Chapter Text
"Still want to see those stars?" The Doctor asked Reinette who nodded anxiously. "Well, pack a bag and I'll bring my ship to you." The Doctor ran back to the TARDIS, with Rose and Mickey in tow.
"So, where are we headed now?" Rose asked as the Doctor eagerly jogged to the console. "Eighteenth century France" the Doctor answered with a grin.
"Wait, Eighteenth century France? Isn't that where we just were? I thought we were finished there?" Mickey asked, confused.
As the TARDIS faded and materialized at its destination the Doctor answered, "We are, but I promised Reinette I would show her the stars, once I handled the clockwork androids."
"Don't you mean we? You didn't exactly work alone, Doctor." Rose said annoyed.
The Doctor opened the door to the TARDIS "Yes, yes. Me, we, whatever. Point is, a promise is a promise." He waved his hand in the air as if shooing away any further comments. Reinette was already outside the TARDIS and the Doctor invited her in. "This is my ship, the TARDIS, greatest ship in the Universe! It can travel anywhere through time and space, so I can show you the stars and have you home in time for dinner."
"Oh my, it's so much bigger on the inside!" Reinette exclaimed, and Rose rolled her eyes. "When I first saw your ship, I was curious as to how we all would fit in here together. This is truly magical."
As this was all happening, Mickey was sitting in the jump seat, mouth agape, staring between Reinette and Rose unsure if he should be ready to pull Rose off the fragile girl or not.
Reinette walked slowly around the console, delicately dragging her finger along the surface. The Doctor was beaming with pride as Rose stared at him speechless and insulted. The TARDIS noticed Rose's response and let out what seemed to be a groan of dissatisfaction. "What was that?" Reinette asked as she quickly drew her hand toward her body.
"This ship is alive," Rose said somewhat arrogantly, "she is probably trying to tell the Doctor something" she then glared at the Doctor.
The Doctor swallowed hard, "yes, well, I've fallen behind on cleaning her. She’s probably just letting me know, but that can be done shortly. First, let's head up to the stars, I’m sure you are anxious." He jogged back to the console, setting them off. Rose had no interest in seeing the stars and told the group that she would rather take a bath because she had a lot of space gunk that she needed to get out of her hair. Mickey looked at her as if asking if she was OK and she nodded back without words before heading down the corridor.
There really was no space gunk, she didn't even break a sweat back on the ship. She just couldn't handle Reinette's overzealous reaction and the Doctor's stupid grin. She drew a hot bath and played some soft music hoping to get her mind off the day's events. Of course, she couldn't, her mind just swarmed with questions. Questions like, what was the Doctor planning exactly, bringing Reinette on board? Why did she bring luggage? How long will she be staying, forever? Is the Doctor going to send her back home now that he has a new little blonde? Tears began to form in her eyes and she noticed that the tub started massaging her with bubbles. Apparently, the TARDIS wanted to comfort her.
After what seemed like an eternity in the tub, Rose climbed out and wrapped herself in a big fluffy towel. Just then she heard a knock on her door. "Who is it?" she yelled out and without a reply the door flew open, and the Doctor trotted in. As soon as he saw Rose, who was just as shocked as he was, his words escaped him. All that came out was "uh…" and his eyes were locked on her body for far longer than appropriate.
"Doctor!" Rose exclaimed and wrapped her arms over her chest as if she could hide herself more.
That snapped him back into his senses and he quickly faced away from her, but now he just faced the large mirror on the opposite side of the room. "After you finish here could you please help find a room for Reinette and maybe show her to the wardrobe. I figured she would like a woman's opinion on clothing choices and you are most definately …. a woman..." His voice turned husky and he was still staring at her through the mirror as if she couldn't see his eyes following her image.
"A room? Clothing? Doctor, exactly how long is she staying? Because I thought she was an important historical figure and needs to stay in her timeline?" Rose stepped to the side, now out of the Doctor's view. Any other time she would take this opportunity to tease him, but now it just felt uncomfortable, as if he were someone else.
The Doctor sighed and looked down at his feet. "It's only for a few days, a week tops. I figured that after a lifetime of being watched, she would appreciate some time away. After that we will bring her back home, same day, same time. No one will ever notice that she ever left."
