The Doctor winced as he finally managed to close the Tardis doors, Jackie and Rose's shouting echoing from the other side. Apparently telling your companion that you and your wife needed a break from traveling with a companion, and thus revealing to your companion's mother that you even had a wife, was not a very good idea. He looked across the console room to see Aneres sitting in the captain's chair completely silent and motionless.
"Are you alright darling?" He whispered as he locked the door and approached her slowly. She didn't seem to hear him for a moment, her eyes still trained on the floor. After a rather long minute, she looked up to meet his gaze.
"Where are we going next?" Aneres asked softly. Her eyes were dull, her hair tangled, and her face streaked with mud and other such stains. The Doctor stopped in his tracks as he truly got a good look at her face.
"The only place we're going next is the bath to get you cleaned up," Aneres frowned in confusion before relaxing into the Doctor's arms as he once again scooped her up to carry her bridal style. She leaned into the crook of his shoulder, gently nuzzling the Doctor's neck while gently inhaling his scent.
By the time they had made it to the bathroom, Aneres had begun to feel rather drowsy and her eyes had fluttered shut. The Doctor found the sight rather endearing until he realized he needed to put her down in order to open the door to her bathroom. Thankfully, Sexy decided to be nice this time around and opened the door for him.
It didn't look much different from their bathroom back on Gallifrey and was complete with a long chaise as well as a soaking tub for her to relax in. Memories idly floated to his mind of nights spent in the bath with his Tether after their children had gone to sleep, her gentle body pliant under his gentle ministrations. He shook his head and returned to the task at hand; he slowly lowered to set her down on the chaise before getting to work on removing her clothing.
Aneres' eyes opened as she felt her shirt be pulled over her head. She jolted forward, covering her bra with both arms and staring her Tether down. "What are you doing?" Her voice came out as a shy whisper.
"I'm helping you get cleaned up, and I can't exactly do that while you're fully clothed," The Doctor replied, smiling up at her. He then realized why she was being so tentative and shy. "Aneres, I never want to be with anyone else besides you. I love that I am so intimately connected to you and I want to be able to do things like this, to take care of you."
His Tether blinked and then blinked again. Slowly, her arms came down so that she could take his hands in hers and clasp them tightly. "Do you mean that?" She asked, shaking slightly as the air chilled her exposed skin.
"Every single word my darling," He murmured, bringing her hands to his lips in order to press soft kisses to each one. His eyes opened to lock with hers, enjoying the sight of ever-familiar emeralds gazing back down at him. The both of them were so entranced, neither of them really registered the Doctor's hands removing the rest of Aneres' garments until his fingers reached the top of her jeans. They slowly stood up, giving him enough access to unbutton her jeans and start to pull them off.
The next time the two of them stood Aneres was bare to his eyes, and quite a delight for the Doctor to be blessed with. He tried to keep his head on straight though and decided to focus his attention on running the bath. First and foremost, he needed to get her cleaned up. The Doctor's eyes scanned over all of the products next to her bath and were finally able to find her body wash, which was apparently mint and sage scented, along with a soft washcloth after a few minutes.
"How warm is it?" Aneres asked, crossing her legs as she reseated herself on the couch. The Doctor dipped his fingers in the water for a moment before turning back to face her.
"Not too hot," He replied while he stood up. His hands extended to help her step into the bath, hands that she grasped tightly and pushed down on for support as her body trembled. Finally she was able to sit down in the tub, the water caressing her skin just enough to soak off some of the grime. The Doctor knelt again beside the tub and grabbed the washcloth.
"Can you do my hair first?" Her question gave him pause, but he smiled and reached across for her shampoo and conditioner.
"Of course," He squeezed some of the shampoo into his hands, "Lean back and get your hair wet." Aneres did as he asked, her curls swirling in the water while her head swayed from side to side. She then sat up and turned away from him so he had a better angle.
Neither of them said a word while the Doctor's fingers ran through her hair with an almost painful amount of tenderness as they spread rosemary scented lather through ebony ringlets. His nails lightly scratched at her scalp, dislodging more dirt and bringing a slight tingle of pleasure to Aneres. She leaned farther into his touch and relished every sensation until it was time to rinse out her hair.
"Lean back again," The Doctor dipped his hands in the water to rinse them off, "and then I can put in the conditioner."
Aneres nodded and relaxed back into the water with a happy sigh. The feeling of warm water surrounding her brought a sense of security and purity as it held her tightly and soaked out the rest of the suds in her hair. When she eventually sat up it felt as if a load of bricks had been removed from her shoulders and she could finally relax.
"Turn around again," The Doctor spread conditioner between his hands, "This might feel cold."
His warning was needed as the chill from the mint inside the product tingled across her scalp with an almost nipping cold. Her body shivered more as the water droplets coating her upper body cooled with every second exposed to the air above the tub. The Doctor quickly ran the rest of the product through her hair before rinsing his hands off and grabbing the washcloth from earlier.
"Close your eyes darling," Her eyes fluttered shut while the Doctor gently scrubbed her face clean, "Time to rinse." He gently poured some water from the pitcher over her face to reveal her milky white skin, stain free. Her eyes opened, blinking a couple times to dislodge some droplets from her eyelashes.
