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Chapter 45 - Wife's Privilege

The Doctor popped into his bedroom. Rose was lying on the bed staring at the wall. She was wearing her running clothes. The Doctor rubbed his beard, walked over and lay down next to her. "Hiding out?"

She smiled, "You're one to talk. Popping in the bedroom instead of walking through downstairs. Worried you are going to run into mum?"

He smiled as he turned and rested his head on his hand to face her. "Nah, Tony dropped by and brought us something. Ummmm…. Do you have a minute?"

"Sure! It will give me an excuse to be up here longer." Rose smiled.

"Tony gave me something. Months ago. It's an artificial intelligence system that he uses. I made a few modifications and tied it into the workshop out there. But, it can really do a lot of stuff. I want to tie it into the house. Would you be alright with that?"

Rose shrugged her shoulders and smiled. "Genie told me all about Friday. Sure. Sounds useful."

He took the wristband out of his pocket. "He also made us these. They are like our watches, but better. They both tie directly into the A.I. system, have better shielding, interface system, all sorts of stuff. Can I put this on you?"

Rose narrowed her eyes at him. "Why are you asking? You're being strange."

"I'm not! It's just I don't want to do anything you don't want me to do." He reasoned.

"Okay." She agreed.

He put it on her arm and explained to her how to use it. She thanked him with a quick kiss.

He looked her up and down. "Running clothes, huh? Going running?"

Rose took a deep breath. "I don't know. I was thinking about it."

"Do you feel like running already?" he asked her.

"I feel like I want to get back to being me. I feel like my body was taken hostage and it's just getting back to how it was. I don't know. Then I feel terrible for feeling that way. I feel like I'm losing my mind."

"This is normal. And you probably are fine to go run. It was a long few months, sweetheart." He reassured her.

She closed her eyes. "Laying in the bed for months to make sure he'd be alright….."

He smiled at her. "He's fine, sweetheart. He's completely alright. I ran all sorts of scans on him this morning on the ship. It's going to take a few days for us to even realize it. We lived in the constant fear something would go wrong. He's downstairs, and he's safe."

Rose smiled, "He feels so happy."

He smiled, "Yeah, he does. Gran must be kissing him. Let me go with you. I need a run as well. Jackie can tend to Sam and Genie while we go."

Rose looked at him, "You want to go run?"

"Sure! If you want company. I'll go with you." He told her.

"You're being weird. What's going on?"

He rolled his eyes and got up. "Let me change into some shorts. Stay there just a bit."

Rose followed him into the closet. She watched him as he changed into shorts and took off his oxford and pulled on a t-shirt. He noticed she was watching him as he sat down on a bench and put on his socks and trainers.

"What? What did I do?" he asked her.

She smiled. "Nothing. Thank you for the flowers. When did you do that?"

He smiled, "Oh, I won't tell you that. Just wonder. Makes me more interesting."

He stood up and held up his finger. "Hang on." He thought for a minute. "Alright. Legate says Jackie is happy to watch Sam for us for a bit while we run out."

"Run out?" Rose laughed.

"Well, that's what we're doing, right? Let's pop out to the beach to avoid the mother in law." He smiled.

Rose giggled. "I'm sorry. I just feel like I'm….."

He rubbed her arms, "Tell me."

She shook her head. "I can't explain it."

He kissed her forehead. "I love you, Rose. Have I told you that today?"

Rose shook her head. "I'm alright." She exhaled slowly. "I'm fine."

He looked at her curiously, and held her hand. "Let's go for a run."

They popped out onto the beach. The salty air blew in their faces. He put his hands on his hips. "Alright. Which way?"

Rose shrugged her shoulders. "I've never ran here. Have you?"

He smiled, "Yeah, several times. Lewis and I run together sometimes. Let's go this way. It's how Lewis and I go."

They started running together. She asked, "I didn't know you and Lewis have been running together. When did you start doing that?"

"Ah, several months ago. I thought it might help me sleep. Maybe I had too much energy or something. It didn't help." He told her.

"I wish you would tell me what's going on with that." Rose told him.

"Nope! I'm not going to talk about me. We talk too much about me. Let's talk about you. I realize I don't know things about you."

"Like what?" Rose smiled.

