AN: I'm posting this separately rather than as a Timeless Outtake for a few reasons. First, it's for the Fall Fic Fest, and I didn't want to bury it in that story. Secondly, there will be at least two chapters, possibly three if I decide to put the scene where they meet Sarah Jane and everyone in this story. The outtakes have all been one-shots.

In between these little digressions, they honeymooned across the stars, checking off over a hundred places in the intergalactic edition of 1000 Places to See Before You Die. They didn't stay completely out of trouble, but the adventures were generally fun and easily wrapped up. Whether that was the TARDIS obliging by not taking them to dangerous points in time, or the Doctor arranging it himself, Rose wasn't completely sure, but either way, she enjoyed it.

~Time is Still A-Flying, chapter 7

The feeling of Rose's mind resting against his pulled the Doctor from his sleep. He blinked a few times, then looked down at her, curled up beside him. His bond mate, the telepathic tug reminded him.

Excitement overpowered the typical contentment he felt when he woke up next to Rose. This was the first day of their honeymoon, and he had plans.

Rose mumbled something in her sleep, and the Doctor realised belatedly that his excitement had been enough to wake her up. Sorry, love, he told her as he brushed a kiss over her temple.

Her eyes fluttered open, and the soft happiness they held made the Doctor's hearts clench. "S'all right," she said, then yawned. "You wore me out a bit last night though, Doctor."

He smirked at her. "Wedding night, Rose Tyler," he said smugly.

"Hmmm, was it?" she asked, combing her fingers through his chest hair.

The Doctor shivered at her touch, and it was tempting to just stay in bed. Then he remembered the harvest festival on Esperas, and he stilled her hands.

"Yes, it was, my blushing bride, and that makes today the first day of our honeymoon."

Finally, his own excitement transferred to Rose. Her eyes widened and she hopped out of bed faster than he'd ever seen, giving him just a fleeting glimpse of her naked body as she darted into the bathroom to shower and dress.

Go make us breakfast, she suggested as the water started.

The Doctor considered it for a brief moment, he really did. Then he walked into the bathroom instead and climbed into the shower with Rose.

"Doctor!" she squealed in surprise.

He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. "I think it makes more sense for us to shower together today," he told her as he nuzzled into her neck, thankful for his ship's unending supply of hot water.

oOoOoOoOo

Later, when they were dressed and ready to go, the Doctor cajoled Rose into following him to the console room instead of diverting to the galley. "I promise, we'll have breakfast as soon as get there," he told her.

Rose poked him in the chest. "We'd better, because I'm famished."

He grabbed her hand and kissed her finger tip. Then he rested his hand on the navigation controls and silently pleaded with the TARDIS to take them where he asked this time.

Rose giggled as he threw the dematerialisation lever. "Did you just ask her to listen to you for once?" She ran a hand along the railing as the TARDIS engines wheezed to life.

The Doctor narrowed his eyes at the central time rotor. "I figured it wouldn't hurt to ask," he muttered. "Much as I love to run with you, Rose Tyler, today I'd rather take a romantic stroll."

The TARDIS landed, and he looked at the navigation panel carefully, not moving until he was positive they were where he wanted to be. Then he smiled brightly at Rose as he swung his coat around his shoulders, and opened the door for her.

"Our honeymoon awaits."

Rose stepped out of the TARDIS first. "Where are we, Doctor?" she asked while she waited for the Doctor to follow her and close the door behind them. "It smells like…" She took a deeper breath of the crisp air, catching notes of fresh apples and wood smoke. "It smells like autumn, wherever we are." She glanced around at where they'd parked, on the edge of a clearing. The woods behind the ship were painted rich shades of red and gold. "Looks like it, too."

The Doctor took her hand and squeezed. "Brilliant as always, Rose. We're on Esperas just in time for the Rikolto festival."

Rose could hear laughter and music in the distance, and she wasn't surprised when the Doctor led them towards the sound. "All right, tell me about Esperas," she said, swinging their hands between them while they walked, fallen leaves crunching beneath their feet.

"Esperas. One of the first planets colonised during the First Great and Bountiful Human Empire. Only it wasn't so great and bountiful at the time." The Doctor looked over at Rose. "Only a hundred years or so after your time, Rose, the state of the Earth becomes so dire that it drives humans to the stars, looking for a new home."

"What, like it all those films?"

The Doctor nodded. "You eventually learn some things and come back to clean up the old home, but there's a period of several hundred years when anyone who can leave, does. And many of them come here. Esperas is Earth-like enough to feel like home—or a better version of home, one where you can see the actual blue sky, instead of a layer of pollution."

Rose looked up at the sky, which seemed to be a slightly different shade of blue than the Earth sky, but it was close enough to feel familiar.

"The sky actually does look like this in some places on Earth," the Doctor said. "The great plains in America, for instance. There are fewer particulates in the air to increase the Rayleigh scattering, so the sky is often a darker blue."

A mixture of surprise and confusion shot through Rose and she stopped walking. "Doctor," she said slowly when he turned to look at her, "how did you know exactly what I was thinking?"

He dropped her hand and shoved his into his pockets. "I told you," he reminded her. "Open books, remember?"

