Title: Stuff of Legend

Author: Froxyn

Show: Doctor Who

Pairing: Ten/Rose

Rating: FRAO

Timeline: Set after Voyage of the Damned.

Synopsis: Follow up to the Buffy/Who crossover A Portal in Sunnydale. The Doctor and Rose make it back to the TARDIS safely.

Author’s Notes: Thanks to fairygothmum for the beta.

The Doctor smiled as he closed the TARDIS door and leaned back against it. He slipped the key into his pocket, perfectly content to watch Rose run through the ship, reacquainting herself with each minute detail that made the TARDIS what she was. His smile grew as her questions tumbled forth.

“Where have you been? How far have you gone? How many worlds and universes have you saved?”

He didn’t answer because there was no time. Oh, he could stop her if he wanted to. Just a quick mention of her name and she would pause long enough for him to answer. But, he didn’t want to stop her. He wanted her to continue rambling…it’d been so long…

Realizing that he hadn’t uttered a word, she spun around to face him. Her head tilted to the side, her smile mirrored his before she had a chance to stop it.

“What? What is it?”

He stared at her for a moment, the same smile playing at his lips before it suddenly changed into the brilliant grin that had always been reserved for her.

“I really missed you, Rose Tyler.”

There was no hesitation on her part. She raced across the room as he stepped away from the door. He was halfway to the control centre when she launched herself at him. He caught her effortlessly, closing his eyes as his arms tightened around her and her legs wrapped around his waist.

She held him just as tightly, her voice catching as she whispered into his ear. “I thought I’d never see you again.”

“I know.” He whispered in return, the fingers of his right hand curling in the leather of her jacket. “I thought the same. And yet, here you are…my Rose, in my arms, in the TARDIS once more.”

“I never stopped trying to find you.” Rose sniffled, the tip of her nose brushing against the side of his neck. “It took me so long, but I did it. I found you! And…and I…”

“Rose…” He whispered, sighing as he felt her right hand slip into his hair.

She pulled back just enough to look into his eyes. She lifted her free hand to the side of his face, gently stroking his skin with her fingertips as she smiled warmly at him. He leaned into her touch, reading her unspoken words in her eyes. He could answer her right now, but he was human enough in his thinking to want to hear her.

“What is it?”

She took a deep breath and looked into his eyes, hers sparkling as she gave her reply.

“You probably should either kiss me or put me down now.”

“Ah, yes…quite right.” He murmured, pausing for a split-second before carefully lowering her to the floor.

He felt her stab of disappointment cut through him and realized his mistake. He shook his head lightly and reached up to cradle her face in his large hands. Gazing into her eyes, his smile returned as his left thumb stroked her cheek.

“I can’t do both?” He asked softly, his eyes darting to her lips.

“What?”

He gave her a crooked grin and lowered his mouth to hers in lieu of a verbal response.

Rose gasped as he kissed her…just a tender brush of lips against lips. He took the soft sound as a positive sign and repeated the gesture. He realized quickly that she required more from him as her fingers curled in the lapels of his jacket.

It was his turn to gasp as her mouth opened beneath his. And as the tip of her tongue touched his, his knees buckled slightly.

Rose chuckled as she leaned back and looked into his eyes. “You okay?”

He nodded numbly, his hands moving to stroke her arms before his right hand returned to the side of her face. His chest heaved, both hearts beating wildly as she tugged his tie loose. He said nothing as the tie fell to the floor…nor did he say anything as she pushed his jacket off his shoulders.

Rose’s smile faded as she looked up at him and saw the tears welling in his dark eyes. “Doctor?”

“I missed you so very much, Rose.” He whispered emotionally, his fingers trembling against her cheek.

“Not as much as I missed you.” She countered, sliding her arms around his neck. “You had closure, I didn’t…”

He opened his mouth to respond, but no words formed before she took a step back and looked around the room. Almost as if something had suddenly occurred to her.

“Are we alone? I mean, do you have anyone travelling or…”

He shook his head slowly as she trailed off uncomfortably. “There’s no one, Rose. Well…Martha was with me for a while, but…”

“But?” She gently encouraged him.

“She decided to stay home a few weeks ago.”

“Oh.” Rose moved back to him, stopping herself from touching him. “Why?”

