A/N: Thanks to everyone for all the reviews, alerts and favourites :D I really appreciate that! Hope you enjoy this chapter. Laura xxx

Best Medicine

Part 2

"Oh, it's...owww. Sorry, I thought it would be alright, but I hurt my ankle back there, and I had shooting pain go right through me just then," she told him. He narrowed his eyes at her, tutting in disapproval that she hadn't told him before. At his look, she defended, "It didn't hurt before."

"Ok, let me take a look," he murmured. He failed to mention that she could probably put her shirt back on if she liked. Because...you know. He might have been a 900-odd years old alien who happened to just travel with his young human friend Rose Tyler, but he was still a man. And he quite appreciated this view he had of her right now (minus the blood etc), considering he had never seen her like this before and probably would never see her like this again.

He sat back on his heels and made a gesture towards his legs. She lifted her own leg and put her bare foot on his thigh, and before she could do it herself, he was rolling up the denim of her jeans for her. He took her ankle in his hands and inspected it closely. Tenderly, he touched different points and asked her where it hurt.

"Owww!" she exclaimed.

"There then, I take it," he said.

"Mmhmm," she replied, gritting her teeth.

"Push down."

She did as she was told and put pressure onto his thigh. "Owww!" she exclaimed, louder this time.

"Whoops, sorry," he murmured. "Maybe you shouldn't have done that. I'm a bit off with my medicating skills."

"Now he tells me," she muttered under her breath, but nevertheless she smiled at his lopsided, sheepish grin.

"You're not going to be able to walk on that anytime soon, Rose Tyler." Her eyebrows rose as if in a challenge. She did that sometimes; tried to defy him, go against his warnings. "So don't even try!" he instructed, pointing his finger at her. "I know what you're like. Trying to pretend you're not hurt just so you get to go back to saving the universe straight away. But you need rest."

She mock-scowled at him. "I just don't want to miss out on anything," she sulked. She hated not being with him. It was funny; she'd never been the needy, clingy type as a girlfriend to anyone else, and it wasn't like she was with the Doctor like that, but every moment they were apart, she missed him. The thought of him going off saving the universe without her made her want to shout in frustration, if she was honest.

"You won't 'miss out on anything.' This is a time machine, remember? We can spend as much time lazing around in here waiting for your ankle to heal as we like, and no one need ever know," he said, the end of his sentence dripping with exaggerated mysteriousness. He even tapped his nose and winked.

"We?" she asked.

His brow furrowed. "What else would - oh! You mean, why not just you?"

"Yeah. You're not one for 'lazing around.' You'll be so bored stuck in here."

He looked at her as if she'd just grown another head. "No I won't. Not with your stimulating company and sparkling wit," he told her cheerfully. Truthfully.

"So you're going to pass on the adventure and start being all domestic, then?" she asked him disbelievingly.

He considered this a moment. "Yep!" he answered, popping the 'p.'

"Why?" she asked incredulously, wrinkling her nose in distaste.

"Because I want to make sure you do as you're told and keep resting. And I'd only be lonely without you, so..."

Her eyes softened. "Oh," she replied gently.

"But you know, if you don't want me here..." he trailed off, pretending to consider getting up and leaving her.

"No!" she shouted, possibly a bit too loudly in the quiet of the TARDIS. "I mean, no, don't go. I'd...I...just...stay. Please."

He smiled at her warmly. "And someone's going to have to carry you around everywhere," he added, and her eyes widened. "You know – to the loo and the bath and all that." He smirked at her outraged expression. "Don't worry, I promise that when I help you into the bath, I won't look."

"Doctor!" she shrieked, and he laughed loudly as a blush coloured her face.

"Well, you're not going to be able to do it yourself, are you? So, unless you're planning on going several days without washing, I don't see you have an alternative choice," he told her, waggling his eyebrows.

She sighed. "Suppose so," she grumbled.

"You're complaining like it's a bad thing or something," the Doctor smirked.

"Not for you, maybe," she replied, raising an eyebrow.

"I've practically seen everything anyway," he dismissed, gesturing to her nearly-bare torso.

"Um, no you really haven't," she retorted, laughing at his flippant remarks about carrying her naked into the bath. He really didn't have a clue, did he? Stupid alien.

"Well, like I said. I'll close my eyes," he declared.

"Yeah, and then you'd end up tripping over and landing right on top of me, and wouldn't that be just lovely and awkward?" she said sarcastically.

"Not awkward. Lovely, yes," he grinned, and winked at her.

"Doctor," she said, sighing exasperatedly. She didn't mind flirting with him. Loved it in fact. But it'd be better if she knew he meant all this stuff though. In reality, he'd be Mr Completely Oblivious, just like usual.

"Rose," he said, matching her tone.

She glared at him, and he burst out laughing. Unfortunately for Rose, the Doctor's laughter was contagious, and she, despite her frustration, began to laugh too. He was a stupid alien, but he was her stupid alien, after all. Well. In her mind, anyway.

The laughter faded out and silence descended upon them for once.

They regarded each other for a moment, Rose looking down at the Doctor from her seated position wondering what she'd done to deserve a...well, a friend, like him.

Funnily enough, the Doctor was thinking the same thing about her.

"Rose..." he murmured softly, hardly realising himself that he had spoken aloud until Rose answered him.

"Yes?" she replied, suddenly aware that the atmosphere had changed somehow. Well, not changed exactly...more like, intensified. There was a sense of apprehension in the air; an electricity passing between them as they looked at each other.

Rose was confused, but the Doctor knew. Something was changing tonight. Or maybe, intensifying...