Huge thanks to all of you for sticking with this story, even though it's taken me forever to update. I hope this chapter was worth the wait!

After the customary bow and greeting, Ghareem speaks first, even though Victor was the one who'd initiated the holo-comm link. "I've just spoken with Omara, Your Majesty. Do you know why she seems to believe I've been standing guard over Rose?"

It's not so much a statement as an accusation, going by the commander's curt tone. Any other time, such audacity might have angered Victor, but today it merely amuses him.

"Because you have been," says Victor, propping his left boot up on the dash, carefully avoiding buttons and switches and blinking lights. He begins to tie up the lace. "Now, I need–"

"Sir, Omara assumes Rose is safely home. At her flat in London."

"Does she? Silly of her. All I told her was that Rose had been located. Omara does like to make assumptions."

"She mentioned that you stationed thirty soldiers outside Rose's building. Isn't that to make it seem like Rose–"

"Yes, Ghareem," huffs Victor, thumping his foot to the floor. "I want the world to think Rose is safe at home, you know that. You know why."

Ghareem's biceps bulge as he runs a nervous hand over his close-cropped white hair. Though he's smaller in holograph form than in person, his physical prowess is obvious– a fact that Victor doesn't usually mind, so long as the man is his fawning subordinate. "I do understand why the humans need to believe that, but until you marry, Omara is still your superior. You must tell her the truth, sir. She expects your wedding to take place tomorrow as scheduled. Your wedding to Rose."

"I commed you, Ghareem," says Victor impatiently, scratching his thickly stubbled jaw with one hand while he sonics Ghareem's holo-form down to sixty percent of true size. "I need the latest intel. Stop wasting my time by telling me things I already know."

"There's nothing new to report, sir. I've been watching the cottage from a distance like you requested and I've no access to the audios…" He pauses. "But you've been listening, Your Majesty. Surely your questions regarding Rose's...loyalty have been answered. You must know that she..."

"Is in love with the man she's currently with? That he didn't abduct her, but rather she ran off with him? Oh yes, I am aware." At Ghareem's obvious shock, Victor laughs heartily, his annoyance dissipating.

"Are you quite all right, my lord? You look rather... disheveled. Aren't you being interviewed by BBC One in less than an hour?"

"Never mind how I look," he replies, suddenly distracted by motion on one of the small surveillance monitors. For a moment Victor eyes it eagerly, but when nothing interesting happens he turns back to Ghareem. "And don't tell me you've nothing new to report. You weren't able to find out what they were doing outside for over an hour last night?"

"Well. I could see they were sitting on the porch, but the night was quite dark and overcast. Visibility was limited. I believe Rose and her captor were mostly just talking."

"Mostly, eh? And when they weren't talking, they were kissing, I suppose?" Rocking back in the seat, Victor wags his eyebrows.

"I...perhaps," replies Ghareem, staring at him. "I can't be certain. But even if they were, that doesn't mean Rose liked it."

"Oh, she liked it."

"But you...you still intend to marry her?"

"What a daft question; of course I do!" Victor flips the sonic screwdriver and tries to pocket it, only then remembering he's not wearing a jacket. "I'll let you in on a little secret, Ghareem. Don't tell Omara, cos I hate it when she's right about things, but…" Victor smiles conspiratorially. "I'm not in love with Rose. I've never been, and never will be. So why would I care where her little human heart lies?"

"If that's the case, my lord, why do you want to marry her?"

Still grinning, Victor arches an eyebrow and doesn't answer.

"Wouldn't you be happier if you chose someone else? Someone you could love? And let Rose go?"

Victor laughs again, his head thrown back in genuine enjoyment. "Blimey, quite a suggestion, especially coming from a person brought up in one of the universe's most punitive societies. Rose hasn't just broken some itty bitty little law, you know. She's a traitor to the throne. She's lucky I'm not having her executed." He tilts his head to the side. "Well. I won't, so long as she still agrees to marry me."

Deep dismay creases Ghareem's face, but he does not challenge Victor. "What about the man, sir?"

"Oh, he'll definitely be executed. That will be punishment enough for Rose, I reckon."

"Shall I apprehend him now, my lord?" The Tesi commander has made this suggestion several times over the past two days, but now he sounds genuinely pained by it.