"Should I stand up?" Aneres asked, as the Doctor started putting body wash on the cloth. Her Tether nodded absentmindedly, completely absorbed in his task.
She hoisted herself into a standing position, water dripping from her fingertips and running down the rest of her skin in rivulets as gravity acted upon it. The Doctor stared up at her with adoration in his eyes, unable to make himself stand up for a few seconds. Finally, he cleared his throat and stood with the washcloth firmly in his grip.
"Turn around," Aneres did as he asked. She smiled slightly at the sound of the Doctor taking a deep breath before putting the washcloth on her right shoulder and beginning to scrub her clean.
Each stroke of the washcloth left her feeling better than the last, the repetitive motion grounding her in the moment and relaxing her still slightly tense muscles. She could hear the Doctor's breathing as well as a soft humming sound from the Tardis as it decided to pilot itself back into the Time Vortex and away from the Powell Estate. The Doctor moved the washcloth down her right arm and hand before coming back up and over to the left shoulder to repeat the same motions.
"Is it too rough?" His voice was a gentle whisper in the otherwise quiet bathroom. Aneres shook her head no and smiled while he continued to scrub her back and sides. He paused for a moment to grab the pitcher next to the tub, scooping up water with it to pour down her back and rinse off the suds. A pleased hum escaped her as the warmth cascaded down her back.
"That feels nice," She murmured. The Doctor leaned in and pressed a kiss to the stretch of skin between her neck and left shoulder.
"I'm glad." His mouth grazed her skin as he spoke, yet it pulled away as quickly as it had arrived. Aneres frowned in disappointment until his hands came up to her shoulder and slowly turned her back around to face him. Their eyes met and it was like staring into dark, smoldering embers for the Time Lady. Unending passion lingered just beneath the surface of the Doctor's irises, passion that Aneres wanted to cover herself in and relish for all eternity.
The Doctor, however, had more control than her and simply returned to gently cleaning her up, starting from the delicate skin of her neck. Aneres reached up to pull her hair back and give him better access, the feeling of the fabric gliding over her skin a pleasant one. Once her neck had been thoroughly cleaned, the cloth made its descent to her chest where it hovered just above her sternum.
"Can I…" Aneres smiled slightly and nodded in response to the Doctor's unfinished request, only to let her eyes flutter shut as the Doctor gently began scrubbing her breasts with firm strokes. Each passing second felt like an eon of pleasure all wrapped up with a bow of comfort that she would never give up, not for all the riches in the world.
Splash. Her eyes opened again as warm water removed the suds sliding down her chest and midriff. The Doctor smiled at her before going back to a kneeling position and bringing the washcloth to the top of her thighs. He returned to scrubbing her skin gently, his free hand holding her steady by resting in the small of her back. Every so often he would glance up at her face to make sure she was okay, but would quickly look back down at her legs and feet and attempt to avoid eye contact with… certain areas.
Eventually, the Doctor had cleaned off both of her legs and feet and stood up to give Aneres a gentle peck on the lips. She smiled slightly and passed him the pitcher.
"Rinse my hair off for me?" The Doctor nodded and took the pitcher from her, filled it from the faucet, and then poured it gently through her raven locks. He repeated that once more for good measure, and then helped her step out of the tub and onto a fuzzy bath mat. His eyes scanned the bathroom until they landed on a very fluffy yellow bath towel, which he immediately grabbed and started drying her off with.
"Did that help?" The Doctor asked softly as he bundled Aneres up into the towel, her body and hair fairly dry at that point. She nodded and took a step closer to rest her head on his chest.
"Thank you," She nuzzled his shirt as she spoke, her arms coming out to wrap around his middle and hug him tightly. He chuckled and hugged her back, his chin resting atop her freshly scented hair.
"Of course darling," His lips pressed another gentle kiss to her hair. The Doctor pulled away a few moments later. "Let's get you dressed and fed, alright?"
"Alright."
TEotOS
Aneres held the Doctor's hand and swung it idly between them as they walked up and down the many aisles of their massive closet. Finally they seemed to have found a loungewear or sleepwear sort of area filled to the brim with soft and comfy clothing, which Aneres started eagerly exploring. Her fingers ran over each article of clothing, trying to find the perfect thing to curl up in for a little while.
"How about this?" She turned to see the Doctor holding up a black velvet nightgown. Her nose crinkled slightly and she shook her head.
"Too dark. I'm thinking something cheery." Her Tether nodded and started hunting for pastel colors amongst the rows.
Aneres turned her attention back to the row in front of her, plucking items from the shelves every so often only to shake her head and put it back. Nothing was feeling quite right, quite cozy enough. She wanted to feel nice and bundled up for the evening.
"Is this a better option?" The Doctor asked, approaching with a baby blue, soft fleece top with a polar bear print and sweatpants of the same color. He watched as she turned around and walked over to inspect the material, rubbing it between her fingers and a little on her cheek.
