Story came to me while I was craving chips(real chips, not crisps). Also gave me a chance to make fun of my home state :D
For
danaems, my fellow Minnesotan even though you're in ND right now. You know where this place is. I know you've been here more than once! ;)
Title: Chips
Author:
janna_hawkins Summary: After Platform One Nine takes Rose to his favourite place to get chips.
Characters: Ninth Doctor, Rose Tyler
Disclaimer: I own nothing related to Doctor Who except my psychic paper, sonic screwdriver and sonic pen :)
Image made by me with The Gimp. Again, please excuse the bad quality. Clicking on it makes it better!
"Chips it is and you can pay."
"No money!"
"What sort of date are you? Alright, tightwad, chips are on me."
~..~
He had taken her back in time to show her that her planet was still intact after they had seen it destroyed and ended up having a newspaper full of greasy chips on a park bench. He gingerly picked one up and looked at it, frowning as a few drops of golden liquid fell off of the end.
Rose glanced over at him and picked up one of the few remaining chips in her newspaper wrapper. "Whats the matter, Doctor? I thought you said you wanted chips."
He grimaced. "I did but not this kind. I don't exactly like my chips dripping in grease."
She grinned. "Oh, is that so? Well where are the best chips you've had?"
He smiled. "A little place in the middle of nowhere."
"Planet? Or maybe a space station?"
"Nope. C'mon, I'll show you."
"Oi, let me finish first!" Rose snapped, stuffing the last chip into her mouth as he grabbed her hand and yanked her off of the bench.
~..~
"So, where and when are we?"
The Doctor grinned and motioned towards the double doors.
Rose frowned. "Are you gonna be this dramatic every time we land somewhere?"
"Probably. Now go on!"
She shook her head and walked toward the doors. She pulled one of them open-only to slam it shut again immediately.
The Doctor looked at her oddly from the other side of the console. "Whats wrong?"
"Theres a blizzard out there! Why didn't you tell me the best place you had chips was on some kind of an ice planet?"
He glanced down at a screen and jabbed at it with his sonic screwdriver. "We're not. This is exactly the right place. Must be the wrong time."
He strode past her and pulled the doors open, stepping outside and looking around. "Oi, Rose! This isn't a blizzard. Its just a light snowstorm. Come on out!" he shouted back over the roar of the wind.
"Not on your life! Why don't you come back in here and take me to find those amazing chips," she yelled back, pulling up the zip on her jacket.
He shrugged and walked back inside, stomping the snow off of his boots before shutting the door.
"So, where are we really if not on Hoth?"
"Earth."
"Really? Antarctica then?"
"No, Minnesota, United States."
"Minnesota? You mean the state with all the lakes? 'Land of One Thousand Lakes' or something?"
"Its got over ten-thousand actually," he said absently twisting a few dials on the console.
"Oh. Well why are we here anyway? I thought the kind of chips Americans had were just crisps."
He grinned. "They do, but they also have these things they call potato wedges which are very much like your chips."
"And you think these 'potato wedges' are better than the chips you get back in London?"
"Yeah. And I'm pretty sure you'll think the same after you've tried these. I just need to send us a few months forward to when this restaurant is open. Hold on!"
~..~
"You've got to be kidding. You're telling me that the best chips are here in this little place?"
The Doctor only grinned and ushered her through the door he held open for her.
Rose stared around the noisy room she was in. Apparently not unlike this alien's time ship, this building was larger that it seemed to be on the outside. Two different areas, separated by a wall of glass took up most of the space with the benches and tables lining their walls. The tables themselves were filled with so many different kinds of people. Families with small children, couples holding hands, groups of friends chatting away. She suddenly realized that she had been staring around when the Doctor poked her in the shoulder.
"Oi, daydreamer, anything you want besides the potatoes? They've got ice cream."
"No...thats alright. Just the chips and a water," she said somewhat embarrassedly to the girl standing behind the full counter.
The girl frowned. "I thought you said you wanted an order of potato wedges, not a bag of chips."
Rose flushed. "Sorry, um, thats what I meant."
The girl shrugged. "Fine. That'll be three dollars and twenty-five cents."
The Doctor nodded and pulled a few green pieces of paper from his pocket. He handed them the the girl and she dropped a few coins into his hand in return.
"Thanks. It'll be about ten minutes."
"Fine," the Doctor replied with a grin as he led Rose to an empty table.
As she sat down she gave him a glare. "I thought you said you didn't have any money. Why did I have to pay for the last chips?"
"Oi, all I had at the moment was American money! I promise I'll pay you back later."
"You'd better," she muttered before turning and looking out a window.