"No. I will deal with Rose's little boyfriend myself. Do not interfere. I want you doing surveillance only. If they leave that cottage, track them, but do not confront them under any circumstances. Got it?"

"Yes...but sir, as I've mentioned before, my ship has no cloaking. I can only survey things from the ground, at a distance. If you sent me one of the royal cruisers I could–"

"I don't need any more intel," snaps Victor, hopping to his feet. "Just keep track of them. That's it. Got it?"

He glares as he towers over the small hologram, even though he knows, on Ghareem's end of the comm-line, he won't appear this large and intimidating. No matter. Ghareem will follow his orders to the letter. No Tesi soldier would dare disobey a superior, and especially not their King.

A small worry niggles, however. If, by chance, Rose does get a chance to plead her case to Ghareem, it could throw a wrench into things, especially now that she knows Victor's true identity. Not that Ghareem would take her side or anything, but of late he's shown a penchant for questioning, for wondering. With how everything has played out so beautifully thus far, it would be a shame to let some small hiccup mar it.

"Yes, my lord," acquiesces the Tesi commander, bowing. "When shall I expect your arrival?"

"I don't know. Soon. I'll get there when I get there."

On the dashboard, a second holo-phone alights and buzzes, flashing an image of Omara's face into the air. Victor groans. "Sod it all, Ghareem, why are we still talking? Now Omara's phoning about that bloody media interview. If she executes me and crowns herself queen when she sees I haven't even showered yet, you can blame yourself."

Ghareem makes some reply, but Victor doesn't hear it. The Doctor's voice, after hours of silence, has piped up in his ear-pod. Talk to me, Pete. What've you found out?

Without a second thought, Victor clicks off both the current and incoming calls. Gazing through the curved glass at the clear blue sky, he listens intently, wishing the stupid Doctor would put his stupid mobile on speaker so he could intercept both sides of the conversation.

"Oh, I knew it had to be something like that," he hears the Doctor say. "So if Victor isn't married by sunset tomorrow, the treaty's off? Blimey, that would be an easy way to get the Tesi to vacate Earth, wouldn't it? Too easy, maybe?" A pause. "No, it's just that it doesn't quite make sense. Do you reckon he's got another woman lined up to replace Rose if he can't find her in time? ...right, right. Yeah, I do fear that's true as well, just didn't want to say it... I agree. It might be worth the risk, just holding out till the treaty expires. Can I think it over? Okay, yes, I get it. I'll talk things over with Rose and ring you right back."

Victor waits, biting his cheek to keep from laughing (even though he knows the Doctor can't hear him), but no further audio comes immediately from the cottage. Odd, that. He'd think the Doctor would be tripping over his own feet in his rush to share such big news with Rose.

Well, her reaction is of no consequence. Victor hadn't been lying when he told Ghareem he already had all the intel he needed. Even this new bit isn't useful, so much as it's yet another layer of icing on a very thick cake. Victor will still wed Rose before the Doctor's tormented eyes, though now the man will be fully aware that he's losing not only his love but the planet as well, all in one go. Brilliant.

Envisioning the scene in his mind's eye, Victor can hardly contain his glee. He dances his way down the low, narrow corridor, so exuberantly that he whacks his hand on the wall, more than once.

It's just so perfect, so fantastic. What he really ought to do is lock the Doctor up afterward, so he can rub all past and future conquests in the man's face whenever he pleases. What a waste it would be, to put the Doctor out of his misery. Victor only wished it weren't such a risk to lug him along on the TARDIS. It would be so convenient.

Oh, well. It will be fun enough, setting off with his new bride to begin his life's work of bringing peoples and planets under his dominion. And he won't even have to wait to get started, since the Doctor, thoughtful man, had built that energy converter for the TARDIS. Just when Victor had thought he'd have to cobble one together himself.

On entering the empty sleeping quarters, his laugh echoes as he remembers how the clever timeship had refused to allow him entry. Admittedly, this had infuriated Victor at first, until he realised what a compliment it was. The TARDIS knew him. Unlike the rest of this world, she saw him as he truly was. Feared him as he deserved.