"When we were traveling, where was the best place I took you?" he asked her.

Rose laughed, "That's a hard question. Every place was an adventure. I probably wouldn't agree that it was great at the time because it scared me to death."

He smiled, "Okay, fair point. But, knowing that everything worked out. Where was your favorite place?"

"Probably, New New York. Just because it was a different planet. Everything was so, alien."

He nodded his head. "I can see that. Okay. Something different than Earth. Something alien."

"Why are you asking me this?"

"Because I never took you on a honeymoon. I should have warned you that I'm really bad at this entire domestics and being married thing. Since Sam is here, and we just got our ship, I would like to take you on a babymoon. We'll bring Genie and Sam, of course. But, I want to take you someplace you will love. Someplace that will make you smile."

"You make me smile all of the time." Rose told him.

"No, you put up with me. More than you should. You don't have to do that. You let me do anything I want, and that's just not how this is supposed to work. You need to tell me no sometimes. You need to know that you can say things that might upset me without thinking you have to apologize in advance. You are my wife. My other half. You have those rights."

Rose stopped running and put her hands on her hips. He stopped and turned around.

Rose asked, "Okay. Where is this coming from?"

He shook his head, "Nowhere. It just needs to be said. There's nothing you can say, ask me, demand or anything that would ever change how I feel about you."

Rose nodded her head. "I just feel there are things that I can't talk about. They would make you very cross. Things that would make you uncomfortable to talk about."

"Well, there are. You have things like, too. But, they need to be talked about. I can't tell you everything. But, I don't want you to think I'm this dark ocean of secrets and just accept it. Like you. I don't know everything about you. There are things I would like to know."

Rose motioned for him to come with her as she sat under a palm tree. "This is a good chat. What about me would you like to know that you don't?"

He sat down next to her. "Oh, geez. I don't know. This isn't really what I had in mind when I asked to go run with you. But, I'm happy it's came up. Ummm…. Questions for Rose Tyler.…"

Rose pulled her hair away from her face as the wind blew. He snapped. "Simple. When is your birthday? I don't know that."

Rose laughed, "Yeah, you should know that. December 30th."

He nodded. "Good. I haven't missed that this year."

Rose shook her head. "Nope. Not missed it."

The Doctor laughed and ran his hand through his hair. "Okay. What year were you born?"

Rose smiled and rolled her eyes. "This is the craziest conversation to have with you."

He smiled, "Humor me. When was it?"

Rose looked back at him. "1986."

He nodded his head. "1986! Good year."

"What were you doing in 1986? Did you visit then?" Rose asked him.

"1986. The year the space shuttle Challenger exploded. Chernobyl melted down in the Soviet Union. In July, the first Goodwill games were held in Moscow. Halley's Comet returned. There was a terrible earthquake in El Salvador. The Iran-Contra Affair and Mike Tyson became the youngest Heavyweight Champion in history. Nah, never visited that year."

Rose smiled at him. "How do you remember things like that?"

"Nope. We are talking about you. Did you ever have any brothers or sisters?"

Rose rolled her eyes. "You know my brother. Tony."

He shook his head. "Right."

She looked at him, "You had a brother. Did you have a sister?"

"Okay, this is how this works. If I answer, you have to talk to me about something you don't like to talk about. Deal?" he told her.

She considered. "Okay."

He watched the ocean. "No, I just had the brother. He was simply called Braxiatel. He maintained the Braxiatel Collection which was what he called his collection of rare things. Artifacts. Artwork he liked. He kept them all on an asteroid that he won in a card game."

Rose smiled. "He sounds like an interesting guy. What did he do?"

"He served as Lord Cardinal in the High Council on Gallifrey. He even was Lord Chancellor and Lord President of Gallifrey for a short time."

Rose nodded her head. "Wow! A politician. No wonder you get along with Harriet and Howie."

He continued to look at the ocean and replied seriously. "Yeah."

"Did you ever go into politics?" Rose asked him.

He laughed. "No. That was never me. I need to ask you a question." He rubbed his finger across his lips as he thought.

Rose smiled, "Trying to come up with something good?"

He smiled, "Something worthy of me telling you about that. Yes. Ummm…. Why do you not accept you and the Bad Wolf being the same person?"

