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Chapter 2 - Explanations

The Doctor heard the shower door open and felt two arms wrap around his waist.

"Oh, I hope that's my Rose." he smiled.

Rose laughed at him. "About time you got up. How are you feeling?"

He turned to face her, "I'm fine." He told her as he rubbed his chest.

Rose noticed and took his hand.

"What is this you are doing? What's wrong with your chest?"

"Nothing. It's fine. It just feels...umm... like it's tinkling. Like it was asleep and it just woke up. Does that make sense?"

Rose laughed at him, "I understand how it feels, but not why."

The Doctor turned his head and coughed. He wrapped his arms around her. "Yeah, that's me, too. I figure it will fade in a while. It's nothing to worry about."

He leaned down and kissed her.

"I know I just took a shower a few hours ago, but I just felt like I needed another one." the Doctor told her as he rubbed his hands up and down her back.

Rose looked at him questionability. "Hang on. You don't know, do you?"

"Know what, sweetheart?" he smiled at her.

"How long you have been asleep."

"Oh, I know it wasn't long. I told you I didn't need any sleep. I'm fine. You were the one that insisted I lay down." he told her as he rubbed his face under the water.

She laughed at him. "How long do you think you've been asleep?"

He kissed her quickly on the lips. "Three hours. And I'm fine. I don't need any more sleep, Rose."

Rose smiled at him.

"What?" he asked her.

"Time Lord, you need to recalibrate your internal clock. You've been asleep for 28 hours." Rose told him.

He laughed at her. "Phhh... whatever. That can't be true. I would know if it was... wait... it's Tuesday! What the hell, Rose?! I missed an entire day! I missed Tony's birthday! Why did you let me sleep all day?"

He ran both of his hands through his hair in frustration. He turned off the shower and got out. He handed Rose a towel, and then started to dry himself off.

Rose started to explain. "Don't worry about my brother, Tony. He's four. We have him convinced that his birthday is today."

The Doctor wrapped the towel around his waist. He looked at Rose with his hands on his hips. "I missed an entire day? What? I just, slept?"

Rose continued to dry herself off in front of him. She noticed him watching her. He rubbed his beard as he looked at her body. "You were in such a deep sleep, I couldn't even come into your dreams. I imagine it was something similar to when you regenerated. I don't even think you moved. Genie, Tony and I slept in the bed with you last night. I was on one side and kids were on the other side of you. You coughed on and off all night."

"I coughed?" he asked as he coughed again.

"Yeah, it has Genie worried. She thinks you are sick."

He ran his hand through his hair and nodded his head. "Ah, I know what that cough is. It's nothing. I'll have to talk to her."

He walked into the bedroom and started to get dressed.

Rose wrapped the towel around her and leaned in the doorway of the bathroom. "What is the cough about?"

He looked at her suddenly and said, "Wait! We had tickets to ride the Bullet yesterday!"

"I called Michelle. She's rescheduled everything. She's even been to the flat and dropped off some shopping and such. You got busy that night and forgot to call her."

He laughed at that. "Busy. Yeah, we can say that. How are the boys this morning?"

"They are fine. Playing like nothing happened. Although, I've never heard Jacob talk as much as I have heard him speak in the last few hours.

"Yeah, he's a shy one." the Doctor agreed. He sat down on the side of the bed facing her. He was now wearing his pants and a t-shirt.

"Damn. I can't believe I slept like that," he told her as he ran his hand through his hair. He coughed again.

"What's the deal with this cough?" Rose asked him.

He looked up at her and waved his hand to dismiss it. "Oh, it's nothing. It will be gone in a few days. It's just my body trying to get rid of all of the oxygen."

"What?"

He looked at her and held out his hand, inviting her to join him on the bed. She came over and sat down next to him. He turned and cupped his hands on her face.

"So, let me get this straight. I've missed an entire day with you. Is that right?"

She smiled. "Yes. That's it. But, you can make up for it later."

"No, I think I want to make up for it now."

He leaned in and kissed her. He could feel her relief through their connection. "Relief? What's wrong? Were you worried about me, Rose?"

" Quite a bit. Mum told me not to worry and reminded me of when you regenerated and you needed your rest. At least this time, I didn't have to change you into jim jams. "

"I'm so glad it was you that did that. I've always worried that was Jackie." he dramatically shook his body at the thought.

She giggled.

He smiled and looked into her eyes. "I'm so sorry I worried you. But I'm fine. This cough will go away in a few days. It's nothing."

He leaned in and started to kiss her. Their tongues danced together. Rose lay back on the bed and opened her towel to reveal her nude body.