"Much better, not sure that I like the polar bears though," Aneres said as she followed him back to where the other sets with that fabric were kept. She rifled through the reds and oranges, disliking every shade they had available, passed the yellows and greens, and then the blues, before arriving at the purples. Her eyes were immediately drawn to a light lavender colored set, with black polka dots adorning the fabric in a very nostalgic way.
"I like these," The Doctor murmured from behind her.
"Me too!" She whispered back excitedly before she grabbed the set and slipped into it. "It's so fluffy!"
The Doctor laughed at how fuzzy Aneres looked, almost like a little purple sheep eagerly bouncing in front of him.
"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself," He grabbed her hand and pulled her close to his side again, "And now it's time for food."
Aneres nodded and allowed the Doctor to lead her back to where their kitchen was, her stomach loudly encouraging her along the way.
TEotOS
The Doctor guided Aneres to a chair, only to chuckle as she hopped up onto the countertop next to where he usually prepared their meals.
"Do you want a cup of tea? It usually helps to keep you relaxed."
"Yes please," Aneres replied while she tucked her feet under herself. The cool countertop felt rather pleasant against the tops of her feet and caused her to wiggle around with a speck of glee.
The Doctor opened a drawer on the opposite side of the room and took out two boxes of tea, displaying them to his Tether.
"Herbal or black tea?" Aneres pointed at the box of black tea, "Any sugar or milk?"
"Two sugars, no milk please," She said gently while she watched him prepare her beverage. Her hands eagerly reached out and wrapped around the mug when the Doctor brought it over and her lips curled into a slightly larger smile.
"What do you want for dinner? We can do pasta, sandwiches, roasted meat and veg, anything you like." The Doctor rifled through the fridge as he spoke, taking note of any important ingredients that he could use.
"Sandwiches sound nice," Aneres replied while she sipped at her tea. He had managed to sweeten it perfectly she realized, the very thought spurring her on to take several more sips.
"Alrighty, what do you want in them?"
"Hmm, chicken and cucumber?"
"Let's see," objects loudly clattered in the fridge, "I have chicken, but no cucumber. Would lettuce be okay?"
"That sounds perfect." She watched as he pulled out all of the ingredients for her sandwich, as well as some turkey and mustard for his own. A few moments and several assemblies later, there was a platter of sandwiches sitting next to Aneres on the counter.
"Look okay?" The Doctor asked, leaning in to rub his nose against Aneres'. She giggled and pecked his own nose lightly.
"Positively scrummy. Can we eat in the library?" The comfy chairs and crackling fire in the hearth called to Aneres not unlike a siren's song. Her bottom lip stuck out in a slight pout while the Doctor pretended to ponder her request.
"Of course, I'll even read to you if you want me to," The Doctor offered while he grabbed the sandwiches and lead them from the kitchen. Aneres nodded, her lips back to a small smile as they traversed the hallways of the Tardis.
TEotOS
The two Gallifreyans plopped down on the leather couch right in front of the fireplace, relishing in the waves of heat that washed over their bodies. Not a word was spoken for a while as the both of them slowly ate their sandwiches and relaxed. Only the occasional crackle from the fireplace and their soft breathing was audible.
"What made you go back for Ricky?" The Doctor eventually asked, staring at Aneres as she ate the last bite of her last sandwich. She gave a soft hum before replying.
"He deserved a proper burial. What made you decide to leave Rose on Earth with her mum?"
"You and I needed some time alone. Why did he deserve it?"
"Maybe because he was someone who fought harder than anyone to keep his loved one safe? Maybe because he was murdered in an alleyway with no respect or honor given to him by his killers?" Aneres took a long sip of tea, "I'm not entirely sure myself, but it felt right."
The Doctor nodded slightly. He could comprehend those reasons, but one thing in particular still struck him as odd.
"How come you didn't come to Battersea? We could've kept each other safe."
"I trusted you to keep yourself safe," The Doctor gaped at her, "Oh don't look at me like that, we both know you're very capable of keeping yourself safe. You did it for over a century before you found me."
"Did you know that in the moment? Was that another reason why you decided to stay behind?"
"I couldn't recognize it in the moment, everything was blurry and distraught, but looking back I felt very secure with my decision so that must have been something my brain recognized in the background." Aneres took another sip of tea and stared into the writhing flames inside the hearth.
"Next time, please, tell me where you are instead of letting me worry," The Doctor requested, moving forward to pull her into his arms.
"Alright, I will," She whispered, leaning into his warm embrace.
The Doctor gently stroked her hair, watching as her eyes got heavier and eventually closed in sleep. He moved the mug in her hands to the table beside the sofa as well as the plate. Once all the obstacles were removed he slowly stood with her in his arms and walked out of the library towards their bedroom. It was time for them to get some well deserved sleep.
I know I said it was gonna take a while, but writing this was so fun and therapeutic that I just kept going until it was done. Oops. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, the next chapter coming up is The Idiot's Lantern! Rose might come back for that, she might not, I haven't decided but when I do it'll be another adventure that I'll enjoy writing! Thank you for reading, please leave a review for questions, comments, concerns, or you can send me a PM!
