Here's chapter 2 for you all.
My first Jack conspiracy theory - woot! I will say you're partly right...i'm not saying which part though!
Plus this chapter got a little political. I say let our boys away fighting keep the pin-up girls on their planes! They've been there years and if the women serviving get disturbed by them then they shouldn't be out there. Stupid political correctness making them paint over the girls. Okay I'm done!
Chapter 2
"Good morning."
Jack looks round from the nose of the Spitfire he is balanced on the top of a wooden stepladder in front of. He sees John Smith walking towards him, wearing a brown leather and sheepskin flying jacket, his hair blowing messily in the breeze of Tangmere airfield. "Morning Brit," he says, sticking his paintbrush back in the tin of paint in his hand.
"Have a good night after I left?"
Jack grins widely. "Yeah that blonde was very entertaining," his voice is pure boasting red-blooded male post conquest sleaze.
The Doctor feels his blood boiling, even though he knows Jack is lying. He slides his eyes past Jack's shoulder to divert his attention away from his own urge to punch the smug grin off the pilot's face. Then the urge to punch Jack rises again as he sees exactly what Jack was painting. From a perfect kneeling pin-up girl pose Rose Tyler smiles seductively at him from the nose of the plane, wearing nothing more than a red and white polka dot bikini, with curled blonde hair and pouty red lips. Below Jack has written 'Rose Red' in curly red writing. The Doctor bites his lip to stop a retort before it comes. Jack smiles irritatingly at him.
"Isn't she a babe?"
The Doctor turns around and walks away without a word, anger bubbling in his throat that threatens to choke him. He is really starting to hate this Jack. He needs to find Rose.
Rose looks up admiringly at the grey stone cloisters around her as her sensible black shoes clump along the slabs beneath her feet, and she shifts the manila folders in her arms. She has just come from the planning room a little further along the corridor with these files after shaking off Lizzie and all her questions about Jack.
A low whistle comes from the door to her left. She looks round to see the Doctor beckoning at her from the doorway. She follows him outside and down a series of grey stone steps to the wide lawns. He does not say a word until they are out of sight behind one of the large trees.
He fishes inside his jacket and pulls out a pair of stockings. "Here beautiful," he drawls in an American accent, "Nylons…providing your boyfriend ain't already got you some." He can't help the jealousy from crawling into his voice.
Rose looks at him sharply. "Boyfriend? What?"
The Doctor folds his arms across the brown leather of his flying jacket. "What happened last night?" he says in his normal tone of voice, not even the RAF one he has been using.
"You saw the kiss then I take it?"
The Doctor just looks down at the grass and scuffs his boot against the base of the tree.
Rose smacks him in the arm with her hand. "You are so stupid!"
"Why?" he retorts. "Jack is bragging about you! And painting you naked on the front of his plane!"
"What?!"
"Okay so not naked. But I don't want a squadron of pilots looking at my girl as a pin-up in a bikini!"
"Your girl huh?" Rose bats her eyelashes at him and steps closer. "I like a man in uniform," she purrs at him softly.
He pushes her gently away. "Not here Rose. Come to the TARDIS tonight. Please."
"Okay. I'll be by at seven." She smiles. "Found anything out?"
He shakes his head. "Not yet. You?"
"Lizzie likes you…but then she likes all flyers."
A klaxon sounds in the distance and the Doctor looks up sharply. "I have to go."
Rose grabs his arm. "No don't. I don't want you to get hurt."
He looks at her steadily and picks her hand from his jacket. "This isn't the first war I've been in Rose." She catches the tiny amount of sadness in his voice before he continues brightly. "Now the Napoleonic War, that was a civilised war. Smart red coats too. The Cold War was very boring of course…"
She silences him by grabbing his lapels and kissing him fiercely, smudging red lipstick across his lips. "Come back to me alright?"
"I will." He sets off across the lawn at a jog. Then looks over his shoulder. "I love you," he shouts in his English accent.
"Love you too," Rose murmurs her heart cold with dread as she watches him disappear round the building.
