The Dress

A/N Hi! I wrote this for two reasons: 1) To hopefully cheer up my wonderful friend EzzieRulez, who is/was really a bit sad about a certain Mr Danny Pink and 2) Because SERIES 9 STARTED YESTERDAY AND I didn't think I could let the occasion go unmarked. It's just really Ten/Rose and Whoufflé fluff/ Enjoy, and please review!

Disclaimer; I own nothing, it all belongs to the BBC.

"What about this one?" Clara asks. She can't see Rose at the moment, but she knows that the small girl is there somewhere, hidden between the rows of white, gold, cream, ivory and beige wedding dresses.

A blond head appears over the top of a row of particularly sparkly dresses, and Clara grins, and lifts up the dress in her left hand. Rose looks at the dress thoughtfully for a moment, then shakes her head. Clara frowns.

"Nah, too much glitter." Rose says. She grins when Clara rolls her eyes, and laughs.

"Rose, this is the third shop this morning, and we've been shopping for four hours!" She say exasperatedly. Rose laughs again, and replies,

"I just haven't found the right one yet!"

Clara shakes her head.

"You do realise it took me all of half an hour to find my perfect wedding dress?" She says.

"Well, just because you're perfect…" Rose trails off. "Ah hah!" She exclaims, and ducks down out of Clara's line of sight.

Clara hangs the rejected dress back on the rail, and walks over to wear she thinks her best friend is.

Rose is getting married in two weeks, to the man of her dreams, John Smith. Her best friend, Clara, is already married to the man of her dreams, John Smith. And yes, they are two different John Smiths. Luckily.

Clara finds Rose examining a ivory fishtail dress with almost cream coloured lace. There's a matching tiara in a box below it.

"What d'you think?" Rose asks, posing and pulling the dress in front of her. Clara laughs, but then shakes her head.

"It doesn't suit you." she says briskly, and turns to a creamy pink dress. Rose rolls her eyes at her friend.

"Harsh." She replies, and turns away to look at more dresses.

"But true."

"Ha. Ha." Rose replies, before vanishing again. Clara sighs. She'll never find her again any time soon. This shop is the biggest they've been in, and its complicated and maze-like. Clara is beginning to get the feeling she will never exit this shop, just keep winning round the rows of material.

Her phone buzzes in her pocket.

"Hello?" she says.

"Hey, Clara."

She smiles. She should have known he'd call. He's been panicking about the wedding for weeks now, even more than Rose.

"Hi John."

"How's Rose?" he asks. This is Rose's John. Clara goes up onto her tiptoes, but is still unable to spot her.

"Stressed." she replies truthfully, and she hears John sigh.

"Tell her she looks great in anything. It's true. She could turn up wearing jeans for all I care." John says tiredly. He doesn't get the whole dress thing. Clara and Rose tried to solve this by making him watch back to back episodes of Don't tell the Bride, but it all that succeeded in doing was to stress him out more.

"Don't tell her that."

"Why not?"

"You have, haven't you?"

There's a pause on the other end of the line. If there was a table anywhere near her, Clara would be repeatedly banging her head on right now. Men. They have no tact whatsoever.

"John, relax. It will be fine. I'll sort it."

"You sure?"

"Yes."

She hangs up when she sees Rose approach her.

"There you are!" Clara says. "That was John. And don't worry, he doesn't want you to wear jeans."

Rose laughs.

"That's a relief."

She holds up the golden dress in her hand.

"I think this might be it." she squeals. Clara grins, from relief and from happiness for her friend.

"Quick!" She replies. "go change!"

Rose runs off giggling, and the shop assistant gives Clara a knowing smile.

—-

Two weeks later…..

The music starts to play, and John(Rose's John) pulls his new bride onto the dance floor.

Clara and her John watch from the side, and their best friends dance.

"It's turned out rather well, don't you think?" Clara whispers to her husband. He grins at her.

"Yes." he replies. "Did he seriously tell her to come in jeans?" He laughs, his breath tickling her ear as he bends down to whisper to her.

Clara nods, and laughs softly.

"He's even worse than you."

John grins lopsidedly at her, and straightens his bowtie.

"That's a little harsh." he complains, but Clara just smiles.

Rose's John looks at the beautiful woman he's twirling round the dance floor and smiles. Clara's John wasn't exaggerating when he sad your wedding day was the happiest day of your life.

She looks like the sun,and in a way, she is his sun. His entire world spins around her, and he's happy that way.

The dance finishes, and he feels a balloon of happiness inside him take off when she smiles almost shyly up at him.

"Y'know," he says gently, "you look like the most beautiful thing I've ever seen, and I'm glad you didn't come in jeans."

She grins.

"I told you."

"Yup. That's me. Throughly told."

"I'm always right." she laughs.

"Yes, you are."

"Can you say that again?"

"What?"

"That I'm always right."

"You're always right." he says obediently. Rose closes her eyes, as though savouring the moment.

"I'm going to quote you on that, Smith."

"Unless you're wrong, and you know it, Smith." John says, although he knows that he is fighting a losing battle. Nobody argues with Rose Smith and wins, not even him.

"I'm never wrong. We've established that."