Thank you so much or all your fantastic reviews! I'm thrilled that so many of you are still enjoying this story and are sticking with it. It really means a lot to me. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

The looks on her team's faces was priceless. Catching a witty, handsome and extremely clever alien who spoke English was one thing, finding out that their Commander loved him and respected him was another, and the fact that this alien that they had captured, tested, scanned, put in a cell (and in Max's case taunted) was their Commander, was simply too much for them. Eddie's generally calm face was now utterly shocked, as if he was having huge trouble believing everything. Max's face was a mixture of anger, dislike and disbelief. He was in a sticky situation. He hated the alien, now identified as the Doctor, a man with whom he was now competing for Rose's affections, but who was now also the commander, and had the rank above him. Max now officially had to follow the Doctor's and respect him as he respected Rose currently. Olivia was also completely shocked, but right now her mind was more on seducing this Doctor, he was hot. She wasn't exactly sure how he and Rose felt about each other, but she hoped to god that they weren't romantically involved. If so, then it would be a lot harder to get to him and seeing that Rose had a huge amount of power at Torchwood, it might possibly even get her fired.

Rose leant closer to the Doctor. "We're going to introduce you at the conference tomorrow" she told him quietly, not wanting to disrupt her team's thoughts. "Everyone with clearance level 3 and over will be there".

"As you say Commander" the Doctor whispered into Rose's ear, his voice a little lower than usual.

Rose tried in vain to suppress the little shiver she felt as the Doctor's breath ghosted over her skin. Max also noticed the shiver, but he saw it as further proof that Rose was somehow being controlled by the alien. He decided to watch the two of them for a few days, and then do something. Of course, he could do something now, but he was already in a sticky situation with the Director. He could bring up the issue tomorrow with the Director, he supposed.

"You`re getting the rank tomorrow, don't ridicule it!" Rose said back playfully to the Doctor, once she had somewhat regained her composure. The Doctor simply smiled.

"Anyway" she told her team. "I will see you all tomorrow." She smiled at each of them and then said goodbye, ignoring their still amazed looks and exiting the underground sector and going back to reception and out to the car park. The Doctor whistled as he saw her car, a shiny black Bentley Continental. "I thought you hated all this stuff" he remarked.

Rose nodded. "Yeah, but this was a gift from Pete, so I figured, why not? Anyway, it's not like I ride this car at full speed, and its comfortable and practical, so…" she unlocked it and opened the driver's side. Once both of them were finally on the highway, she let out a long breath.

"Sorry about that whole mess" she said to the Doctor, sounding apologetic.

He shook his head. "Rose don't worry. They're just your Torchwood team, and they are doing their jobs…Although I can't say that I've taken a huge fancy to Max".

Rose nodded understandingly. "Did he taunt you a lot?" she asked.

The Doctor shrugged. "Well…I suppose it was bearable…I am cleverer than him after all….I still wanted to punch him in the face though".

"He's a good agent" Rose said.

The Doctor raised his eyebrows, wanting to voice his doubts about him but be tactful at the same time. "Are you sure it's a good idea to have someone who clearly despises alien that much working in the field?"

Rose frowned slightly, seeing the Doctor's point, but disagreeing.

"The Cybermen fiasco hit him really hard" she said. "I've been teaching him that most aliens aren't really like that, and that the Cybermen were Lumic's fault, who was a human…but it's difficult for him. He lost his whole family, and his girlfriend. That's why he can be so aggressive and bitter."

"Is that why you like him?" the Doctor asked, the question slipping out before he could stop it. "Sorry" he added hastily.

Rose took a deep breath for a moment. She wasn't angry at the Doctor for saying that, he could understand what losing people was like better than anyone, but she had a funny feeling that the Doctor might be slightly jealous of Max. Also, Max had made quite a bad first impression, so she could forgive the Doctor…but still. She liked Max.

"Not really" said Rose. "But I do like him a lot. I know he made a horrible first impression on you, but you have to give him a chance."

She saw the Doctor wasn't really convinced at all, so she went on. "Max was already at Torchwood when I came. He was assigned to my team after the Sycorax situation, and…well, he was a lot like me. Grieving. I'd just lost you, and I was in a completely foreign universe and he had lost his whole family. He could understand what I was going through and we became close friends. He was a good person to talk to, and I trust him."

The Doctor nodded, trying to understand. It was after all his fault that Rose had had to go through all that pain.

"Unfortunately, over the months, he fell in love with me…Heidi says it's just a crush, but a crush doesn't last five years. I think he is really disappointed that we aren't a couple…I suppose that's my fault. I showed so much preference for him that it must have encouraged him. But of course the last thing I wanted was someone in love with me…because I still loved you." She smiled affectionately at the Doctor.

"Of course it's horrible for him now, because I am totally different. He thought he knew me, and he did, to an extent, but not like this. He thought we were close and finding out that I am actually completely different on the inside is hard for him. Not to mention that he just found out the person I love is an alien. It hit him hard I guess".

The Doctor smiled slightly. "Yeah, I suppose there is going to be a fair bit of rivalry over a certain gorgeous blonde haired woman at Torchwood right now."

Rose smiled. "Hopefully Max will give up and not do anything stupid like the gun fiasco. But its not exactly going to be much of a rivalry is it?"

The Doctor raised his eyebrows.

"You're mine" Rose said simply. "I love you, and I'm not giving you up for anything or anyone."

If they hadn't been on a highway, the Doctor would have kissed the life out of her.

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.

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Rose and the Doctor fell asleep the second they got to their room, both exhausted. Both had already been tired before the whole Torchwood mess, but after that and having to explain everything to Jackie (who thought it was absolutely hilarious and laughed her head off) they were finished. Rose didn't even bother to change into her pyjamas, she simply took off her pants, jumper and shirt, and went to sleep in her camisole and knickers (the Doctor had no complaints there). He didn't bother to change fully either, he just put on pyjama pants and left his chest bare, his clothes thrown messily on a chair.

Rose slept deeply, although she had several unusual dreams involving Max and the Doctor. But no nightmares, which was a comfort. The Doctor also slept peacefully, holding Rose in his arms calmed him. He wasn't nervous about the next day (he had faced way worse things) although he wondered how the thing with Max was going to work out. He sighed slightly. He still couldn't really bring himself to like him, although he was extremely grateful he had been there for Rose when she had needed someone to talk to.

He sighed again and closed his eyes, deciding that what had to happen would, and if it involved Max hatching a plan to somehow sabotage him or embarrass him, then he would simply have to take it in stride.

I know I know, that was short….sorry. I promise the next chapter will be up tomorrow, and if not then definitely Friday. I have a ton of schoolwork that suddenly mounted up and reared its big ugly head.

Ohhh, next chappie=press conference and possibly the first Torchwood mission as well.

I feel that the chapter quality seems to be degrading, and that the chapters are getting kind of boring?

If you have any suggestions then tell me in a review or pm me please.

Laura xxx