*Disclaimer: Doctor Who and the established canon characters and lore contained within the following story are not mine. They are the property of BBC Wales and any of its licensees and constituents. I write fan fiction for pleasure, entertainment, and feedback, not monetary gain. Any situations, inventions, concepts, and characters you do not recognise are out of my own imagination, unless otherwise stated.

Doctor, Heal Thyself

Chapter One

Parallel Universe
Several Months Previously
Following the Medusa Cascade Occurrence

"'Donald Noble?'" Rose Tyler echoed the Doctor. "That's the name you wish to go by now?"

"Yeah. Or rather it's one of the ones I've been thinking about. New life, new Doctor, new name—my personal motto's been only slightly modified." He grinned over at Rose. "Besides, I can hardly go about cramping the style of the original. I'm just a copy of him, you know."

Rose jabbed him playfully in the arm and replied with mock indignation, "Just a copy? Just? You say that as if you're not as good as he is. I'll let you know I have it on good authority that you're better than him."

"Oh?" The Doctor's eyebrow elevated nearly to his hairline. "I'm torn between feeling flattered or insulted. Better in what way? And on whose authority?"

"My own authority, of course," replied Rose silkily, wrapping her arms around his slim waist. "And you're better in just about every way imaginable."

"For example..." he prompted, searching her eyes and leaning into her arms.

"This!" Rose shouted happily as the embrace turned into her tickling his ribs. She had never seen such a look of delighted shock on the Doctor's face as he laughed with wild abandon in spite of himself. "I could never have done this to him and got away with it!"

"What makes—you think—I won't—retaliate?" he barely managed to gasp out the sentence to Rose between bouts of laughter. He clearly hadn't been expecting this at all! Ten points to the Earth girl, thought Rose victoriously.

"You'll have to catch me first!" she replied as she sprinted away from him into the trees.

Ducking behind a particularly large tree trunk, Rose leaned back against the bark and contemplated the past few weeks. She and her Doctor were now recreating on the spacious grounds of her father's property. It was like something out of a fairy tale, the reality of getting to have the Doctor to herself after so long. Only in her wildest dreams did she ever contemplate such a man would devote himself to a life with her, but that's exactly what he had done. As much as the Doctor was capable of devoting himself to anyone, that is. He was still the same wonderful, whimsical, and slightly manic person he'd always been; it's just that now he was much more, well, human. Rose slunk around the tree trunk, didn't see anybody, and quickly hid behind another and continued her reminiscing.

Pete Tyler felt indebted to the Doctor in many ways and had been more than willing to let him stay in the spacious guest house. The Doctor had wasted no time in becoming the resident handyman, fixing this and fixing that, improving this and improving that. Rose must've heard the story of how he had invented his sonic screwdriver a hundred times by now, but it never got old. That was mostly because the Doctor changed or embellished the tale each time he told it.

Unfortunately, this new hobby became less than agreeable, since the Doctor quickly finished with the guest house and then set his attentions on the main manor. Pete put up with it at first since he knew the man was just trying to be helpful. But the Doctor kept popping up in the oddest places at the oddest times around the property, and it was really starting to grate on Pete's nerves. The hired help such as the butler and the maids had started to complain about him, and Pete tried to dissuade the Doctor with subtlety, by explaining that his doing all the improvements around the house was making Pete look bad to Jackie. The hidden meaning in Pete's message sailed straight over the Doctor's head, as he replied bluntly, "I'm just doing what should've been done ages ago. You're a man of means—it's not like you can't afford a good contractor." Pete was so nonplussed, the only thing he could do was walk sullenly out of the room, while Jackie and Rose began giggling like schoolgirls. The Doctor folded his arms and looked at the women in consternation and said, "Well now, what's so funny? All I did was state a fact!"