After a few minutes of hunting around, Victor finds his mobile in the pocket of his discarded suit jacket, which he'd left slung over the back of the armchair. Swiping through the list of contacts, he quickly finds the number he wants and rings it. It's nearly half-past eleven. Since he wants BBC One to break this story within the hour, he's got to report it before everyone swans off for lunch.

Five minutes later, he rings off. There's no turning back now; the gears of his plan are officially grinding. Victor loosens his tie and heads to the closet, skipping like a kid hyped-up on sugar. He can't wait to be himself again.

A hushed voice speaks, breaking through her wispy dreams. As light seeps into her consciousness Rose scrunches her face in irritation, burrowing further into the pillow.

"Rose," the voice persists. "Rose, wake up."

As she registers the hand at her brow, tenderly brushing her hair back, she remembers.

The Doctor loves her. He said so.

The thrill that runs through her wakes her properly. Opening her eyes, Rose smiles to find the Doctor close beside her, perched on the edge of her bed. He mirrors her smile, his gentle fingers drifting down her cheek. Rose stills, heart quickening with the hope that he might lean in for a good-morning kiss, but he doesn't. His brown eyes are full of anxiety.

"Oh no, what's wrong?" Rose asks immediately.

Sighing, the Doctor helps her sit up. "I don't know. Nothing. Everything. I'm not sure where to start."

For one terrible moment she panics, wondering if he regrets having admitted his feelings for her the night prior, but a sudden warmth in his eyes quickly quells it. It's a longing look, almost one of awe. Heart pounding harder, Rose's lips part in anticipation.

But the Doctor still does not kiss her– although, it's nearly as satisfying when he shifts further away, like he doesn't trust himself. "Ehm," he clears his throat. "Good morning. That's how I should have started this conversation, sorry."

"Good morning," Rose replies in a flirtatiously low voice as she stretches a hand out and tangles her fingers with his, delighting in his hitch of breath. "You're here with me, so it is a good one, even if you're about to tell me the world's on fire."

This gets a chuckle out of the Doctor. "No, no, it's nothing like that. I don't really have any bad news to report at all–" he cuts off, and exhales. "Well, unless you count the fact that my mobile's broken."

"Oh no, really? Did you drop it?"

"No, I was talking to Pete a few minutes ago and straight afterward, it shorted out. Up and died. I can't get it to turn back on, not even with the sonic, it's like a brick. And I need that phone, because Pete and I are in the midst of making a plan. We've got a decision to make, Lewis. I know I mentioned heading back to the TARDIS today, but...well, your dad somehow found out that the capitulation agreement between the humans of earth and the Tesi has not been finalised yet, like you were led to believe. Get this, Rose– it is contingent on the King's marriage. If it doesn't happen by sunset tomorrow, the treaty expires."

"So that's why Victor was suddenly so insistent on gettin' married Saturday," says Rose, scowling at the memory of it. "That tricky, lying git."

"Yep."

"So now what? We gotta get the Shadow Proclamation involved somehow, before he marries somebody? Cause the treaty will be totally legal if he does, won't it? And then we're forced to go back to plan D."

"Plan D?"

"Yeah." Rose lets her eyes twinkle at him. "You know. Plan Diarrhea."

A short laugh escapes the Doctor, but he looks worried. "Right, there's always good old plan D. But as for involving the Shadow Proclamation, well, we won't need them to help us disrupt a wedding, will we? We can do that easily enough with the TARDIS."

"Right, course we can," says Rose, elated. "Oh my god, that will be so fun."

The Doctor does not share her glee. "It will be dangerous," he says flatly. "Far more so than you realise, Rose. Which is why I'm seriously considering option H, which is to hide here until the contract expires. Cos the thing is, your dad and I...we don't think Victor will marry at all, if he can't find you."

"What?" Rose is flabbergasted by such a statement. "No. Believe me, he would never let my disappearance keep him from finalising that agreement. He's called himself Victor for a reason, Doctor. Victory is all that matters to him."

"I know it is. And that's why, if he's got to choose between earth or you, I believe he'll pick you."

"But-"

"Listen to me, Rose. To him, a victory over earth is small potatoes. It's subjugating a bunch of humans, a species he sees as far beneath him. To be honest, I doubt he'd have ever bothered with this planet, had he not been stuck here." The Doctor plucks anxiously at the duvet, the mattress joggling as he fidgets. "I hate to think of all the planets out there he'd try to bring under his control if he had a TARDIS. Blimey."

