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Chapter 6 - A Moment of Peace

The Doctor walked into his and Rose's suite onboard the ship. He held the sleeping Sam in his arms. Genie skipped beside of him, carrying her Goofy doll.

"Tony and Jacob aren't coming?" she asked.

"No. They are going to spend some time with their families. Don't worry. You will have someone to hang out with. Jack always needs some extra supervision. And, you're going to help me with Logan, aren't you?" he asked her as they walked into the room.

"Sure, Daddy. I need to practice my high kick anyway!"

The Doctor looked around. "Your mum isn't here. Huh."

"Ask Lewis." Genie suggested.

He nodded his head. "Right. Lewis says she's on her way here-"

The door slid open and Rose walked in.

"-and there she is!" He finished.

Genie smiled and ran to her. "Mummy!"

Rose smiled, knelt down and held her.

The Doctor noticed Rose was still shielding her emotions and didn't say anything to either of them. The door beeped.

Rose stood up and opened it.

Ashena and Logan stood there.

Ashena smiled. "Good evening, Rose. I was curious if we could escort your Princess Genie to the gym?"

Rose smiled and looked at Genie. "Do you want to go to the gym with Ashena and Logan?"

Genie whispered, "She called me a Princess."

Rose smiled. "She did."

Genie looked at Ashena. "Lead the way! See you, Mum!"

Logan smiled at Rose who laughed quietly at Genie as the door closed.

Rose turned around and nearly stopped dead in her tracks. The Doctor hadn't moved and stood holding Sam in his arms. "Alright. What's going on? You are so shielded I can't even tell you are in the same room with me."

Rose rolled her eyes. "I do not want to go into this now."

He nodded his head. "Don't want to go into it now. Alright. When will we go into it?"

Rose sighed. "After I have a cup of tea."

"Oh no. This isn't good." He sighed. "Make me one then, and I'll put Sam in his cot."

Rose rubbed her face. "Right."

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He walked back into the sitting room and sat down next to Rose on the sofa. She sat with her feet tucked under her, sipping her cuppa.

He leaned up and took his from the table. "This is the second cup I've had in the last thirty minutes."

Rose smiled, "Hell of a day?"

He sipped it, "Oh, yes."

"Bad?" Rose asked.

He propped his arm up on the back of the sofa and sighed. "Howie is going to stay at his post as President. He's not resigning."

"You said his heart couldn't take that."

"It can't. Pete and I have been made aware of his last wishes, too. Damn, I've never wanted to be wrong about something so much in all of my lives."

"You're just going to let him do this?" Rose asked.

"Rose. I can't stop him. He's a grown man, and capable of making his own decisions."

"But, that's not like you." She explained.

He rubbed his face and looked at her. "Sure it is. Tell me once when I forced someone to do something they didn't want to."

Rose held her tea and thought. "Give me a bit. I'll come up with something."

He smiled, "Sure, you will. Alright, what's going on with you?"

Rose closed her eyes and shook her head. "This was such an easier conversation to have before I actually had to have it."

"Oh no. So, you have practiced this. Alright. Give me your best shot. What's going on?"

Rose sat down her tea and took a deep breath. "I did something. Something that I felt had to be done."

He rubbed his beard as he looked at her. "Alright. You felt it had to be done. What was it?"

"You are going to be pissed-"

"I won't be." He rubbed her thigh. "Gosh. Let your shields down just a bit. It's hard to sit here with you."

Rose nodded her head. "Alright. Remember, you told me I could tell you anything…"

He nodded his head. "I know what this is."

She looked surprised at him. "How could you know?"

"It makes sense. You. Up here with Lewis. He's not been harassing me about looking in those men's minds. You did it. You got the information Lewis wanted. Am I right?"

Rose looked shocked. "Alright. Who told you? Lewis?"

He smiled as he sipped his tea, "I'm clever."

"You have an insider." She narrowed her eyes at him.

He smiled, "Okay, I have an insider. Summus told me. He was strongly against it."

She nodded her head, "He was. I forced them to let me do it."

He continued to rub her thigh as he thought.

Rose braced herself for him to explode. "Alright. Go on and shout."

He shook his head, "I'm not going to shout. I'm not angry with you."

She was confused. "What? Why not?"

"Why should I be? This is my fault."

Rose threw her hands up in her frustration. "No, it's not! Why do you think that?"

He bit his lip and shook his head. "I put the idea in your head. You knew I was struggling with it this morning and probably wouldn't do it. You don't feel the same way about that situation as I do. You haven't experienced the same things I have regarding that."

"Alright. I'm completely confused. I was certain you would be so angry with me."

He shook his head. "I'm really not. If I'm angry with anyone, I'm angry with myself. You are just learning how to use these abilities you have gotten in the past few years. I've had them for centuries. Of course, you wanted to use it. See if you could do it. Am I right?"

Rose relaxed and smiled. "Yes. It was so odd. I've never done anything like that before."

He smiled as he felt her shields come down. "You feel…. Upset. Were you that wound up that I was going to be cross about that?"

Rose closed her eyes and shook her head. "Yes. Well, and no."

"You saw something that upset you. Tell me."

