Chapter 4: Right Within Your Heart
Timepetalsprompts holiday bingo: lights and gift
The Doctor turned the knob on top of the container of huon particles, and the Empress realised what his plan was. "Fire!" she ordered.
But just as he'd planned, the TARDIS appeared around them out of nothing, and they were safely in the console room before the robots had a chance to shoot them.
As soon as the ship had fully materialised, the Doctor and Rose dashed to the console and began the process of putting her into flight. "Oh, do you know what you said before about time machines?" the Doctor asked Donna as he set the coordinates. "Well, I lied. And now we're going to use it."
"Off we go!" Rose pulled the dematerialisation lever, and the wonderful sound of the TARDIS' engines filled the console room.
"We need to find out what the Empress of the Racnoss is digging up. If something's buried at the planet's core, it must've been there since the beginning. That's just brilliant. Molto bene."
Doctor, stop.
The Doctor blinked and looked at the women, sitting together on the jump seat. Rose had an arm around Donna, who… was crying?
Belatedly, he recalled that in the space of an afternoon, she'd missed her wedding and discovered the man she'd planned to marry had, in fact, been poisoning her from the day they met. He remembered all the vicious things Lance had said about Donna, and quietly moved around the console room, letting Rose comfort her.
"I just thought…" Donna whispered.
"Yeah, I know," Rose said. "I once dated this musician. He thought he was gonna make it big, and I thought he loved me. Turns out, we were both wrong."
"But you've got the Doctor now," Donna said, "and even if I think you're both completely mad, anyone can see he loves you."
Rose looked up at the Doctor and smiled. "Yeah, and one day you'll meet someone who loves you, someone who can see how brilliant you are." Donna snorted and blew her nose. "Oh, you are, Donna," she said earnestly. "You are so much more than what Lance thought you were."
"Yeah, well… I'm just a temp," Donna said ruefully. "Guess that's what I get for thinking a posh bloke like that would be interested in me."
Sensing that his distraction might be welcome now, the Doctor slowly moved around the console. "We've arrived," he said. "Want to see?"
Donna shrugged. "I suppose," she said, her voice slightly hoarse.
The Doctor moved the scanner around, then pulled a face at the rather uninspiring view. "Oh, that scanner's a bit small. Maybe your way's best," he said as he walked to the doors.
He turned around at the door and waited for Rose and Donna to join him. Donna still looked woebegone, and he tried to give her an encouraging smile.
"Come on. No human's ever seen this. You'll be the first."
She wiped her eyes as she walked to the edge of the ramp. "All I want to see is my bed."
The Doctor ignored that sentence. "Donna Noble, welcome to the creation of the Earth," he told her as he pushed the doors open. He reached for Rose's hand, and awe pulsed in both directions over their bond.
The TARDIS was hovering in the middle of a cloud of dust and rocks, lit by the blue and purple light of the nebula that would birth the Sol system."We've gone back four point six billion years. There's no solar system, not yet. Only dust and rocks and gas." He spotted something in the cloud of light and pointed. "That's the Sun, over there. Brand new. Just beginning to burn."
"Where's the Earth?" Donna asked.
The Doctor glanced over at her and was glad to see some spark of interest showing on her face again. "All around us in the dust."
"Puts the wedding in perspective." She swallowed hard. "Lance was right. We're just tiny."
"How about we don't start any more sentences with, 'Lance was right,'" Rose suggested. "Because he might be educated, but he still doesn't get it."
"Rose is right, Donna." He nudged her with his shoulder, wanting her to feel awestruck, not insignificant. "This is what you do—the human race—make sense out of chaos, marking it out with weddings and Christmas and calendars. This whole process is beautiful, but only if it's being observed."
"So I came out of all this?" she asked, and there it was, the wonder he loved to see in his companions.
"Isn't that brilliant?" The Doctor watched the fluctuating shades of blue, red, and gold in the nebular cloud. They were here for a reason, but for now, they could appreciate the beauty before them.
A large rock floated by. "I think that's the Isle of Wight," Donna quipped, and they all laughed.
