AN: We're very close to the end of the story now. After this, there's one more chapter and an epilogue. Hopefully I'll have an outtake from their honeymoon to share while we wait for the Voyage of the Damned piece, which will start on 11/29.
Chapter 47: Forever Reclaimed
Jack returned to the flight deck only minutes after two UNIT choppers full of soldiers landed on the Valiant, ready to handle the investigation and make arrests. The Doctor spotted him weaving his way through the crowd of people and walked forward to meet him, with Rose by his side.
"I did a few repairs in the console room while I was there," Jack told them, which explained the new layer of grease on his hands. "She'll still need work, but she should be flyable now—which is a definite improvement."
"Thank you, Jack," the Doctor said sincerely. He reached out to shake his friend's hand, but instead, received a shopping bag.
"Those are your personal effects. Greg managed to find where the Master had hidden them away."
"My coat!" the Doctor exclaimed, pulling it out of the bag and slipping it on. It didn't match his boring grey suit, but he felt much more like himself with the familiar weight brushing against his ankles. "Janis Joplin gave me this coat."
Rose nudged him in the side with her elbow. "Yes, I think we all know that, Doctor."
Jack stepped back, a half-smile on his face. "Anyway, I imagine you've got some business to take care of. Just don't leave Martha and me alone here for too long."
"We'll be back in an hour," the Doctor promised.
"And no more," Rose agreed.
Jack nodded, and the Doctor led Rose off of the flight deck, following the healthier-sounding hum of the TARDIS to where she'd been in storage for the last year. They were almost there when a UNIT officer stopped them.
The Doctor rolled his eyes when the captain snapped him a smart salute. "Oh, don't—don't do that, Captain Magambo," he told her, reading her name off her shirt.
The captain lowered her hand hesitantly, and he heard Rose cough to hide her snort of amusement.
After a moment, Captain Magambo settled into parade rest, with her hands folded behind her back. "Is there anything you can tell us about what happened during the year on the Valiant?" she asked.
The Doctor tugged on his ear. "Some of the guards weren't actually working with the Master," he said. "Jack Harkness can tell you which ones, and anything else you need to know."
Captain Magambo blinked up at him. "You're not staying?"
The Doctor attempted a cheeky smile. "You clearly haven't heard about my penchant for avoiding paperwork," he quipped.
Two soldiers walked by, leading Lucy Saxon away in handcuffs, and Rose said, "Make sure she gets as lenient a sentence as possible. The Master spent the last year abusing her mentally and emotionally, and she just finally cracked."
The words triggered all the fears the Doctor had been struggling with since he'd realised Rose was alive. What else had happened to Rose after the Master had broken their bond? In his desperation, he reached for her without thinking, then groaned as the clawing pain in his head turned into a sharp ice pick behind his eyes.
Rose looked up at him, then back at the soldier. "Unless there's something more you absolutely need us for, we'll take off now."
The woman shook her head and snapped another salute, and the Doctor allowed Rose to take him gently by the hand and lead him away from the officer.
"Where is she?" Rose asked in a low voice.
"Just keep going. I'll tell you when to turn."
Following the Doctor's directions, they soon reached the same small storage room they'd found the TARDIS in a year ago. Rose blinked back the tears that came to her eyes when she saw the familiar blue box and rummaged in the bag Jack had given the Doctor for the key.
She looked around the room nervously as she slid the key into the lock. She almost expected the Master to jump out from behind the crates and yell, "Gotcha!" as if this had all been an elaborate ruse on his part, to make them think they'd won and made it home. But no one stopped them when she opened the door, and Rose finally believed they were free of him.
The last time Rose had been in the TARDIS, the light had been all wrong—red with danger and pain. Today, the time rotor glowed its typical blue-green, and the warm coral walls looked healthy, rather than sickly.
The Doctor closed the door and slung his coat over a strut. "Let's go into the Vortex, so we can take all the time we need before coming back to pick Jack and Martha up," he suggested.
Rose nodded, and stepped up to the side of the console she typically worked when they flew her together. Hopping into the Vortex was easy, but you did have to adjust every dial.
"Ready," she told him a moment later, and he threw the lever.
