Maybe if I rinse off in the shower, I'll cool down. How many cold showers is that this week? "More than I can count, my dear ship, thanks for reminding me." She doesn't feel all that differently you know. "What? And just what do you mean by that?" Her feelings for you, Theta. Why can't you accept them? "I don't know what you're talking about. I refuse to let you give me false hope where I know there can be none!" Her hum of disapproval was all the answer I got. "Fine, just be that way, bloody female ship, tryin' to play matchmaker." And then she shocked me. Hard. While I was in the shower. "OUCH! How DARE you shock me like that? Just because I don't want to play along with you!" I tenderly stepped out of the shower, opening drawer after drawer, looking for the salve I know is in here somewhere. "Well, if you're goin' to shock me, at least let me fix my bloody feet so that I can walk!" When I turned around, the salve was sitting on the counter. "Thanks." Bloody ship. I would love to think that Rose...that I...but that could never be. I could never have her for myself, but I can certainly dream the impossible. "What are you humming at? Reading my thoughts, are you? Well, you can leave me alone with my thoughts, thank you very much." Sometimes it wasn't so great havin' a ship inside your head.
some time later…
"Doctor?" By the sound of her voice, I had a feeling that she wanted something. "Yes, Rose?" Might as well play along. "I was wondering if we could pick up Jack a little early." We had dropped him off on Betelgeuse IV, a pleasure planet we happened to be near at the time. Between him eyein' Rose like she was his next conquest, and Rose flirtin' back with him, I made the decision for him that he deserved a little vacation. "You sure about that, Rose? He's a walking seduction machine. What if he tries to put the moves on you again?" Rose laughed at that. I didn't think it was funny. "He might, but there's no way I'd actually fall for it this time, since I'd know what he'd be up to." I pulled my head out of the control panel I'd been working in, to look Rose in the eyes. Big mistake. In order to get to her eyes, I had to take in her entire outfit on the way. "Rose? What exactly are you wearing?" I'm pretty sure my jaw dropped onto the TARDIS floor. Hopefully I recovered before she was done checking out herself out, trying to figure out my dismay no doubt. "What is wrong with what I have on? It's just a t-shirt and jeans, Doctor, same as any day." If this was the same old outfit, I was a dog with no nose. "Excuse me, but since when have you ever worn jeans that snug and a t-shirt that shows off all yo..." There was that blush again. Damnit! Why can I not control my reaction to this little human? "See somethin' you like, Doctor?" Clearing my throat, I finally met her eyes, not without passing the smirk in her grin on the way up. "Just admirin' your handiwork. Jack, then? He should be done by now; pleasure planets are only fun for so long." Rose looked at me, confused at first and then skeptically. "Oh, is that so? And here I thought you didn't dance, Doctor." I really hope she had decided to ignore my comment about her outfit, and was talking about my knowledge of pleasure planets. "Well don't you think you're so funny, Ms. Tyler." That twinkle in her eyes said she definitely thought so. "For your information, I don't dance. Not with the likes of humans anyway. Time Lord superiority and all that. Forbidden. Must have stuck with me." I'd really stuck my foot in my mouth with that one. I knew she had been trying her best to flirt with me. Had been for what seemed like ages now. Ever since we had first picked up Jack, and I had made sure that he knew she was off-limits. Maybe that declaration had made Rose think...well it was true. She was off-limits. Especially to Jack. No matter what Rose thought about it. There was no way he was going to have what I can't and then rub it in my face on my ship. And now, here I was, trying to push her away, not even giving her a chance to get friendly with anyone else. What am I, her dad? I'd like to think not. And now she's pouting at me, and wondering if I'm ever going to say anything, I bet. "Nothin' against you, Rose. I just...don't." "Oh, Doctor, you know I'm just teasin'. Why do have to go gettin' all broody on me? Come on, let's go get Jack. Maybe he'll lighten the mood a bit, yeah?" Oh Rose, all that man does is drive me crazy. "Fine. Let's go track him down." Rose, you will be the death of me.