Disclaimer: Don't own Doctor Who, but now, thanks to the awesomest most fantastic Whovian in the world, I own two DW items. Stone Rose and Companions handbook.

A/N: Post Doomsday, parallel world. Came to me in a fit of fruity inspiration. (Edit: Also, so sorry about the multiple Story Alerts. For some reason, FF wouldn't publish the update the first time. Or the second for that matter. But, like they say, third time's a charm, yeah? So, let's hope this time it works.)

Apple A Day

Jackie Tyler hummed happily as she stirred her tea, a dash of milk and two cubes of sugar, thank you very much. And why shouldn't she hum? There were a million and one things to be happy about these days. Huge mansion with over thirty rooms. A driver. A butler. A maid. Anything she wanted with the snap of her fingers. And a doting husband. Oh yes, these were the days. The only exception to this happy umbrella hanging over her well coiffed hair was the blonde woman sitting at the table, looking remarkably like her. Her daughter had taken to filling her days with sighs that made even Jackie feel lonely.

She pursed her lips as her eyes fell on a quiet Rose, sitting glumly at the kitchen table passing an apple between her hands and looking at the fruit as if it had had a go at her style. Jackie tapped her perfectly manicured nails on the clean marble kitchen counter. Sad thoughts directed at her daughter faded when her old brand new husband swept through the door and planted a customary kiss on her lips. Remembering the morose Rose, she bit back a giggle.

"I expect you home in time for supper." Jackie chided as Pete lay a soft kiss on Rose's unresponsive head.

"Always, love." He picked his briefcase up, took a swig from Jackie's tea, hissed at the heat, then planted a last kiss on her cheeks. "See you then."

"Yeah," she smiled gently, then frowned. "Betta' eat right today, Pete. No mor'a that red meat. Remember what they say, an apple a day keeps the doctor away." She grinned at Pete's assenting grunt then gasped at the look on her daughter's face when her eyes passed over her again.

Rose was frozen in what looked like the most horrific, painful expression. Her lips were parted over the offending apple, but her eyes had filled with tears in a matter of seconds. She moved her limbs stiffly, dropping the apple with disgust, as if it were a bug. It took Jackie a matter of seconds to realize her mistake.

"Oh, Rose," she began. "I didn' think- I'm sorry-."

But Rose was past hearing. She glared fiercely at the apple, then seemed to come to a decision. She grasped the apple in her hand again, stood and ran for the back door. Tearing it open, she tossed the apple with all the strength she could muster.

"Rose…" Jackie tried again. Without turning, her daughter shut the door behind her and disappeared for the rest of the morning.

Later, when she was preparing a nice salad for Pete's supper (she'd cheat and eat the goods while waiting for him to get home), she noticed the fruit bowl was remarkably empty. And Sarita had bought a whole bushel of apples only yesterday. Her eyes landed on the trash bin where seven apples had been stuffed below a juice carton quite violently. She knew who'd done it and why. And while she knew it was hardly right to blame fruit, she never bought apples again. And she was quite certain that her Rose would never again so much as look at another.

A/N: Thanks so much for reading! I actually had a similar reaction when someone said this to me not so long ago. Needless to say, I no longer buy apples. They are evil. This chapter is dedicated to the aforementioned awesomest most fantastic Whovian, Francesca Montag, whose stories, if you haven't already, you must go out and read right this very minute. You can find her profile in my reviews muchily conveniently after you've reviewed this!