Flying the TARDIS without being able to talk to her was like… driving without being able to see. Standing in the console room and yet not hearing the ship's telepathic hum, Rose was desperate to get the collar off.
"Come on," the Doctor said quietly. "She's moved the study so it's just off the console room."
Rose grabbed the bag of their belongings and followed the Doctor to the study. "Thank you, dear," Rose said, patting the doorframe as they stepped inside. The lights flickered, and Rose smiled at the TARDIS' way of communicating, even when they couldn't actually talk.
She tugged the Doctor down onto the couch beside her and handed him the sonic. "Take it off, Doctor," she begged. "Please… I need…"
"Yes," he whispered. "So do I." He adjusted the setting and pointed the device at Rose. "Let's see what kind of lock we're dealing with first," he said, scanning the collar. His face brightened when he saw the results. "Oh, that's simple," he said, his nimble fingers turning the controls.
The Doctor held the screwdriver up, then looked seriously at Rose. "Are you ready, love? This will probably be a little overwhelming—like getting your sight back after being blind for five months."
Rose nodded her head quickly and took the Doctor's free hand. "Don't care. I'll deal with it if it is."
He nodded, then thumbed the control on the sonic. The lock popped open, and the Doctor dropped his tool to pull the collar off of her.
Rose's head swam under the onslaught of thoughts and emotions sweeping over her. The TARDIS was humming joyfully, happy to have her Wolf and her Thief back where they belonged.
And the Doctor…
Their bond snapped back to life the moment the collar was removed, and she could feel every bit of love, and relief, and elation he felt at being reunited with her. His pain and anger over their forced separation were almost as potent, but Rose carefully directed his focus to the positive.
A strangled sob from the Doctor was the only warning she had before he hauled her into his arms and then stretched out on the couch with her lying beside him. A moment later, she felt a hesitant knocking in her mind, and Rose had to fight her own anger when she realised he was asking permission to enter. It was a purely symbolic gesture, but she hated the idea that he would doubt she wanted him.
Concentrating on the bond, she deepened their connection, letting her mind rest against his as closely as he held her physically. After five months without him, it felt slightly unnatural, like slipping into shoes that hadn't been worn in a long time. But the relief from the emptiness they'd both felt so keenly more than made up for any temporary discomfort. Rose held him close, both physically and telepathically, and projected as much love and welcome as she could over the bond. The worst of the ache faded gradually, and they both sighed in relief at the realisation that they were truly together again.
When the swirl of emotions settled somewhat, Rose's head was resting on the Doctor's shoulder and his fingers were tangled in her hair. She tilted her head back and pressed a kiss to his Adam's apple, followed by one to his jawline.
The Doctor hummed his approval, then shifted and tilted his head so her next kiss could reach his lips. Rose smiled at the silent request and ran a hand through his hair as she kissed him gently.
I missed you, my Doctor, she told him as their mouths parted and met again. I missed you so much.
He gasped against her lips, then deepened the kiss, moving against her hungrily. Rose. Oh, love. Those months when I thought I'd lost you forever…
Rose stroked his face tenderly. But you didn't, Doctor, she reminded him. I'm right here. We're together in our home.
She felt the emotions break inside him seconds before the first tear fell. Although the last five months had left her telepathy rusty, she managed to cradle his mind close to hers while he wept against her shoulder, soaking her shirt through.
It wasn't until she felt his long fingers tenderly wipe the tears from her own face that Rose realised she was crying, too. "Do you want to talk about it?" he asked gently.
Rose shook her head and pressed herself closer to the Doctor. But when he started running his fingers through her hair, the words tumbled from her mouth without any conscious thought from her.
"He put that collar on me, and then I couldn't feel anything. You were gone, and that was the worst. But the Master was standing right in front of me, and I couldn't tell he existed telepathically. It was like I'd been blinded, like you said."
She swallowed hard. "And the TARDIS. I… losing her… It wasn't like losing you, or it was almost exactly like that, but different? I can't even explain it." She shrugged. "And of course, I've been running on fumes for the last five months, not having her help dealing with the huon particles."
The ship hummed apologetically, and Rose shook her head. It wasn't your fault, old girl. You couldn't even tell I was still alive—how were you supposed to do anything?