Rose didn't open her eyes. He could feel her become upset. He took her hand and moved closer to her. He whispered. "You are safe. I'm not ever going to be angry at you about this. Get that out of your mind."

Rose sighed as a tears rolled out of her eyes. "I didn't see anything in the first two mens' heads. They were just hired….thugs."

He nodded his head and wiped her tears. "Alright. That leaves the other two."

"One was there to make sure everything was done….right. He had names of people in very high up places. Lewis recorded all of that and called Dad. He's probably still on the phone with him now."

"How high up?"

"CIA Members. Torchwood. MI-6. Someone, everywhere. It is truly frightening how many people's names I heard in his head that I have heard before."

He nodded. "Alright, I'll talk to Pete later about that. Then there is the last guy."

Rose looked away and nodded her head. She started to cry. He quickly wrapped his arms around her and held her. "You're safe. They can't hurt you. I won't let them." He kissed her cheek as he held her tightly.

He could feel how upset she was, but she was trying to keep from showing it as much as she already was.

She spoke quietly, "He was there….just….just to hurt me. He had already pictured it in his mind. That's what I saw."

He continued to hold her tightly. "Sweetheart. It didn't happen. He didn't hurt you. You are alright. I won't let anyone hurt you. You know that."

Rose nodded her head as she sobbed into his chest. After a few moments, she rose up and wiped her tears. He wiped them from her face with his hand, too.

She said quietly, "I feel so stupid."

"Rose. It's alright to be upset about this."

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "There are things I never told you. Things that happened when I first came here."

"I won't be angry. You are safe. You can tell me anything. See. I'm not even cross about you wandering off to read someone's mind."

Rose laughed through her tears. "Wandering off, huh?"

He laughed, "It's what you do. I've accepted it."

Rose smiled as she looked at him. "I love you."

"And, I love you." He rubbed her shoulders. "Rose. I'm here if you need to talk about anything."

Rose sighed, "I will tell you one day. I just can't talk about it."

He nodded his head and brought her hands up to his mouth and kissed them. "I'm here when you want to talk about it, my dear. And, I won't be cross. Promise."

Rose shook her head. "You can't promise that."

He smiled, "Alright, I can't. But, I can promise that I won't be angry with you."

"Just angry with yourself." Rose told him. "I can't allow that."

He sighed and rolled his eyes. "I can be angry with myself."

Rose shook her head. "No. Not for this. That had nothing to do with you, but you will figure out a way for it to be your fault."

"Am I that bad?"

"Predictable." Rose teased him and smiled.

He laughed quietly, "Fine. I can live with that."

Rose smiled and looked back at him. "You need to get to the gym. Logan needs you to show him how to fight."

"Legate is doing that for the moment. You need me here. I'm not going to rush off."

Rose smiled. "Thank you." She took a deep breath. "I'm really alright."

He propped his head up on his fist and looked at her. "No, you're not."

She sighed and shook her head. "I am. I'm lying to myself. Let me do that."

He nodded his head. "Okay. You are alright. 'Doctor alright', but alright."

Rose shook her head and smiled. "That's never going away."

He held her hand and chuckled. "You started it. Before I forget, Sam seems to be getting a tooth. It has made his gums hurt."

"He's sleeping?"

"Yeah, well. Howie used an old cowboy trick on him and –"

"Let me guess. That Damn Whiskey on his gums."

He looked surprised. "You knew about this?"

She smiled, "Sure, I did. He did it to Tony, too. Although, I don't think Dad ever saw him do it. Mum thought he was mental. It seemed to work, though."

"Well, it works. He was exhausted from his crying. I'll keep an eye on his ears. Its common babies will have an ear infection when they are getting their teeth."

"Really?"

"Well, that's what I've heard. Human children do strange things."

Rose rolled her eyes and mumbled, "Human children…."

"Humans are quite seriously my favorite species. Always have been. More so now, than ever in my lives."

"Why?" Rose smiled.

"Well, I would think that is obvious."

"Some of it. Why have humans always been your favorite?"

He shook his head. "Humans are just…. Different. Interesting. Amazing. No matter what, they just keep going."

Rose smiled. "Even the apes?"

He shook his head. "I don't say that anymore."

Rose rubbed his hand with hers. "Baby. I'm really alright. You go change out of your jeans and –"

He smiled like a loon, "Thinking about me taking off my clothes. Yeah, I feel that."

She rolled her eyes, "You need to get to the gym. I'll keep an eye on Sam."

"Are you sure? I could stay."

"I'm sure. If I can get Arla to look after him, I'll come join you in a bit."

He stood up and ran his hands through his hair. "Alright. Seriously. Later, can we have our own, ummm…."

Rose smiled at him, "Wrestling match?"

He pointed at her. "Yes. We'll call it that."

"Why do you think I'm trying to get you out of here? The sooner you leave, the sooner you can return."

He closed his eyes tightly and whispered, "Oh wow." Then he said something Rose didn't understand as he walked into the bedroom to change.

Rose giggled at his reaction. She walked into the bedroom in time to see him take off his t-shirt and run his hands through his hair.

