Disclaimer: This is not mine. I repeat, Doctor Who and any other related characters are not mine.

Lo folks. Here's the next chapter for you all. Sorry that the formatting has been a bit screwed up but preview is screwing with me. Ok, this is a little light break from the darkness that has prevailed so far. Thanks to all who reviewed and to Hudine.

For Jilly and in response to a challange she posted last week, I think. I hope I didn't forget anything.

Chapter Six: Happy Birthday

The Doctor ducked the shoe that flew at him and took cover behind one of the towering coral like struts as another item was aimed at his head.

"Don't do that to me!"

Another shoe.

"I said I was sorry."

The sonic screw driver. Now how had she gotten hold of that?

"That's not the point."

He stepped out from behind the support and frowned at her.

"Then what is? I realise you want to get out of here Rose. So do I and I am sorry that I got your hopes up, but don't you think you're over reacting a little?"

She let her arm drop to her side, still clutching a random tool. She slumped against one of the supports and ran her hand through her messy hair.

"You are right. I'm sorry. I'm just so…"

"Stressed?"

"Tired. Of everything. This is honestly the first time since I started travelling with you that I've just wanted to go home, have a cuppa and watch telly."

"Oh. Well…" He felt his hearts sinking. "When I get this thing up and working again, I can take you home."

She shook her head and smiled at him, walking up to him and grabbing his hand.

"You are an idiot sometimes, you know that?"

"Eh?"

"I'm just tired of that." She waved her hand at the open door of the TARDIS and the shabby living room beyond. "Not of this. Not of you."

He pulled her into a hug and smiled into her hair. "Good to know."

"I've told you before. Can't get rid of me."

He laughed and she could feel it rumble in his chest.

"It's just, we've been here what? Seven months now?"

"Yeah."

"The whole thing. The people, the place. It all makes me so tired."

He sighed and pulled her closer. "Me too."

"Well," she pulled herself out of the black mood that had fallen upon the pair and looked at her watch. "Now that you've gotten me out of bed early for nothing and I only have half an hour to get ready for work, I'm going to have a shower."

"Um…"

"Am I going to want to throw things again?"

"In attempting to fix the TARDIS, I broke the boiler."

She groaned and headed back to her room. "You're lucky I'm so tired!"

The Doctor grinned after her and inserted himself back under the floor of the control room.

"Sex?"

Rose rolled her eyes at Ben. "You're terrible at this game. Helena?"

"Heh. Um… Blow Job."

"It doesn't have to be sexual you know?"

Helena giggled at the look on Ben's face. "Yeah, but it's way more fun if you theme it."

Ben looked between the two women. "Was she right?"

"Of course I was right. Rose, your turn. Keep it dirty."

"Ok. Um… sixty nine-ing."

"That's it. I give up."

"Come on Ben. It's so easy."

"Nope. Can't get it."

"Right. Down 'em."

The three laughed as Ben downed the triple shot of purple liquor.

"I'm gonna be on the floor by the end of shift."

Rose shook her head and pulled a drink for a waiting customer. "It's your own fault."

"What were you playing?"

Rose jumped as the person spoke into her ear. "Damn it! Stop doing that."

The Doctor grinned at her. "Can't help myself. It's just too good of an opportunity."

"Whatever." Smacking him on the arm Rose moved out into the smoky bar to attend to customers.

Helena sidled up to the Doctor and batted heavily massacred eyelashes at him. "Hey David. What can I get you? The usual?"

"Yeah. Thanks."

Helena set the drink in front of him and leaned in. "So, haven't seen you around much lately. Where ya been?"

"Oh, you know. Working."

"I thought Rose said you were unemployed."

"Home project."

"Oh." She smiled again at him, swinging around the end of the bar and hiking herself

up on a stool beside him.

"What was it Rose said you were? A handy man?"

"Really? Is that what she said? I'm more of an… engineer at the moment."

"Yeah." Came an amused voice from behind the bar. "He specialises in jiggery pokery. Can't even get the bloody car to work."

