The road less travelled...

Title: A Day To Remember 2/3
Author: katherine_b
Rating: PG
Spoilers: Possibly up to the end of Unicorn and the Wasp.
Summary: The Doctor discovers Donna’s favourite holiday.
A/N: Written for the Valentine Ficathon

Part II

“Right, where are we? No, no, wait, let me guess. We’ve gone to France to meet ‘dearest Bonne’ and see if she got that soppy poem.”

Donna rolled her eyes. “Of course not! We know she got it, otherwise nobody would ever send a Valentine’s Day card! No, we’re not in France at all.”

“Where then?”

She crossed the few feet to the doors and threw them open. “You tell me, sunshine. Use that nose that told you what decade it was when we met Lady Eddison and tell me now.”

“Oh, that’s not fair!” He grumpily followed her out of the TARDIS, but stopped short at the sight around him. “Ooh,” he said in more cheerful tones. “This is more like it. Bit more modern than the fifteenth century. When are we – around the eighteenth century? Am I right?”

“Only a hundred years off.” She grinned. “Mid-nineteenth century. Turin, Italy.”

“Just as long as we’re not in Epcot,” he teased her, and then, as he turned to look around them, “Ooh, there’s the Mole Antonelliana. Well, what will be the Mole Antonelliana when they finish building it. I only ever visited it once it became a museum and I had to rid of a few problems when the paintings were haunted. Never saw it as a synagogue.”

“Buongiorno,” a cheerful voice greeted them and they turned to see a couple, hand in hand, coming up behind them.

“Hello,” the Doctor replied with a grin. “I wonder – could you tell me what day it is?”

The girl giggled with the young man while her stared with wide eyes and then broke into a ringing laugh. “Why, sir, it’s the fourteenth of February!”

“And has this young lady done you the honour of agreeing to marry you?” asked Donna as she joined them.

“She has indeed.” He beamed at his fiancée.

“We’re going to tell his father now,” his future bride smiled.

“Then we won’t keep you,” replied Donna, and pulled the Doctor away.

The bridegroom grinned at them, nodding at Donna. “I hope your father will be as quick to agree to your engagement as my dear Sofia’s father was for me,” he said.

“Oh, we’re not a couple,” Donna interposed quickly.

“Definitely not,” the Doctor agreed. “Still, it was a kind thought.”

The couple hurried away, but even as the Doctor looked around, he realised that the street was full of people holding hands. It was strange to feel that this situation was the reverse of the way he and Donna usually worked, in that she was telling him what was happening, but he was really quite enjoying it for all that.

“I take it this is a tradition,” he said, and watched Donna smile.

“Don’t you think it’s nice? The whole town can join in and celebrate with the happy couples. Congratulations!” she called to another couple that had waved to them.

Another couple rushed upon them, kissing both the Doctor and Donna exuberantly on each cheek. When they dashed away to share congratulations with others in the street, Donna giggled and then looked down at her hands, which were full of silver-wrapped items.

“Ooh,” she said eagerly, “presents!”

“Just trinkets,” replied the Doctor, shoving the small bundles into his pockets. “But, yes, I suppose it’s not a bad idea.” He glanced around himself at the scenes of happiness for a long moment and then turned to Donna. “Shall we go then?”

“If you like.”

She followed him back into the TARDIS, her hands still full of flowers and chocolates, which she handed to the Doctor before going over to the console.

The Doctor slid this second handful of objects into his pockets, glad that they were bigger on the inside.

“Okay, how do you know all this?” he asked as he strolled over to join her.

“High school essay.” She grinned, manipulating the controls with a surprising degree of ability. “We had to research the history and customs from our favourite time of the year.” Donna chuckled. “I was the only person who didn’t do Christmas. I think the teacher was so surprised that she gave me the best mark in the class.”

“No need to be that hard on yourself,” he said, giving her a friendly nudge. “This is Donna Noble, Supertemp, we’re talking about here.”

She smiled. “Okay, maybe it wasn’t that bad. I had fun doing it.”

“So where are we going next?”

“A different country’s custom.” Donna fiddled with several dials and then the TARDIS landed with a slightly more vigorous bump than before. “Oops.”

“Nothing I haven’t done myself.” The Doctor held out his hand and waited until she took it. “So where are we then? And when?”

“Modern-day Earth.” She led him out of the TARDIS. “Japan,” she added.

“A cooking class,” he added, peering in through a small window at where a large number of women were working at numerous stoves.