The final straw was when the Doctor accidentally caught Pete and Jackie in a particularly intimate moment in the hot tub. The Doctor had just finished making a few unscheduled modifications to the filters in the pool house and was leaving the room when Jackie saw him and screamed. Once she realised it was the Doctor and not some strange intruder, Jackie dissolved into raucous laughter, but it didn't matter. It was a very pink-faced, very indignant, and very soaked-in-his-dressing-gown Pete Tyler who practically insisted the Doctor should take a job with his corporation, in his office building, away from the house for the entire day, every day. Rose could tell the Doctor was about to decline the offer when she let him know that would be a bad idea—she surreptitiously kicked him in the leg while Pete wasn't looking. "OW—I mean—ohhh!..." he quickly recovered, "that's a very generous offer, Pete. I'll be glad to take you up on it."

"You make poor quarry indeed when you can't even contain your own laughter," Rose gasped and stiffened at the Doctor's voice being so close behind her ear. Drat! She'd let herself get distracted and he sneaked up on her without her realising it. "Don't act so surprised," he teased, "did you really think you could escape me for very long?"

Time for Rose to change the rules of the game. "As if I'd want to," she demurred, reaching back a hand to caress the Doctor's cheek. He took the bait, wound his arms around her, and bent down to kiss Rose's lips over her shoulder. She stopped him, hand still on his face, their lips mere millimetres apart...

"But you know what?" Rose breathed, barely able to reign in her need to smother him in kisses right then and there.

"Mmm?" the Doctor smiled secretively.

"Right now, I feel like dancing!" Rose interjected, suddenly twirling herself outward. She still kept hold of one of the Doctor's hands, but she flung out her other arm with a "Ta-da!"

"HA!" exclaimed the Doctor, throwing his head heavenward. His eyes twinkled as he looked back at Rose and replied, "What an unbelievable coincidence. So do I! Now, we dance!"

And so they continued on with their made-up half-waltz half-tango, laughing merrily and tripping over one another's shoes as if they were a pair of tipsy teenagers. It entertained Rose greatly that for all of his snappy dress and cultural sophistication, the Doctor had two left feet! She couldn't resist the urge to tease him about it. "Don't tell me that in over 900 years of living, you never learned how to dance!"

He snorted upon replying, "If you wish to get technical with chronological age, I'm only a few months old." Oops. Rose had evidently struck a nerve. She covered up her knowing smirk by burying her head into his shoulder as they danced to the non-music. "On the contrary, Rose, it is specifically because I've lived over 900 years that I don't currently know how to dance. This incarnation doesn't, for example. If you recall, you and my Ninth self had a roaring time dancing the Charleston in the TARDIS. However, it was my Eighth self that was quite romantic and knew all the moves, so to speak. It evens out, though—he'd have looked horrible in Chucks and pin-striped suits."

Rose giggled into his chest, answering, "Fair enough." She continued, "And would your Eighth self have been attracted to the likes of me?"

The Doctor made an amused sound low in his throat before tilting her chin up so they would be eye-to-eye. "Although the following declaration might leave you somewhat unsettled, I can promise you this Time Lord, regardless of incarnation, alteration, or abomination, has never lacked in his appreciation for intelligent and capable young women." He then proceeded to demonstrate to Rose just how deep his appreciation ran, by dipping her down low in his arms and giving her the kiss of her life.

"Now," he said confidently as they came up for air, "does that answer your question?"

"I'd say it's just what the Doctor ordered," quipped Rose breathlessly, "but I think I'd better take two, just to make sure."

Author's Note:

Don't worry, this isn't a Rose "Mary Sue" Tyler fic. but I will confess to being a shameless Rose/Doctor shipper. [I'm actually one of those rare fans who goes for "Doc/Anybody who brings him real joy" character arcs, I just like Rose a teensy bit more than most other pairings.] I'm not quite as masochistic as RTD by insisting that the Doctor can never be happy at all. Therefore, this is Rose's and human Ten's blissful moment of happiness before all hell breaks loose, if you will. And even if you won't, there you go. Do you like what you've read so far? Have I piqued and kept your interest? Do you think it sucks? Please let me know either way. Thanks. ~Rae =]