Jack may have been serious and on his best behavior during the Doctor and Rose's wedding but that ceased once they were all back in the TARDIS. The Doctor set a course to take Jack home and as they traveled he was back to his regular scandalous self. It didn't take them long to arrive at their destination but it was long enough for him to give them several vivid and inappropriate well wishes and suggestions. The Doctor was speechless by the time Jack finally left them and even Rose was blushing several shades of red.

The Doctor happily closed the door behind Jack and turned to face Rose. He paused to stare at her and she noticed he looked at her with a new expression on his face that she never seen before. He was looking at her like his wife. She still couldn't believe this name now applied to her and got a thrill in this new way he saw her. They were married, actually married, now and finally for the first time completely alone.

She may have been temporarily distracted by saying goodbye to Jack but the very second that she and the Doctor were alone her heart and mind picked up again where they had left off. The deepest part of her was opening up and reaching out to the Doctor. It was a new sensation and she was amazed that anything could be this mysterious to her at this point. Their relationship had progressed so profoundly already but what was about to happen between them was something brand new.

Every wall and barrier deep inside of her was falling away to make room for and to draw him in. She was surprised to feel how much had been standing in the way of letting him completely in. There was still so much of herself to give to him, parts that were even going to be a unknown to her. She didn't know what it was going to mean for them to be fully bonded with their very hearts connected together. She was afraid of it in a way and nervous at the mystery of it. But at the same time she couldn't experience it all fast enough.

He slowly walked back towards her. "What are you thinking of?" he asked.

"I'm just thinking about the first time I walked in here…and all the time in between," she said thoughtfully. "I never knew things could ever be like this for us."

"We've come a long way, you and me," he said smiling and taking her hands in his own. "And there's still so much ahead for us to see."

There was so much in front of them. She felt their timeline changing dramatically today and she could feel how much fullness there was to it. There was the potential of years and years; so many more than she'd ever dreamed they would have the fortune of sharing.

She didn't feel all that different physically from that girl that had walked through those doors for the first time. But in many ways she was so much different. Her mind was certainly different and her body was something different now too. But her heart was the most changed of all. She thought of that day and remembered it so vividly that she could almost see it front of her now. She almost wished she could go back and talk to that younger Rose and Doctor and tell them of all the amazing things they had to look forward to. They'd had no idea.

"You didn't know what you were getting into that night did you?" he asked quietly.

She knew he was speaking of the night they began their journey. Not the night they had begun their physical travels into the stars, the night he had whisked her away in this box. He was speaking of the night she had come to him and they had begun their journey into each other's minds.

"Honestly? No," she admitted with a smile. "But if I had I would have been even more excited to start."

"It really was a surprise to me, you know. Bonds were never formed after just one time together. That was unheard of. It always took a least a few times to form such a lasting connection. I never expected it would happen so quickly."

"I guess that makes us pretty special?"

He gave her a very satisfied smile. "Very special." He paused a moment before he spoke again, his tone serious and grateful. "Thank you for being so patient with an old fool that couldn't believe someone could really love him again."

"Thank you for seeing the potential in a stupid girl who didn't think she could be anything special."

The memories of their past seemed to add to the urgency she felt in her heart at being joined with his. Their story was an amazing one filled with love and it pushed her all the more to bring this to completion. She could feel that Doctor felt it too.

"So, where shall we go?" he asked quietly. "We could honeymoon anywhere and any when you desire. We could visit the ice palaces of Elacarro…or the rainbow beaches of Caolia…or Paris in the roaring 20's?"

"Yes," she said excitedly squeezing his hands.

"Which one?" he asked laughing.

"All of them. I want to see them all!"

He smiled. "Now that sounds like a plan. I like your spirit."

"Well, I did get it from you. Your wanderlust and excitement are quite contagious," she said smiling widely. She understood him so well now. They both had so much time in front of them. Though she had thought being given a longer life would make her more apt to slow down and take the time for granted she felt the opposite effect. She was bursting with excitement and anticipation to see all and do all that they could together. It felt like so long since she'd been on an adventure with him and she couldn't wait.

But it would have to wait just a little longer. There was something happening inside of them that needed attending to first and she had never been so glad to put an adventure on hold. "But first," she whispered leaning her face in closer to his. "I'd rather stay here," she said her voice full of suggestion.

