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Chapter 33 - Superman

When Rose woke up that morning, she found the Doctor already dressed and standing on the balcony with his hands in his jeans. She was back in her bathrobe.

It was early. The sun was rising.

She smiled as she walked over and wrapped her arms around him.

"You look like Superman out here. Keeping an eye on the city." she teased him.

He laughed quietly as he pulled her into an embrace and kissed her lightly.

"It's peaceful. Helps me think."

"I'm not used to you being up this early. Still having problems sleeping?"

He nodded to tell her he was.

Remembering what she overheard last night, Rose asked, "Is everything alright? You are telling me everything, right?"

Rose could feel worry coming from him as she held his hands.

"Shakes already came by to see if you wanted to go run. He's probably still in the hallway. Go get dressed and get in a quick run before we leave for Washington."

"You know, you can talk to me." Rose told him quietly.

He grabbed her head tightly and kissed her forehead. "Go on, he's waiting for you." He whispered to her.

Rose left the balcony to put on her running clothes. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.

He turned back around to look over the city.

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Rose walked in the penthouse after her run.

The Doctor was walking near the dining table. He looked a lot more chipper than he had when she had left for her run.

"Hey! Good run?" he asked her.

He had already ordered breakfast for them. A lovely spread of toast, eggs, bacon and sausage was on the table.

"Yeah, ummmm. Well." Rose started as she walked to the table. The Doctor pulled a chair out for her and smiled as he watched her sit down. He sat beside her joined her.

"Ummm...welll...what?" the Doctor asked as he rested his face on his hand and looking at her.

Rose looked at him and noticed that all of the worry and general glum mood he was in before she left seemed to be completely gone from his face. What had been on his mind that was worrying him so much, lately?

After a few moments, he lifted up his eyebrows to remind her to continue with what she was saying, "Well?"

Snapping back to her conversation, "Well, Shakes said something." Rose started.

"What did he say?" the Doctor asked her.

"We had treadmills next to one another, like we always do. He called you 'The Warrior' when we were talking about you. Did you know he was calling you that?"

He rubbed his head, and drank some of his tea. "No, I hadn't noticed."

Rose took his hand. "I hope you won't be angry that I asked him not to call you that. I didn't think you like it."

"I don't! Thank you." He told her seriously.

He was clearly distracted again. Deep in thought.

Rose looked at him. "You didn't notice he was calling you that?"

This was so odd. Rose knew the Doctor hated everything to do with violence. She imagined that someone calling him 'Warrior' would have really made him angry. He didn't even like for people to call him 'sir'. He felt that he didn't deserve the respect that it implied. How had he not noticed that?

He had started eating.

"Sweetheart. You hadn't noticed that?" Rose asked him. She was so confused.

He looked at her as he chewed and shook his head.

"What is going on? That's something you would have noticed. You would have hated that!"

He nodded his head, "I agree I do. Thanks for asking him not to do it anymore."

Rose was confused. "Is everything alright?"

He smiled and looked at her. "Well, clearly not. You aren't eating. Don't you like eggs?"

Here he went with his master deflecting skills.

"We said, 'no secrets.' " she reminded him.

"We did! And I'm glad you told me about Shakes. I'm glad you didn't keep that from me." He laughed at her.

"Listen here you slippery, old man." She was trying to be serious, without smiling. He laughed under his breath at her. He was clearly enjoying irritating her.

"Something is going on. I know it is. And you better tell me or I'm going to punch you out again." She was trying to be serious, but seeing him laugh made her giggle.

"Wooo. Scary pink and yellow ninja. Trying to scare the Oncoming Storm." he mocked her.

She couldn't help but laugh at him. "You idiot." She pointed at him and said, "I'll find out, then punch you."

Just then, there was a knock at the door. They had delivery.

The Doctor brought a box back into the penthouse and sat it on the dining table.

"What is that?" She asked him.

"I'm not sure. But it's not ticking, and I find that as a good sign." he smiled as he looked up at her.

He handed Rose the card as he started to open the box. Rose read aloud.

'Dear Doctor. Everything is ready for you and Rose in Washington. We'll see you this afternoon. Make sure you are prepared so you can understand Howie.' - Pete

"What is it?" Rose asked him as he started to open the box.

"I don't know. I love surprises!" He smiled at Rose like a loon.