“Yes, well, things are different here.” She smiled. “Instead of men giving chocolates to women, it works the other way around. Women give chocolate to men. They can either give giri-choco or hon-mei-choco. The first type of chocolates are given to friends or work colleagues, but the others are for people who mean things to them, like boyfriends, lovers or husbands.”

"I like that theory," he said with a broad grin.

"I bet you do," she said, rolling her eyes and then gesturing at the kitchen. "The thing is, the hon-mei doesn't mean as much if it’s bought from a shop, so the women make it themselves." She peered in through the glass. "Ooh, they're going. Let's go and admire their handiwork."

Using the sonic screwdriver on the locked door nearby, they slipped into the kitchen, which was full of gorgeous chocolatey aromas, and wandered around the large room.

"Oh, I think I've died and gone to heaven," Donna moaned.

The Doctor dipped his finger in one of the bowls in the sink and sucked it loudly.

"That's disgusting," complained Donna.

"You wouldn't say that if you tasted it," the Doctor teased. "Pure bliss."

"Don't tempt me." She slapped him. "If there's a planet made of chocolate, we might have to go there."

"Can I help you?"

Donna and the Doctor spun around to find a young woman in a kimono standing in the doorway and watching them in obvious confusion.

"Oh, yes." The Doctor fished the psychic paper out of his pocket and held it out so that she could read it. “We would like to…”

“Ah, you wish me to teach your lady here to make hon-mei?”

“Well, uh…” The Doctor was temporarily wrong-footed by this. “Yes,” he finally agreed. “But we’re not – that is, she’s not mine.”

“No,” Donna agreed. “But it would be good to learn.”

The Doctor found himself shooed out of the kitchen and he had to watch through the window as Donna was welcomed by the other girls upon their return. He was positively envious as he watched her sample the efforts of her labours and pretend to swoon at the taste.

“Ah, they are making hon-mei,” said a male voice behind him, and the Doctor turned to find an older Japanese gentleman standing next to him.

“Yes, I believe so,” he agreed.

“And that is your wife?”

“What? Oh, no. No!” He shook his head vigorously as the other man pointed at Donna. “No, just a friend. We, you know, travel together. That’s all.”

“Ah.” The Japanese man looked up him and down. “But she makes hon-mei for you?”

“I have no idea.” The Doctor threw up his hands in a ‘don’t care’ gesture. “She just likes to cook and this is something – different.”

“I see.” He tilted his head slightly to one side and gazed at the Doctor. “And suppose she gives you hon-mei? What will you give her for White Day?”

“White Day?” The Doctor frowned. “I’m not familiar with that. What is it?”

“Well, on that day, those men who have been fortunate enough to receive hon-mei must give something in return to their beloved. At one time it was white chocolate or something made of marshmallow, but now many give more expensive presents.”

“Can’t let the women outdo us,” the Doctor teased.

“Certainly not.” The other man smiled and waved at the door. “Should your friend give you a gift, you must be prepared to return it. Come, we will find something she likes.”

* * *

“All right, I’m starting to concede you might have a point,” the Doctor admitted as the TARDIS sent them on to their next destination. “That was – nice.”

“You’re just bitter that you didn’t get anything,” she teased.

Flicking a switch on the console, she walked over to where he was leaning on the jumpseat and picked up his hand. Turning it palm-up, she fished in her pocket and took out a small object wrapped in delicate, brightly decorated paper.

“There.”

“What’s this?”

She smiled. “Just mates, remember?”

“Right.” The Doctor nodded and then examined the chocolate closely as Donna returned to her place at the console. “Did you make it?”

“I did.” She chuckled. “No nasty comments, thanks.”

“I wouldn’t!” He looked hurt. “Well,” he conceded after a moment, “not often anyway.”

Unwrapping the small parcel, he folded the delicate paper and slipped it into his pocket before examining the chocolate. Bringing it to his mouth, he touched his tongue to the top and grinned at the chocolate taste. However, this close, he could smell it and he frowned a little before a broad grin lit his face.

“Banana! Brilliant!”

Donna smiled and watched as he crammed the chocolate – whole – into his mouth. His jaws working busily, he crossed the console room and stood behind her, his arm slipping around her shoulders.

She didn’t have a chance to relax against him because she had to focus on the TARDIS.

“So where are we going now?” the Doctor asked, the scent of chocolate-banana-flavoured breath close to her nose.

“La belle France,” she told him with a grin. “The most romantic country in the world.”

The Doctor groaned. “Soppy,” he declared.

“Well, this one might be a bit,” she admitted. “I always thought it was nice though.”

However the Doctor’s reaction as he was pulled violently away from both the TARDIS and Donna was that this was anything but nice!

