A/N. April 27th. (Still is the 27th somewhere, anyway) Here we go again!
Previously…
As Martha Jones returned with the tea… and with the giggling Rose by her side – the birthday seemed to be in order once again.
Star: Chapter Eleven
"I'm sorry for having made you cry, Rose!" the ginger woman spoke sincerely. "I didn't think!"
"You have done what?" Martha looked at Donna, then back at Rose. The latter had not spoken of it with her.
"Oh, just forget it," the fair-haired girl brushed it off. " 'S not important. Let's celebrate the fact we are here now," she winked. The ones she knew… the ones she didn't.
Donna glared at the Doctor, who welcomed Rose beside him again, this time with two huge cups of tea placed in front of them.
"It's only tea, Doctor, I assure you," Rose met the alien's distrusting look. "Have watched Martha preparing it."
"I know, love," he smiled at her softly, appearing to be somewhat distracted nonetheless.
She grabbed his hand. "I'm okay now. Martha knows that," Rose waved at the dark-skinned companion with a small smile on her face. He grabbed the blonde by the waist almost fiercely. This means you're okay until someone addresses the topic again, Rose?
Rose shrugged, not even trying to free herself from him. "It is my birthday today. Try to avoid these painful subjects, all right, Doctor? And no, sending the Captain away won't help in the slightest. It might only ruin half the fun," Rose smirked at him. "It's not often we hear him being this open." Not often we see him this inebriated, too.
The Doctor nodded. She was right, as usual. Her infectious laughter at somebody's remark has made him sigh in relief. No matter the shocks of the day, Rose was Rose. Just hearing her gleeful chatter – he did not follow the conversation that seemed to have amused her greatly – was enough.
"Don't think I would, no," she nudged the Doctor playfully, thus making him realise he'd better start listening.
"But really, you can't be alive solely on tea," Donna eyed Rose searchingly.
"There are many things that keep me alive," she stage-whispered at the Time Lord, who rolled his eyes. This was clearly meant for the Captain.
Jack burst out laughing. "This does not give him the right to-"
"Shut up! I know where the kitchen is. Have been there, with Martha," Rose knew she was very likely being childish, but she did not care.
The Captain was far from finished. "-to make you starve, no matter how good he is in the bedroom!"
The Doctor glanced at Rose, who pressed his hand assuringly. "Not long now."
He knew what she meant. The already tipsy company, including Jack Harkness, were talking of seemingly irrelevant things – the most recent being Rose not eating.
The alien's eyes glinted in thought, his voice only audible to her. "I can't remember you getting a single bite of anything today. Not even the ice-cream! Why's that?"
Rose's eyes widened, then she smirked at him. "Been busy, yeah?"
"Very," he grinned. "Can't allow your banana cake and ice-cream go to waste, though, can we?"
"No! Although I wouldn't mind something warm first, if we come to it."
"Is this a request for banana pancakes, by any chance?"
Rose could never say no to the Doctor's speciality. She squeaked excitedly, feeling famished all of a sudden. "Oh, please!"
"Could kill for some of those myself," he grinned. "The chief is out for business! Unless my dinner lady feels like accompanying me?"
Rose glared at him. "First, I am not a dinner lady. Even less so your dinner lady! A Dame, mind," she giggled. Second, Sir-"
The Doctor helped her to get up, which took no effort from him, as he was holding her close anyway. "See the strange looks they're giving us? I think we'd better move!"
"To the TARDIS kitchen? Okay!" Rose could barely contain her laughter. "But I'm not doing anything. Birthday girl, remember?"
The Time Lord shrugged at the companion. "Sounds fair to me." He knew Rose Tyler could not sit idly for long. It would only be a matter of minutes until she joined him.
When the girl joined him, he could not back away a knowing smirk. It was just his luck pancakes was one of the few dishes Rose could prepare. Usually, the TARDIS was there to provide them with food… The Doctor considered himself a decent cook, but he lacked both the patience and the time, usually finding more urgent things to get involved in. Saving the world, saving his companions, being saved by them and the like…
"Or are you simply lazy?" Rose was watching him with a sparkle in her eyes.
The Doctor glared at her. "Lazy, me? Never!"
The TARDIS hummed with what could only be understood as a negation. Rose giggled. "I'm sure she would tell me many interesting things about you, Doctor. Too bad I have no means to talk to her the way I would like to!"
The Time Lord addressed his ship instead. "I keep looking after you, and this is how you thank me, old girl?" The vessel gave a warning beep. He knew what it meant and shook his head.
