Swiffity-Swift

By Sonic Jules

........ The gift of gab comes easily for the tenth Doctor, even if he has to make up a few words to do it properly ........

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Disclaimer: Doctor Who and the characters of said show do not belong to me, no matter how hard I've wished for it. No infringement meant on the owners and associates, nor BBC.

A/N: A special thanks to Catharticone, as always.

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Chapter One:

Chitter-Chatter

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He'd been talking about their next trip as he wiped a cloth on the center console, their destination a tropical retreat with beaches and woods and wildlife galore. Quite suddenly, however, he stopped and began sniffing the air.

"What's that?" he asked Rose sweetly.

"Breakfast cobbler. I found the recipe for it in an old American cookbook in the library. Thought you deserved a treat after gettin' the ship up and runnin' again."

"Why yes, Rose Tyler. I believe you're right," he stated, grabbing her hand and pulling her quickly down the corridor toward the kitchen.

She pulled the confection out of the oven as he grabbed two glasses from the cupboard and filled them with milk. The look on his face as he admired her culinary effort told her she'd done very, very good.

Sitting at the table opposite from Rose, the Doctor licked his thumb after scooping a healthy dollop of cobbler onto each of their dishes, having found a dribble of the treat on its pad. When he finished, he smacked his lips in satisfaction.

"Mmm, yes. Peachity-peachy goodness, perfected with a perpetual plop of peaches on the plate." He grinned, proud of himself. "Say that three times fast. I dare you."

"Yeah," Rose replied around a mouthful of the flaky treat. "Think I'll pass. I'm sure I can't say it as well as you, anyway."

"Most assuredly, I can assure you," he replied happily before digging into his own plate heartily.

She rolled her eyes, grinning. Rose loved moments like this, when she could please him so easily. She began thinking of other ways she could please him, unable to ignore a few naughty thoughts that came to mind.

Suddenly her musings were brought back to the present by the snap of the Doctor's fingers, directly in front of her face.

"Huh?"

"You were certainly off in la-la land. What had your interests so piqued that you stopped eating? I can't imagine anything more important than this fruity concoction," he finished by placing a rather large forkful of cobbler in his mouth. "Hmmm?"

"Just thinkin' about the trip we're takin' today," she fibbed, quickly digging into her plate.

"You'll love it," he told her with a wink. "Like going to one of those national parks from Earth, only with vividly colored trees all year round and spectacular wildlife beyond your imagination."

Rose nodded as she chewed, her enthusiasm not nearly that of his, he noticed.

"Then there're the shops. A literal labyrinth of liberal and loquacious dealers, lavishing lots of lovely items," he added, watching her perk up with his words. "Knew I'd get you excited with that," he said smugly, then finished off his plate.

Rose finished hers before speaking. "I was excited before," she replied before realizing what she's said. She choked slightly, the implication of her words unintentionally spoken out loud.

"You all right?" the Doctor asked, noting her reddening cheeks.

"Yeah," she answered quickly before placing the last forkful of cobbler between her lips, allowing herself a few moments to calm her reaction as she chewed. "What should I wear?" she asked as she stood, grabbing up her plate and his, much to his dismay. "Oi! Don't pout like that - I know you're gonna finish it off," she grinned, nodding towards the remains of the cobbler.

The Time Lord grinned back, leaning forward to swipe up the small baking dish. He sat back in his chair once he had it tucked to his chest protectively. Rose simply sighed, turning toward the sink as she began washing the plates.

"Cool and comfortable," the Doctor mumbled around a spoonful of delicious treat.

She turned to face him. "What?"

"You asked what to wear, didn't you?" he replied smartly.

She was about to retort with something sarcastic when he took the large serving spoon and brought it to his face, then proceeded to lick it. Up one side, then down the other. Rose suddenly found herself speechless.

He stood then, handing her the empty dish as he dropped the spoon within it. "You get dressed, and I'll go set the coordinates." The Doctor then kissed her on the forehead with sticky lips. "Thanks for the peachy-perfect surprise. It was delightful."

Rose watched - stunned - as he walked out of the kitchen and into the corridor. It took a few moments before a muttered "Welcome" left her lips. She finished washing up, a smile on her face.

OoO

Rolling her eyes, Rose sighed dramatically. "I can't believe you did this. Again!" she whispered, looking around the cavernous walls.

"No time to get snippy, Rose Tyler," the Doctor whispered back indignantly. "This is a serious situation with just a dash of seriously serious seriousness on top. And really, it's not my fault. The TARDIS must still be a bit ... under the weather."

"If that's the case, how come we didn't just get back inside her when you noticed?"

"Because we were already too far away from her when I realized we'd arrived a few hundred years before we were supposed to. And we certainly couldn't turn back around with a graffiterrorous chasing us." A loud crack and a flash of light preceded the boom of what sounded suspiciously like thunder. The Doctor sighed, aiming his sonic screwdriver like a flashlight about the small cave. "Now we're here, and it's certainly better to be in this cave than out there with that storm approaching."

A low growling sound began from further within the cavern, causing the Doctor to stop all movement as Rose stood still, suddenly frozen beside him.

"Rose?" he whispered.

"Yes, Doctor?" she quietly replied.

"Perhaps we'd be better off out in the storm. I believe this place may be already occupied." As he finished speaking, a loud, angry roar seemed to vibrate the dirt beneath their feet. "Right. The tenant doesn't sound up for guests." He grabbed Rose's hand. "Run!"

Out within the elements of the now tropical-like storm, the Doctor and Rose continued running for a good way, he glancing behind them every now and then to make sure whatever made that noise wasn't gaining on them, and she swiping wet leaves from her face continuously. The rain was pelting upon them, and the wind was blowing against them, tossing debris towards them with consistency.

"Where're we goin'?" Rose asked between heaving breaths.

"Not sure," the Time Lord replied, yanking her out of the way just in time as a long, heavy tree limb fell across her path.

Rose stood, stunned for a moment as she looked at the wood that would have easily cracked her skull if not for the Doctor's quick action. When she turned to face him, she realized she was against his chest, his arms holding her protectively. She looked up, meeting his eyes.

"All right?" he asked softly.

"Yeah," she replied, resting her head against him for a moment.

They were both quite surprised when the ground below their feet suddenly caved in. And then they were falling...

OoO