And here's yet another thing I've been building up to for a while now. Also, for those of you who were asking what the Master did to Rose, look no further.

Jack and Martha came back around four in the afternoon. Rose and the Doctor were alerted to their presence by a tiny buzzer in Rose's room that went off when either the hidden elevator was activated, or the vault door opened.

Despite how much they wanted to stay in their own little world for a while longer, Rose knew Jack's return signified the end of the time alone that he'd granted them. They'd been waiting months for the information the Doctor could provide about the Master and as much as it pained her to return her thoughts to the Master and the shadow he'd cast over their lives, she knew this was more important than having a cuddle with the Doctor. So they headed back down into the central Hub and spent the next two hours going over the Saxon files in the conference room. They contained records of everything Saxon had done publically, and some information they had collected via their government contacts. Rose and Jack knew the files backwards and forwards, and they were hoping the Doctor could provide some insight. Meanwhile, Jack had recruited Martha to help him sort through some of the reports written in his absence. Rose, happy to be able to take a break from work, went to make tea.

"'B L-S reported Saxon approached him for information personally.' What's this mean?" the Doctor asked, looking up from a piece of paper he was reading. "Who's B L-S?"

"Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart," Rose answered calmly from behind her cup of tea. "I believe you're acquainted."

The paper slipped from his fingers. The silence brought Martha and Jack out of their work and they looked up curiously. Rose set her mug down and leaned back in her chair, waiting for the Doctor to do something other than gawk at her.

"Alistair?" he finally managed to get out, disbelief and nostalgia coloring his features.

"Mmm." Rose nodded. "Nice man."

The Doctor's lips quirked upwards at that. "B-but how did you even find him?" he asked.

"I've been in contact with him before." Jack explained. "So I went with her when she first met him. Introductions and all that. He tried to throw us out of his house once he recognized me, but Doris wouldn't have any of it."

"He was very kind once I explained who I was to you, and what was going on." Rose continued. "He agreed to keep his eyes open for us. And told me if I ever wanted a more respectable job that he could easily find me a place in UNIT." She smiled.

The Doctor took another deep breath and let it out slowly. He picked up the piece of paper he'd been holding and continued reading.

Around six, Jack ordered pizza. When it was almost time for the delivery person to arrive, Rose headed up to the welcome center to collect it, and made the Doctor come with her. He left behind the files and followed her to the lift without protest which was a relief. She knew he was itching to explore Torchwood and would slip away from Jack given half the chance, but he seemed perfectly content to stay near her. He held her hand as they rode up the lift to the front desk. She pressed the button to open the door to the welcome room, and then ushered him through quickly.

His eyebrows shot up in surprise when he realized the door was disguised as a wall when closed, and then he laughed. "Well, I'll give them points for that," he said then looked around the room. "This as well. Looks like a tourist office."

"It is. It's been closed since the team left." Rose leaned against the counter. "But normally Ianto is stationed up here when he's not needed down in the Hub. Before that, the team members took turns monitoring the desk. It's a good cover."

"Did you ever work here?"

She nodded her head. "Loads. It was very dull at first, so I started to bring stuff to translate with me when I could. The others were very happy that I started volunteering to work up here often so that they didn't have to. Then Ianto came along and he took over this job."

The Doctor rummaged through the shelves of magazines and brochures with mild interest. Occasionally he would pick up one and flip through it then return it to the shelf. She watched him the entire time. She liked to pretend that she remembered everything about him but the truth was, there were little things she had forgotten. So she took this opportunity to relearn the way his fingers would brush across the surfaces of the paper as he browsed, the way he stood when he was at ease, the way he smiled when he realized she was watching him.

The Doctor set down the magazine he was holding and crossed the space between them. He ducked his head and pressed his lips to hers, sliding his arms around her waist. He kissed her slowly, leisurely, like he had all the time in the world. Then he drew back and pressed a quick kiss to the tip of her nose, the space between her eyes, and the top of her head.

"Rose," he said into her hair.

"Hmm?"

"We're waiting for a pizza delivery."

"That we are."