It looked so much nicer than it had the last time they had come. The trees surrounding this building were covered in small leaves and green grass was forcing itself up through the remnants of the previous year's.
"Oi, Rose, I'm talking to you!"
She shook herself and glanced over the table. "What?"
"What were you doing staring into space?"
"Just looking at the difference a few months made."
He glanced out the window before looking back with a smile. "Something else on your mind?"
"Yeah. It looked so terrible and cold the last time we were here. Why do these people stay here if its so bad during the winter? Why don't they just move someplace warmer?"
"Why do some people live underneath active volcanoes or directly above an earthquake fault?" he replied with a grin before turning serious again. "The reason, Rose, is because this is where they've made homes and friends. They don't want to live someplace else even though that other place might be warmer."
"Oh. I guess I can understand that, but some of them at least have to dislike this sort of climate."
"There are a few. Those either move or become 'snowbirds.' "
" 'Snowbirds?' "
"Its what they call the the people who like in the southern part of the country during the winter and up here the rest of the year. But you're forgetting, Rose, that its not winter all year round here. In the summers it can get warmer than some parts of your country."
"Really? Thats hard to believe."
He grinned. "Its true. And some of their beaches are rather good as well."
"Alright now you're having me on. Beaches in Minnesota? I might not have passed Geography but I do remember that Minnesota is in the middle of this country. No ocean anywhere nearby."
"Who said anything about oceans? This is the 'land of ten-thousand lakes!' Most of those lakes have some kind of beach."
Rose shook her head. "Fine, I'll take your word for it." She glanced behind the counter again. "So when are these chips going to come?"
"Rose, they're handmade chips. Its going to take a while."
"Really? Handmade chips?"
"Well hand fried at least. Trust me, they're worth it."
She sighed and turned her gaze back out of the window. "Alright."
"Rose..." he started after a few minutes.
She glanced back at him. "Yeah, Doctor?"
"Listen, I just wanted to apologize for what happened back on Platform One. It was just supposed to be a quick trip there and back but unfortunately that Cassandra had other ideas."
She nodded. "One thing though, Doctor."
"Yes?"
"Why did you just let her die? Why didn't you keep her alive long enough to get arrested and have to answer for what she did?"
His face darkened. "I..."
Before he could answer however the waitress was back, carrying two baskets of steaming chips and a glass of water that she plunked down in front of Rose.
"Will that be everything?"
"Yeah thanks," Rose replied, still watching the Doctor's face carefully as he stared at the top of the table.
As soon as the girl headed back around the counter he glanced up again and Rose almost gasped at the darkness she saw within his eyes.
"I don't know why, Rose. Maybe because the things she did endangered so many people and destroyed so many others. Jabe, the Steward..."
"Rafella," Rose murmured.
"Who?"
"She was a plumber on the station. But, Doctor, that still isn't a reason to let another person die, no matter how twisted they were."
He sighed. "Well in any case its over and done with. Can't go back and fix it."
"Why not? You've got a time machine, don't you?"
"I can't, Rose. Just leave it. Now eat up before these chips get cold." With that he picked up one of his own and took a bite.
Rose rolled her eyes and plucked a chip from her basket. She hesitated before taking a bite until the Doctor smirked and reached across the table to snap his fingers in front of her face.
"Hurry up, Rose. They aren't as good when they get cold."
She sighed and gingerly took a small bite off the end of the chip.
"Mm! Oh that is absolutely gorgeous!" she mumbled a moment later as she stuffed the rest of the chip into her mouth.
"I said so didn't I?" the Doctor said, a huge grin splitting his face as he took another chip from his pile.
"You have to bring me here every time we get chips! These are amazing."
"Don't worry, Rose, I will," he replied with a grin as he took another chip from his basket.
~..~
When they finally got back to the TARDIS, the sun was beginning to set, colouring the sky with brilliant reds and oranges.
Rose stood in the doorway, watching it drop towards the horizon as the Doctor put away the five bags of chips she had insisted on buying for later.
"Beautiful, isn't it?"
She jumped and spun around to find him directly behind her, his eyes fixed on the glowing orange ball.
"You startled me."
He shifted his gaze to her for a moment before looking back towards the sunset. "Sorry. Thought you knew I was here."
She shook her head slightly before turning her gaze back to the dimming colours in the sky. "It is nice. I've never seen a sunset like this before."
He grinned. "So, Rose Tyler of Earth, how have you found your first trip?"
"Fantastic. Absolutely fantastic. Where're we going next?," she replied, turning around and smiling at him.
He chuckled and pulled the doors shut.
As the last rays of the sun disappeared over the horizon, a loud noise filled the area and the little blue box disappeared, much to the surprise of a passing deer.