She laughed as he pulled out a bottle of the whiskey Howie and Pete had gotten him drunk with back at Camp David.

"Oh, this damn stuff, again!" He complained.

Rose saw another small box in the corner and pulled it out.

"Hey, there's this too." as she handed the box to the Doctor.

He opened the box to reveal a silver flask. The front of it had been engraved, "Welcome to the Family."

The Doctor held it up to look at it.

"Let me see! What is it?" Rose asked him.

He handed it to her as he couldn't help the tears forming in his eyes. He wiped them quickly and turned away, hoping Rose wouldn't notice. She did.

She caught his hand and wiped the tears from his eyes as he laughed and embraced her.

Family. He knew they had accepted him, but seeing it written down on the thoughtful gift made him suddenly realize how truly lucky he was.

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They were in the limo for their trip to Washington, D.C. Shakes sat across from them, reading Hamlet.

The Doctor had his hand on Rose's thigh. Rose was dressed in a white and silver skirt suit, while the Doctor was back in his favorite blue suit with a red tie.

She looked out the window, as he leaned against the circular couch and looked at her. He couldn't take his eyes off of her. He couldn't help but smile. She was so beautiful.

He took her hand in his. And brushed her consciousness. She turned to look at him and smiled.

'Hey there, beautiful lady. Talk to me about what's under that skirt.'

She smiled as she laughed under her breath. She couldn't help but blush a little.

'Well, that's just something you are going to have to find out later.' she teased him.

He blushed back as he smiled like a loon. 'Oh, I plan to give it a full inspection.' He assured her.

'It will be ready for you.' She smiled.

They laughed at one another.

'I find that I can't keep my hands off of you. This trip to Washington is going to difficult.'

She continued to smile at him, 'I'm sure it will be hard.'

'It's never disappointed you before has it?'

She was blushing so much now. She covered mouth and laughed.

'And with that mouth. Oh... Rose... that is just simply amazing.'

'You like that, huh?'

'It's my favorite thing. Well, that and your delicious candy.'

'That's because you have that sweet tooth.'

'And how sweet it is! I wish I could have a piece of it right now.'

'Doctor! What would Shakes think?'

'I'm glad Quauhtin's aren't telepathic. But, it does make me crazy. Like a lollipop. I want to lick it right now.'

Rose's mouth fell open. "Doctor!"

He was started laughing at his own embarrassment. Rubbing his face and blushing like mad. "Sorry, I know. Too far."

Shakes looked up from his book. "Too far, Doctor?"

The Doctor waved his hand at Shakes. "Nothing." he explained as he continued laughing at the look on Rose's face. She was laughing quietly at him.

"I can't believe you!" she said in playful shock.

He continued to laugh at her.

She pulled her 'bigger on the inside' purse to her lap and started to look for something. After a few moments, she exclaimed, "Ah-ha!"

She presented the Doctor with a lollipop. She laughed at the look of surprise on his face.

He took it from her. "Now, that's just mean, Rose Tyler." he complained as he unwrapped the sweet and put it in his mouth.

"Where did you even get this?" he asked with the candy in his mouth.

She was laughing at him. "I have a bag of them in here. They must have fell out of all of those bags of candy you got back on the cruise ship."

She pulled out the small bag and handed it to him.

"Here you go. Maybe that will help curve your sweet tooth for a few days for 'candy'." she teased him with her tongue in her teeth as she laughed quietly at him.

He took the bag of lollipops and put them in his pocket. While he rolled his eyes at her and smiled.

"This is cruel and unusual punishment, Rose. I need to talk to Howie about becoming a citizen here to be protected from this mistreatment." he complained.

"Oh, you like it. Don't lie." she teased him.

He smiled back at her.

After a few moments, he said. "When we get there, Pete and I are going to run over to Walter Reed Hospital for a bit. I've gotta check on something."

Rose was surprised. "When did you talk to Dad?"

"This morning, when you went out running. I had an idea last night after that headache. I drew up a small device that will help ease pain with those."

"Oh! Well, hell I need one of those!" Rose told him.

"Well, lucky for you that you know a Doctor then!" he teased her as he leaned over and bopped her on the nose with his finger.

He took her hand, 'And afterwards, I'll give you complete check-up with a lollipop.' he teased her in her head again.

She playfully smacked him as he began laughing again.

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