"Fine then," Rose mumbled. "But don't go changing history by removing an important figure or bringing her back after she aged 30 years."
"Agreed" The Doctor spun back around and grinned widely. He began to exit the room, "I will be in the console room if you need me. I must get to cleaning the TARDIS as promised. Thank you Rose." He winked at her and shut the door.
Rose let out a huge groan. How can she be so mad at him and find him so charming at the same time?
Rose got dressed and set off to find Reinette, who would be hanging around the Doctor no doubt. But, before she reached the console room Mickey caught up with her.
"Hey you, how are you holding up?" Mickey asked, as he wrapped an arm around her.
"Okay I suppose, it's just been a long day." She replied.
"Is that all? I mean, I'm just as surprised as you are that the Doctor brought her on board.”
"Yeah? Well, no need to worry about me. I've dealt with much worse when dating Jimmy. Not that I'm dating the Doctor, we really aren't anything, just close mates."
"No, you and I are close mates," Mickey replied. "Sure, we dated for a while but after you left with the Doctor, I could see there was something happening between you two. Hell, everyone could see it. Everyone but you two at least.”
"Whatever it was that we did or didn't have doesn't matter." Rose looked down trying to hide the hurt in her eyes. "We will always be mates even if his feelings for me aren't mutual."
"Do you actually believe that Rose," Mickey asked. "I've seen the way he looks at you when you aren’t looking. You are both crazy about each other, but you’re both too scared to make the first move. He probably thinks you aren't interested in him because you keep a distance. Remember he is a man, we don't do well with clues. Plus, he is an alien, so he really doesn't know any better. Reinette kind of put herself out there and he, being a stupid male, he fell for it.”
Rose sniffed and wiped a tear away." So, you're saying that since I didn't throw myself at him, he lost interest and found someone who would?"
"Not really, he just got distracted by her flirtatious behavior. Everyone is guilty of it at some point, including you. He'll snap out of it once he sees that it doesn't get much deeper than that. But you, Rose, you surprise him every day. The way you stay by his side, help him, and you never give up. He loves that about you. Just wait, you'll see.” Mickey gave her a hug and headed off to bed.
Rose dried her eyes and found Reinette exactly where she thought she would be. She was watching The Doctor as he cleaned and polished the TARDIS, boosting his already huge ego with every little squeal of excitement.
Neither noticed Rose enter the room and she surprised them both when she spoke up. "Well, let's find you a room, big day tomorrow so you should probably rest up." Then signaled to Reinette to follow her as she walked down the corridor.
Before following Rose, Reinette wrapped her arms around the Doctor "Goodnight, Doctor. Today has been more magical than I could have ever dreamed." She then met up with Rose who was waiting impatiently.
They found her a room at the end of a long, empty corridor. Far away from everything and everyone. It was still a nice room, but obviously not permanent. It resembled an average hotel room with its simple décor, small single bed, and basic white and pink colors. As if the TARDIS was saying ‘welcome but don't get too comfortable.’ Next Rose took her to the wardrobe. She showed her all the various clothing choices but Reinette kept eyeballing more dresses like her own.
"I know you are used to your contemporary way of dressing, but with the places we may go it may not be suitable" Rose warned. "That's why I always just wear jeans and a comfortable top. Not to mention shoes that I can make a hasty retreat in if necessary."
Reinette continued looking at the dresses anyway, obviously not interested in anything else. "Well, I guess I'll leave you to it. I'm gonna head back to my room and get some rest." Rose said and began to leave as Reinette thanked her for her hospitality.
The next morning, Rose woke earlier than normal and almost forgot the previous day's events until she heard Reinette's giggles in the distance. She really wasn't up for seeing the Doctor or his new little distraction that morning and wanted to just stay in her room. However, the grumbling in her stomach told her otherwise. She headed to the kitchen to find Mickey and Reinette, who was wearing another oversized gown, but no Doctor. Mickey was by the stove making pancakes and was trying to flip them in the air, which resulted in more pancakes on the floor than on the plate.