A horrible thought occurs to Rose. "He couldn't steal your TARDIS, could he? If he found it, somehow?"

"No, no. The TARDIS recognises people psychically, not physically. No way is he getting in without a key."

"That's a relief." Rose lets out a long breath.

"I don't think he'd steal it though, even if he found it," the Doctor tacks on, his eyes deadly serious as they fix on hers. "All that power, but it won't be what he wants most, because, well…"

All at once he takes hold of both her hands and squeezes them. "He knows exactly how I feel about you, Rose. To win you, to permanently bind you to himself...it would be the ultimate victory for him, because it's a victory over a Time Lord. Not only that, but a victory over the Time Lord he hates most. You've said it yourself, he's insecure about being part-human. What better way for him to assert his superiority over me?"

"So I'm what, a trophy?" Rose isn't really asking. Everything he's saying makes too much sense.

"I'm afraid so. The Valeyard is evil, Rose. Like I told you last night, there are reasons prophecies arose about him. With power, there's always the risk of corruption, that's what made the Time Lords so dangerous. I've always known I need people traveling with me, to help keep me on the straight and narrow. But him– he was born corrupt. He'll have no desire to be anything else."

Rose's blood runs cold. She's despised Victor almost from the start, but now, for the first time, she's afraid of him. "Didn't you say he's probably too human to do the mind link thing?" she asks, voice wobbling.

The bed bounces as the Doctor stands up only to sit again, right beside her. He wraps her tight in his arms. "I hate to say this, but I don't dare assume that, now that I know who he really is. But even if he can, I won't let him," he adds vehemently, nose in her hair. "I promise. I'd die before I'd let him anywhere near you."

"That is not comforting." Rose buries her face in his shirt. "I don't want you to die."

"Well, I can regenerate and he can't," states the Doctor with dark finality. "It would be a small price to pay to save you from being bound to a monster." Arms tightening, he kisses her hair. "I would feel so much better if you were safe aboard the TARDIS."

A thought pops into her head, and she looks up at the Doctor. "Doesn't he think he already beat you, though? You left, and I stayed with him. It's not like he knows I'm with you now, or that you're here at all. Maybe marrying me isn't that important to him, since he can't shove it in your face?"

If anything, the Doctor only looks more worried. "I can't imagine he'd leave such an important thread untied," he says gravely, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. "And oh, Rose, if we decide to hide here and wait out the clock, and he somehow does know I'm back, that you're with me…"

"He doesn't. He can't."

"He might. I know he's got the power to send a whole army to retrieve you and he hasn't done, but that doesn't prove anything."

"Yes, it does. He's nearly out of time. If he knew where I was, he wouldn't just leave me with you. He must still be looking."

"Maybe you're right. I hope you're right." The Doctor runs a hand through his hair. "Pete did say Tesi patrols have been out in full force. There's a whole legion guarding your building, apparently."

"What," snorts Rose, "do they think I might try to sneak back home? How stupid do they think I am? Or, how stupid do they think my kidnappers are, I suppose."

"I think it's probably to make the world believe you're there, to give the impression that everything is fine. It's gotta be why your disappearance was never reported on by the media."

"Right...although, are we sure about that? Have you turned on the telly at all since yesterday?"

"Guess not," admits the Doctor, looking thoughtful. "We should probably check."

He stands, helps her climb out of bed, and together they pad into the lounge. Rose hovers behind the sofa as the Doctor fetches the remote and clicks the tv to BBC One. A newscaster stands before the heavily guarded main entrance of Torchwood Tower, the usual banner rolling beneath her. Breaking News, it reads. King Victor to wed Rose Tyler Saturday in a Private Ceremony.

They frown at each other, and then watch for a few minutes in silence, as the woman reports on the upcoming event with genuine excitement.

"An anonymous source who is close to the King tells us that the wedding will take place in the evening, in an undisclosed location. No other details have been given. The King and his new Queen will address the world Sunday morning."

When the reporter introduces a designer, who begins to speculate on what sort of wedding dress Rose might wear based on her past fashion choices, Rose takes the remote from the Doctor's hand and powers off the television. "So now he's announcing the wedding date to the world? Why?"

