Title: Encounters; The Hangover Pairing: 9 / Rose
Series: Dr Who
Rating: 15 Type: AU/ Angst
Summary: After a rip-rawing night with Jack, Rose is feeling the after-effects. Both she and The Doctor have had some things to think through. With the trio heading to Cardiff to recharge… will they sort everything out in time?
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Dr Who characters or anything from the universe of Dr Who. I am just taking the characters and playing with them a while – promising to restore them whole and unblemished! Thanks to the BBC for creating these toys for me to enjoy. Please don't take any of my playing as having any bearing on the actual franchise. Enjoy.
()()()()
Rose felt her head spin out of dreaming and into the, all-too bright, real world.
God… she thought groggily… I'm alive…
Her body moved like the undead, shuffling, naked, through to her bedroom before she leaned on the wall and pleaded, "Can you make the place a little cooler… please?"
TARDIS hummed and fresh breeze flew through the cabin…
God, it felt good…
Her heated skin felt like it was sighing…
They had had four hypervodkas each… she remembered that distinctly. It was to prove that Jack had been true to his word about his last sentence to death… but it wasn't serious… not as serious as her head was melting into itself…
Somehow… her body fumbled itself to the shower…
Rose was sure the TARDIS had moved the space closer to her. She was grateful…
Water rained down and refreshed her clammy skin…
And she recalled…
Jack had taken them to a bar…
A very special bar… he had said… it was where he had been sentenced to death…
Four hypervodkas…And a booth… And laugher…
There were stories and confessions… And Rose felt her body collapse at some point after shots and mixers and watching the world blur around her…
The Doctors arms were warm as they guided her into the comforting contours of his body and she lay herself in the booth as he cradled her torso in his lap and traced her hair away from her face so she could breathe a little easier and he could pull her body along the sofa and further into his embrace…
In some form of haze and warmth… enveloped in the heat of his skin… Rose could still conceive of the world about her.
Still understand the conversation above her…
She was lying half on the Doctor and spread on the faux leather of the sofas…
The world span furiously outside his arms and Rose snuggled deeper into his embrace as she let darkness overtake her…
Somewhere in the maelstrom of sound, colour and light, Rose floated in The Doctors embrace… until she heard…
"I don't get you two…" Jack sighed.
"What's to get?" The Doctor asked, reflexively squeezing her to him.
"Come on…" Jack insisted, "You guys are as bad as each other!"
"Quiet!" The Doctor insisted… "She needs her sleep…"
Rose tried her best to play-dead…
"I'm just saying… why do you run away when you both know that you're into each other!" Jack whispered.
"I know we're attracted to eachother…" The Doctor said, "don't you think I know that? I've been around the block, me, and I know when there's something going on-"
"Did that block ever mention you should just get her alone and stick your tongue down her throat?"
There was a silence when Rose could only imagine The Doctors shocked expression as she heard him stuttering…
"Well…" the Timelord huffed, "I… well…"
"What?"
Silence again…
"Seriously?" Jack exclaimed before being shushed and then continued in a hushed urgency, "She's still here, isn't she? After how long? I wouldn't be. I'd have headed for the hills by now! You're such hard work!"
The Doctors grip hugged her closer…
"Doctor… she isn't short of offers so you best get to it before she starts to waver … I think she just needs to explore something else first... "
"Me," the Doctor said, flatly.
Jack laughed, "Bet she's aching to… but you aren't the easiest man to read."
"I'm not the easiest man," The Doctor admitted, a dull and final tone striking in his voice, "I have too much time, Jack… Too much baggage."
"Then keep it light," the rogue Time Agent suggested. "Just flirt with her… touch her… tell her what you want… tell her that you want her… don't mince words…" then he barked a laugh, "In fact, keep the mincing to a minimum!"
The Doctor shifted beneath Rose but held her firm, "I can't…" he choked slightly, "Jack… I can't weigh her down…"
"Then don't!" Weight shifted as she felt the other man move closer to them, "Just be you… that seems to be all she wants… Trust me."
"Why?" The Doctor asked, dangerously, "Have you tried?"
"Yeah!" Jack laughed and shifted so as Rose could feel his heat and imagine his face close to The Doctors, "And I'd try with you too… but there wouldn't be much point…"
Weight shifted again.
"So do something," Jack suggested.
Time passed.
"She's," The Doctor sputtered, "She's drunk… and unconscious…"
"So wait until she's sober and awake!" Jack laughed, "Instead of making excuses, take her for a coffee, take her for lunch… take her for a pint! I don't know… but do something!"
There was that silence again…
"What do I do, Jack?" The question was so honest that Rose felt herself clench and The Doctors hold on her infinitesimally tightened, "I am so old…"
"And she's still here…"
…
"But she deserves the whole package, Jack," he said in earnest, "that's emotional commitment too…"
The other laughed, "Of course she does!"
