All I can say about this chapter...is that the bunnies were nibbling. A lot. o-o

It wasn't really that much of a shock for her, waking from the screaming blackness of her nightmare.

Even if it did seem to reflect on their most recent encounter.

And also had the Doctor posing as the 'wolf'.

Buut, coincidence was, too, almost part of Rose's life. So, as she crawled out from the snug cocoon of her bed to the Galley, she reasoned it was just so. Coincidence. Something the Doctor would n't have scoffed at. Would have left it alone to rest in the back of her mind...perhaps to file away and think about later.

Well. Maybe she might just bring it up with said Time Lord...

Rose glanced up to the clock groggily. (something else the Doctor had scoffed at. I'm a Time Lord, Rose. What would a time-traveller need with a clock?) She frowned. Usually the Doctor was up by now, hurtling into the room like the non-stop whirlwind of energy he was...bouncing on her bed like a kid at Christmas...

Except he wasn't. And that alone was enough to worry her.

Something about the Doctor's room struck Rose. Whatever it was, it overcame the slight tingle of potential excitement everytime she went in this place. It was the Doctor's room, after all. For someone so...enigmatic and, well, alien, it was like some kind of treasure trove.

Well. Not with the bed being stripped of its cover, the air spiked with lingering fear and panic.

Rose crept gingerly to peer over the bedside, thanking the sentient ship as she rose the lights a little, better for her to make out the curled figure on the floor.

The Doctor was pulled up small, into what could be labelled as none other than a fetal position. Such a repose for him certainly had a mixed effect on Rose. The combination of that and the sheets wrapped hither and thither like some snake sparked a moment's laughter in her. But this was quickly dampened when the Time Lord's brow creased in his sleep and he curled up smaller, if it was possibly.

Concern radiated in her gut, and Rose gently put the breakfast tray on the floor, loaded with his usual favourites -tea with more sugar than was probably healthy and toast with Frovian marmalade and then knelt next to him.

She put a hand upon his shoulder, but then withdrew it as if burned his skin was coated with a thin sheen of sweat. As was the rest of his chest. His very bare chest.

The sleeping figure drew in a quick breath, and turned heavy-lidded brown eyes to her.

"...Rose?" There was some semblance of a smile on his rather pallid face.

"'M here, Doctor." She touched him again, feeling the muscles under the skin shift as he turned the better to see her face.

"What in the name of Rassilon am I doing down here?"

Rose explained her dream, thinking that the Doctor would shrug it off, dismiss it as musings of her mind following their recent encounter. What she got instead, however, was something akin to confusion.

The Doctor never looked confused. Maybe apprehensive if he didn't yet have a plan, maybe titillated if she ran off. But never, ever confused.

"Huh." He clicked his tongue against his teeth, eyebrows raised.

"What?"

"Hmm? Oh, nothing." And then the Doctor proceeded to grin about the room as if an audience were there.

Okay, now she was worried.

"Doctor, it's just...your-" Rose placed her hand in the middle of his chest and spread her palm. Sparse hairs tickled her and she blushed at the brashness of her action.

With a downward glance, the Doctor then studied her under his lashes. His eyes seemed to have a smoky quality to them today. And was it just her, or were his pupils a bit dilated-

Before she even complete that thought, Rose felt herself pulled into a rather tight hug. Or maybe not so much a hug as a cuddle. Because it was looser. Not like the bone-crushing 'we-almost-died' hugs they shared.

But really, what was the difference?

Well, for starters, she was very, very aware of where their skin touch. And the fact that he was half-naked (naked!) did not help matters anyhow. She squirmed at that a little.

And then stilled as his hands slipped to her lower back and his chin slipped from where it was resting on her shoulder to her clavicle.

He inhaled. Deeply.

Rose squeaked as he felt what she presumed to be his tongue flit out and lick under her collarbone. Licked. He just licked her.

"Doctor, what the-"

And then he slipped further, which was a given seeing how awkwardly they were sitting. The Doctor's back almost bowed as his fluffy head stopped lower, somewhere that definitely wasn't her clavicle.

Okay. This was...not normal.

Rose promptly told the left side of her brain that was telling her to enjoy the feel of the Doctor's chin practically (so very nearly) nestled near her breasts to bugger off.

And then he inhaled again, shifting closer.

Rose whimpered.

"Mmmmm...Rose..."

Oh dear lord...those eyes were obviously bedroom eyes. He was practically inviting her to do the thing they would both ultimately regret...

His next grin reached his ears and could've split his face. It also had a dreamy touch that worried her more than it flattered.

"You smell like strawberries."

Oookay.

And then he was gone again.

"Speaking of, why don't we go to sunny France? They have some gorgeous hybrid strawberry fields there. Although technically strawberries are hybrids anyway! Oh, and it's the planet, not the country. " The Doctor punctuated his sentence with a rather out-of-character wink.

Rose mustered up a cheery smile and bubbling enthusiasm despite the ache of worry creating a veritable hole in her.

"Sure. That sounds great."

"Brilliant, molto bene. Fantastic even." Another wink, and she had to glance away to collect herself.

Change subject.

"Well, looks like someone needs to get dressed first." With a raised eyebrow and a point as his semi-clad self, the Time Lord emitted an, "Oh, oh yes of course," followed by a "See you in the console room in five" (which prompted a eye-roll from Rose; he spent longer on his hair than she did) and him tripped over the hem of his pajama bottoms in his haste to get up. And in doing so giving her a bit of an eyeful of his sacral dimples.

She couldn't help but stifle a laugh as he practically ran out of the room then, his ears turning pink from what she could see.

This was going to be an interesting day...