A/N: Look ma, no cliffhanger!

Let me state right off the bat here that I know .. I know that the Doctor is perhaps a little on the totally sappy side here. I couldn't help it. I am so horrendously bad at writing anything romantic and sappy that I do tend to mess things up. I apologise, I do. I suppose I could try to force myself into watching a romantic comedy to learn what romance is all about, but to be honest - I'd much rather gauge my eyeballs out of my head than do that to myself...

I'm not a romantic, and never will be. I get too uncomfortable with the concept, really.

Anyway. THANKS for the amazing response I'm receiving. You guys really do give a girl some serious writing inspiration... I've missed this!

~~oooOOOooo~~

"Rose Tyler. Will you do me the honour of becoming my wife and bonded partner?"

She frowned lightly at his question, more in stunned confusion than anything else. "What did you just say?"

The Doctor tipped his head to one side and knitted his brows together as he watched her face tighten into what he guessed was an uncomfortable expression. "Perhaps this is bad timing for you, Rose. Never mind." He dropped his gaze to Gallifrey and plastered on an obviously fake smile. "Come, Gal. Let's go see how your uncle is faring in his game against the guards."

Gallifrey shook his head at his father and looked up to his mother. He noted that she still looked toward the Doctor with a stunned expression and so he gave her a little hip bump to coax her attention toward him. "Mum?"

Rose shook herself and then dropped a wide-eyed look down to her child. "Yeah. Yeah, Gal. Sorry, zoned out there for a mo'."

"And once again the morning monster strikes down my beloved mother," he moaned with a roll of his eyes. "Someone get the lady a tea."

She bumped him back with her hip. "Someone get the lady a little boy who isn't a smart-mouth." She looked up to an amused exhale from the Doctor and offered him a smile. "I'm sorry, Doctor. You don't know this yet, but I am only really semi-conscious when I get out of bed in the morning. I half hear things, I can hallucinate, I sometimes think that I'm still dreaming."

"And do you think you're dreaming now," he asked hesitantly.

"I have to be," she admitted softly. "I mean…" She opened up a wide smile and made an exaggerated show of looking around her. "I'm here: on the TARDIS. Safe. I have my beautiful son at my side and the love of my life…" She took his hand in hers and tenderly weaved her fingers through his. "Well, the fourth version of the love of my life standing in front of me asking if I want to be his wife."

The Doctor cleared his throat and gently shifted his fingers to stroke against hers. "And this fourth version of the man you love – is he worthy enough in your eyes to be the man to swear an oath of a permanent union with you?"

Rose looked down at Gallifrey and asked with only a look if he'd give her and the Doctor a moment. Gallifrey immediately pulled away, but not before rolling up onto his toes to kiss his mother's cheek. "I'll be in the rec room with Uncle Brax, Mum."

"Thanks, baby."

He stroked a little hand down her face, gave her a wink, and then spun on his heel and walked back into the rec room. Rose watched as he disappeared and then inhaled a deep breath through her mouth as she passed her gaze toward the Doctor.

"Can we find somewhere more comfortable for this?"

He scratched awkwardly at his hair and then let his hand fall to cup at the back of his neck. "There are plenty of comfortable places on this beautiful ship. However, being that the concept of comfort really does differ between individuals, and that I am able to find my own comfort in just about any room and on any piece of furniture in the TARDIS, I'll leave the decision to you."

Rose nodded. "Does the TARDIS yet have the comfy loveseat in the library; you know, the blue one with the memory foam cushions that are just perfect for snuggling?"

The Doctor swallowed thickly. His voice came out as a croak when he answered. "Yeah. I think the old girl can make that available."

"Library it is, then," Rose decided with a tongue-touched smile as she tugged on his hand. "And if the TARDIS has a cup of tea waiting for me when we get there – white with two if you please – then I'll marry the both of you."

The Doctor couldn't help but break into a grin that was as much relieved as it was thrilled that Rose seemed receptive to the idea of marriage. "So is that a yes?"

