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Chapter 26 - Rose and Doctor Chat

Rose sat on the balcony that connected to the master bedroom of their island home. She wore a light, cotton dress and held Sam in her arms. They sat in a large cushioned chair where she was able to lay back and get comfortable under the shade the house provided as the sun dipped behind the other side of the structure. The wind from the ocean blew in her hair. She had wrapped it in a long twist, to keep it from waking up Sam by blowing in his face.

Jake walked out on the balcony, handed her a cup of tea, and sat down next to her in a chair. "And there you are. Is he asleep?"

Rose thanked him and smiled down at Sam, "He is. He usually naps this time of day."

Jake nodded his head and sipped his own tea. "Tea time napper."

She smiled proudly at him, "And so, Director?"

He smiled back at her. "You've heard. I wasn't going to say."

"Of course, I've heard."

"You are more senior than me, why didn't he pick you?"

Rose laughed, "Do you really not know? He doesn't want me in Torchwood. He has asked me to completely get out of it."

"Has he?"

"Oh, yes-"

"Well, that's just shit. I still need you on this stuff. Now, Pete has declared that he does not want you in the building at all. He feels it is too dangerous."

Rose looked surprised, "I didn't know that."

"He has. And I have to say I agree with him. However."

She smiled and rolled her eyes. "There's always a however with you."

"I really need someone to train these damn agents. Since you left, no one has done it right. We're trying to fill in the blanks, but…."

Rose looked back down at Sam. "Yeah?"

"What do you think he would say to that?"

She shook her head. "I have no idea. I need to talk to him about some things. I'll mention it."

The Doctor stepped out onto the balcony. "Hey." He said quietly.

Jake stood up and shook his hand. "Hey, Doc'. Get Howie settled back down?"

The Doctor, still in his suit, chuckled. "I don't even want to get into it with that man at the moment. Ugh."

Rose smiled at him. "Genie and Tony have gone with Legate, Poltious, and some more of the guys."

He nodded his head. "Yes. They told me. Disneyworld? Again?"

Rose giggled, "They want to go, I'm not doing anything to stop them."

He shook his head. "Well, yeah. But….."

"But, what?" Rose asked.

"I…. was going to do maths with those rotten children."

Rose looked back at Jake. "And now we know why they ran to Disneyworld."

Jake laughed. "At a high rate of speed."

The Doctor groaned. "Whatever. I'll get those rats, later. I'm going to change out of this suit."

Rose and Jake laughed as he walked back into the bedroom.

Jake observed. "If I had the option of Maths class, or Disneyworld…."

"Disneyworld. No question." Rose agreed.

Jake and Rose talked about this and that until the Doctor returned wearing a pair of shorts and a t-shirt.

Jake stood up. "And I'm off. I imagine you two have plenty to talk about."

The Doctor smiled at him. "It was nice to see you, Jake. You don't have to run off. Stay."

Jake smiled and shook his hand. "Nah, I need to get back. I'll see you later." He waved at Rose. "See you, Rose."

She smiled. "Bye. Thank you for coming."

"No problem." He walked back into the bedroom.

The Doctor sat down next to Rose in the large chair, and put her arm around her. He smiled down at Sam who was sucking his fingers and sleeping. "What's Jake on about?"

"He came over to check on me. What, with this Arla thing, and such."

He kissed the side of her head. "That was nice."

She rubbed his thigh, pulling up his shorts up on his leg. "It was. Jake is very sweet."

He raised his eyebrows as he looked at her hand. Then cleared his throat. "Right. Ummm. Anyway. I just came from seeing Lewis."

She nodded her head. "Yes. I guessed that was what was keeping you."

"He is going to move in. He said your argument was…..convincing."

She giggled. "He said I was demanding. I know Lewis and you well enough to know when you sugar coat stuff to keep me from getting cross."

He laughed, "I'm not sugar coating this-"

"You are too. Just like Willy Wonka."

He laughed. "Willy Wonka, huh?"

She laughed. "Indeed. Daft alien, Willy Wonka."

He laughed and looked out at the ocean. "Some sweets would be nice right now. Alright. Well. I'm not saying he said that-"

"Because he did."

