"It wasn't him," Nancy tells him, amusement in her voice.

The Doctor gives her a look, annoyance, amusement, and possibly pride all mixed up in the same twist of his lips. "I knew that," he says quickly, nodding. "Just wanted to make sure you did, have to make sure you're keeping up."

She looks back. "Of course you did."

He nods again, turning them away from the market square. "Yes, I did. Stop laughing at me."

Nancy smiles innocently. "I wasn't laughing."

"Yes, you were. Still are as a matter of fact." He tucks his cheek, shakes a finger at her and pulls away, darting across the crowded walkway to examine a scarf. "Used to have one just like this, probably still do." He eyes it. "Left it in the TARDIS somewhere." Turning, the Doctor draps it around her neck and flicks the end over her shoulder with a flourish.

She stands there, looking at him as the Doctor tilts his head and considers it before yanking it back off. "No, it won't work," he decides. "Too tall."

Nancy shakes her head and doesn't ask, just looks back the way they've come. "He's leaving," she says after a moment, watching through the people. "We should follow."

"You said it wasn't him," the Doctor reminds her with that maddening smile of his. The one that reminds Nancy of her third grade teacher, smiling when a student got something she thought painfully obvious right.

"I did," she agrees, a little irritated. "It's not him, but he knows who." Nancy smiles apologetically at the vendor before steering the Doctor back through the crowd. "You're the one who wanted to solve the murder of the Dauphin of Dividia Six, that means due diligence in our investigation." She turns to tug on his arm. "Now come on or we're going to lose him."

"Could just track him the TARDIS," the Doctor says, his tone somewhat petulant. "It's much simpler."

"And the TARDIS is on the other side of the city," Nancy reminds. "Besides, I've seen your navigational skills. We'd just end up in Cardiff again and the last time we were there, you didn't get out of bed for a week." It's a monumental effort to keep the snicker out of her voice when she speaks.

"Well, it isn't as if you didn't have an invitation to join us," he argues. "Jack certainly gave you plenty of opportunity."

She grins. "I was with a friend." And as much as she trusted Frank, she wasn't quite up to explaining the Doctor to him yet. Much less the Doctor and Jack. That was a conversation for another day that wasn't anywhere near now.

"Ah, yes, Frank," the Doctor says his name sharply, as if he likes the sound of the 'k' on his tongue. "Jack wouldn't have minded you bringing him along, you know. Talked about him for days."

This time, Nancy does laugh. "Well he can't have him." She doesn't say 'I saw him first' but the Doctor's grin tells her she doesn't have to. "Don't say it."

"It isn't as if he wouldn't bring him back in good condition," the Doctor points out, avoiding a small yapping animal being dragged along by a Dividi child. She doesn't miss it when the sonic screwdriver whirs and the leash mysteriously snaps. "In fact, he'd be -- "

"Don't finish that," Nancy says, laughing. "I really don't think I want to know."

"Oh yes you do," the Doctor arches a brow at her, grinning broadly. "You're fantasizing about it."

She gives him a tolerantly amused look. "I would do nothing of the sort," she tells him blithely.

He grins. "If you must know, Jack prefers chocolate flavored, not strawberry. He claims they give him hives. But other than that, quite accurate."

Nancy doesn't quite blush as they step into the train together, standing side by side. It's not actually a train but that's the closest concept she can think of and she's learned not to quibble on such matters. That way lies several hours long treatises on the anthropromorphizing of alien cultures and the Doctor is such an enthusiastic speaker. "I'm sure I don't know what you mean."

The Doctor snickers. "Of course not," he agrees blandly. "Can't imagine what I was thinking."

They're silent for a moment, watching the landscape zip by and then Nancy speaks, "Chocolate?"

"Well, we'd tried vanilla but as you can imagine, that just rendered us both quite useless. Chocolate seemed more appropriate." The Doctor looks at her. "Any suggestions?"

She grins. "Neapolitan."

 

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