FINAL CHAPTER!
Hope you enjoyed reading! =D
Xx

CHAPTER 32. FOREVER AND A DAY

The house stood in a very unobtrusive quarter of the city, tucked away behind the more impressive buildings, the shutters closed to keep out the fierce midday heat. A servant showed them in, leading the way straight through the atrium towards a garden at the back. Despite a modest first impression, the interior of the house was comfortable and tastefully decorated, showing it to be a true home.

They arrived in the garden. Here, in the shade amongst various plants and trees, it was very pleasant indeed. Rose believed that this could well be the family's favourite place to recline. The servant announced their arrival to a middle-aged woman sitting in a chair nearby. She straightened her dress as she got up.

'I am Mila.' She spoke softly, with a hint of curiosity. 'You wanted to speak to me?'

'Actually,' the Doctor said politely, 'we came to see the head of the house, Aleas.'

Mila frowned. 'That is very unfortunate. My great-grandfather passed away only a few days ago.' The frown became a little deeper. 'I'm sorry, what were your names again?'

'I'm the Doctor, and this is Rose.'

Mila's expression changed to surprise. 'Excuse my rudeness. I'm extremely honoured to meet you. My great-grandfather spoke of you often. He even left you a message.' She hurried to a nearby cabinet and pulled open a drawer. 'He wrote it years ago.' She plucked out a small piece of paper and handed it to the Doctor. 'He made me promise to keep it safe, but now I almost forgot.'

Before the Doctor could open the letter, two little girls, aged about eight and nine, burst into the room. Mila's face lit up as they made a beeline for her.

'Who are they?' the eldest girl demanded to know. The smaller one looked up at Rose with big eyes.

'These people are friends of your aban Aleas. When he wasn't much older than you are now, they helped save his life. Now you go and play, I'll tell you all about it later.'

The girls obediently did what they were told and Mila watched as they moved to a corner of the room and began some sort of pretend play.

Rose's attention was drawn back to the Doctor as he opened the letter: Aleas' last words to them. The Doctor read in silence, and Rose read along as she stood beside him.

Niyoli and I got married and we lived a great life together. I'm happy to tell you that my wife reached a very advanced age, her health only giving out in the final weeks before she died. Her grave is located on the edge of the city, in a quiet corner surrounded by trees, just as she always wanted.

I never remarried but decided to spend the remainder of my years piecing together the history of the Time Lords and the Eohim, using the library Rose and I visited so long ago.

Doctor, I think you will be happy to learn that my people took your advice to heart. They reunited our community and the shapeshifters are now revered and respected citizens. They have no reason to fear anymore.

All that remains for me now is to express my eternal gratitude to you and Rose, for helping us in our time of great need.

I truly hope you have found the same happiness as I did.

The Doctor unfolded the lower half of the letter, containing a postscript.

I wrote the above many years ago, but now I feel myself grow weaker and I suspect my time is almost up. I want to add these last few words to tell you about Adam. He grew up to be a fine man, honest, brave and devoted to his family. By now you must have met Mila, his granddaughter. Sadly, Adam died aged only eighty years old, a relatively young age in our family, but he made those years count. In the end he died happy, surrounded by his family.

Again, I thank you, Doctor, for allowing us to get to know him and share our lives with him. It has been a privilege and an honour.

The Doctor closed the note and watched the girls for a moment as they played happily.

Rose silently took his hand. 'Thank you, Mila, for your hospitality, and for this. We have to leave now, but would it be okay if we came back one day soon?'

A smile broke across Mila's face. 'That would be splendid. I would love to hear more about my great-grandfather and what he was like as a child. I always suspected my girls take after him.'

Rose and Mila shared a brief hug, then followed the servant, away from the garden. Once outside again, Rose held the Doctor's hand tight as she led him back to the TARDIS.

