I decided to move this to an interlude and post it separately so I could change the rating back to T.

Why now? It was time. Oh, we could have dallied about for eons, but I have my own view of what would have happened between them if the Doctor hadn't regenerated and DW wasn't a more family-friendly television show. My opinion is that had the Ninth Doctor survived the Gamestation, in the face of Rose's loyalty, love, and sacrifice- he would have boiled over. That's the way I saw it.

I wanted to get on with things as we head into the other stories, and one of the big ones behind the scenes is the Doctor's growing obsession with Rose's safety. It will be both to their advantage and detriment that he is so very protective of her. She's not just a companion, she's not just the woman he loves- now they are bonded lovers. That's a new complication to something that was already a big aspect of the Doctor's persona.

Thanks to all that read, review, follow, and favorite this story.

They were both kneeling on the ground, facing each other. With his eyes never leaving hers, the Doctor started to trace his fingers in a circular, feather-light pattern along Rose's jawline.

"If any other man looked at me like that, I think I would want to hurt him."

"If another man looked at you this way, I think I would hurt him." He unzipped her hoodie, and then quickly pushed it off her shoulders. He leaned towards Rose's ear and his voice was dark and sensual. "I want you to tell me what you want, Rose. When you've thought about us making love, what did I do?"

Rose stared at the Doctor for a moment, her mouth open slightly. Her entire body started to feel hot at what his questions promised. She thought for a moment, and then replied, "I always thought it would be just like you. Intense, possessive, but always giving me the tenderness you've shown me." She grew contemplative for a moment. "No one's ever asked that before. Not that I have a long list."

His lips met hers and this time his kisses were hot, languorous as he began to groan into her mouth. The new bond was enhancing everything. This time Rose responded with a move forward, slipping her hands underneath his jumper, stroking the bare skin around the waistband of his trousers. The Doctor's hiss in response turned into an outright gasp as she grabbed the hem of his jumper and began to pull it over his head. He then reached for Rose's shirt and drew it over her head.

Without a second's hesitation, the Doctor wrapped his arms around Rose and unfastened her bra. The garment dropped on the ground between them and both of them drew in a sharp breath at finally being skin-on-skin.

Immediately, the Doctor bore Rose back onto the ground. He quickly unfastened her denims and pulled them off of her, tossing them aside, leaving her clad only in her knickers. When she sat up and her hand went to his belt buckle, he encircled her wrists with his hands. "Not yet. I want to make this better for you than it's ever been."

Golden brown eyes met silver-blue ones in the moonlit night. "It's you and me, Doctor. I love you more than I've ever loved anyone." Her hands ran greedily over the golden skin of his chest and shoulders.

She was drowning in his gaze as his eyes traced over her body with an increasingly heated stare. "It's more than I ever hoped for, you bonded to me, allowing me to touch you like this. You're so beautiful, Rose." With that he started to explore her body with his hands and mouth.

The moment his tongue started to trace circles around her nipple, Rose bit back a whimper. "None of that," he chided. "Let me hear you, Rose." One of his large hands was gliding over her stomach as he pulled one of her nipples into his mouth, eliciting a sharp cry from Rose as her hands flew to the back of his head, pressing him closer.

"Harder," she groaned as she arched her hips towards him, seeking relief for the pressure building swiftly between her legs.

He released her nipple with a satisfying pop. "Not very patient, are we?" he teased.

"Oi! Let's see how patient you are!" In a bold move, she used one hand to stroke his erection through his trousers and traced circles around one of his nipples with the fingers of her free hand.

His response was immediate. The Doctor grabbed both of her wrists and pinned them over her head, closing his eyes and breathing heavily as he sought to regain control. When he opened them, they were almost black with arousal. "You've done it now, Rose. I can't...I..."

"Can't wait?" Rose prompted hopefully.

His only answer was to release her wrists and Rose watched as his hands went to his belt buckle. Finally, he flipped over on his back and unzipped his trousers and pulled them off, pants and all.

Rose turned over on her side and got her first glimpse at her lover's naked body and her breath caught. She smiled shyly as her eyes drank in everything she hadn't seen from the waist down. "You're gorgeous," she said.

The Doctor never would understand it, but while they were bonding, he saw himself through her eyes. He simply smiled back at her as he pulled her knickers off and crawled on top of her once again.

His sense of smell knew she was ready, but was satisified to find her slick and waiting when he stroked her with gentle fingers.

"Ohmygod," she moaned. "Please. Need you." Rose suddenly squealed as her hips shot off the ground when the Doctor curled his fingers inside of her.