Satisfied that she was feeling at least a little bit better, the Doctor started in on why he'd actually brought them here. "Eventually, gravity takes hold. Say, one big rock, heavier than the others, starts to pull other rocks towards it. All the dust and gas and elements get pulled in. Everything, piling in until you get—"
"The Earth," whispered Donna.
"But the question is, what was that first rock?"
A spaceship floated into view as he asked that question. "Look," Donna said.
The Doctor recognised the seven pointed star, even though he'd only seen pictures of these ships in history books. "The Racnoss."
They watched for a moment as the ship spun in front of them, then the Doctor ran back to the console and turned the dial that would speed up time. "Hold on. The Racnoss are hiding from the war. What's it doing?"
"Exactly what you said," Donna told him.
"Come look at this, Doctor," called Rose.
He leapt back to the door and his breath caught at the beauty of what was happening in front of them. Attracted to its gravity, the dust and rocks of the nebula were spinning in a tighter and tighter orbit around the ship.
"Oh, they didn't just bury something at the centre of the Earth. They became the centre of the Earth. The first rock."
They didn't have long to marvel at the beauty of creation. Behind them, the console banged, and the TARDIS rocked.
"What was that?" Rose and Donna asked in unison.
"Trouble," he told them, closing the doors and running back to the console.
The TARDIS shook and rattled as it tried to resist the pull back to Torchwood's base. "What the hell's it doing?" Donna yelled.
"Remember that little trick of mine, particles pulling particles?" The Doctor moved a control with his foot. "Well, it works in reverse. They're pulling us back!"
"Is there anything we can do?" Rose asked, clinging protectively to the console.
"Not really."
Donna didn't take that well. "Can't you reverse or warp or beam or something?"
"Backseat driver," the Doctor muttered. Then he remembered something that might help. "Oh! Wait a minute! The extrapolator!"
"Think it'll help?" Rose asked as he pulled it out from under the console.
He wedged it back into position on the console. "It can't stop us, but it should give us a good bump!"
He waited until the console room was filled with the sound of the TARDIS materialising, then he pounded on the controls. "Now!" The sound paused and the ship shuddered, then landed with a hard thud.
They all ran out into a corridor that was lit with blue light. "We're about two hundred yards to the right. Come on!" Rose took his hand and they ran away from the Racnoss, with Donna on their heels.
About fifty yards down the corridor, the Doctor skidded to a stop in front of another bulkhead door. Unless he was wrong, this was directly across from the door Lance had used to come into the drilling room. He pulled a stethoscope out of his pocket as he studied the door, looking for a way in.
"But what do we do?" Donna asked frantically.
He listened to the door with one ear and looked at her over his shoulder. "I don't know. I make it up as I go along." He nodded at Rose. "But trust me, I've got a history. Just ask Rose."
"But I still don't understand," Donna said, slightly out of breath. "I'm full of particles, but what for?"
That had been clear to the Doctor since he realised the Racnoss were behind this, but he realised he'd never explained it to Donna or Rose. "There's a Racnoss web at the centre of the Earth, but my people unravelled their power source. The huon particles ceased to exist but the Racnoss were stuck."
The lock on the door was more complicated than he'd expected, and he couldn't find the spot to sonic to get the tumblers to turn.
"They've just stayed in hibernation for billions of years," he said as he continued to listen to the door. "Frozen, dead, kaput. So you're the new key. Brand new particles, living particles! They need you to open it—and you have never been so quiet."
He spun around to an empty corridor. Immediately, he reached for Rose over their bond, but she seemed to be asleep. Well, that would explain why she didn't call out for me when she was taken. They must have used a fast acting knock-out agent that put her to sleep before she even realised what was happening.
And if the Empress had Rose, then that made things very, very simple. Because he wouldn't let anyone take her from him, not the Cybermen, not the Daleks, and certainly not the Empress of a long dead race.
He whirled back around to the door and pointed the sonic at the lock, then he cranked the wheel and opened the door. A robot on the other side aimed a gun at him, but the Doctor was quicker than it was. He thumbed the controls on the sonic to the right setting and pointed it at the robot's head. Immediately, it slumped over.
