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Chapter 4 - Singing Rose to Sleep

The Doctor and Pete returned to their room. The Doctor's head was spinning from the beer he and Pete had drunk. Pete fell across the sofa. The Doctor collapsed into a chair next to him.

Pete covered his eyes with his arm. "I don't know how you fit all of that shopping in your pockets. That's just strange."

The Doctor laughed as he rubbed his face. "Yeah, I'll unload it and put it on our suitcase later."

"That is also bigger on the inside, isn't it?" Pete asked.

"Yep. Makes traveling a whole lot easier." The Doctor told him.

Pete moaned, "Ugh. Drinking with a seasoned traveler."

The Doctor heard Rose in his head. 'I wish you had recorded yourself singing that lullaby before you left. I have that tune in my head.'

The Doctor smiled, 'Rose, do you need me to sing you a lullaby?'

He could feel Rose laughing. 'Would you? I miss you so much and I love to hear you sing. I mean, when you try.'

'Oi! I didn't hear any complaints when I sang karaoke the other night!'

'You are so full of shit. You were lip syncing. I knew it.'

He threw his hands in the air. "Damn it. Your daughter is good, Pete."

"I don't want to know." He chuckled.

'It's one in the morning there, Rose. Why aren't you sleeping?' he asked her as he rubbed his face.

'You know why. What time is it there?'

The Doctor rubbed his face and sighed, 'Ummmm…. Time here is different. It would be something like, 8:32 pm. The planet spins a bit slower. It's made me sea sick a bit. I'm used to Earth. And yes, I know that's strange.'

'How's Dad?'

'Drunk off his ass. Laying over here on the sofa. I imagine he will go to sleep in a few minutes.'

'I didn't mean that. Really, how is he?'

'I think he's fine. Seems to remember everything. He even confessed that he tricked me into becoming Director. If I wasn't so happy to hear him remember what happened, I would have probably punched him. How are things there?'

'Tony called and invited us to a movie premiere. I told him you were out of town and wouldn't be back for a few days. He asked if you would mind if I went with him and his date.'

He shrugged his shoulders. 'Nah, I don't mind. Go and have a good time. Wait! Is this a tux thing? Will people be in tuxs?'

Rose spoke in his head, 'No. People don't do that here for movie premieres. They always use the premieres to show off their new suits and dresses. Oh! All of your suits are here. Man, they are nice.'

He smiled, 'Fantastic. And Michelle never found out my leg was healed. She thinks I'm still healing up the long way round! Brilliant. About the movie premiere, take someone with you. Jack and Jake. Get yourself something that will make everyone jealous of what I have. Make everyone jealous of what I'm missing so badly.'

'I miss you. I would have already lost my mind had I not been able to talk to you like this and feel you in my mind. How far away are you right now?'

He shook his head, 'No. I'm not going to tell you that. It won't help you at all, Rose. Let me suffer in that knowledge alone.'

'Jake said to tell you that there was nothing new to report with the Time Weaver. He seems to be occupied with something else at the moment that's not important to you.'

'Everything is important. I want to know what this guy is up to. Tell Jake I said to keep a guy on him at all times.'

'Jake said to tell you that everyone is safe. Not to worry.'

'Is Jake there?' the Doctor asked.

'Yes. Him and Jack are in the sitting room.'

'At one in the morning?'

'They are having a camp-out with Tony and Genie. They have put up a real tent in the middle of the sitting room. They are mad.'

The Doctor smiled as he rubbed his face. 'I love it. Thank them for me. I thought you lot were leaving for Greece?'

'Not until the morning. Mum is sleeping here at the flat. I'll go to the movie premiere in New York tomorrow night.'

'Take Jake, Jack and Lewis. Maybe Sam, too.'

'I will. Stop worrying about this.' Rose fussed at him.

'Genie seems a bit better.'

'She's been helping me with something for you.'

He smiled in surprise. 'A surprise for me?'

'Yes. She is so excited about our private island. We had all of the pictures we took before you left printed. She went through all of the pictures tonight, showing them to mum. That day was so much fun. She wants to go back as soon as we can.'

'I want to go back as soon as we can. Spend the entire day, again. Let Genie, Tony and Zeus run as far as they can. They don't get to do that enough. It's important. How many pictures did you end up taking that day?'

'A lot! But, don't ask me anymore. It might ruin the surprise.'

He nodded his head. 'Alright. I'll be surprised. How did your watch class go today at Torchwood? Everyone okay with that?'

'Thomas was extremely helpful. Everyone understands that they won't be issued right away, but the primary class was very excited.'

He rubbed his face. 'Good. I have been really worried all day about you returning to Torchwood. I just don't like you in there.'

'I understand. But, Jake, Jack, Sam and Lewis stayed with me the entire time. These things need to be done. I'm being careful as I can.'

He laid his head back on the chair he sat in. 'Sweetheart. Where are you right now? What are you doing?'

'I'm lying back down in our bed. I had just walked into the sitting room to check on everyone.'

'Close your eyes. I want to try something.' He asked her.

She lay back on the pillows and tucked herself in. 'I'm wearing your shirt.'

'The red one? I love that shirt. It's so soft.' He smiled.

'Yes. Okay, eyes closed. What are you trying?'

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Rose smiled as wind blew her hair. She looked around and saw she was standing in a field with tall grass. The vineyard was nearby with the old stone cottage behind her. She pulled her hair behind her head and looked beside of her to see The Doctor standing there, smiling at her with his hands in his pockets.

"I love seeing the wind blow in your hair." He smiled at her.

