For the Short Fic Challenge prompt: A scene completely without context. Tagging @doctorroseprompts. The ladies have a cheeky, chatty night on the TARDIS.
There was a lot of giggling going on in the media room. The Doctor couldn’t help but notice as he walked past. (Okay, so he was listening in, on purpose but he wasn’t about to admit to that. Donna had already sworn she’d cause him bodily harm if he interrupted. And he believed her..)
He could hear the woman who’d threatened him laughing loudly. Presumably at him. “Did he tell you all about the Venaluazian Cascade?”
Martha snorted, “And how he’s personally responsible for the order of the planets around their sun? All the time.”
“That was all an accident, y’know,” Rose chimed in. “We were…”
There was some murmuring even his superior hearing couldn’t pick up, followed by shrieks of glee.
Martha spoke up, “Well, that makes a lot more sense now.”
“Guess you could say it’s all down to you, Rose,” Donna added. There were more shrieking giggles.
The Doctor remembered that night quite well, and yes, Rose had played a significant role. Quite a significant role. In fact, he wanted to drop Martha and Donna back home so they could try that again, in private, without the possibility of disturbing the orbits of six planets. He smirked, recalling the moment. It had taken some skill to make Rose scream like that, even if they’d ended up causing a bit of a planetary mixup. He still had it.
“Wait, is he out there in the corridor?” Martha asked. He heard someone approaching the doorway. “His ears must be burning.”
Sensing no good would come from disturbing their “girl talk time,” as they had called it, he decided he would discuss the possibilities with Rose later.
The next entry in the Short Fic Challenge uses these prompts: someone having the worst luck, the meet part of a meet-cute, and the situation and setting, a coffee shop human AU was suggested by @sunniebelle. Tagging @doctorroseprompts.
John Smith found himself looking at his phone calendar to confirm the date wasn’t actually Friday the thirteenth. Not that he was a triskaidekaphobe. Not at all. He wasn’t superstitious in the least, because he was a scientist with a doctorate and that was not how he rolled.
But, mornings like this certainly tested his resolve. He had awakened to discover that his car had been towed in the night, most likely due to a parking complaint from his annoying neighbor in the next building. John had known he was tempting fate by taking the space right in front of her building, but it had been the only one open. He’d spent a good hour tracking the vehicle down, making him miss his first class. He’d had to call in his TA to teach his first lab of the day, and he wasn’t sure he’d make it to the second.
The second debacle of the day had occurred shortly after he’d burst out of his flat door. He’d tripped over the errant black cat that had taken up residence in the stairwell. John had nearly gone head first down a flight of steps, but had managed to grab the rail just in time. The swearing and clatter had been loud enough for Craig and Sophie, the ground floor neighbors, to poke their heads out their door. Sophie once again disavowed the cat. John had no idea who owned it. He sensed a tone of derision in its meowing at him.
So, no, it’s not Friday the thirteenth, but yes, the cat was black. Managed to avoid walking under that ladder, though. John thought as he walked, shoulders slumped, down the sidewalk towards the newspaper stand and the small cafe next to it. Noticing the white splatter of paint on his black chucks, he groaned. Missed the ladder but not the paint, he mused as he looked back at the workers painting the trim on the building next to his. His neighbor’s building. He told himself it was ridiculous to imagine she paid the painters to mess up his shoes.
Wilfred Mott, who ran the newsstand, greeted him with his usual cheeriness. “Well, hello, Doctor! Everything okay? You look a bit deflated.”
“That’s a good word for it. It’s not been a great morning,” John confirmed.
“Was that your little blue car I saw…”
“Yep,” he said, popping the p.
“Blimey,” Wilfred said, shaking his head. “Wish I’d said something.”
“It wasn’t your problem, Wilf,” John assured him. “Nothing you could do about it. Then to make matters even better, I tripped over the cat in my building. Nearly cracked my head open.”
Wilfred winced. “Ah, I see. Gonna get your car now, I suppose?”
John rolled his eyes. “Soon. Impound yard doesn’t open for another half-hour. I guess I’m going to work after lunch. Hopefully.”
“I’d give you a free newspaper for your troubles…” Wilfred began.
John raised his hand and interjected, “No, I’ll pay for it. I have to keep my favorite newsstand in business, and besides, Donna would kill me.”
Wilfred continued, “…But I’m all out.”
“Ah,” John said. No leisurely crossword puzzle today.
“I think things will look better after coffee and a muffin,” Wilfred suggested.
John nodded. “Excellent idea. Particularly if it’s one of Donna’s banana nut muffins.” He stepped towards the cafe door.
“Have a better day, Doctor. I’m rootin’ for ya.”
With a salute and a smile in Wilfred’s direction, John entered Noble Pastimes, his favorite cafe. He noted that it was rather crowded, even for the end of the morning rush. His friend Donna was behind the counter, as was the barista, Bill Potts, and there were four customers ahead of him.