"It hurt her, too," the Doctor broke in. "The bond between a TARDIS and her pilot is similar to a marriage bond in that it's integral to who both of you are."
Rose hated to think that her own condition had caused the ship even more pain than she'd already been in. It was the TARDIS' turn to reassure her this time, making it clear that what mattered most was that they were together again—all three of them.
She rarely paid much attention to her connection to the ship, usually taking it for granted, but today, she closed her eyes and focused on the gold thread that linked them. The image of a wolf howling came to mind, and Rose hummed her agreement.
"We are the Bad Wolf," she whispered, then opened her eyes when the Doctor sucked in a breath. "What?"
He rubbed at his forehead. "I'll never be fully comfortable with that," he admitted. "Not that you have a closer connection with our ship than I do—that I honestly love. But the memory of what you did to bond with her, of what it did to you…"
Rose propped herself up on her elbow. "Is there anything of me in the TARDIS?" she wondered. "Like, she left the huon particles in me—is there anything of Rose in her? Or does this all go one way?"
"One way, and one time only," the Doctor said firmly. "I see the ideas lurking in your mind, Rose Tyler, but please remember, merging with the TARDIS killed you once."
Timelines shimmered around Rose. The Doctor was wrong. It wasn't merging with the TARDIS that had killed her; it was taking in the Vortex. If one could be done without the other…
"Rose, please!"
The Doctor had moved into a half-sitting position and gripped her shoulder hard. Rose looked into his frantic eyes and felt a twinge of guilt. Of course he was terrified. He'd just got her back from the dead, basically, and here she was, obviously contemplating a dangerous course of action.
"It's okay, Doctor," she promised, reaching out and running a hand through his hair. "I'm not gonna do anything stupid. Just… sometimes I wonder exactly how close me and her are, y'know?"
He blew out a shaky breath. "Yes, fine. Wonder all you like. But promise me you won't look into the Time Vortex again. Please."
Rose glanced at the timelines once more, then smiled at him. "I promise, Doctor."
oOoOoOoOo
They took a few minutes to shower and dress in their own clothes, and then the Doctor flew them to a deserted beach overshadowed by a cliff.
Together, they built a pyre and laid the Master's body on it. Then Rose watched him light it on fire and took his hand when he stepped back.
"I'll never light another pyre like this again."
Rose looked up at him. He was still staring at the fire, but his eyes were glassy, like he was holding back tears. "What do you mean?"
"He was…" The Doctor swallowed. "This was the Gallifreyan funerary custom. Without any others left, I won't have a reason to do this again."
They were silent for a long moment as the fire crackled around the Master's body. The Doctor's grief and anger raged internally, and Rose waited for him to break.
The Doctor kicked at the sand. "Why do I even care?" His hands clenched into fists, and he took half a step towards the pyre before realising what he was doing. "He made my life—made both of our lives a living hell for the last five months. Why do I care that he died? I don't want this to hurt!"
Rose wrapped her arms around his waist just as his suppressed emotions broke through his meagre control. "I hate him!" he raged as he wept into her shoulder. "I've never hated anyone as much as I hate him right now, but part of me still wishes he were back, because then I wouldn't be the last one again."
Her recoil was instinctive. She'd offered to bring the Master with them, but truthfully, she was glad he'd refused. He'd taunted her, belittled her, even beaten her, all to use her to get a reaction from the Doctor. She'd never trust him in a million years, so his death was honestly the best possible solution.
And the Doctor wished he were back?
The Doctor stiffened and pulled away from her. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I just…" He took a shuddering breath. "They're all gone, Rose."
Rose reached out and wiped his tears away before embracing him again. "I know. I know, my Doctor."
She held onto him until his tears slowed, then she stepped back and looked up at him. "How long did you know him?"
The Doctor shrugged. "It's hard to say." He glanced at Rose. "You've figured out my age is more of a guess, haven't you?"
Rose smirked. "I thought as much, yeah."
"But…" The Doctor took her hand again and stared back into the flames. "I'd known him for nearly as far back as I can remember." He sighed. "We were kids together, and best friends."
Rose's heart ached for him. She remembered how much it had hurt to leave her oldest friend behind in Pete's World, and she had the advantage of knowing he was still alive and happy. Plus, as far as she knew, Mickey had never tried to take over the world—there was no guilt in missing him.
