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Chapter 11 - Left-handed

Rose was up and dressed before the sun even started to peek in through the windows of their room. She was used to getting up and going for a run. Now that she was completely recovered from the wounds she suffered during her latest kidnapping, she was itching to go run.

She knew that running outside was out of the question. Especially, given the fact that her mum had no idea that she was completely healed. She would have to settle for a quick run on a treadmill in the work-out room there at the mansion.

She came out of the bathroom, dressed for her run. She looked over at the bed and saw her little brother still curled up with the Doctor. They looked so peaceful that she tiptoed out of the bedroom, hoping that she wouldn't disturb them. She was almost to the door when she heard the Doctor's deep voice.

"You better not let Jackie see you on a treadmill," he said to her warningly.

Rose looked back to see him still laying there with his eyes closed.

"You know how she is." Then he breathed out dramatically. "And she thinks you are still hurt."

Rose walked back towards the bed. "How did you know?"

He didn't open his eyes. "You? Wandering off? Like that's new. Plus, I know how it is when you are used to running. You miss it."

She did. She couldn't believe how much.

"Before you leave though, can you hand me my pain pills?"

Rose handed him the bottle that was sitting on the bedside table. "I'm worried you might be developing a problem."

"Me? Nah. It's just for the pain. I'm alright."

She leaned over and kissed him lightly on the lips, and then left to sneak in a run.

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The Doctor was in a dark cavern. He could feel a presence someplace, but couldn't see it. He scanned the area with his sonic screwdriver. It detected nothing. He walked on. He couldn't shake the feeling that something, or someone, was there.

He walked for what seemed like miles. He started to grow cold. The cave seemed to have no way out. Everywhere he turned, it was just another endless tunnel.

He scanned again. Still, his sonic told him that there was nothing there. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was there.

He continued to walk through a path lined with stalactites. There was a light in the opening he saw in front of him.

He stepped into the cavern to discover that his TARDIS sat there. What was she doing here? Had something happened? He couldn't believe it. He could even feel her in his head, humming to him. That beautiful, blue box had managed to find a way back to him. He was elated. A huge smile spread across his face. How was this even possible?

He snapped his fingers, and the doors jumped open. He shook his head in disbelief. Was this really his TARDIS?

He walked inside to hear a song playing. He recognized it as something from the 21st century Earth. "An ancient song," as Jack would have called it. Seemed silly to him to think of any music like that. You could play music anytime from any century. Jack had clearly not lived as long as he had.

As he walked over to the console, he saw the monitor display that the TARDIS was playing Daft Punk's "Something About Us" on the speakers in the TARDIS. He felt eyes on him.

He turned to find Rose standing behind him. What was she doing there? What was going on?

Rose put her hands on both sides of his face and pulled him in for a long kiss. She sucked his bottom lip. The Doctor suddenly realized he didn't have a cast on, and his hand didn't have that constant ache that he was growing used to. He had two good hands. He wrapped them around Rose and pulled her close to him.

'What is going on, Rose?' he asked her telepathically.

'Everything is alright. Don't worry.' Rose told him.

They continued to kiss. The Doctor took advantage of having two good hands and ran them both up Rose's shirt. He cupped her breasts and teased her nipples with his fingers.

Rose untucked the oxford that he was wearing, and started to unbutton his pants.

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Just then, the Doctor woke up with a jump. Rose lay in the bed next to him. She had apparently had a shower after her run. She was in her bathrobe and her freshly bathed body and wet hair exaggerated her scent that he craved to smell more of. She was looking at him, apprehensively.

"You looked like you were having a nightmare. Are you alrigh-"

The Doctor grabbed her head with his one good hand and pulled her down to his lips. He kissed her passionately.

He rolled over on top of her, then suddenly remembered. He jerked his head back and asked, "Wait! Where's Tony?"

"He went back to his room when I came back from running. You were still sleeping."

He kissed down to her neck and shoulder. Rose untied her robe under him and opened it. He continued kissing down until he met one of her breasts. He took the nipple between his teeth and bit at it gently. Running his tongue around it at the same time.