"And?"

"I really don't care. If a woman makes a demand like that, she's being a bitch-"

He pointed at her quickly, "Now, he didn't say that."

"Well, he wouldn't. But, if a man makes a demand like I did, he's seen as a good friend. Please tell me that's something that changes as time goes on."

He chuckled. "Well…. Yeah. It does."

"Good." She said simply. "Now, I have something else to look forward to."

He ran her fingertips up and down her shoulder. "What was the first thing?"

She looked back at him. "Being with you."

He smiled like a loon as he looked at her face.

She shook her head at him. "Did you smack yourself in the head or something? You are really daft this afternoon."

He rubbed his face. "I think Sam has the right idea. I just have some stuff on my mind."

"Well, I need to talk to you about some stuff. So…. Put your brains back on."

He nodded his head. "Alright. I'm ready."

"When are you going back to Andromeda?"

"Well, I have to go back to where we destroyed that ship first. Make certain the plague is completely destroyed there. I had planned to go to where we destroyed the ship near Jupiter and test it there, as we head out of the solar system. Then, we'll go to the Andromedaen homeworld. I have a …. Thing to do there with the hospital. A boring…work thing."

She smiled at him. "A boring work thing?"

He nodded his head. "Yes."

She smiled at him. "And that's when?"

"Next….ummm….next Wednesday. For ummm… three days. Why?"

"I need to stay here."

He sat back in shock. "Rose. That won't work. Why?"

She rubbed his thigh again with her free hand. "Now, listen to me. I love that you want me and you to be together all of the time. But-"

He groaned. "But-"

"Baby. I have a life, here. I can't always go with you. I know you will return to me. I trust you. Completely."

He looked surprised back at her. "Wow. Yeah?"

She smiled, "Who would have thought we would have ever gotten here?"

He rubbed his lips and looked at the ocean. "Not me. Not for a while. Wow."

"You know I'll be here for you. That I won't leave you, right?"

He nodded, "I do. Yes. I just. We haven't talked about this in a while. Huh. What are you doing?"

"Filming those lectures, working on that book, Mum has some appearance for me and her at ….something. Harriett called and needs me at ….something. Baby. It's all this week."

He shook his head. "Lewis is recovering. He can't be there with you. I don't like it. Not at all. Rose, you aren't safe!"

She rolled her eyes at him. "Lance can go with me. Or Poltious. No one knows I'll be there. It's not been announced."

"Then don't go. I don't like this. Does Lance know about this?"

"No. But, he will say you are over reacting."

He pointed at himself. "Over reacting? Me?"

She whispered, "Maybe a bit."

He looked back at the ocean and rubbed his lips. "Let's talk about this later. I can get that hospital thing, moved-"

"The boring work thing, right?"

He nodded his head, "Yes. That's the one."

She looked back at the ocean and nodded her head. "A banquet in your honor is hardly what I would call a 'boring work thing'."

He looked confused at her. "Now, how do you know that?"

She smiled at him. "Baby, you can't get that moved. There are going to be people from all over the universe coming there to meet you-"

He wore a look of distain, "People I don't want to meet. I'd rather be with you."

She rubbed his thigh, high on his leg. Her fingers slipped under the material of his pants.

He grumbled and looked at the ocean. "Don't change the subject."

She giggled at his complaining. Then, suddenly, she shivered. She looked back at the Doctor. He had risen up and took off his t-shirt. He spread it on his lap. "Here, let me see him." He told her as he held his hands out for Sam.

She handed the sleeping baby to him.

"Did you feel that shiver? That's Sam. He's cold." He explained as he wrapped Sam in his t-shirt and stood up.

She got out of the chair, "Let's take him in inside."

He kissed Sam's forehead, "Yes. We're not finished talking about this."

She rolled her eyes as she walked in front of him and groaned. "Oh, good grief."

They walked into the bedroom and he lay Sam down in his cot. He turned and looked at her, "I'll go get another shirt."

She stopped him. "This is alright."

He grinned at her and looked down at her bare feet. He said slowly, "Alright."

