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Chapter 72 – Sock it to the Zeppelins

The Doctor and Rose popped back into their flat. They landed in the bedroom. The Doctor, still on crutches, walked over to the bed and fell backwards on it with a loud sigh.

"Oh, thank you, so much Universe that Pete is going to be alright!" he exclaimed.

Rose laughed at him. "You are so funny."

He ran his hand through his hair. "Oh, I could celebrate with a bottle of champagne. But, I've lost that bet. Damn."

"I'm glad we left when we did. Mum looked like she was getting ready to -"

"Ah! No. He's said he's not doing that for a month!" the Doctor told her.

"What? Did he lose a bet?" Rose laughed.

He smiled, "No. I recommended it. I told him to date her. But, no sex. Absence makes the heart grow fonder. Granted, this entire situation might end up helping more than anything I could ever do. This is very... Kintsurkuroi."

Rose took off her trainers and sat on the bed next to him. He rose up and took off his jacket and tossed it in the floor.

"What is that? Some strange planet?" Rose asked him.

He lay back on the bed and rubbed his face. "No, sweetheart. It's Japanese. It means, 'to repair with gold.' It's an art of repairing pottery with gold or silver lacquer. They understand that the piece becomes more beautiful because it has been broken. Makes it stronger."

"Wow. That is lovely. Makes me think of you." Rose told him as lay down on her side to face him.

He chuckled and shook his head, "No. That's more you."

He took her hand and kissed it. Then he turned to face her and ran his hand down her body. "The universe has been so cruel to me. I deserved it. I don't deserve this. I don't deserve you, Rose. I don't know how I got so lucky."

She smiled at him, and started to run her hands through his hair. "I love you. What if we agree that I'm the lucky one. And I can pick you to join me in being happy."

He smiled, "For she had eyes and chose me! I'm such a happy man, Rose."

She smiled at him, "I can feel it. I want you to be happy. I'm so glad you are here with me."

She kissed him.

She looked at him, "Sweetheart, how is your leg?"

He sat up and started to take off his trainer that he could reach. "It's fine. My knee is aching, though."

Rose climbed off of the bed and took off his other trainer. She helped him take off the splint. They carefully took off his trousers. Rose started to help him put the splint back on his leg when he stopped her.

"Hold on. This is strange. It's not hurting at all." he told her.

He sat back on the bed and unwrapped the bandage. Rose stood in front of him and watched. When he reached his knee, he stopped and looked up at her. There were no stitches, or any sign, that his leg had even been hurt.

Rose put her hands on her hips and looked confused.

He shook his head and said, "I didn't do it. I promised I wouldn't Rose. It wasn't me!"

Rose knelt down and took over unwrapping it. When she finished, he bent his knee and groaned. "Oh, man. That's what I needed."

Rose tossed the bandages in rubbish bin. She returned and sat next to him in the bed. She ran her hand over the area where he had been cut.

"How did this even happen?" she asked him.

He looked at her and smiled. "I have an idea how. Tell me, tonight...before I left to go to the hospital, I fell asleep. I think you did, too. What did you dream about?"

Rose looked surprised at him, "I hated seeing you pain. I knew you were shielding me as we fell asleep. I hated it because I couldn't feel you, in my mind. I went to sleep and remember...well, it's strange."

"Go on." he encouraged her as he rubbed her back.

She took a deep breath. "I remembered when you got shot. I remembered being...something else...I stood above you and..."

The Doctor asked, "...and what?"

"I ran my hand down your leg. You were lying in the bed, right here next to me. You slept through the entire thing." Rose told him. "Do you think that really happened?"

He looked down at his leg. "Well. Something clearly did. It seems as if me getting hurt, and you wishing me well, heals me when I sleep. My broken hand, my burnt arm, now my leg. Huh. Interesting."

Rose covered her mouth. "This is so strange."

He could feel she was about to cry. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her. "Sweetheart. You are exhausted. You need to sleep."

He unbuttoned her jeans which she took off. He helped her take off her shirt and bra. He tossed them in the floor. She smiled as he took off his shirt, and put it on her.

He kissed her forehead, "There. I bet that really smells like me."

She smiled. "Thank you."

He smiled at her as he pulled down the duvet cover and tucked them both in. He rose up and was doing something under the duvet.

"What are you doing?" she asked him.

"It's our new tradition, Rose! Take off your socks and roll them up! It will make you feel so much better."

Rose laughed and did as he asked. He took aim and threw his sock and hit the window really hard.

"Ha! Got that damn Zeppelin! Your turn now!"

She laughed and threw her sock. It didn't make it to the window.

He looked at her. "Now you know where it's laying. Think about it hitting that Zeppelin. Go on."

Rose smiled and closed her eyes. She heard a pop as her sock hit the window. She giggled and looked back at the Doctor who was smiling at her. "That's the way to do it! Okay, that one on the right. Near the London Eye." He threw his sock and it hit the window hard. "Ha! I wish I had more feet! This is brilliant!"

Rose laughed at him. "You are so silly. You always make me feel better."

"Telekinesis is not the worst thing in the world. Maybe you can help me learn to do it better. Now, pick a Zeppelin." he told her.

She laid the balled up sock in the palm of her hand and closed her eyes. The sock rose up and flew to the window. Instead of hitting it though, it zoomed back and hit the Doctor in the head.

Rose laughed and fell over in the bed. The Doctor laughed and rolled his eyes at her. "My wife has cheeky socks!"

He used the remote to close the blackout curtains. Rose lay her head on his chest. He ran his hand up the back of her shirt and kissed the top of her head.

"Good night, sweetheart." he told her.

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