Chapter 2

A week later, Rose forced the Doctor out of the console room, where he'd been working almost 24/7 trying to fix the TARDIS's translator, and made him go to bed and get some sleep.

When she got back to the console room, Jack was there holding a large, dusty book.

"So you finally managed to get him into bed then?" He asked, smirking at the innuendo.

Rose gave him a look before replying, "Yeah, I knew all that rubbish about 'im not needing sleep like us 'stupid apes' was all just talk" She sighed, "What've you got there?" nodding her head towards the book.

"I've found us an English-Gallifreyan dictionary", Jack answered, grinning.

"Seriously?" Rose asked, reaching out for the book.

Jack handed it to her, "Yeah, I dunno why the Doc didn't think of it, probably to busy trying to fix the translator, but I figured with the number of libraries this place has, it must have one somewhere. So I spent all afternoon searching, and here we have it"

"That was a good idea, at least it'll make communicating with the Doctor a little easier 'til the translator's fixed" Rose said, looking at the book.

"Yeah, about that, I don't think that it's gonna be fixed any time very soon Rose" Jack said, growing serious.

"But, the Doctor said that it would only take 'bout a week" Rose protested.

"I think he was a little bit in denial Rose. I've had a look at it, and even though it's looking better than it was, it's still a mess in there. So I think, maybe, we should teach the Doctor English." Then at the look on Rose's face he added, "As well as fixing the translator of course, but I was just thinking, that in the meantime…" he trailed off.

"Yeah, no you're right Jack." Rose agrees "It's good idea, 'specially seeing as this probably won't be the last time the translator breaks… and I really don't like having to play charades every time I wanna ask 'im something"

"Great, we'll start tomorrow," Jack said, grinning again.

"Ok, but I'm goin' to bed now, 'cos I'm exhausted" Rose said yawning "'Night Jack"

"Night Rose"

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The next morning, when Rose entered the kitchen, she found that Jack and the Doctor were already there and drinking their respective cups of coffee and tea. It also seemed that Jack was already trying to teach the Doctor some more English. As she stood in the doorway watching them (they hadn't noticed her there yet), Jack was pointing at various items on the table, saying their English name, and getting the Doctor to repeat it. It was really very sweet, as well as a little bit funny, and she would have stood there watching for longer, but Jack spotted her and dragged her to sit as the table so that the Doctor could show her what he'd learned.

After the Doctor had, at Jack's prompting, told Rose the English names of everything on the table, Jack would have carried on with his 'lesson'. But as Rose caught the Doctor's eye, he gave her a look that clearly said rescue me, so she stood up, saying, "Actually Jack, maybe the Doctor should carry on with the repair work now, we don't want the TARDIS to never get fixed do we?"

The Doctor gave Rose a very grateful look and muttered "Thank You" in the accented voice that was starting to become familiar, as he escaped out of the door.

"I must say Jack, I'm impressed, I've never seen him run away so fast," Rose said, turning back to Jack.

"What? I was only doing what we said we would last night," Jack protested.

"Yeah, I know, but you were bein' a little bit, you know, patronising. I was thinkin' we'd just try to talk to 'im a bit more, so he could practise his English, and if he didn't know a word he could ask us"

"I guess that could work. I'm sorry, it just bugs me not being able to just ask him anything, anytime. Was I really being that patronising?" Jack asked, worried.

"You were a bit," Rose admitted "But don't worry 'bout it, it'll give us something to laugh about when this is all over" She added, smiling.

"Ok, well I'm off to go have a shower. You could go keep Doc company… unless you feel like joining me," he said, grinning broadly.

Laughing, Rose shook her head and said, "You wish, I'm goin' to go and have a chat with the Doctor, or try to."

The she left the kitchen and started walking down the corridors to the console room.

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Please review, this is my first fic!