The Doctor wouldn't be impressed at all if she ever admitted it, but Rose secretly enjoyed acting out the Prison-Hopper's Guide to the Universe. Getting in trouble was half the fun of travelling. If her future bouts of imprisonment were in places this posh, she might even consider making a proper career of being captured or arrested.

Although, her other less solicitous arrests admittedly hadn't included strangers' eyes raking uncomfortably over her, expecting things that weren't on offer, thanks very much. She'd had about enough of that for one night.

The door slid open and Rose sighed, ready to turn away yet another eager face. Unexpectedly, though, she caught the Doctor's widened eyes for a moment before he averted them.

"I've been propositioned by seventeen different aliens in the last hour," Rose informed him super-sweetly. "Seventeen. The one with the three-feet orange spikes sticking out of his head seemed particularly keen. So I'm just wonderin', you know, just as a matter of curiosity, where have you been?"

"Ah," the Doctor said, looking anywhere but at her. "Well, I've been sorting out a bit of a misunderstanding, actually. D'you know the word 'companion' means something completely different to this lot?"

Rose glared at him. She gestured pointedly down the length of her body to indicate the provocative silks draping over her skin and the energy barrier tying her left ankle to the end of the bed. "No. Really?" she said caustically.

"'S'all right, though," the Doctor assured her. "I've sorted it. Always do, don't I? Just got one last thing to do, and then we'll be off."

Rose rolled her eyes. "Look, hopeful customer number eighteen is gonna stroll in any second, so a bit of hurrying would be nice."

"Never mind that," the Doctor said. "They won't send anyone else in. See, I told them that they'd got it wrong, that you're my companion. They weren't half mortified. Offered me compensation and everything."

"Compensation? You?" Rose griped. "What about me, dealin' with horny aliens? Like the blokes at the pub aren't bad enough."

He finally looked at her, although furtively. Rose noted with amusement that though he didn't quite blush at the sight of her – she wasn't sure that Time Lords could even do that – his ears did take on a suspiciously pink tinge.

"Er, well, they don't exactly think you have a right to compensation," he said as he crossed the room. "Or any rights at all, matter of fact. You're supposed to be mine, you see. Once we prove that, we can leave."

She was about to ask him how, but he immediately made the question redundant by bending down low enough to press his lips insistently against hers.

His mouth was much warmer than the frequent clasp of his hand in hers had ever led her to suspect. It was still cool, as was the tongue that flicked tantalisingly across her lower lip, but not so as to be off-putting.

No, off-putting wasn't the word she'd use at all.

Her hands blindly found leather, and she used his jacket to pull him more deeply into the kiss. Unfortunately, it had a side effect of also pulling him off balance. He jerked away from her with a slight stagger.

Rose bit her lip, trying to hide her disappointment at the loss. He shakily pulled something that looked like a wreath from his pocket and gently set it on her head.

The energy field binding her ankle fell away.

She had some clever witticism about him having the magic touch or some such all lined up, really she did.

"Nnn-huh?" she said instead.

Well, she supposed it wasn't every day the Doctor kissed her. Some decrease in higher brain functions was probably to be expected.

"That was an ownership ceremony," the Doctor explained. "You're spoken for now. Let's get gone before they decide they want to keep you anyhow."

Rose's eyebrows flew up. "What, so you own me now?"

"My Rose," the Doctor agreed, sounding suddenly entirely too pleased with himself.

Rose stood up slowly, stretching stiff muscles. The silks she wore shifted over her skin, settling in new clinging patterns. The Doctor's mouth opened into a slack sort of 'o' shape. His eyes went sort of unfocused for a moment.

Just who exactly owned whom? Rose thought with amusement.

"So where's Jack, then?" she asked, considerately leaving him with a little dignity by deftly changing the topic. "I wouldn't have thought he'd be one to miss covert ops in an upscale alien brothel."

The Doctor, jostled back to reality, snorted. "Well, I did use the term 'companions' to describe both of you, didn't I?"

Rose burst out laughing. "Oh, I bet he just loved that! So what now, then, Doctor? You gonna have to go snog him to set him free as well?"

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "I was taken to his room first, actually, and he was, er ..."

"Busy?" Rose suggested.

"Just a bit, yeah. He'll find his own way back. Give him a day or so to get tired of the life of leisure."

Rose shook her head indulgently. She was travelling the universe with two complete madmen.

She wouldn't trade it for anything.

They departed the building, with several very apologetic creatures literally bowing them off, and wandered back towards the TARDIS.

"Well, at least someone's havin' a good time. Although, bein' mistaken for a prostitute wasn't all bad for me either, I suppose," Rose said coyly. "There were some nice things that came out of it."

The Doctor grinned, and his gait momentarily gained a slight swagger. It didn't take the Doctor's mind-reading talents to know which part of the experience he was recalling.

"I did get to keep the clothes, after all. This is pure silk!" she continued, running her fingers happily over the red silk still draped across her shoulder.

Rose took in the way the Doctor's knowing smile morphed into an affronted scowl and giggled.

It served him right for being so damned cocky.

~FIN~