"… and what would the neighbors think? Did you think of that? You didn't, did you? Well?" A loud screeching dragged Rose reluctantly from her dreams. She yawned and shifted back into a more comfortable spot. What was her mum yammering on about now? It was, by far, too early for this.
"Rose! Are you listening to me?" Another ear-jarring shriek sounded from somewhere off to her left.
Rose sighed inwardly. When her mum got on a roll, there was no stopping her, and whatever it was that she had supposedly done wrong, there was no way of getting away with it. She peeled her eyelids back and turned to glare at Jackie.
"What are you going on about mum?" she whined. "I'm tired. Can't I have just a little peace and quiet?"
Jackie's eyebrows flared up and she took a step forward. "Peace and quiet? Oh yes, I'm sure that's exactly what you want! I'll give you peace and quiet!"
"Mum!" Rose practically shouted. "I'm still lost here!"
"You! And him!" she said, gesticulating wildly in the air. "Honestly Rose, I thought I raised you better than that. Maybe it's because of your father and all…" Jackie cut herself off, and seemed to blaze up with a new wave of anger. "And he's an alien too!"
"What?" Rose still couldn't quite wrap her sleep-ridden mind around what her mother was getting at. Maybe in a few more hours…
"God, don't you lie to me. Right there, cold hard evidence, just in front of me eyes!" She pointed with a wavering finger to a spot on Rose's right.
Rose turned her head and nearly crossed her eyes as she was confronted with a close-up patch of brown. Looking up, she saw to her amusement, the Doctor slumped back onto the edge of the couch, mouth wide and snoring. Funny, but scarcely need for her mum to shout.
Her eyes traveled down to her own arms, to where they were wrapped around the pinstriped suit, back up to his arms, one slung about her back, and the other over her shoulder. Ah. That could be the problem. But how had they gotten like this? She remembered lying down on the sofa to watch some telly, and a vague argument about whether she should be sleeping, but after that she had no idea.
"Mum," she tried to explain, "we were sleeping, that's all."
Jackie uncrossed her arms and strode towards them, scowl still in place. "I'm sure." She turned back to the still dozing form of the Doctor. "And you! I bet you're not even sleeping." No answer. "Well, I'll solve that." In a huff, she bent forward and pulled back her arm.
"Mum, don't-" Rose tried.
WHACK!
Rose winced. At least she could say she tried.
Immediately after the slap struck him full across the face, The Doctor leapt up, dumping Rose onto the carpet, and spun around, frantically rubbing his cheek.
"Oi! What the hell was that for?"
"Oh, you know well what that was for, you sick lunatic!" She advanced on him slowly.
"Hey, now that's not very nice," he said nervously as he continued to retreat until he was standing behind Rose. When she too turn her glare on him, he kept backing up, at least until he tripped over the lounge and fell, sprawling onto his back. His attention flicked over to Rose for a moment, pleading.
"Now, you listen here, you-"
"Mum," Rose interrupted, "lay off of him. He didn't do nothing wrong."
Jackie whipped around and narrowed her eyes. "I'll deal with you later."
She turned back, mouth open and ready to start lecturing. She stopped dead, and stared in shock at the suddenly empty room.
Somewhere off behind them a door slammed. Jackie dashed to the open window.
"Well look at that! He's run off. Coward!"
And once more she turned around to find an empty house.
"Rose!"
"Rose get back here this instant!"
A voice drifted back to her from the doorway, accompanied by the loud banging of feet on stairs.
"Sorry mum, gotta go! Worlds to save!"
Thanks for reading! I would love it oh so very much if you'd review :)
