Disclaimer: Don't own Doctor Who, Rose or Jack Harkness, but the puppy is mine.

AN: Slightly longer chapter... not entirely sure I'm happy with it, but when the muse makes her appearance you listen. R&R please!

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Jack was plotting against him. This the Doctor knew with absolute certainty. He also knew with absolute certainty that the TARDIS was helping the blasted animal.

The thought had occurred to him shortly after his sonic screwdriver went missing.

"Rose! Have you seen my sonic screwdriver?" he called across the control room, contorting wildly in his attempt to navigate the Time Vortex.

"Did you check your pockets?" she called back from the depths of the TARDIS.

"Did I check my pockets she asks, as if I've nary a thought in my head. Doesn't she know she's talking to a genius?" he muttered to himself.

"A genius you may be, Doctor, but absentminded you most certainly are." She grinned cheekily at his glare.

A soft yip came from the vicinity of Rose's feet. Looking down, Rose and the Doctor, saw that Jack was pawing at the grating on the floor.

"My sonic screwdriver!" cried the Doctor.

"Aww Jack, what a good boy! You found the Doctor's toy." Rose congratulated the pup.

"Found it! He probably stole it in the first place!" the Doctor shouted. "And it's not a toy! It's a delicate scientific whatsis that can do almost anything!" He swooped down and grabbed it, wiping it indelicately off on his suit.

Picking up Jack and placing him on her shoulder, Rose turned away from the Doctor, "Now Doctor if you can't admit that you misplaced the sonic screwdriver there's no need to blame it on poor Jack."

Poor Jack. The same poor Jack who could not have gotten the sonic screwdriver under the grating without help. The very same poor Jack who the Doctor would swear was grinning at him over Rose's shoulder.

It was during his hunt for his left shoe that this thought came to him again. He couldn't walk around with only one shoe. He'd look daft, and rightly so.

Jack came running in, unfortunately not carrying the Doctor's shoe, and promptly sat on his haunches. In an attempt to discern its location, the Doctor resorted to unorthodox methods.

"Hey Jack, who's the good little doggy? Huh? Who's the good doggy? What'd you do with my shoe boy? Where'd you hide it?"

Jack simply tilted his head as if to say, "Are you mad, man? Talking to me, like I couldn't understand what you'd be saying in perfect English?" The Doctor could almost hear the voice in his head.

Sighing, the Doctor slumped in defeat. "All right you win. Now will you find my shoe?"

Jack got up and after glancing at the Doctor, walked over and into the closet. He reappeared shortly thereafter with the missing shoe.

The Doctor's jaw dropped in disbelief. He could have sworn it hadn't been there the last few times he'd checked.

A muffled snickering sound came from the door. There was Rose, observing him in all his glory with only one shoe. Her snickers turned into outright giggles, which then turned into full-scale laughter. In his mind, the music of the TARDIS turned lilting as if she too was laughing.

The Doctor could feel his ears burn. This was the last straw. This meant war.