, and she hadn't the faintest clue how the Doctor was getting on in that heavy coat and scarf of his nor how he managed to still be several paces ahead of her.
As if he could read her mind, her friend stopped and half-turned in her direction. "Come now, Sarah, keep up."
"I'm trying," she called to him. "It's not easy when the vegetation is practically up to my knees." He waited patiently enough and extended a hand to help her scramble over the last thick root separating them. She took a moment to catch her breath. "Say, how old do you think this jungle is? These trees are enormous!"
"Oh, thousands of years, I should think," he answered, idly patting one of the trunks. "And undisturbed by what you might call civilization. That'll change; everything does. Best be getting on if we're to find the origins of that smoke signal before nightfall."
"Oh alright. But not too quickly or you might lose me in the undergrowth."
"Lose you? Perish the thought!" A grin came to his face as he had an idea. "Here," he said, holding out a sizeable length of his scarf, "this should do."
Sarah hesitated. "You better not tell Harry."
"Tell Harry what?" He asked, and Sarah couldn't help returning his smile with a begrudging one of her own.
So they continued on, the Doctor leading with her hanging onto their makeshift woolen rope like some sort of child even if she did feel comforted by the connection. A quick glance back showed that the TARDIS had long ago disappeared from view and there was no telling what lay ahead or to the sides of them. Quite the adventure, but not one she'd much like to have on her own.
Though they likely still had hours of daylight left—assuming this planet's days were of a similar length to Earth's, that was—the thick canopy above them made everything on the forest floor shadowy and dim. Their tromping and clambering was quite loud in the otherwise silence and still air.
Which was why she thought she must have been hearing things when her ears picked up a quiet hissing just a few meters off the path they were forging.
"Doctor?" She tugged her end of the scarf and he halted. "What's that noise?" The hissing had risen to a sort of spitting and the vegetation just to their left was rustling now.
Her alien friend suddenly whirled about with eyes so wide they were practically popping out of his skull. "Sarah, get down!" But she hadn't the time to heed his warning before he'd thrown himself at her, knocking them both to the ground. She'd have hit her head had one of his arms not circled around to cushion her fall.
Above it all the spitting noise had reached an angry pitch and dark liquid the color of a bruise fell all around them, sizzling and burning into the ground it touched. She clutched at the Doctor's shirt and hid her face in his shoulder for a long moment until the spitting stopped and the rustling noise faded away.
"Has it gone?" She ventured softly.
"I believe so. We had better hope it has or—ah!" He broke off with a sharp cry, and she pulled back to see his face had taken on a look of surprise and the slightest pain. Sarah wriggled her way out from under him mindful of the spots of liquid just starting to fizzle out only to find to her dismay they had a much bigger problem.
"Doctor! Your coat!" The thick material was disintegrating before her eyes from the hem to just below his shoulder blades. "It's some sort of acid!"
"Yes, I felt it," the Doctor returned shortly and he pushed himself to his feet. He hurriedly tossed first his hat to the side then wrenched the scarf from around his neck to join it. Sarah was far more preoccupied with tugging what remained of his coat off his shoulders. "Careful, Sarah, don't touch it," he warned, then gave another wince. "It's still eating through." She was entrusted with the sonic screwdriver before his hands flew to his vest buttons. "None of it's safe, it'll all have to go."
"What do you mean all?" She hovered just a couple feet back from him, torn between wanting to help and her nerves as he shucked first vest and then shirt. And then a cry of alarm left her as he reached for his trousers. She spun around with her eyes casting wildly about the thick trees and did her best to ignore the sound of more cloth hitting the jungle floor.
"It's alright, Sarah," the Doctor assured her moments later. "I've gotten rid of everything the acid managed to reach."
She felt a good measure of relief at that pronouncement. "You're not hurt are you—oh!" She'd turned back his way, only to freeze at the sight that met her. It took her a moment longer than should've really been proper for her to clench her eyes shut. "Pants too."
"Yes," he needlessly confirmed. "It really was a very near thing."
"Uh-huh."
"We'll need to be more careful going forward."
"Go—going forward?" Her eyes flew back open in shock as she fixed him with an incredulous look. "We ought to be heading back!"
"We'll lose the smoke signal that way," the Doctor disputed with the slightest frown. "Really, Sarah, this isn't much like you. One little attack that leaves us none the worse for wear—"
"You haven't got anything to wear," she reminded, just stopping herself from giving a pointed glance downward. She'd always been aware he was quite tall, but it suddenly seemed so unavoidably apparent that she was eye-level with his chest.
"Nonsense," he dismissed, then turned and bent down towards the ground. Sarah determinedly kept her gaze on the back of his head. The Doctor busied himself with winding his scarf back around his neck and plopping the wide-brimmed hat on top of his curls. "There now, better?" He faced her with arms spread wide as if awaiting her appraisal.
Sarah struggled to find something to say for a good minute, then simply gave it up. "Here," she practically growled instead, yanking at her own jacket with jerky movements before thrusting it towards him.
"Why Sarah, how kind," he remarked while tying it around his waist by the sleeves in a sort of imitation of a loincloth. She relaxed slightly now that most of the awkwardness had been alleviated even as she made a mental note she'd need to get a new jacket whenever they finally did manage to get back home. Probably not for another six months, then.
"Well now that's taken care of best to continue on straightaway," the Doctor was reasoning. "We've got a good deal of time to make up for."
"You're sure you wouldn't rather we go back to the TARDIS first?" She attempted once more. "You can't be comfortable."
He inclined his head at her with that heavy stare she just knew meant he wouldn't agree. "Onwards."
The Doctor moved to start past her but Sarah stopped him with a hand on his arm—which she skittishly withdrew after meeting with skin instead of a sleeve. "I think I had better take the lead," she suggested delicately. That makeshift loincloth wouldn't cover up much in the back!
He nodded sagely. "Yes, good thinking Sarah. Should we meet up with another of whatever creature we disturbed I can't very well shield us again." Sarah gave a nod of her own and a smile, glad he'd accepted her decision without much question. Scarcely had she taken two steps forward, however, than did his voice reach her ears again. "I'm certain you're more than up to the task."
She cast a suspicious gaze about the undergrowth. "Don't even think about it," she muttered warningly under her breath for any potential listening ear.
Sarah then focused all her attention on slogging her way through this jungle, and absolutely not at all on her best friend trailing behind her all but naked at the other end of a scarf. Her fist clenched the woolen material but her gaze remained determinedly forward.