Title: Domestic Dancing
Author: Sparks
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Not mine. The Domestic Universe is mine, however.
Notes: First of many, many of the expanded Domestic 'verse fics. The conman was conned. Set just after The Doctor Dances.
The music came to an end; Rose, giggling, collapsed into the chair at one side of the control room. The Doctor checked something on the console, then flashed a peculiar grin at Jack, who was still standing near the door.
"You coming in properly, or what?" he wanted to know. He looked the conman over critically. "You need to change," he proclaimed.
"Says the bloke who only wears one outfit," Rose ribbed him.
"I change my jumper," the Doctor said defensively. Jack looked on with a smile; these two had obviously been travelling together for a while. There was definitely something between them, no matter how much the Doctor might try to deny it.
"I would change," he said aloud, "but my ship just blew up, taking my clothes with it."
"Oh, that's fine," Rose said airily. "The TARDIS has a wardrobe. Has everything you could ever want in it." She glared at the Doctor. "Even bright orange bridesmaids' dresses," she said in an aggrieved tone.
"Do I want to know?" Jack checked.
"She dragged me to her mother's," the Doctor said, still grinning, "and I brought Rose's bridesmaid's dress onboard. Rose, take him to get dressed, will you?"
"Sure," Rose nodded. She stood up and headed towards a door that Jack hadn't noticed before. "C'mon, Captain," she said teasingly. "Stop gawking."
Jack followed, mouth open. "Much, much bigger on the inside," he commented.
"Oh yes," Rose nodded. "Huge. C'mon, wardrobe's this way."
She led him through a dizzying array of corridors, past bins and rooms and stairs, until they reached the wardrobe room. She flung the door open dramatically and let him step inside.
"That's a lot of clothes," Jack said, impressed. "And you say he never gets changed? That would explain the lack of blending in…"
"We don't do that," Rose said with a strange smile. "At least, the Doctor doesn't. I dress up sometimes, but I think it's mostly 'cos he likes seeing me in a corset." Jack did a double take at her words. Rose ignored him, starting to root through a chest of drawers. "There'll be something in here that fits," she assured him. "There always is. We might have to go shopping soon, though." She grinned at the thought. "Maybe Jupiter Five. I love that place."
"So how long have you been travelling with him?" Jack wanted to know as he joined the search for clothes that would fit him.
"Oh, I don't know. Over a year, I think." Rose held up a pair of black trousers, then shook her head and chucked them into a corner. "Time's a bit weird in here." She found a shirt and held it up. "D'you think I'd look nice in this?"
"You look nice in anything," came the Doctor's voice from the doorway. He was leaning against the doorframe, watching them with an amused smile. Rose turned and grinned widely at him.
"Liar," she said fondly. "C'mon, give us a hand."
"You left this behind," the Doctor said instead. He held up a small box. "It was on the console – you must have forgotten it after your shower."
Rose gave an exclamation and hurriedly reclaimed the box. Jack looked on curiously.
"I can't believe I did that," she berated herself. "I'm such an idiot!" She opened the box and withdrew a ring. "Why didn't you say something?" she asked the Doctor.
The Doctor smirked and indicated Jack. "He'd have noticed a ring, Rose, he's not stupid."
Jack took a step towards them. "I'm confused," he said slowly.
"Never mind," the Doctor said with a wide grin. "Most people are, you know."
"Doctor, stop that," Rose said. She slid the ring onto her finger. "There, that's better. I thought something was off. I've not had it that long, you know."
"Five weeks, six hours and nearly thirty-seven minutes," the Doctor shrugged. He caught Jack's bemused look. "I know time," he said briefly.
"Or so he likes to think," Rose grinned. "C'mon, Jack, clothes." She pointed at the Doctor. "You can help, too."
But Jack had come even closer and had taken Rose's hand. "You're married," he said slowly.
"Yup," Rose nodded, trying to hide a smile but not quite managing it. She looked downright wicked, the Doctor mused.
"But you – " Jack cut himself off and looked from her to the Doctor. "You two are – "
"Yeah," the Doctor nodded, slipping an arm around Rose's waist and trying to pretend that he hadn't been dying to do that for hours. "Problem?"
Jack looked at Rose, realisation dawning. "You lied," he said. "With the psychic paper – and then you flirted with me – you – " The look on his face made Rose start giggling.
"Sorry," she managed to say in gasping breaths. "You just – you…" she trailed off, laughing too hard to keep talking. The Doctor looked at her indulgently, then turned to Jack.
"Sorry," he said, not sounding it at all. "But you're no stranger to cons."
Jack opened and closed his mouth several times, unable to find the words he wanted.
"That," he said after a few moments, "has never happened before."
Rose sobered up instantly. "You want to stay, right?" she asked anxiously. "I'm sorry about that – but as soon as you got me in that beam thing, I knew you weren't supposed to be there. I had to get you to the Doctor, so he could see if you were mucking up the timeline or something."
"I don't want to go," Jack said, quiet and truthful for once. He glanced up at the Doctor. "But it's your decision," he offered.
The Doctor snorted. "If you say so," he said. "Rose, are we keeping him?"
Rose looked Jack over once again, then reached up to kiss the Doctor gently. "Oh yes," she said lightly afterwards. "He's staying."
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