lt_indigo

lt_indigo

Jackie had completely and mercifully forgotten about the Doctor’s terrible habit of putting absolutely everything in his mouth. She remembered thinking more than once, so very long ago, that it was like having an overgrown toddler around the flat whenever Rose brought him home. Nothing had ever been safe, and it didn’t look like this new one was any different to the one who had run away and left him and Rose here.

“Urgh! What is that?” he demanded loudly from the kitchen, sounding affronted. Jackie thought her way around the kitchen quickly: she had stopped leaving things lying around when Tony had gotten big enough to start getting into everything, because he was just the same and hadn’t grown out of it completely yet. The Doctor (probably) wasn’t stupid enough to poison himself; Tony didn’t know any better.

Then she remembered the treat she had picked up at the Farmers Market that morning: “You mean the dates?” she asked, deciding to be brave and stick her head around the door.

“That,” the Doctor said, glaring at the mass of dark gloop in his hand that had once been one of her prized dates, “is not a date.”

Jackie shrugged. “It is in this world. They taste like pears here. And pears taste kind of citrusy.”

He stuck his tongue out, exactly like Tony did when he tasted something he didn’t like, then pointed at Jackie. “Make me a list of what tastes different. I need to know what to avoid.”

Jackie raised her eyebrows and folded her arms. It took him ten seconds to capitulate.

“Please?”

“That’s better,” she said, giving him a smile. “I’ll try and think of everything, and I’ll get Rose to check it later.”

“Thank you.”

He put the soggy date into the bin, earning himself a brighter smile.

“You’re welcome, Doctor. Here, have a banana: I know you like them, and they taste exactly the same here.”

He was wary when he took the banana from her, but quickly took a bite when he smelled that distinctive banana aroma. His face lit up.

“Thank you, Jackie.”

He wandered off, presumably to find something else to poke at.

Ten seconds: two seconds quicker than last time. He was learning manners at long last. And apparently bananas worked as well as bribes with Time Lord hybrids as they did with four-year-olds having tantrums. Good to know.