That phrase did sound familiar, and Rose pressed her tongue to the back of her teeth as she tried to remember what, exactly, he'd said. It was months ago, when he'd first told her about bonding…

Her eyes widened. "You mean we'll be able to pick up on what the other is thinking now, without even trying?"

The Doctor sniffed and looked away from her. "Not necessarily without trying. It takes a little effort to pay attention to what's in your mind." He looked back at Rose. "I did tell you," he repeated.

Rose winced when she felt the quiet hurt she could hear in his voice. "I'm not upset." To prove it, she stepped closer and cupped his jaw, since that was the most accessible bit of bare skin at the moment. "See?" She focused on her momentary confusion and dawning realisation.

He took his hands out of his pockets and wrapped an arm around her waist. "I guess I didn't really explain what I meant when I said we'd be open books," he admitted.

"Not really." Rose pushed up on her toes and brushed a kiss over his lips, then stepped back and laced her fingers through his. "You'll have to tell me more later, and teach me how to do it," she said as they started walking again. "But right now, I want to hear more about those first humans who came to Esperas, and about this Ricola festival."

The Doctor chuckled and cast his Rose a sidelong look. She'd mispronounced the word on purpose, to make him laugh. I love you, he told her, earning a tongue-touched smile in response.

"The Rikolto festival is the most renowned harvest festival in this sector of the galaxy. People come from several systems over to enjoy the celebration and all the pomo deserts."

Rose wrinkled her nose. "Pomo?"

"The native variety of apple. And that's why we didn't have breakfast before leaving the TARDIS, by the way—can you smell the streusel?"

"Mmm, think I can, yeah."

They'd reached the edge of the festival grounds by now, and the Doctor reached into his pocket for the Esperasan money he'd collected. The gate attendant took the nominal entrance fee with a cheery smile and offered them a map.

"The archery contest will be here at 1:00," she said, marking a spot with an x. "There's a cider press demonstration in the barn at 11:00, and an interactive canning class in the open kitchen at 2:00."

"I'm craving some of that streusel I smell," Rose said. "Someone didn't feed me breakfast this morning."

The young woman laughed. "The food booths are all along here," she said, circling an area on the map.

"Ta!" Rose folded the map up and put it in her pocket, then grabbed the Doctor's hand and dragged him towards the food booths.

As they got closer, the homey scent of apples and cinnamon filled the air. Rose's stomach growled when she caught sight of someone else's apple tart, and the Doctor laughed.

"Why don't you find us a seat," he suggested, pointing to the long, wooden tables. "I'll get breakfast."

Rose chose a seat closest to the main part of the festival grounds, where she could watch the people as they walked by. Most of them seemed human, but some definitely were not. A new question grew in the back of her mind as she looked out at the crowd, and around at the pristine field and the brilliant blue sky.

The question was deferred for the moment when the Doctor returned with a tray bearing two streusels covered with custard sauce and two steaming mugs. "Here we are!" he chirped when he sat down beside her.

Rose eyed the drink that was definitely not tea. Like everything else on Esperas right now, it was obviously autumnal—the cinnamon sprinkled on the whipped cream would have made that clear, if the earthy, spicy aroma had not.

The Doctor was clearly eager for her to try whatever it was, so she picked the mug up and took a hesitant sip. "It's… pumpkin coffee?" she guessed after analysing the flavours.

"Yep! Something that coffee chains started in your time. And here we are, on Esperas in the 25th century, drinking the local equivalent of the pumpkin spice latte."

Rose nodded. She never would have put the flavours together herself, but somehow the slightly nutty taste of the coffee balanced out the pumpkin. Sweetened and enhanced by cinnamon and spices, it tasted like autumn in a cup.

"It's good. I like it."

The corners of the Doctor's eyes crinkled up, and he took a big gulp of his own drink. Rose giggled when he put the mug down, and reached out to wipe the whipped cream off his upper lip. "Gave yourself a moustache," she murmured, then licked her thumb clean.

Warmth and happiness pulsed in both directions over the bond. The Doctor's brown eyes darkened to the colour of rich chocolate, and Rose leaned towards him, sighing when he bent his head to kiss her.

Just like autumn on Esperas seemed richer and more vibrant than autumn at home, the new marriage bond she shared with the Doctor was obviously a deeper connection than the provisional bond had been. In her limited experience, that bond had felt extremely intimate, certainly more than a standard Earth relationship. But this…

She sucked in a breath when the Doctor caressed the bond. That's right, love. Nothing compares to a marriage bond. Ah, my Rose.

My Doctor, she replied, reaching deeper for more of him. Forever my Doctor.

Rose's stomach growled again, and they broke the kiss, giggling. "We keep forgetting that we're here to eat breakfast," the Doctor said.

"I think it's you that keeps forgetting, Doctor," Rose teased. She cut into her streusel and took a bite, sighing in pleasure when the warm, autumn flavours of apple and spice burst on her tongue. "Definitely worth waiting for," she agreed.

"Excellent! Now, eat quickly, because breakfast is only the first thing on the list for today. This week, Rose, you're going to experience autumn as you never have before."