"I've never had a pizza delivery before. Always gone and got it right from the shop. Never had a place to have delivered to." He made a face. "Could you imagine having a pizza delivered to the TARDIS?"

Rose laughed. "They wouldn't even be able to see the TARDIS."

"Even if they could, what would we put as the address?"

"The big blue box on the corner of… Whatever Street."

He cocked his head to the side. "I suppose. But could you imagine the face of the poor delivery boy when he realized he was actually delivering to a blue box?"

She laughed again. "How about his face when we actually open the door?"

He laughed, too. "We should do that. As soon as we get the TARDIS back, we'll set her down on a street corner and order pizza."

Rose smiled and leaned her head on his shoulder. "It's a date."

A few minutes later, a buzzer went off in the back of the room. "Rose! Pizza! " a girl's voice called through an unseen speaker. Rose reluctantly stepped out of the Doctor's arms and went to open the door for the delivery girl.

She was short, the top of her head barely coming up to Rose's eyes, and her dark hair was pulled up in a firm ponytail. The Doctor approached her just as Rose was handing over the money. The delivery girl blinked at him in surprise. "Who's this?" she asked Rose in a thick Welsh accent. "Didya hire someone new?"

"No, ah. Stacey, this is the Doctor."

Stacey frowned at him for a second and then her eyes widened. "OH! Ooooooh! That Doctor!" She beamed at him. "It's about time you came 'round, mate. She's been missin' you."

The Doctor smiled. "I came as soon as I could. Here, let me take those." He held out his arms for the pizza.

"A year's a long time," she told him as she unzipped the carrying bag and handed him the pizza boxes, four in total. "So, lot of pizza for just two. Is Jack back yet?"

"Yep," Rose said. "Arrived today with the Doctor. And another friend of ours."

"And the others?"

"Nah. They're all still away. But they'll be back soon."

"Right." Stacey tucked the bag under her arm. "Well, hopefully when they get back you'll finally be able to eat something other than pizza."

"I had a pot pie the other night," Rose informed her primly.

"That you heated up in the microwave."

Rose pressed her lips together for a moment. "So what?" she mumbled.

Stacey laughed. "Enjoy your pizza."

Martha started yawning not long after dinner was over. It had been a long, hectic day after all, and she'd jumped through time and space without a capsule two consecutive times. Jack suggested they all get some sleep, and told Rose to go find a blanket and pillow for Martha.

"We're sleeping here?" Martha asked incredulously.

"Well, yeah." Rose replied.

"Why? Don't you have a flat or something?"

Jack and Rose glanced at each other. "No," Jack said. "We don't. We live here."

"Here?" Martha looked around the Hub. "You live here? I mean I know you've got a kitchen but you've got rooms and showers too?"

Jack sighed. "It's easier this way. I'm always here if something happens." He glanced at Rose again. "And she doesn't have to worry about a homicidal alien, or one of his friends sneaking into her room at night."

Martha's face tightened and Rose gritted her teeth at the sadness she saw in her old friend's eyes. Rose did not need her sympathy. Sure, she had not been happy about this arrangement in the beginning, but she had grown to appreciate it, even like it. Sometimes it felt like the walls were closing in on her and when that happened she would go stay with Tosh or Gwen for the night. She did not have any delusions about her situation—she knew damn well she was using the Hub as a hiding place—but it was better than the alternative.

They got Martha settled onto the couch and Rose brought her a t-shirt and a pair of shorts to sleep in. Jack retreated into his office, where his room was located beneath a manhole in the floor. Rose flipped off as many of the lights and machines as she could so Martha would be able to sleep. Then she led the Doctor up to her room behind the steel door.

The first thing he did when she shut the door was press her up against it and kiss her. She was startled by his abruptness but she returned his kiss with equal fervor. He pulled back and pressed his face into her neck, sliding his arms around her.

She felt him shudder once. "Hey," she murmured, running her hands up and down his back. "What's wrong?"

The Doctor did not answer her at first. Instead, he pressed gentle, closed-mouth kisses onto the skin of her neck. She ran her fingers through his hair and kissed the top of his ear. He raised his head from her neck and swallowed, and then backed away from the door towards the bed, pulling her with him. He did not sit down, though, but stood there with her in his arms for another moment.

