"I think I'm gonna turn in now," Rose yawned widely and stood up from beside the fire where they were toasting marshmallows.
"Oh, no, don't go," the Doctor pouted, "Then I'll have to be stuck with him." He jerked a thumb at Jack who pretended to look offended.
"What's wrong with being stuck with me?" he asked indignantly.
"Nothing," the Time Lord said a little too quickly, "I think I'll take a kip too." He leapt to his feet and dived into the tent, "Bagsy going in the middle!"
"What?! No fair. I was gonna go there," Jack shouted and jumped in after him leaving Rose standing outside, an amused look on her face, "I'll go in the middle too!" The young woman struggled not to laugh as the two men rolled over in the tent in sleeping bags, trying to push the other to one side.
"You know, if anyone other than me saw this," Rose paused, watching as the Doctor lay on top of Jack to prove his point, "They would think that you two are doing something completely different." As soon as the Doctor heard this his eyes widened and he sprung off Jack and inched as far away as possible from him. Rose giggled and slipped into the tent after them.
"Aw, come on Doc, don't you wanna come in the middle with me?" Jack grinned wickedly causing the Doctor to back further to the side of the tent until he was stopped by the fabric.
"Rose, help me," he squeaked.
"How bout I go in the middle," Rose plonked herself in between the two men and slithered into her sleeping bag.
"Oh, well that just ruined the whole object of the fight," Jack moaned.
"You gonna fight me then?" Rose raised an eyebrow at him.
"Wouldn't mind," Jack winked.
"Jack!" Rose laughed, "You're not gonna fight me cos I'm a girl, ok?"
"Hey, you know I swing both ways. In fact, I swing every way but still…"
"Shut up Jack," the woman shook her head, "I'll go in the middle so you two can protect me if anything big, bad and hairy comes to attack me."
"I.e. Jack," piped up the Doctor, a grin plastered across his face.
"Oi!"
"No fighting," Rose kicked them both from within her sleeping bag to make sure they got the message, "Now go to sleep."
Rose's eyes flickered open and she blinked in the bright interior of the tent. She looked either side of her and found, to her complete and utter shock, that both Jack and the Doctor were still there, fast asleep. She would've thought they'd be up by now, ready and raring to go, waiting for her to get up. It was amazing.
They both looked so cute asleep but Rose had to say, much to her embarrassment, she preferred staring at the sleeping Doctor rather than Jack. With his eyes closed the Time Lord looked much less imposing and invincible. He looked like a little boy tucked up in bed, vulnerable and small, his brown hair falling across his forehead and his chin resting on his hand. As he breathed the red sleeping bag he was in rose and fell rhythmically and he made soft snuffling noises. Rose smiled.
After a couple of minutes she decided to get up. Maybe she could go visit Debs as she hadn't had time last night and warn her of Jack. She also needed to check that the canoes were ready. Debs was the owner of them and had only allowed the use of the canoes if she could come. Also, she had to meet this Theodore and walk some of the dogs.
Quickly she changed her clothes and unzipped the tent, stepping out into the cool, damp morning air. The long carpet of grass around her was wet with dew and the bottoms of her trousers fast became soaked. She shivered and wished she'd brought a coat with her. Turning round she looked back in the tent and spotted the Doctor's large cream coat. She grinned and tugged it from the Doctor's feet and wrapped it gratefully round her shoulders. Then she quickly did the zip back up and headed towards the building by the forest.
Knocking on the door, Rose hopped from foot to foot in anticipation. She heard a scuffling inside and several deep barks followed by a series of yips. Then the door opened and a huge dog barrelled out. Rose screamed as it pushed her off her feet and saw its sharp rows of teeth bearing down on her. Then a long pink tongue darted from the massive jaws and began licking her all over the face. She laughed and batted the dogs head away and its golden eyes looked crushed. She sat up and rubbed the giant animal behind the ears. She couldn't believe she'd been scared of Merlin! The Irish wolfhound barked again and he gave her a doggy grin.
"Hey, Merlin, you've grown big," Rose scratched him affectionately. Last time she'd seen him he'd been a puppy. Even then he was pretty large but now he was enormous, and very hairy.
"Rose!" the face of Debs appeared in front of her smiling, "You ok?"
"Yeah, Merlin gave me a bit of a fright," Rose admitted and hauled herself to her feet and stroking the dog again as he butted her on the arm.