"That is a: we need to discuss some things first, Doctor," she answered quietly as she stepped in close to lean against his side as they walked. "I don't want to destroy our timelines and invite the reapers again because I decided to go with my heart over my head."

"Something tells me that's a story I want to hear," he ventured with a smirk. "I do so love to hear tales of adventures involving Time's creepy looking cleaning crew."

Rose shuddered against him. "I didn't know you were into horror stories."

That made him chuckle. "There are parts of my life that are nothing but horror stories, Rose."

"And don't I know it," she replied with a sigh as they walked through the door to the library. "You and me – we've walked through many nightmares and horror stories together."

They entered the library and Rose smiled fondly at the blue loveseat in front of a fireplace with a pair of steaming hot cups of tea, a full teapot and a tray of scones. She petted the door frame. "You have no idea just how much I love you, old girl. You spoil me rotten."

The Doctor leaned down to brush his lips against her ear and smiled as she shuddered. "She loves you too."

"I know." Rose gave him a wink and strode away from him to flop into a seat. She quickly petted the cushion next to her in invitation for him to join her. "Come. Sit. Let's talk."

The Doctor cautiously complied with her request, wary about how this conversation would end. Any doubts he may have had were quickly diminished, however, as he immediately found himself under the passionate onslaught of Rose Tyler. She moved upon him with almost inhuman fluidity as she straddled one of his thighs and covered his mouth with hers. The Doctor's arms flailed unsurely, although he made no attempt to push her away. He welcomed her warmth against his mouth and the feeling of her knees holding tightly at his thigh, but was unsure about just how welcome his suddenly burgeoning arousal would be to her.

Rose's hands tugged at his vest and shirt as her head shifted to find the perfect tilt against his, and when her fingertips found the hem of his shirt and brushed at the skin of his belly, the Doctor writhed slightly and inhaled a long gasp.

It was a gasp that Rose quickly took advantage of. She allowed him just enough time to breathe out her name before she was upon him again. Her mouth crushed almost bruisingly against his with a seal so tight that both of them were forced to wetly inhale and then exhale each breath they took through their crushed noses.

The Doctor's arms finally found their place as they snapped down around her waist. Strong forearms crossed each other as they locked tight to pull Rose against his chest in a possessive and desperate manner. He was unable to hold back his growl as her knee pressed against his arousal, nor was he able to control the tightening of his arms around her waist and the aggressive, possessive deepening of their kiss.

As he pulled her tighter against him and lifted her to coax a full straddling of both his thighs, Rose broke from his kiss. She shook her head when his lips pursed in search of hers and pressed her finger against his lips. Her breaths puffed out a panted pattern as she fought to tamp down her own arousal.

"You and him," she panted with a swallow. "You are definitely the same man."

His chest heaved as he calmed his own need. "Is that what that was all about?"

Rose bit at her lip and shook her head. She didn't dismount from her position atop his thighs, instead she allowed herself the moment to enjoy the long missed familiar feeling of him pressed in between her thighs.

The Doctor smiled at both her unwillingness to climb off him and of her slight and experimental rise and fall on his lap. "You've really missed me, haven't you?"

At the waggle of his brows, Rose found her willingness to shift off him. She rolled her eyes and gave him the slightest slap against his shoulder as she slid off his lap and dropped onto the cushion beside him. "Yes. Definitely the same man."

"Of course we are." He tucked a stubborn strand of her hair behind her ear and let his fingertip drag along her cheek. "We might change the outer package and get a few new quirks in our personality, but deep down we are all the same man. Same primal instinct, same wants and needs, same memories…"

"Same caveman possessiveness." She punched at her chest and puffed out a pair of ape sounds.

He had to laugh at that. "Oh. Yes. The territorial possessiveness when taking a lover. That can be attributed to the instinct of the Gallifreyan male moreso than a personality trait of your Doctor." He poked at her sternum. "The Gallifreyan people did not evolve from apes, so I must ask that you don't make that sort of association again." He frowned and contorted his expression into a disgusted grimace. "It's rather insulting to be honest."

