A/N This doesn't quite reach the point of being M rated, but there are a few parts to this I'd definitely give a strong T rating.

Thanks so very much to everyone who has reviewed! You're the reason I've kept writing even though my schedule has been threatening to bring my typing fingers to a halt. I've had a blast with this series, and I can only hope you've enjoyed it at least half as much!

The Doctor moved quickly to stand in front of Rose and placed both hands on her shoulders, his eyes frantically searching hers and pleading apology as his mouth did the same at rapid speed.

"Rose, I'm sorry! I'm sorry, Rose. Please don't cry. We'll get back in the TARDIS and forget we ever came here. We can go anywhere else you'd like. Anywhere. Maybe dinner on the Moon instead? Or how about an anti-gravity restaurant...with bibs?" he suggested in desperation, oblivious to the passersby doing a double-take and edging past just a bit faster. "I just thought that...well...we could relive a memory and do it right this time." He shook his head, berating himself. "But of course you wouldn't want to remember this. It didn't exactly end well the first time. It was a stupid idea to come back. But that's me. I'm thick sometimes. So very thick. Especially when it comes to...to things like this. I'm rubbish at romance! Did you know I once almost caused a war on Sheegren Six because I extinguished their Sacred Flame on the Mountain of Fervor? I thought I was preventing a wildfire. I mean, you see a roaring blaze on a mountaintop and think Danger! Right? Turns out the incense given off was a Sheegren aphrodisiac used during mating season, and I...well...I essentially killed the mood for the entire planet," he admitted with chagrin. "But that's me! I'm rubbish and thick and...Rose? Um...are you...are you laughing?"

"'M sorry," she managed to choke out between peals of laughter. "It's just that you're completely mad, and I love you so much!" She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tight. After a beat, his arms came up around her, his face wearing a look of confusion as she giggled into his shoulder.

"I'm...I'm guessing that's good, then?" he questioned dubiously.

Rose's laughter died down and she eased back, her eyes sparkling back at his. "It's very good. And I love that you thought of coming back here. This isn't entirely a bad memory, you know." She gazed over his shoulder to the entrance of the club, her voice softening. "You made my heart stop when you followed me here. I never expected you to do something like that in a million years. And that's when I began to know for sure just how you felt, even if you hadn't been able to say it yet." She turned her eyes back to his. "And I think coming back here again is brilliant."

The Doctor's confidence soon returned as he stood a little straighter and sniffed. "Well, I do have my moments of sheer brilliance."

Rose gave him a slow, teasing smile. "Of course you do. Just ask the people of Sheegren Six."

His ego flattened again as he frowned. "Now that I've told you about that you're never going to forget it, are you?"

Her smile became a wide grin. "Probably not anytime soon, no."

The Doctor let his arms slip from around her as he stepped back. He then extended his hand and wiggled his fingers along with his eyebrows. "Well in that case, let's see what I can do to push it out of your memory, for tonight at least."

"You gonna show me your moves?" she asked, feigning innocence as they walked towards the club.

He threw her a smoldering look over his shoulder. "Rose Tyler, you just watch and see."

Trailing a little behind, she let her eyes drop down to his firm, denim-clad bum. "Oh, I already am."

Once inside, the Doctor and Rose wound their way hand-in-hand through the crowded club. There was some seating off to the side of the dance floor, and after ordering some non-alcoholic cocktails they sat together at a small table, not even noticing anyone but each other, much like the first time they had been here. Their dark wooden chairs were scooted close together so they could hear each other talk over the din, and also because they very much enjoyed the proximity.

"So...," the Doctor began, one hand propped under his chin and the other lightly stroking Rose's forearm where it rested near him on the small round table, "I've never really asked. What were you thinking when you saw me walk in here that night?"

She gave a short laugh, dipping her head slightly before raising her eyes back to his. "I was thinking about a dozen things at once. I couldn't believe you had really followed me here, I couldn't believe you were actually wearing jeans, and I couldn't believe how much I could want you so badly while being so angry with you at the same time. And then you wouldn't take your eyes off me, and it was like...like I could feel electricity down my spine just from the way you were lookin' at me," she confessed, replaying the memory and feeling an echo of the same shiver ripple across her skin.

