And This Is When He Breaks The Rules

Chapter 1 – He Likes To Taste Things

"It is nothing," snaps Queen Victoria, pulling her hand away from the Doctor.

He stares at her, disbelieving, but then shrugs and calls over Her Majesty's shoulder to Rose.

"Right, better be off. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine...but incase you hadn't noticed, it's still night out there," she comments, pointing up, "And we'll never find our way back to the TA - "she pauses, "Back to where we came from in the dark," she corrects herself, remembering who they are in the company of.

"You shall stay here, then, it is settled," commands the Queen.

"Er...right, yes of course. Where should we..." he trails off. With the poor Sir Robert dead, who would be in charge of the household? They'd have to find the wife. "Rose, do you know where Lady..."

"Isobel? I'll go find her," Rose supplied.

"Ta. Right, your Majesty, if you go with Rose, and she'll escort you to your bedchamber, and I'll clear this room up a bit."

"Yeah, sorry about that, we often make a mess," Rose apologised as she guided the Queen out of the doorway.

"Very well," replied Queen Victoria, "But be quick about it, the pair of you should get some rest too."

***

The Doctor looked up as Rose re-entered the room. He was sitting on the floor; his glasses perched on the end of his nose, examining a piece of wood.

"Clever old sod, was Sir Robert's father. Mistletoe in the wood. Brilliant! You humans are rather good, you know," he commented lightly.

Rose smiled. "Yep. I know. And you know what, so are you."

He grinned up at her, and she sat down beside him.

"You were gone a long time," the Doctor said quietly. He really shouldn't, but he was so used to having Rose around that he felt bereft without her nearby. Especially after the sort of adventure they'd had today, full of danger and death. He loved this life, and he knew she did too, but it didn't stop him worrying that one day he would lose her and it would be all his fault...

"I was talking to Lady Isobel."

"Women," he muttered.

"She needed comforting. She just lost her husband, remember? So I could hardly just say to her: 'Hi, just wondering where me and the Doctor could crash for the night?' could I?" said Rose, shaking her head at his insensitivity.

Ah. You see? He forgets these things when she is with him. Or not, as the case may be.

"Suppose not, no. Sorry. Well?"

"I stayed with her a bit, then went and found Flora – one of the servant girls – and she's with her now. She told me we could sleep in the third room from the top of the stairs, as that wasn't badly damaged by the werewolf's, er...rampage."

"Right. Ha, werewolf, eh? Whatever next."

"Weelll, let's see, we've had ghosts and zombies and now a werewolf. Oh I know! Vampires?" said Rose, smiling her teasing smile, tongue poking out the side of her mouth. He wishes she wouldn't do that. It distracts him.

"Ooh no. No, no, nonono. No fear. Don't want that," said the Doctor.

She laughed, and made to stand up, but the Doctor jumped up quicker, and held out his hand.

"Shall we retire to the bed chamber, Miss Rose Tyler?"

Rose raised an eyebrow.

"When I said 'we,' I kinda thought it would just be me, seeing as 'Time Lords don't sleep,' she replied, laughing.

The Doctor looked wounded for an instant, and then quickly said, "Yes. That's true. But then I'll be lonely, just sitting around all night looking at this - " he paused, and licked the piece of wood he held in his hand, "- rather un-tasty wood." He shudders.

Rose looked up at him quizzically, "Why do you feel the need to lick things all the time? You have such an oral fixation this time around."

"I...I don't know. It's fun," he considered, as she put her hand in his and he pulled her up to her feet.

"But you lick strange stuff. Stuff you don't even know what it is."

"Exactly. That's how I tell what it is."

"Ahhh. So that's why you've licked blood, on the Sycorax ship, and that rock thingy from Aleu 8, and that plumgrass from the planet Milota... ooh and that icicle from the beach on Uio -," she teased, and he gave her a protesting look, "- but you haven't licked me, 'cos you know what I am," she added.

She just stood there, looking at him, her hand still in his, and said that, and he just couldn't resist. He brought his arm up, and licked her hand. Slowly.

"What the - " Did she just imagine that? Did he just lick her hand?

Did he just do that? He thinks. Did he just lick her hand?

Oh well. Play the fool.

He smiled mischievously, and said the first thing he could think of, "Hmmm. You taste nice." Which, on reflection, was probably not a great thing to say to the woman he...well, you know. Liked.

But Rose just smiled.

"You're such a weirdo," she commented, as they walked out of the room. But she didn't let go of his hand; in fact, she swung their joined hands between them happily, contemplating that the Doctor really was full of surprises...

To be continued...

A/N: Hello, just wanted to quickly say: reviews will be LOVED. Any comments or criticisms are greatly appreciated, please press the button and let me know. Thanks :D Hope you enjoyed chapter 1 x