Reinette burst into laughter at each failed attempt. Mickey was grinning too, until he saw Rose standing in the doorway. "Hey Rose!" he exclaimed. "Didn't expect you up so early. Pancakes?"
"I guess" Rose groaned and sat at the table, far from Reinette.
Reinette broke the lingering silence "The Doctor stepped out for a moment so Mickey has been entertaining me. He is very funny."
Rose glared at Mickey who was pretending he didn't notice.
"Yeah, well, I figured…." Mickey was lost for words and he now decided to just flip the pancakes normally and made Rose a plate.
Great, Rose thought to herself as she poked her fork at the pancakes. First the Doctor and now Mickey, she felt betrayed.
The Doctor entered the room eager to start the day. "I've got a great day planned. We are going to visit Vielea, a planet known for its beautiful gardens and bright colors. It's mostly a peaceful planet so we should not run into any danger."
"What's the fun in that" Rose grumbled, not looking up.
"Now Rose," The Doctor said pleasantly. "I'm sure even you would like to take it easy for a day or two. Not every trip needs to be dangerous."
"I like dangerous," Rose replied, bringing a proud smile on the Doctor's face. "But, I suppose we can take a day off."
"Great!" The Doctor exclaimed and jumped from his seat. "let's head off. There's a lot to see."
As they exited the TARDIS they were met with quite a view. Everything was so colorful with the wide array of plants and flowers growing wild everywhere, some familiar and some alien. There were no large buildings or city life, just small huts that molded into the surrounding nature, as if they grew there as well. Reinette gasped at all the beauty and clutched onto The Doctor's arm as they walked on ahead. Rose and Mickey trailed behind. She was highly irritated at this point and refused to even speak to or look at Mickey.
"Ok, I know you're mad at me," Mickey said. "But, what was I supposed to do? The Doctor asked me to make some breakfast. Reinette was up before you and…. well…. she is a nice person. I can't just be rude, I'm still on your side."
"There are no sides, Mickey," Rose snapped. "There is no battle, no winner, no…. I don't know." She took a deep breath. "let's just try and forget about…that," she gestured in Reinette's direction. "How about we try to enjoy a couple of days off from running for our lives.”
"Agreed," Mickey smiled and nudged her shoulder with his own.
Two days later the four came tumbling back into the TARDIS, quite tired and grateful to be back. The planet was very peaceful as The Doctor said but he also forgot to mention that all the gorgeous plant life surrounding them was considered sacred. So, when Reinette plucked a flower from a bush she was arrested, as well as the Doctor, Rose, and Mickey for being accomplices. Rose really couldn't blame her since The Doctor often failed to mention important things such as these, so she kept her mouth shut.
Since they were first offenders, they were given a reduced sentence of 48 hours of labor, tending to the gardens. Of course, Rose, Mickey and the Doctor did most of the work because Reinette was not dressed for such labor, despite all of Rose's warnings about clothing choices.
"Well, that didn't go as planned," said The Doctor trying to sound upbeat.
"You think," Rose snapped back.
The Doctor's smile fell, "Well, let's get cleaned up and rested for tomorrow. I was thinking we can visit Votera, there is a festival of planets happening so there will be lots of good food, entertainment and shopping."
Rose sighed, tossed her arms in the air and said "fine," and walked to her room for a much-needed shower, if she didn't collapse on the floor from exhaustion first. Hopefully this is our last trip with Reinette, she thought to herself. She missed it being just she and the Doctor. Even Mickey got in the way sometimes, even if they were best mates. Maybe after they send Reinette home she can talk to the Doctor about taking Mickey home too, at least for a while.
The next morning when Rose came out for breakfast it was the Doctor who had cooked. She took a seat by Mickey while the Doctor served the food.
"So, what's this festival of the planets about anyway?" asked Mickey.
The Doctor sat down across from Rose, "well, it's basically a celebration of life across the universe. Lifeforms from all over come to celebrate, peacefully of course. Each of them brings different types of food, clothing, and anything else from their planet to share with everyone. A lot like a world's fair on earth."
"That sounds lovely," Reinette commented.