"Sorry, I tried to hold him back but Jeff was being difficult, as usual," the woman gestured to the little animal in her arms who was baring his teeth viciously.
Merlin and Jeff were a strange combination. Merlin was huge and the gentlest animal you could ever have the fortune to meet. He wouldn't hurt a fly whereas Jeff was a tiny Tibetan spaniel with a temper and very, very sharp teeth. He bit anyone and everyone except Debs but even she had her fingers snapped at occasionally. Rose didn't like Jeff at all. She never went near him if she could help it.
"Wanna come in, Rose?" Debs asked.
"Yeah, if you don't mind, I've left the guys sleeping in the tent so I can come down here and organise the canoes."
"They're ready and waiting by the river. I've made a picnic as well," Debs announced, leading Rose into the kitchen, "D'you mind if I bring Lucy?"
"No, not at all, I don't think the boys will mind," Rose reassured her, not adding that it might keep Jack away from Debs which was a good thing.
Lucy was Debs' nine year old daughter who had been born when Debs was seventeen. She had caused the marriage between Debs and Lucy's father who felt guilty. It hadn't lasted though, neither of them was happy and so they divorced. Lucy had been upset at first but she was very resilient and bounced back pretty soon.
"Good, she can handle a canoe very well so she shouldn't be a hinder."
"I'm sure the Doctor will be more of a problem," Rose told her, grinning at the aspect of the Time Lord in a canoe, "It's his first time."
"Sounds like today's gonna be interesting."
The Doctor's eyes opened slowly and he drew in a deep breath. Sitting up he ran a tired hand through his hair making it stick up even more than it did already and yawned. He looked side wards and saw the sleeping form of Jack. Then he looked in the middle and did a double take. Rose was gone! His heart thumped wildly and his eyes widened. Who'd taken her?! How could neither of them have noticed? He leapt to his feet, forgetting he was in a tent and fell back to the floor. Then he noticed that Rose's clothes were gone, along with his coat. A kidnapping alien monster wouldn't have taken them. The Doctor sagged in relief. He had jumped to a conclusion too soon. She'd probably got up to go to the loo or something.
He climbed out of the tent, muttering about Rose always taking his coat and shivered as the cold wind blew into him, causing goose pimples to appear on his flesh. He looked around at the smouldering fire and the rest of the camp but Rose wasn't there. He guessed she was down with Debs at the kennels weren't they supposed to be walking the dogs?
Setting purposefully off he completely forgot about Jack who was still snoozing in the tent on his own with no idea where they'd gone.
As he reached the kennels again a small blur appeared from behind the building and careered into him. The speeding object that had collided with him bounced back and landed with a thump on the floor.
"Ow," a young girl was sprawled on the ground, rubbing her elbow; she glared up at the lanky man who stood over her, "Watch where you're going why don't you?"
"Hey, you're the one who ran into me," the man replied.
"You got in the way," the girl retorted, climbing to her feet and brushing herself down.
"Did not," the man answered.
"Did too."
"Did not."
"Did too."
"Did not."
"Did too."
"Did not!"
"Ok, this is stupid," the girl frowned at the grown man who gave her an equal frown back, a smile twitching at his lips, "You're not supposed to argue back."
"Why not?" the man asked, eyebrows raised.
"Cos you're an adult."
"So, just cos I'm an adult why don't I get to have unimportant arguments?"
"Cos you don't."
"Why not?"
"Cos you don't."
"Why not?"
"There you go again," the girl laughed at the man, he may be irritating but he was funny, "Who are you anyway?"
"I'm the Doctor," the Doctor grinned.
"That's a gay name."
"Is not."
"Is too."
"Is not."
"Is too."
"IS NOT!"
"Ok, ok, I get the picture. You're my mum's friend Rose's friend aren't you?"
"Yes, that's me, the Doctor and friend of Rose Tyler," he announced.
"She likes you."
"I know, but who wouldn't. You like me and you've only just met me!"
"She likes you…a lot."
"Pardon?" the Doctor thought he'd misheard.
"Anyway, wanna come on the trampoline with me?"
"You have a trampoline?"
"Yeah."
"Wow!"
I always wanted to see David Tennant on a trampoline. I don't know why I just think it would be hilarious. Review to get the next chapter which has the canoeing and the trampolining! Whoop! And have a marshmallow!