She stood in front of him and rubbed his chest.

He cleared his throat. "Right. Umm…. So, you want to stay-"

She smiled at him in her teasing way. "Baby, I need to stay-"

She rubbed his chest. "Don't change the subject, Rose. We're talking about this."

She giggled and sat down on the sofa. "Right, then. Have a seat. Start talking."

He ran his hands through his hair and sat down next to her. "Yes. Rose, this is not safe. I can't let you stay here like this."

She laid her head back on the sofa and groaned. "I hear what you are saying. But, I just don't see another way around it. And you can't reschedule your thing, and I can't reschedule mine. I'll have Jack, Jake and Lance here."

"Is that why Jake was here?"

"No. Ugh. Let's talk about something else."

"We're not done talking about this!" He insisted.

She held up her finger and draped her legs over his lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck, forcing him to look at her.

"I'm not happy about this, Rose." He grumbled.

She smiled, "Kiss me."

"Don't change the subject. I know what you are doing, woman."

She giggled, "That sounds like no. Is that no?"

He looked at her and sighed. "I know this game of yours."

She smiled at him with her tongue in her teeth. "And what game is that…..exactly?"

He bit his lip. "Sleep. You can't sleep when I'm not here. How is that going to work?"

She groaned and laid her head on the back of the sofa. "You are determined, I'll give you that."

"Just pointing it out. Rose….I mean, this-"

She moved closer to him. "Baby, we'll work it out. But, you have to understand that I'm not going hideaway on this island my entire life. I will be alright."

She could feel his fear.

"Rose, I can't come back immediately. If something happens-"

"There is an entire unit of Quauhtin here! Let them do their jobs so you can do yours."

He took a deep breath. He could feel her determination. He couldn't help but smile at her.

"What?" Rose asked him.

He rested his head on his fist and smiled back at her. "Lewis was just talking about this to me tonight. He said that 'this was the Rose that he knew'."

She smiled and felt him rub her thigh and bum. "Same Rose. What is he on about?"

He shook his head and smiled back at her proudly. "No. This is the Rose that I knew. The Rose I met so long ago. It's nice to see you, again."

She rolled her eyes. "I really don't know what you mean."

"You do. And I love it. It's incredibility sexy. A woman in charge. The woman who is not afraid to tell someone who can destroy the entire existence of reality with a few words, how it is going to be."

She pointed at him, "You are just being dramatic. You would never do that."

He sat back and laid his arm on the back of the sofa.

She felt his emotions change. "Well, that's just not…."

He rubbed his lip and looked seriously at her. "You can ask that."

"I don't have to. You have done that."

He nodded his head. "But, not because someone stood up in my teeth and made demands."

"Then why?"

He smiled at her and teased. "You know, we talk too much about me. I heard something….I am curious about."

She giggled, "I hesitate to ask."

"What is the highest rank an agent with Torchwood can achieve?"

She smiled and lay back on his chest in his arms. He kissed her cheek as she told him, "I imagine the highest would be, Director?"

He groaned, "Not every agent would be a Director. Seriously. What is it?"

She raised his hands to her lips and kissed them. "Commander. Commanders lead their own squadrons and are responsible for training, protocols, all of that sort of thing. If they see something that needs to be changed, they do it."

He held her tighter, "Like how you changed the way new citizens of Earth were processed."

She smiled, "Yes."

He kissed her neck, "You never told me what rank you ever achieved."

"It's not important. Dad doesn't even want me in the building now. Things have changed so much."

"You still care. You called Jake and threatened to take control of security if he didn't do it proper."

"No, what I did was call and blow up on Jake. I shouldn't have been so…ugh. That's the reason he came over. He knew I must be upset to have said some of things I did. I just don't know what's wrong-"

"Why do you feel as if something is wrong?"

"I'm just so snappy with everyone. You. Jake. Jack."

"Jack needs it."

"No, he doesn't. Not the way I've been. I've been absolutely horrible to you guys."

He shook his head and begin to kiss her neck and back again. "I don't think you've been horrible to me."

She threaded her fingers into his hands. "I feel that I have."