Rose sighed. He could feel her grow angry. "I wouldn't have asked you about your brother if I knew it would have brought this up."

"I am your husband. You are my wife. I feel like there are things you need to know about me, just as there are things I need to know about you. This is a big thing, Rose Tyler. I can't help you if I don't understand this."

"You can't help me anyway! No one can!" Rose yelled at him.

He shook his head at her. "Rose, you know that's not true!"

"It is! You have no idea what's going on with this! Everytime something new pops up, you just scratch your head and find it interesting. I feel like an ongoing lab experiment of yours. An extremely dangerous one."

"I'm sorry if I've made you feel that way. That was not my intentions."

Rose sighed as she covered her face. "This is what I'm talking about. I have no reason to be cross with you. I feel like I'm honestly, losing my mind. Are you sure this is normal?"

He nodded his head. "Yes. I promise you that it is normal. Sam isn't even a week old. It will get better."

Rose shook her head as she looked away from him.

"Rose. You know there are terrible things in my past. Things I won't talk about. Things that I have nightmares about still that keep me from sleeping. How do you think I live with that?" he asked her.

"You've never done anything as bad as I have." Rose reasoned.

He laughed, "You really forget who you are talking to don't you?"

"You killed all of those Daleks. Genocide of a race of people who were going to destroy the universe. I don't really think that's terrible." Rose told him.

He sighed as he dropped his head. "No, there was worse. Much worse."

"Well, you were in a war. I'm sure there was." Rose told him.

He looked at the ocean, "Worse than even that."

Rose shook her head. "This Bad Wolf didn't even give these people a chance. She just …. killed them. That's not me."

He looked back at her. "Sometimes you can't. Sometimes the only choices you have are bad ones. You have to accept that."

Rose shook her head. "I don't think I can. That's someone completely different. That's not me at all. I'm a human. Normal hum-"

"Beautiful human who can telepathically communicate, has telekinesis, can heal from having a baby in four days, can save man from death and return him to being a Time Lord, can pull the entire universe back together after it's fell apart? Make a man immortal so her husband has to put up with him for all of time. A normal human indeed."

"Why do you want to talk about this?"

"There are things about you that I know you would like to understand more. Let me take you up to the ship. I can run some scans on you and we can understand it better. Together. I promise I won't treat you like a science experiment."

Rose shook her head. "I don't think it's a good idea. Why are you so interested in this?"

He sighed as he leaned back on his elbows. "I have my reasons. I might have been wrong about somethings. I don't want to tell you until I am sure."

Rose closed her eyes and shook her head. "Okay. We've talked about it. I don't want to talk about it anymore."

"Nope. Not completely done. Promise you will think about it." he insisted.

She waved her hand. "Okay, whatever."

"Rose! I'm serious. Promise me that. You will seriously think about it." he demanded.

She turned and looked at him. She nodded her head.

He smiled, "Okay, easy one. What is your earliest memory?"

Rose nodded her head and smiled in disbelief. "My earliest memory? From that to this?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "The other is as simple a question as this one in my mind. Earliest memory. Go!"

"My mum was cooking and asked me if I wanted to help. She pulled a chair over to the stove and I can remember thinking I must be so grown up because she allowed me to stir what she was cooking while it was on the stove."

He smiled, "What was she cooking?"

Rose shook her head as she looked at the ocean. "I don't remember."

He nodded and looked back at the ocean.

Rose turned back to him. "That's a good question. What is your earliest memory?"

He smiled and rubbed his beard. "I can remember being very small. I was sitting outside in the sand while the other children played. I was too small to play with them, so I would pick up the sand and let it fall. I liked the sound it made."

Rose looked confused. "That doesn't make a sound."

He looked back at her. "Sure it does. It's really soothing. Like….ummm…. hearing it rain." He picked up a handful of sand and let it fall slowly back to Earth. "You can't hear that?"

Rose laughed and shook her head. "Of course not."

"In the desert, you sometimes hear loud booms. Like thunder. It's very loud. And it's the sand. Water will come up from the ground and move the sand suddenly. It causes that sound."

Rose looked curiously at him. "Is that even true?"

He laughed, "Of course it is! The Sahara Desert has the loudest boom here on Earth. But it happens anywhere there is a desert. It's very common."

