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Rose was less than pleased that Reinette had come along with her and the Doctor. It was, quite possibly, in fact, the worst thing that had happened to her since she'd been on board the TARDIS. Before Reinette, and even before Sarah Jane, she'd shared a bed with him. Innocently, of course, just to ward off the nightmares.
The night Reinette came on board, she locked the door. The Doctor knocked on it softly and called her name. Knowing he probably wouldn't give up, seeing as that was just his way, she got up and padded over to the door before unlocking it and flinging it open. "What?"
The Doctor blinked in surprise, and Rose noticed he was already in his jimjams. "What do you mean, 'what'? This is usually an every night occurrence, so my question isn't 'what', it's 'why'. As in, 'why did you lock the door?'"
Rose sniffed and shrugged a shoulder, trying to seem passive. "Figured you'd be busy with Reinette, didn't want anyone busting in here with me accidentally."
"Rose, are you trying to insinuate that I want to have intercourse with Madame de Pompadour?"
Rose winced at his choice of words, finding them just a bit revolting. "I figured that, yeah, thought I might as well give you two some privacy."
The Doctor furrowed his brows and looked like he wanted to say something, but wasn't going to voice that particular thought. "She's chatting with Mickey, he's telling her about the marvelous world of video games," he rolled his eyes. "I was speaking with her earlier."
"I know. I was in the room, but I think you forgot."
The Doctor furrowed his brows and sighed in what might've been defeat. "I'm tired, Rose, won't you let me in?"
Rose could only sigh, because she knew that when he wasn't with her, he had horrible nightmares. She chocked it up to having the warmth of another person beside him, that quiet comfort that comes from within someone else. So she nodded mutely and stepped to the side to let him in.
He slipped past her and threw himself onto his side of the bed before wriggling under the covers. "It's been quite the day," he said conversationally.
"Yeah, you're not kidding," Rose muttered and shut the light off as she crawled into bed. She turned on her side, facing away from him. He seemed hesitant, he must know her body language was off, but never was the Doctor going to pass up the opportunity to cuddle. He slung his arm around her waist and cuddled up behind her. She stiffened at the contact and he paused. "Rose?"
"Yeah?" She responded, trying to be casual.
"What's wrong?"
"What isn't wrong?" Rose spat back. "Just go to sleep, Doctor."
He didn't object, but he didn't move away from her either. He kissed her cheek and cuddled behind her again, murmuring a 'goodnight, Rose.'
She woke up about two in the morning (TARDIS terms, time being relative and all that), and the first thing she felt was the weight of a Time Lord using her as a pillow. Feeling very much in need of a cup of tea, she slipped out from under him and snuck off to the galley, leaving him undisturbed.
If she thought the tea would relax her, she was wrong, seeing as she ran right into Madame de bloody Pompadour, who was standing in the galley wearing a nightshift and trying to make tea.
"Let me," Rose said curtly, nudging the other woman out of the way to put the kettle on. "I doubt you've done anything for yourself before."
"There has been no need," Reinette responded, lacing her fingers together in front of her torso. "I know you are not fond of me, Rose Tyler."
"Yeah, and I wonder why that would be?" Rose threw back sarcastically, violently pulling out two mugs from the cupboard.
Reinette was silent for a moment. "You know, I know where the Doctor is, at this moment."
"Sleeping."
"In your bed."
"So?" Rose whipped around, "Maybe he chooses me, ever think of that? Ever think that maybe somebody you want doesn't want you?"
"It's been an impossibility up to this point," Reinette replied smugly, "But the Doctor told me of your time, Rose. I think he uses you for what he can get and will come to me with other things."
Rose stiffened at the words. "And what the hell do you mean by that?"
Reinette shrugged, "Only that he uses you as his personal mistress. He holds no feelings for you. At least he loves me."
The words hit Rose like a thousand bricks and she had to focus to get her vision back from where it had blurred in anger. "He doesn't love you."