When the flames had engulfed the Master's body, the Doctor turned silently and they started to leave.
They'd only taken two steps away from the pyre when Rose stopped. The timelines were flowing around this moment so heavily they almost hummed. She remembered what the Doctor had said about key moments of her life resonating more because of her time as Bad Wolf, and she pulled her hand away from his and followed her instincts around to the other side of the pyre.
"What are you doing, Rose?"
"Doesn't it seem odd to you, Doctor, that barely five minutes after you told him you knew better than to think he would ever purposely end his life, the Master did exactly that?"
"It was about finally beating me. He wanted to leave me alone," the Doctor said, his earlier bitterness back.
Rose shook her head as she scanned the ground for… something. "Blowing up the rockets and making the Earth burn would have beaten you, too. He only chose to die when it was obvious he'd lost. It makes me wonder if he had a back-up plan in place." She spotted something glinting on the ground and picked it up. "I wonder what this is."
The Doctor came around to join her, and his eyes widened when he saw the ornate silver ring she held. "That's a resurrection ring," he said.
"Like in Harry Potter?"
"Sort of." The Doctor took it and held it up to the firelight. "I thought those were only a myth. They should only be a myth."
Rose looked at the circular Gallifreyan on the bezel of the ring. "And what does this definitely-not-a-myth do?"
"You leave an imprint on the ring of your identity, and it can be used to… well, not technically bring you back to life… more like create a clone of you, but one that shares all your memories and experiences."
"It's a horcrux," Rose said flatly.
"Well… in a manner of speaking… yes."
"So what do we do with it?" Rose looked up at the Doctor. "I don't suppose you happen to have a basilisk fang lying about."
He chuckled. "No, and that wouldn't help in this case." He tossed the ring up in the air and caught it, then looked at it critically. "We need to make sure this never gets into the wrong hands, and I think I know just what to do with it."
"Throw it into the fires of Mount Doom?"
"Hitting all your favourite fantasy series, aren't you?" The Doctor shot a sidelong glance at Rose. She hadn't given him a real Rose Tyler smile since they'd been separated, and joking about Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings seemed like the perfect way to make her grin. But even now, she barely smiled, and he had to swallow back the lump in his throat. Be patient, he reminded himself, before looking at the ring again. "But no, I was thinking something a little more simple—like tossing it out of the TARDIS doors."
"Straight into a supernova?" Rose suggested. "I'm not leaving it on Earth, so if we're throwing it out of the TARDIS, we'd better be in space." She frowned. "I'm not throwing it into the Vortex either. There's too much of a possibility of someone managing to find it."
"In the Time Vortex, Rose?" He dropped the ring into his pocket and started for the TARDIS.
"Who knows what you could do with a Vortex manipulator, if you knew what you were doing?"
The Doctor had to admit she had a point, and the Master had already proven himself capable of doing things he didn't even think was possible. "All right, fine. Once we're done here, we'll find a nice supernova and get rid of the Master's horcrux."
oOoOoOoOo
Working together, the Doctor and Rose kept the promise they'd made to Jack before leaving him to deal with UNIT and landed the TARDIS on the flight deck of the Valiant only an hour after they had left. Jack and the Jones family had all cleaned up while they were gone, though they were still wearing the uniforms they'd been given during their forced servitude.
Tish and Clive followed Jack willingly onto the ship, but Francine hung back. "Are you certain it's safe, Martha?" she asked, clinging to her daughter's hand.
Martha rubbed soothing circles over her back. "I promise, Mum."
The Doctor stepped forward and held his hands out, palm up. "Francine, you have my word. I'll get you home only hours after you left."
Francine narrowed her eyes, but eventually nodded and stepped on board.
The landing in Francine's back garden was one of his best ever—on time, and not on top of any prized flower beds. Francine, Clive, and Tish all exited the TARDIS, but Martha stayed on board.
The Doctor raised his eyebrows. "I didn't think you'd want to be away from your family." He shoved his hands into his pockets; he didn't want to tell Martha that she couldn't travel with them any longer, but if she didn't ask to be taken home, he would.
"Just for a bit," she said, and the Doctor relaxed slightly. "Just long enough to drop Jack off."
