Thanks again for reading, reviewing and enjoying. Please continue to do so! I like this chapter very much - potentially my favourite.


"Doctor?" Rose murmured, gently prodding the sleeping man next to her. He grumbled something unintelligible and turned away from her onto his other side, displaying some magnificent scratch marks on his back. She'd seen them when they'd taken it in turns to use his en-suite to clean up, but close at hand they were much more impressive – and, maybe, a little painful looking; certainly deeper than they needed to be. Rose supposed that a small part of her had wanted to hurt him at the time, but being faced with the evidence now made her heart sink guiltily. Murmuring his name again and tracing one of the scratches with an apologetic fingertip, she slid closer to him and nuzzled the freckle between his bony shoulder blades.

His body shook slightly as he giggled gruffly and tried to squirm away from her to escape the tickling sensation. Rose laughed and threw an arm around his waist, drawing him close to her and dropping a tender kiss to his neck.

"Sorry for waking you. Just wanted to let you know I'm gonna go and get myself sorted in the other guest bedroom – it's after four, Tony'll be up soon. Merry Christmas, by the way."

The Doctor craned his neck awkwardly to look at her. His brown eyes were still heavy with sleep, and his voice was gravelly as he spoke.

"Merry Christmas. You don't think we should tell anyone yet either, then?"

"You don't mind, do you? S'just, we've still got so much to work out."

"I don't mind in the slightest. We've got a long way to go," he replied simply, turning to her properly and fixing his eyes on hers with his usual unnerving steadiness.

For the first time since they'd come back to this world, Rose happily held his gaze. It felt strange to be lying there next to him in such a state of undress, having such a casual conversation in this intimate a situation. Strange, also, to have his hand splayed across the bare skin at small of her back, drawing her abdomen flush with his. This was the Doctor after all – she had finally settled on that fact. The last few hours had been strange, yes, but in a bizarre, extraordinary way - a disbelieving grin tugged at the corners of Rose's mouth as she basked in the memory.

"What?" queried the Doctor, drowsy smile lighting up his own face.

"Just thinking about a few questions I finally got answered, that's all," came the reply, her tone mischievous.

"Oh?" The Doctor's tongue touched his top lip as he spoke, eyebrows raised expectantly. Rose rolled her eyes – he always had to know everything.

"Just a few things I've been wondering for a while. I can confirm that, anatomically at least, you're human."

"Anatomically you're Gallifreyan! Well, minus the hearts thing."

"How was I supposed to know that though? For all I knew your crotch was smooth as a Ken doll and you mated with a tentacle growing from your elbow! You always keep your arms covered. It's like you wear your clothes like bloody armour or something. Or you were maybe a girl under there. That was another thought."

The man gaped, opening and closing his mouth several times in a way quite reminiscent of a goldfish. His eyes were wide.

"Please – what – you -" Taking a moment, he pressed his lips together and spoke slowly. "Please tell me you didn't really consider that as a possibility." Rose smiled back blushingly.

"Well, I'd hoped I was wrong. Luckily I was! Human, male, bit bigger than average… Yeah, I was worried, but we're all good now."

"Just a bit bigger? Bigger than Mickey anyway. Surely? Rose?!"

She ignored him, repressing her giggle at his sudden dread – he truly had nothing to worry about in that department, as far as she was concerned. Instead of indulging his male inferiority complex, Rose continued through the mental checklist of questions which had just been answered.

"Great kisser – could always tell you would be. Not quite as rough as I'd imagined, but I think if I get you angry enough…"

The Doctor lifted his eyes from where they'd been worriedly focusing, still focused on the issue of his male pride. He cocked an eyebrow. "Imagined, Rose Tyler?"