"I just…I keep thinking about it. You've been down here like a rat hiding in the sewer."

She wrinkled her nose. "Really? Of all the analogies you could've—"

"Rose, please," he interrupted. "Let me finish. … I remember what you were like when we first started travelling. You had been so restricted all your life and suddenly you had the entire universe at your feet. You were even more eager than I was to explore and you radiated life and happiness. Neither of us wanted to stay still, trapped within one place, one time. Now you're living in a tiny room underground. And it's all because you can't risk living in a proper flat or home because you could get killed or worse. And it's my fault."

"No, it's—"

"The Master's my responsibility. He's always been. If I'd just…. If I'd gotten there just a bit sooner, if I'd run just a bit faster, then he wouldn't have taken you. You'd be out there in the stars, sleeping inside a ship that loves you, in a room that's wide enough to breathe in, and you wouldn't have to worry about a madman wanting to kill you and take over the world."

"It's not your fault," she told him empathetically. "I don't blame you one bit."

"Rose I—" He took a deep breath and let it out. "In the Saxon files…there was a copy of a medical report written by Dr. Owen Harper in November, 2006. Patient's name: Rose Tyler."

Horror flashed through her mind. I told him to take it out of there.

"'Multiple shallow lacerations and abrasions on the face, torso, and limbs. Multiple deep lacerations in the arms and front of the torso requiring stitches,'" he recited. "'Heavy bruising on the face, upper arms, torso, and legs. Several distinctly shaped like human hands.'"

"Stop it."

"'One fractured rib on the left side. Fracture in the left ulna bone. Both wrists sprained.'"

"Stop it."

"Concussion. Signs of heavy—'"

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" She shouted, jerking out of his grip, and he finally fell silent. She took a deep breath and exhaled through her teeth. "I told you those injuries healed months ago."

"He did that to you." He hissed. "What else did he do?"

"Nothing," she promised. "He didn't do anything but hit me. The TARDIS helped me get out of the console room as we were flying, and she hid me until he went deeper into the ship. Then she helped me get out. I promise."

"So he—he didn't…"

"No." She put her hands on his cheeks.

The Doctor sagged in relief and rested his forehead against hers, covering her hands with his. "After he took you and before you showed up in the Hub, the entire time I wondered what he'd done to you. You were fine when I saw you so it just… and then, reading the report, I…"

"It's okay." Rose kissed him softly. "It's okay. I'm okay. Look at me." She waited until he opened his eyes. "It was a long time ago." She ran her fingers through his hair again, nails scraping against his scalp. "You're here now and I'm okay. Are we?"

He stared at her for another few seconds. "Yeah. We are." He leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers once, twice, three times, slow and tender. She smiled around his lips and pulled him down to the bed.

In his office, Jack was staring desolately at the screen of his computer, which was displaying a live feed of the election results. It was official: Saxon had won. The Master was now Prime Minister of Great Britain. He could go no higher. This had to be what he had been aiming for since the beginning. So now what would he do? What was he planning?

Jack rolled his eyes. He had been asking himself these questions for months. He did not have the answers any of those times, either.

He wondered if he should go tell the Doctor, but then he immediately decided against it. Rose had not seen the Doctor in over a year, and he knew exactly what they were up to right about know. If he barged in on them even for something like this, she would kill him. Probably literally. No, this news could wait until morning. He would let them have this night to themselves.

Through his blinds, he could see Martha stretched out on the couch, sound asleep. No, he would not wake her, either.

Jack sighed and switched off the computer. He drummed his fingers on his desk and stared off into space. The Doctor had not been able to add very much insight. He had looked through everything, but he had only been able to describe tactics the Master had used in the past that were similar to ones in their files. The hypnosis thing the Master could do, though, that explained a lot. Like how he had managed to slip right out of Torchwood One's grasp.

He looked down at his phone.