The Doctor watched as Rose closed the doors behind them. He didn't really know what to say, so instead he just followed her with his eyes. His Rose. He hadn't been good to her lately, he knew that very well, but somehow he felt lighter now. Ever since they left Adam behind on Calius, he'd been afraid of having made another mistake. Finally that fear was allayed, but there still remained an emptiness. He supposed he could get used to it. Try to live again.

Rose walked up to him, and the Doctor suddenly felt something else that he'd missed for a while. She stood right in front of him now, her hands resting lightly on his chest, a look in her eye that always filled him with joy—a confidence, a willingness to go beyond what she feared. Maybe she was even challenging him to extent the same trust. For the first time in weeks he felt like he could live in the present, somewhat ironic considering he was a Time Lord. Whatever Rose had in mind, he believed he could run with it.

He recalled her words about finding new ways to live and love together. Now that the veil of uncertainty had lifted, he wanted that new life more than anything. A new life to live—and love.

His mind made up, he leaned down and kissed her, slowly and gently, savouring her taste. He felt strangely calm now, knowing that they had all the time they needed. He smiled to himself when he sensed how she intentionally drew out the kiss, almost teasingly. Her telepathic abilities might have been gone, but she was certainly still capable of making him lose his mind. In a good way, of course.

Her mouth was warm and comforting as they shared breath and his tongue traced the soft fullness of her lips. The intimacy of this kiss was what he had craved for weeks. He was about to suggest they explore things further when a bright glare broke the moment. They simultaneously turned towards the disturbance coming from somewhere on the other side of the console room.

The Doctor more or less gaped as an apparition began to take shape. He grabbed the sonic screwdriver from the console and scanned the room. The Entity, now fully materialised, appeared exactly the same as she had last time, except there were actual audible words coming from her mouth. Other Rose walked up to them and smiled.

'I've been alone for a very long time,' she said. 'Thank you for finally ending that.'

'How did you get to be like this?' The Doctor asked.

'A mistake.' Her face grew sad. 'Actually, a series of mistakes, starting a long way from here, on a beach in Norway.' The Doctor's throat suddenly felt constricted.

'It doesn't really matter now,' she said, 'but I'm very glad the same mistakes weren't repeated.' She reached out and touched his hand. Even though she looked solid, her hand still passed through him, leaving a tingle on his skin. 'This time you got it right,' she said, then smiled again. 'Once I was in love with a man named John. He hated that name and he wanted to be called the Doctor, but I wasn't ready for that. By the time we did finally get together, it was almost too late. He began to suffer from a crippling mental illness, the result of not being completely human or Time Lord, something his system couldn't process.'

'I've seen you twice,' Rose said, 'when I was ill and later, just before the Shadow returned.'

Other Rose nodded. 'There was no other way. I had to warn you about what was coming. You see, Torchwood managed to cure John before the illness got the better of him. We got the chance to fall in love all over again, but we had no idea about the future. That was also the time the Shadow came to Earth, using the Rift. We fought with everything we had, but it didn't do any good. John was killed and I became trapped between worlds.' For a moment, Other Rose became less solid and her image flickered.

To the side of the console room the Doctor suddenly spotted another strange light effect, a tiny glowing orb. He carefully pointed the sonic at the strange phenomenon, making sure no one else noticed.

'Maybe we can help,' Rose said. She turned and looked at the Doctor questioningly. He had already thought about it, but it would take time. He wasn't sure if Other Rose had enough time left.

'I've used up the last of my energy to say goodbye.' Other Rose looked down at her hands, now distinctly more transparent. 'It won't be long now.' She looked up again and smiled. 'It's all right. I've longed to be at peace.'

'I'm sorry we can't help you,' the Doctor said, 'but maybe there's something else I can do.' He turned towards the console and adjusted a set of dials. The tiny orb, almost unnoticeable so far, began to take shape. Rose reacted, alarmed.

'Don't worry,' he said. The orb slowly took on a familiar form—a man, dressed in jeans and a jacket, his brown hair tousled, dark eyes wide with surprise.

