From the Journal of Sarah Jane

"Still," he says thoughtfully. "To be a horrid influence would be to say that you turned out badly. And I think you turned out to be one of the strongest and bravest people I've ever known."

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Those words mean a lot to Sarah, and it shows clearly by the bright grin and faint blush on her face. The Doctor never gives out praises like that so easily. At least, not the version she's been travelling with lately.

"Thank you," she says softly, glancing down at the table for a couple of seconds. She looks back upward and the hint of a mischeivous smile comes back. "Maybe I should change that to a fantastic influence then, eh?"

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"If you wouldn't mind," he agrees with a grin and a nod.

Then, with a gesture toward the food, "Shall we?"

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Of course she wouldn't.

Sarah nods and reaches for the jug of mango juice to pour herself a glass. "That is what you're here for, after all. Bon appetit."

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He grabs a plate and gets some beans and toast, a tomato, and a sausage. Then, he pours himself a cup of tea with just a little milk before tucking in.

"Very nice," he says after a couple of bites.

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You can't sleep when you smell food in the morning. It's an unrelenting alarm clock with no snooze function; it rings and rings until you give in and get out of bed. James has tried to ignore the smell. Expectedly, his efforts haven't worked, and he finds himself stepping out of bed and throwing on sweats and a t-shirt to answer the call of breakfast.

He assumes that Sarah Jane has cooked enough for her and the Doctor alone, and that he'll have to cook breakfast for himself and Vesper. He does not expect to see the glut of food that's clearly more than enough for two people. If he looked groggy when he stepped out the door, he's wide-awake by the time he reaches the kitchen.

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"Really?" Sarah asks, taking an assortment of eggs, bacon, toast, mushrooms and beans on her own plate. She takes a sip of her mango juice and grins. "You better not just be sayin--

"James!"

She looks surprised when she sees her flatmate walk in, thinking that he'd still be asleep at this hour. Or, at least, know better than to intrude.

Actually, that last thought might just be wishful thinking.

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The Doctor follows Sarah Jane's gaze to the new arrival.

"Ah, this must be the disagreeable flatmate I've heard so much about."

Tact? You must have him confused with someone else.

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Don't worry; the disagreeable flatmate doesn't have any tact, either. He smirks, faintly.

"You've heard a litany of complaints, I'm sure."

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Sarah snorts, hiding her disagreeable expression behind her glass.

"Only because you've been so thick lately," she replies.

And then only vaguely remembers her manners, even though a part of her really wishes she didn't. "Doctor, this is James. James, the Doctor."

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"Nice to meet you."

He gestures toward the table.

"Make yourself a plate. There's plenty."

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There are several factors working against an internal fanboyish reaction to having breakfast with the Doctor. James having just woken up is one; knowing that he is a major fictional character in the Doctor's world is another. That the Doctor views him as a troublesome flatmate rather than a celebrity is a plus, too.

James glances over the food again, frowning slightly. "I'd love to, but I don't wish to intrude on anything."

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Sarah's foot connects with the Doctor's shin bone under the table - not hard enough to hurt him, but just hard enough to get his attention. "Doctor."

There's a flood of different thoughts in her head right now, all concerning sharing this breakfast with another person. Sarah Jane knows she's being childish this time, but there's a part of her that really doesn't want to share the Doctor with anyone right now. And there's the other part of her that still hasn't fully forgiven James for his actions lately.

Finally, there's that small voice (suspiciously sounding like Aunt Livinia) that says James should be welcomed.

Guess which parts are winning.

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He scowls at her for a moment, then his expression softens. He'd fallen back into the Doctor-Companion dynamic without even realizing.

"Sorry, you're right. I'm the guest here, not the host."

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James gives Sarah a look that is hard to decipher. It could be a smug "see?" look, or a look that asks if she's pleased with this, or it could be a look with no meaning at all. "Don't worry about me," he says, looking to the Doctor, briefly. "I'll fix something out of the refrigerator and leave you two alone."

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Sarah frowns and slumps down a little in her chair. She despised decisions like this and it was clear by the pouting look on her face. Her eyes dart from the Doctor back to James and back to the Doctor again.

Well.

"There's no way we're ever going to finish all this food anyway. No need letting it go to waste."

But the words still sound reluctant to her own ears.

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He smiles encouragingly at her, as if to say 'good for you'.

"I'm sure James wouldn't mind fixing his plate and taking into the other room if you'd prefer to be alone," he prompts softly.

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"I wouldn't, on the condition that I'm allowed to fix a plate for Vesper, as well."

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It's the smile that does her in.

She can act her age for once in her life, after all. Sarah Jane sighs slightly and forces a small grin on to her face. "No, James. Stay for a bit if you'd like."

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The Doctor gives her foot a gentle nudge under the table with his own. It's a gesture of pride and respect that he knows would only embarrass her if he were to say anything in front of James.

Instead, he just shifts a couple of the dishes to make room.

"I'm sure there will be plenty left for another plate. I may have two hearts, but there's still just the one stomach."

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James grins broadly. "If you insist."

He really and truly does not wish to intrude. It's with slight reluctance that he steps forward to the table, grabbing a plate from one of the cabinets. He's ready to go the moment he's dismissed. Even an occasionally thick man such as himself can appreciate the need for two people to be alone.

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Sarah beams at the Doctor when she feels the foot nudge, getting his message clearly. She turns her head to look at James, smile still in place, and nods.

"He may claim to have only one stomach, but sometimes I truely doubt it," she says, quickly winking at the Doctor. "Still, I did over-do it and...

"Well, I hope that there's something you like."

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He doesn't wait for James to fix his plate or sit, just goes right back to his meal once the situation is sorted.

It really is quite good, after all.

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James grins at Sarah. "I had the same problem, myself. Cooked for a large group instead of for one."

Eventually he learned to downscale on the food. There are times, however, when he gets a little overzealous. Bad habits are hard to kick.

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