It would be easier if he had his team with him. They were going to be furious with him, but they would have to get over it quickly, especially with the world at stake. The timing of their departure worried him. Why had they specifically been requested to the Himalayas? He picked it up and dialed Gwen's number. It went straight to voicemail. He sighed and tried Tosh's. Same thing. Owen's as well. Ianto's too. He considered leaving a message for Ianto but decided against it. With a sigh, the receiver was returned to its place.

Looking around his office once more, he decided there was nothing else he could do. Jack pushed his chair away from the desk, rising to his feet. He pulled the manhole cover up, and swung one leg over, then the other, and descended into his room.

Rose drifted slowly into awareness. Before she was even fully conscious, some part of her instinctively knew that there was no reason to hurry up and wake. There was nothing she had to worry about. She was warm, secure, and the soft pressure on her head was very soothing. She felt peaceful. Safe. That was new. She had not felt either safe or at peace since…

She shifted just a bit and became aware that she was pressed against something firm and cool. Her pillow was not fluffy like she was used to. And actually, that soft pressure on her head felt a lot like—

She was suddenly wide-awake. Inhaling through her nose, she raised her head and found herself staring into a pair of familiar brown eyes. The Doctor, head propped up on a pillow against her headboard, smiled at her affectionately.

"Good morning, love," he murmured.

Tears welled in her eyes, spilling over onto her cheeks. He looked concerned until she laughed breathlessly and he realized her tears were not of sadness. He moved his hand from her hair to her face, wiping the tears away.

"Good morning," she whispered. She tilted her head and kissed his fingers then lowered her head to his chest, pressing her ear over his heart.

Tha-tha-thump-thump. Tha-tha-thump-thump.

Just like hers, he had said long ago, but doubled.

Rose smiled at him again, and then she let her eyes slip shut and just listened. His fingers resumed playing with her hair. A moment later she felt his mind brush against hers, calm and comforting. His mental presence was the same shade of yellow the TARDIS used to express delight. She peeked one eye open and saw that his were closed. His mind brushed along hers again, and again, repeatedly, like a caress.

That was new. Or, was it? Maybe he had been doing it for a while, but she had not been able to tell before now. She was not an expert on telepathy, but she had a feeling he was giving her the telepathic equivalent of a nuzzle.

She closed her eyes again.

Telepathy. That was one of the first things she had discovered. Before that day in December her communication with species like the Weevils had been limited to what words were translatable from their animalistic tongue. Then, suddenly, she was able to hone in on their species' telepathic field and access it. The results had been…mixed. But the process had been easy. Weevils were horribly primitive, barely sentient.

Time Lords, however, were not. She had wondered ever since she had discovered this power if she would be able to communicate telepathically with the Doctor. He had told her before that it was empty in his head without other Time Lords. How amazing would it be if she could learn to fill some of that space so he would not be alone anymore? But even if she could manage access to their species' telepathic, field she doubted it would be a good idea to be wandering around in there, considering there was a psychotic Time Lord around.

But she could attempt to communicate with the Doctor, specifically. Getting directly into his mind would be impossible for her. She had no formal training and his mind was heavily guarded. But she could mirror his gesture since he wasn't actually going into her mind with it. It was easiest if she simply treated her mind as another limb. She stretched it out, seeking the Doctor's mind. When his mind brushed along hers again, she pushed against his touch.

The Doctor's reaction was immediate. His eyes flew open as his entire body jolted like he had been shocked. She was nearly tossed into the wall. "What in the name of Rassilon's—" He stared at her in utter disbelief for a split second…and then his mind nudged against hers. Gentle, probing, not invasive, though she was sure he could get into her mind with ease.

Rose smiled and nudged back.

The air rushed out of him in a whoosh. His shock turned to awe and his fingers slid down to her temples. Then he seemed to realize what he was doing and he pulled his hand back. "How are you doing that?" he asked.

She shook her head.

"Do it again," the Doctor ordered. When she did he exhaled a laugh, eyes bright and brimming with emotion. He relaxed his fingers and cupped her cheek with his hand. "On Gallifrey, when Tots were first learning to use their telepathy to communicate one on one, older members of the Chapters were assigned to help them. The first thing we learned was how to inform another we wanted to speak to them." He nudged her mind again. "Like that. It's like knocking on a door. It's polite to rap gently or use the knocker. You only pound hard and loud when you're angry or need to get attention immediately."