The wind blew Rose's hair around her face. She gathered it together and put it back into a ponytail again. "I've never heard about that."

He rubbed his hands together. "Okay, I attended the Academy. What was the name of the school you went to?"

Rose covered her face. "I knew you would ask me about this."

"What are you talking about?" he asked her.

"Oh this is embarrassing to admit to you." Rose said as she covered her face.

"What? The name of the school you attended?"

Rose smiled as looked down. "Well, there's something about that I need to tell you."

He chuckled. "You can tell me. It's alright."

She shook her head. "Gosh, you will tease me so much about this. I don't think I want to tell you."

He smiled, "I promise I won't. I'll never bring it up again."

She looked at him seriously, "Promise? Seriously. I don't want to hear your smart ass comments about this."

"Phhhhh… okay. I promise. I will never mention it."

Rose took a deep breath. "Okay. I didn't finish school. I left two years early, when I was 16."

"What do you mean you left? You just, quit? Why?"

"Because of a boy. I was young and stupid and left because of him. Never sat my A Levels. Never finished." Rose told him.

"Huh." He told her.

Rose covered her face with her hand and looked back at him. "I didn't know how to tell you this. I felt like you should know."

"Phhhhh…..it's not important. I think you could probably kill those exams now. Doctor Rose Tyler. It's not a big deal to me." He told her.

Rose looked surprised at him. "Really?"

He nodded his head. "Truly. I think you probably more than made up for it. Imagine if that boy could see you now."

Rose laughed and took his hand. "Yeah, I suppose so."

"This boy? Was it Mickey?"

She laughed, "You are so jealous! Even now. No, it wasn't Mickey. It was a different boy. Mickey tried to talk me out of it."

He nodded. "Maybe he wasn't an idiot."

Rose giggled, "So damn jealous. I can feel your emotions now and just mentioning another boy….."

He smiled, "I'm getting better about that."

Rose smiled at him and shook her head. "No, you're not!"

He pulled her hand to his mouth and kissed it. "Did you ever have a nickname when you were younger?"

"Rosey. The children called me that." Rose told him.

He smiled and nodded his head.

Rose smiled at him. "Did you have a nickname? Surely you weren't The Doctor as a child."

He chuckled. "No. I wasn't. But, I wasn't called by my name either. No one could know who I was. I was called Theta Sigma. It wasn't supposed to be spoken outside of the Academy, but anyone who knew me then, knew that as my name. Some always thought that's what my name was."

"No one could know who you were? Why?" Rose asked.

He pointed and shook his head. "That. I don't want to tell you. You would really see me differently, and I don't want that. One day I will. I promise."

Rose nodded her head. "Okay. Fair enough. Probably for the best you had a nickname. I don't know how anyone would have ever spoken your real name. I've given up ever being able to pronounce it."

He smiled, "Yeah. It's honestly impossible for most species to say. I told you a shortened version of it when we married. The full name is really long, and completely unpronounceable to a human. It has thirty-eight syllables. If you can even imagine that."

Rose held up her hand. "Hang on. Your real name you told me isn't even your real name?"

He laughed. "No, it wasn't."

"Then what is it? Surely you can tell me." Rose asked him.

He smiled and nodded his head. "Yeah, I can tell you. But, I have to whisper it in your ear and you can't tell anyone nor tell anyone my other name that I told you. Understand? That's important."

Rose rolled her eyes. "I can't even say it! You really don't ever have to worry about that."

"Promise me you won't even try. Alright?"

Rose smiled. "You know you can trust me."

He smiled back at her. "Of course I know. If I believe in anything in the entire universe, it's in you." He leaned over and tucked her hair behind her ear. He kissed her ear and then whispered the long word to her. He leaned back and looked at her.

She smiled at him. "That is so beautiful."

He laughed as he ran his hand through his hair. "Phhhh. It's just a word."

"A long ass word. Jesus. No wonder you didn't get out of school until you were 45. It would take me that damn long to learn how to spell it."

He looked back at her and looked hurt. "Damn. Someone is cheeky."

"Sorry. That was just….. wow. Really? That's it?" Rose ask him. "Can you tell me again?"

He laughed at her. "Really? You want to hear that again?"

Rose held her hands out, "Yes! Just once more, in my ear."