There was a knock at the door.

The Doctor stopped and dropped his head into Rose's bare chest. He exclaimed something in a language Rose didn't know under his breath.

Jackie's voice could be heard through the door. "Are you two up? We have pictures today! Get ready and come down for some breakfast before the photographer gets here."

"Okay, mum! We're up!" Rose yelled back.

"I know I am." the Doctor told Rose quietly.

Rose laughed and began kissing him again. She took her hands to his waist. She slid his pajama bottoms off his hips. He took his hand and felt the inside of her thigh. He then followed up until he found her soft, freshly groomed opening between her legs. The surprise of less hair there made him groan aloud.

'When did you do this?' he asked her in her head.

'Just now. Just for you.'

'Let's try it out, then.' he said in her head as he slipped himself inside her.

It was amazing. She felt like he was able to go even deeper than before. He could feel her satisfaction and continued his gentle stroking as he kissed her neck, lips, and cheeks.

'Oh, that is nice. I love how slow you are right now.'

He smiled as he kissed her, 'Just trying to keep you from, err... causing too much attention to this room. Isn't that what you called it?'

'Then that probably won't help.' she told him. 'It just feels too good.' she groaned aloud.

He quickly muffled her moan with a kiss and laughed. "Rose Tyler, you are going to get us yelled at." he told her quietly.

He went back to his delicate stroking. Kissing her to keep her quiet. He realized he was moaning as well.

'Shhhh...' she told him in his head.

'I can't help it. You started it!'

He continued to stroke slowly, hitting all of the right places that made her bite her lip. She wanted to scream from the pleasure.

'This is so great. I want to scream right now.'

'That will require some explanation, Rose.' he told her as he kissed her neck.

She decided to suck a spot on his neck to keep from screaming. It's all she could think about. She ran her fingernails down his back.

He groaned aloud.

'Seriously. You need to be quiet.' she said in his head as she laughed.

'Maybe we should end this now, and continue this later.' he told her.

She could feel his satisfaction has he finished up inside of her. He collapsed his body on top of hers.

They were both covered in sweat. 'Damn, now I'm going to have to shower again.' Rose told him.

'Good, because I need some help with this cast.' he told her as raised up and he kissed her on the forehead.

Suddenly, as if he just remembered. He snapped up to look at her. "By the way, how did you put that song in my head?"

"What are you talking about?" she asked him.

He moved to lie to the side of her so he could see her better. "Before, when you came into my dream, there was a song playing. Did you do that?"

She blushed a bit. "I kept listening to that song on my mp3 player while I was running. It makes me think about you. I had it on repeat and must have listened to it 20 times just this morning. I didn't realize I was thinking about it when I went into your dream. You aren't mad are you?" she asked.

He smiled and shook his head without taking his eyes off of her. "Oh no, Rose Tyler. You can rescue me from a nightmare anytime." He leaned back down to kiss her.

The Doctor pulled back up his pajama bottoms, jumped out of bed and held his hand out to Rose. "My lady, if you would allow me to escort you to the shower." He offered.

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The Doctor was standing in front of the mirror in the bathroom. He was wearing some light brown trousers and a grey t-shirt. He also had on a light blue oxford. Because he wasn't able to manage the buttons, it was opened in the front. He planned that he would ask Rose for help as soon as she was finished getting ready. He was almost finished shaving when she walked back into the bathroom.

"What do you think?" she asked him.

He turned to see her wearing a long white, cotton dress with little orange flowers embroidered into the garment. She had her hair twisted up the same way she had wore it when they had met Charles Dickens so many years ago. The effect was stunning.

He stood there for a moment and just looked at her. "You look beautiful." he told her.

"For a human?" she teased.

He rolled his eyes. "I wish I could take back saying that. You have no idea. No, you look stunning." he said as he closed the gap between them and kissed her lips quickly.

He returned to his shaving and noticed something on his neck. "Rose Tyler. You have given me a love bite on my neck!" he exclaimed in surprise. He twisted himself around a funny way to get a better look at it in the mirror.

