Rose dreamed of a planet with a burnt-orange sky. A planet with two suns that had fields of crimson grass and forests of silver trees as far as the eye could see. She stood at the top of a snow-capped mountain and listened to the forest's morning song. She had never been here before, but it felt like home. A city stood proud in the distance, a glittering metropolis under what appeared to be a large glass dome. Hours passed in seconds, as if the entire planet obeyed its own laws of time.

"Rose…" The Doctor's voice wafted through the mountain breeze to her, distant and faint. The sight of this beautiful planet started to fade, and Rose strained her eyes to locate him.

"Rose…" Her eyes opened and the Doctor was kneeling over her. "Ah, there we are!" There was that gorgeous smile. "Don't sit up quite yet," he advised her as if he was reading her mind. "You've been asleep for about twelve hours and you'll probably be a bit dizzy." He buzzed over her body with his sonic, and when he was satisfied that she was going to be fine, he gave her a soft kiss. "Welcome back."

Rose smiled at him; she loved how protective he had become of her over the last several months. She rolled over to her side and her head swam. Closing her eyes, she sat still again to steady her head. Parts of her body that hadn't hurt in years were sore.

"Ugh… we didn't drink last night by any chance, did we?"

"No, but the TARDIS tells me it could be a couple more hours before you feel like yourself again." Rose opened her eyes; the Doctor was starting to look concerned.

"Doctor, I had a strange dream. I was on this planet, just standing there looking in the distance. The sky was orange…" Her voice trailed off when she saw his expression. "What?"

"Tell me more about the planet, Rose. It's very important." His brow was furrowed and he was frowning.

"Um, there was red grass and a domed city, and – Doctor, where are you going?" He had stood up and stormed out of his room before she could finish. Puzzled, Rose crawled out of the bed and put on his duster that was draped across a chair, following him to the TARDIS control room. She laced her arms around his waist, coaxing him to face her.

"What is it, Doctor?"

The Doctor was clearly fighting off the urge to cry, or scream, or both. "What you saw was Gallifrey, my home planet. What happened last night must have affected you." He took Rose's head in his hands. "Tell me, Rose – what did you see last night while I was inside you?" Rose blushed. "Inside your head, I mean," he finished with a smile.

"I dunno, there were these circles and your voice sounded different, and I definitely remember a bright light." The Doctor let go of her head and started pacing around the control room.

"Rose, do you have any idea what this could mean? We have to find out if – "

Finally he noticed what she was wearing. "Is that my duster?" His smile widened as his eyes traveled down her body, taking notice of the lack of underclothes. Rose leaned against the console, showing off her legs. "It looks good on you."

Before she knew it the Doctor was standing between her legs and nibbling on her neck. Her legs turned to jelly as his hands retraced her body with such intimate knowledge that it made her weak. He parted her legs and she didn't hesitate. Rose arched her back and waited, waited the split-second it took for the Doctor to unzip his trousers and pull her to him by the hips, and gasped when he entered her again.

The Doctor growled in her ear, needier this time. "Oh fuck, Rose…" The sound of the word, so filthy coming from his mouth, yet so appropriate, sent electricity down Rose's spine as he began his rhythm. Supporting herself on the console, she felt the Doctor's mind trying to slip into hers once more, but this time her mind resisted. "Rose, please…" The resistance was denying him pleasure. He begged her with such vulnerability that she couldn't hold him out of her head any longer. His mind flooded hers and suddenly the Doctor's pleasure was her pleasure. His thoughts and sensations were racing through her head; the feel of her arse in his hands, the smell of her hair, her breathy moans at his ear, the feel of her deepest ridges squeezing him, all of it flowing through him and into her, consuming her, all at once.

"Say my name, Rose," the Doctor whispered. He sounded possessed with otherworldly power again.

"Doctor – " His name felt like magic on her lips, but before she could finish he stopped her.

"My real name, Rose. Say it." His rhythm was picking up speed, and his breath came out ragged.

"I can't – "

"DO IT." His command came out with such power it scared Rose for a moment before the words came out; her lips formed syllables she had never heard and her mind filled with a bright light. Her entire body gave out the instant the Doctor disconnected from her, and he was swift enough to catch her before she hit the floor.

"ROSE! ROSE! Rose, wake up!" He tapped the side of her face and Rose slowly opened her eyes to smile at him, and then fell asleep again. The Doctor zipped his trousers back up and lifted Rose in his arms, sprinting with her to the TARDIS's infirmary.

Scans indicated that Rose's life functions were still working and no permanent damage would result from this latest connection with her. She would be okay with more sleep, probably more than last time.

But he knew, like the TARDIS insisted on reminding him, that this couldn't happen again, or it would destroy her delicate human mind. His damned Time Lord stamina kept him ready to go this time – and Rose would pay the price if she were to wake up prematurely.

He carried her back to her own bed when the scans finished. He had already taken his duster off of her, so she was naked. Taking care not to jostle her, he got a long t-shirt from her wardrobe and slipped it over her head. That she didn't immediately roll into one of her comical sleeping positions worried him, so he resolved to stay with her in her room until she woke up. He looked around the room for a place to sit, and jumped with surprise when the TARDIS materialized a comfortable armchair for him next to Rose's bed. Exhausted, he slumped down in the chair.

Soon he was asleep. He dreamed of a planet with a burnt-orange sky. A planet with two suns that had fields of crimson grass and forests of silver trees…

Wait…

"Doctor, is that you?" He knew that voice anywhere. He whirled around, searching for the source of the sound.

"Rose? Where are you?" He couldn't see her anywhere. He patted his jacket down, but his sonic was missing.

"You can't see me here. I'm not really here, just sorta riding along with your mind. I'm okay, Doctor, stop worrying about me. Get some sleep, make yourself some tea, and I'll see you soon." The 'soon' echoed and faded into nothing. The Doctor dropped to his knees, overwhelmed at the sound of Rose's disembodied voice drifting off through the silver trees and becoming part of their song.

And for the first time in a long time, the last remaining Time Lord cried. He cried for Rose, he cried for his home planet, he cried for all the people he had wronged and for the loves he had lost and he cried until he could cry no more. Hours had probably passed, but here in his mind, on his home planet, those hours reduced to seconds, and finally he was ready to wake up.

He opened his eyes and nearly sobbed with relief to see Rose fast asleep on her stomach, a smile spread across her beautiful face. It disarmed him to not know how much time had passed, but he decided to just let Rose sleep. They could talk when she woke up again.