He nodded and moved to change the coordinates, only to realise Rose had already done it. "One step ahead of ya, Doctor," she said, giving him a tongue-touched smile for the first time since the Valiant.
Heedless of their audience, the Doctor cupped her face between his hands and pressed a passionate kiss to her lips. Rose sighed and opened her mouth, and the Doctor adjusted the angle of the kiss with one hand while trailing the other down her back and pulling her close.
A whistle from Jack drew him back to reality, and he broke the kiss and pressed his forehead to hers. As soon as we're alone, Rose Tyler…
She spun away from him and started the dematerialisation sequence. I've got a few plans of my own, Doctor. It was a long year.
"Mind if I interrupt your telepathic sweet nothings to talk to Rosie for a moment, Doc?"
The Doctor crossed his arms over his chest. "Jack…"
Jack winked at him, then swept Rose up in a hug. "I'm so glad you're alive."
His words were a whisper, but the Doctor's superior hearing picked them up easily, and his hearts constricted at the emotion in Jack's voice. He'd forgotten… well, not really considered that Jack and Martha hadn't known until today that Rose was still alive.
The TARDIS landed with a light bump, and Jack stepped back from Rose and looked around the console room. "We can't have landed," he said.
"Oh, the TARDIS behaves much better for Rose," Martha told him.
Rose leaned against the console. "She just likes a gentle touch," she said. "So, on the other side of those doors: Cardiff."
Outside, the call of seagulls and faint hint of salt in the air announced their proximity to the bay. They leaned against a railing and watched people walking across the Roald Dahl Plass with no idea they had nearly been enslaved by a madman.
"Time was," Martha said, "every single one of these people knew your name. Now they've all forgotten you."
"Good," the Doctor said firmly. "The fewer people carrying memories of that year, the better."
Jack ducked under the railing. "Back to work. If I remember right, I need to recall my team from the Himalayas."
"You have Rose's mobile?" the Doctor asked. Jack nodded. "Call if you need us then," he told him.
It was an olive branch, an offer to make Jack a true part of their lives. Gratitude lit up Jack's face. "Thank you, Doctor."
The Doctor was reaching into his pocket for his sonic screwdriver, still intent on deactivating Jack's Vortex manipulator, when Rose nudged him telepathically. He paused and looked at her with a raised eyebrow.
Take a look at him, she suggested. I know what you're thinking, but I really think we can trust him with it.
Jack had asked before if he might leave him with a functioning Vortex manipulator, the Doctor remembered. He turned to look more closely at their friend and saw for the first time how well Jack wore responsibility. He wasn't the con artist they'd met 150 years ago in Jack's personal timeline, and hadn't been for a long time.
He took Jack's wrist and held it up. "If I let you keep this, do you promise to use it responsibly?" he asked, holding his friend's gaze.
Jack's eyes widened. "Yes, sir!"
The Doctor nodded. "I'm trusting you with it then, Jack. It might make it easier for you to watch out for the Earth and find us if you need us." He raised an eyebrow. "Just remember, it's not a pleasure device." He looked up at Jack, smiling with wry amusement. "I know it'll take you anywhere—twice even, the second time to apologise—but that's not what it's for."
"Doctor," Rose admonished.
"What? It's true."
Jack laughed, then straightened up and saluted them all. "Sir. Ma'ams." They saluted back, and Jack started to walk away, but turned back around after only one step.
"So I keep wondering, what about ageing? Because I can't die, but I keep getting older. The odd little grey hair, you know?" he said, pointing to his hair. He put his hands on his hips and frowned at them. "What happens if I live for a million years?"
The Doctor stared at him in bemusement, not quite sure where this came from. "I really don't know." He shook his head slightly.
Jack chuckled. "Okay, vanity. Sorry." He waved a hand, dismissing the question. "Yeah, can't help it. Used to be a poster boy when I was a kid living on the Boeshane Peninsula. Tiny little place. I was the first one ever to be signed up for the Time Agency," he said, pointing a finger in emphasis. "They were so proud of me. The Face of Boe, they called me. Hmm. I'll see you."
Jack jogged across the Plass, completely unaware of the bombshell he'd just dropped on his three friends.