"Look at me, Rose," he demanded. "I want to see you come for me." It was always his intention to do this first. He didn't want to be senseless with his own pleasure the first time he brought her to completion. The Doctor's eyes never left hers as his fingers kept up the relentless stimulation. Her cries grew sharper until she finally broke apart, arching her back as her entire body was wracked with pleasure.

His happy grin in response was unmistakably smug with a proud sense of accomplishment.

"Oh, shut up," Rose said breathily, before giving him a dopey smile of her own.

Rose had barely come down from when the Doctor suddenly nudged her thighs apart with his knees, bracing himself over her with his hand. He brushed her hair back from her forehead and aligned himself, nestling himself at her entrance.

Rose pulled his head down, moaning when she felt his tongue against hers- she was so aroused that she couldn't stand it. She had to have him. He had to have her as well, and the Doctor gasped as Rose grabbed his hips, urging him quickly as he drove into her. They could go more slowly later. Both of them cried out from the sensation of finally being joined and met each other's gaze. Rose looked into the Doctor's beautiful blue eyes that she had always found unfathomably sexy...she had always thought he had bedroom eyes, and now they were boring into hers. "Harder," she begged.

It proved to be too much for both of them. He became demanding, insistent in his possession of her, both of them moaning as they strained for their release. Between the emotions saturating their new bond, their love for each other, the frenetic pace they maintained, and the eye contact, it sent their libido spiraling into hyperdrive. Her second climax swept through her, and she slammed her hips upwards, grinding into his.

The Doctor lost all control as he felt her tighten repeatedly around him, crying his name as the intensity shook her entire body. As Rose's hips slammed into his, he groaned incoherently, tumbling off the edge just behind her, and both of them couldn't keep quiet, even if they had wanted to.

For a moment, all they could do was struggle to catch their breath as they tumbled down from powerful emotional and physical sensations. The Doctor nuzzled her neck, nearly overcome with feelings he had never experienced before. He finally withdrew from her and rolled onto his back and pulled Rose to his side, idly threading his fingers through her hair before he finally spoke.

"I don't know...five billion languages, and I can't find one that's enough to tell you how I feel about you."

Rose raised her head and looked at him. Her smile was still dazed and she tightened the arm she had thrown across his chest. "Well, I guess you're just going to have to settle for me telling you I love you, and that you're amazing in every way."

"Every way? I hope you meant that, Rose Tyler. I'm going to want you constantly now, you know."

She answered him with a cheeky giggle. "Then that saves me from the embarrassment of having to beg for it."

"Oh, I don't know," he replied mischievously. "Might be fun sometimes, Rose." He rolled her underneath him again, crushing his lips to hers. "You all flushed and aroused, begging me to make you scream."

Rose lightly swatted his arm, "I did not-"

"Oi! I was here, and it's a good thing no one else was around because I'm not so sure they couldn't hear you all the way back on New Earth." His hands were now gliding over her back and shoulders.

"Now I know you're exaggerating..."

"Impressive, me, remember? Come on, Rose. I always want you to yield to me like that," he replied, completely serious.

"Back to being impressive, Doctor?"

"Who said I stopped?" he asked, with a slightly wounded expression.

"Oh, just shut up and start impressing me again!"

A week turned into two, then into three. They travelled from place to place, as if the Doctor had a bucket list of planets he wanted to make love on. It was nearly four weeks before they went back to New Earth to pick up Jack.

Jack Harkness eagerly bounded towards the TARDIS and turned his key into the door and saw his friends casually lounging on the jump seat. It didn't seem to be too different from the way Rose would usually lean her head on the Time Lord's shoulder. Except for the contented expression on their faces. Rose wore an almost dreamy expression on her face, and as for the Doctor- Jack had never seen his face so relaxed. He looked younger, and he was actually happy.

Rose's eyes lit up at Jack's appearance and she leapt from the seat to embrace him in welcome.

"Welcome home, Jack!"

"How long were you two actually gone?"

"Almost four weeks," the Doctor replied blandly.

"Four weeks?" Jack's face split into a salacious grin. "Four weeks of nothing but sh-"

"Shut it, Jack."

"Now, Doctor," admonished Rose. "If you didn't want him to make any comments, then you shouldn't have told him how long we were gone." She turned a knowing look on Jack. "But there's a new rule for you now on the TARDIS, Captain."

Rose's eyes twinkled in gleeful humor. "Hands off the Time Lord."