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Chapter
They spread the blanket on the sand under the shade of the palm trees. The Doctor poured them glasses of champagne. They drank and entire bottle as they lay there together and listened to the ocean.
"Let me open that other one!" the Doctor said as he got up and popped the cork off of it. He refilled Rose and his glasses.
"All of the drinking you are doing, how are you still standing?"
The Doctor climbed back on the blanket and lay down. "Oh, I won't lie about it. My head is positivity spinning. But, I don't care. I'm so happy and need to celebrate!"
"Are you going to remember this in the morning, you loon?"
He looked at her as he lay on his side and propped his head on his hand. "Oh, yeah, hell I'm not that bad. I need to keep some of myself to me so I can get us back to the White House in case someone needs us. Your phone is programmed to call me if something gets loud around it. A little app I wrote on the ride up to Washington. Took about ten minutes."
"But, why a beach?" Rose asked him as she lay on the blanket next to him.
"Well, I know you hate beaches. And you have every right to. What he did..." he gritted his teeth. "What I did." He rubbed his head in frustration.
Rose looked at him and rose up. "Hey. Stop that. We're together now. We don't have to keep bringing that up. Stop beating yourself up about that. He left you here, too."
"I know, Rose. But, it could have been handled so much differently."
"I'm glad it wasn't. Otherwise, I wouldn't be with you."
He looked her in the eyes. "Well, that's very true. I haven't thought of it like that."
"What are we celebrating?" she asked as she took a drink.
He raised his eyebrows and took a deep breath. "Well, this is the part where I might end up the victim of a Tyler punch."
He turned to her, and sat up. He put his hand up, as if to calm her. "And don't punch me until I tell you that you can. Deal?"
Rose was getting annoyed. "Slippery old man. Get to the point."
"Ugh... first can we taste your lip-gloss again? I feel like you will be pissed and won't let me for a while."
Rose considered. "No."
"No!?" he exclaimed.
"Yeah, no. Get on with it." she smiled at him.
He took a deep breath. And rested his hand in his hair.
He then lay down on his side to face her. She moved to mirror him. He put his arm on her back and caressed her as he spoke.
"I realize I've not been myself lately. Not really paying a lot of attention to what is being discussed around me. I can't sleep. Can't really think."
"Remember, when we were talking about senses and how mine didn't work the way they used to?"
"Yeah." Rose looked concerned.
"Well, I didn't tell you how bad it was. Several are completely gone. It's like I've gone blind, or deaf."
"My god! How are you dealing with this?"
He shook his head and closed his eyes. "Not well, honestly. I couldn't figure out what was causing it, and I was keeping an extremely close check on my body to try to figure out where it was breaking down."
Rose lay her hand on his cheek, which he grabbed and held tightly.
"And then I realized that I was showing all the symptoms of a sickness that sometimes Time Lords will get when they are old. Very old. Ancient. Like me. All of your senses die, one at a time. It's a cruel disease, with no cure."
"That's terrible."
"Well, before I go any further and scare you, I don't have that." he smiled. "That's what we're celebrating. I went to the hospital today and ran some tests, had a good look around at my head. No sign of it. I wasn't sure if it would be a bit different because of the meta-crisis, so Pete let me take a sample of his blood to compare it too."
"That's the reason I saw you taking his blood this afternoon."
"Yeah, and Pete Tyler now also thinks that I have a sense that tells me when people are lying to me, or keeping things from me."
Rose looked surprised. "Do you?"
"No! But, it's good that Pete thinks I do."
Rose laughed at him. "I suppose it is. Very clever."
"That's what has had me scared. Properly terrified. I could barely stand up straight at the thought."
"That explains a lot." Rose agreed. "But, why didn't you tell me before? I could have helped you." Rose stroked his cheek.
He shook his head. "No ma'am. The life expectancy on what I thought I had is very short. I couldn't tell you that. It would have broken your heart. I'm not going to make you cry if I can help it. Ever."
"How short of a lifespan?"
The Doctor looked her in the eye and took a deep breath. "Months. 14 months at the most."
Rose covered her mouth and gasped.
"That short?" she whispered.
He nodded. "Yes. That's the reason I didn't want to tell you about it this morning. Not until I was sure."
Rose considered, "What if you had discovered you did have it. Would you have told me?"
He looked into her eyes. "I honestly don't know if I could have."
He sat up on his knees up and faced her. "Okay, here's the part where you can punch me if you want to."
He closed his eyes and prepared for her to strike.
She couldn't believe he had went through something so near traumatic without telling her. But, it really explained so much. Why he didn't notice Shakes' calling him Warrior? The strange moments when he was just confused for no reason, the sleepless nights.
She raised up on her knees, wrapped her arms around him and kissed his lips. She ran her fingers through his hair as she kissed him. He wrapped his arms around her waist and held her tight. They lay back down on the blanket, holding one another.
