[Fic] Jack's Fingerpainting
By request of itsthecoat, based on number 9 of my last post.
9) When Rose was five, she literally ran into Jack on the way home from school, and talked to him. Before she went home, she gave him a picture she finger painted in school that day. And she doesn’t remember any of this.
Every day Mickey walked Rose home from school, because Jackie (rightly) didn’t trust her five year old daughter to walk the very short distance between school and the Powell estate. Despite Mickey’s occasionally careful eyes, though, Rose routinely ran off, leaving Mickey confused and looking for her. This was exactly how Rose managed to get away from him one afternoon, and how she managed to run headfirst into Captain Jack Harkness.
Then lose her balance and fall straight back onto her bottom. Rather than cry, she stared up and the man she’d just run into. “You’re big.”
“No, I’m Jack.” The man laughed, smiling a little when she giggled. He offered her a hand, to help her up. When she stared at it, he wiggled his fingers. “I don’t bite. Promise.”
Rose took it. “I don’t think you do,” she said, seriously. “My name is Rose Tyler. And I’ve got a cat named Mr. Chip. Mum told me I couldn’t name him Chips, because Mr. Chips sounds funny.” She considered him as he helped her up. “Oh! And I’m sorry for running into you.”
Jack laughed again, then gave her a serious nod. “It’s okay. I came out fine, no battle scars or anything. What about you?”
“I don’t think I got hurt.” Rose dutifully checked her elbows for scrapes. “Mum’d get mad at Mickey if I got hurt on the way from school. He’s supposed to watch me.”
The smile on Jack’s face got a little wider when he looked around and Mickey was nowhere to be seen. Some things never changed. “If he’s supposed to be watching you, it doesn’t look like he’s doing a great job. Where is he right now?”
Rose gave him the most innocent look she could manage. “Over there,” she pointed in the direction she’d come from. “He was over there when I left. Maybe he’s not there anymore. But he didn’t go home, ‘cause he can’t go home without me, otherwise Mum’ll yell at him. He tried it once, and she sent him to his Gran’s house without a cookie.”
“I see. That’s a bad punishment, if I’ve ever heard one,” Jack said, giving her a serious look. “Still, though, Rose Tyler who has a cat named Mr. Chip, it’s not nice to leave the person watching you behind like that.”
Rose looked down at her shoes. “Yeah, I know.” She sounded almost guilty when she said it, then she looked back up at her new friend. “I have to go find him now, don’t I?”
Jack nodded at her. “I’m afraid so,” he answered, patting her on the head. “It’s the nice thing to do, after wandering off like that.” He smiled. “Not wandering off at all is the nicest, though. But sometimes, and only sometimes, it’s all right.”
Nodding back at him, Rose dug through her backpack. “Thanks, Mr. Jack.” She pulled out a piece of paper and gave it to him. “This is for you. ‘cause you’re so nice to me.”
“I’ll hang it up in my office.” Jack looked at it and saw a finger painting. He wasn’t quite sure what it was supposed to be, but he carefully folded it up, smiling when he saw her name clumsily scribbled across the back, and put it into his pocket. “It’s probably the best finger painting I’ve ever seen.”
Rose beamed at him and put her backpack back on. “Thank you! I’ll go find Mickey now. Bye, Mr. Jack.”
Jack waved at her as she ran off. “Don’t run into any more people!” He called after her, knowing she probably wouldn’t hear, and if she did, she wasn’t paying attention, anyway. It was Rose, after all.
9) When Rose was five, she literally ran into Jack on the way home from school, and talked to him. Before she went home, she gave him a picture she finger painted in school that day. And she doesn’t remember any of this.
Every day Mickey walked Rose home from school, because Jackie (rightly) didn’t trust her five year old daughter to walk the very short distance between school and the Powell estate. Despite Mickey’s occasionally careful eyes, though, Rose routinely ran off, leaving Mickey confused and looking for her. This was exactly how Rose managed to get away from him one afternoon, and how she managed to run headfirst into Captain Jack Harkness.
Then lose her balance and fall straight back onto her bottom. Rather than cry, she stared up and the man she’d just run into. “You’re big.”
“No, I’m Jack.” The man laughed, smiling a little when she giggled. He offered her a hand, to help her up. When she stared at it, he wiggled his fingers. “I don’t bite. Promise.”
Rose took it. “I don’t think you do,” she said, seriously. “My name is Rose Tyler. And I’ve got a cat named Mr. Chip. Mum told me I couldn’t name him Chips, because Mr. Chips sounds funny.” She considered him as he helped her up. “Oh! And I’m sorry for running into you.”
Jack laughed again, then gave her a serious nod. “It’s okay. I came out fine, no battle scars or anything. What about you?”
“I don’t think I got hurt.” Rose dutifully checked her elbows for scrapes. “Mum’d get mad at Mickey if I got hurt on the way from school. He’s supposed to watch me.”
The smile on Jack’s face got a little wider when he looked around and Mickey was nowhere to be seen. Some things never changed. “If he’s supposed to be watching you, it doesn’t look like he’s doing a great job. Where is he right now?”
Rose gave him the most innocent look she could manage. “Over there,” she pointed in the direction she’d come from. “He was over there when I left. Maybe he’s not there anymore. But he didn’t go home, ‘cause he can’t go home without me, otherwise Mum’ll yell at him. He tried it once, and she sent him to his Gran’s house without a cookie.”
“I see. That’s a bad punishment, if I’ve ever heard one,” Jack said, giving her a serious look. “Still, though, Rose Tyler who has a cat named Mr. Chip, it’s not nice to leave the person watching you behind like that.”
Rose looked down at her shoes. “Yeah, I know.” She sounded almost guilty when she said it, then she looked back up at her new friend. “I have to go find him now, don’t I?”
Jack nodded at her. “I’m afraid so,” he answered, patting her on the head. “It’s the nice thing to do, after wandering off like that.” He smiled. “Not wandering off at all is the nicest, though. But sometimes, and only sometimes, it’s all right.”
Nodding back at him, Rose dug through her backpack. “Thanks, Mr. Jack.” She pulled out a piece of paper and gave it to him. “This is for you. ‘cause you’re so nice to me.”
“I’ll hang it up in my office.” Jack looked at it and saw a finger painting. He wasn’t quite sure what it was supposed to be, but he carefully folded it up, smiling when he saw her name clumsily scribbled across the back, and put it into his pocket. “It’s probably the best finger painting I’ve ever seen.”
Rose beamed at him and put her backpack back on. “Thank you! I’ll go find Mickey now. Bye, Mr. Jack.”
Jack waved at her as she ran off. “Don’t run into any more people!” He called after her, knowing she probably wouldn’t hear, and if she did, she wasn’t paying attention, anyway. It was Rose, after all.