Author's Note: This takes place during Of Love and Monsters, somewhere between Jackie kicking Elton out for lying to her and Rose showing up to scold him. The inspiration for this particular story came when I noticed that the only time Rose has her hair done up in braids is during her short cameo in this episode. Most of the time, her hair is down, or messily pulled back in a pony tail. My semi-head-cannon is that Rose suffers from the same problem that I do: she doesn't know how to braid her own hair because her mother has done it for her all her life. This was the short and fluffy scene that ensued. As always, I hope you enjoy!
Braids
"Rose!" Jackie flung her arms around her daughter as soon as she stepped out of the TARDIS. Rose returned the hug full force but tired of it much quicker than Jackie would allow.
"Mum, you can let me go now. I's not like I'm gonna disappear or somethin'. I came home for a visit." She finally managed to pull back just as she heard the Doctor come out behind her and smiled at her mum. It quickly turned into a frown however, when she saw the tear tracks on her face.
"Mum, what is it? What's happened?" she asked, holding onto her shoulders. Jackie sniffed and swiped at her make-up quickly, managing a rough smile.
"Oh, look at me. It's nothin'. I'm just so glad to see you come home." Rose wasn't having any of it. She turned around and looked at the Doctor, who was standing by the entrance to the TARDIS, looking very awkward.
"Doctor, I left my bag in my room. It has Mum's gift in it. Could you go and get it for me?" The Doctor took the hint and lurched at the opportunity to escape the awkward position he had suddenly found himself in.
"Yeah! Of course! I'll just… I'll be right back," and with that, he ducked back into the TARIDS and closed the doors behind him. Rose turned back around to her Mum and fixed her with a stern look.
"Now, I know that you miss me and all that, but you've never been happy enough to cry when I came home for a visit, so obviously there's something wrong, and I intend to find out what. But not without a cup of tea. So, you go on into the livin' room and I'll make us some and join you there in a minute, 'kay?"
Jackie smiled at her daughter and nodded, "Look at you, ordering me around. All this traveling has gone to your head I tell you," she joked, but without her usual squeak. Rose gave her another quick hug before heading into the kitchen to make them that tea. When she rejoined her Mum in the living room, she set the cups down on the table and sat down next to her Mum.
"Alright, first of all, who's the bloke?" she stared at Jackie, who laughed and reached for her tea.
"Who said this was about a bloke?"
"I did," replied Rose with a hint of passion in her eyes and voice. She hated every man that took advantage of her Mum's reckless flirting. Jackie was incredibly vulnerable beneath all her exterior assaults, and she seemed to get her heart broken on a very regular basis. Rose knew that better than anyone, having grown up alongside the stream of boyfriends and, inevitably, the stream of ex-boyfriends.
Jackie smiled sadly at her daughter and cradled her warm mug in her hands. "You know me too well, Rose." She paused for a moment, looking down at her hands.
"Mum," Rose said and reached out to hold her hands. Jackie looked back up at Rose.
"I'm sorry sweetheart, this isn't fair to you. I shouldn't be spoilin' all your fun with the Doctor 'cause of some stupid old bloke."
"Don't say that," Rose nudged her. "Go on then. Tell me." Jackie slumped and gave in. Justifying herself by telling her inner voice that Elton had been looking for the Doctor after all, and she needed to tell Rose to keep her safe.
Rose listened with growing pity and anger at this Elton bloke. She rubbed her Mum's arm and gave her a few hugs at the right times. She fetched her tissues and made more tea and gave her sympathy and reassuring every chance she got.
When the story was all over, she sat with her arm around her Mum's shoulder and stared out across the room. After a few minutes she took a deep breath, having made up her mind a long time ago, but deciding that now was the moment to put it into effect.
"Right, well I think I have some skinny butt kicking to do, and for once I don't mean the Doctor." She stood up wearing a determined look and air, and went to pick up the mugs. Jackie laughed.
"You are crazy and I love you," she stood up and hugged Rose tightly. She was smiling when she pulled back, but Rose saw a bit of unease still in her eyes.
"What is it?" she asked immediately.
"It's just that… Oh never mind," she let go of Rose but Rose didn't let go of her.
"Mum," she said firm, but caring. Jackie caved in to her selfishness.
"D'you think you could stay a while?" she asked nervously.
"Of course Mum," she breathed a sigh of relief and hugged her again. Long and hard.
"Tell you what," she said after another few moments, "I," and she pulled back to look her Mum in the eye, "am gonna have a proper shower. Get myself cleaned up in my own bathroom. Been dying to do that. Then," she smiled, "I want you to do my hair."
"Do your hair!? You're such a child! Do really think I'm gonna keep doin' your hair up in a braid any time you feel like it? I don't think so!" Rose poked her tongue out of her teeth and Jackie smacked her on the arm. "Oh, get out of here, you little brat," she shooed her out, and then gathered up their mugs when Rose had disappeared into the bathroom.
Half an hour later, Jackie sat on the couch with Rose sitting on the ground beneath her, meticulously, but expertly braiding her daughter's hair into two French braids. The Doctor was sitting on the edge of the love seat across from them talking away and gesturing like a madman as he and Rose simultaneously told Jackie about one of their latest adventures. They talked over and around each other in a way that made it seem like they had rehearsed it beforehand.
Jackie watched her daughter bounce up and down with her enthusiasm and scolded her a few times for being such a squirm while she was trying to do her hair. She had to start over a few times to keep the braid tight.
Rose sat on the floor and fed off the excited energy that radiated off the Doctor as they told their story. She allowed herself to bounce around and pull out her braids, knowing that her Mum was only redoing them to buy herself time.
The Doctor watched the two women in front of him. He was enjoying himself immensely, reliving a memorable adventure that Rose and he had been about only a few days before. They both practically fell over with laughter at the end of their story, after delivering the punch-line at the exact same moment.
"Mum, we'll be right back, I promise," Rose was reassuring her Mum.
"Yeah right," Jackie sighed sadly.
"No, I mean it!" Rose protested. "Look, I've just got a quick errand to run, and I'll be right back. Honest. We'll be right back." Rose hugged her mum and gave her a quick smile before bustling into the TARDIS. She turned to the Doctor with steel in her eyes. "I have someone I need to talk to."
End note: Please let me know what you thought! And also, I have a How To Train Your Dragon fic in the works with the first few chapters already ready to go, but I was wondering if anyone would be interested in reading them. Let me know : )