Staring down at its inert form, the first bit of a plan crept into his mind.
oOoOoOoOo
Rose groaned when she woke up with a fuzzy head and her arms immobilised. The latter frightened her, but after struggling for a moment, she realised she was trapped in the Racnoss' web.
She was finally awake enough to detect the Doctor's anger and panic. M'fine, Doctor, she reassured him. Little bit of a headache from whatever they used to knock me out, but that's all.
He calmed down, and she focused on Donna, who was moaning as she came back to consciousness. "Doctor?" she mumbled.
"Not here, I'm afraid," Rose said ruefully. "But he will be."
Donna looked up at her. "Yeah, I don't reckon he'd let this lot keep you."
Rose laughed. "Over his dead body." All of them. She looked around the room and told the Doctor what she could about where the robots were all standing. She might be tied up, but she wasn't a damsel in distress.
"Do you two mind?" Lance whinged. "Can you cut out the chit-chat?"
Donna turned her head to look at him. "I hate you."
"Yeah, I think we've gone a bit beyond that now, sweetheart," he said scornfully, rolling his eyes and then looking around at the web holding them all to the ceiling.
"My golden couple, together at last, and the blonde girl, my unexpected gift," the Empress crowed. "Tell me, do you want to be released?"
"Yes!" they chorused.
She smirked up at them, constantly moving in a rhythm that almost looked like she was riding a horse. "Too bad. Activate the particles. Purge every last one."
A robot down on the drilling platform manned the controls. Donna and Lance started glowing, but Rose just felt a bit of tingling in her fingers.
"I can see the particles in the blonde's eyes," the Empress said, "but they will not separate from her. Turn up the extractor."
The tingling turned to itching, but Rose remained completely flesh coloured.
"Never mind," the Empress said. "The particles from the couple are enough. And release!"
She looked on triumphantly as a golden stream of huon particles flowed steadily into the drill shaft. "The secret heart unlocks, and they will waken from their sleep of ages."
"Who will?" Donna asked, looking down into the centre of the Earth. "What's down there?"
"How thick are you?" Lance cried out.
"Oi, Lance! Another word out of your mouth and I'll smack ya as soon as I'm loose," Rose said.
"My children, the long lost Racnoss, now reborn to feast on flesh!" She clicked her teeth together victoriously. "The web star shall come to me," she said, staring up at the ceiling.
Blimey, she doesn't half go on, does she?
Rose bit back a laugh at the Doctor's commentary. Where are you?
In the stairwell. I had to do a little wardrobe change before I could come after you.
"My babies will be hungry. They need sustenance." The Empress threw her head back and hissed. "Perish the web."
She raised her pincers slowly toward the web, and even Rose felt a tremor of unease. Any time now, Doctor.
Lance squirmed away from her. "Use them, not me! Use them!"
"Oh, my funny little Lance! But you are quite impolite to your lady friend. The Empress does not approve." Two quick slices, and he fell down into the hole.
"Lance!" Donna yelled.
Rose watched him disappear in horror. Lance was an arrogant knob, but no one deserved to die being fed to spiders.
A shadow moving in the stairwell caught her eye, and she watched the Doctor get into position for whatever plan he had.
"Harvest the humans!" the Racnoss said. "Reduce them to meat."
Since that last order was given to the ceiling, not to the robot, Rose had a sinking suspicion that the Empress' ship was doing something up on the surface. Still, nothing we can do about that right now. She was more concerned by the movement she saw down in the tunnel.
"My children are climbing towards me and none shall stop them." The Empress turned her head to look at the robed figure on the stairs—the one Rose knew was the Doctor. "So you might as well unmask, my clever little doctor man."
He tossed off his mask and robe. "Oh well. Nice try." He looked up at the web. "Rose, when you're done hanging around, maybe you could get Donna down?" He pointed the sonic screwdriver at the web, and the strands around her arms loosened enough for her to wiggle them free. "I know it's not the same as a chain over a vat of plastic, but you still got the bronze, didn't you?"