"Yeah, so let's not fill up too much because there will be plenty of food to eat and we don't want to offend anyone by not eating the food they offer us," said The Doctor.
"I can't wait," Reinette exclaimed.
They were only gone for a few hours before they returned from the fair. Apparently, the wide variety of alien life forms all at once was overwhelming for Reinette. Even with her knowing the Doctor was alien, as well as the androids, she was not expecting to see creatures of different shapes sizes and colors. Some with gills, some with claws, some with 4 eyes, and so on. She tried to stay calm but she was obviously very uncomfortable. Then one touched her arm with a tentacle and she began to hyperventilate. She did say that for the Doctor, the monsters are worth it, but she obviously never expected aliens like these.
They stood in the console room and the Doctor said, "well, O for two. How about we have dinner since we didn't get to eat yet. Then we can think of another place to go and I can give a more detailed history of what is to come so we don't run into any more surprises."
"Sorry," Reinette said quietly, looking a little embarrassed.
Rose rolled her eyes. She was having fun meeting the new aliens and she saw lots of things she was interested in buying. She hoped that after Reinette is gone they could go back and see it again sometime.
A few days, as the Doctor said, turned into two weeks. Two weeks turned into three and three turned into four. Each trip had its problems, but what trip with the Doctor didn't? So, the Doctor would try and try again, failing each time. The only upside was that Reinette finally learned how to dress more comfortably saving the whole group trouble and embarrassment. Finally, The Doctor put the TARDIS into vortex and gave everyone a break as he tried to figure out what to do.
He sat in the console room, alone, thinking of their next destination and what could go wrong, and he was running out of ideas. ‘Maybe Rose would know,’ he thought to himself, ‘Rose always knows.’ That's when he came to the realization that he and Rose haven't had one moment alone in weeks and he can't remember the last conversation he had alone with her either.
Guilt stricken, he decided that he should do something, but what? He headed down the corridor to the TV room. He could hear Rose and Mickey talking and laughing while watching a movie. He peeked in and saw Mickey laying on the couch with his head in Rose's lap as Rose absent mindedly stroked his hair, watching the movie. That didn't sit well with him, it was too close in his opinion, at least for her and Mickey it was.
"Rose!" He said a little louder than expected, making them both jump and sending Mickey to the floor. He didn't mean to yell, he just wanted to get her attention. "Sorry, can I talk with you? Please?" Rose looked at Mickey, nervously, as he left the room saying he needed a snack anyway.
The Doctor walked into the room, staring Mickey down like an enemy as he walked by. Mickey looked back at him very confused. Once Mickey left and was out of sight the Doctor turned back to Rose. "I thought you two weren't dating anymore?" He asked in an almost dark tone. His body was stiff and his hands were shoved deep in his pockets.
"We aren't," Rose answered, "is that what you wanted to talk to me about, my love life?"
"What?! No! You two just looked a little… ‘close’ that's all." The Doctor said while making air quotes sarcastically.
Rose felt slightly offended by his remark. "Since when are you to judge two people's ‘closeness?’" Now she was making air quotes. "Reinette is hanging off you almost all day and you have room to talk about Mickey and me?"
"Reinette? No, she just holds onto my arm for support. Not like Mickey with his head all…all…there." The Doctor gestured both hands toward Rose's waist, waving them around frantically.
Rose gasped, shocked by his comment. "Seriously Doctor? You're going there? Speaking of Reinette, I thought she was staying, in your words, ‘for a week tops?’"
"Well, these trips haven't exactly been a vacation have they," he barked.
"They never are," Rose snapped back. "You never cared about these trips being perfect before."
The Doctor opened his mouth to reply and quickly shut it. She was right, but he didn't want to admit it. "Fine, one last trip and we take Reinette home, no exceptions, no excuses." He began walking out of the room before he stopped and added "Mickey too."
Rose stood in the middle of the room, speechless, replaying the conversation in her head. She was somewhat relieved to maybe see an end to their time with Reinette but why is Mickey being punished? Sure, she was thinking the same, but still, Mickey has done everything the Doctor asked and more.
Just then Mickey returned with some popcorn. "So, what was that about?"