Rose started laughing hysterically behind him. He looked back to her seriously and asked, "A love bite?" He couldn't help that he started laughing as well.

He looked back in the mirror at his neck and declared proudly. "I have a love bite from Rose Tyler!" as if there could be no better thing in the world.

"Rose! Doctor!" Tony yelled as he ran into their bedroom.

"We're in here!" the Doctor yelled at him.

Tony appeared in the doorway as the Doctor wiped his face clean from the remainder of his shaving cream. Tony was already dressed for the day. He wore a white pair of shorts, knee socks and sleeveless sweater over an oxford. He looked like a little prince, even with his blue cast on his arm.

"Hey! Mum says to come on down for breakfast. What 'cha doing?" the little boy asked.

Rose was looking in the drawers of the bathroom for something. The Doctor lay down his towel on the cabinet. "I just finished shaving. Did you shave today?" he asked Tony.

Tony laughed at him. "No. I don't shave."

The Doctor squatted down in front of him and inspected his face. "Nope, not for a few more years. Come on though. I'll put some aftershave on you anyway. We'll smell alike! How about that?"

Tony exclaimed, "Sure!"

The Doctor picked him up and sat him on the counter next to the sink. "Here you will have to help me." He handed Tony the after-shave bottle and told him to put some into his one good hand. Tony splashed some in The Doctor's hand. "Ah! Good man! Thank you for that, Comrade!" he exclaimed.

The Doctor then patted it on his face and neck. Then he turned to Tony, and put the remainder of the aftershave on the boy's face. Tony beamed.

Rose finally found what she was looking for. She opened a band-aid and put it on the Doctor's neck to hide her love bite. Tony saw her do it and looked immediately concerned.

"What happened to your neck, Doctor?" he asked him.

"I cut myself shaving. Don't worry. It will be fine." he lied to the boy.

The Doctor helped Tony to jump down from the counter, and he ran back out of the room. Presumably to the kitchen.

The Doctor turned to Rose, who seemed to just notice his shirt was opened still.

"Here, let me help you get dressed." he told him as she started buttoning up his shirt.

"Oh, that's so close to the perfect sentence." he teased her.

She giggled at him. "I do have a question. I'm curious. Are you left-handed or right-handed?"

He looked surprised at her. "What do you mean?" he asked seriously.

"Are you right-handed or left-handed?" she asked again and looked up at his face. It was clear by the look on his face he had no idea what she was talking about.

"Yeah, I heard what you said. I just don't understand the question. What does that mean? I have two hands. Is this a Tony thing?"

"What? No!" Rose shook her head as she finished buttoning his shirt. He then took over and tucked it into his trousers.

He still looked confused. "Then what is it?"

Rose wished she hadn't said anything. How could he not know what she was talking about? He walked over to the chair where he had tossed his sling and put it on. Then grabbed his jacket. He continued to look at her, and when she didn't answer, he just leaned in and lifted his eyebrows.

Rose tried to explain. "It's like, when you write something down. Which hand do you use to write with?"

The Doctor still looked confused. "Whichever hand I pick up the pen with." he replied to her. Still confused.

"But, it would be the same hand every time." Rose insisted.

"No, it wouldn't!" he exclaimed. "It's just whichever hand you pick up something to write with."

Now, Rose looked confused. "Really? You just use either hand? You don't always write with the same one?"

"Well, right now I can only write with one hand. What a strange question, Rose Tyler. Do you only write with one hand?"

"Yeah," chuckling like it should be oblivious. "I think all humans do. Whichever one they always write with, they usually refer to it as their dominant hand. They will say they are left-handed or right-handed."

"This is really a thing? You aren't making this up?"

"No." she laughed. "How have you ever heard this?" she asked him.

"I have no idea. I might have heard it before, and have forgotten it." he considered for a moment. "Well, which are you?"

"I'm right-handed." she laughed as she said it.

He looked down at his cast. "Well, I suppose I'll have to be left-handed for the time being. Are you sure this is a thing?"

Rose shook her head at him as she lead him downstairs for breakfast.

