So I almost skipped this upload because I'm at my friend's house in a sleepover and her internet has been giving me problems since yesterday night (I won't say I almost cried in despair). Buuuuuut we solved them (somehow) and here it is, the next chapter, for all of you (it's a sweet little interlude but meh). Enjoy :)

Interlude 2.

"Ouch! Don't press!"

She sighed and dropped the cloth to the bucket full of water and ice "If you don't stop behaving like a child you are going to be the one taking care of your cheek."

He huffed "As if. It was Jackie who slapped me, so it's your responsibility."

She sighed again and put the cool cloth against his red cheek again. His skin felt oddly hot against her fingertips "Well I can't say you don't deserve it."

"Why?!"

"You said her pie was hideous."

He looked shockingly horrified considering the situation "But it had pears, Rose. Pears. I hate pears."

"She was trying to be a good guest! Even if we pop up in her living room at haphazard days she still makes an effort."

The Doctor didn't listen to her and began playing with his screwdriver again. Something nearby made a ding sound and she could smell burnt.

"Stop. You'll break something if you continue to use it randomly."

"Rose, I know perfectly well what I'm doing."

"Yeah? And why is that box there smoking?"

He cursed and stood up, rushing to the producer of the thick smoke that was filling the room. She shook her head hopeless but with a smile on her face. It seemed he had completely forgotten the wound in his cheek.

It had been three months in Earth since she had visited Jackie for the first time, but for her it had only been two weeks. It was very confusing to keep a track of time inside the TARDIS, but her clock helped her to calculate more or less how much time they had spent together.

It was almost a year, wasn't it? Somehow, she didn't feel it was such a long time. She still remembered when she had woken up inside her room, and since then they hadn't stop rushing, saving people everywhere they went.

He said he didn't do domestics, but was it really true? All their days were the same: wake up, visit a planet, run for their lives and return to their TARDIS, where then they read a book or he did some tinkering with his mechanical stuff. For her this felt very domestic.

"Rose, the sonic waves have opened the box!" he grinned at her while showing the box. She grabbed it and looked at the inside.

She observed the contents of the box "What are these things?"

"Mementos of different planets. You see this?" he picked up a cylindrical object "It's a musical instrument from the planet Thot, and this is a shell from Woman Wept."

"Woman wept?"

"It's a planet. It's called like this because of his resemblance of a woman crying. Its lakes are astonishing; well, they were before all the planet froze and the life there became inviable. I'll take you sometime."

"It sounds great." She grinned "Now, how do you play that thing?"

They spent the rest of the afternoon together, the Doctor teaching her how to play the alien flute.

Yes, even if he didn't want to admit it, he was indeed doing domestics.