“Donna!” he yelled desperately.

“No, not yet,” scolded one of the men who was holding his arm. “Wait until you’re inside the house.”

“He doesn’t know,” said another man. “You’re not from around here?”

The Doctor shook his head, even as he was pulled inside a house and the door was closed.

“It’s like this,” the third man told him as they ushered him up the stairs. “We go to one side of the street and the women go to the other. We find a window and must call the name of the one we love. The ladies call for us also. If we find our lady, we may go out and meet in the street.”

“And if not?” asked the Doctor, relieved that neither he nor Donna appeared to be in any danger.

The first man chuckled. “Ah, I am certain that you have heard the phrase about a woman scorned.”

“Hell is said to have no fury in comparison,” the Doctor agreed.

“Exactly.” The second man gave a rather evil grin. “Well, if we do not call for our ladies, then they will make an image of us and burn it on a fire.”

“Vicious!”

“Oh, yes!” The first man grinned at the Doctor’s response. “But most entertaining, at least so long as we are with our beloved and can watch.”

“We’re about to begin,” a voice called from somewhere else in the house.

His new friends pushed the Doctor in the direction of a window and crowded around him so that they could all see and be seen. He looked across at the houses opposite, searching for a flash of ginger. Not for the first time, he was grateful for the distinctive colour of Donna’s hair.

The chorus of voices from the windows around made it difficult to hear, but the men beside him began calling.

“Adrienne!” yelled the first man.

“Michelle!”

“Lucie!”

And female voices could be heard from across the road.

“Paul!”

“Charles!”

Oh, what the heck, thought the Doctor. When in Rome… or France… “Donna!”

“Michelle!” cried the man beside him, and then, as a young lady in a white gown appeared on the streets below, he vanished and could soon be seen embracing her.

The Doctor sought out that bright head of hair and finally found that Donna had moved to a window almost opposite where he was standing. She was grinning and he was pleased that she was enjoying it. Still, for a moment, he did consider slipping out of the back door and seeing how she would react. He secretly suspected that she would enjoy burning him in effigy.

And yet there were an increasing number of happy couples being reunited below them, and the Doctor didn’t have the heart to disappoint her.

“Donna!” he called again and she must have heard because she looked up and saw him.

“Doctor!”

She waved wildly and then pointed down to the street. He nodded and was grateful to leave the crowd at the window as he moved into the house. Taking the stairs at several large leaps, he yanked open the front door and found himself in a swirling mass of happy, laughing people, mostly in each other’s arms.

It was a blessing to be tall. He peered across the crowds and saw Donna emerging from the building. Raising his arm in the air, he waved and grinned as she looked up at him. He pointed in the direction of the TARDIS and saw her nod before she began forcing her way through the crowds.

Although it was a crush, the Doctor was laughing by the time he forced his way through the last few people and reached the relative safety of the ship. The whole scene in front of him was full of joy, and Donna was beaming as she finally reached his side, her hair having come loose so that it was now waving wildly around her head.

“Have you ever seen anything so mental?” she demanded, grabbing his hands. “I never thought it would be like this!”

“Completely crazy,” he agreed with a grin. “But lots of fun.”

“I wondered if you’d prefer to be burned,” she teased. “I was starting to imagine how a little wooden figure of you would look.”

“We-ell, I did think about it,” he began. “Thought you’d get a thrill out of watching me go up in flames.”

“Could be fun,” she agreed, nudging him with her shoulder as she leaned against the TARDIS, and also partly against him. “Let’s stay for that part and see how many ladies were left without partners, huh?”

“Absolutely.” He slid his hand into hers. “It seems like the craziness is starting to die off, so why don’t we grab a bite to eat somewhere and then we can watch the party when it gets dark?”

They turned away from the crowds and slipped away down one of the many small alleys nearby. Other couples had had the same idea and the tables at many of the restaurants were filling fast, but they finally found somewhere and the Doctor ordered drinks for them.

“Ooh, bubbles,” smiled Donna and then lifted her glass and tapped it gently against his. “Here’s cheers.”

“To St Valentine,” the Doctor said with an answering grin. “Perhaps one of the most fun Saints of all.”

“Better than old Saint Nick.”

“Just you wait, Donna Noble. I will prove to you that Christmas is all it’s cracked up to be, and then some.”

“Well, you’ve got to wait until we finish my little parade first.”

“Ooh!” The Doctor arched an eyebrow. “Where to next?”

“Hey, we have to finish here first!” She nudged him affectionately with her foot. “I might get around to burning you in effigy yet!”

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