"How are you doing this?" Rose laughed at him.

He shrugged his shoulders, "Just like I always did. I don't have to touch you anymore to send you projections. I don't know why I haven't thought of this before."

Rose walked over and put her hand up to his cheek, "Can I touch you?"

He cupped her face and kissed her. She could taste the beer he had been drinking earlier that night in his mouth. She ran her hands through his hair and pulled him closer to her. It was as if he was really there. He moaned as he kissed her and ran his hands down her body. He pulled her closer to himself. She could feel the bulge in his trousers. She ran her hands down his back and held him tightly.

He stopped kissing her and rubbed his nose with hers. "Oh, wow. I miss you so much."

She ran her hands to his trousers and palmed his bulge. "I can tell. I miss you."

He smiled, "So much for self control, huh?"

Rose giggled at him. "This is so real! I can even taste beer in your mouth."

He smiled at her, "The mind is powerful thing! I can taste spearmint toothpaste that you always use before you go to sleep. And tea. Had to have that last cup before you tucked in, right?"

Rose laughed at him. "You know me so well."

He shut his eyes tightly, and stepped back from her. "Rose, I won't tell you no. But, if we do this….it's only going to make it worse because it's not real. I'm not really here."

Rose grabbed the front of his shirt in both of her hands and pulled him back close to her. "Then just kiss me you daft alien."

He smiled like a loon at her, "As you wish."

He cupped her face again and continued to snog her. They held one another as tight as they could.

The Doctor lay his head on Rose's forehead. "Sweetheart, I can feel how tired you are. Have you slept at all since I've been gone?"

Rose looked up at him, "Not much. I just can't."

He kissed her forehead. "Are you comfortable? Laying in the bed there at the flat?"

Rose smiled at him. "Yes."

He smiled at her. "I'm going to let you go back there now. I'll sing to you until I feel you go to sleep. I'm with you, Rose. You're not alone. Neither of us will ever be alone, ever again. Alright?"

Tears began to roll down her cheeks. He noticed and wiped her tears. "Sweetheart, I'm coming home. I promise I'll come home as soon as I can. Please don't cry."

Rose looked down at her feet and put her hand on her face. "Just hold me. Just a bit more."

"Alright. I can do that." He told her as he held her close and kissed the top of her head. He softly sang the lullaby she had asked for. She smiled and held him. He encouraged her to lie down in the grass and put her head on his chest. He rubbed her back as he felt her drift off to sleep. He gently let the connection close.

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The Doctor rubbed his face as he sat up in the chair. Pete had fallen asleep on the sofa.

Shakes was closing the door to the suite. He looked at the Doctor and put his hands up. "Sorry, I tried to come in quietly. I didn't know you would be sleeping."

The Doctor shook his head, "No, I was just talking to Rose. Anyway. John?"

Shakes nodded his head as the Doctor walked over to join him. "John is on his way to another colony. I brought back some more men. Some of the guard on Earth will be anxious to hear that there were many survivors of the Cyber invasion on our planet! Many escaped to nearby colonies and settlements."

"Summus! That's great news! Is there anything I can do?" the Doctor asked.

Shakes shook his head. "No. The Cybermen were mostly defeated, but at a great cost of our people. Similar to when they invaded Earth."

The Doctor put his hands in his pockets and dropped his head. "Oh, Summus. I'm so sorry."

Shakes shook his head. "It is no one's fault. It is the way of the Universe. Someone has to be at war all of the time, it was just the Quauhtin's turn in the circle of war. They died with honor. "

"A coward dies a thousand times before his death, but the valiant taste of death but once. It seems to me most strange that men should dear, seeing that death, a necessary end, will come when it will come." The Doctor said.

Shakes nodded his head. "Exactly. Thank you for suggesting we go and see what had happened. How are things here?"

The Doctor glanced back at Pete who was still sleeping on the couch. "He had his last treatment today. I really think it worked. Seems completely fine. Even confessed some stuff to me that I ….. probably should hit him for."

Shakes laughed, "Sounds like everything is back to normal, then! What great news! Any luck with the Vortex Manipulator?"

The Doctor rocked on his feet with his hands in his pockets. "I went and got a part that might work tonight. I wonder if it's worth the trouble. It would be a lot safer to just arrange transport and catch a ride back to Earth. Use our watches to land at Torchwood. Malcolm and Tosh were working on a landing platform to focus the signal from space when we left. We would have a safe landing. We'd have to check, but I'm sure they are finished with it by now. We've been gone long enough."

Shakes raised his finger to make a point. "I have ten more Quauhtin ready to come to Earth and serve in our guard there. Granted, it's so some of the guard can return back into space and look for their families. We have a ship now. As soon as we are done here, we can just fly back. I'm going to have to take them there anyway. You and Pete just come with us. Space Traffic Control is going to need your permission for us to enter Earth's airspace anyway."

The Doctor smiled. "Oh, brilliant! Thank you, Summus! Yes! I would rather do that! What sort of ship did you get?"

Summus patted him on the back. "My own ship! I'm excited to show her to you! Come on down and let me show you! You can meet the other guys! I know you love that sort of thing."

"Oh, I'd love to! Just a bit!" The Doctor said.

The Doctor walked over to Pete and put his hand on his head and closed his eyes. "Hang on. I'm leaving a message where we are to Pete in case he wakes up before we get back."

Shakes smiled, "Sure!"

"Dim lights." The Doctor said as he put on his jacket and walked out of the door with Shakes. The lights in the room darkened.

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