It had only been a few days since his regeneration (and Christmas). It was still just me and him traveling in the TARDIS. Even though we had been traveling for quite some time, he still got the jitters every time we had thought of a new place to beam over to.
He had recently told me that he wanted to take me somewhere special, just for the heck of it. And no matter how much I asked for details, his reply always remained the same;
"It wouldn't be a surprise if I told you, Rose!"
So I've just decided to lay low about it, but I would have the urge to ask every now and then.
We decided to stay at my flat in town with my mum a fairly-present Mickey for a little while before traveling once more, just to settle things down a bit. I hoped this would last forever. All my life I've been wanting something exciting, and this was just what I was searching for.
I awoke on the 5th morning over at the flat to the sweet aroma of toast and eggs. I sat up, tossed on my soft white robe, and shuffled to the kitchen.
There was the Doctor, easily seated at the table in the striped pajamas he had worn on Christmas day. He was mumbling something to Mickey, who sat across from him, while examining a piece of toast. Mum was standing behind them, shifting a pan of scrambled eggs back and forth in the process of cooking them.
I came up behind the Doctor and rested both my hands on the shoulders of the wooden chair. He flipped his head backwards to see me looking down at him.
"Good morning!" He blurted enthusiastically. I laughed a bit and returned the greeting.
I then sat myself between him and Mickey at the table.
"Morning, Rose! Want some eggs?" Mum said as she slightly turned towards me.
"Sure." I smiled. I turned to the Doctor and friskily raised an eyebrow. "So Doctor," I began as he bit into his toast. "Hm?" He replied.
"Is today finally the day you get to take me?"
He fastly swallowed and held up his index finger.
"Not just yet, Rose. But soon." He winked at me, and Mickey rolled his eyes.
"Here you go, sweet." Mum interrupted while she scooped the steaming eggs onto a plate and placed it in front of me.
"You know mum, you didn't have to go through all this trouble to make us breakfast," I spoke. "Letting us stay here is enough." I gestured over towards the Doctor and then myself.
"Oh, it's the least I can do, you two always saving the world!"
I grabbed a fork and stuck it into the eggs to take a bite.
"Actually, Rose," The Doctor spoke again. "I was hoping we could begin travelling again today. Of course, if that's alright with you." Mum glared at him as she started scrubbing the dishes. "...And your mother." He gestured towards her, giggling to himself.
"Really?" I asked him as he grinned. "Of course it's alright with me! Been waiting for you to ask."
He finished off with his toast and got to his feet.
"Well come on then, Miss Tyler!" He smiled.
I looked at my mum, hesitating for an answer.
"Oh, you two. Go on!" She shooed at us with a soapy hand.
"Thank you, Jackie, Mickey." The Doctor said, tilting his head a bit and letting out a swift grin. He then zipped outside to find his TARDIS and to get dressed.
"A-and I'll be here!" Mickey interrupted.
I quickly scooped the rest of the eggs into my mouth, and dashed into my bedroom. I grabbed my suitcase, which had been packed days ago, and slipped into some jeans and a light hoodie. I darted back into the kitchen, said my goodbyes, and before I knew it I was out the door and down the large metal staircase.
The TARDIS then appeared a few metres in front of me, and out came the Doctor. He was dressed in his usual brown striped suit and long coat, with his hands rested in his pockets. He looked as if he had spent at least an hour on his hair, and his suit freshly cleaned. His face then lit up. We grinned to eachother from across the lot in excitement. It had felt like ages since we'd been out-and-about in the TARDIS again.
I crossed the black pavement and skipped inside as he followed. The door softly closed and I set my suitcase down on the left side of the door.
He then easily walked over to me so that we were face-to-face. He spoke with a still voice.
"So, remember when you asked me about taking you somewhere special?" There was a beam of light in his eyes, although his expression remained serious.
"Yes," I answered with slight confusion.
"And do you remember what I said?"
"Yeah... you said 'not yet'." I answered.
"Well," He hesitated a bit. "I lied." His face lit up at the finish of his sentance. I and giggled a bit.
"Okay then!" I enthusiastically reassured him and skipped over to the console, then gestured towards it. "Allons-y!"
His smile grew. "Allons-y!" He shouted, and ran past me.
He then began to pull levers, spin knobs, and flip switches with excitement. The TARDIS then began to make that whooshing noise it produces when it moves; That wonderful noise I loved so dearly.
It began to shift back and forth, causing us both to carelessly jolt around. Finally, it came to a stop with one last powerful jerk, and I was flung on top of him. Luckily, I caught myself on my hands and knees.
His eyes grew wide and he began to laugh. I did as well. I rolled myself off of him, and we lay beside eachother, bellowing for a few seconds.
He then got to his feet, and extended his hand so that I could take hold to be hoisted up.
"Ladies first." He motioned to the door.
I was anxious to see what he had planned. I had been imagining a variety of scenarios in my head since he fisrt told me. Was it a moonlit picknick? Or maybe champagne in a fancy spaceship? Who knew. But now I could finally figure it out.
I slowly approached the door and grasped the handle. I turned my head to look back at him.
"Go on," He said with a grin as he followed behind me.
I then slowly pushed it open.
I found myself viewing a metal staircase. The Doctor softly grasped my hand, and led me up the stairs just like a princess. We then found ourselves in a wide, circular room with a bowl-shaped roof. It was an observatory.
"What are we doing here?" I asked him. He smiled with great content, then spoke.
"I think that lever there could tell you better than I." I looked over toward it, to find it was only a few metres away. I quickly skipped over and pulled it down, and the roof then divided itself in half and began to open.
I found myself gazing at billions and billions of stars, and planets, and galaxies and moons of all sorts of colours. And in the very center lay two galaxies. One spiral-looking one, and the other shaped like a curved line.
"This is beautiful!" I blurted, forgetting he was still placed next to me. "Isn't it?" He said as he gazed up at the scene.
"Huh. They kind of.... Oh, nevermind." I giggled to myself.
"What is it?" He asked.
"They kind of look, well, they look like a rose.
"Well, that's UCG 1810 and 1813." He mumbled to me. Once again, he took my hand, entwining his fingers in mine.
"Or as I like to call them, the Rose Galaxies."
At the sound of that, I looked back down at him.
"No!" I said with playful disbelief.
"Oh, yes!" He chuckled.
There was a glimmer that caught his eyes, making him look like a god. He remained staring at me through a moment of silence. I liked his new face. It suited him, and it never failed to please me. I gazed back up to the galaxies.
"... So beautiful." He whispered.
"I know." I couldn't take my eyes off them.
"Like them." He spoke again.
At first, I didn't understand his comment. Then I realized he hadn't taken his eyes off me. I looked back toward him.
I had been waiting for so long. Waiting for a moment just like this with the Doctor.
He slowly began to lean in toward me, and gently whispered in my ear,
"There's one more thing that I've been wanting to do." He grinned again.
"Was it something like this?" I remarked.
I didn't have to hesitate. I just kissed him. And he enjoyed it, too.
We pulled away simultaneously.
There's something that I've noticed about the Doctor's new face. It seems whenever he gets a kiss, he develops this dazzled gaze. And there it was again.
This time it was his turn. He leaned in once more, and finished what we had started.
This was truely the perfect evening.