She wanted to finish this where they had started it. She had fallen in love with him here and joined her mind to his here. She couldn't think of anywhere else that was more appropriate or that she desired more for what they were going to do.

There was a mix of passion and nervousness and excitement in his face and she knew he understood. "I think that sounds…just perfect."

He moved his hands to rest on her hips. It was a simple enough gesture, certainly not enough to cause all that it did inside of her. She wondered about all that was in store for them both and what its effect would be if this one gesture was so great on her. "Will I…do you think I will be overwhelmed?" she asked her face red with both blush and the flush of desire.

"Yes," he answered quickly. "But you won't mind." His lips curled up in a smile and they were so close to her she could kiss him if just leaned an inch forward. But she knew once she did there would be no stopping and no more words between them for a while.

She rested her hands on his arms to steady herself, feeling dizzy already with expectancy. "You say that but you're a little unsure yourself of what is going to happen," she said detecting uncertainty inside him.

He smiled but seemed a little nervous. "Yes…I suppose that's right. The full mental bonding…I am aware of that. I greatly anticipate that knowing what we'll have in that area," he said. He paused, his hands tightening slightly on her. "But the added…physical element is something I am less experienced with. My people did not join the two together. I have yet to experience them at the same time."

Rose felt herself burning up inside and out. "So, this will be something new for the both of us?"

"Yes," he smiled gladly. "Just like everything else has been with you; completely unique and new and wonderful."

She glanced down a bit embarrassed but then looked up at him. "So, you think you can handle it?" she asked her tongue teasing him between her teeth.

He pulled her quickly against himself, his hands now joined together behind her. He leaned his mouth next to her ear. "You have no idea how much I want to find out."

The pulling inside of her was so great for a moment she wasn't sure if she would be able to speak. "I…uh….I…think I do."

"You think we'll be alright then?" he said it with bravado but there were hints of insecurity there.

She pulled back just enough to look at him and forced her eyes open and focused on him. "I have the greatest faith in us."

He looked satisfied and she was glad because she felt that the inside of her was about to grab him at any moment. He turned to the console and with one arm still securely holding her around the waist he set the TARDIS into space. He made sure they were somewhere quiet where they were sure to be safe and undisturbed and set them to drifting. He turned to her and she squealed as he suddenly scooped her up into his arms. She wrapped her own arms around his neck and he smiled as he carried her out of the console room and down the corridor.

They were both silent as he walked towards his bedroom (their bedroom now) and with great skill opened the door and carried her over the threshold. This was where everything between them had changed. This was where she had come to him and this was where he had chosen to let her in. Together they had stepped forward in their relationship, faced their true feelings and changed everything forever here. Again in this room, they were about find yet another new way to keep company here.

He set her gently down on her feet and she left her hands resting on his arms until she was sure she wouldn't fall. She felt weak and dizzy with excitement and it was wonderful. He smiled at her and reached up to her head. With the softest touch he reached to the back of her head into her hair and pulled the veil out of where it was nestled. He let it fall to the ground next to them and ran his fingers all throughout her hair gently straightening it all out until it all fell naturally around her shoulders.

The burst of sensation created by this gesture sent her over the edge. This gesture always had a powerful effect and right now it nearly drove her crazy with desire and she finally had to reach up to kiss him. She let herself get lost in him and they allowed themselves to find their way in their bond and what it meant for them. Their minds touched and drew them in closer and closer together searching each other out as their hands traveled over each other. They each knew exactly what to do without question, gladly abandoning their individuality in favor of their joining. Their bond was a perfect guide and she was sure of everything they were meant do. She didn't skip a beat or falter once until she felt the Doctor's hand reach around to the back of her dress and start to undo the zipper.

The Doctor felt her slight internal startle and he stopped his movement. She was dismayed that she had and a bit confused about it herself. The last thing she wanted to do was stop. She wasn't at all uncomfortable and she wasn't scared. She paused to search out her heart and try to understand what this pause was meant for.

"It's alright if you're nervous," he reassured. "We can take our time. We have plenty of it," he added with a comforting smile.

"I'm not," she said honestly. "I mean…I guess I'm a little nervous but it's more than that."

It was more than that and it was hard to put to words. She was about to know the Doctor completely, inside and out and he would know her just as completely. What they were about to do was so sacred and so important she was suddenly hit with the weight and magnitude of it. It wasn't that it scared her, exactly; she just really felt the significance of what was going to happen.

