Is that a sonic screwdriver in your pocket or are you just pleased to see me?
AN: Okay, a couple of people asked about a second part for It's All Fun And Games, and although it probably wasn't a very good idea for me to try and follow it up, I did. Not necessary to have read that first, but it helps.
AN2: It's now Saturday. It's tonight! twitch
The TARDIS hissed and sent a shower of green sparks in the Doctor's general direction. He stepped back, raising an eyebrow.
"Alright girl, no need to shout."
Stepping back towards the main console eagerly, he peered into the interior that he had exposed by ripping off one of the panels.
"Blimey," he muttered, reaching up and scratching the back of his head, face somewhat perplexed. "How'd you get in such a state then, hmm?" He placed what he hoped was a reassuring hand on the next panel along as he reached inside his jacket with his other hand, feeling for his sonic screwdriver.
The eyebrow was raised even further when he felt the fabric of his empty pocket. He flapped for a moment, checking all his other pockets in a flurry of movement as he spun round a few times, scanning the room for the silver object and failing to find any trace of it.
He sighed dejectedly and the TARDIS let out a series of distinctly aggressive beeps and hisses, treating him to another hot shower of sparks for good measure. He glared at the console.
"Not my fault! It's those damn apes again, I bet…"
Green lights flashed all over the console as the Doctor headed towards the interior door. He paused in the doorway and turned back towards the console.
"It's not funny, you big hunk of metal."
Another hiss followed him into the dark corridor.
Ten minutes later the Doctor was regretting his last comment just slightly. He knew the way to Rose's room almost as well as he knew the way to his, and he was pretty sure of the way to Jack's, too, but the TARDIS seemed intent upon leading him nowhere but the kitchen.
He had checked quite thoroughly just in case the old girl was being helpful, but there was no trace of the screwdriver in the cold, metallic room. There was, however, food left all over the table; it looked like Rose and Jack had been having a food fight. Again.
Fifteen minutes later he was starting to get rather irate. He stormed back into the console room and marched right up to the main console, glaring at everything in his sight.
"I can't fix you," he said through gritted teeth, "if you don't let me find the sodding screwdriver!"
A lone spark was shot into the air; the Doctor watched as it floated forlornly down to the ground and faded there.
"Women!" he cried as he turned and stalked back out of the console room, throwing his hands up in exasperation.
There was a definite glower on his face as he made his way along the extensive corridors that stretched through the TARDIS. There was no doubt in his mind that Rose, probably with Jack's help, was responsible for this turn of events. She had something of a history with his sonic screwdriver. He felt the tiniest of thrills run through him when he thought back to the last time she had seen fit to nick the device and it had taken all his strength to regain control of himself. For a moment she had been so close…
He scowled. She and Jack were practically joined at the hip these days; it was pretty obvious that there was something going on there. But then why was she going out of her way to annoy him so much? Wasn't that what humans did when they were trying to convey…? He paused, leaning against the cool wall of the corridor, and pushed those thoughts out of his mind, shaking his head. They were just ganging up on him; that was all. He almost laughed out loud at this, realising that his thoughts were taking on a distinctly human tone, but hardly caring; all he wanted to do was retrieve his screwdriver and fix his ship. He set off again, face set in grim determination.
After a while he started to hear the distant sound of laughter, and he followed it with a sigh as it grew louder with his approach. It was coming from Rose's room; you didn't have to be a genius (though he was, incidentally), to work out where he might find what he was looking for.
When he reached her door, he paused just outside, listening for clues.
"…and she was his younger sister!"
"Oh no!" Two voices burst out into peals of laughter. "I don't believe you!" The Doctor could hear the broad smile in her voice.
"Babe, I'm a magnet, what can I say?" Jack drawled.
Rose giggled. There were a few moments of silence, during which the Doctor grew decidedly uncomfortable. He pushed the door open and strode into the room.
"Hi!" Rose flashed him her trademark grin and he was tempted for a moment to meet it with his own. But then he remembered that she was holding his sonic screwdriver hostage, and that this was war.
"Hello," he said brightly, sounding distinctly unfriendly.
"What you been up to?" Jack asked, noting the edge in his voice.
"Oh, funny you should ask that." He stuffed his hands into his jacket pockets. "I've been trying to fix the TARDIS…"
He noticed his two companions exchange glances. He locked his gaze with Rose's, staring at her unrelentingly, trying to keep his expression neutral. She shifted uncomfortably on the bed where she was sprawled, but held his gaze all the same.
"I suppose," he said quietly, "that I'm not going to find it down your top this time?"
A small smile, part amusement, part triumph, settled on her lips.
"Didn't think so." He walked up to the bed and stood over her, never once taking his eyes of her. He was trying to intimidate her, of course; it was the only weapon he had, and Jack was clearly on her side because he was getting up off the bed, trying to escape notice. The Doctor reached out and grabbed hold of his wrist, without looking.
"You're not going anywhere, flyboy. If it's hidden in here then it stays where it is until I find it. Right?"