“She fancied me.” He replied quietly, reaching out and carefully divesting Rose of her leather jacket. “But…well, she knew I couldn’t love her. Not like that. I certainly loved her, but – ”

“Why not?” Rose interrupted his impending ramble, placing her hand on his chest.

“Martha is lovely and brilliant and wonderful. And maybe at one point in time something could’ve come from it.” Seeing the flash in Rose’s eyes, he grinned and continued without pause. “Had I met her before you, that is.”

“What do you mean?”

The Doctor thought for a moment, carefully choosing his words…which was something he wasn’t exactly accustomed to doing.

“Martha is everything that would make a wonderful mate.” He sighed and covered her hand with his, his eyes boring into hers. “But, she’s not you.”

Rose’s eyes widened in surprise. “What are you saying?”

“Does it really need to be said?”

“Yeah.” She nodded quickly, fighting back the tears that she knew would make an appearance at some point. “It really does, Doctor.”

He paused, seemingly warring with himself for a moment before his grin returned.

“Rose Tyler…I love you.”

He was sure he heard a squeal resonate against the walls of the TARDIS. But her mouth on his, her tongue slipping between his lips, prevented him from commenting.

He’d be sure to tease her about it later.

* * *

The Doctor woke quickly, momentarily confused as to why he was in Rose’s room and not his own. He smiled when he felt a warm body snuggle closer to him, quickly giving him his answer.

He rolled onto his side, content to watch her sleep for a while longer. She looked so peaceful that he couldn’t wake her…his conscience wouldn’t allow it.

He had surprised her the previous evening when he had opened the door to reveal her room…in the same condition as she had left it. Clothes piled haphazardly on a chair in the corner of the room, the bed unmade…the dent in the pillow still noticeable from the last time she’d slept here. What he hadn’t told her was that her room had remained unchanged because he hadn’t been able to come in…the door hadn’t been opened since he closed it on his return to the TARDIS.

Even though he hadn’t told her, he was fairly certain that she had deduced this fact. He read it in her eyes and then eased her concern with a warm, slow kiss as he gently backed her towards the bed. His grace was short-lived, however…both of them tumbling onto the bed as he stumbled over an errant shoe.

They had spent the next few minutes giggling uncontrollably.

And he had deemed those few minutes the best he’d experienced since before their goodbye at Bad Wolf Bay.

When she reinitiated their kiss once the laughter had calmed, he was sure that they would make love. Especially when she had unbuttoned his shirt and glided her fingers against his skin as her tongue thrust against his.

But, then she had asked about his recent sleeping habits.

He had answered honestly, stating that he hadn’t slept properly for well over a year. She had nodded slowly and gave him a tender kiss, admitting that she hadn’t slept well either. When he arched an eyebrow at her as she curled herself against his chest, she had offered him a loving smile that had nearly brought him to tears once more.

“This can wait.” She had whispered, pulling the blankets up over them. “Let’s sleep for now…for one night, let’s sleep.”

He agreed and then their giggles resumed when he observed that he might be more comfortable if he lost his sneakers for the night. They both climbed out of bed long enough to change into more appropriate sleeping attire, grinning shyly at one another as they slid back under the covers and into each other’s arms.

Sleep had found them quickly and, according to the alarm clock on her bedside table, he had slept for nearly twelve hours. The last time he’d slept that long was after his last regeneration.

A sudden wave of panic flooded through him and his hands automatically moved to his face. His fingers mapped out his features before sliding into his incredibly mussed hair. Convinced that he was still the same man he was yesterday, he sighed and returned his attention to Rose.

His Rose.

His smile flashed brilliantly as she stirred.

His Rose who was waking up. His Rose who was blinking the sleep from her eyes. His Rose who was now smiling back at him.

“Morning.” She croaked out, her voice thick with residual sleep.

“Afternoon.” He corrected without thought, reaching out to thread his fingers through her hair. “Sleep well?”

“Obviously.” She chuckled, leaning into him and brushing her lips over his chin. “Be right back…”

The Doctor sat up and raked his hand through his hair. “Where are you going?”

“The loo…I’ll be back.” Rose grinned as she slipped out the door, her eyes sparkling with amusement.

He stared at the empty doorway and chuckled softly. His chuckle ended abruptly when he ran his tongue over his teeth.

“Oh, this won’t do.” He murmured to himself as he clambered out of bed.

He ran out of the room and down the hall. If he was lucky…if he was very lucky…he’d be able to freshen up and brush his teeth and beat Rose back to bed.

