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Author's Note: Written for Doctor Who - Martha/Jack - during 'the year that never was'. What if Jack went with Martha during that year... on the Cheering Up Meme.


They had gone to ground for the night, in a rock shelter in the Vermont hills. Early spring and it still felt as cold as winter.

"I feel like we should be lighting a fire," Martha said, pausing from scraping together a bed of leaves for the two of them and rubbing her hands together to warm them.

"Wouldn't advise it: bad enough the Toclafane act like little heat-seekers, the fire would just draw 'em right to us," Jack said from his perch, keeping watch, at the mouth of the rock shelter. "And if I have another run-in with one of those nasty little flying bowling balls of death, I'm gonna start wearing a tin hat."

"Any sign of our transport?" she asked, only too willing to change the subject.

"Nope, best if we bunk down till they get here," Jack said, glancing out over the landscape. "Nothing to see, and they'll be traveling dark."

"Shouldn't we have put out a sign for them?" she asked, curling up on the pallet of leaves and rubbing her arms.

"They arranged the coordinates, they know where they'll find us," He said, looking her up and down. "You cold?"

"Freezin'," she admitted. "Never know it was the spring."

He crept into the cave, slipping out of his greatcoat, then holding it out to her. "Go on, lay down and rest: this'll keep you warm."

She curled up on the leaves as Jack spread the grey wool folds of his coat over her like a blanket, before laying down beside her, close enough that she could feel the warmth of his body, but leaving some space between them.

"Come on, get under here: you're risking hypothermia," she said, coaxing him gently, but with a doctor's concern.

"You need it more'n I do," Jack argued. "Besides, there's only room for one under it: my last wife told me I was a blanket thief. Conditions like this, I'd rather not do that to you."

"Such a gentleman," she said, amused on the surface, but touched by the care behind the banter. "You want me to have a go, keepin' watch, while you get some rest?"

"Nah, you get yourself some shut-eye: I don't need to sleep; just crawled in here to get out of the wind for a bit," he said. "When our ride gets here, I'll be here to wake you up."

"That case, I'll see you then," she said, pulling Jack's coat around her and closing her eyes.
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