'The door out there is locked, right?' he asked her telepathically.

'Yes, I locked it as soon as I heard the shower running.'

He smiled as kissed down her neck and to her breast. His hand lay on her thigh and worked his way between her legs. He stopped and looked down at the area.

"You've been busy again. When do you do this?" he asked in surprise as he noticed the freshly groomed area.

"This morning. After my run. It was just…hot and…had to go."

"Let me try it out." he told her as he kissed down to the freshly groomed area. He licked all around it, causing Rose to moan. She lifted up her legs so he could get at her better. He ran a few of his fingers inside of her to tease her and then peppered kisses onto her thighs. He rubbed her clit as she continued to moan. He took it between his teeth made a purring noise to vibrate it. Rose screamed. He jumped up and muffled her scream with his kiss.

He laughed at her. "Okay, we'll have to do that later! You are way too noisy. We are still in the White House, woman!"

She playfully smacked him, "You know what does!"

He joked, "Me! You are the one that screamed!"

"It's your fault!"

He smiled like a loon. "Yes, it is."

"Proud of yourself, huh?"

"Rose Tyler. I told you, I am a professional."

Rose laughed at him as she shook her head and lay back.

He took off his pants and shirt and lay back on top of her. He lay his finger on her mouth and whispered, "Can you try to be quiet? We can finish this. And hopefully, not get tossed out of the White House."

Granted he really didn't think Howie would really mind. But, he didn't want to deal with the awkward explanations.

Rose laughed at him. "You are the professional. You know what you can do that won't make me uncontrollably scream."

He rolled his eyes at her. "Sure. Make it all my fault."

"Well, it is." she reasoned.

He smiled proudly, "Yes. Yes, it is."

She playfully smacked him.

He laughed at her, "Oh, Rose Tyler. How I love you. My bounty is as boundless as the sea, My love as deep; the more I give to thee, The more I have, for both are infinite." He began to kiss her again as he slipped inside and started to thrust. He twisted his hips gently, giving her that circular motion she enjoyed so much.

'If I stop kissing you, will you scream?' he asked her telepathically.

'Probably.' Rose told him. 'Stop twisting in circles. That's defiantly going to make me get loud.'

He started to moan.

'Now, don't you get loud!'

'I can't help it. It's your fault, Rose.'

'Well, yes. Yes, it is.' Rose agreed causing them both to laugh.

"You are remarkable," he continued to stroke inside of her. He turned his head and coughed.

'What is this cough?'

'I'm busy right now, woman. I'll explain in a minute.'

'Take two minutes. I'm enjoying this.' she told him as she panted.

Five minutes and 45.9 seconds later, he was finished.

He lay down beside her on the bed, resting his forearm on his head. "Our first night on our island, I want to have Genie stay with Pete and Jackie. We're going to stay up all night with my Time Lord love making trick. Alright?"

"All night?!"

"Oh yes, Rose. You think you'd be up for that?"

"Hell yeah! Good thing I started working on that yesterday. Pete and Howie want to talk to you about that."

He groaned as he rubbed his face. "Ugh. Probably want to talk me out of it. Running away to an island. Is that running away, Rose?"

"I don't think it is. I think they are just concerned that they can't just pop in and see us. That we are too far away."

"Well, that does make sense. I could give them both a watch. I wouldn't mind them having one. What do you think? I still need to make yours, and I want to give one to all of Shakes's men."

"That could work."

"I need to talk to Shakes, too. He works for Torchwood. Not me. I want to ask him and his guys to move to the island with us. Give them their own apartments there, separate from the house. But, they need to be paid by me, and not Pete. They are protecting me, you, and Genie. If you start going and having speaking engagements because of this Nobel Prize thing, they will have to watch her some for us."

"Where are you going to be?"

"Oh, I'll be around. I don't mean it like that. This medical company project of mine and Pete's …. it's only going to be a matter of time before Pete gets overwhelmed and Jackie gets pissed. Pete is running two very big businesses now, and is the Director at Torchwood. He's going to need some help, and I know who he's going to ask."

The Doctor coughed again and cleared his throat.

Rose rolled over on top of him and pinned him down under her. "Explain this cough. It has me worried, Old Man."

"Old man." he mocked her. "I've always loved it when you call me that. Rosie."

She laughed, "Don't call me Rosie." And sat on his chest.

"I told you, it's just my body trying to get rid of the oxygen."

"But, you need oxygen," Rose told him.

