"Doc - over here!" Jack called.
The Doctor turned and ran to the spot Jack indicated. There - a huddled figure in jeans and a white vest top, with tousled blonde hair. He stumbled to his knees beside her. "Rose?" He reached out to touch her arm, and immediately recoiled at a sharp hiss and graze across his knuckles.
"What the hell is that?" Jack exclaimed.
A creature that resembled a large Maine Coon cat - or possibly a small bobcat - slitted brilliant sapphire eyes at the two men, then turned its back on them and snuggled itself firmly against Rose's torso. Rose sighed softly in her sleep and wrapped her arm around the creature. It began to purr contentedly, and markings that the Doctor had first taken to be gray tabby stripes, began to glow a soft, iridescent blue.
The Doctor sank to his haunches beside the pair. "You're just fantastic, you are. Been takin' care of my friend, have you?"
"I'm sure it's fascinating, but it's eating Rose's arm!"
"S'not." The Doctor watched closely as the creature licked at an ugly scratch on Rose's arm with slow, languorous strokes of its tongue. "It's a Venusian Moon Cat, Jack. Highly empathic, and its saliva's got antiseptic properties."
"I've heard of them, but I've never actually seen one. Aren't they supposed to be a bit…territorial?"
"The word is 'protective,' Jack."
"Whatever you say," the American replied with a smirk.
"Rose," the Doctor entreated, trying to slip his arm under her shoulders. He was greeted by a low, menacing growl from the cat. "Hush, you," he said absently. "Rose -" he began again, only to snatch his hand back with a howl as the cat's paw shot out.
"Hmm?" Rose mumbled. "Whassa matter Chessie?"
"Want to call your new pet off?" the Doctor asked rather acidly.
"Doctor!" Rose exclaimed delightedly. She sat up and flung her arms around her neck. The cat was a bit disgruntled at first, but soon decided that he quite liked being sandwiched between his person and her person.
"What did I tell you about wanderin' off?" the Doctor asked in tones of fond exasperation.
"Didn't mean to, but I didn't have much choice, once you an' Jack started blowin' things up!"
"Are you all right?" Jack asked.
"M' a bit cold, but Chessie here warmed me up."
Jack merely raised an eyebrow as he shrugged out of his jacket. He leaned down to wrap it around Rose's shoulders. The cat eyed him warily, but didn't deign to swipe at him.
"There's no such thing as a Cheshire Cat, Rose," the Doctor said halfheartedly.
"Looks like one," Rose countered.
Jack chuckled.
"Shut it," the Doctor told him.
"Come on, Doc…you can't tell me you don't see it!"
"See what, Jack?"
"Beautiful blonde girl, striped kitty with magical properties -"
"Knave of Hearts!" Rose interjected, giggling.
The Doctor sighed heavily. "And what does that make me?"
"Bloke with big ears and a gold watch ring any bells?"
"Oi!"
The Doctor grudgingly accepted the presence of 'Chessie' in their lives. He didn't really have a choice, seeing as the TARDIS had seemingly taken a shine to the creature as well. There was a matched set of food and water bowls in the galley, and a luxurious midnight blue velvet kitty bed (only occupied when Rose was outside the TARDIS), to say nothing of the assorted perches that had grown out of the coral struts in the control room, seemingly overnight.
The Doctor was quite fond of the way the cat sprawled at Rose's side on the library divan in the evening, keeping Captain Cheesecake firmly on the other end of the seating arrangement. He wasn't so fond of the way the cat would let loose with earsplitting yowls of indignation (not to mention claws) any time he approached Rose's room.
Jack found this endlessly amusing. "He's just protecting her virtue, Doc!" The Doctor chose to cloak his dignity in disdainful silence, rather than argue that he'd just been going to wake Rose for the day, or check on her after that nasty fall she'd taken.
The Doctor didn't require anywhere near the amount of sleep that his two human companions did, but tonight, he was exhausted. He'd fully earned his rest, what with breaking himself and Rose out of an endless maze of rose bushes (with wicked thorns), then discovering that Jack had flirted with a very jealous queen who now wanted to chop off his head, and then there was the matter of the dragon-like creature with the funny name that was terrorizing the countryside.
He was going to luxuriate in a full, human-style eight hours of slumber. That is, until he felt a large, velvet-soft paw patting his face.
"What do you want?" he muttered, trying to turn on his side.
Chessie simply stomped over him and pressed a cold nose to his cheek.
"Go bother Jack."
The cat replied with a series of anxious meows, then jumped down and padded to the door, looking back over his shoulder at the Doctor.
The Doctor had just settled himself comfortably against his pillows when a heavy weight landed on his chest, and the breath whooshed out of him. "Now, look, you -" He stopped, mid-tirade, when Chessie walked right up his chest. There was something clenched tightly in the cat's teeth…a snapshot of Rose.
"Rose? Is something wrong with Rose?"
The cat dropped the picture and hissed at him.
"Why didn't you say?" the Doctor asked, rather nonsensically, as he sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed.
Chessie didn't protest being abruptly dislodged, just padded quickly to the door and mewed plaintively.
The Doctor's unease grew as he realized that the TARDIS had conveniently moved Rose's room - and the medbay - directly across the hall. Chessie bounded into Rose's room and jumped up onto the bed, where Rose was tossing feverishly. The Doctor followed, miraculously not tripping over the usual minefield of discarded shoes, socks, and cat toys.
Chessie meowed softly and licked Rose's cheek.
"Yes, she's got a fever. Don't you worry, I'll have this sorted in no time." It didn't occur to the Doctor to be embarrassed at speaking to the cat.
"Everything all right in there, Doc?" Jack called from the corridor.
"Rose is ill. Fetch me a scanner from the medbay, would you?"
"Sure thing."
"There now, Rose," the Doctor murmured, gently stroking her hair back from her sweaty face. "What have you gone and gotten yourself into this time?"
Chessie curled up beside Rose and began to purr comfortingly, but made no move to chastise the Doctor.
"The TARDIS had laid out a fever reducer and some electrolyte beverage, so I grabbed those," Jack explained, entering the room with an armful of supplies.
"Ta," the Doctor replied absently. He ran the scanner over Rose and sighed in relief.
"Well?" Jack prompted impatiently.
"Just a mild virus," the Doctor replied, relieved. "She must have picked it up on that planet. Thought that tea party was a bit dodgy. The fever is the most damaging component, but thanks to Chessie, here, I can take care of it, with no lasting effects." He looked at the cat. "Thank you."
Chessie merely resettled himself at Rose's side, and gravely washed one front paw. He preened, looking like an absurdly fluffy peacock.
No one questioned the appearance of a magnificent cat tree in the library a few nights later, which left the seat next Rose vacant…for the Doctor.