The Doctor's jaw is tight. "I suppose it fits our theory that Victor's trying to maintain the illusion that the Tesi are in total control. Although…"

"What?"

"Well, only the Tesi know their occupation of earth will end if that wedding doesn't happen on schedule. Victor's wouldn't want them to know the treaty's in jeopardy."

"But if the Tesi think I'm safe at home, they're not searching for me. He wouldn't want that."

"Yeah, but I reckon what he really doesn't want is to be forced to choose a new bride." Propping himself against the sofa's back, he scratches his stubbled cheek thoughtfully. "Maybe even a Tesi bride, which would be more fitting anyway, if you ask me. Since this whole thing is supposedly about joining two worlds together."

"I dunno; seems like it's more about pretending there's a balance of power. Earth's King and Queen are human, so it seems like we have a say in what the Tesi do."

"Ah." The Doctor nods, though Rose can tell he's not quite convinced. "Anyway, Victor must be awfully confident in his ability to sort things out at the very last moment." He sniffs. "Bit arrogant, don't you think?"

Rose bites back a smile.

"Right," he says, tugging an ear. "Don't answer that."

"So what do we do, Doctor? You don't really want to hide here, hoping he doesn't get married, do you? Doesn't really sound like you."

"I know, but...driving back to the TARDIS is risky. I can't even think about what might happen if we get caught."

"Staying is risky too," argues Rose, perching on the sofa's back alongside him. "Like you said, there's a chance he knows we're here."

The Doctor looks pained. Rose takes his hand, and begins to play with his fingers.

"Your hands are cold," he tells her.

"So are yours."

She knows his normal body temp runs lower than hers, and he knows she knows it, so he ignores her statement. "You ought to get dressed. Or at least put on a hoodie. It's chilly out here."

"I will after we decide what we're doing."

In silent acquiescence, the Doctor reaches for the blanket that's piled in a corner of the sofa, grabs it and drapes it over her shoulders.

Rose smiles at him. "When do we ever wait?" she asks, suddenly sure of what their next move should be. "You and I, we run."

"Alright," says the Doctor after a beat, managing a half smile back. "You've convinced me."

The wood floor chills her bare toes again as Rose hops down. "Suppose we both ought to hurry and get packed now, yeah?"

"Well, we can't leave quite yet, not until I have a way to keep in contact with Pete. I'll need to ride into Penzance to pick up a new phone."

"We can't just stop on our way?"

The Doctor shakes his head. "You can't come with me into a shop, Rose, you'd be recognised. You could wait outside, keep the helmet on, but I'd be terrified you'd attract some overzealous Tesi patroller."

"Well, it's a good thing you've got all this facial hair to hide behind, or we'd have a massive problem." Rose reaches up to cup his cheek, lightly scratching her nails through his stubble. It feels much softer this morning, thick and dark, nearly a full-fledged beard.

"Yeah, it'll be put to some use, I suppose. But blimey, I can't wait to shave it off."

"Why do you dislike it so much?" wonders Rose, dragging her thumb across his prickly chin.

"Dunno. Ten incarnations, and not one of them has ever wanted facial hair."

She hums. "Shame. I think it's sexy."

He looks at her in genuine surprise. "What, really?"

"Yes."

"Well. Suppose I could grow it out again sometime in future, just for you. Next time we're on the lam."

He winks at her and she giggles. Hearing him talk like that, like their future together is a settled thing, fills Rose with joy. The Doctor is anxious about their situation, but he's not anxious about them anymore, and it's wonderful.

"C'mon," says the Doctor, taking hold of her elbow and guiding her toward the kitchen. "You should eat something, and then you can pack. There's pasta and chicken left over from last night, let's get some heated up for you."

"For breakfast?"

He chuckles. "It's past noon, lazy girl."

As he opens up the fridge, Rose wraps her arms around his waist to hug him from behind. "Not my fault. You kept me up way too late," she says saucily, just for the fun of flustering him.

But the Doctor only laughs, and turns around to hug her properly. "Cheeky."

"You love it."

His eyes gleam. "I love you."

It steals her breath, the ease and warmth he says it with. All Rose can do is gaze up at him, wide-eyed. The Doctor holds her gaze, and then –finally– he leans in for a kiss.