"No," Rose breathed.
Martha was staring after Jack, her mouth agape. "It can't be."
"No," the Doctor stated. "Definitely not. No. No."
They looked at each other and broke into gales of laughter. He'd once called Jack an impossible thing; here was all the proof he needed.
Rose had tears streaming down her face. "I guess it explains how he knew so much, you know."
The Doctor looked at her, and she shrugged her shoulders. "Well, if everyone else forgot this year, then the Face of Boe had to either be someone who was there, or someone with access to the UNIT files."
"And since UNIT files don't survive into the year five billion…" The Doctor leaned back on his heels. "Jack Harkness is the Face of Boe."
oOoOoOoOo
When they left Cardiff, Martha pointed to the corridor. "I'll just…" she said, then left the console room.
The Doctor shot Rose a sideways glance. It was hard to believe she was actually here with him, but he knew if he let himself think about that too much, he'd either break down in tears, or snog her breathless. As appealing as the latter option was, Martha's return would be… embarrassing.
Instead, they worked on getting the console cleaned up. Jack had undone the paradox machine, leaving the TARDIS functional again, but remnants of the pieces the Master had used to cannibalise her still dangled from the console and the ceiling.
Once they'd cleared away the debris, the Doctor reset the coordinates on the TARDIS so they could take Martha back to her mum's. "I figure she'll want to be with her family, instead of in her own flat," he told Rose when she glanced at what he'd done.
"Yeah, probably," Rose said, just as Martha returned with a pack slung over her shoulder.
The Doctor flipped the lever, then faced Martha. "What will you do?" he asked.
Martha leaned against a strut. "I've got a few people I want to find, people I met during that year. And then… back to my studies, I suppose. I just… My family need me, Doctor. They saw half the planet slaughtered and they're devastated." She looked from him to Rose. "And you need time alone, to heal."
The Doctor leaned on the console with his arms crossed over his chest. "Yeah, we do. Think we'll try to stay out of trouble for a bit."
To her credit, Martha didn't laugh. Instead, she held up her phone. "I've got Rose's number too, same as Jack. If I call you—when I call you—you'd better come running. Got it?"
The Doctor's smile was small but genuine. "Got it," he promised.
The TARDIS landed with a definite thud, and Martha glanced at the door before sliding her pack off her back. She slipped her phone into her pocket and walked over to Rose. "Rose…"
Rose jogged over to her and pulled her into a hug. "I'm gonna miss you, Martha," she said, and the Doctor could hear tears in her voice. "I know you have to go, but I'm gonna miss you so much."
Martha's arms tightened around her for a moment, then she stepped back. "I'll miss you too, Rose. I'm so glad…" She looked over Rose's shoulder at the Doctor, and her voice trailed off.
Rose nodded. "Yeah. Me too."
The Doctor shuddered; the constant reminders that Rose had been presumed dead for five months were doing nothing for his state of mind. He swallowed hard, then moved forward to give Martha a goodbye hug.
"Martha Jones," he murmured as he squeezed her tight. Her eyes were bright when she looked up at him, and the Doctor smiled, trying to let her see how proud he was of her. "You saved the world."
She nodded. "That's right. I did. Because I'm just that good." Martha broke the sombre attitude by pointing at the two of them. "I'll see you later," she promised, then stepped outside and closed the door behind her.
Rose felt a pang of sadness when Martha left the TARDIS—partly because she'd miss her, and partly because of what the other woman had gone through. Her time on board hadn't been anything like what she'd imagined.
"Stop it," the Doctor said softly. "If I'm not allowed to feel guilty for things that are beyond my control, then neither are you."
Rose nodded. He was right—well of course he was, he was quoting her. A bubble of giddy happiness settled in her heart when the Doctor rolled his eyes at that thought.
She was home. Rose leaned against a strut and drank in the sight of him as he flew around the console, sending them into the Vortex. It was a sight she'd been afraid she would never see again, and the thought slipped out before she could stop it. I thought I'd lost you.
The Doctor ducked his chin and pressed his lips together, and when he looked up, she saw shadows in his eyes that hadn't been there a year ago. The lingering grief she'd been trying to ignore sharpened, and Rose reached for him over the bond, wanting to comfort him.