"Doesn't he?" Reinette walked the room casually, picking up and putting down various modern and futuristic objects. "He's saved me since I was a little girl. He's kissed me, and he jumped through a mirror on a horse to save me, leaving you behind. What does that tell you?"
Rose knew very well what it meant. It meant that the Doctor loved Reinette. Sensing she had lost the fight, but not wanting to give up, she could only respond with "Yeah, well, we've all kissed the Doctor, it doesn't make you special."
"He was ready to take me to bed," Reinette crossed her arms over her chest, looking down her nose at Rose. "I'm sure of it. And it wouldn't have made me cheap, because certainly he understands my value and places it over you."
Rose almost cringed at the thought. Would the Doctor really have done that? Swan off and shag some girl and then crawl under the covers with her at night. She reminded herself, very firmly, that she and the Doctor were not like that and she was foolish to expect anything from him. He could... He could shag who he wanted.
"But he didn't take you to bed," Rose protested, "Nor me, so if he had done you, you'd be the only one in this room who was a slag."
Reinette sputtered angrily. "Well, I know for a fact you've been with more men than I!"
Rose whirled and pointed a finger at her. "That is not the point! It's not a contest, this isn't about my past, and it sure as hell isn't about yours!" She shot her a look. "Well, I think being around you has made me lose my appetite, so have a good night." She left the room then, without saying another word.
She felt sick as she walked the hallways back to her room. She knew what she had to do, and she had to do it now. She threw open her bedroom door and flicked the lights on before shutting it again, not bothering to worry about waking the Doctor. He could sleep with his new favorite pet from now on. She grabbed a suitcase (bigger-on-the-inside) and ignored the TARDIS's hum of disapproval as she started packing it.
She threw on a hoodie over her pajamas, ready to leave, and resumed packing. The TARDIS sent her an irritated whistle that made her wince. "Quit it!" She directed at the ceiling, "It's his fault, not yours."
"Rose?" The Doctor said groggily, blinking at the light. "What's going on? What are you-" His eyes cleared and he shot to his feet, suddenly fully awake. "What are you doing?"
She slammed the suitcase shut, more for effect than anything else, since she wasn't finished packing. "Take me home, Doctor."
"But... But why? Rose!" He walked up to her and grabbed her arms, keeping her from doing anything else. "What happened?"
"I just ran into Reinette, Doctor," She shrugged his hands off of her, "Go on and play with her now, sleep in her bed, use her to keep your nightmares away, since it's obviously what you want." She threw the rest of her clothes in a jumble in the suitcase and sealed it. "Take. Me. Home."
The Doctor was completely speechless, and for the Doctor, that was a rather impressive feat. he grabbed for Rose's arm again but she was already out the bedroom door. He trailed her all the way to the console room and watched as she plunked herself down on the jump seat. "Take me home."
"No."
"Take me home!"
"No! You are home, Rose Tyler, and you're staying with me!"
"What, so you can watch me wither and die and enjoy it while you flounce off with everything in a skirt?" She laughed mirthlessly, "No thank you. Take me back."
The shouting had drawn Reinette from the galley, and she now leaned against the wall of the console room, smiling smugly at the two arguing.
"What makes you think I'd enjoy it or flounce off with anyone?" The Doctor asked, astonished.
"Because you did! Today, in fact! And I know you love her and that's okay but if that's the case than you've got to let me go home," Rose choked back her tears. "Just let me go home."
He approached her and cupped her cheek, staring into her eyes. "Why would you think that I love her?"
Neither of them saw Reinette's smile falter, or how she stepped back to leave the two in peace in the console room. She was just about to take off when the Doctor turned and saw her. "Come here," he said lowly, his voice blatantly threatening.
Reinette shrank away from the Doctor, who hadn't removed his hand from Rose. He turned his gaze back to Rose. "Is she the one that told you that?" He asked sharply, "That I loved her?"