"Nothing, just…. nothing. Let's finish the movie."
The Doctor walked back to the console room more conflicted than before. ‘Why was Reinette still there,’ he asked himself. And why was he mad at Mickey? Maybe he just wanted things back to the way they were before. It was much better when it was just him and Rose traveling through time and space, hand in hand. He missed her touch, he missed her hugs, he missed her laugh and most of all, he missed her smile.,
Maybe it was time for a real, honest vacation. A place where he knew they could find some peace and serenity. Then he would try and convince Mickey to keep Reinette busy for one night so he can take Rose out, alone, and maybe make her smile again.
Everyone was up early the next morning. Rose took her breakfast to her room because she wasn't in the mood to face the Doctor right now. As the other three ate, Mickey asked the Doctor what kind of adventure was planned for the day.
"Not really an adventure per se, Mickey," The Doctor grinned. "I'm taking us on a real vacation to the planet Luliv. The planet is basically one big resort, a lot like the ones on earth. In fact, they love Earth culture and try to replicate it the best they can, sometimes wrong, but they try. It has beaches, music, dancing, entertainment, and everything else you could want from a vacation. Even the food and drinks are similar to what you've had on Earth. Of course, they put their own twist on things to stay unique, and there are aliens of course. You two should pack, and tell Rose to do the same, we will be staying for a few days."
The TARDIS landed in a lot with several other ships. The group stepped out and looked around. "This doesn't look like a resort," said Mickey "just a big intergalactic parking lot.”
"That's because it is," The Doctor said. "The people of Luliv choose not to practice the destructive habits that is making the Earth sick so they take measures such as these to keep their planet clean and healthy. To control traffic and pollution, ships are required to land here and take a train the rest of the way. Before you ask, fuel does not run the train, but uses a strong magnetic pull. Aside from the train there are no other vehicles anywhere else on the planet. That way the air and water stay clean, making it a more relaxing and quiet environment. The TARDIS doesn't burn fuel but I don't want to break any rules and ruin this trip before it starts."
They boarded the train and took four seats facing each other so they could talk and so The Doctor could explain the planet and its laws.
"Isn't this the same planet Jack is always going on about?" Rose asked
"The same one indeed," The Doctor said, smiling.
Rose turned to Mickey, "Jack is a frequent visitor here. He said the people are beautiful, which is a broad term from Jack. He also said there are so many things to do during the day like theme parks, scuba diving, hiking and anything else you can think of. He also mentioned that the nights are very romantic." Rose stopped and wondered, if this truly is the Doctor's last trip with Reinette, was he trying to make it a romantic one? Did he want to busy Rose and Mickey so he can sneak away with Reinette? Her stomach tightened at the thought of it.
Rose stayed quiet for the duration of the trip as the Doctor filled the silence with gab and Reinette laughed along, even when it wasn't funny. This train ride seemed longer than the 2 hours that it did, Rose just wanted to get away from Reinette and the Doctor. Finally, in the distance she saw their destination. There was so much to take in at once, from the beautiful architecture, large beach with bright blue water, restaurants, shops, and people dancing. This was obviously a vacation spot, hopefully it stays that way, for once Rose wanted a trip with no surprises.
The train stopped at the edge of the resort and they had to walk the remainder of the way to the hotel. When they got to one they walked up to the desk at the hotel lobby and the Doctor greeted the woman at the counter who looked to be in her 60s but still gorgeous. She had grey hair and bright green eyes that shined like jewels. Her skin was flawless and naturally tan. Her name tag read Tokyo and Rose almost giggled, The Doctor said the people of this planet sometimes used city and country names from Earth as their own, she just didn't expect Tokyo.
"Hello, I'm the Doctor. I was looking for some rooms for me and my friends here."
"Yes," said the woman pleasantly, "How many rooms do you require and for how long?"
"Uh, how many rooms, Rose?" The Doctor asked her quietly, almost embarrassed.
"Four…." Rose answered slowly in a questioning tone. She and the Doctor have shared rooms before but usually because they had no other options or when people assumed they were married. Since the Doctor rarely slept, she often slept alone anyway. Did the Doctor think Rose wanted to share with him out of habit? Or was he asking if she was planning to stay with Mickey after what he was assuming last night? Worse yet, was he asking permission to share with Reinette? She started to get that uneasy feeling in her stomach again.