Yeah...but not as much as you. Humans need 21% oxygen, which here on Earth is naturally in the air. Time Lords use more nitrogen, but some oxygen. Not that much. More like 11% oxygen."

"And there is nitrogen here? Right?" Rose asked.

He laughed, "Of course there is! Otherwise, I couldn't breathe. 78% of the Earth's air is nitrogen. You breathe it in, but your body can't do anything with it. It's what mine primarily uses. But, because I lived as a human for several weeks, oxygen is all in my bloodstream. It's in my bones, it's everywhere. Way more than it should be."

Rose looked down at him. He was laughing under his breath at her. "You are high as a kite, aren't you?"

"Worked that out, did you?" he laughed.

"You have twice the amount of oxygen you need here! How do you even walk around without being high all the time?"

He laughed at her as he rubbed his head. "It doesn't hurt me, Rose. I've never told anyone this. Sarah Jane almost figured it out once."

"You mean that you are high all the time? On oxygen?"

"Nah, I get used to it the longer I'm here. But, when I first come back to Earth, or someone came into the TARDIS and the atmospheric controls changed for them... oh yeah. Worse than any damn whiskey I ever drank."

"You junkie! I can't believe you!" She sat up, "This explains so much about you!"

He lay back on the bed laughing. He watched her as she put on her robe.

He stopped laughing as he realized, "Hey! I have a meeting today with J. !"

Rose walked into the bathroom. "No, you don't. Michelle is taking care of it. Call her later and she'll fill you in."

"Ugh." he groaned. He rolled out of bed and put on his pants, jeans, and a t-shirt. He went over to the suitcase and took out a blue oxford. He was buttoning it up when Rose came out of the bathroom.

"So, high all of the time? I'm not over this yet."

He laughed at her and ran his hand through his hair. He walked on his knees across the bed and wrapped his arms around her. She stood next to the bed.

"Sweetheart. It's just...ummm... let me think."

"A natural thing? The way you are wired?" she filled in for him.

He bit his lip and looked at her, "Yeah, will that work?"

"Is this why you drank so much when you were human?"

He kissed the end of her nose. "Well, some of the reason. Plus, I was in a lot of pain. I never told you how bad it was. I didn't want to tell you to know, but I can see how pissed you are."

"You told me you did tests and you weren't sick," Rose told him.

"No, I told you I didn't have that disease that I was so scared I did have. As the days went on, I believe that my rubbish, human body just couldn't cope with having a Time Lord conscious in it. It was killing me, slowly."

"Donna had the Time Lord conscious in her when we left the TARDIS." Rose reasoned.

He shook his head as he held her. "No, she wouldn't have been able to keep it. Remember, I told you that he would have had to take it out of her head, wipe her memory of anything to do with him, and take her back home to her family."

Rose stared at him. She couldn't believe he was telling her this. He could feel her surprise.

"Rose, I couldn't tell you. I hope you will understand why. I was dying. The only relief I had was when I was with you. You made me laugh. Made me forget I was sick. Made my pain go away. If I had told you, you would have started to treat me like the sick, old man that I was. It would have shortened my life. I would have lost my relief."

"You mean, sex?"

He nodded his head. "Well, that and just being with you. Like now. We're just together. Talking. Sweetheart, I couldn't tell you. I know you are always there for me, but this would have crushed you."

She whispered to him as he wrapped his arms around her tighter. "How long did you have left?"

"I don't know. It was progressing so fast. The pain had started to keep me from sleeping as much as I needed to. I couldn't focus on anything but being with you. Getting relief from you or drinking. I probably realized Sunday, just how bad it really was. My anger has never been that bad. I knew it was beginning to get into my head more. Starting to cause some dementia. I knew that pain in the ass weapons developer didn't have a chance with you, but I still wanted to kill him. And that's just not me. I still can't even believe I took that gun and stunned those guys that kidnapped Tony!"

Rose stared at him. "But, you are okay now?"

He laughed under his breath at her. "Rose. You have no idea what happened that night, do you?"

"I know you were shot. You died right there in front of me. I remember Stacy showing up. Then I woke up in the back of an ambulance. You kissed me and told me everything was alright."

He invited her to sit down beside of him on the bed. "I remember even less than that. Jake let me look into his mind and I can show you what he saw. I think it will explain a lot."

Rose nodded as he put his hands on the sides of her face and closed his eyes.

They stood to the side of a projection of themselves with Jake and Shakes. They were back at the warehouse where Tony and Jacob had been taken that night. The Doctor lay on the ground, covered in blood and extremely pale. The projection Rose knelt down beside of him and took his hand. She was crying and said, "Please don't do this."