She leaned in the doorway. He felt her eyes on him. He looked back at her and smiled. "Reconsidered my offer?"

"I don't remember any offer." Rose told him.

He looked back at her. "Oh, it's always there."

Rose smiled, "We wouldn't have very long at all-"

"Ah. I'm thinking 14 minutes. Rose, you can do a lot in 14 minutes."

She smiled and walked over to him. He put his hands on her hips and smiled at her.

"Do not wake up your son." She demanded.

He bit his lip as he glanced back at Sam sleeping in his cot. He felt her run her hands through his hair. He looked back at her smile and whispered. "I'll do my best not to wake him."

He leaned in and kissed her. She moved him backwards towards the bed as they continued their snog. Through their kisses, he mumbled, "Friday, close the bedroom door and lock it."

"Yes, Rambo." Friday replied which forced Rose to laugh.

He rolled his eyes. "Damn that Stark."

Rose pushed him onto the bed. He fell back and watched her take off her blouse and bra. He rubbed his chin as she slipped her jeans and knickers slowly to the floor.

She smiled at him, "Alright. Say something."

His brain had stopped working. He could only manage, "Umm… Uh. Huh. Right."

Rose laughed as she climbed on top of him and continued to kiss him. He ran his hands down her chest and to her bum. They continued to kiss. Rose sat up and asked, "Have you been eating ice cream again?"

He chuckled. "Yeah. But, that was earlier."

She giggled as she whispered. "I'm beginning to think you might have a problem."

He cupped her face with his hands and kissed her. She rolled over in the bed so that he was on top of her. Rose unfastened his jeans and slid them off of him. She felt his warm breath as he kissed her neck and chest. He whispered in her ear, "Sweetheart. Have I told you that I love you? It needs to be said."

She smiled as he met her lips again and continued to kiss her. She felt his fingers begin to tease between her legs. It caused her to moan and pull her knees up beside of him.

He looked in her eyes. "Don't get loud. You'll wake the baby."

"Then don't do that-"

He smiled, "But, you love it. I can tell. Let me make you happy."

He continued to tease the area between her legs and she willed herself not to get loud. He continued to kiss her to keep her muffled. She grabbed his stiff staff and stroked it in her hand. Then, she pulled him inside of her. He moaned and began to stroke slowly. He whispered, "Is this alright? No shouting?"

Rose nodded, "This is great. Slowly like this. Baby, you have a million things to do-"

He shook his head and whispered. "I only want this. You are the most important thing to me. I have 7 minutes left of our 14. That's what we agreed, right?"

Rose smiled, "Yes. 14 minutes."

"Still alright?" He asked as he kissed her neck and panted.

"Yes." She whispered as she bit his neck. He was so lost in kissing her that he didn't seem to notice. She nearly shout as he pressed himself deeply inside of her. He quickly caught her lips with his again to muffle her and smiled.

Rose fussed playfully at him. She whispered, "Don't do that!"

He smiled like a loon at her. "You like that."

She pointed at the cot, "If you make me shout and wake up this child."

He chuckled as he stopped and smiled at her. He looked in her eyes and brushed her hair out of her face. "You are so beautiful."

Rose smiled as she felt a wave of love come from him.

He whispered, "Tell me. Do you feel safe?"

"Now?" She was surprised at his question.

"All of the time."

Rose thought for a few moments, "Yes. I do feel safe."

He kissed her on the end of the nose. "Stay here. I'll bring you something."

He walked into the bathroom and returned wearing a pair of pants and carrying a small towel. He cleaned her up and kissed her again.

Rose giggled.

"What?" He asked her.

"This is just very, normal. That's all."

"Normal? Am I being insulted? I'm not certain." He asked as he walked to the closet and put on his football shorts and his favorite, blue t-shirt.

Rose continued to smile at him. "No. Just, nevermind. I shouldn't say anything."

He looked confused back at her. "Women are strange. Humans are stranger."

Rose sat on the side of the bed and put back on her clothes as he dug around in his jeans' pocket for something.

"What are you doing?"

"Looking for my screwdriver. Actually, I probably should leave that here." He realized as he found it and laid it on the table next to the bed.

Rose stood up and looked at herself in the mirror. She was running her hands through her hair to put it up again, when she heard him exclaim quietly. "Oh! There that is!"

She looked over at him in time to see him toss his jeans on the end of the bed. He had a small box in his hand.

"Rose, my dear. I'm sorry, I just found this." He opened the box to show her lovely pair of diamond and pearl ear rings.

"Those are beautiful. When did you get those?"

He handed her the box. "I've had them. I meant to give them to you weeks ago. They just got lost in my pockets. They are small, not very long like the ones you usually wear when you get all dressed up. Are you sure that doesn't hurt your ears?"

Rose rolled her eyes as she put the new ear rings on. "They really don't. These are lovely. Thank you."

He stood watching her.

She looked back at him. "What is it?"

"Can we just stay here? Make love all the way there? Give me six minutes and I could go again. What do you think?"

Rose laughed, "You might have a problem. You've been gone long enough. Get your ass to the gym."

"Ugh." He complained as he walked out of the bedroom.

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