To Dance

Check it out, new story from me. Aren't you proud? This is the fic created from the remnants of the missing chapter in 'Shufties', after I went off on a tangent about tubes and torches.

You can take this fic any way you want to, either in the literal sense or the metaphorical sense, depending on your age, level of general maturity and whether I actually write it so you can understand said metaphorical sense.

Hope so.

Anyway, thanks for clicking, now be reading! And reviewing. Because I love you

Rose Tyler sat on the makeshift couch in the TARDIS control room, a magazine bought from the Inter-Stellar Asthetically Pleasing Reading Materials for All Occasions Asteroid propped on the console.

Idly flicking through the pages, she stopped to read an article on why it was imperative that, when in the vicinity of Glockenbair, a blue handkerchief was constantly present on one's wrist. It was also imperative, the article stated, that the handkerchief must be sky blue. Not powder blue, as this would greatly offend the Council of the Nine Galactic Prism Surfers, and most definitely not periwinkle blue, as… well, we all know what type of people wear periwinkle.

"Rose!" The Doctor had seemingly appeared from nowhere, and was standing, in a semi-state of shock, staring at the console. "What are you doing?!"

"Uh…" Rose gestured to her magazine. "I'm reading, Doctor."

"But why is it there?! You- you can't put it there!"

"What? Why not?" She frowned at the console. "It's not damaging anything."

"Not damaging anything? Not damaging anything?!" Having recovered from his semi-shocked state, the Doctor had now moved on to the point in time where he waved his arms wildly in panic and started swatting at the magazine. "You're in danger of damaging the temporal circuitry valve!"

"You what?"

Sighing in exasperation, the Doctor nodded frantically to the lever her magazine was resting on. "The- the blue lever. Get it off!"

"Get the lever off?

"No, get your bloody girly magazine off my utterly outstanding time ship!"

"Oh right." Rose frowned, picking up her magazine and placing it on her lap. "Coulda just said that…"

The Doctor gave another weary sigh, muttering quietly to the TARDIS about stupid apes as he checked the ship over, stroking it tenderly.

The control room was silent for a few moments; the Doctor continued to pat the TARDIS and Rose resumed reading about the Top 10 Things to Do When Stuck in the Terminal of a Velucian Skyport.

"Doctor…" Rose glanced at him from over the top of her magazine, biting her lip.

"Yes?"

She looked back down at the page. "…Nothing…"

"You said Doctor."

Rose hesitated, chewing her lip. "Well… you know how you said- how you said that you've… danced before…"

"Rose." The Doctor sighed and poked a bit of the console with his sonic screwdriver indignantly. "We've been through this before. I know it's hard to believe, but yes, I have… danced."

"How many times?"

"Rose!" The Doctor turned away, embarrassed.

"…Sorry! I'm just- curious." Rose held the magazine to her face to hide her laughter.

"None of your business." He turned to move away, before noticing her expression, which had gone through a rapid change of emotion, drastic enough to rival Camilla Parker-Bowles' hats. "What's wrong? Does it matter that much?"

He moved to sit beside her, taking one of her hands in his.

Staring quietly at her hands, Rose tried several times to speak. "I just… we've never…"

The Doctor pressed his lips to her hair, staring at the walls of the control room. His head was full of reasons, explanations, arguments, and he was no longer sure if they were for Rose's benefit or his own.

Pulling away from him slightly, Rose looked up at him, her eyes searching his. "Dance with me?" Her voice was but a whisper, full of questioning, of hope, of fear.

The Doctor opened his mouth, ready to argue, to reinforce the wall around himself. But the words didn't come, dying on his lips as he gazed down at her softly. Standing, he gently pulled her to her feet, taking her hands in his. "Come with me."

The TARDIS hummed in pleasure, blue-ish green lights dimming as the couple came together, to dance.

And they danced all night.

Well that turned out different than I expected… Huh. It's like I switched tracks halfway through… hmm. Anyway, I've uploaded it in the hope that someone likes it. Since you marvellous little person read it, please be reviewing.

You're a good person.