Other Rose breathed out, just one word on her lips. 'Doctor…'

The two entities approached each other, surprise and joy written across both their faces. The ghostly Doctor gently touched his beloved's face. She smiled and he grinned back. 'You called me Doctor,' he said.

The couple drew closer, finally allowed this moment of tenderness, shapes flickering as their lips met in a tender kiss. The Doctor watched as they slowly faded from view, still locked in a last embrace. His own Rose was suddenly there, her arms finding him, and they were together.

'Whatever happens,' he whispered, his gaze turning from the spot the ghostly couple disappeared from to look deeply into Rose's eyes, 'I'm never going to leave you again. Nothing matters more to me than you. I just couldn't see it before. Can you forgive me for that?'

Rose buried her face in his shoulder. 'Of course.' Her voice trembled. 'But if you ever dare to leave me behind again, you'll be in so much trouble.' They both laughed then, a strange sort of giggle caught between joy and relief. A sudden quiver went through them both—a warmth, almost like a breeze, except he could feel it around his hearts and inside his mind. Rose gripped his arms to steady herself.

'It was her,' Rose said, almost out of breath. 'One last goodbye.' She closed her eyes and breathed in deeply. 'No, more than that. It was a gift.' She opened her eyes again and put her hands on his chest. He was sure she could feel his hearts racing.

The Doctor looked at Rose, her face shining with pure joy. 'My telepathic abilities,' she said, 'they're back.'

The Doctor didn't quite grasp what was happening yet, at least not until she pulled him close and kissed him. Then he knew. He could feel her again, right there, her love for him coiling around his sadness and diminishing it, lifting him up until he felt featherlight in her arms. Her lips curled into a smile against his. He pulled back a little, laughing now as well. Her powers were still weak, but he could already feel them gaining in strength. For a few moments, neither of them could do anything else but stare and grin like giddy teenagers.

'Come,' he finally said. 'There's something you need to see.' He took her hand and began to lead her away from the console room.

~x~

Rose followed the Doctor as he led her through the corridors to an unfamiliar part of the TARDIS. They came to a door and the Doctor held it open for her, a mysterious smile on his face. As she stepped inside, her breath caught. The room was circular with a large domed ceiling, the walls a shadowy blue. A queen-sized bed was placed strategically beneath the dome. The Doctor activated a switch and the dome began to slide open, treating Rose to another magnificent view: planet Earth, proudly turning in space in all its glorious blue and white. Rose stared up in awe as the Doctor came up beside her. With the light of the stars reflected against the walls, it was as if the entire universe revolved around the two of them.

'That,' he said, 'still exists all thanks to you.'

Rose stared up for a little while longer, mesmerised by the stunning view, then she turned around and stroked the Doctor's suit lapels. 'You could have shown me this by opening the TARDIS doors,' she said, tongue-in-cheek.

'True,' he answered, 'but that would have been quite draughty, not to mention freezing. Besides, I thought we could use some privacy.' He suddenly had a mischievous twinkle in his eye that Rose had missed more than anything. She couldn't help herself anymore and reached up to kiss the Doctor, savouring the utter perfection of the moment. He immediately returned the kiss, properly satisfying a long-overdue desire.

Kissing him proved to be only a temporary respite. Soon, the return of her telepathic abilities set off a chain reaction neither of them was able to control—not that she would have wanted to control anything at this point, least of all the Doctor. He urged her towards the bed and sat her down on it, allowing his hands and mouth to touch as much of her as he could reach with them still fully clothed. Rose couldn't think straight anymore, only feel—the Doctor's passion and her own, multiplied by what felt like a lifetime of waiting, of not being able to touch. She wanted to have him, to feel him deep inside her, an urgency also powered by the burrowing fear that they could once again be separated at any moment.

He slowed down for a moment, his arm around her waist, steadying her.

'It's not,' he said, 'not the last time.' He nuzzled the side of her neck, grazing his mouth against the shell of her ear. 'There's so much I still want to feel, things I want to make you feel. What we've shared so far, you think that's all there is, but Rose, we haven't even started yet.'