"Why," she teased. "Is there something wrong with apes and their descendants?"

"I'm not falling into that trap, so don't try it."

Rose turned sideways in the chair and leaned her head against her fist. She regarded this Doctor, with his clothing and hair disheveled, with a smile of pure adoration. "I love you."

He turned in his seat to adopt a position that mirrored hers almost exactly. "So is that a yes, then?"

Rose stretched a smile across her cheeks. Her gaze was soft and her breaths calm and quiet. She cleared her throat as she shifted her arms forward to take his hand in hers, and lightly toyed with his fingers. "Can I ask you a few questions first?"

He kept his gaze on hers and nodded. "You're looking for answers on regeneration and the, well, the rules of engagement."

"Oh please pardon the pun."

The Doctor grinned and wriggled lightly in place in amusement at himself. "Never waste a good pun, Rose Tyler. Always take its hand and run with it."

"You're a proponent of sarcasm too, yeah?"

"Oh, sarcasm is marvellous when used correctly," he stated with a widening smile. "In the right context, with an appropriate tone of voice and carefully chosen words, why it can be the most perfect response in any situation." He winked. "And when you choose phrasing that your intended audience might not immediately understand, then sarcasm can effect greater defeats than any man made weapon."

"I suppose this means that I'll be listening very carefully," she warned. "And just remember I have my own little Time Lord who can decipher and quick wittedly cut you down if you dare try it on me."

"I've no doubt you are a worthy adversary even without Gallifrey at your flank."

"You have no idea."

He shifted the seat of his temple against his fist. "Have you considered my proposal?"

"I've thought about that possibility every day since you wore leather and denim and were all gruffy and sexy." Her fingers stopped toying with his and she clasped his hand tightly. "I want to be your wife, Doctor. I do. I want nothing else in the entire universe than to pledge myself to you for all eternity."

"I'm here and I'm asking, Rose," he implored softly. "What's holding you back?"

"Him," she admitted. "And the fairness of it all." She frowned. "I mean. I know you're the same man and all, but there are just so many things that…" She raked her fingers through her hair. "So many things to wrap my head around."

He let his eyes fall to where their hands were joined. "I understand your confusion, Rose. I do." He looked back up to her. "So share with me your concerns and let me abate your fears."

Rose swallowed as she nodded her head. "First thing first. Will you and me getting married collapse the fabric of time and space?"

His brows shot high at that question. "Well. No."

"I mean. Am I supposed to tie myself to him and him only? I've only just met this you, and you're the younger you, and if I married the younger you then how is it that the older you didn't know me when you met me?"

The Doctor pursed his lips and thought about her question for a moment. "Are you absolutely sure that I didn't know you when you first met me?"

"You understood what I just said?"

He looked slightly affronted by the question. "Of course I did. It was quite the rudimentary query, actually."

She sighed and slouched just slightly. "Of course it is."

"For a Time Lord to hear, anyhow," he amended. "Time travelling and regenerations, well, the Time Lords are the sole proprietors of such, and so we've heard them all. And trust me, Rose. I've heard some real doozies."

"I'm sure you have."

He winked as he saw her smile. "Now to answer your question, which has to be done in parts I'm afraid. There are two immediate options that come to mind. Either I made myself forget this, forget us, and forget everything we ever meant to each other…" He inhaled. "Or I simply pretended not to know you."

She looked pained and clutched tighter at his hand. "Could you really make yourself forget, Doctor?"

"I could," he offered. "Simple to do, really. A little telepathic and mental jiggery pokery to lock it all up tight in my head, and you're all gone from my conscious memory."

Her head dropped forward to shield her face with a curtain of hair. "Oh."