"Yes, that's right!" the Doctor said with a slap on the counter, "four rooms, three nights."
The Doctor finished checking in and then they walked to a large courtyard where their rooms were. The courtyard itself was quite a sight. There was a large fountain at the center, surrounded by marble benches. Instead of a sidewalk, there were large stepping stone with some sort of blue moss ground cover between them. There was some distance between each of their rooms but after living in the TARDIS where you can disappear when you wanted, it still felt too close. Rose found her room which happened to be across the courtyard from the Doctor. She wasn't sure if she should be happy with that or not. She liked staying close to him but not if that meant seeing him and Reinette every time she looked out her window. She entered the room and gasped at how gorgeous it was. There was a large four poster bed, high ceilings, marble floors and the opposite wall had a large window facing out toward the water.
Rose stood, staring at the view, and didn't hear the Doctor enter behind her. "Some view you have here," He said quietly in her ear, startling her, and giving her goosebumps at the same time.
"It is," Rose answered, still looking out the window. She could feel the Doctor's breath on the back of her neck and she was frozen in place. It felt like they stayed that way for an eternity, not speaking, and she felt his hand gently trailing up and down her left arm, sending chills up her spine.
Just then Mickey burst into the room in excitement. "Rose, you gotta get out here and see all this!"
Rose and the Doctor jumped and she turned to Mickey. "What is it." She stammered, glancing at the Doctor who seemed annoyed at the interruption.
Mickey grabbed her hand and dragged her out of her room, through the opposite end of the hotel courtyard and right into the middle of the boardwalk. Local musicians were playing festive music, with earth and alien instruments, as people danced around them. There were performers entertaining other crowds, street vendors, and at the far end there appeared to be some sort of arena, which is probably what got Mickey excited most of all. Rose smiled and looked back at the Doctor who was watching her and once again had Reinette holding onto him. It was almost a common sight nowadays.
Mickey practically ran towards the arena and Rose followed, trying to keep up. The Doctor stayed, mostly because he knew Reinette would fall behind and if he left her alone, who knows what trouble she would get herself into. Leaving him with another question, how was he going to get time alone with Rose? Then he saw a familiar face in the crowd as if fate made it happen.
"Captain Jack Harkness!" The Doctor yelled catching Jack's attention but forgetting that hasn't seen him since his regeneration."
Jack looked at him confused and shook his hand and said, "yes, have we met?"
"It's me, The Doctor. Oh, that's right, you remember me before, this is me now. I regenerated, time lord stuff and all, but it's still me, The Doctor."
"The Doctor?" Jack questioned as if being tricked. "The Doctor, Doctor? Game station, Rose, TARDIS, Doctor?"
"The one and only," The Doctor beamed.
That's when Jack noticed Reinette holding onto the Doctor. Normally he would try to charm her but, he looked back at The Doctor concerned, "Where's Rose, is she ok?"
"Yes, she's doing splendid. She and Mickey went off exploring. This here is Reinette or you may know her as Madame De Pompadour."
"Riiiggght…," Jack said, and greeted her but still looked at The Doctor confused.
Rose finally caught up with Mickey at the arena, which was right off the edge of the land. It looked like any other arena on earth but what was it for?
"I wonder what goes on here." Rose asked
"No idea" Mickey replied "but I'm sure we can find out. I'm gonna find The Doctor and see if he knows anything. Are you coming?"
"Nah," Rose replied. "I think I would like to look around, see what this place has to offer and get my mind off the Doctor for a change."
"Ok, when I find out I'll come find you." And Mickey ran off.
Rose wandered around the crowed. Jack wasn't lying, everyone here was exceptionally beautiful. They all looked naturally tan with soft, flowing hair and even their eyes had that beautiful shine to them like the woman at the hotel. She walked over to the railing, overlooking the water, and admired the view. The water was the most magnificent blue she had ever seen and looking down she could see straight to the bottom. She leaned forward against the railing and stared out into the distance lost in her thoughts.
