This story follows my other stories Christmas Planet, All I Want for Christmas, but it should be able to stand alone. I really appreciate everyone that reads, and especially comments. Thank you all so much, and I hope you enjoy.
Rose had never been happier in her whole life. Only six months ago she had believed she would never be happy again. Trapped in Pete's World, trying to make a life without her beloved doctor, attempting to fill the hole with order after order of greasy chips… well it wasn't a very nice existence to say the least. But all that had changed when the doctor exchanged his remaining regeneration energy for a tunnel between universes, and a way back to Rose. He had whisked her away for a holiday adventure on Christmas Planet, where they had finally expressed their love for each other. There were a lot of firsts for Rose on Christmas Planet, first time meeting Santa (the real one that is, who turned out to be a little red alien), first time seeing a reindeer fly, and most importantly, first time with the doctor. It had been a desperately romantic evening, that night the doctor had claimed her and finally said those three little words that meant so much to both of them. Rose knew she would never forget that moment.
They stayed on Christmas planet a few days more, but after the holiday both Rose and the doctor were itching for new adventures. Despite the time they had spent apart, Rose slipped easily back into life on the TARDIS. Things had gone back to normal with the doctor, which is to say not normal at all, since everything around him had a way of going wonky. Apart from each other though, this is what Rose and the doctor loved the most, the thrill of the unknown. Nothing could compare to the feeling of throwing open those TARDIS doors onto an unknown world, just brimming with possibilities.
Everything was as it should be, Rose Tyler, with the doctor, in the TARDIS. It was just like before that horrible day that had separated them, but with one very important difference. Now they could explore each other as well as alien worlds. They slept in the doctor's room, although the TARDIS had retained Rose's old room too, as she still kept her clothes in the wardrobe. Sometimes Rose couldn't believe it was true, the doctor in a relationship. But he was surprisingly romantic and even domestic in those rare moments when he let his guard down. Although he shuddered to think what the Council of the Time Lords would say to some of the things he had done lately. Sharing a toothbrush with a human was definitely not considered respectable on Gallifrey. Despite these moments of anxiety though, both the doctor and Rose were happier than ever.
A few weeks after their departure from Christmas Planet found Rose and the doctor strolling through a marketplace on the desert planet Silicadron II. The bazar was a sight to behold with sellers housed in colorful silken tents, but the heat was oppressive. Beads of sweat rolled down Rose's neck, while the doctor stayed comfortably cool due to his "superior Time Lord genes." He babbled unendingly about the native people, who looked like extra-graceful humans with really long necks, oblivious to his companion's discomfort. Rose stopped to admire a blue glass lantern, and take advantage of the shaded stall.
"What do you think, Doctor?" she asked. "Wouldn't this go nicely in the TARDIS cinema?"
"Mmm hmm." The doctor replied absently. He was distracted by another shiny object on the table. "Look at this, Rose! Do you know what this is?" Rose glanced over at the doctor who was holding a small silver tube in his hand. She raised her eyebrows. "It's a Thermo-kinetic Hopper!" the doctor declared, grinning madly.
"Come again?" said Rose.
"Oh, come on Rose, a Thermo-kinetic Hopper? You know!"
"Err, no, I don't know…" responded Rose.
"It's like a pogo stick for high temperature climates. But it's more than that, it's fantastic! You don't have to do any of the jumping, it's powered by heat!" Rose looked again at the small object, wrinkling her brow.
"You'd have to be pretty small to get much use out of it…" she reasoned.
"Ah, but it's telescopic!" declared the doctor, pressing a button on the top. The little tube began to extend out and out until it was a little longer than the average earth pogo stick. The doctor tapped the button again, and the top portion bended over to form handlebars while pedals popped out of the pole. Rose couldn't help but be impressed, but hoped the doctor wouldn't get any mad ideas about using the thing.
"We should get it!" he said enthusiastically. Rose groaned inwardly. There was no stopping boys and their toys. Needless to say, they left the stall with the Thermo-kinetic Hopper as well as the blue lantern. "C'mon Rose, let's have a go!" the doctor urged.
"Doctor, it's so hot…" Rose began.
"Yep!" he responded, popping the p. "It's perfect!"
"No, I meant I'm hot." Rose explained.
"Well, I won't argue with you there." The doctor answered cheekily. Unfortunately, Rose wasn't really in the mood for flirting, as she was a sweaty mess.
"You go on, Doctor." She said tiredly. "I'm gonna go sit down over there." She motioned to a lavishly decorated tent that appeared to house some kind of café.
"But Rooooose," the doctor whined. "It's no fun to thermo-hop on my own." He made a dejected face, but then looked closely at Rose. She was looking rather peaky, he thought. The doctor looked at the hopper, and then over at the café tent. "Although, I suppose we could delay the thermo-hopping for a kriil cone!" the doctor led Rose towards the shady tent.
"What's kriil?" asked Rose apprehensively, although happy to have escaped a thermo-hop for the moment.
"Oh it's marvelous!" declared the doctor. "It's the ice cream of this planet, except it's more of a foam than a cream, and if we're lucky they might have crispy aphid sprinkles!"
At the doctor's insistence Rose had a cone piled high with foamy scoops of multi-colored kriil. It was surprisingly delicious, and Rose eagerly lapped it up, as she realized how hungry she was. She licked her lips making a noise of satisfaction, when she caught the doctor staring at her.
"What?" she demanded. "Do I have kriil on my face?"
"Oh, erm, no…"the doctor mumbled, going slightly pink. "I was just watching, I mean er… you, your mouth, that is. I mean to say, you're quite attractive when you eat a kriil cone…" he finished awkwardly.
"Oh," Rose giggled. "Well maybe we should get kriil more often." She said seductively.
"Indeed." The doctor responded in a low voice.
Suddenly a shrill beeping punctured the air. Rose prepared to run, assuming it was some sort of warning alarm, but the doctor squealed delightedly, in a most un-manly way. "Oooooh, it's fully charged!" he waved the pogo-hopper-thermo-whatever in Rose's face. "Let's hop!"
Rose didn't have the heart to refuse him again, although she was starting to feel a little queasy from all the kriil. He dragged her by the hand out into the street, and hoisted her up on to the pedals. He nimbly jumped on behind her, pressing himself into her back, and reaching around for the handles. "Ready?" the doctor called, but didn't wait for an answer. He pressed the button and suddenly they sprung into the air, crashing back down, and then bouncing up once more. The doctor was laughing like mad, but Rose was holding on for dear life. It was a rougher ride than she had imagined. The crowd of long-necked shoppers parted in front of them as they careened wildly down the street. Up, down, up, down, they went. The doctor couldn't see it, but Rose's face was taking on a greenish hue.
"Err, Doctor?" she called, but her voice was drowned out as the doctor whooped in her ear. "Doctor!" she tried again, "I think I'm gonna be…" Rose was cut short as she started to wretch over the handle bars. The unfortunately multi-colored kriil made its reappearance. The doctor realized what was happening and brought the hopper to a stop at the side of the road. He cast the offending stick to one side and rubbed Rose's back as she crouched by a gutter. After a few minutes Rose raised her head and said in a weak voice, "maybe we should skip the kriil, next time."
The doctor chuckled softly, his face still full of concern for his pink and yellow human. "C'mon, let's get you back to the TARDIS." He said as he led her back down the street, leaving the Thermo-hopper forgotten in the sand.