"Just the thought of you being with anyone else made me a little insane," the Doctor admitted, and Rose was struck again by just how much things had changed. There was a time when the Doctor never would have confessed such a thing. "Or rather, it brought me to my senses. But I wasn't trying to intimidate you that night, Rose. The whole situation was making the blood pound in my ears and I literally just couldn't take my eyes off you."

"Well, it was definitely mutual," Rose said, reflexively leaning into him a little closer. "And then after I confronted you and you asked me to dance, I didn't even know if I could because I felt..."

The Doctor slowly leaned his face in closer to hers, hot breath caressing her ear as he spoke in a low, throaty voice. "Weak in the knees?" He nuzzled the side of her face, then placed a ghost of a kiss just below her ear as he whispered, "Do I weaken you, Rose Tyler?"

Rose was sure he could hear her whimper considering his closeness. She really shouldn't let him get away with being so cocky, but she couldn't help it. He did weaken her. "Yes," she replied breathily, turning her face towards him until their lips nearly touched. She wasn't at his mercy without a few tactics of her own, though. Rose knew she had the power to buckle his knees herself with just a look, a word, or a touch...

Her hand slipped down from the table and came to rest on his knee, then ever so slowly traveled up his thigh. Their eyes remained locked, her own challenging him to break the heated stare. He couldn't. The desire within the caramel depths of her eyes held him captive. Her hand stopped, then smoothed back down to his knee before slowly moving back upwards once more, coming dangerously close to a region that would have him at her mercy. Possibly begging – either for her to stop or never to stop. She moved down again, then back up and a little more inward this time as she ascended his thigh, adding the slight scraping of her nails. There was an added rush for both of them skirting this closely to such intimacy in public. But Rose also had the boldness of knowing her arousing movements were mostly hidden by the table. She felt his thigh begin to quiver as she moved higher still. She honestly had planned to get close but no closer, but then his pink tongue came out to moisten his lips and she impulsively moved further up and in with a single, slow finger.

His eyes closed of their own volition as a growl rumbled in his throat. Rose leaned in and brushed her lips just below his left sideburn, then echoed his own question back to him in a sultry tone as she repeated the movement, languid yet deliberate. "Do I weaken you, Doctor?"

His dark eyes snapped open and instantly locked on hers. He swallowed thickly. "In some ways, very much. But in other ways you make me...," he moved in closer, "quite firm."

Rose smothered a laugh behind her unoccupied hand. "Oh, you did not just say that."

He snatched her wicked hand up in his grasp, nipping at her wrist. "You're the one who is...feeling me up under the table. So I think I have a right to be a little less than eloquent."

Before she could respond, he moved his lips towards hers and she moistened them in anticipation, but he stopped just before touching and spoke low, his breath puffing across her lips. "I would very much like to dance with you."

"Here or in the TARDIS?" she replied provocatively.

"Both. But first here." He lifted her hand and brushed his lips across her knuckles, an almost demure gesture after what her wayward hand had been doing. "Dance with me?"

Utterly lost in his eyes, Rose's first instinct was to say yes without second thought, but then she hesitated, thinking of the limitations of her current state. She hadn't planned to actually be able to do much dancing. Just being here was enough. Reliving the memory of that past night, with the Doctor now withholding nothing of himself from her, such a stark contrast to how they had once been, was enough to make this more than a special evening for her. Rose glanced out to the semi-crowded dance floor where couples were lettin' it loose to the fast tempo of a pop beat. She brought their joined hands down to her belly, his dark eyes momentarily softening to infinite tenderness. "I'm not exactly in the best form for this, in case you hadn't noticed," she replied with a tentative smile.

"Oh, I've noticed," he responded happily, gazing at her belly. He lifted his eyes back to hers and saw her expression draw back. "That is...I've noticed your gorgeous pregnant form, but I don't agree that you're not up for this. Allow me to prove it to you," he requested, standing up and still keeping a hold of her hand.