Rose smiled. "So how did I do?"

"You're clumsy, a bit too broad with the contact, and too forceful. You just need more control." He laughed again, fingers tightening on her cheek. His mirth soon faded, however, leaving him worried. "But you shouldn't be able to do that at all. When did you learn to do this?"

"I didn't. Just realized I could one day in December."

The significance was not lost on him. She felt him tense and he swallowed. "Can I…?" He slid his fingers to her temples. She nodded and shifted around so he could reach easier. He pressed the tips of his fingers against her temples just so, and her skin tingled for a brief second before his mind slipped into hers.

Warmth flooded through her body, and her eyes closed. He did not make it far though, before he hit the mental equivalent of a brick wall.

Glad to see your defenses are in place. Do you mind if I go through them? Or do you want to lift them yourself?

She had never tried to lift those barriers that he had placed around her mind on her own before. She had never had the capacity to do so, and once she realized she had become telepathic, she had figured it would just be safer this way.

Don't worry, he soothed, sensing her unease. I'll let you do it yourself.

You better do it. I don't know how, she replied.

Okay.

A moment later, the Doctor's mind slid through her defenses, no forceful pushing, no shattering, no pain. He simply passed through like they were not there. She sighed shakily. Even though this was not the first time he had been in her mind this way, back then she had been unable to appreciate it fully. His presence was cool, like skin that she could feel against her body, but not unpleasantly so. His mind drifted through hers, searching. She did her best to direct him to the place where her mental link to the TARDIS used to be, where the power was now located.

It had been there since the day of all that pain, after she had woken up from that haze of which she had almost no memory. It was like an outside presence in a way, like the TARDIS, except it felt like it belonged there. Like it was a part of her. She had always pictured it as a great ball of golden light, and it made her feel warm every time she delved into it. She had told Jack and the others that she had good control over it, but really, she had only scratched the surface of it so far. She was afraid of what would happen if she went in too deep.

"Oh…" he whispered then added mentally, That's beautiful.

He brushed along the power and her entire body tingled deliciously at the familiar presence. Doctor, mine, safe, love, that instinct whispered—the same instinct that hissed at her to be wary of Jack because of what he was. She did not know where it came from, but it had never lied to her.

Then he tried to 'touch' it; a single, thin probe at the edge, very precise, very gentle, not attempting to break through, just testing. She recognized the intellectual curiosity and good intentions behind it—he just wanted to understand, he did not want to hurt her, or violate it—but that did not matter. He was trying to get in and he was not allowed in no one was allowed in no wrong don't belong will only hurt us will separate us out out out OUT!

Her muscles stiffened, liquid fire rushed through her veins, and with a roar of, "NO!" from both her mind and mouth, her head jerked away from his touch, wrenching him quite abruptly from her mind. In a movement of uncoordinated franticness, she shoved away from him, knocking the covers away from her body, until her back hit the wall. She did not stop there, but slid away from him until she reached the end of the bed.

The Doctor sat up, his leg shifting underneath the duvet near her. She jumped an inch off of the bed, and wedged herself in the corner between the bedpost and the wall the moment she landed. She huddled there, naked, legs pulled up to her chest defensively, and her eyes gleamed dangerously behind a curtain of messy blonde hair.

To say he was shocked by her reaction was a bit of an understatement. He carefully pulled his legs away from her, bending them so his heel was tucked against his thigh. She tracked their movement with her eyes and once she seemed sure he was not going to move them again, her eyes locked with his once more. He resisted the urge to shiver. It had been a long time since he had felt threatened just by looking into someone's eyes—the fact that they were Rose's made it even worse. She looked pretty dangerous just sitting there. Her eyes were the shade of vibrant gold they turned when she was really worked up—he had only ever seen it once during their night in Hooverville.

For Rose to rate his gentle probing on the same level as a Dalek attack—well, it hurt.

"Rose," he murmured. "It's alright."

Her glare did not waver.

