"I'm almost ready," Rose called from the bathroom as she gave herself one final look-over in the wall-to-wall-to-ceiling mirror.
"No worry of us being late," the Doctor said from the bedroom. "One of the nice things about having a time machine."
Rose smoothed her hands over the black silk cocktail dress, loving the way it draped perfectly. The Doctor had been right, there wasn't much to choose from in the wardrobe, but once she saw this dress, she knew it was perfect. Simple but elegant, the dress had a square neckline and elbow length sleeves with tailored pleats from the neckline to the fitted waist. The cut was flattering and the hem ended just past her knees. The skirt was just full enough to swish around her calves when she walked. She turned sideways and tipped her foot, checking out the strappy, high-heeled sandals she'd chosen. They were the most comfortable shoes she'd ever owned other than her trainers, and she wondered what kind of magic the TARDIS worked with them.
Her hair was swept up off her neck in a loose twist, held in place by a black sequined clip. Rose had let her hair air dry, allowing the natural curl to kink her hair so bits framed her face, falling free from the clip. It was a look Eduardo at her Mum's parlor called 'rumpled chic' and Rose liked to call 'shag sexy'. It looked like she'd just twisted her hair up after an afternoon of being in bed, but in actuality, it'd taken a good half-hour to manage the twist.
The Doctor knocked softly on the bathroom door just as she slid the tip of her lipgloss over her lips. "Come on in, I'm just finishing."
She watched the door in the mirror as he opened it and stuck his head in. "Just checking whether I can go ahead and… I…" Rose turned slowly, setting one hand on her hip, giving him her best seductive smile. He blinked, his gaze moving over from head to toe, and again. "I… you…" The Doctor laughed, almost nervously, and let go a goofish grin. "You are stunning. I mean, you're always beautiful… but…"
Rose crossed the marble floor, focusing on her walk to best utilize the dress without slipping on the tiles that weren't designed for strappy sandals. "Thank you. Come on then, let me see."
She gave herself credit for not melting into a pile of Sexy-Doctor-Induced-Goo on the floor when he finished pushing the door open. It seemed that he'd read her mind when it came to attire, because he'd changed into a black suit, with a sharp black shirt and black silk tie. The effect was… wow, it was hot in here!
"Works, eh? I assumed I'd have to give up the regular suit just for tonight. Love the suit, but it doesn't quite say 'Evening Wedding', does it?"
"Mmmmmm, this one certainly saying something," Rose said low in her throat. She ran her hand over the smooth fabric of the black satiny material, leaning into him so his back hit the doorjamb, and released the two jacket buttons. The Doctor hissed softly when she slid her hands over his sides.
He dipped his head and kissed her, taking the step to shift their position to put her against the jamb, his hand cushioning the back of her head. Their mouths opened together, and Rose tipped her head, opening herself to allow his tongue entry. The Doctor moved them together out of the doorway into the bedroom, so the solid wall was behind her.
The kiss was quickly accelerating to the 'point of no return', and they both seemed to realize it at the same time. His lips gentled and slowed until the long, deep kiss reduced to a series of short kisses until he turned his head and slid their cheeks against each other, both breathing hard with the rapid arousal that overtook them nearly whenever they touched.
"Promise me," he said near her ear. "That this will continue later."
Rose slid her hands to his back beneath the jacket. "Promise."
With one last kiss to her lips, the Doctor stepped back and offered his hand. Rose released a happy sigh, and slid her palm across his to wrap her fingers around his. They stopped briefly in the console room, and he flipped the final switch to initiate landing. With a gentle bump, they landed and the engine pistons slowed. Taking her hand again, they stepped out of the TARDIS, finding themselves tucked into the corner of a beautiful country garden that reminded Rose of Sarah Jane Smith's cottage garden, times about one hundred. The air was fragrant with so many wonderful aromas Rose couldn't begin to differentiate them all. She just inhaled deeply, and smiled.