"You bet I did." Rose tugged at a strand of webbing, then looked at the platform the Doctor was standing on and judged how long a piece she'd need to reach it. A bit too long, she decided, and wrapped the length around her arm several times.
The Doctor loosened the web around them further.
"I'm going to fall!" Donna said.
"We're going to swing," Rose corrected. "Put your arm around my shoulders, and hold on tight." The last bit of webbing loosened, and the two women soared through the air, landing lightly next to the Doctor.
The Racnoss cackled and hissed. "The doctor man amuses me."
The Doctor stared at the creature who'd kidnapped Rose. "Empress of the Racnoss, I give you one last chance," he said, the words tasting sour in his mouth. "I can find you a planet. I can find you and your children a place in the universe to co-exist. Take that offer and end this now."
She hissed. "These men are so funny."
"What's your answer?"
"Oh, I'm afraid I have to decline," she said with false regret, laughing at her joke.
The Doctor nodded slowly. He'd expected that—hoped for it a little, if he were honest with himself.
"What happens next is your own doing."
Her amusement vanished, and she glared up at him. "I'll show you what happens next. At arms!" she shouted at her roboforms. "Take aim! And—"
The Doctor fiddled with the controls on the remote he'd taken from the robot at the reception. "Relax."
"What did you do?" Donna asked.
He looked over at her. "Guess what I've got, Donna?" He held up the remote control, a grin on his face. "Pockets."
A crease appeared in her forehead. "How did that fit in there?"
"They're bigger on the inside," he said, matter-of-factly.
"Roboforms are not necessary," the Empress said. "My children may feast on Martian flesh."
"Oh, but I'm not from Mars," the Doctor said, letting his anger darken his voice
Judging by the uncertainty on her face, the Racnoss was finally starting to grasp the severity of her situation. "Then where?"
"My home planet is far away and long since gone. But its name lives on." He glared down at the Empress, knowing exactly how the answer would hit her. "Gallifrey."
She reared up in anger, hissing and clicking her pincers. "They murdered the Racnoss!"
"I warned you. You did this."
The Doctor pulled Christmas tree decorations out of his pocket and tossed them into the air. Several circled the Racnoss while more went down the tunnel to the planet's core.
She caught on immediately and begged him to stop, but it was a rare day that he gave more than one chance, and between taking Rose and threatening to devour the entire planet, the Empress hadn't earned another.
He used the remote to send grenades flying to the walls of the flood barrier, detonating those first. Once the flood began, he ordered the rest to go off. Seeing the flames in the room below, he grabbed one of Rose's hands, and one of Donna's. "Run!"
They slogged through ankle deep water to the TARDIS, who chimed disapprovingly when they all dripped river water on her grating. Sorry, dear, he told her. In answer, towels appeared on the railing, and he tossed one to each of the ladies and towelled his hair dry.
Donna quickly gave up on trying to wring water out of her dress and just wrapped the towel around her shoulders. "But what about the Empress?"
"She's used up all her huon energy," the Doctor explained as he peeled his damp jacket off and laid it over a strut. "She's defenceless!"
"There's just one problem," Rose said.
He glanced over at her, watching something on the scanner with a smile on her face. "What?"
She turned it so he could see. "We've drained the Thames."
Donna was the first to start laughing, and soon they were all cracking up. "Is this what your Christmases are always like?" she asked. "Only you said something about a spaceship last year, so…"
The Doctor grinned. "Kinda, yeah. It's our holiday tradition." He and Rose laughed again.
"Now, Donna. Where to?" She rattled off her address, and he set the coordinates. "All right. Here we are, safe and sound."
She cracked the door open and peered outside. "That's just bonkers, that is," she said. "One minute we're under the flood barrier, the next we're in Chiswick."
Rose joined her and ran a hand down the inside of the door. "But she's not just a London hopper. The places we've seen, Donna…"
Donna shook her head and looked back at the Doctor. "And what about me, Doctor? The Empress doesn't have any more huon particles, but do I?"
"Oh, right!" He pulled the sonic out of his pocket and scanned her. "No, all gone. And no damage, you're fine."