"But...," Rose slightly protested, standing anyway.

"C'mon!" he chirped happily.

The Doctor led her out to the dance floor, expertly weaving in and out of the crowd until they came to a stop at an open space where they wouldn't be jammed up against others. Rose glanced left and right at the revelers around them, knowing there was no way she could manage the current pace of the music. The Doctor released her hand and stood facing her, and both of hers came to rest atop her belly. "Doctor, I can't...," she began to protest again.

"Leave it to me," he said with confidence, glancing towards the DJ booth.

"But you can't just..."

"Oh, can't I just." With an enigmatic smile, he sauntered off towards the DJ.

Rose sighed, but couldn't help admiring the view as he went. He really should wear the jeans more often, she mused. She wasn't the only one admiring the view. Two women approached him on the way, both moving into his personal space. One of the women, whose short black skirt barely covered her knickers, Rose noted, placed both her hands on the Doctor's arm as she leaned in on tiptoes to speak into his ear, a seductive smile curving her full red lips as she then pulled back fractionally to lock eyes with his.

The Doctor glanced back over his shoulder at Rose. She merely smirked. It was a fact Rose had come to accept that there were times the Doctor simply drew women to him like a magnet – trees, courtesans – he just had that natural effect. And the way he looked tonight in those jeans? That effect was assured. He turned back and said something to both. The two women glanced back at Rose. One simply turned away, but the other clingy one with the not-enough-material-to-be-called-a-skirt eyed Rose up and down with a look of derision before speaking one more thing in the Doctor's ear and then finally stepping away.

Rose knew whatever the woman had said was undoubtedly less than flattering, and even though she had been feeling rather attractive tonight, she couldn't help but be a little more aware of her proportions again. The Doctor's eyes, however, when he glanced back at her one more time held a look of raw hunger. He had told Rose countless times how her carrying his child made him all the more consumed with desire every time he looked at her. If the current look in his eyes was anything to go by then now was certainly no exception, and Rose found herself unable to care less about anyone else's opinion with the Doctor looking at her in such a way.

It seemed the Doctor wasn't the only man who considered her desirable, though. Distracted by watching the Doctor over at the DJ booth, Rose didn't notice the man who was approaching her from the left until he touched her arm. He was in his late twenties or so, tall, dark blonde and considerably attractive.

"Would you like to dance, love?" he asked smoothly, dark green eyes glancing up and down and apparently liking what he saw.

Rose was a little taken back by the question. Surely she didn't look available. "No thanks," she replied with a polite smile. She placed a hand on her tummy. "The two of us might be a little more than you could handle."

He smiled lasciviously, his hand still resting on her upper arm. "Oh, I think I could handle you just fine."

Rose didn't even have a chance to respond before someone else was doing it for her. The Doctor suddenly appeared back at her side so quickly that she briefly wondered if he had a teleport device. His hand firmly gripped the other man's and promptly removed the offending appendage from Rose's arm before speaking gruffly. "And I could handle you just fine as well. Would you like a demonstration?"

The man took a step closer to the Doctor. "Is that a threat?"

The Doctor's eyes flashed dangerously. "It's much more than that if it has to be. This woman, my wife, the mother of my child, is with me and no one else. Is that clear?"

The man gave a short laugh, but it was clear the Doctor had made his point. "Tone it down, mate. I didn't mean any harm."

The Doctor took Rose by the hand and tugged her a little closer. "So long as you don't, then neither do I. Now run along. There's a good chap."

The man gave Rose one last glance before ambling away into the crowd. She just smiled and gave a little parting wave as he turned away. The Doctor tugged on her hand and smoothly pulled her up against him, his left arm then sliding around her back as Rose's arm went to his shoulder.

"I can't leave you alone for two minutes before the pretty boys start descending upon you. I'll have you know it's highly annoying," he quipped, but Rose knew his jealousy had not been in jest. He tended to be just a touch possessive at times.