He shook his head as he smiled at her. "Mad woman." He leaned over and whispered it to her again.

Rose laughed in disbelief. "Yep. Nothing to worry about with me ever trying to say that in my crazy, long life. I've already accepted I can't. Damn.

He rolled his eyes at her. "We should probably finish our run, mad woman."

He stood up and dusted himself off. He helped her up as she dusted herself off.

"Can you sense Sam?" he asked.

Rose nodded. "Yes. Well, you can sense him, too. He's sleeping. How is Genie?"

"She's having fun. Playing with Tony. Do you want me to join you to her?" He asked her.

Rose shook her head. "No. Is that bad that I don't want-"

He took her hands, "No, it's not. Don't think that. I only ask because I also want to tell you that if you ever want me to, just ask me. It will be just like the link you have with Sam. But, you don't have to. I understand it can be overwhelming."

Rose faced him and ran her fingers through his. "Since we're being honest with one another, I have another confession."

He smiled at her. "What is it?"

"I miss you." Rose told him and she held onto hands.

He smiled at her. "What are you on about? I'm right here."

Rose smiled. "Yes, you are. But, I miss you."

He looked confused. "I don't understand. Explain this to me."

Rose wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him quickly. She whispered to him. "I miss you. And me. Together. Making love several times a day. You trying to show me how much you love me. You looking at me and speaking in crazy languages."

He held onto her hips. He closed his eyes tightly. "Woooooo….yes. Okay, I know what you are talking about now. Ummm…"

Rose whispered in his ear, "How long has it been?"

"Oh, I don't know. A while." He told her.

She leaned back a looked him in the eyes. "I know you. You really know how long it's been."

"Well, Rose. It wasn't safe. After Sam got –" he started.

Rose put her finger over his lips. "If you tell me, you can have me. I'm completely fine from this eventful week."

He bit his lip and asked her something in a strange language.

Rose laughed in his face. "Try again."

He smiled and rubbed his face. "Do you want to go back to our bedroom? Or to the sailboat? Or where?"

Rose smiled. "Our bedroom, back in London. Can we go there? No one is there, right?"

He held up his finger, touched his bracelet and looked at the display on his arm. He typed a few things on his arm and pressed the wristband again to turn off the display. He wrapped his arms around her and popped them into the bedroom at their flat in London.

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It was night and the sky line was beautiful outside of the bedroom window. They were so lost in their kiss that they never noticed it. They had been unable to enjoy the pleasure they took in one another for so long.

Both of them kicked off their shoes as they took off one another's shirts and threw them to the side. The Doctor fell backwards into the bed as Rose climbed on top of him. He pulled off her running pants and knickers. He ran his hands across her bare bum and moaned.

"You are so beautiful." He told her.

Rose smiled at him as she kissed his nose. "Check it. It's okay."

He put one of his fingers inside of her and felt how tight and wet she was. He rubbed his nose to hers and whispered, "This is okay?"

She kissed any part of him she could reach, "Yes."

"Tell me if I need to stop." He told her.

Rose looked at him and bit her bottom lip. "Don't you even think about stopping. Play some of your crazy music. Really loud."

He laughed as he asked. "Friday. You there?"

Rose was kissing his neck and chest.

Friday's voice came through the bracelet. "Of course, sir."

"Route my shagging playlist through the speakers here in our London bedroom."

"Of course, sir." Friday said as 'Bright Lights' by Gary Clark Jr. started playing on the stereo in the bedroom.

Rose giggled, "This might be most normal song you have ever played."

He smiled like a loon at her. "Perfect shagging music."

He kissed her and put another finger inside of her and stroked. She started to moan. "Tell me how long it's been."

She put both of her hands down his shorts and ran her fingers around his erection as she continued to kiss him. He spoke to her in another language again.

She rolled her eyes and smiled at him. "Take off your shorts, Time Lord. It's been a long time."

He smiled at her as he lay back and pulled down his shorts and pants, dropping them to floor. He rolled her over, put his hand on her face as he continued to stroke her with his fingers. She bit his shoulder and moaned, "I've missed this. I need you inside of me."

He shook his head as she felt his breath against her neck, "Not, yet. You aren't there yet."

She moaned as she pulled her leg up behind his back. "Tell me how long it has been."