Her heart was racing, and she didn't want to hide it either. She took his hands away from her side and placed them against her chest, letting him feel how her entire body quivered with the rhythm of her heart. She knew he spoke the truth; it was right there for her to see and feel. Underneath his apparent confidence, he was shaking as well.

He shifted his hand a fraction to the right, allowing it to cup her breast, just the lightest of pressure but enough to send a rush of heat to her core. She already ached to feel his skin against hers. The telepathic link surged between them like a current, shifting the sands of their awareness and carrying her to him. She was fully aware that there were no secrets between them anymore. Every touch, every breath—even her growing need to rip off all of his clothes—all of it was instantly translated for him, laid out as if she were already naked before him. It was the best thing she had ever experienced.

The Doctor tried to keep his cool, after all, he wanted this to last, but he began to suspect Rose had other plans. For now, there were still far too many clothes between them for either of their plans to work out. Rose had to be thinking the same thing, for this time it was she who made him lie down, something he was more than willing to do. She straddled his hips before glancing down at him as she lifted the hem of her shirt and pulled it up over her head. He was more than happily surprised to find she wore nothing underneath, the starlight from the dome now reflecting on her bare skin, making her appear almost luminescent.

His breath caught as he touched her firm breasts, always such a perfect fit for his hands, almost as if she were made for him. Her eyes drifted closed and she arched her back, thrusting her breasts more tightly into his hands. He gasped as she shifted her hips a fraction and his groin reacted accordingly. The chafe of her pelvis was hot and urgent against his growing hardness that strained to be released. He deftly lifted Rose off his lap, the one hand cupping her bum doing absolutely nothing to curb his rampant desire.

Rose lay back and watched as the Doctor removed his clothes, not even allowing her to help him. She had to admit, it was extremely sexy to have him undress in front of her. He got as far as taking off his trousers, with shirt and boxers still in place, before she couldn't stand the wait anymore. She raised herself to a sitting position and attacked his shirt with a ferocity that he immediately attempted to match. Somehow it came down to which one of them would be faster. Rose ripped at his shirt, pushing it over his shoulders even as he went for her mouth, allowing her to move her tongue inside and greedily sucking on it. With only her knickers and his boxers left, Rose hooked her fingers behind the rim of his pants and deftly pushed them over his hips and away, his hands quickly performing the same action on her. He continued to kiss her as he urged her down on the soft mattress and they lay side by side, legs entwined, her hands exploring the planes of his back at a more leisurely pace.

The Doctor braced himself on his arm, leaning a little to the left to gaze down at her, every part of him yearning to satisfy her. Only sheer willpower was holding him back. She was so beautiful, he couldn't help but watch—the angle of her jawline, the curve of her breasts, naturally leading his eyes to the darker curls between her legs, so perfectly surrounding what he wanted to touch, to taste. He let his hand travel down her calves, then back up, the already existing connection leaving tiny shock waves of electricity in their wake. She kept her eyes closed as he explored her further, drinking in every touch and returning the feeling.

He already knew what she wanted. He could sense it all around him, in her scent, the movements of her body and in the way she stroked him inside his mind. He was such a cerebral being, and Rose still had no idea how arousing it was to have her there.

Her eyelids drifted open and he became instantly captivated by the love that swirled behind those deep brown eyes.

'You know,' she said softly, 'there's something I still wanted to do.'

'Mmm, as long as I can join in.'

A slow smile spread across her face. 'Nah. This one's all mine.' She lifted herself on her elbows and he decided to play along, following her every move with his eyes as she gently urged him onto his back. She straddled his thighs again, her nakedness allowing him to feel the full impact of her, hot and wet against his flesh. It was difficult for him to hold still, his fingers instinctively drawn to find the deeper heat within her. Just the superficial touch of his fingers alone was enough to instantly still her movements. She breathed in deeply, leaning back and allowing him to explore her. Only when he probed her entrance did she suddenly snap out of it and batted away his hand.

