AN: I really find it easy to write this story. No, really I'm being serious. That used to belong to my Any Questions story but now it's turned into a close second on enjoyment writing scale...what the hell am I talking about? Enjoymetn writing scale...I've finally lost it. It's official. lol...Ok, so thanks to everyone who still reading/enjoying/reviewing/giving me large amounts of money...oh wait that last one was a dream. lol...ok then, on with the story...

Chapter Twelve

By the time they had arrived at the hotel it had almost gone dark. The party was beginning in less than two hours and the guests were already piling in from across the planets. And this was making the Doctor worry ever so slightly because of the small chance - the very small chance - that there wasn't any rooms left.

Maybe he should have booked the hotel earlier, he wondered. Maybe his spur of the moment actions weren't always the best course of action. He didn't want to have to look around hotels, desperately trying to find a room near to the party whilst carrying a load of surprisingly heavy bags around. Who knew clothes could be so heavy?

"I can't believe they sell black converse here." Rose said as they made their way into the lobby of the hotel. The Doctor nodded to the doorman as Rose gave a shy smile, "You'd think on an alien planet that they'd have their own brands of shoes."

"It's a strange universe Rose." He smiled, "A strange and wonderful converse-loving universe."

"Well, at least black converse are better than those ones you're wearing."

He looked past the handful of bags he was holding and pouted at her remark. His shoes weren't that bad, "What's wrong with these ones?"

She joined him as she stared at his feet and laughed lightly, "Doctor I can your toes through them. You really should start wearing socks sometimes."

"This coming from the woman who bought a pair medi-shoes because the heels you bought only hours before had damaged your feet so much that I had to carry you to a shoe store whilst holding a large number of bags full of clothes you had already bought."

"And your suit."

"And my suit!" He frowned, "How are your feet by the way?"

"Much better. Thanks for carrying me to a shoe store so I could buy absolutely brilliant shoes that heal your feet as you walk."

His frown lightened and he mumbled, "You're welcome."

It had been very hard to carry both Rose and those bags at the same time, but he had to do it. She really had been in pain. He did warn her about those heels. They were a killer. Not that he had ever wore them but still.

He was the one who got her to the shoes that sold medi-shoes. They were useful things. He remembered buying them once after piranhas tried to eat off the bottoms of his feet. They didn't get far but it was a nasty looking flesh wound. It looked much worse than it was but still...

At least she hadn't bought the shoes that tried to murder you. Unsurprisingly they didn't sell much after people found out that you couldn't buy them for other people. Although why buy murdering shoes? Why make murdering shoes? Were they really murder shoes if they didn't murder other people? Who knew?

"No really, thank you." She looked up sincerely at him and he found himself suddenly feeling something unusual. It was a feeling he wasn't used to. He couldn't put his name to it, but no matter what it was called it was a nice feeling. She smiled at him and the feeling rose. She leaned forward and gave him a kiss on the cheek, "You're my hero."

The feeling disappeared, now replaced by a new one. A familiar one. He really needed to stop doing heroic things like carrying girl who were in love with them. It might help his ego but it did nothing to stop their ever-growing adoration of him.

"Uh," he stuttered, a red blush rising from his cheek, "It was nothing."

He walked on, making his way as quickly as possible towards the check in desk. The lady looked up and smiled at him politely. It was a smile reserved for every person she met at that desk. It was a false smile, but he smiled back genuinely in return. It was, after all, only polite.

"Hello sir, madam, how can I help you?"

"We'd like a room."

"Sharing?"

"No." He shook his head, "Two rooms. Next to each other, if possible."

She typed into her computer, the keys rattling slightly as her fingers grazed over them. She frowned a false frown, meant for her job only, "Oh..." Her face scrunched up, "We appear to only have the penthouse available."

The Doctor scratched the back of his head, his hand still clad in bags of clothes, "Right..." He coughed, looking over at Rose who was reading a brochure on the festival. She obviously wasn't paying attention, "Well, does it have two beds?"

She looked at her screen, "No."

"A couch perhaps?"

She turned towards her screen once more and gave him a small smile, "Yes there is a couch."

"We'll take it." He handed over his credit chip, glad that his sonic screwdriver could easily work its magic in getting him money wherever he was. It was all for Rose's benefit. He would show her a great time whilst showing her he was bad company therefore bad boyfriend and husband material. And then she'd fall out of love with him. A very simple plan, "How big is the couch?"