It's soft and sweet, and over far too quickly. Rose's hands fist his jumper of their own volition, drawing him in for a second, longer kiss. When she releases him, his eyes are glazed, which pleases her immensely.

"This doesn't feel quite real yet," she says, a nervous giggle escaping as she smoothes the front of his shirt. "I think I'm still waiting for you to tell me we've got to just be friends."

His eyebrows go up, though he's smiling at her like she's a wonder. "Rose, you and I both know we have never just been friends."

Rose nods. Will she ever get used to him saying things like that? It makes her head spin even more than his kisses do.

"However, I am trying to keep a bit of distance," he goes on. "Please don't be hurt. It's just– what I feel for you, it's a bit overwhelming, and I…" Obviously struggling for words, the Doctor gestures vainly.

"We can't let it distract us," Rose finishes for him. "I understand."

"Well...not quite. It's more like I...I don't want these other things to be a distraction. Once we, well, you know. Make things official."

At that, Rose finally does understand, with a jolt as electric as lightning. It's marriage. That's what he wants with her. That's what all of this means to him. Heart beating wildly, she reaches out and clasps his hands, trying to steady herself. "'S this okay? We can still hold hands?"

"Of course."

"And I can kiss you, from time to time?"

"I'll be quite put out if you don't."

He chuckles, but there's a glimmer of anticipation in his eyes that she just can't disappoint. Lifting onto her toes, Rose gives him a soft kiss, and then pats his chest. "I hate to say this, but you ought to run into town now."

The Doctor sighs. "I hate to leave you here alone."

"I'll be alright," says Rose, watching him as he goes to grab his leather jacket, which was hung over a kitchen chair. Fishing his sonic from an inside pocket, he points it at the door, tip glowing blue. Rose hears a dull thunk.

"That's deadlocked now." The Doctor gives the window over the sink the same treatment, and then plops his screwdriver, warm and heavy, into her hand. "Soon as I go out, I want you to deadlock the front door and the rest of the windows. No one will be able to get in, not even Victor. He'd have to set his sonic at just the right frequency and that's a one in a million guess."

While he's still talking, Rose aims the sonic at the second kitchen window with Doctorish flair. It locks instantly and she grins, flipping the tool, then fumbles and nearly drops it.

The Doctor gives his head a slow, fondly exasperated shake.

Unrepentant, Rose turns her grin on him. "Please don't worry. I'll be fine."

"I can't help it." Grimacing, the Doctor suddenly reaches for her again, and pulls her into a tight hug. "This feels wrong."

"All 'm gonna do is eat, shower, and pack," Rose says, cinching her arms around his slim waist. "You're the one taking the risk. What if you get recognised?"

A snicker escapes as he lets her go. "I look like the King, Rose. What're they gonna do, obey me?"

"Obey this," retorts Rose. She swats at him, but of course the cocky, agile git ducks out of her way.

"Blimey." Fetching his leather jacket again, the Doctor shoves his arms through the sleeves. "I was hoping for a nice goodbye snog, but now I don't know if I dare chance it."

"Maybe try your luck with an I-somehow-managed-to-not-get-arrested snog later."

"You can count on it," says the Doctor sincerely.

No more than twenty minutes have passed when Rose hears the low roar of the Doctor's bike, coming up the lane. Surprised and worried, she sets the bowl she's just washed in the rack and grabs a towel, drying her hands as she goes to peek out the window by the table. Why is he back already?

She watches him shut off the bike, all long legs and grace as he quickly dismounts and yanks off his helmet, and is relieved to see his expression is calm enough. Glancing up, the Doctor spots her at the window. Though his eyes are sparkling he scowls at her, shaking his head in disapproval. Rose pokes her tongue out.

She gets the side door unlocked with the sonic and opens it wide. "Doctor, why on earth are you back already?" she asks, as he bounds up the steps and into the house.

"I figured it out!" Rubbing his hair back to spiky life, the Doctor tosses his helmet onto the table. "When I was on the road, it just came to me! Victor, does he wear any sort of jewelry? Like cufflinks? A ring?"

"Why?" asks Rose, closing the door. "What's this all about?"

"Just answer the question, and I'll explain."