"Right," the younger man mumbled from somewhere behind the Doctor. If he was trying to get Rose's attention then it was having no effect; the Doctor knew that she wouldn't look away from him until he let her. But her eyes were filling with tears and he frowned; she didn't cry this easily… He realised suddenly that, mirroring him, she'd stopped blinking. Biting back a laugh, he snapped his fingers in front of her face and she blinked, a startled expression crossing her features briefly. Then she narrowed her eyes and stood up to face him, sticking out her chin defiantly.
"Jack," the Doctor said, still facing Rose, "go away."
"But –"
"Please," he turned and smiled a polite smile that was dripping with sarcasm; giving him a pointed look that he hoped would have the desired effect. Jack swallowed and, with an apologetic glance in Rose's direction, hurried from the room.
"Alone at last." He turned back to Rose, still keeping his expression neutral, hiding from her what was becoming increasingly obvious to him. "Where is it?"
"Why do you assume I know what you're talking about?"
"Because I know you and I can read you like a book."
"But you don't where it is." She ran her tongue along her teeth the way she did when she was smiling a particular sort of smile.
"Oh, you're going to tell me."
She chuckled softly. "You'll have to work harder than that, Doctor."
He took a step towards her so that they were almost touching, and found that he was rapidly forgetting what it was he had come here for. It would be so easy, so simple for him to take one more step and show her she didn't need to play these games.
"Funny 'cause, last time we did this you ended up with your hand down my top," Rose said, eyes sparkling.
The Doctor smiled indulgently. "Necessity is the mother of invention, Rose. So where is it this time?"
He stepped back and looked her up and down, wondering what his next move ought to be. Rose was watching expectantly, head tilted to one side. She said nothing.
"Alright then," he clapped his hands together and looked around sharply. "I'll just have to search for it, won't I?"
Rose straightened, folding her arms. The Doctor found her expression unreadable, which was always a worry.
"What, you wanna look through this whole room for one small little screwdriver?" She grinned. "Good luck."
Well, of course he had to go ahead with looking for it now. Although she was right; with the amount of useless human junk she kept in this room it would be like looking for a control generator pin in a clorstack. Actually, he'd done that once. Taken him about thirty-seven hours to find it, but he'd needed it to blow up a central reactor system on the planet of Kruik. It'd taken him hours to get the clors out of his clothes, the little buggers.
So looking for a sonic screwdriver in his companion's bedroom was an easy task, he thought to himself as he crossed the room, deciding to start with the dresser. However, when he reached his destination he realised that there was a slight difference between clors and a young human woman's personal… items. He could feel her eyes on him, but he gritted his teeth and continued with his search, refusing to turn and meet her gaze. As he half-heartedly pushed aside various articles of clothing and tubes of mascara he knew, somehow, that it wasn't in here. Glancing at the wardrobe sitting soberly on the other side of the room, he knew that it wouldn't be in there either. The decision to give up came when he pulled open a drawer to find it full of colourful and intricately fashioned underwear. Dismayed, he froze, his hand inches away from the soft fabric as he tried desperately not to think of Rose in relation to what he found himself looking at. He swallowed, feeling like an awkward teenager all of a sudden, and then feeling a flash of annoyance at Rose for bringing him to such a human level. He turned to face her, seeing pure amusement on her face.
"Well I – I… think I've probably looked enough in there…"
She nodded slowly. "I think you have." She licked her lips, looking beautifully victorious.
The Doctor groaned. "Rose…"
"Yes, Doctor?" She widened her brown eyes in innocence.
He sighed. "Look Rose, thing is, I do actually need to fix the TARDIS."
"Oh," she was trying not to laugh. "You'd better find your sonic screwdriver then."
"Rose!" He walked up to her and took her hands in his, fast running out of ideas. "Please, Rose?"
He was staring into her eyes and he could see her resolve was cracking.
"At least give me a clue?" he coaxed.
"Warmer," she murmured as he stepped closer to her. He let his gaze drift over the bed behind her, wondering vaguely how far he was going to let this go. She was smiling faintly when he met her eyes again.
"Warmer," she said again, and he raised an eyebrow.
"Really, Rose?" He closed the distance between them and placed his hands on her waist, feeling control of the situation return to him with each second that passed. He didn't care about the screwdriver, only about how close she was, how her breathing was becoming shallow as she stared at him.
"So, if I were to look in your bed…" he moved towards the bed in question, forcing her to sit down.
"It's –"
"I don't care where it is, Rose." And he pushed her gently back onto the bed, kneeling over her. He felt her grin as he kissed her, and the game was won.
X
Later, much later, The Doctor was on the edge of sleep when he remembered.
"Rose?" he whispered into the tousled blonde hair beside him, sliding a hand down to her stomach and pulling her closer to him.
"Mmm?"
"Where is it, then?"
"Pillow," she muttered sleepily.
He felt under his pillow and, sure enough, his hand closed round a cold metal object.He poked Rose's shoulder with it, chuckling quietly to himself.
"Simpleton. I would've found it eventually, you know."
But she said nothing; she was obviously fast asleep. The Doctor was soon in the same state, but not before he had leaned over to the floor and tucked the screwdriver safely away in his jacket pocket.
I don't think that worked as well as the first one, but I wanted to resolve it. Also hoping it wasn't creepy of him to look through her stuff...
Anyway, review and let me know.
