Companion Appreciation Day

Part 2

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Rose awoke to a dark room. She glanced around, disoriented, but soon relaxed, hearing someone's familiar, soft breathing at her neck. It was the Doctor. He stirred behind her and wrapped his arms more firmly around her waist. "Morning, sweet Angel, how are you feeling?" he murmured, burrowing his cold nose deeper into the side of her neck. Rose jumped a little from the cold and quickly assessed her issues of health. No sore throat, her headache was cured, and she no longer felt like throwing up – always a good sign. With a contented sigh, she nestled back into the Doctor's warm arms, smiling. So it hadn't been a dream after all.

"I'm feeling much better, Doctor. You were right… it was a twenty four hour thing."

"That's good. You need to go brush your teeth."

"I know, I probably smell and taste of vomit," Rose admitted.

"Yep," the Doctor teased.

"Why did you kiss me then?" Rose demanded, and frowned in thought. "Why did you say I smell good?"

"You taste fine to me – I don't care." As if to make his meaning clear, he bent and kissed her firmly.

"Oh… you must really be a vampire," Rose told him, wrinkling her nose as she backed away.

"Why didn't you tell me to not kiss you?" the Doctor challenged.

"I didn't want you to stop," Rose admitted, almost ashamedly.

She needn't have worried, however, for it earned her a glowing smile and another snog.

"Is it really time to get up?" Rose asked the Doctor regretfully after a while when he grabbed her wrists and pulled her up into a sitting position on his lap. She turned her head to face him.

"You want to see what I have planned for you, don't you, love?" the Doctor asked tenderly as he traced her mouth gently, dark eyes glowing into hers. Rose shivered when he called her 'love' and smiled, pressing her face closer to his, kissing his fingers lightly.

"Sure I do," Rose replied gently when he kissed her.

"Then… let's get you out of bed. Oh, first step in CAD…" His brown eyes twinkled mischievously as he scooted from the bed and grabbed his jacket, tie, shoes and socks.

"Where are you going?" Rose asked, her eyes following him.

"Can you eat?"

"Are you kidding me?" Rose asked incredulously. "I'm so hungry I could eat a horse!"

"Just don't eat Arthur," the Doctor commented with a wink.

"Hmm… I need to get dressed –"

"Go brush your teeth first," the Doctor interrupted absently.

With a sigh, Rose bolted from the bed and raced to the bathroom – the sooner it got done, the better.

Two minutes later she waltzed back out of the bathroom door and a heady aroma awaited her. She grinned and laughed with delight as she took in the sight and smells – the Doctor had prepared a giant breakfast in bed, just for her. There, on a massive tray on the side of the bed, was food galore. Fresh bacon, ham, chips, eggs and pancakes, sausages and syrup, plus several pieces of French toast, homemade toast slathered with butter, and a bowl of those chocolate puff cereal. On a ledge the Doctor had displayed several beverages including Coke, Grape juice, Coffee, Tea, Milk, Chocolate Milk and Orange Juice.

"What would be your pleasure, madam?" the Doctor asked Rose courteously, unable to wipe that grin off of his face. He juggled the table aside to let Rose slide back into the covers. What was by far the most appetizing sight there was the picture the Doctor made, his hair gelled back, glasses on, wearing a tuxedo (!!!!) with a white cloth draped over his arm. With the white All-Stars, of course. Rose sat back and stared at him for a few minutes – until she realized that he had asked her a question.

"Um, a bit of everything, I suppose," Rose answered absently. "There's just too much for me to eat it all." With a grin, the Doctor obliged, giving her two pieces of ham, two pieces of bacon, several helpings of chips (on a separate plate), one egg, two pancakes, two sausages, one piece of French toast, one slice of homemade toast ("They even each other out," he explained.) and dutifully presented the bowl of the chocolate puff cereal.

"Now for a drink," the Doctor continued with another grin.

"Um… just tea, thanks," Rose said, still absent, slightly dazed.

The Doctor obliged again, handing over a large mug of hot tea, just the way she liked it; not too hot, and not too cold.

With a grin he perched on the edge of her bed for a few moments and handed her an empty tray.

"What's this?" she asked, taking the tray and glancing at him quizzically.

"For you to place your dishes on," he explained cheerfully. Under his studious eye, Rose did so, and the minute she was finished arranging her dishes full of food and drink, the Doctor swept up the other tray overloaded with food and swept out the door.

While Rose began her meal, the Doctor arrived, still grinning. She glanced up as she took a swig of tea. "Aren't you going to eat?" she muttered round a mouthful of ham and eggs.

"Already did," was his prompt response. Rose eyed him suspiciously.

"I don't believe you," she declared. "Come sit and help me eat all of this." She patted the bed beside her.

"Rose," the Doctor protested.

"No buts," she told him, grinning. "Come on," she urged, batting her eyes at him.

With a sigh, the Doctor obliged and sat. "Rose, this is your breakfast, not mine – "

"Doctor," Rose interrupted. "Are you going to eat, or are you just going to sit and let your food get cold?"

With another sigh, the Doctor pulled over a dish and dug in – with his fingers.

"No, Doctor. We don't eat it like that," Rose said patiently with a tweak of a smile. She offered him her fork, which he gladly accepted. He easily scooped up some scrambled eggs and stuck it in his mouth, promptly burning his tongue for his eagerness.

"AURGH!" he cried, thrashing as he waved his arms and his eyes went wide. "HOTHOTHOTHOTHOT!"

Rose giggled, rolled her eyes and offered him her tea. The Doctor stared at her like she had just grown two heads and reached for the cold white milk, knocking over the grape juice in his haste. Unfortunately, the grape juice went all over the Doctor's nice black and white tux, staining it.

With something akin to a groan and a moan, the Doctor swallowed the milk and sighed, his tongue cooling down.

"I suggest you don't eat anything for a while," Rose advised, while the Doctor grumbled.

Upon finishing her meal and resting back against the cushioned headboard, Rose sighed with contentment. The Doctor stood up from her bed, collected her dishes and left the room – hopefully to change as well.

He arrived soon afterwards and, still in a red soaked suit, produced the pink bag. "For you," he managed, getting over his burnt tongue.

"Thank you!" Rose replied, delighted as she accepted his gift. She unwrapped it slowly… and found a large bowl of milk and white chocolate.

"How did you manage to fit it in this packet?"

"Time Lord science. Bigger on the inside," the Doctor replied with a shrug. Rose laughed and beckoned him over to her side. When he knelt down, soaking or no, Rose gave him a searing kiss that almost made him forget himself.

"All in all," the Doctor commented when he had straightened because his back had protested, "A very good start to the day."

"Thank you," Rose whispered against his chest as he hugged her gently.

"My pleasure," he murmured.

"So what now?" she asked, intrigued.

"You get dressed, and I put the next plan into action," the Doctor teased enigmatically. Rose laughed when he practically flew out of the room.

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Hope you liked this chapter!

I'm sure more romantic and funny stuff will be on the way soon!