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The baby TARDIS was at home in a shed on the Tyler Estate, growing steadily. Eventually the stars would be theirs again, but for now the Doctor and Rose were grounded.
It didn't stop them from traveling all over the world. Sometimes it was for Torchwood, but as often as they could, they traveled for the sheer pleasure of having a good wander in an unfamiliar place.
Tonight, their home was a log cabin in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. Rose was surprised when the Doctor suggested the idea, but she had to agree that a few days of hiking and making s'mores by a fire was just the respite they needed. The hot tub on the deck didn't hurt, either.
The Doctor was not in the mood for the hot tub on the third night of their stay, however. “We can always do that later! It'll be there! Rose, where is your sense of adventure?” he asked when she balked at the notion of a hike at dusk.
“You know I have a very well developed sense of adventure, Doctor. But we have a hot tub. One that's not on my parents’ property. One we don't have to share, and it doesn't matter that ‘oops, we forgot the swimsuits!’”
“You won't be disappointed, Rose Tyler. Have I ever disappointed you?”
Rose chuckled and caressed her Doctor’s cheek. “No,” she murmured. “You never have. “I'll stop complaining now. You lead the way, love.”
The Doctor grinned from hear to ear, and she couldn't bear to not be kissing him so it took a bit longer than he had anticipated for them to get started.
Their destination was a small lake near the cabin. Once they reached it, it was almost full dark. “We won't need the torch, see? Moonlight.”
The path was indeed lit well enough for the moonlight to cast shadows on the trail. He went on with his explanation. “Tonight the moon is closer to the Earth’s orbit that it's been in seventy-six years. They call it a ‘Supermoon’, as if it had a cape an powers.”
Rose laughed. “It is pretty impressive,” she commented.
“Wait until we get to the lake.”
They hiked on a bit longer until they reached a clearing by the banks of the lake. Across the way, hanging huge and round in the sky was the super moon, casting a perfect reflection across the still lake. The sky was alight with millions of stars, but they took a backseat to the bright glow of the moon.
“S’gorgeous, Doctor,” Rose breathed.
He wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, pulling her close and resting his chin on her shoulder. “I can't wait to get out there and see those stars through your eyes. You know experiencing it all with you is the best part of traveling, yeah?”
She nuzzled his cheek. “We'll be out there again soon. Right now, this is all I need. You, that moon and those stars.” He could hear the smile in her voice when she added, “Traveling with you, I love it.”
The Doctor sighed and squeezed her waist. He let her go with a kiss and stepped around her so that he was in front of her. He took both of her hands in his.
“Rose Tyler, I love you,” he proclaimed. “And no matter where I am, whether on Earth looking at the moon or actually walking its surface….I want you by my side. How long are you gonna stay with me?”
His eyes were locked on hers. She felt her heart speed up at his words. “Forever,” she answered.
“Well, that's good. Because…..” The Doctor knelt down.
Rose began to cry and laugh at the same time as he let go of one hand to fish around in his pocket. He produced a small box. “Marry me, Rose Tyler,” he requested, offering the ring box.
Rose pulled him to his feet and nearly leapt into his arms. “Oh, yes,” she breathed, pulling him in for a kiss. By the time they were both throughly snogged the Doctor found his voice.
“Thank you. Thank you for giving me a home from the first moment we met in Henrik's basement,” he murmured, and tears filled both their eyes. He opened the box and slid a sapphire ring onto Rose’s finger. “I suppose I should have brought a torch so you could actually see it…”
They both laughed. “The moonlight is perfect,” she chuckled. “See, its sparklin’. This is gonna be so distracting.” She held it up to admire it as the Doctor laughed.
“I do have……” he began, touching his tongue to his teeth and reaching into his pocket. After a moment he pulled out an MP3 player.
“What don't you have in there?” Rose comment with a snort.
“Well, I don't have a torch.” He pressed a button on the music player and music burst forth, surprisingly powerful for a small music player. “Soniced it,” he explained.
“Obviously. Oh, that's so perfect. I love you!” Rose exclaimed as the opening notes to “Moonlight Serenade” began to play. The Doctor found his feet at the end of his legs and he and his fiancée began to dance together, in a world all their own under the light of a gigantic moon.