Disclaimer: The only thing I own is this pie story. Because it really did happen to me... in a sense. With the failure and the tears and the flour everywhere. Anyway. Doctor Who isn't mine.

He comes home to a delightful smell wafting through their flat. He follows his nose to the kitchen, and receives a shock when he finds Rose sitting on the floor with her back against the cabinets, knees drawn up and her eyes red from crying.

"Rose?!" he's across the kitchen in moments, kneeling to crouch in front of her. Expecting her to be hurt, he frantically looks her over, trying to ascertain what has happened here. But aside from being covered in flour, she appears to be just fine. Well, obviously not fine fine, judging from her tears. Panic subsiding, he reaches out and wipes some flour off her cheek. "Hey, now… what's all this?"

"I'm so stupid," she sniffs.

He gently takes her chin and lifts her eyes, fixing her with a look. "Rose Tyler, if there's one thing in the universe that you're not, it's stupid. Tell me what happened."

She sighs heavily and drops her eyes down to her hands. "I tried to make a pie for you and now it's all ruined."

Pie, he thinks, relieved and a little amused. All this for a pie. He cannot fathom how a pie has reduced his Rose to tears, but then again, he remembers a time last week when he tried to make a soufflé for dinner and nearly burnt down the flat. Rose sniffs again and he remembers himself, and her current emotional trauma.

"Ruined? How?" he asks, glancing around for said dessert. "And what kind of pie?"

"I don't know. It's like I just did everything wrong. The dough wouldn't stretch, there wasn't enough filling, the bottom started to burn… The whole thing just looks shriveled and why does it even matter what kind? I already told you it's ruined! There's no way you could possibly think of eating it now!"

"Let me be the judge of that," he gives her a grin. "Where is it?"

"Over there," she gestures towards the other side of the kitchen. "I didn't want to look at it anymore."

"It can't really be all that bad," he starts, but the look on her face quickly silences him. "Will you at least show it to me?"

"I guess," she mumbles. "But don't say I didn't warn you."

"Deal." He stands and offers her a hand up, planting his feet squarely on the floor. She takes it willingly and lets him pull her up, landing on her toes with a little hop. The Doctor takes a seat at the kitchen table as she crosses to the opposite counter and turns back with the pie pan in her hands, the whole thing covered with a towel. She comes back and sets it on the table in front of him with a dull thump.

"Promise you won't laugh?"

"Cross my heart," he promises.

"All right. You asked for it…" She removes the towel all at once, pulling it away

The Doctor blinks, taking it all in. She's right, the crust has shriveled halfway down the pan and it's a dark brown color, overdone but certainly not as burnt as she made it sound. All in all, it isn't as bad as she has led him to believe, but it's certainly not going to win any prizes either.

"I told you it was awful," Rose says petulantly. "All I wanted to do was make you a nice dessert. And look at this. It's horrible."

Without a word, he gets up and crosses to the drawer, pulls out a fork, and returns to the table. He pulls the pie pan close and digs right in.

"No…" Rose starts, "you don't have to… eat it…" she trails off as he shoves a forkful in his mouth.

He chews thoughtfully, purposely keeping his expression neutral as he finishes.

"Well?" she asks, biting her lip nervously.

He cocks his head to the side and debates making her sweat it out a few moments more, but decides that she's tortured herself enough already, today. He doesn't need to add to it.

"It's brilliant!" he beams at her. "Despite how it looks, it tastes exactly like an apple pie should – just the right amount of sweet and cinnamon. The crust's a bit overdone, I'll admit, but, Rose… it's not as bad as you think."

"You're putting me on," she says, crossing her arms over her body. "You don't have to spare my feelings."

"No, honest!" he protests. "I'm being serious. Here – try some!" He scoops up another bite and feeds it to her. Rose chews and he can see the surprise and shock flit across her features.

"Oh my god!" she exclaims, her mouth still half full. "You're right! How even…? When it looked so awful?"

"Never judge a book by its cover, Rose."

"Or a pie by its crust," she quips, smiling for the first time.

"That too," he amends, taking another bite for himself. "You know… I think you should fail at pie making more often."