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Rose and the Doctor walked into the kitchen.

"Oh, I don't know what's wrong with this phone." Jackie complained.

The Doctor sat at the kitchen table, tossing his jacket on the back of the chair, and started playing with Tony. Jackie was busy getting breakfast ready. Rose went over to make her and the Doctor a cup of tea.

Jackie had her phone was in her hand. She was smacking the side of it.

"What's the matter Jackie? I can look at it. Let me see." the Doctor offered.

She handed it over to him. "It's not making any sound at all. I don't know what is wrong with it. I've turned it up as loud as it will go."

The Doctor looked it over, flipping in his hand, and spotted the problem immediately. Jackie had flipped the mute button on the side of the phone in the 'on' position. He clicked it 'off'. He didn't say anything, instead, he sat it down on the table and took out his sonic screwdriver. Tony spotted it and stopped him.

"Wait, Doctor!" he said. He pulled his out of his pocket and handed it to him. "Use mine, instead!"

The Doctor smiled. He knew that Tony would use that screwdriver he took the time to make for him.

"Thank you, Comrade! Now, let's see about your mum's phone." He looked it over like he was inspecting it fully. It was hard to handle a cell phone and a sonic screwdriver with one arm in a slingThe Doctor handed the phone to Tony. "What do you think is wrong with it?"

Tony looked at it and thought. "I think she pointed the remote to the telly at it."

The Doctor was impressed. "Ohhh! I hadn't thought of that. Here, take your sonic screwdriver and fix it for your mum."

Tony sat the phone on the table, then pointed his screwdriver at it. With his arm in a cast, it was a bit difficult to hold. He pressed the button, concentrating hard. After the boy was finished sonic'ing it, the Doctor picked it up and handed it to Jackie. "Here you go. See if that's better."

Rose sat down and handed him his tea.

She took it and was surprised when she turned on her music app. It blared through the speakers.

Tony was amazed. "I really did it!"

Pete walked in the kitchen. "Did what?" Pete asked.

"I fixed Mum's phone with my sonic screwdriver!" Tony exclaimed.

"Well, that's awesome son! Well, done!" Pete praised his son.

"See how useful a sonic screwdriver is? Always keep it in your pocket. You never know when you might need it." the Doctor told Tony.

Tony was so proud of himself. "I promise!"

"Hey, Jackie. Are you left-handed or right-handed?" The Doctor called across the room. Rose rolled her eyes back and groaned. Why did she ask him about that?

"I'm right-handed. Why?"

"I was just curious," he replied as he looked at Rose. "Hmm... I guess it is a thing." he leaned in and told her quietly. "Weird, though."

"Shut up." Rose chuckled.

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It was a beautiful, spring day. The photographer was there right on time. They went to the gardens at the mansion for the photoshoot. The photographer got shots of all five of them. Some of just Pete and Jackie. Some of just the Doctor and Rose. Some of the Doctor, Rose, and Tony. And some of just Rose and Tony.

It was something the Doctor had secretly dreaded but ended up enjoying himself. For the first time, in a very long time, he felt like he was part of a family again.

It made him reflect on how lucky he really was. He should never have been created. It was all chance that the other guy had gotten shot, and decided to siphon off his regeneration energy into that spare hand he had. And Donna being trapped in the TARDIS instead of being captured by the Daleks. And then getting back to this dimension to spend the remainder of his years with a woman he adored.

It made him wonder briefly if Rose had altered the timelines to influence that happening. Then he decided that there was just no way. Not even a Time Lord could have arranged all of that.

Then he remembered all of their recent trouble. Rose's kidnapping. Him shooting that man. An assignation attempt. The house getting shot into and firebombed.

He became angry at the people that not only wanted to hurt his new family. They had taken him in. But, he knew he didn't deserve their love. If they knew him, if they knew what he had done in his lives, they would have sent him packing.

And then there was Tony. Sweet Tony, who reminded him of days when he had to rock toddlers to sleep and take care of children. He seemed to idolize him.

He wasn't anything to idolize. He was no hero. He was a fool.