Rose nodded slowly. "She was telling me how you valued her, and loved her, and... This is humiliating, Doctor, please just take me home."
The Doctor looked at her fondly, marveling in her ability to be so brave, and drew his fingers across her cheek. "Rose," he said softly. He opened his mouth as though to speak and then shook his head. "Reinette, come here."
Thinking she had won, Reinette shot Rose a particularly either smile and walked straight up to the Doctor. "Yes?" She purred.
The Doctor backed away from her and started flipping levers and dials, and Rose thought that he was surely taking her home, as she had asked him to. Although, she hoped he and Reinette would wait until she was gone before snogging it out. Maybe she should go and fetch Mickey. He'd probably want to leave as well.
Reinette followed the Doctor around the console, full-on flouncing, and Rose felt her heart sink with every step she took. Finally, she heard the sounds of the TARDIS materializing and landing.
Rose stood up and picked up her suitcase, preparing herself to leave the only home she'd known for the past two years. Straightening her hoodie and managing all the decency she could, she started towards the door.
"Rose, where are you going?" The Doctor asked from behind her, and he looked genuinely puzzled when she turned to face him.
"Home," Rose responded simply.
The Doctor held his hand out for her, and Rose was fairly certain that both she and Reinette were wearing the same face of confusion. Rose didn't move though, stood her ground.
The Doctor, without saying a word, walked past Rose to the doors, flung them open, and returned to stand in front of her before she could go. He reached up and cupped her cheeks in his hands. He stared at her for a moment and something soft covered his face. "I love you," he said simply.
And those words, those three beautiful words, were meant just for her. She heard Reinette's groan of anguish and then her cry of "Doctor, you've taken me home?"
The Doctor looked carelessly over his shoulder at her. "You can go," he said.
"You promised me a trip," Reinette replied.
"You lost the trip when you tried to tell Rose how I felt." The Doctor shot back. "It has been a pleasure, Madame de Pompadour."
He watched as Reinette flounced out, huffing furiously. The Doctor followed her and shut the doors before walking back to the console and sending them into the Vortex.
Rose watched him, speechless, for a few moments. "Did you mean that?" She asked softly.
The Doctor approached her again. "Yes," he said emphatically. "I couldn't love Reinette, I didn't know her, but you," he framed her face again, "You, Rose Tyler, are brilliant and beautiful and I do not deserve you."
Rose tried to look away from him but he wouldn't let her. "Rose."
"I love you," She whispered by way of reply, knowing now that anything she ever said would never mean quite as much.
He breathed out a sigh of relief and bent down to kiss her, softly at first, gauging her reaction, before pulling back and looking at her. Her eyes had fluttered closed and her hands fisted in the waist of his jacket. "Doctor," she murmured.
He took that as a positive response and dipped his head to kiss her again, moving his head to deepen the angle, and she let him, and their arms slid around each other and it felt like coming home. It didn't stop, felt like it carried on forever, until the Doctor pulled back with a gasp. "I think we should take this back to bed."
Rose nodded in response and the Doctor took her hand in his and led her back to her bedroom, where they'd both been staying. He shut and locked the door behind them and kissed her again and again, releasing every pent up emotion he'd felt towards her. He murmured her own name, like a prayer, against her collarbone as he backed her up towards the bed. Her calves hit the bed and she fell backwards, the Doctor falling over her. He pulled her up towards the pillows and carefully unzipped her hoodie and removed it.
Deciding it was her turn, she pushed at his jacket, and, getting the hint but not separating his lips from hers, he pulled it off. Not wasting any time, he ripped her pajama shirt open, scattering buttons and not caring one bit. Though, it had to be stated that Rose really didn't care that much either.
"So," the Doctor growled as he kissed his way down to her chest. "You're not going to go home now?"
Rose grabbed him by his hair and hauled him back up to her face, staring into his eyes. "I am home."