The Doctor's hand stilled on the controls, then he crossed the console room in three strides and fell into Rose's open arms. Don't leave me again, he pleaded as he buried his face in the crook of her neck.
Rose sank her fingers into his hair. I won't, Doctor. Not ever, she swore as she held onto him, trying to calm his wild emotions.
His lips found her collarbone, and then moved up her neck, dropping gentle kisses on every inch of her skin. Rose tilted her head back and sighed his name, then tugged at the bond, hoping the Doctor would kiss her properly.
Finally, he brushed a soft kiss over her lips. Rose snagged his top lip between her teeth, nipping at it and letting him know without words that she was not in the mood for soft and gentle. She felt him waver, so she scraped her nails against his scalp at the same time as she caressed him telepathically.
The Doctor sucked in a breath through his nose, and Rose moaned loudly when his arousal flared across the bond. She'd forgotten how deliciously intimate that felt.
So had I. Oh, I missed this.
When he swiped his tongue across her lower lip, Rose hummed her pleasure and relief, and his tongue swept into her mouth.
Rose's desire swirled around him, and the intoxicating pleasure of feeling exactly how much she wanted him pushed the Doctor's restraint to the limits. She scraped her teeth over his bottom lip, and he knew she wanted him to let go. But he was afraid that if he got too carried away by his emotions, he'd overwhelm her. To go from feeling nothing to the torrent of love and desire and fear that threatened to break loose…
But when he flicked his tongue against the roof of Rose's mouth, her little sigh into him chipped away at his good intentions. Hoping to regain his own control by pushing the barriers of her restraint, he slid his hands down her back and into the pockets of her jeans. Have I ever told you how much I love these jeans? he asked as he squeezed gently.
Her sharp intake of breath told him she still liked that just as much as she had a year ago. Once or twice, Rose said, and he nibbled at her lip to punish her cheek.
His smug grin disappeared when she carded her hands through his hair and gave it a firm tug. "Rose," he groaned out loud, pulling her snugly against himself and rocking his hips against her.
"Doctor!" Rose wrapped a leg around his hip and arched into him.
Yes, love? He shuddered when she rubbed against him, and he dropped his lips to her collarbone to muffle the sounds he couldn't hold back.
Don't stop, she pleaded.
Hearing her beg for him broke the Doctor's control, just like it always had. He spun her around and pressed her against the door, groaning when she arched against him. I don't have any plans to stop, he promised as he yanked her shirt off and tossed it over his shoulder. In fact, unless you object, I'm going to shag you right here against the door.
He slid a leg between hers, and Rose used the door at her back to give herself leverage to grind against him. The pressure was so close to what he needed—what they both needed—and their moans echoed in the console room.
"Doctor, please!" Rose's eyes were half-lidded and glazed with passion, and she had her lower lip caught between her teeth.
The Doctor shifted, and Rose's eyelashes fluttered as her mouth dropped open in a silent gasp. "Please what, love?" he whispered in her ear before nipping at her earlobe.
She sighed, then pushed at his shoulders. When the Doctor could see her eyes again, the mischief there made his hearts race even faster.
"You promised me shagging against the door, but we're still almost fully dressed," she teased, a playful pout on her face. "Or are you all talk, no action, Doctor?"
The Doctor stepped back, but he forgot all about pretending to be offended by her challenge when Rose took advantage of the space to take her bra off and toss it out of the way. "Right," he agreed, his fingers quickly undoing the buttons on his own shirt. Their clothes disappeared quickly after that, and the console room was filled with their groans of pleasure as they celebrated their reunion.
Later, when they'd collapsed onto the pile of clothes, Rose started to giggle. "What's so funny?" the Doctor asked, tickling her ribs.
Rose squirmed under his teasing touch. "We can finally check console room sex off the list," she told him.
The Doctor laughed, then grimaced as he shifted off their clothes, onto the grating. "Come on, let's go to our room." He stood and offered Rose a hand. "Otherwise, I'm going to wake up with some very interesting patterns imprinted on my backside."
AN: If this feels like the reunion was too easy (I know some people were really expecting undoing the necklace to be complicated), the difficulties you're waiting for are emotional, and will crop up in the VOTD story.