"And what about you?" she retorted.

"Weeell," he drew out the word as he considered, "I suppose I am rather pretty, although I'd say more along the lines of devastatingly handsome, and I do often descend upon you..."

She smirked. "That's not what I meant. I'm talkin' about the women always falling at your feet, like those two just a minute ago."

He frowned. "They...they weren't 'falling at my feet.' Their balance was perfectly fine. They were just...saying hello."

"Riiight. And so was that bloke just a minute ago."

He sighed. "Fine. We're both magnets for the opposite sex. Call it our curse."

Rose chuckled, sliding her arm from his shoulder up to rest behind his neck. "You don't ever have to be jealous, you know."

"Who's jealous?" he replied, his voice rising a few notes higher.

"But for the record," Rose continued, ignoring his denial, "I sort of like it when you get all...manly and possessive."

His arm around her tightened. "Oh, I can get very manly. Very manly and very possessive if that's what you'd like."

His head tipped forward to nuzzle the side of her hair, and despite the distraction Rose was about to reply to that last sultry statement when she finally noticed the change in pace of the music they were now swaying to. She pulled back to look at him. "Is it the psychic paper or the sonic screwdriver due the credit for the sudden change in music?" she asked, a smile lighting her eyes.

He lifted his chin proudly. "Maybe it's neither. Maybe it's due singly to my unmatched powers of persuasion." She arched a skeptical brow. "Oh, alright. It would have been due to my powers of persuasion, but someone started pawing you and I had to make a rescue. The sonic was the quickest course of action so I could then get you back in my arms where you belong."

Rose sighed happily as she leaned in closer, not at all complaining. "This is where I belong." The Doctor's smile was maybe just a little too smug for his own good, but she found it hard to object. Rose continued after a minute of contented silence as they swayed together. "I remember the first time we danced here like this. It felt so perfect and I was so afraid it couldn't last. Then when I finally asked you how you felt and you just couldn't say it, I thought...I thought that was the end for us."

He placed a hand under her chin and tipped her head up to look in his eyes. "I know. And I'm sorry. I was just so afraid, Rose. Of this. Of everything. Of having and losing." He cupped the side of her face in his hand, his thumb tracing along the swell of her cheekbone. "Thank you. Thank you for giving me time, Rose. For waiting for me and not giving up."

"I told you I'd stay with you forever, and I meant it. No matter how much we could or couldn't have." She smiled back at him softly. "You did take your time though, didn't you?"

"Mmm," he agreed, his hand sliding to the back of her head and pulling her forward to rest on his chest. "But some things are very much worth the wait."

She hummed in agreement, her mind trailing back in thought. "You once said it was a slow fall."

"It still is." She lifted her head from his chest to meet his eyes, open and bare before her. "I might have fallen slowly, but I'm falling still. I never landed, and I don't think it's possible that I ever will."

Rose trailed a slow finger along his jaw, a smile coming to her face and her tone light, despite the mist of tears moistening her eyes. "And you said you're not romantic."

"Well," he drawled, lips curving in a slowly-forming smile. "Like I said, I do have my moments."

"Oh, no arguments from me," she said, breathing out slowly as both arms came up to wrap behind his neck.

He pulled her as close as her belly would allow, relishing the feel of her body fitting snugly into his. They continued swaying in unison to the slow, sensual rhythm, the lights of the dance floor having lowered to a dim glow. Rose loved dancing with the Doctor. He was agile, naturally rhythmic and his body a perfect fit with hers. She made a mental note that they should do this more often. They matched each other step for step, moving as one. The Doctor's hands smoothed slowly down her back, nearly reaching the curve of her bum before sweeping back upward. He dipped his head forward and brushed his nose along her cheek, sliding to her ear where he kissed softly. She made a sound of appreciation that spurred him on as he drew her earlobe into his mouth and tugged lightly once, twice, then moved a little lower, pressing a warm kiss to the side of her neck as his breath fluttered against her skin.