"Quite a view, right?" said a male voice from behind her. "It really makes you forget everything else happening around you." Rose turned to the figure that was now standing beside her. He was tall, and tan like the rest of the others. His hair was golden brown and silky, it wasn't long but long enough that it would fall in his eyes and he would have to push it back. Speaking of eyes, his were bright blue and shimmered, just like the water. He was obviously athletic in some sense because his arms were perfectly tone and his chest was broad. He wore board shorts and a tank top and she noticed a large scar from the top of his shoulder to the middle of his bicep. Other than that, he was gorgeous.
Rose was speechless so he introduced himself. "I'm Cauul. I'm guessing you are visiting here because you don't look like most of us. Not that it's bad, different is good. Sorry, that came out wrong."
Rose smiled at his embarrassment, "It's all right, I'm Rose. Yeah, I'm just visiting, I've never been here before." She looked back out to the water, "I've never seen a sight so beautiful."
"Me either," He smiled still looking at her.
His smile was warm and sincere. It made Rose blush just looking at it, not to mention his comment obviously directed at her.
"So, what brings you here?" He asked
"A friend brought us." Rose said
"Us? How many of you are there?" He looked around to see if any of the others were nearby.
"Four, including myself. They are off doing who knows what. Hopefully not getting into trouble, but I suppose if they do we'll hear a scream sooner or later." Rose smiled and they both burst into laughter.
"Well, your friends sound like a lot of fun, hope I get to meet them." He said.
"Maybe," Rose blushed again. "How about you? I'm guessing you live here."
"Yeah, my whole life. Right now, I just play Gliderball," and gestured toward the stadium with his head. His hair fell back into his eyes and he ran his hand through it to push it back out of his face. Rose kept her gaze on his hair, it looked so soft and flawless, unlike human hair.
"You wanna touch it, don't you?" He asked with a smirk.
"Huh?" Rose snapped back to her senses.
"My hair, you keep staring at it like you wanna touch it. It's ok, lots of visitors here ask me. Normally I say no, but for you I will," He winked. Rose felt that if she were to blush any more that her skin would catch fire. He leaned forward, inviting her to touch. She took a small strand between her fingers and rubbed the fine silk that was his hair, gently.
"Come on, don't be shy, really get in there." He said playfully.
Rose plunged her fingers right into the long strands. Her fingers ran through without snagging and it was a slightly cooler in temperature the deeper she went. She couldn't help but repeat her action, she never felt anything so soft, let alone it be someone's hair.
Cauul began to laugh as Rose continued 3, 4, 5 more times and his laughter caused Rose to laugh as well.
Jack walked with the Doctor through the crowed telling him about the local people, what there is to do and about the nightlife. Jack was obviously there a lot because it seemed everyone knew him or of him.
As Reinette's interest turned to a street performer Jack asked The Doctor, "Sooo, Doc? What happened?"
"With what Jack? You gotta be more specific." The Doctor said.
"Well, you come to a romantic place such as Luliv. Rose is off with who I thought was her ex-boyfriend and here you are with a French mistress on your arm. I'm not one to pry, well, yes I am…I thought you and Rose had a thing going?" Jack looked at the Doctor who turned to see that Reinette was still preoccupied.
"There is no thing between me or anyone. But, I was still hoping to take Rose out alone to make up for my behavior lately. I just can't get Reinette away from me for two minutes. That's why I'm glad I saw you, maybe you can distract Reinette for just one night."
"Juggling two women, that's not easy Doc." Jack smirked.
"No Jack, I'm not Juggling anything. There is nothing romantic between Reinette and myself. She seems to think so, which is why I can't get her away from me."
Jack raised an eyebrow, "so then you and Rose...?"
"No, Jack, at least not…. Rose…. we…." The Doctor's cheeks began to change color.
"Okay, okay, I know." Jack laughed then his smile faded, "so, you want me to preoccupy the French girl but what about him?” He pointed toward the water where Rose was.
The Doctor looked at Jack strangely before turning to see what he was pointing at. That's when he spotted Rose, giggling with a local boy while she ruffled his hair.