Chapter 11

The days passed quietly for Rose as she waited for the Doctor to wake up. River sat with her often, perched on the counter with her eyes steadfastly focused on the Doctor. The third day, Rose woke to find a blanket draped over her and a plate of food on a stool next to her chair. Kaylee was sneaking out the door, and she grimaced as Rose sat up. "Oh, sorry! I didn't mean to wake you." She came back in and gave Rose a small smile. "You haven't been sleeping much, and you looked a bit worn out."

"It's alright, Kaylee. Thanks." Rose laughed a little and rolled her shoulders. "Sleepin' too long gets me all twisted up, anyway. Thanks for the food."

"Well, it's just a nutrition bar, but you missed dinner last night, so I thought I'd save you something."

"It looks great. I hadn't realized how hungry I am." She let go of the Doctor's hand to pick up the bar, and his brow furrowed. He began tossing and turning, and she snatched his hand again, biting her lip as he immediately calmed. She cleared her throat and smiled a little, blinking back tears. "Guess I'm eating left-handed today."

Kaylee was watching them with a soft smile on her face. "He's mighty handsome. Bit on the skinny side, but he looks loads better than he did just a few days ago."

Rose brushed the hair back from his forehead. "Oh, he's always been trim, but never this bad." She sighed. "I'm just glad he heals as quickly as he does."

Kaylee jumped suddenly and stuck her hand in the pocket of her overalls. "Oh, I almost forgot! Here." She pulled out a small box and grinned. "It's an extra shaving kit. I borrowed it from the Captain—thought it might make you feel a bit better if you could tidy him up some." She bit her lip. "An' I brought these, too." She pulled out a small pair of silver scissors. "Inara'd been teaching me some hairstyling before she left. I could give him a trim, if you like."

Rose smiled. "That sounds great, actually. He'd hate looking this messy. Don't cut it too short, though—he likes it a bit shaggy on top."

Kaylee bounced a little and grinned as she pulled out a comb and began working her way through the Doctor's hair. "Thanks! Nobody around here lets me practice on 'em, so I was kinda worried I'd forget it all."

Rose bit her lip against laughter, imagining the Doctor squawking in protest. Maybe it was a good thing he was unconscious at the moment.

Five days from when she'd finally found him, Rose woke to a very familiar voice.

"What? What?"

Rose raised her head wearily from the cold surface of the table, wincing as the ache in her neck clamored for attention. Bleary brown eyes met wide chocolate ones, and Rose sat up with a gasp, all of her exhaustion washed away in a wave of surprise and joy.

"You're awake! Oh god—" To her chagrin, she burst into happy tears.

"Oh, no no no no no! Rose, don't cry—I can't bear it when you cry."

Rose raised her eyes to meet the Doctor's, and her heart twisted painfully in her chest at the look of desperate worry on his face. He lifted a shaky hand to touch her face and she grabbed it and held it to her cheek. His eyes widened in shock.

"Sweet Jesus on a Monday, you are whipped." Both of their heads jerked around towards the doorway, where Jayne lounged with a look of profound disinterest on his face.

Rose groaned. "What the hell do you want, Jayne?"

"Cap'n sent me to tell you to head on up to the bridge. Seems Niska's been rattlin' some cages lookin' for your boy toy here."

"Tell 'im I'm busy." Rose's hand moved automatically to the Doctor's, and he laced his fingers with hers without a second thought. He caught her eyes, and a deep sense of belonging settled into her bones. Years of waiting, searching, hoping... she was finally home.

Jayne's bored voice broke into their reverie. "Well, you two are cuter than a pair of puppies, but Mal gets mighty twitchy when people don't snap to his orders." He paused and stared into the distance thoughtfully. "Find it more than a little tiresome myself, but it's on you. My life's easier when he ain't pissed at me."

Rose glared fiercely at Jayne, clenching her jaw against the torrent of abuse she wanted to throw at the mercenary. She was tired, she was sore, she'd only just finally found her Doctor (and he was actually conscious, this time!)—but it wasn't Jayne's fault they were interrupted, really, just bad timing.