He was in the middle of this reflection when Rose noticed him under the tree watching the photographer working with Jackie and Tony. She walked over to him.

"Is your back sore yet?" Rose asked him with a smile.

"What? What do you mean?" he asked, looking confused.

"You look like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders. It must make your back sore to carry around such a heavy load," she explained.

Getting what she was saying, he smiled embarrassingly. "Why do you think I'm taking pain pills?"

She laughed and hugged him. "Are you alright? Really?"

"I'm always alright. Don't worry about me, " he told her.

She growled at him. "That's my job, you know. 'Rose Tyler, The One that Worries about the Doctor.' How's that for a title for me?"

He held her and chuckled. "Actually, not bad! But, really. I'm alright." He looked up at the flowering tree above him, picked a small bud, and handed it to Rose.

"You can talk to me you know. About stuff." she reminded him quietly.

He looked down as he held her. "I know. Thank you, Rose. Really, I'm alright."

She kissed him and pulled him over to get another picture taken.

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After the pictures, everyone wanted to change back into more comfortable clothes. Rose helped the Doctor get out of his Oxford and was very pleased when he changed into his jeans. She loved the way he looked in those.

Rose had changed into a knee-length skirt and lovely blouse but didn't take her hair down. As she walked out of the bathroom, she saw the Doctor putting the lid on his 'bigger on the inside' box where he kept that secret experiment.

"Experiment going well?" she asked him.

"Oh yes!" he smiled as he looked up at her.

"You know, one day you're going to want to tell me what you have in that box."

"Rose Tyler, I dearly hope so!" he exclaimed.

He had a serious look come over his face. "Rose, do you have a minute?"

"Sure!" He led her to the couch in the sitting area of their room.

He popped a pill as they sat down. Then started rubbing the back of his neck. Rose knew him well enough to know that something was up. Him rubbing his neck was usually not a good sign.

"I'm really sorry about this. I should have told you yesterday. With everything that's been going on, I wanted you to have a good day. A few hours where you didn't have to worry about all of this mess." he told her gently.

Rose looked at him questionably. "What happened?"

He looked at her face. "We can't go back to the house. It's….gone."

"What house? Our house?"

He smiled, "Ours. I guess is was, huh?"

"Nevermind that," she insisted. "What happened?"

"You don't need to know all of it. Just that it's….gone."

"How can it just be gone? Like it disappeared?-"

"No." He rubbed his face. "I'm not making myself clear. Umm. Someone, drove by and shot at it."

"Shot at it?"

"And then it burnt."

She covered her mouth in surprise. "When did it happen?"

"Yesterday. When we were at the dentist's office. Shakes came in and told me."

" We had just been there about 30 minutes before. " she said, realizing what could have happened. "Was anyone hurt?"

He had honestly not even thought about that. "I don't know. I should have asked. Blimey."

"Why would they burn down the house?"

"I don't know. But it is encouraging," he told her.

"How is that encouraging?!" she exclaimed.

"They are getting desperate. In my experience, that's when they usually mess up and we can figure out who's behind this entire thing. Jake has been working on it all day and night. Hopefully, he will have some answers before we leave in the morning."

Rose brought her hand to her mouth. She had begun to cry. The Doctor pulled her into his arms.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked through the sobs.

"I should have. I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. I guess I thought I was protecting you. After everything that has happened, I wanted to keep you from hurting, even if it was just for a few hours." He held her as she sobbed.

Then, she suddenly pushed him away. "Well, that's just not up to you!" she yelled at him. "You still think I'm this weak, little teenager that you knew all of those years ago! But, I'm not! I'm not this fragile little woman that you can keep in the dark and feed her information only when you think she can handle it."

The Doctor looked at her.

That was exactly what she was. Especially now.

She had been so hurt. And he was the one responsible for all of that pain. He dropped his head and ran his hand through his hair.

"You are right," he told her. Even if he didn't agree with her at all. "Rose, I can never make up for all of the hurt I've done to you. I can never explain to you how truly sorry I am. Just know that everything I've done, I've done because I thought it would keep you safe."