The Doctor quickly leaned forward to slide both his hands underneath her hair to cup her cheeks. With gentle pressure he lifted her face upwards. He dipped his head to offer her his most honest expression. "But that doesn't mean that I would do it," he assured her. "To be honest with you, I don't think I could bring myself to do it." He smiled as his eyes traced her face. "How can I give this up, Rose? You and Gallifrey are the greatest encouragement I have to keep going, to follow this path I've taken and to not give up."

"Just for saying that alone I should marry you."

"The offer's still there, Rose."

"But is it cheating?"

He frowned. "I don't understand the question."

"Am I cheating on him by being with you?"

"He and I are the same man, Rose," he answered somewhat condescendingly. "Infidelity would be you sleeping with my brother or anyone other than any one of the thirteen faces I'll wear throughout my existence. Make love with me, my fifth self, my first self, or my tenth – it's not cheating on me to do it."

"Oh," she breathed on a long breath. "I'll bet there is a clause in there somewhere…"

"If I need you, I need you, Rose. None of my incarnations would ever deny myself the love of my wife if I need you."

Rose chuckled. "You haven't met your ninth self yet…"

He joined her on her chuckle and shuffled slightly closer to her. "Rose. My Tenth self. He's a fully bonded Time Lord."

"Which means?"

"He's married," he clarified. "Not only married, but permanently telepathically bonded to his wife."

She winced, but nodded. "Yes. I know he's married. Or at least he was married." She raised her eyes to his. "He told me he had a wife on Gallifrey, and that he was a father."

"He what?"

Rose looked a little chagrined. "Oh. I guess that hasn't happened for you yet. I'm sorry. I probably shouldn't have said anything. Ignore me."

His brows dropped low and knitted together tightly. "I will never ignore you, Rose." He exhaled and ran a hand down his face. "I can't believe it. If I'm bonded in marriage – and believe me when I tell you that I will never take myself a bride without fulfilling the ceremony in its whole – then making love and conceiving a child with you would be impossible."

"But you eat impossible for lunch, so…"

"No, it's absolutely impossible," he declared quickly on a breath more a huff than an exhale. "A telepathic bond makes it physically impossible."

"Guess not, yeah."

He shot her a desperate look. "Did I happen to mention to you what my wife's name is?"

"Oh," she breathed with a shake of her head. "I can't tell you that. I can't influence your future by…"

"Tell me, please." He clutched her hands tightly in his. "I need to know."

"Arkytior," she answered quickly. "Her name was, or is, or will be, Arkytior. It's the same name as your…"

"As Susan," he finished gently. "As my precious Susan. My very first companion on board the TARDIS"

"Your grand daughter," Rose clarified.

"Susan wasn't my grand daughter," he admitted softly. "At least not genetically. I found her wandering the streets of Arcadia. The poor child thought that I was her Grandfather reborn in the loom and became very attached to me. I suppose that I did also, and in much shorter time than I'd ever admit to anyone." He lowered his head in remembrance. "When I met Susan I was a crochety and tetchy old man. She changed me, made me a better man."

"I wish I could thank her."

"Anyway," the Doctor continued quickly. "Her Gallifreyan name was Arkytior, which is High Gallifreyan for…" He took a breath and paused to make sure that she was looking at him. "For Rose."

Rose coughed breathlessly. "What?"

The Doctor smiled as he shifted his eyes from hers and looked downward to go through everything in his mind. "I never let myself forget any of this," he said finally. "I remembered it all."

"I'm not following you," she said softly.

"Oh," the Doctor moaned along a ragged breath. He rose quickly to a stand and covered his chin in his hand as he began to stalk. "I am very clever."

Rose snorted and dropped her temple onto her fist to watch him as he paced. "Yes. You're definitely the same man."

The Doctor didn't appear to hear her. "That's the reason that he sought me out specifically. That's why he was so insistent that I step in and help." He turned to look at Rose. "Because he's already lived this and he knows the outcome."

Rose sat up straight on the chair. "What do you mean? Are you saying that he knows that I fall in love with you?" Her hand flew to cover her mouth. "That I betrayed him?"