A path wound through the garden leading up the hill to a stone and timber structure that looked like it might have once been a barn or other similar building. As they neared the garden gate, they saw a circular drive along which a dozen or more cars were parked, and other wedding attendees walked along the drive toward the building.
"Looks to be the place," the Doctor said, his hand against the small of her back to keep her from stepping wrong on the stone path. "So, tell me what I need to know. Are you and Shireen childhood mates?"
Rose smiled, immediately recalling all the trouble she and Shireen had caused together, and all the fun they'd had. Sleepovers and movies, parties and playing hookie. The times they fought until they hated each other, and the times they stood by each other when someone else tried to do wrong by one of them. A sudden wave of guilt hit her.
"Yeah," she finally answered. "We did everything together. When I left school, she was the only person who didn't write me off."
The Doctor's brow pulled down heavy over his eyes and he looked at her sideways as they finally cleared the path to walk along the drive. "I didn't know you left school."
Rose's cheeks burned and she looked down. "Not exactly something I'm proud of. I was studying for my A-Levels, and everything. I even took a couple honor courses."
"I have always said you are clever."
Rose laughed wryly. "Not so clever that I didn't let a bloke…" She started to explain, but thought differently, shaking her head. "So, I ended up in a shop until this fella showed up out of nowhere and blew it up." Rose looked up at him, smiling.
"Lucky man." He stopped their walk, turning her to face him so he could press a long kiss to her forehead. "Very lucky man." The Doctor left his lips against her skin, touching her cheeks with his fingertips.
"So, it's not bad enough that I was just a nineteen year old shop girl when you picked me up, but I was a drop out, too?"
"Didn't exactly ask to see your resume, did I?" Rose shook her head. "Besides, can't say much, can I? Didn't exactly pick up the cap and gown before I went off to see the Universe." The Doctor tipped his chin and bent his knees just enough to look her straight in the eyes. "I told you once, a long time ago, that I only take the best with me."
Rose smiled, loving the way he looked at her, honestly making her believe the pride he said he felt in her. She curled her fingers into the satin of his lapel, not enough to wrinkle, but enough to urge him closer. The kiss was much more subdued than their usual snogs in the TARDIS, but Rose found it hard to go too long in his presence without a good kiss. Granted, it'd only been fifteen or twenty minutes, but that was long enough. His thumbs stroked the corners of her lips as his mouth moved slowly and meticulously over hers.
"Keep that up, Rose Tyler, and you're going to make the bride jealous."
Rose giggled softly as she pulled back from the kiss, meeting the Doctor's gaze briefly before she turned toward the voice. Marcie Walker stood just a few meters away with a man she thought she might have known from school, but couldn't put a name to his face. Despite everything the Doctor had just said, a prickle of unease danced up her spine. She and Marcie hadn't been enemies in school, but they hadn't exactly been friends. The only reason they associated at all was because she was Shireen's cousin.
"Good to see you, Marcie," she said politely, smiling earnestly as the Doctor's hand slid down her spine to rest on her bottom out of the view of Marcie and her date. She cleared her throat. "How have you been?"
"Oh, fine. Getting married myself this winter. Do you remember Billy?"
The light of recognition went off. "Oh, sure! Billy Jenkins. Congratulations."
"Yes. Congratulations," the Doctor said behind her. He took his hand from her bottom, extending it past her to Billy. "Doctor John Smith. Pleased to meet you."
Marcie's penciled eyebrows arched. "Doctor Smith?" She looked down at his hand as he shook Billy's. "Are you a surgeon?"
"No, I'm not a medical doctor. I'm a doctor of science." Rose watched him from the corner of her eye, grinning, waiting to see how far he would take the story this time. He hadn't even dug out the psychic paper yet. "Theoretical Astrophysics. Rose and I are studying…" His eyes shifted to her briefly, a dimpled grin curving his lips. "Time and Relative Dimension in Space."