She sighed heavily, and he could see the weariness coming back as the adrenaline wore off. "I guess. But apart from that, I missed my wedding, lost my job and became a widow on the same day. Sort of."
The Doctor felt a stab of regret. "I couldn't save him."
She lifted her chin."He deserved it." The Doctor raised his eyebrows at Donna, and she slumped. "No, he didn't." She looked over her shoulder in through the front window. Her parents were standing in the living room, hugging and probably crying. "I'd better get inside. They'll be worried."
"You'll make their Christmas," Rose said, and the Doctor knew she was remembering how happy Jackie had been when they'd showed up last year, once they'd gotten past the whole regeneration sickness/alien invasion bit.
"Oh, but Donna hates Christmas," he told Rose.
"You do?"
Donna grimaced. "Yes. I do."
He stepped back to the TARDIS and pressed a button just above the inside of the door. "Even if it snows?" he asked. The lamp on top of the TARDIS fired a bolt of electricity into the air. When it burst like fireworks, snow started falling on them.
Donna laughed and held her hands out, palm up, to catch snowflakes. "I can't believe you did that!"
The Doctor leaned against the TARDIS, hands in his pockets. "Oh, basic atmospheric excitation."
Better than ash, Rose told him, nudging him in the ribs.
Donna looked at them, and he could see contentment in her eyes. "Merry Christmas."
"And you."
"So, what will you do with yourself now?" Rose asked.
Donna looked down at her wedding dress. "Not getting married, for starters." She shook the melancholy off. "And I'm not going to temp anymore. I don't know. Travel. See a bit more of planet Earth. Walk in the dust. Just go out there and do something."
Her words tugged at his time senses—a moment that wasn't here yet, but would be. Rose squeezed his hand, and he knew she'd seen it too. They weren't ready for someone to travel with them right now; they were still dealing with nearly losing each other, and with losing Rose's family. But one day…
"You know, Donna, I have a feeling this won't be the last time we see each other."
She looked at him, a wry smile on her face. "I'll make sure I'm wearing something with pockets, next time we meet." Everyone laughed, and then she said, "Before you go, I want you to come in for Christmas dinner."
Rose's recoil was immediate and unmistakable, and the Doctor shook his head. "No, we don't… we don't really do that sort of thing," he told Donna.
Donna raised an eyebrow. "You did it last said so." She changed tack when they didn't agree. "And you might as well, because Mum always cooks enough for twenty."
Rose spoke up. "Last year, we were with my mum. And this year, she's…" The Doctor wrapped an arm around her, and she leaned against him.
Donna brushed damp hair out of her face, sending a cascade of melting snowflakes to the ground. "You said you wouldn't lose anyone else."
"Yeah. It's really kind of you to offer, Donna, but I just… I couldn't…" Her voice caught, and she took a deep breath. "The Doctor and I, we'll have our own Christmas dinner, just the two of us."
The Doctor wondered at the calculation he saw in Donna's eyes. "What?"
"Nothing, it's just… I don't know. Seeing you, today? All those things you did? And now you're going to do something as—as human as turkey and Christmas crackers?"
"It's for Rose," he said simply.
The smile that crossed her face then was different than any of the ones he'd seen before, and he realised that she was finally letting him see the real Donna. To his surprise, she tugged Rose away from him to hug her.
"You're good for him," she declared firmly, and Rose laughed. "I mean it! I've only known you for a day, but I can already tell he needs you."
"Yeah, I do," the Doctor agreed, taking Rose's hand again. He looked at their new friend and said, "We'll be off then, Donna. Good luck. And… just be magnificent."
She laughed softly. "I think I will, yeah."
oOoOoOoOo
Rose watched from the jump seat as the Doctor took them into the vortex. Living in a time machine, she could put off the first Christmas without her mum indefinitely, but she suddenly found herself wanting to get it over with, like ripping a plaster off a wound. When the TARDIS started playing carols, she knew the ship agreed with that idea.
The Doctor's eyes flicked up to the ceiling, then over at Rose. "Are you sure?"