'Oh, no,' she said. 'That wasn't the plan.'

He made a little pouty-face. 'Really? Not even that?' He lowered his voice to a sultry pitch, knowing full well the effect it had on her. 'Rose Tyler, you don't deserve to know what I have in mind for you.'

Her only reply was the same naughty grin as before.

Something inside him cried out in elation as she took him in her hands, then slid her hand up and down the length of him, continuing to explore, teasing, her strong fingers stroking him until he grew so hard, he almost wanted to take care of it himself, just to relieve the pressure.

He opened his eyes for a moment, only to have his arousal rush to new heights at the sight of her working him, her own eyes half-closed, mouth slightly open as she concentrated on every delicate move of her hands. Noticing his gaze on her, her lazy smiled changed to a bolder one. He took in a sharp breath as their telepathic connection told him what she had in mind.

'Rose…' he managed to say. 'You don't have to do that, if you don't want to. Not just to please me.'

'Oh, but I do. Wanted it for a long time.'

Amazingly, he knew she was right, and he groaned from the anticipation alone.

Rose moved back, allowing her better access as she dipped her head to taste him, first with the tip of her tongue, then by taking him inside and sliding her mouth along the length of his shaft. Blind ecstasy raided his senses and he moaned out loud, long and deep. Despite his years of experience, he wasn't prepared in the slightest for this—the glorious feeling of Rose caressing him, her moist hot mouth quickly reducing him to a yearning mess, hungering for more.

'Oh, Rose…'

It was as if her mouth was meant to hold him. She used her tongue to stroke the underside of his shaft and her long hair tickled the inside of his thighs, adding an additional sensation as she fired off little licks and sucks. Boundaries dropped away and he learned how he felt to her, the salty taste of his tautness as she circled her tongue over the sensitive tip, then her pleasure as he grew harder still, his entire being throbbing with suppressed need.

Through their connection, Rose felt the Doctor's desire peak higher every time she moved, changing the pressure and angle of her hands and mouth, but she wasn't going to let him finish yet. She knew that, in the same way she was aware of his own desire to join with her first, to feel her tightness around him as they moved towards the stars. Only then would he allow his own release.

She was aware of the power she had over him and that he was more than willing to relinquish that control, but she wasn't surprised when he reached out through the telepathic connection, making it surge and increase in strength. Rose held still, breathless for a moment as he imagined touching her, eager fingers sliding through her core, finding her slit and pushing inside. Even though his hands were nowhere near, moisture still beaded at her centre and the added arousal made her shiver.

She still had her mouth wrapped around his length as he increased the vigour of his thoughts, causing her moans to vibrate through him. Her hot breath almost forced his release and he was barely able to hold back. The Doctor's moment of weakness spiralled further out of control as Rose repaid him in equal measure, giving him a glimpse of what it would feel like to him if he were to let go right there, the sweet suction of her mouth finally becoming too much. His body bucked and he sensed her loving his reaction.

She was unrelenting, bringing him closer and closer just before taking it away again, every lick, every movement of her mouth and fingers drawing out new sounds from him, telling her how much he loved this—how much he loved her.

At last, she carefully released him and moved up his body, letting her mouth draw a wet path from his belly button all the way to the side of his throat. He drew her face to him and seized that gorgeous mouth, finding her lips wet and slightly swollen from pleasuring him. He turned them over, channeling his need to touch her, but fiercely resisting the urge to give in and satisfy himself like she wanted him to.

She practically writhed under his touch as his mouth settled in the valley between her breasts and he left open-mouthed kisses against the swell of those beautiful breasts, until he finally reached his goal. Under his skilful attention her nipples puckered to perfect peaks, the areolas a soft dark pink, crying out for his lips. Her hands trailed through his hair, over his shoulders, anywhere she could reach, every touch making the cold, lonely place in his mind fade further. He suckled her breast, his hand cupping its twin, squeezing just hard enough to feel the soft flesh quiver beneath his fingers.