"I'm not going to punch you over that. I can't believe you went through that by yourself. You plum!" She smacked him on the shoulder. "How many times do I have to tell you that I'm here for you? Don't worry about making me cry. I'm going to cry anyway."
"Rose, this would have destroyed you. I feel like you are so fragile. And with all of this other going on, too. I can't even think. The only comfort I have is in your arms. In your eyes. In your heart." he told her as he lay his forehead to hers. "But, everything is fine."
"No, it's not. These senses are gone, how are you coping. What caused it?"
"The only thing I can guess is that maybe the human side of me is taking over a bit more. Either that or maybe a human body has a hard time coping with all of this, so it's shutting it down to protect itself. I don't know."
"Is there anything I can do to help?" Rose whispered to him. "My heart aches for you. I'm so sorry you are going through this."
"Oh, Rose. Just keep being your brilliant self. That helps me more than you can imagine. Just holding you when I feel like I'm falling apart, puts me back together."
The Doctor continued, "I'm sorry I've not figured out this mess with these people that are trying to hurt you."
"You figured out the bar. They arrested that guy!"
"Yeah, sweetheart. But other things have happened, things I've not told you. Granted, nothing has happened since they believe you are dead. But, I fear this is a long way from over. It appears to be a bigger organization than I first thought. I can tell it's not just a couple of guys out to collect a ransom now. They have funding. They flew onto that cruise ship. They are being trained someplace. I feel like we are at the beginning of a war with a faceless enemy."
"Well, what do you think we should do? Mum wants me to be resurrected, so we can go to this State Dinner tomorrow."
"Well, what do you think? So much of your life has been decided for you. I won't give you my opinion until I hear yours."
Rose said. "Well, I can't stay dead forever."
"See there, you are wrong. You could. That's why I brought you to this island. Well...that and I knew you couldn't run too far away from me if you got pissed about my confessions."
She smiled at him.
"But, also. I don't want you to associate a beach with bad news. I mean think about it. I said good-bye to you on a beach. I dropped you off at a bea-"
"No, he did. Not you."
"You're right. He dropped us off at the beach." he said gritting his teeth. "But then you also got me off of a beach. And found out that I'm not dying, on a beach. Seems pretty even, now. Maybe the good will cancel out the bad."
"What do you think we should do about the dinner?" Rose asked him.
"Well, as bad as I want to go. I don't know if it's a good idea. These people are going to be properly mad when they find out you are still around. It will get even more dangerous. They might go after the family."
The Doctor continued, "But, if they did. We would have a better chance of catching them. That is a risk, of course. But, hiding isn't an a good idea either. You turn yourself into your own, worst enemy once you do that. Living in unique prison. Made just for you."
"Yeah. That's where I'm at. I just can't decide."
"I'm honestly not clear headed enough to decide right now, sweetheart." the Doctor confessed.
They laughed.
"Have you ever drank this much? I never remember seeing you drink like this."
"I've told you what was on my mind. Wouldn't you be drinking too?"
Rose smiled. "Yeah, I completely would."
"And confessing crazy stuff while laying in the floor. Is that really all that I said? You've asked me some odd questions."
"Like what?"
"Oh, hell. I don't know. Maybe I'm just so surprised I even talked about it. I never talk about that."
"Did you send your bullet message? You haven't mentioned it."
He looked at her face. "Yep. I did. Sent it before we left New York. I figured, even if I just used it as an opportunity to get some things off of my chest. It made me feel so much better. Especially, when I was so frightened about my health. "
He pulled up the back of her skirt and rubbed the back of her thigh.
"Can I ask who you sent it to?" Rose asked.
"Well, who do you think I would send it to?" he asked her seriously.
"Well, I know you wouldn't send it to... him."
"And you're right. He can go to hell for all I care."
"So, the only other Time Lord I even know about is your granddaughter. But, if you are the last of your people, how does that work?"
"I sent it back before the Time War. That makes it even more impossible to reach her. The TARDIS couldn't even do that. I did a lot of calculations before I sent it, and pointed it to where I guess would be right. But, I have no idea. I'm honestly thinking of it as a final good-bye, since I never even got that. I can just lie to myself that it will reach her, someday. It will give me some closure. Some peace."
Rose stroked his cheek again and kissed him.
"I like your beach you found." She told him. "The lagoon and promise of stars sell it to me. The company isn't bad, either."
"Yeah? You really do?" the Doctor squeaked.
Rose laughed at him. "Yes. I can't even believe I am saying that."
He laughed at her. "The stars, huh? What else to you like, love?"
"Are we completely alone?"
He smiled really big, "Oh yes. No one around many, many miles."
She smiled at him with her tongue in her teeth. "So, we can be as loud as we want out here?"