John realized there was something familiar about the woman approaching the counter. She was blonde, wearing a bright pink hoodie with Punky Fish scrawled on the back like graffiti. Suddenly, it occurred to him why she was familiar, and his heart sped up a bit with the revelation. Oh! The shopgirl from Henrik’s! The one who sold me Aunt Sarah’s scarf. Yes, that’s definitely her. She was lovely. Picked out the perfect gift. Gorgeous eyes, too. Honey… no, whiskey colored. That was the best way to describe them. Why don’t I go to Henrik’s more often? Well, other than hating shopping. She made it a pleasant experience, though. That’s it, all shopping is to be done at Henrik’s from this point forward. I will come up with a list of things I have to buy. Oh, but what if she doesn’t work there any…
“Gonna order, Spaceman?” The dulcet tones of Donna Noble jolted him from his recollections. They’d been friends for years, more like brother and sister, so he often got the unfiltered version of Donna’s customer service charm. Apparently the line, and he, had been moving while he’d been dreaming of blond shopgirls. Well, of a specific blonde shopgirl. He didn’t just wake up with a craving. “You’re late.”
“Been a bit of a morning. Don’t wanna get into it,” John told her. Donna nodded. He assumed she knew she’d get the full story later. “Banana nut muffin, please, and a coffee.” He quickly scanned the display case. Then he looked at it again, and finally on the third pass, he stammered, “There’s none? None at all? You’re out?”
“Yes, yes, and yes,” Donna stated flatly. He assumed the “Dumbo” went unsaid, but understood, because she was in her place of business and not their Wednesday night Uno game.
“There’s no banana nut muffin,” he repeated stupidly.
“Then would you take a blueberry? Because there’s customers behind you,” Donna sing-songed.
“Fine,” John sighed, his shoulders sagging. There was no point in being angry. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the shopgirl giving them both the side-eye as she collected her coffee from Bill. Donna bagged up a blueberry muffin and thrust it at him, then he stepped over to where Bill was handing out another coffee. He noticed the shopgirl was stuffing her change in her purse.
Bill gave him a sympathetic smile.“Sorry about the muffin.”
“I’m not surprised, honestly. It’s been the morning from hell. My car got towed. Made the fatal error of parking it in front of the building next door.”
“The crazy neighbor called the towing company on you?” Donna interrupted. He nodded, not wanting to get into it.
“M’ sorry to hear that,” Bill said sympathetically, seeming to understand his need to refrain from elaborating.
“Had to call Martha in to teach for me, and she’ll probably have to do the afternoon lab too. Then some random cat tried to murder me, I got paint on my trainers… then no newspaper, and no banana nut muffin. I don’t mean to be a knob. I know it’s ridiculous to be so disappointed over something so small…”
“Small things have a way of pilin’ up, though. Sounds like your morning has been rubbish. S’cuse me for interruptin’,” a woman spoke behind him. He startled, then turned to see the shopgirl, holding a bag and a travel mug. “Not my business, I know, but… M’name’s Rose Tyler, by the way. You came into Henrik’s a couple of weeks ago. I remember you.”
Faced with the object of his musings actually speaking to him, John stammered eloquently, “Oh.” Then his brain relayed the information that not only did she remember him, she’d just introduced herself and he was standing there like a lump. “I’m John Smith. Yes, that was me. Aunt Sarah loved her scarf.”
Rose grinned broadly. “That’s great. Erm… sorry about the banana nut muffin. I must’ve bought the last one.”
He found that in the presence of a Rose Tyler smile, he could forgive quite a bit. “If it had to go with someone, I’m glad it went with you.” Internally, he winced. He was no Casanova, but that was awkward even for him.
Then Rose did something with her tongue, poking it out of the corner of her mouth as she smiled, and it made him forget the whole morning’s ordeal. It even made him stop thinking of banana nut muffins.
“I have an idea, if you have some time. Wanna share?”
“Share what?”
Rose chuckled, holding up the bag. “I bought two. Want one?”
“I wouldn’t want to take away your breakfast,” he demurred.
“S’okay. I’ll survive until lunch.”
John blurted, “I’ll buy you lunch, Rose Tyler.”
With that tip of the tongue smile, Rose told him, “Let’s see how breakfast goes.” She turned and headed towards an empty table by the window. John started to follow.
“Your coffee, Dr. Smith,” Bill grinned. Was that a knowing smirk she was giving him? John imagined it was. As he grinned and stuffed some cash in the tip jar, he noticed Bill elbowing Donna. Not caring that they’d probably contributed to the neighborhood gossip today, John joined Rose at the table.
He did bring her lunch later at Henrik’s, after picking the car up at the impound yard.
Eventually, they shared many more breakfasts, lunches, and dinners (and midnight snacks.) John Smith always called Rose Tyler his fair Fortuna, because meeting her was the moment his luck changed for the better.
Another short fic prompt: write an alternate ending to an episode or scene. I chose a scene from New Earth. Tagging @doctorroseprompts.
“What?”
Rose smiled as they lay in the apple grass. “You’re different.”
“New, new Doctor.”