Rose flushed slightly at the recollection of lonely nights on the TARDIS when her imagination had gotten a little out of hand. Her dark, silent bedroom – her own damned fantasies getting the better of her again – the outcome of being a stupid ape with no real control over her hormones… In front of her, the Doctor's mouth had risen slightly in a smirk – the bugger was smug about something. It took her several moments of enjoying the sensation of him running his fingers through the hair at her temple to realise he'd been able to see what she'd been thinking. Scandalised, she wriggled away a few inches and smacked him painfully on the arm.

"You're such a dirty old pervert sometimes!" she whispered, thoroughly dismayed. The Doctor wasn't abashed.

"What, you think I didn't do my fair share? All that flirting and tension and nothing happening?"

"I thought it was against Time Lord pride or something!"

"I couldn't do it with you, but I could certainly… Well, do I really need to explain? Whichever way you look at it, we're both filthy." He smiled enigmatically at her, and then dropped a scorching, languorous kiss to her eager lips. "Anyway, Tyler, it's time you hopped it to the other room. Allons-y!"


Right on cue, Tony came careering in the door of the second guest bedroom and leapt with catlike agility onto the bed Rose now occupied. Glancing at the clock, it read five fifteen - she'd managed to cadge an extra half hour of sleep before what promised to be a very long, tiring day. She already had an exhaustion headache beginning, and her muscles ached from the exertion of the previous night. She knew they'd been quiet – quieter than she'd ever been before. Most of this was down to his amazing talented telepathic mind; all sound had been stolen from them. Despite this, she was on edge as she hugged her little brother, fearful he might have heard something he shouldn't have. It was a huge house and the bedrooms were wide apart, but still… In spite of her worries, nothing seemed to be amiss and she clambered out of bed, staggering after her little brother as he tugged her roughly by the hand to wake their parents.

Jackie and Pete were reluctant to be roused so painfully early, but indulged their child and rolled wearily from their bed, throwing on dressing gowns and mentally steeling themselves – Christmas Day was always never ending as a parent. The little family trooped along the corridor towards the main staircase, stopping only when Tony demanded they wake the Doctor too – as far as he was concerned, the adults coffee could wait. Throwing open the door, the child woke the half Time Lord in the same manner as he had his sister, bouncing on his bed and shouting excitedly in his ear. Much to Rose's relief, the Doctor had remembered to throw back on the t-shirt he'd been wearing the night before, thankfully covering the evidence of her slightly vindictive pleasure. He connected his gaze with hers for a fleeting moment, and she felt a frisson of delight tingle its way up her spine.

Soon they were all crowded around in the cosy living room, a real log fire roaring in the grate (saved only for Christmas day, as Pete didn't agree with cutting down trees) and mugs of steaming coffee and tea scattered on the coffee table. Tony fell upon his presents like a starving man upon food, finding each one with his name on and placing it on the neat stack he'd created in the middle of the floor. Soon he had a pile almost as tall as himself and he fell to the thrilling task of opening them. Ever the methodical child (where he'd picked that up no-one could tell – certainly not a normal Tyler trait) he eased the sticky tape from the wrapping paper and then folded each sheet, squealing with sheer joy at every gift. He was especially pleased with the final gift he opened – the present the Doctor had bought him, which was his very own little blue suit, complete with rust coloured pinstripes. Jackie emitted a confused sound as she took in the gift, while Pete laughed.

"I told the Doctor that Tony was hankering after his own suit and he wanted one like his. Looks like you took the hint!" he chuckled, helping Tony slide his tiny arms into his tiny suit jacket.

"Do my hair like yours?" the little boy pleaded, pattering over to the Doctor with wide, eager eyes. The man laughed and drew the child onto his lap with an easiness that surprised himself.

"Alright, Tony Tyler. Sit still, now."

Rose watched with soft eyes as he ruffled the child's hair, making the front stand on end as best he could without any hair gel. She knew the Doctor had had children in the past, and that he'd lost his whole family in the Time War, but seeing how well he dealt with her little brother gave her an achy feeling in her chest that she associated with broodiness. Realising her mother had caught her doting smile, the woman rearranged her face into a more neutral mask.