Was that even Rose? Well, obviously it was. He knew Rose intimately, and not just in the physical sense. There had been no mistaking that he was in her mind. But Rose was not entirely in control of her own actions, at least not consciously. That—that thing in her mind, whatever it was, it was powerful, and it had direct influence over her body. It had hummed in delight when he had first caressed it, and there was something dearly familiar about it. But when he had tried to get a better look at it, it had reacted defensively in the only way it could short of actually hurting him: forcibly severing contact.

He had to be careful about this. Rose had never liked behind cornered, and she had been trained to fight since the last time he had seen her in one of those situations. He was not entirely sure that she would not attempt to prevent him from following before making her escape.

"You know I would never, ever hurt you." He went on soothingly, resisting the urge to reach out with his mind to calm her. "You showed me where it was, didn't you want me to look at it?"

She did not answer.

"I won't do it again," he promised. "Please—please stop looking at me like that."

A full sixty seconds passed in silence as they stared at each other. She seemed to be slowly calming down but she made no move towards him. Finally, the Doctor sighed and dropped his gaze, debating whether or not he should just leave the room.

"I'm sorry."

He looked back up.

Her eyes had faded back to normal and without the glow, she no longer looked like a cornered animal. She looked like a terrified girl. "I didn't mean to freak out like that."

"You have nothing to apologize for." the Doctor assured her. "I should've asked."

"I would've said yes."

His eyebrows shot towards his hairline. If that was the case then his assumptions had been correct, and any thorough investigation of whatever that thing was in her mind would be impossible. It did not want him poking around inside, and it would make sure he could not.

Rose unfolded her body from the tense ball and crawled up the bed. She sat cross-legged in front of him and leaned her head forward invitingly. The Doctor hesitated before raising his fingers to her temples and then eased back into her mind. Their eyes slipped shut. She felt him heading directly for that ball of power again and when he arrived, he skirted around the edges of it, only brushing, never quite touching.

I'm going to try to try to have a look. If you want me to stop just say so and I will. You don't have to run.

Okay.

Rose took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She pressed her lips together, and braced herself for the panic. Since it would not be hitting her by surprise this time, maybe she would be able to keep herself from bolting.

The Doctor pressed against the power, and Rose's entire body seized up. No no no get out get out will hurt us will separate—

No, she argued and forced herself to stay still. It's the Doctor. He won't hurt me.

After five seconds, Rose was shaking with the effort to hold still. Her hand shot up, curling around his wrist, and her nails dug into his skin. The Doctor withdrew from it immediately. That alone was enough for her to be able to uncurl her fingers from around his wrist. She rubbed the tiny dents in his skin with the tips of her fingers apologetically.

He lowered his fingers from her temples and she opened her eyes to find him staring at her.

"What is it?" she asked.

"I'm not entirely sure, I couldn't get a good enough look, but it felt like…" He struggled with words for a moment, opening his mouth only to shut it again. "Rose, are you sure the TARDIS weakened your bond that day? Because I think that you've got a piece of the TARDIS consciousness nestled in the back of your mind."

Rose sat up straighter, surprised, but at the same time, not at all. "That…would explain a lot of things," she murmured.

He watched her carefully. "Not her entire consciousness, not even half of it, actually, or you'd be dead." He stroked his fingers across her temples. "I'll have to ask Jack what he remembers about that day, but I think the part of her that is connected to you is tucked away in your mind. That'd be why you can't feel her on the other end of that bond—it's not even your bond—it's what's linking that piece of her consciousness to the rest of it."

"But where's the rest of it? You said you can't feel her properly either."

He pursed his lips. "Well, I'd know immediately if I had a piece of her consciousness tucked away in my mind. My guess is she's shielding herself from me on purpose. Or maybe she's shielding herself from everybody, and she doesn't have enough strength to make an exception for me."

"But why did she keep forcing you out?" Rose asked.

"Maybe she didn't recognize—no, there's no way she wouldn't recognize my mental touch after hundreds of years. Could be she's acting on pure instinct, or she's afraid I'll try to separate you two. I don't know."

Rose rubbed her eyes and exhaled slowly. "So, piece of the TARDIS in my head. That's why I'm telepathic?"