Rose had given herself away before. She'd given her heart and body away more than once without even thinking about it. But she knew now that doing so meant something. Unlike the other times, this was completely right and she didn't want to forget the importance of it like she had before. This time she loved the Doctor and she knew that he loved her. The timing was perfect and she wanted to feel the full significance of what they were to share.

"It's just so important. This just means so much," she finally whispered to him.

He pulled her into a hug making her feel safe and understood. "I know," he agreed.

She wasn't afraid of this. There was nothing to fear about it. Her and the Doctor were meant for each other and there was no doubt or question in her mind about that. It just meant so much and she was brought to tears by how grateful she was to share this with the Doctor. She wanted to make sure she cherished every bit of it and remembered every second. She knew he felt the same.

She stood on her toes, closed her eyes and touched her forehead to his. She felt his arms tighten around her and he moved his head back and forth against hers affectionately. My Doctor, all mine, she whispered delightfully and selfishly. She felt his smile in reply. He always had been and he always would be. She felt that truth more than anything at the moment. She felt the love and protection, the warmth and adoration that he felt for her radiating from his surface.

She no longer felt any need for pause; she understood what to do and appreciated the importance of it. She felt the need to move and proceed. Of course there was nothing to fear and no reason to pause. They were going to change but she needed it; they had to have it. She wanted to be in his head and she couldn't wait a second longer. She now pulled him towards the bed, no more hesitation and no more doubts that they would do this moment justice.

He followed, reaching his hands to her head. He pressed the tips of his finger to the sides of her head and massaged them against her as he pushed his mind deep into her head. He glided so effortlessly down into her, all the way down to the deepest part of her. He easily pulled back the layers inside of her, revealing every part of who she was inside. She was drawing him in instinctively to her and he was being guided to that most secret part of her without any hindrance. She felt him further in her mind than he'd ever been; nearly all of her was exposed now. As he moved inside of her, her hands found his clothes and she started to remove them. She pushed his coat off and removed the layers covering him as he pushed through all the covers hiding the inside of her. It was a perfect movement, wordlessly choreographed between them.

He had moved all the way inside and settled himself deep within her, where he was meant to be, without any interruption even when he'd had to break his physical contact momentarily to allow her to uncover him. When she had stripped him down to just his boxers they continued on, reversing positions, without a word or pause. Her fingers now went to his head, her mind now going deep inside of him as his hands went to her clothes. She felt breeze against her skin as he took off her dress and she felt a rush against her mind as she settled herself deep down inside of him. She found him just as open and unobstructed inside as she was. He was pulling her in, in a way he'd never done before and she was thrilled to be guided by this new force between them. He was waiting on her as she had been for him and she was as pleased with that as she was with the feel of his hands on her bare skin.

She was so glad that they'd saved everything up for this moment. She celebrated in their differences; the physical side of her humanity and the mental strength of a Time Lord. These things had made them so different separately but together it made them fantastic. All along she had known that they were falling in love like his species. While it had borne some similarities to that of her own she had known how very different of an experience it was to any she had ever known. But she had never realized how much the physical side of it, the part she brought along, enhanced it all. They hadn't shared a lot of physical intimacy and she actually found herself glad for that now. Sharing this wouldn't have been the same without their mental connection at its peak.

When she was standing in just her underwear and bra they paused only long enough for him to gently lift her up and set her on the bed. As soon as he had settled himself above her she reached up and pressed her fingers against his temples again and he leaned down to kiss her. It was ironic because her telepathic abilities were so strong they wouldn't ever need to touch physically again to initiate it but she had never desired physical touch more. She was grateful that it allowed them to keep their mental connection even when their hands were otherwise occupied but she knew that she would never keep herself from touching his head like this whenever she had the chance. It was the first way she had touched him to have this connection and she would never tire of it.

He broke his lips away from hers and she dug her fingers into his hair wondering where he was going. He kissed her on the chest right above her heart before resting his head against the same spot. "I love this heart," he said his voice completely open and words so honest. "This strangely single human heart…so big and full and somehow where I belong."

Rose was nearly overwhelmed by the feel of his lips against her bare skin and the sensation of his mind pressing into her through this spot. She was hyperaware of everything that was happening both on the outside and on the inside. She had never felt her heart beat so fast and there was such an urgency to get to him she thought it might leap right out of her chest. She pulled his lips to hers again to ground herself but the yearning only grew.