The Doctor raised a sceptical eye brow at her. "I'd like to see you give it a try."

Rose just laughed and moved on to her next customer, leaving the Doctor and Helena together.

"Jiggery pokery?"

He shook his head at her. "Long running joke. She doesn't think I can do anything right."

"Oh." Cooed Helena and the Doctor jumped as her hand snaked its way onto his upper leg. "I'm sure you can do a lot of things right."

He sent a hopeful look in Rose's direction but was disheartened when he saw her occupied with a few customers. He shifted uncomfortably as Helena's hand wandered higher.

"So," she smiled sweetly "tell me about yourself?"

About an hour or so later, Rose was finishing up her shift. Helena had been talking to the Doctor the whole time. She didn't mind that Helena was skipping work to flirt. There weren't many people there. She did mind that she was doing it with her Doctor and that her hand had been slowly working its way towards the Doctor's crotch for the past hour.

She gave herself a small mental slap. The Doctor was an adult. Nine hundred years of one to be exact. He could have flings and relationships if he wanted to. It was his choice. Rose tried to ignore what she recognised as a green demon lurking in her mind. They were friends, companions. Nothing more. Just friends. Shaking her head she grabbed a bag of rubbish and headed out the back.

She jumped slightly as the back door opened behind her.

"Oh, hey Ben."

"Sorry, did I scare you?"

"I'm just a little cautious back here, since what happened to Helena."

He nodded. "Right. That was before I came."

"Yeah. It was pretty vicious, but she's a tough girl."

"You're not exactly a wallflower."

"Yeah well, all that travelling. You run into some… unsavoury characters."

She smirked darkly at the thought, inciting a look of confusion from Ben.

She waved her hand at him. "Never mind. I just mean, there are quite a few nasty people out there. You need to learn how to take care of yourself or you get yourself killed."

He nodded and approached her. "Well, I know you can look after yourself."

"Like I said before."

She finished tying up the rubbish and turned around. Ben was standing right behind her, smiling down at her. She tucked some hair behind her ear nervously.

"So, um… is there.."

"Rose, are with this David guy?"

"No. Why does everyone think we're a couple?"

"Good."

"Why is that…"

She never got to finish her sentence as his lips descended on hers. It was strange, she thought, as she stood there with Ben kissing her with no small amount of passion. Here she was with a nice, good looking… very good looking man kissing her and she felt nothing. Not a twinge.

"Rose? Rose you out here? Oh."

Ben backed off and they both looked over to the door where the Doctor stood, a small

frown on his face.

Rose bit her lip. "Hey, Doc... David. Listen, I'm nearly done here, then we'll be off."

The Doctor nodded and disappeared back into the building without a word. Rose rolled her eyes as she watched him vanish. Even if they were just friends, he could be annoyingly possessive. He'd be sulking for a week at least.

Ben smiled down at her and began to move in for another kiss but she placed a hand on his chest, stopping him.

"Listen, Ben. You're a nice guy and all…"

"But?"

"But, when you kissed me, I didn't feel anything. Sorry."

"Nothing?"

"Not a thing." She had the decency to look vaguely apologetic.

"Hmm, can I have another go?"

Before she could object, he kissed her again. More softly this time though. It was sweet, thought Rose, but wrong lips, wrong body, wrong voice.

He pulled back again and looked at her.

"Anything?"

"Sorry."

He sighed and gave her a small smile. "Well, can't blame a guy for trying." He glanced at his watch. "Your shift finished ten minutes ago."

She smiled at him and gave his shoulder a short squeeze. "I'll see you in the morning Ben."

"Yeah."

Rose ran into the kitchen, stripping off her apron and grabbing her jacket, heading out the door. She snagged the Doctor by the collar of his jacket as she passed the bar, earning a scowl from Helena.

"Sorry. I'll see you tomorrow."

He shook her hand off and exited the bar in front of her. She shook her head and followed him out into the cold night air. Running to catch up with him, she fell into step beside him.