She looked at the screen, "It doesn't say."

"It's not one of those couches where if you try to sit on it, you have to hold on for dear life otherwise you'll fall off of it."

She laughed - a real laugh he thought - and shook her head, "No. Although I do know those couches. Have you ever seen a more pointless creation?"

"Murder shoes." he suggested.

She smiled, the corners of her mouth turning upwards as she tried not to laugh, "I know them. I had a friend who bought them thinking they were the pheromone shoes and he had to beat it with a stick to stop it from trying to eat his feet."

"Really?" He asked. She gave a small nod, "How'd he get rid of them?"

"He had to get his mom to come in and take them away."

"Oh, saved by the mother."

"Exactly." She turned towards the screen again, her professional smile returning, "Would you like a newspaper in the morning?"

"Sure."

"Which one?"

He shrugged, "Any."

She turned away and tapped a few keys on a small device. Suddenly two cards appeared from within it and she turned back, handing them to him, "Here is your key card for you and your..." she nodded towards Rose.

"Friend." He smiled, "That's Rose. I'm John. Doctor John Smith."

"I know."

"You do?"

"It says so on your credit chip."

He nodded, laughing at the fact he hadn't realised it, "Of course. Sorry."

"No need to apologize." She smiled, "I'm Abby and if you have any problems you can come directly to me. I hope you enjoy your stay."

"I hope I do."

"Would you like someone to take those bags from you?"

He looked down and then towards the teleport and shook his head, "Nah. I'll be fine. Thanks."

He flashed her a smile and turned towards Rose, "So ready to go to the room?"

"Sure." She held on to the brochure she was reading, "Who was that?"

"Who?"

"The girl at the desk."

"Her name's Abby."

Rose nodded, pulling a thread of the newly bought jacket she was now wearing, "Right."

He raised an eyebrow but neither of them said anything more and instead walked slowly towards the teleport pad. Rose stared at it with a small slice of doubt apparent in her eyes. The Doctor laughed, "Rose, it's fine. You just step on it and it takes you to your door."

"I just don't like them. They make me feel all funny."

"I know." He looked her in the eye, "It'll be fine. Trust me."

She took a breath and stepped on beside him, closing her eyes as the Doctor pushed a button. A tingly feeling overtook her and she felt as if she was covered in hands, all the fingers moving against her skin very lightly. She shivered. She really hated that feeling.

Someone touched her arm, a concerned face appeared as she opened her eyes, "Hello." he whispered.

"Hello."

"See here we are. Right as rain." He frowned, "You know what I've never understood." She shook her head as he placed the key card in, "The expression right as rain. How exactly is rain right? I mean when it first rained no one said, 'Oh look at that rain. I looks right.' Trust me, I should know. I was there. So how exactly is something as right as..."

The door opened and they both stood there in shock as they took in the room, "Oh my god." Rose whispered, "It's..."

"Big?"

"Yeah..." She gulped and turned to him, squealing, "Oh my god. This is brilliant!"

Before he knew it, she thrust her arms around him and squeezed him so much that he dropped the bags he had been holding for a least an hour in surprise. It felt good for them to be gone from his grip. He felt lighter. He spun her around and grinned as he pulled back.

"This is brilliant," she whispered, staring up at him, "Thank you."

He turned his head and looked at the room. It was a brilliant room, but it wasn't the best thing in the room. This made her happy. A simple room and that was what was brilliant, "Yeah, it's fine." He turned back towards her, looking into her eyes once more, "It's nothing. No big deal."

He gulped, his eyes moving to her lips. What would it be like to kiss them? He pulled back and moved to pick up the bags, "Let's check this place out." He smiled, ignoring her confused look, "The party's going to start soon anyway. We should get ready. I definitely need a shower after carrying these for hours."

"Ah, you've smelt worse."

"Really?" His eyebrows in surprise, "hold on, when have I smelt worse? I don't smell that bad, do I?"

"What about the time with the big green blob thing?"

He frowned, shuddering at the memory, "Don't remind me."

She turned and looked into the bedroom, "Oh my god..."

"What?" He joined her at his side, "Oh..."

He gulped. That wasn't good. No that was definitely not good.

"It's like...the honeymoon sweet or something. Maybe it's like those rooms where those really rich people try and seduce people in."