Rose covered her mouth as tears rolled out of her eyes. The Doctor put his arm around her. "It's alright my darling. I'm right here. I'm completely alright. It will all make sense in a minute and you need to know what happened."

The projection Rose continued to cry and told the dying Doctor, "Darling, please don't go. Stay here with me."

Rose continued to cry as well. The Doctor rubbed her back as he took her into his arms. "Sweetheart. I didn't leave. I'm here with you, still. Everything is alright."

She rested her head on his shoulder and continued to watch the projection.

Jake knelt down with the Doctor as well. He was encouraging him to stay with them just as he passed out. He looked as though he had died. The projection Rose lay across his body and cried.

Just then, a car drove up. Stacy, the one who had betrayed them all, stepped out of her car. She walked around and saw the Doctor's dead body. She said, "I'm sure they were aiming for you instead of your little boy toy, Rose. Now, I can deliver Rose to my boss."

Shakes stood in front of Rose with a very determined look on his face.

Jake demanded, "Who is your boss?"

Stacy told them, "I prefer not to say. I keep his secrets and am paid well for it."

Jake asked, "Did you kill Melissa, too?"

Stacy smiled and said, "Of course! I had to get Rose's attention someway!"

Rose then saw herself stand up. Her hair flying around behind her head, and her eyes glowing yellow. She was wrapped in yellow and gold mist. She floated over to Stacy.

Stacy's eyes grew wide in shock. Rose spoke with an echo. "You will never hurt anyone ever again."

The projection waved her hand and Stacy dissolved into nothing. So did the other men that the Doctor and Jake had knocked out that night that lay around them.

Then she watched as her projection floated over to the Doctor's body. She knelt down and spoke in the same echo'ed voice. "You promised her you would never leave her again. Now, you never have to."

Rose watched as the Doctor's body was covered in the same yellow, orange and gold mist that surrounded the projection Rose. The projection smiled as she watched him heal from his wounds.

Once all of his wounds were closed, she spoke again, "Return to your old self, old man."

Rose watched as the Doctor began to cough violently. Jake helped him roll onto his side. The projection Rose then told him, "And don't underestimate her, again. My Doctor."

Then the projection Rose passed out. Shakes caught her before she hit the ground.

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The Doctor removed his hands from Rose's face. She looked up at him, tentatively. He could feel her extreme worry.

"Now, why are you near panic? I can feel that." he asked her.

"I killed all of those people." she whispered. "You are going to be so pissed at me. Disappointed."

"No, Rose. Look at me. I'm not. I don't like it, but I understand that wasn't you at that moment."

Tears rolled down her cheeks. She shook her head at him. "You will see me differently now."

He wiped the tears from her cheeks. "Rose, I've done much worse than that. Way worse. I know you have been through a lot. I know you killed someone that kidnapped you before I got here."

"How in the hell do you know that?"

"Jake told me. Rose, I swear I do not see you any differently. Sometimes fear makes us do things we wouldn't ever do. Sometimes there is no other option. Sometimes the only choices you have are bad ones. "

"So, the Bad Wolf turned you back into a Time Lord after she brought you back to life?"

"Bad Wolf and Rose Tyler are one in the same. I think that part was more you than her." the Doctor confessed.

"Why?"

"Because you called me and old man. You call me that all the time! That was you. You brought me back to life. You turned me into a Time Lord. Now, I can live in a body that won't die in a few months because it just can't cope -"

"A FEW MONTHS?!"

He gritted his teeth. "Mouth ran away with me. Sorry."

She was livid. She jumped off of the bed and paced the floor. She pointed her finger in his face and screamed. "I'm going to kill you myself!"

He started to laugh under his breath.

"Ugh! I can't believe you! A few months?! Ugh!" she was so mad she couldn't even form words. She put her hands on her face and thought for a minute.

He smiled. He couldn't help it. She hadn't been this angry at him in a long time. If ever. She was so pretty when she was mad. "Rose?" he asked.

She raised her hand to hush him.

"I'm cross with you. I'm going to be cross with you for at least ten minutes!"

"Ten minutes!" he agreed. "Seems fair."

"Yeah! Ten minutes! Starting now! Don't even speak to me! Don't even be in here where I have to look at you!" she demanded.

He laughed under his breath. "Yes ma'am. I'll step out."

"Hush! Don't even talk to me! Ten minutes starts over, now."

He walked out of the bedroom and through the sitting room. As he stepped into the hallway, he said to himself, "Well, that went better than I expected."

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