"Mmm." He nodded. "Her presence must be amplifying your natural abilities exponentially."

"She'll take it back when she's all fixed though, right?"

"Should do."

"And will I still be telepathic?"

"No way to tell." The Doctor's mind nudged against hers and she nudged right back. He smiled. "Although, I could get used to that."

He leaned forward and nuzzled the side of her face with his own, mirroring the action with his mind. She sighed in contentment when he pressed his lips to her cheek, trailing a slow line of kisses down past her jaw to her neck.

Rose fought to stay focused. She had a very important question for him. "If I am telepathic, d'you think there's a way I could…"

"Hmm?" The tip of his nose glided over the swell of her shoulder.

"Be in your mind all the time? Not like in your mind—but is there a way I could be connected to you like—like your people were?"

The Doctor slowly raised his head. His eyes were full of disbelief, confusion, and a tiny spark of hope.

"So, y'know, you wouldn't have to be alone in there anymore."

"Y-you'd do that?" he asked softly.

Rose nodded.

He stared at her for a few seconds longer, eyes searching hers intently for any sign of doubt or deceit, but slowly he began to realize she was serious. The biggest grin she had seen from him in a long time spread across his face, his eyes lightning up. He laughed and kissed her exuberantly. It was difficult to kiss when they were both smiling so broadly and he pulled back after just a few seconds, resting his forehead against hers. "Yes, I think it would be possible. It'd take time and a bit of training on both of our parts, but yes, I think we could do it."

"So you want to?"

"Oh, yes, Rose. Yes, yes, yes, yes."

Giggling, she kissed him and he responded with zeal, grabbing her waist and hauling her forward, pulling her with him as he eased backward. Her giggles increased as their limbs tangled and he narrowly avoided clonking his head against the headboard, but then they gradually faded as his kisses became more passionate. Their limbs sorted themselves out, their bodies pressed firmly against each other's, held together by his arms around her back, and she became aware for the first time that morning that they were both starkers.

They had spent ages making love the night before, and it had not been near as long for him as it had for her, but he was still as eager as she was. But she was also frightened. This last year and a half has proven how truly easy it was for them to be separated, and she never wanted to live apart from him again, but she knew now that it could happen at any time. And just because they were together again did not mean everything was over. They still had to deal with the Master and—oh, no, the Master, the election; they really needed to find out if he had won and come up with a plan to—

She tore her mouth from his and sucked in a large gulp of air. She fully intended to tell him they had to stop, really, she did, but he and his bloody respiratory bypass did not give her a chance, trailing hungry kisses down her throat.

No, no, this is important—

His mouth latched onto that spot he favored on her neck, effectively scattering her thoughts, and she moaned loudly, rolling her hips into his. He made a noise, like a growl, deep in his chest and he flipped them over. She felt his mind caressing hers, mirroring the way his fingers stroked up and down her side, and she let out a quiet whimper at the sensation.

A loud trilling noise pierced the air, startling them out of their stupor. The Doctor raised his head, staring dumbly at her for a moment, then the noise came again and they both realized what it was at the exact same moment.

"No," he growled.

"I really should answer it."

"Ro-o-se…"

"It could be one of the team. They wouldn't know to call Jack." She reached for her mobile on the bedside table. Not her old superphone, unfortunately. That had been smashed when she and the Master were fighting. Her fingers curled around it and she yanked it over.

He sighed, dropping his head into the crook of her neck.

Rose smiled, running her fingers through his hair while she looked at the name on screen. With an irritated sigh, she pressed 'accept' and held the phone up to her ear. "There'd better be a horde of Weevils rampaging through the city," she greeted, still slightly breathless.

"Oops." Jack said.

"Yeah, oops."

"You can shag later. I need you both down here now."

"I hate you."

"I know. Hurry up. If you're not down here in five minutes I'm coming up."

She rang off and set the mobile on her chest.

The Doctor raised his head. "He sounded serious."

"He was. He owes me for interrupting him a number of times."

"Door's got a thumbprint lock on it," he reminded her.

"That accepts his thumbprint as well as mine."

"Of course it does."

Answers a handful of questions... brings up a dozen new ones. Yep.