"It was the only room left," he protested. He didn't want Rose to think he was trying to seduce her. Quite the opposite in fact was his aim. He was trying to stop her wanting him to seduce her. This wasn't going very well. He looked at the room. The silk sheets, the red walls, and the rose petals on the bed...no this was definitely very bad.

He coughed, "Well, you can sleep here. I'm taking the couch. I'll just put the bags down here and I'll be taking a shower."

Rose nodded, trying not to laugh at the deep shade of crimson covering his cheeks. He looked so adorable when he was blushing and talking very fast.

He quickly ran out the room and headed to take his shower. He needed a plan. Maybe the diary would give him more answers...

--

He turned on the water, making sure the door was locked and took out the diary. He needed help, he needed answers, he needed clues…he needed something – anything – to help him get Rose to fall out of love with him. What did she like? What did she hate? What would annoy her? If he annoyed her then she wouldn't be in love with him anymore, would she? Or would it backfire and she'd grow to love those little traits she used to hate?

They said that happened to people in love. You accept them as they are, but that couldn't be true because…then he would be in love with Rose and that wasn't true. She accepted him for who he was, she didn't question what he did…sure she did wonder why he licked the walls sometimes but she didn't question it. She accepted him as who eh used to be and who he was now and he had done the same but that didn't mean he was in love with her. That just accepted each other as they were. Nothing more.

Maybe it was because they were best friends. You had to accept your best friend as who they are. You can't exactly change them…yes, that was it. He was in love with her but as a best friend.

He opened the diary. He really needed help. He was definitely into things analysing too much. He knew what his feelings were.

Rose was his friend. No she was his best friend and he liked her as that. There was noting else too it. Just because Rose was head over heels in love with him, well, he couldn't help that. He just needed to change it. It wasn't good for her to be head over heels in love with him. No it just wouldn't do.

He opened to a few pages after he had finished reading and glanced over a few parts until he finally reached a page decorated with a giant red heart. It drew his attention and he suddenly found himself reading the diary entry properly.

Dear Diary,

I met this guy today. My god, he was hot. Not like Doctor hot but my god did he have some muscles on him! Oh who knew 33rd century guys would look so damn…I mean it was like looking at the body of one of those perfect celebrities. And he was flirting with me.

The Doctor frowned. When had they met this person? He didn't remember meeting anyone in the 33rd century who was flirting with Rose. Why were they flirting with Rose? They weren't meant to be flirting with his companion. It just went against the rules of time travellers. Maybe he should write that on a sign and hold it behind them wherever they went, 'Don't flirt with the companion.' Where was he when this happened?

The Doctor wasn't there at the time. He was off getting some part for the Tardis or something.

Oh. That was where he was. Still it didn't give any guy from the 33rd century any right to flirt with Rose. He was looking out for her…as a friend, of course. Who knew what Jackie would say if she found that Rose was flirting with guys from the 33rd century. She'd probably blame him and he'd get slapped and it would all be very unpleasant.

You know I wonder how the Doctor would have acted if he had been there. It would have been a sight I would've paid to see. Imagine if they got in a fight. The Doctor would probably lose.

He wouldn't lose…he was stronger than he looked. Wait, why did she think he would lose?

I mean the Doctor's great and all but he's a bit scrawny and this guy – Ryan was his name – well, he was very very VERY muscled. And the Doctor isn't.

The Doctor looked down/ He was muscled. He was strong. He was not scrawny, was he? Rose wouldn't know he was muscled or not. She hadn't seen him without his shirt but he was a bit muscled. She just couldn't see it because of the suit. He wasn't scrawny though - Never scrawny. You don't run as fast as he could being scrawny.

The Doctor might even have run away…we're very good at running. Nah, he wouldn't run. The Doctor would just probably give him that look that makes you go weak in the knees and walk away calmly. Or Ryan would've beaten him up. I guess I'll never find out.

He wasn't scrawny…how could she think he'd be scrawny. He looked down at the diary with distain. He wasn't scrawny. Sighing he read a few more pages and found nothing interesting to help him in his fight against Rose falling in love with him.

He turned to the shower and undressed. He looked down at his stomach before getting in. He definitely wasn't scrawny. No, definitely not scrawny.

At least he hoped he wasn't.

To be continued...

AN: Ah, come on you had to like that ending to the chapter. Now you have to review seeing as I've just left you with the Doctor in the shower wondering if he is muscled or not. Come on, that's worth at least a few reviews. lol...yes, I'm shameless but still Doctor in the shower. Let's all take a moment to imagine...