He didn’t feel particularly new, though. Of course, now he was sort of brown, as opposed to sort of blue, and his fashion sense could best be described as “geek chic”. But he was still the same man who had kissed the vortex out of Rose Tyler. He was the same man who’d regenerate again and again for her, if the situation called for it. There was a word for that feeling, he knew, and if he admitted to it, acknowledged it, the universe could punish him for it. And, besides, the human word was so small for something so large.
As all these thoughts careened through his Impressive Time Lord Brain in the span of a millisecond, a wind gust blew Rose’s blonde hair into her face. She raised a hand to push it away, and the Doctor learned something else about himself.
His impulse control wasn’t quite as strong anymore. Even if he couldn’t say the word, the desire to show her how he felt was too overwhelming.
The Doctor brushed the errant locks behind her ear then slipped his hand around to the back of her neck, gently pulling her closer as he raised up to meet her. He saw it, the moment when the Rose realized what was about to happen. She leaned in and he met her in the middle. Their lips met, and they were far too distracted with each other to notice they were being watched.
Author’s note: tagging @doctorroseprompts because I used the Short Fic Challenge list. I’ve combined 1, 2 & 9 to write this. (A moment from canon, familial love, and dialogue you wish had been in the episode.) So glad I ran across those prompts! Set after Rise of the Cybermen.
***
The Doctor was really itching to get out of Jackie’s flat, but just before they could make good on their escape, Rose’s mum had insisted they wait a few moments and then she’d scurried off to the kitchen.
He rocked back and forth on his his heels, fidgeting, edging ever closer to the door. Rose sighed, and with a smile, she told him, “It’s not like we have anywhere we have to be.”
“Time is of the essence, Rose Tyler. Who knows what we’re missing? Let’s go. Ooh, I need to figure out a more fun way to say that…”
Rose took his hand. “Thanks, though, for being willing to stay a bit. I appreciate it.”
He entwined their fingers. It was funny how a touch of her hand could ground him. “You needed a visit with your mum, especially after all that happened.”
“Thanks for not disappearin’ while Mum and me had our time together. Needed you here, too,” she murmured, looking away. He let go of her hand, reeling her in for an embrace. He couldn’t speak around the sudden lump in his throat, but he hoped she realized how relieved he was that she hadn’t stayed behind with Mickey and the man who looked like her father. In a way, he was glad he couldn’t explain himself at the moment, because then he’d have to admit that it was also a relief to see Rose’s Jackie, alive and well after the horror of parallel Jackie’s cyber conversion.
Rose looked up at him, her eyes shining with tears again, and suddenly, he was willing to stay however long she needed, just so she wouldn’t cry again. He wasn’t confident that he wouldn’t join in. He bent slightly to place a kiss on the top of her head, when they were both startled by the sound of the kettle whistling.
“Apparently, it’s tea time?” Rose told him apologetically.
“It’s fine,” he assured her.
“I know you’re antsy to go.”
“You never turn down tea, Rose Tyler. It’s impolite, and that’s how wars start. And I’m not going to war with your mother.”
Rose beamed at him, and he felt his own smile widen in return. He was about to say something (hopefully) witty in hopes of making her laugh, but they were interrupted by Jackie entering the lounge, bearing a thermos.
“Now, I know you have places to be, so I’m not gonna keep ya, but here. Take some tea for the road. Or wherever it is the pair of you go.” She winked at the Doctor. “Wouldn’t want you feeling poorly.”
“Jackie Tyler’s tea, the miracle cure-all,” the Doctor said, gratefully accepting the warm thermos. He neartly dropped it when Jackie pulled him down to her and gave him a wet kiss on the cheek. Quite shocked, he barely heard Rose’s snicker. That was the first time that had ever happened, and his brain shorted out a bit at the action.
“Now, don’t be strangers, and take care of each other, yeah? You’re both my family,” Jackie told them, her voice quivering a bit. Rose enveloped her mother in a tight embrace.
“We will, we promise. And we’ll be back soon,” Rose vowed, and the Doctor found himself shaking his head in agreement.
He also heard himself saying, “If you need us for anything, don’t hesitate to call. We’ll be there.” It was quite surprising to hear those words coming from his own mouth, but he knew it couldn’t be any other way.
Family.
They were finally on their way down the stairs, when Rose said, “You know, you’ve been hers for a while now.” Somehow, she had known just what was on his mind.
“Have I?”
“Did you know when I was losin’ my mind on Christmas, she stayed by your side all night, even though she didn’t have a clue as to how to take care of you? She just thought her bein’ there would protect you somehow.”
The Doctor didn’t know what to say to that revelation. Finally, he spoke, “Suppose we’ve come a long way since that slap.”
Rose snorted. “Yeah, I’d say so.” He opened the door at the bottom flight of stairs.
“Rose… is she gonna kiss me every time we visit?”
Rose guffawed. After taking quite a while to get under control (she was still giggling when they reached the TARDIS) she advised, “I’d be prepared for it, if I was you.”
She was still chortling when they entered the TARDIS. Somehow, he found he didn’t mind the thought of being one of Jackie’s. But he did hope Rose was joking about the kissing.