"She wins, as always," he spoke to Rose with a shrug, never losing concentration in performing several tasks at once. Not counting the sight of the greatly amused companion in front of him.
"What was it she meant?"
"Separate celebrations, remember?"
Rose rolled her eyes. "I really wish-"
"You can understand her. You do. Better than I do, actually. My brave Rose."
She shook her head, incredulous. "No complicated subjects," she reminded, smiling softly at him.
The Doctor smiled back at her. "Your eyes are uncharacteristically wide, dear. I can't have my birthday girl hungry, can I?"
"Shut up, yeah?" Rose said, her mouth full of freshly-baked pancakes.
"Delicious, I know. Nowhere as delicious as your lips, I'll have you know… But good."
She ignored him, a smirk on her face.
They finished eating at the same time.
"Shouldn't we have invited them to dine with us?" The Doctor asked her, not really expecting an answer. Rose's answer was surprising.
"Absolutely not! Just you wait. I could be a dinner lady for them, just this once," she rolled her eyes at him. "Then-"
"You will teach me a very important lesson?" he smirked.
The companion pretended to be thinking about his words.
"Nope. That's Mum's way of doing things."
"Not a Tyler-way, then?"
Rose shook her head. "Unless you'd like that better, of course."
"You know what it is I would like best, my Rose?" he grinned at her suggestively.
"Surprise me," she countered. "But we must get the pancakes to our friends first!"
He said nothing, grabbing one of the plates from her. "I'll take this to Jack. You serve the ladies, deal?"
The Doctor was determined to make Rose avoid dealing with the immortal human as much as possible – even more so when he was supposedly drunk enough to forget himself. Forgetting decency was his problem in general, whether he was drunk or sober.
It was only natural the said human reacted to their arrival first.
"Hooray! Food! I don't remember having asked for it, but- I'd say it smells good, just like- like-" Jack's misty look lingered on Martha and Donna, then subconsciously travelled to Rose, which has earned him a glare from the Time Lord.
"I know! Bananas!" Jack clarified, even if his intense look suggested something entirely different.
Rose placed the plates with pancakes in front of Donna and Martha in uncomfortable silence, a forced smile on her face. At least the two women seemed honestly excited… their alcohol-induced grins were perfectly natural.
Donna giggled. "I knew there was a reason why he values you this much, Rose! Smells divine!"
The fair-haired girl shrugged. "The Doctor was the one to do most of the work!"
Martha decided to join the conversation, winking at Rose. "You're timid, too!"
"Not in bed, I hope!" A wave of giggles accompanied Jack's remark.
The Doctor and Rose shared a look, away from the amused company in what felt like less than a second.
"Whew!" the Time Lord grabbed Rose by the hand thoughtlessly. "Where to now?"
"Away."
"A different room in the TARDIS kind of away? Different planet kind of away?" Jack's kind of away?
"All of those?"
The Doctor nodded at her excitedly. It was just about time for them to have some rest from the noisy unwanted guests. He decided against picking someplace the random option would take them to.
"Are you up for something romantic, love?"
Rose gave him one of her sweetest smiles. "Surprise me, Doctor!" No matter if the surprises happened to turn out unpleasant most of the time, knowing him… and their luck, they were well-meant, at least.
The Doctor knew just the place. After all, Rose was the only one he has ever imagined bringing there… why not on her special day?
"Hello? Doctor?" She waved her hand in front of his face.
He cleared his throat, having typed in the coordinates. "A fairly recently established pleasure planet, Rose! Should be interesting!"
Rose watched him worriedly. "Does interesting mean you haven't been there before? Or are you willing to risk all sorts of interesting when three of your inebriated companions enter the scene?"
The Doctor kissed her softly. "Don't you worry about them. We can cheat time, remember?"
"It's your surprise. At least I'd know who to blame if it all falls apart!"
"No such thing will happen, I assure you!"
"Whatever you say, my Doctor. Tell me more about the planet you're taking me to? Its name, for a start?"
"This is where it gets complicated, Rose! It has no name-"
"No?" She raised an eyebrow. "A number, perhaps?"
"Its name is too complicated for a human to pronounce."
"Oh."
"Don't worry. It's labelled in the planet register as LP 8457," he grinned.
Rose's eyes widened. "Okay?"
"LP as in Love Planet, not Long Play," the Doctor clarified, clearly proud of himself.
"Jack would make countless jokes about the name," Rose giggled.
"He would, but this does not concern him, just us, yes?"