Rose takes him in. He's grinning, his eyes big and round above his dark stubble, and he's practically vibrating with excitement. "He wears cufflinks sometimes. But the only jewelry he always wears is a stupid tie-pin."

"Oh yes, that'll be it!" he exclaims, tossing his arms out before pacing across the kitchen. "I knew it wasn't really about a balance of power, it's a literal marriage alliance. The Tesi descend on a planet with overwhelming force, set up one of their own as King, and make their conquest legal when he takes a wife from amongst the natives!"

"Doctor." Rose snags him by his jacket sleeve to get him to stop moving. She'd like to be annoyed, but he's awfully cute when he gets like this. "Will you please explain why that's so exciting?"

"It's a perception filter," he tells her, crossing his arms and looking smug. "The tie-pin. It's how he got into power in the first place, Rose. Victor has fooled the Tesi into thinking he's one of them. But to anyone who's not Tesi, he looks human. That's why you didn't know."

Jaw dropping, Rose slumps back against the countertop. "Oh my god, that explains so much. Victor claimed he was just a titular ruler, yet he was always pulled in when decisions were being made, or gettin' asked to sign off on stuff. Plus, the Tesi were amazed at how much the humans loved him." She shoves her hair out of her eyes. "But I never suspected this. I feel so stupid."

"You couldn't have known," says the Doctor, watching her with bright eyes. It makes Rose smile. If he's so pleased with this development, he must have a plan he's feeling quite confident about.

"So what does this mean for us?"

"Well, it means we've got to act before the treaty expires tomorrow. If the Tesi think he's one of theirs, they'll take him along when they vacate the planet, and I can't risk him escaping. But, the really, really good bit is, all I've got to do is get that tie-pin off him. Once he's exposed as a fraud, everything else will unravel."

Straightening up, Rose glares at him scornfully. "Yeah, right, like he'd ever let you near him. Obviously, I'm the one to do it."

Some of the sparkle fades from the Doctor's eyes. "I was afraid you'd say that."

"That's because it's a smart idea. I can stroll right into Torchwood, tell him I escaped, accept his 'I'm so happy you're okay' hug, and pull that pin straight off."

"It sounds so simple, I know, but... Rose, if Victor suspects anything, anything at all, I could lose you for good. He could force you to the altar at gunpoint, or worse, psychically manipulate you. He won't care that it's illegal and evil and, and detestable, because he's got to win. He's got no conscience. It makes him far more powerful than either of us."

"But if he can get into my head, why hasn't he done it before now?"

"It's tricky when you've got to prevent the other person from realising what you're doing. Would be way too exhausting to keep it up for more than a few hours, maybe a day."

"And I suppose he couldn't do that to another Time Lord."

"No."

"Yeah, well, he only wants to marry me. But he'll kill you, Doctor, if he gets half a chance."

"I know, you're right. But, listen. I've got an idea." At that, the Doctor pauses, staring at the floor, then past her to the window. He's wringing his hands in a nervous gesture which is very unlike him.

"Doctor? You okay?"

His eyes meet hers. "Yes, I'm fine. Actually, I'm brilliant, or I will be, if...anyway. I've, ah, I've thought of a way to outsmart him. To permanently block him from your head." The Doctor's gaze drops, and he suddenly reaches out, tugging her TARDIS key out from beneath her pyjama shirt. He rubs it for a moment between his thumb and forefinger, looking like he's gathering his courage. "See, the thing is...Victor can't form any sort of psychic link with you if you're already married to me."

The world blurs. All she can see are his shining eyes, the fear and hope at war within them. The air crackles between them as seconds stretch like taffy. Does he really mean it? It's what she wants, more than she's ever wanted anything, but she needs to be sure she understands him. "You think we should get married?"

He nods, nervous.

"Like, now?"

Another nod.

"Just to protect me?"