"No, you didn't! You did it because it was the easiest option at the time for you! You never asked me what I wanted. You just did what you wanted! To hell with what I would even think about it. I was never informed about anything!"

She was right. But, he realized, at least she was talking to him like he was the Doctor she had always known. Not this clone of the man that she compared him to when they first came here. Even if she was angry, he saw it as progress.

"This is what scares me about you! You are this deep ocean of secrets. That's all I see when I look at you! I can never know so much of your life, which I understand why. But it is just so hard." she told him.

"I understand that. Rose, this is an impossible situation. I'm so, so sorry that you were put here. If I had known, I would have never..." his words trailed off. "All of this is my fault. All of your unhappiness is because of me. Your pain, is because of me. Your injuries are because of me!"

She sighed, "No, it's not-"

"Don't tell me that isn't not, Rose! Everyone I met gets hurt, dies, or decides to gather arms and fight. All because I refuse to. That's not a good measure of a man, is it? I hide behind everyone I claim as a friend, while they run headlong into danger. I had convinced myself I was better on my own to keep me from hurting anyone else. That's what I have started to see as the real 'Curse of the Time Lords.' That! If you get close to someone..."

Rose just sat there and listened to him. Her anger faded away into pity. She had never heard him talk this way. Did he really think this about himself?

After a few minutes, Rose looked up at him.

He kissed her on her forehead. "Everything will be alright, Rose."

"I'm sorry, Doctor. I shouldn't have said that to you."

"Oh, no, Rose. You have nothing to apologize for. This is all my fault. I did this."

"Doctor, don't you have enough on your shoulders to not add this to it?" Rose regretted every word she had said to him.

"Do you really see me as a huge ocean of secrets?" he asked her seriously.

"I shouldn't have said that to you. I was angry. I'm sorry." she told him, quietly.

He put his hand on the side of her face. She leaned into his touch. She could feel his sorrow, pain, disappointment, and anger in himself.

He whispered as he rested his forehead on hers. "Rose. Never forget that I'm just a daft, old man. Ancient, even. I've lived an extremely long time. I've seen so much, and been through so much that it's easier to just box things up in my memory and never think of them again. I ran away thousands of years ago from Gallifrey. I suppose I never stopped running. Even if it was just from myself. I've lost things you could never know. Lost things you could never understand. It's just easier to try to ignore that it happened, and keep it locked away in my memories."

"Doctor. You don't have to tell me those things. I know you have been through terrible things. I'm not insisting you tell me anything that causes you pain. I just need to ensure that you don't keep things from me that I need to know."

He rolled his head down to be able to look into her eyes. "Rose, you are the most wonderful creature I have ever known. In all of my lives. I love you through all of time. I couldn't survive here. Now. Like this, without you. I feel like I'm on the edge of losing my mind most days."

"I didn't know you had been having such a hard time with this. I knew it would take some adjustment. You know you can talk to me."

"I." he began. "I really thought it would be worse, honestly. Had I not had you, I'm sure it would have been. Knowing that you are here for me has …." he took her hand. "Rose, I just don't know who I am anymore."

"You are my Doctor. The most wonderful man in all of history. A legend. The one who comes to fix things. So what if you were the one that broke them."

That made the Doctor laugh. "Like I haven't done that before, huh?"

Rose smiled. "This is the crazy situation. I think we both forget that you are not just you, but you are a bit of Donna as well. Maybe these feelings are coming from that side."

"Oh...I try to keep the Donna part buried deep." the Doctor confessed to Rose. "Fiery temper. That red hair of hers was no lie." he told Rose as he shook his head. "Insecure, yet a demanding woman."

Rose lay her forehead back on the Doctor's and whispered. "Everything will be alright. Things are going to get better. We're in this together, no matter what."

"You are precious to me, Rose Tyler. I love you more in every moment," he whispered back to her.

She leaned in for what promised to be an excellent snog when there was a knock at the door.

"Come in!" they both called.

Pete stepped in. "Hey. I've just gotten a call from Torchwood. There is a situation."

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