Marcia did her best to look like she understood exactly what the Doctor said, nodding and giving an 'Isn't that interesting!' glance to her fiancée. "That sounds intriguing. I didn't realize you'd gone on to such academic things, Rose. I mean, last I saw you, you were with that musician… what was his name?" she asked of Billy.
"Jimmy Stone," he provided.
Rose winced inside, but refused to allow anything to show on her face. The Doctor's hand slid across her back to curl around her waist, drawing her to his side.
"Hey, isn't that who—"
Marcie barreled over whatever Billy had intended to say. "And last I heard, my mother said your mother told the butcher you'd run off with an older man and she barely saw you. Course, that was after you disappeared for a year. After Jimmy, I figured the older man would be a bit more…" She looked at the Doctor. "Smarmy. No offense, of course. You're not what we expected."
"I hardly ever am. Come on, love. We should get inside…" His words trailed off, and Rose looked across her shoulder at him. He looked down the drive to the copse of trees that ran along the property, squinting as if watching something. Rose followed his train of vision, but only caught a quick glimpse of branches shifting as perhaps someone disappearing into the trees.
"Something wrong, Doctor?"
He poked at the inside of his cheek, still staring past Marcie and Billy. "Just thought I recognized someone." In a blink, his expression switched back to a wide grin, and he took her hand. "No worries. Nice meeting you, Marcia was it? Billy? Enjoy the wedding. Good luck on your own, I'm sure you'll need it."
His last words were over his shoulder as they headed up the hill to the building. Rose laughed as she quickened her pace to keep up with his long stride. "You are so cheeky. Theoretical Astrophysicist studying time and relative dimension in space?"
The Doctor winked at her. "Use big enough words and the small minded stare in wonderment. And that one…" He jerked his head in the direction behind them. "Looked about as small minded as they get."
An usher dressed in a black tuxedo met them at the large arch leading to what Rose could only call the sanctuary of the building. If this place hadn't been a church, it should have been. It was amazing, with a cathedral ceiling four stories over their heads held in place by massive crisscrossed beams. The walls were brick and wood, some old and faded, others still covered with whitewash that couldn't be stripped away, and amongst the old were new, red bricks.
White folding chairs draped with ribbon sat in neat rows facing the far end of the space, and a platform waited for the bride and groom, covered with bunches of fresh flowers that filled the space with their scent.
"Bride or groom?"
"Bride," Rose answered, and the usher pointed them down the aisle to where they could sit.
Rose had to lead the Doctor, because his head was tipped back, his mouth open as he took in the details of the structure. "Oh, this is beautiful." She loved that he found beauty in sometimes the most mundane or unusual things. Clockwork Men and werewolves, and old brick barns. "Whoever picked this place, good on ya."
Before they edged their way into a row of chairs, the Doctor stopped and rotated in a slow circle, his head still tipped back. When she saw his face, she saw it pinched with frustration. He worked his jaw side-to-side, squinting.
"That's the second time you've looked like that since we got here. Doctor, nothing weird is going to happen, right?"
"I don't know," he said, his voice almost distant. "I just get this niggling feeling in the back of my head. Déjà vu." Then he shrugged. "I supposed after nine-hundred years everything looks familiar. I much prefer vuja de."
Rose took her seat and he stretched out beside her, his arm immediately going behind her to rest along the back of the chair. His long fingers found the hem of her sleeve and slipped past it to touch her skin. She shifted toward him, resting her shoulder against the side of his chest.
"Vuja de?"
The strained look of moments before was gone when he looked at her, grinning. "The feeling like I've never done this before. I rather like not knowing what's coming. Much more fun."
Rose glanced around the quickly filling church before she curled her fingers into her skirt and slowly pulled the hem up her thigh until the lacey top of her stockings showed. "Did you know this was coming, Doctor?"
He reached across his body to lay his hand over hers, sliding both it and the skirt back down her leg, releasing a hiss through his teeth. "That was just cruel, Rose Tyler."