"It's how some people process grief. You haven't been sleeping and you're tired." He continued to kiss her back and neck. He pushed her hair to the side and she laid her head on his shoulder. He kissed her cheek and whispered, "You are perfectly fine. Don't worry."

She whispered, "How did Lewis and Arles recover like that?"

He shook his head. "We don't have to talk about-"

"If I'm capable of bringing Jack back to life, and everything else I've done, what makes me stop there? What if I get pissed and I hurt someone?"

He held her tighter, "You wouldn't do that. You are an amazing, caring person. That doesn't change-"

She rose up and looked at him. "But, I do!"

He shook his head, "No. You don't."

She took his hand, "I appreciate you telling me what you think I need to hear, but I would appreciate the truth more."

He looked confused at her. "I am telling you the truth. You can feel when I'm lying to you. Why would I do that, anyway? Rose, don't you trust me?"

She could feel his sincerity. She closed her eyes tightly and shook her head. "Of course I do. I….just….let's talk about something else."

"I think we need to talk about this. Rose. You don't change. I've spoken to the Bad Wolf and seen her many times. I know you aren't comfortable talking about this, but it's important for you to know that you remain the same. Sweetheart, why would I ever have joined with you if I thought you would turn into this monster you think you will be? This isn't some sick experiment. You and me is exactly that. You and me. Not me trying to trick you or guide you into something. I'm here for you, Rose. Forever. I'm not running. You are still the same. You care. You are lovely. You are intelligent. You are simply amazing."

She smiled as he brought her hand to his mouth and kissed it. "Baby, I do know that. I'm sorry."

He shook his head. "No reason to be sorry. We need to talk about these things."

"Why does my eyes glow?"

His eyes opened wide in surprise. "How do you know that?"

"Jack told me they did. Anytime he has seen the Bad Wolf, he says it's me, but not me. My eyes glow and I seem….different."

He groaned and dropped his head. "I'm going to completely kick his ass."

His reaction made Rose smile. "What else is different about me? Please just tell me."

He sighed. "Okay. Well. You seem….lonely. The other night, after Lewis' levels equalized, you climbed back into the bed with me. Or, the Bad Wolf did. Whatever. I held you close and kissed your neck. You said that you missed me. That you had missed my touch."

She shook her head. "What does that mean? Where are you?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "I have no idea. I've asked her, and she won't answer. But, I have a theory."

"Go on."

He rubbed his lip and thought. "I don't know if I want to tell you that or not-"

She moved closer to him. "Please."

"It will upset you. I don't want-"

She threw her hands up and raised her voice, "Tell me!"

He pointed at Sam. "Rose. Sam is sleeping-"

"I know he's sleeping! You are going to tell me." She pointed at him forcefully.

He looked at her seriously and then smiled. "You are beautiful when you are pissed at me."

She rolled her eyes. "This is not helping."

He smiled his huge smile. "Oh, yes. You are proper pissed. I can tell. Oh, it's hot. Sam's asleep."

She smiled back at him. "I'm going to punch you."

He whispered, "I'll let you. I've got some new words that you will enjoy. What do you say?"

She pointed at him forcefully again, "Don't change the subject. Tell me."

"Alright. Well, I'm not sure….. but, I think I finally must die of extreme old age and you outlive me."

She shook her head, "No. We're joined, that won't work."

He nodded his head, "That's true. But, there are always exceptions. There is a ceremony, that can be performed that will move my consciousness into your head and we truly become one. Time Lords and Ladies have done that for centuries who were joined. Well, not just the ones that were joined. There was like a collective hive on Gallifrey with many who had done this….I'm explaining this badly."

She looked surprised at him. "No. This makes sense. But, why would you do that?"

He shook his head. "I can't imagine. I asked her why she always appears without me. She told me that it had been such a very long life for me already. But, that I never left you. Rose, that would explain that, but I'm not keen on that at all. I can't even imagine why I would have done that. If I'm right, and I'm not sure if that's it or not. Rose, I would never knowingly leave you. Even like that."

She took both of his hands in hers. "I know. That sounds odd."

"Everytime, I speak to the Bad Wolf, I manage to wake up with more questions than answers. She's like….how does Howie put that?"