Rose shivered against him, a feeling of thousands of little sparks tingling on her skin at that single point of contact and traveling outward in all directions. She wanted to pull him even closer and feel more of his body against hers, but was limited to just the press of her rounded belly into his. Reaching behind her, Rose took his hands in hers and lifted them away. He stopped moving for a second, unsure of what she was doing until she gave him a coy smile and turned, her back pressing firmly to his front as his hands settled around her middle. Rose's arms moved up and snaked behind her, fingers twining once again behind his neck as her head tipped back against his shoulder. His head dipped down once more, lips trailing along the side of her neck, breathing out slowly. Rose closed her eyes and savored the stimulating feel of his lips on her skin.

He was slowly building a fire inside her, and before long just feeling his lips was no longer enough. Rose wanted to taste his lips on hers. She turned her head towards him and that was all the encouragement he needed. His mouth found hers with ease, melding as one. The kiss was unrushed and sensual, both savoring the languid slide of lips on lips, but soon each craved to delve deeper and the angle didn't allow for enough. His hands moved up to her shoulders and turned her in his arms.

They separated for only a moment before the Doctor was moving back again, closing the short space between their already close bodies. His parted lips moved towards hers and Rose forced herself to take in a deep breath, as if she was about to plunge under water. She knew oxygen would be in short supply in a matter of moments. No matter how many times they kissed, he never ceased to take her breath away each and every time.

But he paused then, his mouth just millimeters from touching, their breath mingling. A brief thought crossed his mind that they should probably take this somewhere less public considering the inevitable passion that was building, but sheer desire outweighed all rational thoughts as that final gap was closed and his mouth pressed to hers. The Doctor breathed out a long sigh of release as his arms circled her waist and drew her firmly up against him.

A rush of heat flooded through Rose from head to foot as his soft lips molded perfectly to hers, his full, bottom lip folded down slightly and top lip raised up and over hers. The memory of how much she had yearned for him the last time they had been together in this very place, yet thought this was something they could never have, only made her all the more desperate for him in this moment and lightheaded at the knowledge that she could have all of him now. Rose's head felt like it was spinning and her hands came up to his shoulders just to steady herself. She was drowning in him, and neither one seemed to remember that there was anyone else around but the two of them.

Rose's hands moved to tangle in his hair just as his tongue began a series of dizzying spirals against her own. Rose instinctively moaned and opened wider, and he wasted no time taking advantage as his tongue stroked deeper into her mouth. Rose clutched fistfuls of his hair as he tasted and explored, his tongue gliding along hers and sweeping across the roof of her mouth as one hand moved up to cup her jaw and angle her head for better access.

The kiss became a desperate and frenzied battle of lips and tongues and teeth, and quickly moving into territory that was not at all appropriate for public display. Whether it was logic that finally broke the kiss or a desperate need for oxygen it was hard to say; but they finally withdrew from each other, swollen lips slowly parting.

Rose felt another flash of heat shoot through her as she opened her eyes to look into the Doctor's, dark and dilated and boring into hers. "W-we should go dancing more often," Rose finally managed, breathless.

He pressed his forehead to hers, the rough timbre of his voice akin to a growl. "Rose Tyler, the dancing hasn't even begun."

They weren't exactly in a prudish atmosphere, but their zealous affection had already drawn the noticeable attention of a few around them. One silent look at each other was all the agreement needed between them that it was time to move their dancing to a much more private location.

As they left the club hand-in-hand, Rose didn't realize she was still capable of moving with such speed. But they slowed when they reached the TARDIS, the Doctor guiding her in with a firm, steady hand on the small of her back. Rose could feel the anticipation coiling within her. She loved it when he was a little frantic and out of control, but tonight there was slow, intentional precision in his every move. He was going to take his time and she wasn't in the least opposed to the idea.

They reached the top of the ramp and he pressed up behind her, dropping a string of lingering kisses to the back of her neck as his open palms smoothed a slow path up her arms.

"Thank you," she whispered as her eyes fell shut.