He lifted himself higher, coming face to face with her. He had wanted to make this last much longer, but now his plans came tumbling down as he gazed into her eyes, the love he found there a reminder of all that was nearly lost. Rose moved her knees up a little, sliding her feet along his thighs and hips, opening herself to him. The heat between her legs was now flush against his length, and resisting the urge to sink into her took almost everything he had.

He suddenly understood how wrong he had been before—he always had eternity at his fingertips, not through being a Time Lord, but through the love of this woman.

He moved up, then finally inside, inch by searing inch, gasping as she enveloped him, her wetness now an astounding heat that quickly spread throughout his body. Finally together again, joined as closely as possible, the Doctor knew he had at last found his future.

Rose held on to him, feeling his strong muscles move with the rhythm of their bodies. A telltale tingle began to spread out from her core, her skin growing slick as he drove into her faster. She so desperately wanted to give in, to accept that he was finally hers for good, every single one of his increasingly desperate strokes confirming this.

Her eyes fluttered open for a moment. Far above them, she could see Earth slowly rotating in space, its place in the universe safe and secure. She had everything.

On that thought, Rose let go and surrendered herself to the Doctor's love. With every possible resistance gone now, the telepathic connection surged between them, entwining their minds and creating a new bond from the ashes. She sensed the Doctor's overwhelming joy, the love he carried for her in his soul, even as his body continued to ride her hard, the lean beauty of his hips thrashing against her. She gasped, then held still as pleasure began to ripple through her. She felt his mind focus on every move he made inside her, before suddenly changing the angle of his body so that his pelvis hit her clit with each powerful stroke. Heat streaked through her and the tension inside exploded. She couldn't hold on any longer, joy bursting inside her mind while she almost simultaneously ached at having to run ahead and leaving him behind.

The Doctor continued to pursue his own release, not allowing Rose to recover, heedless of her shuddering around him. All he could hope for was that she would hold on, fingers still digging into his shoulders while his own imminent release rippled back to her.

'Rose… Don't let go. I'm…'

She gasped in surprise as he allowed a new sensation to take hold, overriding her body's need to relax in satisfaction and firing her up all over again.

She arched her hips and moaned his name. 'Doctor…'

He pounded into her, leaving her no time to overthink her unexpected situation, but she kept up without fail as he took the lead.

If he had any capacity left to express to Rose how he felt, it would have been pure joy at knowing they could do this. Within seconds they were there, about to topple over the edge—this time as one. The Doctor shuddered and a cry of bliss tore from his own lips as Rose called out his name in rapturous pleasure, and they soared together.

~x~

The Doctor lay curled up against a softly breathing Rose, a stray lock of her hair tickling his cheek. He raised a lazy hand to push it back, brushing his fingers along her neck as he inhaled her scent, the remnants of their physical exertions still lingering on her skin—a tantalising reminder. He touched his fingers to her exposed neck and drew a slow line down across her shoulder. She released a soft sigh and stretched like a cat.

His eyes drifted shut. Tomorrow would be a new day, and for the first time in as long as he could remember, that thought didn't scare him.

TWO MONTHS LATER

'Is it gone?' the Doctor asked.

Rose peeked around the edge of the door. 'Dunno.'

They sat side by side in what could optimistically be called a cupboard. 'Spacious wooden box' would have been a more appropriate description.

'Well,' the Doctor said, 'that Dhra doesn't exactly have a sense of smell and it can't hear very well, either. Of course it does have exceptional eyesight, so we just have to stay here until it's gone.' He patted her knee. 'Don't worry, we'll be fine.'

Rose puffed out her cheeks and let out a weary sigh. She leaned her head against the back of the cupboard. It was dark, but there was still some light coming from between the cracks of the wood. 'You know,' she said thoughtfully, 'there are literally countless versions of us out there. So, in at least one of these, we've just been eaten by this Dhra thing.'

He pulled a face. 'Blimey, you do know how to lift the mood.'

