Title: Normality

Author: Angel Leviathan

Spoilers: None, except Jack being in it.

Disclaimer: Doctor Who, characters, concept, etc, aren't mine.

Notes: None.

She wasn't quite sure if he did it on purpose or whether it was just a strange part of his charm. She suspected it was on purpose, but most times it seemed so innocent she couldn't fault him. Any time the three of them, or even when it had been just the two of them, got anything resembling close to anything domestic or too human, he'd do something crazy or do anything he could to stand out. Truth be told, she couldn't say it was only he who was guilty of such behaviour, but then again, Jack always did anything he could to stand out in a crowd, even if it involved flirting with a mail box.

When they decided to go for pizza in 1997, Rose sat eating a salad, Jack already happily munching on the pizza, whilst the Doctor skipped both courses and went straight for dessert. He returned to their table with a bowl pilled high with ice-cream various toppings, grinning from ear to ear, making both his companions stare. She was even sure she'd seen him fighting an eight year old for the smarties. He only grinned when questioned and proceeded to go back for four helpings before they'd even finished the pizza. That day she swore she was living with children and the TARDIS was the only sane entity she knew of.

When she asked for the opportunity to relive her childhood and go feed the ducks, she thought Jack's behaviour was embarrassing enough, as he flirted with multiple women and their husbands, but the Doctor beat him again. He appeared from a little further down the river with a duck under his arm, which he offered to her, beaming, and stated holding the duck and feeding it was much more efficient that just hurling bread at them and hoping. Rose asked how long he had spent trying to catch the duck for her, and he'd explained he'd set the sonic screwdriver to emit a frequency that drew the creature to him. She asked if it worked on humans and then decided she really didn't want to know.

When she and Jack went shopping, with him wandering behind them in what could only be described as a sulk, she felt rather guilty for dragging him along on a trip that seemed so human. She felt less guilty when she went into a baby clothing store to get a gift for one of her friends and was questioned as to whether 'this child' was her first. The salesperson had then looked to Jack and the Doctor and enquired which of them was the father. When the Doctor grinned and stated they both were, Rose had wanted to die there and then. She made her purchase and hurled it at him as they left the store, as he and Jack laughed, the captain feigning annoyance that he'd beaten him to the reply.

When they went for coffee in 2010 he bought ten cups of expresso and knocked them back like shots, only to sit twitching and speaking in a strangely high pitched voice for the duration. She asked why he'd done it and he only replied 'why not?' and looked rather pleased with himself. Rose declared he owed her a normal dinner and he just grinned and walked ahead of her and Jack, humming 'you are my sunshine' and taking little hopping steps. She wondered then how he could eat more chocolate than she could and not get a caffeine high, but drink a few cups of expresso and hit the ceiling.

And when he finally took her out for the 'normal' dinner she'd demanded, he surprised her by kissing her before they'd even reached the restaurant. She decided there and then that life would certainly be very boring if he ever decided to calm down and be normal. It wasn't him. And it wasn't really her anymore. She also decided to embarrass him there and then and drag the Doctor into a more passionate embrace in the middle of the busy street. Revenge was certainly sweet. Rose just hoped he wouldn't mind the same behaviour becoming a more frequent and normal occurrence.

Turned out he wasn't as against it as she'd feared.

Fin