There had been so many times before they had formed their bond that she never thought she could have such a closeness with the Doctor or that she would ever hear him speak to her this honestly. It had taken him so long to accept her love for him but he finally had made a home in her heart. The pulling within her increased drawing him in to that very place he spoke of. That was exactly what she wanted. Her heart was calling for him beckoning him in. He came to her without resistance and she felt them being joined together in a way they never had known before, stitched even closer than ever.

It was all so much; their minds touching, his hearts with hers, and his hands on her. She wasn't sure how to respond to it all. Before she had too long to struggle with what she wanted to say in response, she was leaning in close to whisper his name, his real name, to him. She was lead to say it and felt like it was the only thing that was enough for this moment.

It was the first time she'd ever said it to him and he paused to cherish being able to receive it from her. He pulled back and opened his eyes so that he could look at her. She was glad to know it and she smiled up at him. She saw him in a way no one else did; she saw him in a way no one else ever could. It had never bothered her before that she hadn't known his name. But she hadn't exactly known how much she was missing out on. She was glad she knew it now, she was glad she knew such a vital part of him. And she was happy she could use it in times like these with him. It was special; it wasn't something she could say all the time or even every day. She would save it for those most special times and she would remember each time she'd said it.

But this moment between them meant so much she allowed herself to say it again. Her eyes locked on his as she said it again followed by "I love you," this time fully aware she spoke it in Gallifreyian. The effect on him was even greater than she'd hoped. She felt his hearts beating hard and fast against her own, deeply touched by her words. His eyes were filled with tears and then he moved to kiss her again.

He kissed her with an intention she'd never felt from him before and his hands were all over her. He whispered the phrase back in her along with her own name translated into his language. Though it was in Gallifreyian she understood it perfectly. It was beautiful and intricate like a work of art. As lovely as his language was when was written in swirls and circles it did not compare to the beauty of hearing it spoken. She could clearly see what this flower, on his planet had looked like. Though she'd never set eyes on it and never could she had his memory of it. She breathed in and she could smell its scent in her nose. She could feel the texture of it on her fingertips. It was not quite as earth-stopping as his secret name but it was special in its own way. He'd been saving it for now to give it to her on this occasion.

How long are you going to stay with me? he asked and she smiled.

It had become a special phrase between them. He'd first asked her this on that night when he'd shown her his past and his worst memory. He'd asked it in fear and shame wondering if she would leave him after knowing that part of him. But instead of leaving she had committed to him that night that she would stay with him forever. From time to time he'd ask her it again and with a smile her answer was always the same.

She had thought she'd known him completely that very night when she'd agreed to it. She had known what she'd needed to know to make that commitment to him but she realized now how far she had been from knowing him completely on that night. Right now, she was only minutes from knowing him entirely. She was nearly bare inside and out; in just a moment nothing of her would remain hidden from him. Very soon she would know everything about him and their hearts would join and beat as one.

Her answer was still the same and it always would be. But she smiled all the greater for knowing she could, for the very first time, mean those words completely. Commitment had never been her problem in keeping that promise and now neither would her mortality. Now she really could promise him she'd stay with him forever without the fear of aging and death.

Forever, she replied simply, feeling everything shift and change inside of them.

As she felt him removing the last pieces of clothing that separated them she found herself in front of that door inside of him. It was the last secret in him, the last hindrance keeping her from knowing all of him. It had sent her away all the times before but now it drew her in, as that pulling in her was doing to him. She was now welcomed with open and waiting arms. She smiled when she got there and felt as it finally, with just a brief touch, opened to let her in. She walked within, walking into their future, walking straight into his hearts.

This was the stuff of legend. This experience, them as the perfect team, truly two that had become one both inside and out, was the stuff legends were made of. This was the incredible adventure of them and it was only just beginning.

A/N: Thank you for reading "Awakening." This concludes my Stuff of Legend series. I want to thank you all for sharing in this journey with the Doctor and Rose. I am humbled that anyone would take the time to read so many of the words I've written. I especially want to thank you those of you who have reviewed along the way. It was your encouragement that made this series possible. When I began this series (over two years ago!) it was only supposed to be a TGINTFP fix-it. But it was your excitement that kept me going and working on this series even at times when I thought about stopping. Thank you again for your kind words. I have immensely enjoyed this series and I hope you all will stop by and say one final word.