Luckily it had turned out to be false alarm because the Doctor had stared hard at the controls and tried to remember how to fly. He hadn't thought about actually having to fly and fight. God Rose would kill him if he told her. He looks at the TARDIS door for what must be the fifteenth time in about five minutes. Where is she? She promised she would come. Its now nearly an hour after she promised.
"Hello."
Rose looks up from her watch at the American leaning over her. "Hello"
"Hello," Jack smiles at her. "I told you I'd try again." His accent as strong as before.
"Yes," she says glancing at her watch again. She really should be going it is quarter to eight already. Lizzie dragged her out against her will. Lizzie who has abandoned her to dance with a young moustached pilot. "I'm sorry, I have to go."
"What?" Jack pouts at her. "You realise I can't let you leave." He takes her hands and pulls her to her feet.
A new song starts playing.
"Moonlight Serenade!" Jack exclaims. "You can't leave now!" he leads her forcibly onto the dance floor and pulls her into his arms.
Rose can't help but smile as they start to move to the music. This is isn't the third time they've danced to this song. She remembers her leaving party with all her friends secretly wishing Jack was swinging them around. And long before that, in the TARDIS when Jack would put the song on and they would dance laughing around the control room. Just the two of them, while the Doctor did whatever he did when he vanished into the TARDIS, their little moments. She blinks suddenly thinking she might cry for the lost man in the leather jacket and the lost man holding her in his arms.
"Hey," he says softly, "What's wrong?"
She sniffs. "Nothing I…"
He takes hold of her hand firmly and leads her outside grabbing his grey great coat on the way. He sits down on a wall and pulls her to sit next to him, putting the coat around her shoulders. "Bad news? A sweetheart fighting overseas?"
"No…and if that were true would I be sat here with you?"
He shrugs. "Its war. These things happen." He takes her hands in his and stares deep into her eyes. "You have to seize life where you can."
"Another line?" she smiles to try and break the intensity of the moment.
He shakes his head still looking at her. "I dunno what you've done to me Rosie, but I think I'm fallin' in love with you."
Rose stares at him eyes wide. "What?"
"Hell," he stands up suddenly. "That ruined the moment didn't it?"
Rose stares at the ground and kicks her heels against the wall. What can she say to that? Jack is falling in love with her! Oh god. She'll need to discourage this.
"Do you want me to walk you home?" he asks finally.
She shakes her head. "I'm be okay Jack," she says smiling.
She stands and shrugs his coat off and hands it to him. He pulls it one and looks down at her. He then silently pulls her into a tight hug against his chest so her nose ends up pressed into his coat. It smells like him, familiar and comforting, and part of her wants to stay like this, with her eyes shut with just Jack hugging her. But she knows she can't because he isn't the Jack who said he was coming to London to visit a girl. In the end she steps back and looks up at him. He leans down and kisses her softly on the lips.
"Goodnight Rosie."
"Goodnight Jack," she says to him, and then adds softly to his retreating back. "I miss you."
Nine thirty. Maybe she forgot the Doctor thinks bitterly. Maybe she's with Jack. At that moment the door opens and Rose bounces inside, looking every inch the 1940's girl in a red dress. He smiles and holds out his arms to her. She runs into them and hugs him tightly. She doesn't mention what Jack said because the Doctor probably wouldn't understand.
"Are you alright?" she asks.
"Yes, false alarm."
She kisses him on the lips. "I heard. I'm very happy about that."
"Me too."
He grins wickedly. "Can I ask you to stay with me tonight miss?" His eyes are twinkling beneath his the peak of his pilot's cap. "We might all die tomorrow. There's a war on."
"Will you stop with the posh accent?" she says poking him in the arm.
"No ma'am." He suddenly scoops her up in his arms, bridal style. "I learnt this from Richard Gere."
Rose laughs and takes the cap from his head and puts it on her own. "Now I know your secret! Chick flicks! That's what you did without me!"
"Shut up," he grins and carries her in the direction of the bedroom.