He continued to stroke his fingers inside of her, he took one of his fingers and ran it on the outside of her opening causing her to arch her back and scream.

He kissed her chest and neck. "Too long, sweetheart. I've missed this more than you know."

She was lost in her pleasure. He ran his hand down her side, pulling her leg back behind his back again as his lips met hers again.

He slid inside of her. "Is this okay? Are you still alright?" He whispered to her.

Rose panted, "Stay hard. I really have missed this."

He moaned as he kissed her. He rolled over and put her on top of him. "Now, I can see you."

She smiled as she rode him, forcing him deep inside of her and causing both of them to moan. She lay down on him and met his lips. "Tell me. Wife's privilege."

He chuckled, "Wife's privilege, huh? I can see this becoming a thing. It's been 4 months, 19 days, 14 hours, 34 minutes and 19.4 seconds since we last made love."

Rose laughed hysterically. "Damn! Leave it to you! Time Lord! You sound like you had a stop watch on this."

He laughed, "I love my son, but man have I missed this."

Rose leaned down and kissed him. He ran his hands near her breasts, "Are we keeping your bra on?"

"Yes. Keep it on." Rose told him as she started to ride him again. She rose up and he watched her as she ran her hands through her hair and set herself down on his staff.

His eyes rolled back in his head. He spoke in another language as he held her hips.

She panted, "Stay hard, I'm almost there."

He answered her in the strange language.

They collapsed together. Rose lay down on his chest and kissed him. Both of them were covered in sweat and panting.

He ran his hand through his wet hair. "Holy shit, woman!"

Rose laughed breathlessly. "Oh, I needed that."

"Wow, you are ….. wow!" he told her as he tried to catch his breath.

Rose smiled as she rubbed his chest. "Thank you for loving me."

He looked at her. "Nothing will ever make me stop loving you."

"Even if being a mum changes me?" Rose asked him.

He laughed, "I'm the last person that can talk about changing. What are you on about?"

She felt him rub her back with his feather light touch. "People I've known that became parents. They changed. Became different people."

He kissed her forehead, "I'll still love you. That's a natural change. You become what Sam needs you to be. It's just part of being a parent. I'm sure it will change me, too. Just like when Genie came to live with us. I had to become Daddy."

Rose smiled, "And I became 'Rose'."

He smiled as he laid his cheek on her forehead. "You are, who you are in this moment. Only be concerned with this moment. What is happening right now. No one can see what is coming."

Rose smiled as she rubbed his chest. "You can. Those strange visions you have."

"Oh, I hate looking at those. There are more there now. I can feel it." He groaned as he rubbed his face.

"Good or bad things?" Rose asked him as she kissed the ends of his fingers she pulled to her mouth.

"I don't know. I don't want to look. I'd rather just be surprised with everyone else. I hate having those…. Premonitions."

"Will it go away if you don't look?" Rose asked him.

"No. They will just build and there will be more."

"You don't have to show me, but if you want someone to look at them with you, I will."

"Last time it made you sick!" He told her in surprise.

She fussed, "It didn't kill me! I'm fine."

He sighed, "I feel like I could go to sleep for days here with you. I need to get up and get ready."

"Where are you going?"

He rubbed his face. "Tony asked me to help him with something tonight in New York. Would you like to come with me?"

Rose smiled, "How long would we be?"

He kissed her forehead. "Not long. Just long enough to speak to some people. Having the famous Rose Tyler there will really go over well!"

She got up and started putting on her clothes. He rolled over and watched her, smiling. "You are so delightful. I can't believe you put up with me."

She handed him his clothes as she smiled. "Get dressed. We'll pop home, and get ready to go. Maybe mum will watch Sam for us a bit longer."

He put back on his clothes and asked Friday to turn off the music. He turned around and looked at the bed. "Well, the bed is all untidy now. Housekeeping will wonder what the hell?"

Rose smiled, "Oh, let them wonder. It will give them something to talk about."

He put his hands around her waist and looked in her eyes. "Before we go back, may I ask for one, more kiss?"

Rose narrowed her eyes at him. "Just a kiss, right? Nothing strange."

"Nothing strange. Just a kiss. I love kissing you." He smiled at her.

She smiled as she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.

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