Title: From Sunday to Monday
Pairing: Doctor & Rose
Rating: PG
Summary: Jackie POV one-shot.
Disclaimer: All belongs to the Beeb.
Author's Notes: Another one-shot that snuck up on me when yet again I was meant to be revising. This idea probably could have been done ( and has been done ) better by someone else but some things just need to be written. Reviews as welcome as always.
Word Count: 930.
… Monday
They arrive on Monday and when she opens the door they breeze past, hands held, like they own the bloody place. Like she's running a hostel.
Still she's too delighted to see Rose to ever consider chucking them out.
She thinks she hates herself a little for that.
… Tuesday
On Tuesday morning she spies him emerging from Rose's bedroom at 7 am, when he left at 11 o'clock last night to "go to sleep in the Tardis. "
…
He strolls through her front door nonchalantly at 9, affecting a yawn and seating himself at the breakfast table expectantly. She glares at him and he cowers and Rose laughs into her Muesli. When he thinks she isn't looking he leans over and plants a kiss on Rose's cheek. She's pretty sure he isn't affecting that.
…
Neil Young's playing at the Hammersmith Apollo that evening so Rose and Doctor declare they're staying for another day. Rose has never listened to the man before in her life, but the two of them set off anyway and return hours later, faces flushed, slightly tipsy and their arms wrapped around each other. He sings "Rockin' in the Free World" at the top of his voice and the morning after Sandra from next door comments that Rose needs to tell that "bloody boyfriend of hers to keep his voice down", Jason's been feeling poorly.
" Bit of alright though isn't he?"
… Wednesday
The next morning Rose has a hangover and Jackie goes to the shops to buy some beans for a fry up. By the time she gets back "himself" has risen too and he's kneeling down at the side of her bed speaking to her quietly and making her laugh. She stands in the doorway and they don't notice her. Instead Rose giggles so loudly her head hurts and she smacks the Doctor in the arm. He watches her and Jackie can see a mile off how in love he is. She turns away and wonders how long it'll be before he takes her daughter away completely.
Jackie sighs. Time for a cuppa.
… Thursday
The next day he spends time in that blue box of his, "repairing", and Rose catches up with mates. They go out shopping together after, and she's always looking for the same sort of things these days; comfy, easy to run in. Still Jackie insists Rose buy some nice things. She likes to impress him after all doesn't she? Rose blushes and wanders off, returning 10 minutes later from the men's underwear aisle cracking up over a pair of boxers. They have pictures of Supermouse all over them and she insists that he'll love them and goes to buy them straight away. Jackie frowns on the bus back as she stares out the window and thinks. She's pretty sure friends don't buy each other underwear.
… Friday
It seems they've settled in.
They even have their own routine she notices, carefully melded around her own. He leaves first thing in the morning to get the milk, she makes the tea and Rose waits in the living room, ready to pounce on him as soon as he gets through the door so she can grab the bread to make toast. ( He likes strawberry jam as it turns out. Never peanut butter. )
Rose will watch Strictly Come Dancing with her but he's there too, with her curled into his side, glasses on; studying the day's paper, scoffing every now and then, and commenting that John Prescott looks a bit too "slitheen" for his liking.
She doesn't know why they're staying, why she doesn't walk into Rose's room to find the contents of her wardrobe spread across her bed, but she doesn't question it. She's just happy to have her home. Hell, she'll admit, she likes having him round some of the time. He's not half as smart as he thinks he is, but he's kind, in a very blokey, won't-admit-it sort of way. Plus he's taken to pronouncing her cups of tea the "Best in the World."
And according to him he says, that means something.
… Saturday
They all go out Saturday.
They visit the Tate Modern, the Natural History Museum and the London Eye. Half way round he gets bored and fidgety, standing up, jiggling his foot, tugging on Rose's jumper impatiently. She smiles like she's used to this sort of thing and sits with him on that bench in the middle, resting her head on his shoulder and he stills.
Five minutes later he's on his feet and got his sonic whatsit out. Trying to "speed up the ride", as he puts it.
… Sunday
On Sunday her suspicions are confirmed when she walks into the kitchen and there they are. He's got a hand cupping the back of her head, and she's leant up against him, laughing into his mouth. Jackie frowns. They were supposed to be doing the washing up.
She coughs loudly and they spin round, not guiltily but caught out. He leans into Rose and whispers something into her hair, and she giggles and smiles apologetically at her Mum across the kitchen.
Sorry we didn't tell you earlier.
They leave the next day and it hurts a little more because they stayed for longer. She was used to the colour of his pyjamas in the morning and shuffling up on the couch to make room for three.
It's another month till they visit and when she sees him she kisses him on the lips good and proper.
If she had known what would happen next she never would have opened the door.
Fin.