"Mmm," he breathed out across her flushed skin, "it is very much my pleasure."

She smiled faintly. "I mean for everything tonight. Not just this."

"I'd do anything for you, Rose. You know that," he murmured into the side of her neck.

Rose tipped her head to the side to allow him better access, quickly losing herself to his attentions, but after a few seconds his words caught up with her and she tensed. He didn't seem to notice as his lips slid to her shoulder. "This was all just about me, wasn't it?" she questioned quietly.

"Only you," he agreed, his hands sweeping up and down her arms as his lips found her ear, drew her lobe into his mouth and sucked lightly.

Rose fought to tamp down the surge of heat rushing through her from his body pressed to hers, his hands on her skin and his open mouth setting off sparks everywhere he touched and tasted – all threatening to distract her from anything and everything else. She drew in a deep, shaky breath and moved forward out of his embrace, turning around to face him from a few steps away. His eyes slowly opened, his mouth slightly parted and a questioning look on his face. "You never would have done this otherwise," she concluded.

"What?" he questioned, still looking thoroughly snogged and now half dazed, and Rose had to fight the urge to bring that gorgeous face back to hers and forget all else.

Her arms came up to wrap around herself as she remained where she was. "Were you just doing this to try and make me feel better? Because I'm...I'm..."

"Because you're what?" he asked, genuinely flummoxed and wondering how things had suddenly started to derail when they'd been progressing rather magnificently.

She shrugged, dropping her eyes. "Feeling a little glum, tired, less than attractive. You...I dunno...felt sorry for me."

"Rose..." He stepped forward, reaching for her as she took a step back. He breathed out heavily, running an agitated hand through his hair. Over nine hundred years, and he didn't think he would ever come to fully understand women. What had he done wrong? "Yes, I wanted to do this for you," he agreed. "But that doesn't mean I haven't enjoyed it, too. This wasn't just some...some act to try to make you feel better or try to make you think that I still see you as attractive. I wanted to do something special for you because I love you, and sometimes I think I don't communicate that well enough because, like I said, I'm just not good at that sort of thing. But I assure you this was not an act of...of pity! The only pity I feel right now is for myself because these jeans have become painfully constricting, and you're beginning to dash my hopes of being able to remedy the situation," he finished, his voice rising higher in exasperation.

She couldn't help the watery laugh that escaped at that as her defenses came down. "I'm sorry," she finally said. "I s'pose my emotions have just been sort of jumbled up lately."

He took another step forward. "Rose, I know this hasn't been an easy pregnancy for you, right from the start. And now as the baby has grown even more you're becoming uncomfortable, and unlike most women you've still got a ways to go. This isn't easy for you, and I only wish there was more I could do. And I will do anything I can for you. But this...," he gestured between them, "this is, as selfish as it sounds, as much for me as it is for you. I need you, Rose. And I want you so much that sometimes it's all I can think about, which is at times disconcerting because before this, before us, I was used to having more control."

Rose took a step towards him and reached out, taking his hand in hers as their fingers slid together. "Do you wish you could have more control?" she asked, biting her lower lip between her teeth and unconsciously pulling his control down a notch lower. "Do you wish you could sometimes just take my hand and let it stop there, like before?"

His smile began slow and didn't stop until it overtook his face. "No. Never. This...ohh, shall we say side effect? This effect of bonding with you that so often pulls down my barriers of control is very much worth the frequent distraction it causes me."

"Is that what I am, then? A distraction?" she asked coyly, moving even closer and sliding a hand up his chest.

He tugged her against him, his hands settling on her hips. "Among many other things. But also most definitely a distraction." He ducked his head and pressed a kiss to the corner of her mouth. "A consuming fire..." His lips traveled to the edge of her jaw. "A pink and yellow obsession stuffing every crevice of my giant brain..." Rose giggled, jostling his lips that had now found the pulse point of her neck. "Laughing at someone while they're in the process of seduction hardly instills confidence," he complained against her neck.

"Can't help it," she replied with a smile lifting her voice. "You're daft."