"Sorry I took so long."

He didn't look at her. "You and your boyfriends."

She smirked a little. "Not my boyfriend."

"Yeah well…eh?"

"Not my boyfriend."

"What about the search for fillings?"

"Eww. Don't call it that. He took me by surprise. I mean, Ben's a nice guy but, there's just no… connection."

"Oh."

They continued on in silence and Rose smiled as he slipped his hand into hers. He could be so obvious sometimes. As they walked down the wall a small yapping sound behind them began to get louder. The Doctor paused, looking annoyed.

"What the hell is that?"

"I dunno. It sounds like a dog."

The yapping got closer and suddenly there was a ball of fluff dancing about their legs. Rose giggled as it tripped up the Doctor slightly. It looked like the Andrex puppy with a really bad dye job.

"Aww,it's so cute." Rose bent down and let the fluffy creature lick her hand.

"It's blue."

Rose laughed at the Doctors disgruntled look. "It's not blue, it's turquoise. It's a puppy."

Rose looked up at the Doctor hopefully.

He shook his head, crossing his arms in a stance of defiance. "Oh no. No way. I don't do domestic. A dog counts as domestic. No dogs, no puppies, no kittens, no gold fish. What have I told you about picking up strays?"

"You have a pet!" she said with a pout.

"No I don't."

"Yes you do. You have the man eating plant thing. And you have the strange miniature elephant that lives in the third green house."

"It was hurt when I picked it up. And the plant doesn't eat people any more."

"Only because you feed it about five steaks every morning. Come on. Please?"

She stood up, taking the puppy with her and looked at the Doctor pleadingly.

He shook his head and sighed. "You know, two pairs of puppy dog eyes isn't fair. It's two on one."

"Oh thank you." She ruffled the puppy's fur and put it down at her feet.

"I find one blue hair in my TARDIS and it's gone, you understand?" he said, addressing the blue blur that was racing around his feet.

Rose giggled and took the Doctors arm, steering him towards the house. "What will we call him?"

"How about Dog?"

She shrugged. "Works for me."

Rose unlocked the front door and the puppy zoomed under their legs and into the house, immediately hopping up on the sofa.

"Hmm, he's making himself at home."

"Oh, stop being such a moan, would you?"

He simply grinned at her and dragged her into the TARDIS, seating her in a chair.

"Stay here."

"Um, ok."

He disappeared through the door but returned quickly, hands shoved in his pockets.

She raised an eyebrow at him.

"Ok, what's all this then?"

He sat in the chair beside her and swung over to the controls.

"You know the way I got the computer back up and running?"

"Not without fault but yeah. So?"

"Well, I found this old redundant system. Hadn't been used in… oh a century or so."

"The point?"

"Look up."

He pushed a button on the controls and Rose gasped. The entire room disappeared to be replaced by a display of the stars. It was like they were floating in space.

"Wow." She got up and walked around. It was like she was walking on nothing. They were surrounded up and down, side to side by stars, galaxies, nebulae. She ran over to him and threw her arms around him.

"This is so amazing. Thank you so much. Wait." She pulled back, looking at him suspiciously. "Why did you do this?"

He smiled at her and pulled a small box out of his pocket. "This isn't much. I picked it up a while back. Happy Birthday."

She looked at him wide eyed and took the box from him. Inside was a necklace. It was a simple silver chain with a pendant, a shining blue stone set in silver but when it reflected off the light, colours swirled within the stone, changing and seeping into each other as she gazed at it.

She ran her fingers over the pendant. "I didn't even realise… Thank you. This is…"

He brushed some hair from her face and smiled down at her. "You're twenty one. How does it feel?"

"Like my mum is going to kill me next time we see her."

He laughed and pulled her close, placing a soft kiss on her cheek. "Forget that. Happy birthday."

"Thanks. For all of this." She looked around at the display of stars that surrounded her.

"Come on."

He sat down and pulled her with him. They both lay back and watched as the universe, fake as it may have been, revolved around them for now.

End Chap.

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