The next few hours passed in companionable conversation as everyone opened their gifts and sipped their beverages. Pete and the Doctor ended up on the floor with Tony helping him to contrast a toy race track, pretending they had no interest whatsoever in playing with it themselves (although they really did). Jackie rose from her chair and plopped down on the Doctor's vacated seat next to Rose and waggled her eyebrows expectantly. The younger woman looked back at her over the lip of her mug.

"What's that look for?"

Jackie tucked her feet underneath herself and leaned closer to her daughter, speaking in low, confidential tones.

"You were in his majesties' room at nearly midnight last night," she stated, her tired eyes blinking rapidly. Rose tilted her head, feigning innocence.

"So?"

"So what were you doing? I heard you laughing on my way to the loo!"

"Talking about where we're gonna go when the TARDIS is grown, that's all. Stop being so nosey," she laughed, nudging her mother's pyjama clad shoulder. Jackie snorted.

"Yeah right. You could cut the sexual tension between you two with a knife. Go on, tell me! What's happened? Did you finally –"

"Mum, shut up. Nothing's happened, alright? We're just friends."

"Don't give me that, Rose! Right from the start since the skinny arse regenerated you've been giving each other eyes all the bleedin' time. I know you fancied the one with the leather jacket and the ears but this one loves you. Loves you enough that he left you a version of himself that you could grow old with. Why can't you two just get your act together?"

She watched for any flicker of emotion in her daughter, but Rose was firmly keeping her own counsel. She did seem a little different – less melancholy than she had been for an immeasurably long time, certainly. Jackie grasper her hand tightly, and Rose felt regretful that the nature of the situation necessitated the little lie to the woman who'd been her rock for so long.

"Look, mum. We're just working through things, okay? The Doctor said that this version of him is the same as when I met him – dangerous. I helped him through that by being his friend, and that's what I'm doing again. He's getting better. If it's going to happen, it will. I promise you'll be the first to know, okay?"

Reluctantly, Jackie nodded and leaned forward to envelop her daughter in a tight embrace. As she pulled away, something peeking from beneath the neck of Rose's pyjama top caught her eye. Following her mother's gaze, Rose looked down and gawked momentarily before collecting herself.

"Bruise."

"Right."

"Been there a few days."

"Uh-uh."

"Doc – John – Handy? Are we going to go and visit the TARDIS today? I hate to think of her alone on Christmas!" Rose questioned shrilly, sliding onto the floor and crawling over to the boys who were now crooning over the inner working of a remote controlled car. The Doctor looked up with his face scrunched, indignant at the insulting nickname. As he opened his mouth to retort, Rose tilted her head just enough for him to see the offending mark he'd left on her neck – she'd kill him for this. Feeling Jackie's eagle eyed scrutiny and Rose's irritation, he backpedalled on what he was going to say.

"Oh yes! I need to check how the gyroscopic stabiliser molecules and atom accelerator are doing. Might have a look at the inertial dampers and read her a chapter of 'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe' too – brilliant book, just brilliant! Bit weird in this world, now that the White Witch is actually a man but - anyway. Yes. TARDIS. Right. Shall we?"

Grinning widely in mild panic, he unfolded himself from the floor and twitched his hand towards Rose before remembering she wouldn't be able to hold it while they kept up this pretence. Pete glanced at the clock – eight thirty.

"Rose, just flash your badge at the cameras and use the retina scanner and you'll get in no bother. See you later, don't be too long."

Heads down, the pair dashed from the room, Jackie's eyes narrowing as she watched.

In the corridor, they collapsed into a fit of chuckles like kids caught snogging behind the bike sheds at school. Taking the proffered hand, Rose walked with the Doctor up the stairs. Before they parted, he sighed deeply.

"I hate lying."

"We're not lying, really. Just… keeping it quiet. Now, let's go see the TARDIS. See you in ten."

With a fleeting kiss, she had released him and was gone.