He pulled back with a slightly wounded pout and looking more than slightly adorable because of it. "What have I done now?" She laughed again. "You see! There you go again."

Rose slid her hands up to his shoulders. "But I love that you're so daft." He started to speak in protest but she silenced him quite thoroughly with a long kiss. She then eased back. "I love that you don't always know the most romantic things to say but you try anyway. And I love that sometimes when you're not even trying you can say things that take my breath away. And I love that you don't have to try and seduce me because I always want you as much as you want me."

His eyes darkened and twinkled simultaneously. "Does that mean we can get back to doing the brilliant things we were doing before we started all of this unnecessary talking?"

"Are you saying you're still in the mood for...dancing, then?" she purred.

He stared at her, incredulous. "Rose Tyler, do you even have to ask?"

To make quite certain he proved his point, quick, clever fingers slipped up to the fastening of her dress behind her neck, but Rose reached up and took his hands in hers, shaking her head. She had other priorities. "Not yet. You have no idea how many fantasies I've had about taking these jeans off you. Now come 'ere." She hooked her fingers in the waistband and pulled him forward.

He grinned wolfishly, letting Rose have her way. "I thought you liked me in these jeans."

"Oh, I do," she assured him, pulling his T-shirt up and over his head. She paused for several seconds as she took a lingering look at him, now shirtless. Rose swallowed hard. Dead sexy was fairly accurate, but not even close to adequate. She let his shirt drop from her hands to the floor, and slid her flat palms over his strong chest and down his firm abdomen until she reached the dark denim at his waist. Rose pressed a kiss to the corner of his jaw as she lowered her voice. "But seeing you in these just makes me want to see you out of them."

"A true paradox," he concluded sagely, then momentarily stopped talking altogether, his breath hitching as her hand snuck lower, repeating the movement she had tortured him with earlier in the evening.

"Ohhh, you were right," she spoke in a sultry tone, lifting hooded eyes to his. "These jeans are very constricting, aren't they?"

"Not for long," he growled, his swift hands assisting in their removal.

-:-:-:-

Hours later, the Doctor lay asleep, his body curved around Rose in contented, post-coital slumber. The tops of his thighs rested behind the backs of hers, his bent knees pressed behind her own. His arm was draped over her side with his hand resting upon her belly. Rose had drifted awake and now didn't want to fall back asleep just yet. She was content just to rest like this in the Doctor's embrace. Her hand moved up to cover his, stroking lightly down his fingers as his breath came out in soft, even puffs against the back of her neck. He was sleeping so peacefully, and it was a rare treasure.

Though he often stayed with her through the night, whenever she would wake his eyes inevitably were always on her, watching over her as she slept. And though less frequent now than they had once been, there were still times, during the nights he did sleep, when nightmares invaded and stole his peace. Their shared life and love had healed so many of his deep wounds, yet there were some scars that would inevitably always remain a part of him. But Rose had once told the Doctor, the first time she ever joined him in his bed after she'd woken to the sound of his agonized cries, that she would chase away his nightmares, and so often she did just that. The life they now shared had brought more peace to the Doctor's existence than perhaps he had ever known. That joy was only magnified now with the creation of their precious, impossible child.

Yet despite not only his acceptance of this child but now his unhindered joy over the baby, the Doctor rarely mentioned Janyeer. He still avoided talking about what had taken place there. Rose hoped in time he could reach a point of making peace with all that happened in that place. She wanted to suggest they go back some day to bring closure, but she knew the Doctor wasn't ready for that. Not yet. In time, Rose told herself as she cuddled back closer to the Doctor and his hold on her instinctively tightened to pull her in closer still.

A soft smile came to her lips as she thought again of what the Doctor had done for her tonight just as another way of showing her his love. It seemed every day, whether in big or in small ways, her love for him only deepened and she fell a little further. And like him, Rose knew the moment she had fallen that she was never going to land.

Falling together, Rose wrapped her fingers around his as she closed her eyes and joined the Doctor in his dreams.