"It's not betrayal," he reassured her quickly. "This was inevitability. The closure of a causal loop."

Her face creased in confusion. "What?"

The Doctor ceased his pacing long enough to turn and offer her a victorious and toothy grin that stretched clear across his cheeks. "My dear Rose. Don't you see? This is how it is all supposed to be, how my life was meant to go." He dropped to his knees on the floor in front of her and slid his hands along her jaw to settle them on her cheeks. "He had to put us together here and now in order to make sure that the two of you would find each other again when our timelines came together."

Rose exhaled a breath and tilted her head against his hand. "So you're telling me that this has happened, and will always happen?"

He nodded. "I went back on my own timeline to reach out to me, to give myself a gift that is going to be very important to me." He stroked his thumbs along her cheeks. "Obviously there's something coming; something that is going to test my resolve and probably make me question my entire existence and purpose in this universe."

Rose blinked over wet eyes and nodded. "Yes, Doctor."

"And by knowing that I have you and little Gallifrey at the end of it all, then I know it's not all for naught. I have a reason to push through whatever's coming my way. That I'm going to survive and become stronger – for the two of you."

"I'm always gonna be there for you, Doctor," she vowed passionately as she clutched at his wrists. "Forever. I promised you forever, and I mean it."

"Then marry me, Rose," he implored with a gentle voice. "Let me take you and our son to Gallifrey, to my home. We can wed along the banks of the majestic Cadonflood River under a canopy of silver Cadonwood trees surrounded by a field swirling with the aroma of the schlenk blossoms." He stroked at her hair and looked at the curls of blonde hooked behind her ear. "You could wear one here, a blossom, behind your ear like my mother used to when I was a young child." His eyes shifted back to hers. "Give me the promise that you're always going to be there with me, in my peripheral vision, just waiting until we reunite again – me in my Tenth form…"

"Ninth," she corrected softly. "I met you in your Ninth incarnation."

He smiled. "The younger and more innocent you, yes. But you – this you - you return to me as my wife and the mother of my child when I'm in my Tenth incarnation. You come home to me after all of this is over, and when I need you the most."

"Oh, Doctor."

He rose up on his knees to press a tender kiss to her mouth. "Say yes, my Rose. Give me the honour to pledge myself to you for all of eternity. Be that light in my darkness ahead."

"Something tells me that yes or no, you're still making that pledge."

He gave her a wink. "I believe I already have."

"Then yes," she breathed as she captured his lips in a gentle and chaste kiss. "Yes, Doctor. Let's do it."

His thumbs stroked a slower and more deliberate caress of her cheekbones. "I'll have Brax make the arrangements," he said on a quiet and reverent breath. "And by sundown on Gallifrey we'll be permanently bonded in marriage."

Rose let her fingers toy with his hair as she licked at her lip and gave him a coy, yet seductive look. "How long until sundown on Gallifrey?"

"Nine hours, thirty three minutes and fifty two seconds." He cleared his throat. "Is that too soon?"

Rose bit at her lips and shook her head. Her hands fell to toy with the collar of his shirt. "No. That gives us just enough time."

"Just enough time for what?"

Her lips stretched out into a wide smile. "I imagine we're going to have a completely Gallifreyan ceremony, yeah?" She watched as he nodded and tugged on his shirtfront to pull him toward her. "Well. There's a little Earth custom that I want to make sure that we observe first – one synonymous with a romantic engagement. I hope you don't mind."

"Ahh yes," he purred when he saw the hooded and darkening of her eyes. "Well. If it's your custom, then how can I possibly deny you that?" His voice lowered into a growl as he hauled her up against him. "I'll never deny you anything you'll ever want."

"Come here, then, Doctor."

He looked toward the library doorway as the door swung shut with a resounding slam. "Make sure we have no interruptions," he warned his ship along a dark and dangerous voice. "I don't care who's looking for us, we aren't to be found."

"Oh yes," Rose purred as he tugged her shirt up over her head. "You're definitely the same man."