"Yeah. After all, it's Christmas, isn't it?" He still hesitated, so she winked at him. "Besides, I've had your present ready for weeks."
He rested his hands on the console and leaned back. "You have, have you?"
"Yep." Rose stood up and put her hands on his chest. "So let's pretend it's Christmas morning. We'll change into fuzzy pyjamas and sit in front of the tree to open our presents."
"How do you know I've got something for you?" he teased.
"Mmm, just a guess." She tugged at his tie. "Well, do you?"
"Yep," he said. "I've been ready for weeks, too. I just didn't know…"
His voice trailed off, and Rose knew what he was thinking—he hadn't wanted to force a painful holiday on her.
She smiled at him, and if it was a little stiff, who could blame her? "Well, come on then," she said, taking his hand and walking to their room. "I want to sit in front of our Christmas tree and drink mulled wine while we admire the lights."
After they found matching flannel pyjamas covered in whimsical snowmen waiting on their bed, the Doctor wasn't surprised in the least to see a Christmas tree in the library. The TARDIS was apparently determined to give them the full holiday experience.
The Doctor set Rose's present down under the tree, then looked at her empty hands with raised eyebrows. "I thought you said you had something for me."
She fidgeted with the hem of her shirt. "I do, but it's not easy to wrap. But when it's time for you to open it, I'll get it out—promise."
They sat down on the rug in front of the fireplace. The lights were turned down low, and the fairy lights on the tree twinkled cheerily, casting a warm glow around the room. The Christmas music the TARDIS had been playing earlier started up again, and Rose hummed along with "Ding Dong Merrily on High."
The Doctor picked up the carafe of mulled wine sitting on the hearth and poured two mugs, handing one to Rose. "It seems the TARDIS agrees with your holiday plans," he said.
"That's because it's a good idea." Rose leaned against his chest, and he wrapped an arm around her.
"I suppose we've already spent the day surrounded by Christmas," the Doctor mused.
Rose snorted. "I wouldn't really consider being shot at by robot Santas Christmas. Even if it is sorta normal for us."
He pursed his lips. "Agreed. Next year, any robotic beings wanting to harm us at Christmas can take the form of some other holiday figure."
"Killer snowmen?" Rose suggested.
The Doctor took a sip of his wine, letting the spices linger on his tongue. "Or deadly reindeer."
She laughed. "Flying around, goring people with their antlers."
"But no robot Santas." They shared a smile, and then the Doctor said, "Still, the day wasn't boring at least—even if fighting off an alien invasion on Christmas Day is becoming almost commonplace."
"I've been wondering something, Doctor," Rose said. "How come the huon particles in me didn't… buzz or whatever like Donna's did?"
The Doctor poured more wine for both them, then settled back against the hearth again. "Well, yours are actually part of your biology," he explained. "The part of the TARDIS she left behind in you."
"Right…"
"Think about it this way. You've got iron running through your entire body, in your blood. But when someone holds a magnet up to you, do you notice?"
"I do now."
The Doctor laughed and tickled Rose. "Before you changed, cheeky minx."
"So, it's like the difference between the iron in my blood and wearing jewellery with iron in it? Donna was just… wearing huon particles like an accessory."
"Exactly!"
They sat quietly for a moment, listening to the sounds of the fire crackling behind them and the music, still playing softly.
"You know, I seem to remember that we came in here for a reason," Rose said.
"I think you just want to see what I got you for Christmas."
"Well, can you blame me?" Rose stretched her legs out in front of her, and he could see her wiggling her toes inside her socks.
The Doctor took her mug from her and set them both down on the coffee table, then got Rose's present from under the tree. She weighed it in her hand and shook it gently.
"Oh, it rattles a little."
"Be careful with that!" he squawked as he sat back down beside her. "There are some delicate…" Rose raised her eyebrows and he clamped his lips shut before he gave away the contents of the package. "Just… be careful. Actually, why don't you just open it?"
Her finger was sliding under the edge of the paper before he finished the sentence, ripping it open. "I've been wondering for weeks, ever since I started working on yours," she muttered.
"Working on?" the Doctor repeated. "So it's something you made me?"
