After dinner, Rose took Tony into his bedroom to play. She spent the good part of an hour teaching him songs that were significantly less creepy. Although, after actually paying attention to the words in "London Bridge is Falling Down" and "Ring Around the Rosie" she almost reconsidered. Finally, she decided that "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" was safe, but Tony already knew that one and got bored with it quickly.
Giving up for the time being, Rose returned to the kitchen and was greeted with a sight that made her burst out in uncontained laughter. Jackie Tyler was sitting at the kitchen table, sipping tea and touching up her nails with pink polish while the Doctor stood over the stove, whisking something in a bowl that was cradled in the crook of one arm. They were both startled by Rose's sudden unfettered giggles.
"Oh, ya scared the life outta me, ya did!" Jackie complained, grabbing a tissue and wiping it over her hand in an attempt to fix the wayward brush stroke.
The Doctor just smiled at Rose and gestured with a nod of his head towards the table. "Have a seat. Dessert is coming right up."
Rose sat down and stage whispered to Jackie, "You're letting him near the stove?"
"Oi, I heard that!" the Doctor said, not turning around.
"He's makin' crepes with strawberries," Jackie told her. "I'm knackered so I thought I'd let him 'ave a go."
"When did you learn how to make crepes?" Rose asked him.
He flipped the crepe in the pan one handed with ease and gave her a smug grin over his shoulder. "I studied with Julia Child."
Jackie stopped blowing on her nails, her mouth falling open. "You've gotta be jokin'!" she exclaimed. "I just love Julia Child!"
"Oh, she was brilliant," the Doctor said, pouring more crepe batter into the pan. "So energetic and kind, just like everyone says she was."
Rose was picturing the Doctor tying an apron over his pinstriped suit and felt sorry she missed that. "When was this?"
"Donna was having a time," the Doctor explained. "Her mother said something about how she would never be able to get a husband with the way that she cooked; so we took a little side trip back to visit Mrs. Child. You should have seen Sylvia Noble's face when Donna made beef bourguignon the very next day for dinner. She admitted to Donna that it was very good and Donna just said, 'Taste a bit like humble pie, does it? I bet it's so scrummy it'll get the taste of your foot outta your mouth.' Then they had a big fight and we avoided Earth for a couple of months."
Grabbing the kettle to pour herself a cuppa, Rose laughed but shook her head. "Sounds dreadful, though. Thank God you never said stuff like that to me," she told her mum, refilling Jackie's mug as well.
Jackie tutted. "I raised ya to find a man who would be willin' to cook for you." She smiled over at the Doctor. "Or make dessert…" She blew on her nails some more, ignoring how red Rose's face was becoming. "I'd even say that the best marriages are when ya both cook together. Some of the most fun your dad and me 'ave is makin' dinner."
"Good to know," Rose said quickly, trying to come up with a way to change the subject. She could see where her mother was heading with this a mile away.
The Doctor was nodding in agreement as he spooned more strawberries into the crepes. "I like that. Fifty fifty. Share the responsibilities. Make an everyday chore more fun."
Rose shot an exasperated look at his back. She knew he was playing along for her mother's sake, but he knew better than to encourage Jackie Tyler in these discussions.
"Right! See, Rose, I didn't need to raise ya to be a good wife 'cos I knew ya would find a man who didn't care about that bloody stuff." Jackie smiled at the Doctor. "I was never worried about ya findin' a husband, Sweet'eart. I was always more concerned with ya findin' a bloke that was worthy enough to be your husband. But I reckon I don't 'ave to worry about it anymore, do I? Didn't know he'd be an alien, but whaddya gonna do?"
Fidgeting in her seat, Rose was just about to come up with a way to get her mum to put a lid on it when the Doctor came over and plopped a strawberry crepe down in front of her. "Well, thank you, Jackie. I do believe you are the harshest critic and if I've passed your test…" He winked at Rose as he set a plate down in front of her mum.
Rose nearly choked on her tea. "Right. Funny, yeah? I'll book a caterer tomorrow."
"Would be nice to 'ave a baby 'round the house again, though," Jackie said wistfully.
"You had a baby," Rose reminded her.
"But he's not a baby anymore, is he? I love the age Tony's at, but it's not the same as a baby. And one that I didn't 'ave to get up in the middle of the night with." Jackie stirred her tea, pondering something for a moment. "You aren't gonna raise your kids in that blasted ship, now are ya?"
Rose groaned and covered her face with her hands.
"What's wrong with that?" the Doctor asked. "It's perfectly safe."
Rose's head snapped up from her hands. Did he just say…?
"What about school?" Jackie asked him, pointing a finger in his direction.
The Doctor sprinkled more powdered sugar on a plate of crepes. "Do you really think any school in London could have a more knowledgeable source on any subject in the universe than me?"
Rose got up from the table and surveyed the view outside the kitchen window. Furrowing her brow, she studied the room she was in very intently and then pinched the back of her hand.
"Somethin' the matter?" Jackie asked her.
"No," Rose said slowly. "Guess not."
"So my grandchildren are gonna be homeschooled on a spaceship?" Jackie asked them both.
"Dunno," the Doctor said. "Haven't given it much thought actually… But why not?"
"Uh…I don't reckon this is that important right now," Rose interjected.
"But what do you think about it?" the Doctor asked her, a nonchalant smile plastered on his face.
She crossed the kitchen and put her palm against his forehead and his grin widened. "You sure you're feelin' okay?"
"Just having a bit of fun at your mother's expense," He told her, leaning forward and lowering his voice. "Wait until I've told her the names I've picked out. Wanna see her head spin around?"
Rose smirked up at him. "So long as you haven't been hit over the head or somethin'."
"Nope. Nothing like that," he said, flipping a dishtowel over his left shoulder. "Gonna go grab Tony and see if he wants any dessert." He gave Rose a quick peck on the cheek and a jolt of static electricity made her jump and rub the spot where his lips had been.
"Ouch. Careful," she scolded good-naturedly.
"Nice to see we still have that spark," he teased and with that, he left the room.
"I dunno what's gotten into him," Jackie said, waving her nails around a bit, "but I could get used to it."
Rose, however, was less inclined to agree with her.