He looked surprised. "Oh! Yeah, I hadn't thought about that. Blimey."
"What are your favorite parts?" Rose asked him.
He smiled, "Well...I like the sound of the ocean. It is so relaxing. I like the stars. It made me feel like I was back on the TARDIS when I look up in the sky. I used to lay in the door of the TARDIS and look into space. For hours. I loved that. I felt like I was back there as I lay on this beach looking into the sky."
Rose smiled. "I remember seeing you do that."
He smiled. "Did you ever try it?"
She shook her head. "I was afraid I would fall out."
He laughed under his breath at her.
He continued, "And another thing I love. I love that I got such a good deal when I bought this place this morning."
Rose's mouth did fall open. The Doctor laughed at her as he raised up and kissed her on the cheek.
He laughed, "Yeah, I bought it. The Doctor has a mortgage for the moment. Crazy huh? It was part of that paperwork I signed when we got to the White House. I figured it you hated it, I would have it as my Island of Solitude. Like Superman!"
"You bought an island? Can you even do that?"
"Yeah. This has been for sale for a long time. Something about, 'it's too hard to get to.' Thus its' appeal, if you ask me! Now, I can bring Tony here and teach him how to surf!"
"You can surf?" Rose asked.
"I have no idea. Looks like fun though. I figure we can build a house over there." he pointed over to the side.
"What sort of house?"
"I don't care. You pick it out. I'll let that be your thing. Just, I don't want carpets. Carpet and sand. Not a good idea. And I want a place I run experiments. And I want a pool so I can skinny dip again."
"You never told me that story."
"And I don't plan to. No way. I'm not that drunk." he laughed. "Nice try, Rose Tyler."
Rose shook her head in disbelief. "My god. Dad is paying you way too much."
The Doctor looked at her and nodded seriously. "See! Didn't I tell you?"
The Doctor continued. "And I want Tony to have his own room here. I don't know how this violence is going to play out and I want to know he is safe. Pete mentioned boarding school today, and I can't even bear the thought of him being that far away."
Rose smiled. "You really love him, don't you?"
He raised up and looked at the ocean. He nodded, "Yeah. It's nice to be around someone so young again."
"Reminds you of your children?" Rose asked him.
"My children?" the Doctor asked her.
"Well, you had a grandchild. Isn't that how that works?" Rose asked him.
He looked back out at the ocean. "Yeah, I guess it does work that way."
She raised up and wrapped her arms around him. "You don't have to talk about it. I know it has to be a painful subject. I probably shouldn't have said anythi-"
"Nah, you're right. I'd rather not talk about it. Maybe one day, but. Well. No. Probably never. It's just easier to let them sleep in my mind. Peacefully. I'd rather not wake those memories. "
He looked at her. She could feel his sadness. "Would that be alright? You don't have to know that part of me, do you?" he asked.
She shook her head. "No. I don't. I love you, and don't want you to hurt. Don't think you have to tell me stuff like that."
He nodded as she kissed his cheek.
"So, we're all by ourselves?" she asked him.
He lay back down on the blanket. He put his arm behind his head and looked up at her.
"Yep." he said, popping the 'p'.
"No one around for miles?" Rose asked him.
"Not for hundreds of miles, sweetheart." he smiled at her. "You are completely safe here."
She leaned down and kissed him. He could taste the champagne she had been drinking. She rubbed her nose to his and whispered, "Then I'm going skinny dipping in this lagoon, old man. Come join me."
"Who am I to argue with that?" he laughed.
Rose stood up and took off all of her clothes. He raised up on his elbows and rubbed his beard, watching her as she undressed. She saw him watching her, and tossed her knickers at him.
"So, that answers that question from earlier today." he laughed.
Rose ran over to the beautiful, blue lagoon. A lovely coral reef formed a border from the ocean. Rose waded out into the water. She turned around to wave the Doctor in.
He walked over to the edge and smiled at her. "So, you're good with beaches now?"
"Quit stalling old man, and get your ass in his water." she fussed at him.
He laughed at her as he took off his shirts and jeans. He waded out to where she was and wrapped his arms around her. Her lips met his.
"You still have on your pants, mister. Lose them." she demanded quietly.
He smiled at her. "Another perfect sentence." he laughed. She slid them off of him as she began to kiss him, hungrily. He held her to him tightly as she wrapped her legs around his back. They bobbed in the water like they had back on the cruise ship a few days before. She ran her hands through his hair as they continued to snog.
She could feel his relief, his absentmindedness, his love and his lust.
'Whoever would have dreamed we would have found ourselves in a place like this?' Rose asked him.
Rose pulled back and looked at him.
"What's wrong?" he asked her.
"You wouldn't have told me if you found out you did have that disease? Did I hear that right?" Rose asked him.