'Just saying. Don't you ever think about things like that?'

The Doctor shrugged. 'Nah. What's the point? I'd just rather not get eaten in this universe, thanks very much.'

'Yeah, but I just keep wondering. Remember Aleas' tattoo? You told me it said 'Bad Wolf', and I figured that if one of our parallel selves made it through, why couldn't it happen again? Who knows how many versions of us are running around, crisscrossing through Time and Space?'

Now he frowned. 'There was something odd about that tattoo and the whole DNA business. Time Lords did have offspring with the Eohim, but there was a third trace of DNA in there. I wasn't really sure until yesterday, when I tested those samples again.'

He fell quiet, and Rose turned her head to look at him properly. His brow was furrowed and he seemed miles away suddenly.

'Well,' she said, 'what was it?'

His expression became unsure. 'The third strain was human.'

'Wait, what? Time Lord, shapeshifter and human DNA?'

He nodded slowly. 'I double-checked the results. The strain was barely noticeable, probably because it was introduced to the original population hundreds or possibly thousands of years ago and never repeated. Strangest thing is, it's impossible. Time Lord DNA has triple helices, and humans have only two strands. So, even if they wanted to, Time Lords and humans couldn't reproduce. But there was no mistake. At some point, it must have happened. I only wish I knew how.'

Rose suddenly reeled as the possible implications were rolled out in front of her. She tried to push these thoughts away, the idea simply too odd to consider.

'You think this is somehow connected with the tattoo?'

'I don't know. But maybe one day, we'll find out.' He smiled.

'Not if we continue to sit here, twiddling our thumbs.'

'You're in a rush all of a sudden. Left the kettle on, did you?'

Rose wiggled her eyebrows, gaining his undivided attention. 'Nope, but I think I did leave some stuff lying around in the console room. What if aliens broke into the TARDIS and found my clothes all over the place? Your reputation as the Universe's most eligible bachelor will be shot, won't it?' She let out a low giggle.

'Oh, Rose Tyler, I love the way you care so much about my good name. And just when I was about to tell everyone about last night.'

Rose frowned in mock-confusion. 'Which part of the night? I do seem to remember there was a lot going on.'

He pulled her onto his lap and she straddled his hips as he leaned in for a kiss, quite mindless of the fact that they were still being hunted by a flesh-eating beast.

Rose let out a little appreciative sigh. 'Actually, forget I mentioned it. Nobody's business what we get up to behind closed doors.'

'Or behind not-so closed doors,' he echoed. 'We really should stop doing things in semi-public places. I blame you for just being too seductive.'

'I really can't be bothered,' Rose said. 'We did already try out all the furniture back home.'

'And what a lovely time we had,' the Doctor cooed.

Rose frowned. 'Except for that incident with the piano. That was a bit of a fiasco.'

The Doctor gripped the back of her legs as he considered it. 'Yeah, did try to tune it again afterwards, but I guess it wasn't really meant to be played that way.'

Rose nuzzled his ear with her mouth. 'There's other stuff we can try, right?'

He hummed an agreement, then turned his head to face her. 'But let's skip the pink fluffy handcuffs and hot candle wax, shall we?'

Rose pretended to pout.

'No, really,' he said. 'I'm all for experimenting, but try being held captive by a swarm of giant female praying mantises, all looking for a good time—you'll soon lose your appetite for certain forms of entertainment, and I really shouldn't have said that.'

Rose slowly shook her head.

'Let's just not mention it again.'

Rose nodded.

'On the other hand,' the Doctor said, 'I do agree that we've been stuck here for far too long. Oh, and let's leave tidying up the console room for later, shall we.' His grin became a tad wicked. 'After all, we don't want to tidy up twice, do we?'

She slipped her hand in his and helped him to his feet.

'What do you think?' Rose said. 'Wanna try the old breakout?'

He nodded. 'On my mark.' He smiled broadly as he took her hand firmly in his.

'Run!'