Her gaze shifted to the sofa, and he realised his gift must be hiding somewhere in the room. "Oh, I guess you'll find that out soon enough," she said. "But first!"
Rose crumpled the paper and tossed it on the floor, then opened the box. The Doctor held his breath as she tipped it up and slid the slender metal tool out into her hands.
"My own sonic screwdriver?"
"It's possible to save the universe without one, as you've proven more than once, but it does make things a bit easier."
Rose pushed the button and the diode on the end shone with a violet light. "How many settings does it have?" she asked.
"The full set. You already know quite a few of them, and the ones you don't, I can tell you about as you need them." The Doctor clenched his hands in the fibres of the rug. "Do you like it?"
She looked up at him, affectionate exasperation on her face. "I love it," she assured him. "Been wanting something like this for a while, actually. Thank you, Doctor."
"You're welcome, Rose."
She brushed a kiss over his lips, then jumped to her feet and jogged over to the sofa. The Doctor watched in bemusement as she pulled a thin package out of the space between the sofa and the wall. When he saw her heft it up, his eyes widened as he realised why she hadn't wanted it under the tree. The size and shape belonged, unmistakably, to a painting.
"Your turn now."
The Doctor stood up and took the wrapped canvas from her. She'd told him once that she'd planned on sitting A-levels in art, but he'd never really thought about her artistic talents.
"Well, go on," Rose prodded, and he realised he'd been standing there holding the painting for over a minute.
The paper came off easily, and the Doctor sucked in a sharp breath when the painting was revealed. The rocky terrain, spires, and arches of Makuyu were immediately recognisable, but it was the glorious splash of colour in the sky that caught his eye. She'd depicted the planet as it had looked when they'd arrived just before dawn, with the Medusa Cascade still visible in the grey morning sky.
"I call it Forever," Rose told him. "D'you like it?"
His gaze swung up to meet hers, surprised she even had to ask. The painting evoked memories of one of the most perfect moments of his very long life. "I love it," he said hoarsely. "We can hang it in our bedroom."
Rose blushed and fiddled with the hem of her shirt again, her gaze dropping to the floor. Her pleasure with his obvious appreciation of her gift rang clear over their bond, and suddenly he needed to make sure she understood exactly how much it meant to him—the painting, their life, her love—all of it.
He carefully set the painting down on the coffee table, then turned his full attention to his bond mate. It only took the slightest encouragement from him—a finger under her chin and the softest telepathic nudge—for Rose to look up at him. His hand moved automatically to brush a strand of hair back over her ear, and then he let it rest under her jaw while his thumb stroked the apple of her cheek.
"Rose Tyler." He intended to say more, but his throat closed when her eyes darkened at the tender inflection in his voice. Rose took half a step towards him, and the Doctor's hand shifted to the nape of her neck, the silky strands of her hair sliding between his fingers. He leaned down and bumped his nose against hers before she tilted her head back and captured his lips in a kiss.
Doctor. My Doctor, she said, and her claim sent the same shiver down his spine that he'd felt the first time she'd stated it. He opened his mouth to deepen the kiss and pulled her closer with a hand on her waist.
The Doctor flicked his tongue lightly against Rose's lips, then slipped it into her mouth when she parted them under that gentle persuasion. One of her hands moved underneath his pyjama top to brand his skin with her human heat, and in retaliation, he sucked her tongue into his mouth, drawing a low moan from her throat.
When Rose finally pulled back for air, the Doctor realised the TARDIS had dimmed the lights, leaving the library illuminated only by the fire and the lights on the tree. He had a sudden desire to see that flickering, twinkling light dance over her bare skin. Rose picked up on the thought almost immediately and hummed in agreement before moving in for another kiss.
The Doctor groaned when she pressed herself against him, and he dropped his hands to her hips to keep her from moving away. Still, as much as he ached to make love to her, he had a vague recollection that there was something he'd wanted to tell her, and with effort, he cleared his mind enough to remember what it was.
Rose Tyler, he whispered into her mind as he tugged her down to the soft carpet in front of the Christmas tree, you are my forever.