"But I can't give her that."
"And maybe, she just wants what you give her now…" there were a few snorts that sounded and then, "life doesn't always give you what you deserve."
There was silence.
"Life doesn't always give you what you deserve…" The Doctor echoed solemnly…
"But sometimes, life gives you what you need." She heard Jack huff, "Even if it isn't forever."
There was another silence as Rose became aware of her heart thudding in her chest as her heated body draped over The Doctor and his fingers tightened their grip on her.
"Jack…" he sighed…
"You don't have to make any kind of promise…" The Captain continued, "just make her laugh… love her when you're with her and see where it goes."
Rose felt her breath hold for a second…
"Jack…"
Suddenly, The Doctor shifted and a third voice broke into the conversation, "Hey… been watching you guys for a while… wanna dance…"
Rose squeezed her eyes shut.
"You bet," Jack answered.
Rose breathed again…
There was a shifting of weight… "You gonna be ok getting her back to the TARDIS?"
"Yeah," The Doctor answered.
There was more movement and Rose did her best to stay quiet and still as Jack left the booth…
Silence…
And then she felt the trace of The Doctors fingers on her face, brushing her hair away tenderly as he sighed…
Rose was happy there – in his arms…
She was also very tired as the darkness swooped and sloshed behind her eyes…
Eventually, she assumed, she would give into the feeling and fall asleep. But deep-down she fought the sensation… wanting to savour each moment in his arms.
Eventually, she lost. Of course.
()()()
Time passed and she wasn't sure how long… but her shower was done and there was basic cognitive process… Rose realised her mouth tasted dreadful and light was too bright as she croaked at the TARDIS to turn it down…
The ship thrummed, making the environment a little cooler and darker for her as she dried herself, pulled on a robe and went in search of her shipmates…
She didn't bother with slippers, the deck-plating was cold and soothing on the soles of her feet as she approached the corridor to the main console room.
Vaguely, she was aware of The Doctor appearing from a door off to the side and say something… but she hadn't quite registered the sentence… so mumbled something that made him double-take to watch her stagger to the main door.
In the back of her head she knew he had spread himself against the wall and opened the door for her… But all she saw were his open arms and couldn't help herself.
Rose folded her frame about him and felt the strength of his stance offer her comfort for a pause…
He was solid and manly as she relaxed into his body…
Then his arms wove around her and held her in place.
It was nice.
She could have stayed there forever, just breathing him in…
And, after a very long while, they pulled away from each other… though she was gratified to feel The Doctor keep her in the circle of his arms as he smiled down to her and pressed a cool hand to her forehead…
"You are really hot…"
Blearily, Rose shrugged and smiled.
But they still stood there… gazing at each other.
Rose began to realise they weren't moving and Jack was only down the corridor and could probably see them both…
Then The Doctor made a move she wasn't expecting as he moved his fingers to her jawline and took a breath…
Oh God! Rose thought irrationally, I can't let Jack see this!
And, gently as anything, The Doctor gave Roses face a gentle tug toward his own…
Rose felt her body freeze…
She pulled away…
Her heart raced! What was he doing? Was he going to kiss her right there in the corridor? When she was hung-over? When she tasted like yesterday's socks? Where Jack could see?
She was aware he was following her.
"Well, hello there soldier," Jack cried as she entered the console room…
Rose mumbled a greeting and caught the side-glance Jack threw in The Doctors direction as the Time Lord went to his usual place at the TARDIS console.
She had to do something to make that hug in the corridor less… personal? Affectionate? Romatic? …hot?
So she gaged how close she was to The Captain and threw her arms around him and cried, "I'm not well…"
Jack stiffened and, uncharacteristically, did not return the embrace as Rose released him and leaned on the TARDIS for support.
TARDIS thrummed in annoyance.
"Where are we headed?" Rose asked, pressing her hand to her stomach and trying to keep it from jumping about quite so much.
"Cardiff," The Doctor said with a hollow tone that meant he was hiding from what he was feeling, "there's a rift there that will recharge the ship… perhaps you could give Mickey a ring and see if he wants to join us?"
Rose winced slightly, registering the bitterness in his voice as she saw Jack shake his head and pinch the bridge of his nose.
"Mickey?" She asked.
"Yeah," The Doctor said, beginning his usual routine of pressing buttons and whirring spindles, "you haven't seen him in a while…"
Rose felt a flop in her chest… why was he saying any of this, "Yeah… but…"
What about the massage and the dancing and the night club and the corridor?
"Go on," The Doctor insisted, still not looking at her as Jack watched the scene, shaking his head and turning away, "It's fine."
"Fine?" Rose asked.
"Yeah."
She felt her head shaking?
Had he given up on her… just because of one hug?
"Fine," she said, "I will call Mickey."
And with that… she turned and shuffled back to her room.