He paused outside the door to the bathroom and grinned. “Oh…I am very lucky.”

He listened to her sing…her voice barely audible through the door. A moment later, he continued down the hall to the second bathroom.

* * *

The Doctor had just gotten back into bed, pulling the blanket up to his waist as he leaned against the headboard. He rubbed his palm over his bare chest in a nervous gesture. He wasn’t sure why he was nervous…he had slept without a shirt last night.

And then Rose walked back into the room and he suddenly realized his bare chest wasn’t the reason for his nerves.

His gaze roamed over her before settling on her eyes. “You changed.”

She fingered the collar of the robe and lightly bit her lip. “Yeah…”

“I’d forgotten that particular robe. You found that in the markets on Zacaray, right?” When she nodded, he gave her an adoring smile. “It’s lovely on you.”

Suddenly shy, Rose lowered her eyes from his. “I wasn’t sure if you – ”

“Come to me, Rose.” He interrupted, his voice dropping slightly as he extended his hand to her.

Rose glanced over her shoulder. “Where are we?”

“She’ll keep us safe, the TARDIS.” He answered, not really caring where in the universe they were at the moment. “Please, Rose…”

She crawled onto the bed and sat next to him, pulling the robe closed when it gaped open at the top. He grinned, not allowing his gaze to drop to the glimpse of cleavage that was there for half a second.

“With the help of Torchwood…a parallel universe, not misguided Torchwood…you created a portal? A portal! That’s amazing and brilliant! Whose idea was that?”

Her brow furrowed. “What are you doing?”

His grin faded.

“I’m nervous too, Rose. I talk when I’m nervous.”

She stared at him, letting his soft admission sink in before emitting a snort. “Just when you’re nervous?”

The small snort quickly turned into the out of control laughter that had never failed to lighten his mood, no matter the situation.

“Oi! It’s not that funny!”

She laughed louder and nodded frantically. “Oh, it is. It really is!”

He laughed and then listened to her try to calm herself. When he realized her efforts weren’t really all that successful, he took matters into his own hand.

“How’s Jackie?”

Rose wiped the tears of laughter from her face and nodded. The Doctor relaxed slightly as she took a deep breath, leaned against the headboard next to him, and rested her head on his shoulder.

“She’s really good. She has her hands full with the baby. I have a little brother now…how weird is that?”

“Mind-boggling.” He responded, resting his hand on her thigh. “What did they name him?”

“Tony.”

He turned his head to look at her, raising an eyebrow as she lifted her head. “Tony? Tony Tyler?”

She giggled, placing her hand on his arm. “Horrible, isn’t it?”

He looked down at her hand as her fingers traced indistinct patterns on the back of his wrist. “And Mickey?”

“He helped me find you.”

“Did he?”

Rose nodded, smiling at the Doctor’s surprised tone. “I think he knew that there was no one else for me. I think he knew that from the first time he met you.”

“Is he happy?” He asked, rolling his eyes as she grinned. “Not about this, I mean. Does he have someone?”

“Yeah, he does.” She shrugged her right shoulder, her fingers still stroking his skin. “Or he will soon…now that I’m here.”

“How do you feel about it?” He asked softly, his thumb beginning to move against her thigh.

“I’m here.” Rose whispered, turning towards him. “Mickey’s great. Sweet and kind, but…I’m where I want to be. I’m where I need to be, Doctor.”

He gave her a crooked grin as the twinkle in his eye returned. “With me.”

“Shut up.” She said playfully, lifting her hand from his arm to gently slap his shoulder.

He caught her hand before it made contact. “How long are you staying with me?”

She met his eyes quickly, panic rushing through her. She relaxed just as quickly when he gave her a wink.

“Forever, if that’s okay with you.”

“Fantastic.” He murmured, dipping his head to brush his lips across hers.

“Even if we can’t grow old together?” She asked, her breath warm against his lips.

He pulled back and looked into her eyes. For a moment, she thought that she had upset him. And then the familiar sparkle shone in his eyes.

“Well…maybe we’ll come across something in our journeys that can help with that.”

“And if we don’t?”

He moved his hand to the belt of her robe and pulled it free. “Then I’ll love you until the day the Time Lords are no more.”

Rose’s eyes glistened as he parted her robe and gently pushed her until she was lying on the mattress. She reached up and ran her fingers through his hair, her nails lightly scratching at his scalp.