"If you could kindly remind the Captain that I'm not crew, but a paying passenger, that'd be lovely. Ta." Rose turned around to focus on the Doctor, noting his growing pallor with a tinge of alarm. "Hey."

At her soft voice, the Doctor's gaze shifted from the retreating bulk of Jayne to her face. She smiled happily at him. Emotions flickered over his face like channels on a radio—sorrow, disbelief, joy, pain—before settling on wonder. He carefully traced the contours of her face, a look of unsteady joy spreading over his features as she leaned into his caress.

He opened his mouth to speak, but had to clear his throat carefully before his voice would obey him. His dark eyes were shining in the clear, cool light of the infirmary. "It's really you."

Rose nodded, biting her lip ineffectually against the absurd grin that was fighting its way out.

The Doctor shoved upwards suddenly, ignoring Rose's worried protest as he struggled to sit upright. He panted for a second, and then reached out to pull her face to his for a sudden, fervent kiss. Rose gasped, and his tongue—oh god, his clever tongue—darted forwards, teasing and tangling and tasting. She moaned, and a desperate groan came from the Doctor in response. His long, graceful fingers tangled in the silky lengths of her hair, danced up and down her throat, and generally went about driving her mad. The kiss might've lasted moments, it might've been minutes... the Doctor pulled away gently, resting his forehead against hers while he panted for breath.

"Rose Tyler."

She smiled vaguely, still basking in the warm glow of that kiss. "Mmm?"

His dark eyes opened, and they met hers with all the charge of an electric current. "I love you."

A jubilant smile broke over her face like a sunrise. The Doctor grinned madly and peppered her face with joyful kisses, murmuring Rose Rose Rose my Rose against her skin like a benediction.

She surrounded his bony face with her hands, pressing light kisses against his forehead, his anemically-pale eyelids, his crooked nose, his chapped lips. "I love you. I love you so much."

Mal's irritated voice echoed from the corridor. "Rose! Now I understand wantin' to sit with your Doctor, but we're in a hell of a mess now because of your gorram rescue, and if you don't get your perky behind up to the bridge this minute you can—" He walked into the infirmary and blinked owlishly at the Doctor, who was still resting against Rose.

The Doctor gave him a small wave. "Hello."

Mal spun on his heel and stomped over to the stairs. "JAYNE! Why didn't you tell me he was awake!" When he turned, the Doctor raised an eyebrow at Rose and mouthed, 'perky behind?'. She grinned and shook her head, giggling quietly.

Jayne's offended voice drifted over from the cargo bay. "Weren't much important, far's I can see."

"Well, get Simon down here!" Mal shouted, and strode back into the infirmary. He gave a tight smile, which relaxed into a worried expression as he noticed how much the Doctor was leaning on Rose. "Hey now, you sure you should be up? Looks like you still have some healin' to do."

"I'm fine! Honestly, completely all right." The Doctor winced slightly as he shifted.
Rose bit her lip as he leaned against her. He really seemed much too weak to spend more time awake, but she doubted all the power in the universe could stop the Doctor from talking. She looked up and sighed in relief when Simon whirled into the infirmary and began pulling out a gaggle of instruments to start monitoring the Doctor.

"You're awake! I was beginning to be afraid you'd never wake up, and Rose would become a permanent fixture in here."

The Doctor blinked. "What d'you mean by that?"

Simon grinned as he continued his tests, ignoring Rose's frantic gesturing. "She hasn't left your side since we brought you in here."

"Rose! How've you been eating? Sleeping? You should be taking care of yourself!" The Doctor's voice was an odd mixture of pride and scolding, and Rose flushed deeply.

She looked into his eyes defiantly. "Been eating and sleeping in here, mostly. 'An I'd do it again." She smiled softly into his eyes. "I told you before, I'm not leavin' you."

