The Dance

Based in large part on Episode 4 of Season/Series 1 "The Portwenn Effect" (including a few lines taken from that episode)

Buffalo Pictures owns the "Doc Martin" TV series, and all credit goes to them and all the people who make the show what it is.

I don't own any rights to "Doc Martin," and I'm not making any money off it.

Let me know what you think! I love reading your reviews, and take them into account as I write.

Chapter 1: The Invitation

"Martin!"

The voice echoed across the waterfront, interrupting the doctor's thoughts.

He looked up towards the harbor.

Ordinarily he would have met a greeting of this kind with a stern scowl and a good deal of muttering about the shouting of his first name in public, but he quickly recognized the owner of the voice as none other than Louisa Glasson.

Martin wasn't exactly sure why, but Louisa was...different.

A generally cheerful, outgoing, strong-willed, fiery-tempered, and above all stunningly beautiful primary school teacher, Louisa Glasson fit the description of everything Martin was not. And yet, not only did he feel strong, almost irrepressible...feelings...for her, but she, unbelievably seemed to bear him some affection as well.

Drawn by her allure, he soon found himself approaching the small crowd gathered on the beach.

"...Two glasses of white wine, a band and all for a tenner."

Martin resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Burt, on the warpath again, scraping up every penny he could. Why was he not surprised?

Surely Louisa wouldn't fall for this horrid claptrap.

"Well I'll take two then," Louisa said, handing the rotundous plumber a 20-pound note.

Clearly, Martin had overestimated her.

"I've just been mugged by Bert," she said, a playful look in her eyes.

"I've now got two tickets to the Portwenn Players Dance...an auspicious occasion. Do you want one?"

Or perhaps...underestimated.

Immediately Martin shut down. Dancing? Alcohol? People? Louisa? Not exactly an environment he was bound to thrive in. Indeed, with the possible exception of the last item, he rather despised all of these things. Quickly he tried to think of a lame excuse.

"Doctors aren't allowed to attend social events...," he said without conviction. "Besides I can't..."

Louisa suddenly saw what this was. Martin was nervous. He thought he'd mess up, do something wrong.

She recalled Mark's interruption of their little get-together at the pub. Though a mild disappointment to her, it certainly hadn't put her off the mysterious, gruff, yet highly-skilled and strangely attractive new GP from London. But to Martin...it must have been devastating. It was strange that a man with such extraordinary abilities and credentials in his profession should be derailed by such a minor snafu in his...er...social...life.

She thought about just leaving him to his pathetic self-pity; after all she wanted him to want to do this.

But somewhere deep inside of her, her feelings for him stirred. She didn't know why, but she desperately wanted to spend some good quality time with this man, as awkward and gruff and closed off as he was.

"That's a load of rubbish Martin, and you know it!"

"I...I really...no..." He put up his hand and shook his head, in a semi-polite attempt at refusal.

Suddenly, his Aunt Joan whirled around, a smile of approval appearing on her face as she quickly took in the scene.

"Have you nabbed my nephew yet?" she said with a wicked grin. Martin's face hardened. How vulgar...and embarrassing.
Would someone please tell his Aunt that he was no longer a bed-wetting 11-year old?

The expression on his face didn't escape Louisa's notice.

"Great,' she thought. 'Just what I needed, Joan.'

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Burt approaching, no doubt set on changing the Doc's mind with his colorful descriptions of the dance.

Suddenly Martin found himself being yanked by the sleeve to a more remote corner of the busy waterfront.

"Come on Martin...it'll be fun!" Louisa whispered.

"I don't really do...fun, Louisa," Martin said, his tone truly earnest for the first time since the conversation had begun.

She raised her chin defiantly.

"I refuse to believe that. I've seen you're playful side Martin, laughed at your subtle sense of humor."

A pained expression appeared on Martin's face. "I...I...can't," he stuttered out, cringing.

"Martin," Louisa said in a low tone, "It'd mean a lot to me, if you came."

The statement hit Martin like a thunderbolt.

Since when did his presence ever 'mean alot' to anyone?

Martin looked into Louisa's eyes, studying them for sincerity.

They were soft, pleading. Briefly his eyes flitted down to her simple green dress, so elegantly draped over her shoulders.

He felt his heart beat fast in his chest.

"Umm...yes," he finally said with an effort. There he had done it. He exhaled a little, feeling a liberating rush of adrenaline sweep through his body.

But to his bewilderment Louisa's grin faded. "Well, don't let me hogtie you into it, Martin. If you'll be miserable the whole time, it'd be better you didn't come," she said in that defiant tone he'd become all too familiar with.

From the corner of his eye, Martin could see Mark descending toward the beach.

The policeman had just confessed to him the other night his difficulties with women. And Martin had fancied he'd seen Mark cast a gaze or two in Louisa's direction.

Now was the time to act!

Briefly putting aside his inhibitions, he gently drew close to Louisa. She looked up at him, anticipation in her eyes.

"No, um, that would good...Wonderful, actually...I mean...I'd love to go to the dance...with you."

She flashed a quick smile.

"Are you sure, Martin?" A playful smile broke out on her face. "Wouldn't want to ruin your flawless reputation in Port Wenn with the scandalous revelation that you have two left feet." She looked down at his expensive dress shoes.

"I...um...exaggerated my lack of dancing ability..."

She raised her eyebrows flirtatiously. "We'll have to see about that. I had quite the reputation in uni, you know. Might be hard to...um..."

She batted her eyelashes mischievously.

"...Keep pace," A slight, bemused smile appeared on Martin's lips, matched by Louisa's devilish grin.

Martin scoffed stiffly, but good-humoredly. "Don't be absurd. I earned an A in Ballroom Dancing back in school."

"You took dancing lessons?" Louisa asked incredulously.

"It was compulsory," Martin said, quickly.

"Oh! How lovely!"

"No, it was rather horrid actually..."

"Oh?" Louisa said disapprovingly.

"I mean...the school...excellent academic standards...public school* and all that...But I don't really think you'd approve of their...um...disciplinary methods."

Louisa nodded. A rather sizable piece of Martin's shadowy past had been revealed, and she was struggling to chew on it. One thing was clear: Martin didn't seem to have very fond memories of his childhood.

"Well...lucky for us they produced at least one good product," she finally said in a cheerful tone.

"Hmm," Martin said, a hint of a smile yet again appearing on his face.

"Hello Louisa," PC Mylow's voice called cheerily from behind them. "I was...um...wondering..."

He stopped mid sentence, suddenly noticing the two tickets in Louisa's hand. From there his eyes moved to Martin, and the connection was made.

"Oh...hi Doc...Didn't even notice you there," he said, his smile fading.

"Mark...you were going to ask me something?"

"Umm...no...sorry...mistake...Gotta go I'm afraid..."

Martin frowned. Just moments ago, foiling any attempts by Mark to woo Louisa had seemed like a matter of necessity (survival-of-the-fittest, that sort of thing).

Now it just seemed cruel.

He'd intentionally stolen Mark's date.

To be continued...

*Unlike in the United States (and elsewhere), where a public school means a government-funded "state" school mandated to provide education to all students within it's orbit, in England (but not, apparently, Scotland) the term refers to a type of elite "private" school (Eton, for example is a public school). The expression arose from the fact that they were originally founded as charity schools for poorer students, with some degree of public governance, as opposed to for-profit schools that were common at the time.

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