“I didn’t know Time Lords were capable of such romance.”

He grinned and leaned over her, not worrying about the blanket being caught between them for a moment. “I’m full of surprises…”

Rose grinned as her hand moved down his back, pausing when she continued to touch warm flesh where there should’ve been a pair of pajama pants. “So, I see…”

His eyes fluttered as she caressed his hip and as his head lowered, his gaze settled on her chest. His eyes seemed to examine her breasts, studying the way her nipples tightened under his watch.

“Doctor?”

He looked back up at her, concerned by her breathlessness. “What?”

“You can touch me…”

“Oh…” He muttered, blushing lightly. “I…”

She smiled lovingly at him, sliding her hand from his hip to his back. “Touch me.”

He licked his lips and balanced his weight on his right arm. He moved his left hand to her breast, stroking the gentle slope with his fingers. When his palm grazed her hard nipple, she arched her chest towards him…a soft gasp escaping her lips.

And that was the moment that the dam broke.

A low moan rumbled in his chest as he lowered his mouth to her left breast, his lips copying the actions of his fingers on her right. His eyes darted to her face as his lips surrounded her nipple. Seeing her staring at him through passion-glazed eyes, he flicked his tongue against the sensitive flesh…taking delight in her answering groan.

He shifted enough to pull the blanket out from between their bodies, holding her nipple between his teeth as he laved it with his tongue. She threw her head back against the pillow, crying out his name as he gave her nipple a hard suck before releasing it to capture the other.

She felt the hardness and heat of his cock against her thigh as he pulled the slightly neglected nipple into his mouth. As he suckled, she reached between them and wrapped her fingers around the thickened shaft.

She was rewarded with a growl against her flesh and a buck of his hips against her hand. And that was when she knew exactly what she needed…and foreplay wasn’t on the agenda.

“Doctor…”

“Mm?” He mumbled, letting go of her nipple to place a warm, sucking kiss at the hollow of her throat.

“It needs…to be now…” She groaned, giving his cock a gentle stroke before pulling her hand away.

He lifted his head and met her eyes. “I thought – ”

She offered him a smile, running her fingers through his hair as she lifted her right leg over his hip. “There’s time for that…but, not now. Right now, I need you…”

He regarded her closely, gauging the emotions showing clearly in her eyes as he shifted once more…settling himself between her thighs. “Rose…”

“Please…” She whimpered, running her left foot along the back of his thigh. “Please.”

He smiled brilliantly, reaching between them to grasp his erection. He shuddered as he traced her wet folds with the head for a moment. Her nails raked against his back and he pushed forward, easing his cock into her warmth.

“Rose…” He groaned, pausing long enough to relish the sensation of simply being inside of her.

The moment was cut shorter than he would’ve liked, however, by Rose arching her hips. Instinct took over quickly, his mind not thinking about rhythm, speed, or position. Suddenly, all he cared about was how she felt around him…and how he felt to her.

He moved his mouth to her ear, whispering thickly to her as their bodies moved together…eventually finding a rhythm without actively looking for it. She heard his declarations of love, his apologies for not being able to find a way to her…and she responded in kind.

And then she heard something that made her eyes snap open, her hands gripping his back tightly as she was able to choke out one word.

“What?”

His motions stopped immediately, his breath panting heavily against her neck. He knew what he’d said…and for some reason, it didn’t surprise him at all. And so…he whispered it again.

“What is that?” Rose asked breathlessly.

The Doctor pushed himself up slightly, just enough to look into her eyes. His fingers trembled as he gently brushed her slightly damp hair back from her face.

“Doctor? What – ”

“My name.” He interrupted tenderly, tears filling his eyes. “You’ve asked me so many times. That…is my name.”

A slow smile spread across her face as she reached up to trace his ear with her fingertip. “Thank you…Doctor.”

He returned her smile, knowing that his secret would be safe with her. If he had believed anything in his life, it was that.

As she pulled him back down and kissed him soundly, he started to move within her once more. It wasn’t long before their groans and cries of ecstasy were drowning out the gentle hum of the TARDIS.

The TARDIS didn’t mind.

Her Doctor was finally happy. And she’d find a destination that might be able to help them with the aging factor.

Because they…the Doctor and his Rose…

They were the stuff of legend.

~ End

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