Their eyes locked, the weight of memory hanging on both of them. Simon carefully studied his instruments and Mal coughed awkwardly. Rose and the Doctor blinked and glanced around them, and the Doctor gave Mal a brilliant grin. "So! What's this I hear about Niska causing trouble? If there's one thing Rose and I are good at, it's solving trouble. Or making it. Actually, scratch that first bit—we're much better at making trouble, really."

Mal snorted. "You ain't much different than Serenity, then."

The Doctor paused, eyes gazing into eternity. "Serenity?"

Mal's gaze sharpened on him. "My ship. The one you're on, and the one Rose here's been staying on for the last several weeks."

"Really, now? Well, it's lovely to be here, Captain...?"

"Reynolds. Malcolm Reynolds."

"Captain Malcolm Reynolds of the Serenity. Oh, it is a pleasure to meet you." The Doctor beamed and shook Mal's hand enthusiastically, while Rose tried (and failed) to hide her amusement at Mal's befuddled expression.

"Okay... Rose, I need you back on the bridge. Niska's been sniffing around, and we have to figure out a plan to deal with him." Mal glanced over the Doctor's scarred frame and met Rose's eyes with more than a little worry. "This guy plays for keeps."

She raised her chin. "That slimy bastard's not getting anywhere near the Doctor again."

Mal nodded sharply, but the worry didn't leave his face. "The sooner we come up with a plan to deal with this, the better."

Simon yelped as the Doctor swung his legs off the table and prepared to stand. "Whoa, whoa whoa—where do you think you're going?"

The Doctor blinked at him. "To help, of course. I was around Niska for months. I know how he thinks."

Rose firmly pushed the Doctor back onto the infirmary bed, and he looked at her with betrayal in his eyes. "Hey!"

Rose glared down at him, but her hand was gentle as she brushed his hair away from his eyes. "If you think I'm just gonna stand here while you go trottin' off half-dead, that enormous brain of yours isn't working."

"Rose, I'm fine! Honestly! And I can help, you know I can!"

"I've no doubt you could help, Doctor, but if I have to sit on you to stop you from harin' off 'cause you're too bloody stubborn to see sense, I will. Don't you doubt that."

Simon coughed carefully, his hand hiding the grin twitching at the corners of his mouth. "Captain, is there any particular reason this meeting has to be held on the bridge?"

Mal snorted inelegantly. "It's the bridge! It's where we discuss things."

The surgeon raised an eyebrow. "And you can't see the value of having the meeting somewhere where the Doctor can safely be a part of the discussion?"

Mal paused, and the muscles in his jaw twitched. "Oh, wipe that smirk off your face. I'll go get Zoe."

He stalked out of the room, and the Doctor relaxed on the bed. He practically purred as Rose carded her fingers through his hair.

Simon stared at the results of his tests and shook his head. "I just can't believe it. Five days after we bring you back, barely alive, and your body's nearly as good as new. Still undernourished, but some vitamin bars should help with that." He met the Doctor's eyes wistfully. "If only humans could mend that quickly."

The Doctor's shoulders tensed, but Rose rested one of her hands on him, and he relaxed somewhat. "Don't worry, Doctor. He's trustworthy."

Simon looked back at the data and sighed. "I've never seen anything like this. It's incredible."

The Doctor sighed. "You won't see anything like it again. At least, not for a while—not if Niska keeps going as he has."

"Doctor, what's he been doing?"

"I'll save it for the meeting. Now, I have one question for you, Rose Marion Tyler—" Rose gulped, and the Doctor's gaze intensified even more, "How?"

She paused, stared down at the table, the floor, the instruments Simon was putting away, the small smudge on the back of her hand. The Doctor's hand cupped her chin and turned her to face him, and their eyes met. "I need to know, Rose. I tried so hard to find a way back to you, but nothing ever worked. The closest I could get was that damn beach in Norway."

She took a deep breath, but faltered as Mal and Zoe came into the infirmary and Simon left. "Later, all right? I swear, I'll tell you all about it—just, not right now. Please." He met her eyes gravely and nodded, but she noticed he kept glancing at her out of the corner of his eyes. She squeezed his hand, and he returned her grip. Odd, that she should have missed holding his hand more than almost anything else.