Rose smiled, "Nailing Jell-o to a tree?"

He laughed, "Exactly."

His bracelet lit up. He looked down and read the message:

Stark: Timon has told me about tonight's training exercise. I'm in on that. I've got something I need to test. Bitch.

He groaned. "Damn it."

Rose had read the message, too. "What training exercise?"

He shook his head, "Just something to keep the guys on their toes. Minimal danger."

He typed back. "Right then."

He looked back up at her and smiled. "You want to go? Commander?"

"Now, how the hell do you know that?"

He smiled at her. "How do you know about that damn banquet?"

She smiled at him. "I had a conversation with Ashena this afternoon. While you were gone."

"Yeah?"

"She was calling to see how we were. Lewis. The baby. All of us. Licis has asked if he can return with all of the brothers and the baby."

He shook his head. "He's not doing that. He did speak to me about it. We're going to have to hire a Nanny or housekeeper or something with Arla gone. I spoke to Lewis a bit about it. He said anyone we picked for Sam, he would be fine with Arles. I think we should look…..off world…maybe someone from Andromeda, or Jalikapo."

She smiled.

"What is it?" He looked back at her.

"We are bleeding into one another so much. I thought the same thing. When I spoke to Ashena, it was about that. She has offered Ma'am Ress to come stay with us. She knows that you will be there next week. Ress seems extremely excited to come here and stay with us."

He laughed and sat up to look at her face, "Ress?! Out of all people there?"

"Yeah, what's the problem?"

"Ummm….well….her and Tony-"

"Tony needs to learn to keep his pants on! I'm not going to disqualify someone to care for these children based on who has slept with Stark!"

Sam started to cry.

He looked back at her and laughed as he walked over to pick up Sam. "That's hilarious." He held Sam in his arms and kissed his head. "You needed to wake up anyway, young man."

Rose rolled her eyes and groaned. "I'm sorry, Sam. Baby, is this temper normal-"

He bounced on his feet as he pat Sam's back. "Completely normal, Rose. I would tell you if it wasn't. Besides, I think I woke him up. Not you. You do need to get some sleep. I'll admit that, fully. That will help."

Rose sat back and groaned. "Damn it. That's all I seem to ever do."

He kissed Sam. "You and Mummy need to start napping together. Would you like that?"

Sam shouted at him.

"You would like a new nappy more. Well, alright. That, I can help you with."

Rose watched him lay Sam down on their bed and change his nappy. When he finished, he leaned down and playfully kissed his face. Sam squealed his laughter. She walked over to the bed and wrapped her arms around the Doctor's waist.

"I love you. I'm sorry I'm-"

He turned around and held her. "You are perfect. Don't think you have to apologize for anything. I'm sorry I was so weird about you staying here. You are right. I just….I will take me a bit to be comfortable about being apart from you. Here. With things the way they are."

She smiled, "I know. You are just trying to keep me safe."

He held her tightly and nodded, "That, and I just want to be here. With you. There were so many years between us that we missed. I don't want to miss anything else."

She rubbed her nose to his and whispered, "You mean the sex."

He moaned, "Oh, that's one of the best parts."

She giggled, "You can go for three days-"

He moaned, "Oh, I don't know if I can."

"Take some of your movies then."

He kissed her. He pressed her to his body and squeezed her bum. He spoke in her head.

'Cheeky woman. Telling me to take movies.'

'We can work out something while you are gone.'

She had forgotten Sam was even in the room until the Doctor suddenly stopped kissing her and dove across the bed. He grabbed Sam's leg and caught him before he fell onto the floor on the other side of the bed. Sam laughed loudly and clapped his hands.

The Doctor groaned, "Rose. These children are going to kill me. I'm too old for this."

She laughed, picked up Sam and cradled him in her arms. "Good catch."

He lay across the bed and rubbed his face. "Oh, that could have been bad. I didn't know he was moving around that much!"

Rose kissed Sam and walked out of the room. "I'm going to get him something to eat. Come downstairs."

He continued to lay across the bed, "I'm working this shit into the trials."

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