"I had decided it was nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of my outrageous fortune." he laughed.
"Are you quoting something?" Rose asked him.
"Hamlet! How do you not know that!?" he rolled his eyes at her.
She glared at him.
She could feel his nervousness. "I honestly don't know what I would have done, Rose. But, I knew I couldn't tell you until I knew. I didn't want you to be upset."
"I was already upset!" she yelled at him as she held to his shoulders.
"You would have been even more upset, my dear. I know. Because I was barely able to push one foot across the floor some days with the suspicion. I didn't want you to see me differently. The only relief I had was when we were together. If I had told you, you would be worried all the time about me. I don't want you to worry about me. I'm an old man. I have worried about myself for centuries. That makes calamity of so long life."
"But, now you have me. And that's my job. I worry about the Doctor. Don't deny me the opportunity to do that. It's part of a relationship." Rose pleaded.
He nodded his head. "I know it is. And I'm sorry I couldn't tell you. But, I have no regrets about it. I did what I thought was right."
She raised her eyebrow at him. "And that is where you usually mess up."
"What? What do you mean? I'm brilliant. I'm doing stuff you don't even know about half of the-"
"Yeah, brilliant! Think about it. Anytime you decide something like that, it usually ends badly!" Rose pointed out.
Realizing she was properly mad about this, and he wanted to get back to snogging, he looked into her face. He had to defuse this situation, otherwise he was going to get a Tyler punch. And he could forget about snogging anymore.
"Yeah, you're right. I'm still brilliant, but you make some good points." he smiled as he began to kiss her again. She kissed him back for a few moments, then pulled her head back to look at him.
"Hang on, old man. Are you just agreeing with me so you can continue a snog?"
He laughed at her. "Rose Tyler, stop worrying about me. I'm alright." he said as he started kissing her again.
'Alright. That word, huh?' she playfully fussed at him in his head.
He laughed as he kissed her.
'Yes, love. That word. I'm glad we are out here in the middle of nowhere. You can give me a proper yelling at if you feel it necessary.'
'Good thing to keep in mind.' Rose agreed as both of them laughed.
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Rose and the Doctor stayed on their private island for a while. After skinny dipping, they returned to the blanket for an excellent shag that both of him screamed to the top of their lungs and laughed at the crazy noises they made now that no one was around. They could do anything as loud as they wanted.
Rose discovered that the Doctor could make this strange deep grunting growl. He said it was a language that he knew how to speak. It sounded horrifying and made Rose's skin have goosebumps appear on it. The Doctor felt them and told her she had too much dopamine running in her system.
"Okay, that's weird when you say that about you, but how can you tell it with me?" Rose asked him.
"That's what causes goosebumps. You body releases dopamine. It will also do that if you listen to music with an emotional attachment. The more stronger the attachment, the more dopamine. Or it could be because you are cold."
They got dressed. It felt strange after they had been there for several hours together without anything on. They lay on the blanket and watched the sunset together.
"Ready to go back?" the Doctor asked her.
"Gosh, I want to stay here forever."
"We can come back whenever we like. It's our place." he laughed at her.
"Let's walk the beach for just a few minutes. Is that alright?" Rose asked him.
"Of course." he smiled at her.
They held hands as they walked down the beach in the starlight. Their troubles so very far away. Here everything seemed safe.
The Doctor checked his phone. Rose's phone still told him that everything was alright. For all the people back at the White House knew, they were asleep.
The Doctor stopped walking and held both of Rose's hands.
"Sweetheart. We probably do need to head back. It's nearly 3:30 in Washington."
"Oh, alright." Rose complained.
That made the Doctor chuckle. She had such a great time. He loved he was able to surprise her after he had made her cry earlier that day.
He held out his arm with the watch on it. And she put her hand on it. He held her hand on top of it.
"Okay, one...two... -"
They were back in their sitting room at the White House.
"That was awesome." she laughed quietly as she hugged the Doctor. "I'm so glad you fixed that. That's amazing!"
He laughed at her happiness. "Come on, we need to take a shower and go to sleep. We are going to hate ourselves for staying up this late."
Rose shook her head, "Oh, no. I have no regrets."
He lead her into the bathroom where they quickly took a shower to wash all of the sand and ocean smell off of them. They dressed in their pajamas, and the Doctor went to unlock the door.
"I'm surprised Tony hasn't came in here. " Rose said.
"Nah, it's too early for him. He has another hour before he's up." the Doctor told her as he lay down in the bed.
Rose climbed on the Doctor's chest.
"God, Mum is already driving me crazy talking about the wedding." Rose moaned.
"Oh, that's expected. What do you want?"
"I have no idea. I wonder if we shouldn't just elope?" Rose asked.
"Nah, we've already technically done that. But don't tell your Mum! She'll kill me."
Rose laughed as they both fell asleep.
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