The Doctor's eyes flash with surprise, and then she sees him turn inward, like he's replaying his own words. "Blimey," he says, focusing on Rose again, "I'm sorry. I was bound to muck this up somehow. That's got to be the murkiest marriage proposal ever, yeah? The most disappointing too, probably. You deserve, I dunno, lit candles and flowers and a romantic location, and me in a tux, down on one knee. And shaved, at the very least." He blows out a breath. "I'm so sorry, Rose. I don't even have a ring for you, no wonder you're all confused–"

"Doctor, stop apologising," Rose interrupts, trying to catch her breath as the magnitude of things begins to sink in. Here they stand, in this tiny rented kitchen, her looking silly in flannel pyjamas, him looking slightly uncomfortable in his denim and leather. Just like when she first fell in love with him. "All I want is to know if you meant it."

Joy bubbles out of him then, she can feel it. "More than I've ever meant anything."

With a little gasp, Rose flings her arms around his neck, pressing a hard kiss to his lips. "Let's do it," she declares as she pulls back. "Let's get married." Then she laughs at his pop-eyed expression. The Doctor recovers himself quickly, though, joining in her laughter as he swings her around and around.

"So now what?" asks Rose, once they calm down a bit. "This bonding thing, how does it work? Do you just–?" She touches her temples.

"No, it's a bit more involved than that, I'm afraid. I may have mangled the proposal but I mean to get the wedding bit right. It's a handfasting ceremony, which means we'll need an officiant."

Rose blinks. "Won't that be sort of hard to come by? Especially us being, well, us?"

"Nah." The Doctor winks at her. "I have a TARDIS, remember? We don't need to get married on earth. I was thinking, let's go off-planet, get hitched, and then you'll be safe when we come back to sort my evil twin. Yeah?"

"It's perfect," decides Rose, beaming. "Although," she adds, deflating a little as she remembers, "you never got a phone, did you? You couldn't have."

At once, the Doctor acquires a smug expression. Digging a hand in his pocket, he pulls out a smartphone, complete with an R2-D2 case. "Check this out– I bought it off a teenager who was walking his dog on the road."

Fondness swells in Rose. "Bought? Or nicked?"

"Oi, it was all on the up and up. I paid five hundred pounds for it."

"Five hundred– how in the world did you scrape up that sort of cash?!"

He snickers. "I didn't; your dad gave me some money before we ran off."

"What, really? Why didn't you say–"

"Rose," says the Doctor, chuckling as he takes hold of her shoulders and turns her around. "Will you stop asking me a million questions and go get dressed already? We've got to hit the road really soon if we want to make it back to the TARDIS before London's curfew."

They go their separate ways to pack up, both in an excited rush. Before long, Rose is dropping the keys on the table as they exit the little seaside cottage for the last time. They don their helmets and climb onto the motorbike, the Doctor revving the bike's engine rather obnoxiously. Laughing, Rose hugs him tight around the middle as they take off.

Before they even reach the end of the lane, the Doctor hits the brakes hard. Startled, Rose sucks a breath as the bike skids to a full stop.

Only meters ahead floats a white hoverbike, a broad-shouldered Tesi man seated atop it. Slowly, he draws out a blaster and aims it straight at the Doctor.

Rose gasps again. Not in fear of the weapon, but because she knows him.

"Ghareem!" With shaky hands she manages to pry her helmet off, so the Commander will see who she is. "Ghareem, it's me! It's Rose!"

"You know him?" the Doctor asks in a low voice, carefully lifting off his own helmet. His body is very still and straight as he stares down the weapon's barrel, his chin held high.

"Yeah, he works for Victor," she answers breathlessly, astonished and grateful when Ghareem immediately lowers his blaster. "He's kind, Doctor, he likes me. Look, he's not gonna shoot. Maybe I can try'n talk to him–"

"Talk to him about what?" snaps the Doctor, under his breath.

Rose doesn't respond, too taken aback by Ghareem's drooping shoulders, the sorrow in his pale eyes. She's never seen a Tesi look so sad. Maybe she's imagining it.

But before she can decide, Ghareem suddenly dismounts his hoverbike. He bows, deeply.

"He's letting us go!" Rose realises aloud, when Ghareem maintains the submissive position. "C'mon, hurry, before he changes his mind!"

Wordlessly, the Doctor shoves his helmet back on and so does Rose. But as they roll past Ghareem, Rose shoves up her visor. "Thank you!" she calls out to him.

Ghareem looks up. His eyes meet hers.

And she sees it again, that heartbroken look she can't understand.

It stays with her for miles.

Only one more chapter and an epilogue to go! Stay tuned!