Chapter two- Fantastic With Three

OK, thankyou heaps and heaps to Vampirehelsing, Becsy Lexi, EbonyBeach, 'a reviewer' and the ever impatient PsiGen (MXLOS). The main request seemed to be 'more, soon,' so, er, here it is I guess. Um, next chapter will be longer, I promise.

To the Doctor's absolutely ecstatic delight, Jackie was out. Shaking her head at his bigger than usual grin, but passing no comment, Rose weaved past him to the kitchen, to make a bit of tea and find something to leave a note on, to let her mum know what was going on when she got home. Rose had rung Shireen on the mobile from somewhere in the year 279001 AD, and they were going out for coffee together, leaving Jack and the Doctor to roam on earth for a bit. It had been noted privately by both Jack and Rose that the Doctor would probably spend his time sulking and hitting the TARDIS with hammers, but it couldn't be helped. Once in a while, a girl simply needed to lounge around and chat about irrelevant nothings with friends, especially after the saving of five consecutive worlds plus a small moon.

The Doctor had managed to land the TARDIS with rare and unusual accuracy, so Rose had just enough time to fix her hair up a bit, before heading out to meet up with Shireen. Left to their own devices, Jack went forth in search of some skirt (with a comment on 'when in Rome…') and the Doctor retreated back inside the TARDIS, not in the mood for soaking in the local colour without a small warm hand in his.

Meanwhile…

'I don't know.' Sighed Rose, hopelessly.

'Well is he cute?' Demanded Shireen, matter-of-factly.

'Yeah.' Rose breathed, dreamily.

'So what's the problem then?'

'I don't even know if he likes me. I mean, we hold hands and stuff, but…'

'Nothing more huh?' Asked Shireen, understandingly. They were both nursing coffees as they talked. Having discussed old school friends and who was getting voted off the island next, the conversation had rapidly turned to Rose's love life. Or frustrating lack thereof. Shireen was great for advice with this sort of stuff.

'Have you tried getting him jealous? It usually has them on their knees proposing within three seconds flat.' She grinned suggestively.

'And when you say proposing…' Rose laughed at her friend's delicate euphemism, then got back to the matter at hand. 'I know he gets jealous. I can't get within three feet of another guy without him practically blowing his top. Even Jack-'

'Wait a minute. Who's Jack?'

Rose smiled, reminiscing fondly and Shireen raised an eyebrow. 'He's hot isn't he? I knew it. How come all the good ones fall out of the woodwork the second you walk by?'

'Jack's nice, but he's not the one I'm interested in.'

'Don't be so sure sweetheart.'

'Huh?' Asked Rose inarticulately. Shireen knew how caught up Rose was with 'Alex'; she wasn't likely to go suggesting a complete change of target without a reason.

'You said it yourself; Alex's got the jealously reflex just fine. Maybe your problem is that he doesn't feel threatened enough by all the non-specific guys. Jack is around all the time right?'

'Right.'

'So all you gotta do, is throw a bit of flirting his way. Alex'll figure if he doesn't move in soon, he'll actually lose you to someone else.'

'Hmm' Rose contemplated this, immediately seeing the merits of the idea. It wasn't exactly fair, but then the Doctor wasn't being fair by sending all those smouldering looks her way without so much as a snog. 'Thanks Shireen. You're brilliant.'

'Well, you know me.' She grinned, waving away Rose's praise before leaning in confidentially, 'tell you though, if it was me, I'd just drag them both into bed and wake up a very happy women.'

'On second thoughts, advice on my love life from you might not be such a good idea.' Teased Rose.

'Oi you. Go on, you better get going. You're only in town for what? Tonight? You better go spend some time with your mum. You know she'll natter on if you don't.'

'You're right again. 'K Shireen, I'll see ya.'

'See ya sweetheart. Good luck with that, OK?'

'Sure.' Rose smiled as she left the café, her thoughts nagging her about something. When she remembered what it was, she nearly walked into another pedestrian on the busy shopping strip, before simply stopping dead. 'Careful' warned the old man grumpily, before pushing forward on his way. Rose largely ignored him. Shireen's words were going round and round in her head now, hammering in their significance, complete with some very interesting mental images. Drag them both into bed.

'Hmm' Rose murmured to herself, lost deep in thought as she began to walk again, heading back to her mum's place.

To be continued… (All right, another author's note. I needed someone in the non-specific friend role. I don't know if Shireen ever actually appeared in the series or what, so apologies for any inconsistencies. I've only seen up to 'Boom Town.')