Character/Pairing: Ten/Rose
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: The BBC owns all, I am merely borrowing.
Spoilers: Through The Satan Pit.
Author's Notes:Desperate to save Rose from a body snatching spirit, the Doctor resorted to establishing a forbidden bond between them. Now, he's just as desperate to keep them apart. When they visit a starlight festival for a little fun, he might very well get his wish. The much requested sequel to The Moonlit Cotillion.

"Right. That's the last of the dangerous stuff," the Doctor announced, kicking shut an open floor grate. "I'll stow it all away properly later. Some time when I've a fancy to...alphabetize. Not likely, I'll admit, but you never know. I once fancied recorders. Anyway, 'bout time we..." Interrupted by a loud knock on the door, he fell silent, one hand hovering over the parking brake. "Knocking? Knocking? No one ever knocks. Rose, has anyone every knocked?"

"Marvelous Martin?" Rose prompted.

"Really? How come I don't remember....oh. Oh. Of course! Our passenger." He grinned, bounding away from the console. "Not often we have an extra passenger, is it? Well, one that isn't a boyfriend of yours at any rate. And don't get any ideas!" he admonished, before opening the door and revealing a small man dressed in a plaid suit. "Martin! Hello! Welcome aboard the good ship TARDIS."

To his credit, the Marvelous Martin Milton did not balk at the ship's dimensional transcendence. "Oh, this is all quite fascinating, sir!" he gushed, taking in the ship's interior with wide eyes. "Bigger on the inside. How do you achieve such an effect? What technology you must possess! You must tell me how..." Noticing Rose, he paused, giving her an appreciative glance. "And this must be your young friend. You succeeded, I assume? Found a way to..."

"Yes," the Doctor interrupted, grabbing the monitor to check coordinates. "The Marvelous Martin Milton, Rose. Rose, Martin."

"Marticleenilocotax, actually," he murmured, taking her offered hand and reverently kissing the back. "But you can call me Marty."

Rose blushed. "Nice to meet you, Marty."

"Delighted. Just delighted," he declared, tightening his grip her hand. "Ever consider a career as a salesgirl, my dear? I could certainly use a pretty assistant."

Carefully, Rose removed her hand from his grasp. "Thanks. But I've already got..."

"Oh, of course. I understand. Well, if you ever reconsider..."

"All set to take off!" the Doctor announced, whirling to face them. "I've got your ship in tow, Martin. Now, what's your destination?"

"Humarga, dear sir. Close to the bazaar if you can."

"Humarga. Lovely. They still got that starlight festival?"

"Certainly. Bigger every year."

"Starlight festival?" Rose asked, curiosity piqued.

"Oh, you'd love it, Rose. They've got the most amazing fireworks display. Put the Partuli Brothers to shame." He flicked several switches and released the handbrake.

The ship shuddered violently and Martin tumbled to the floor with a squeal. He managed to right himself only to be tossed into a coral strut. Terrified, he clung to the organic surface as the ship swerved. "Bit of a rough ride. Perhaps you should check your stabilizers, Doctor!"

"Oh, they're as stable as stable can be," the Doctor declared, grabbing the edge of the console. "Gave 'em a quick tune up just last century."

"He is kidding, isn't he?" Martin whispered urgently.

Rose shrugged and readjusted her grip on the jump seat. "Hard to tell sometimes."

The ship finally landed with one last swerve and the Marvelous Martin Milton exited as quickly as possible, stuttering and stumbling in his haste.

"Your driving must've been a bit too much for him," Rose teased, leaning against the console beside the Doctor.

"Nothing wrong with my driving. He'll be impressed when he finds out we jumped ahead to the starlight festival." He turned to her, eyes sparkling with excitement. "Fancy a peek? Might even be fairy floss this time."

"Can we?"

"You'll need a corset. Third row, racks at the back." After a moment of consideration, he added, "Make sure it's not yellow!"

Rose shot him a quick grin and then darted away down the corridor, taking the sharp left that would lead her straight to the wardrobe. She was pleased and excited, practically brimming with exuberance. The Doctor knew because he could feel it. Apparently, even at a distance.

He considered banging his head against one of the coral struts that lined the console room. A mild concussion would dull the awareness. But then Rose would be worried and fuss over him and probably get very very close. That would only make it worse.

He groaned, tangling both hands in his hair and tugging on the strands as a temporary distraction. Finding a leaf from his vine climbing stunt only hours earlier, he angrily flicked his hand to get rid of it. Rose's limited human senses would make it impossible for the awareness to be mutual, but her ignorance was of little consolation in the wake of his own hypersensitivity.

He collapsed into the jump seat, crossing his legs and letting the heels of his trainers rest on the edge of the console. He had only himself to blame for this new predicament. He didn't regret saving Rose, could never regret that, but the byproduct might drive him mad. Well, madder anyway. His hand was absolutely itching with the need to hold hers.

And only twelve hours earlier he'd kissed her.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid," he muttered, tilting his head back to glare at the ceiling. That impulse was almost as unforgivable as what had happened after the cotillion. Almost, but not quite.

His people had had rules about...mingling. Very specific ones. Of course, he tended to ignore rules. Especially ones with big words like 'forbidden' attached. And bonding had the biggest warning label of all.

If he could just keep his distance, he might survive this unscathed.

"Doctor?"

Startled, his feet slipped from the console edge and banged against the floor. Wincing, he twisted in the seat, eyes sweeping over the burgundy expanse of his companion's dress, lingering where the faint stripes accentuated curves. "Oh," he exhaled. "Hello."

"Hey. Can you...?" She turned, revealing the lacing waiting to be finished at her back.

He swallowed. "Yes! Of course. Absolutely. No problemo." His normally adept fingers fumbled with the delicate laces and he leaned closer, unintentionally catching the scent of her shampoo, something floral, the tang of salt, and just a hint of the punch from the cotillion. Before he could stop himself, his nose brushed along the crease between her shoulder blades, inhaling the essence that made her...Rose. His mind distantly registered the fact that his hands had somehow managed to tie a knot at the top of the corset.

"Doctor...?"

With a start, he jumped backwards, shoving his hands in his trouser pockets. "Right! Yes. Festival!" He dashed to the door, grabbing a large black umbrella from where it hung along the railing. Pausing on the threshold, he glanced over his shoulder.

Rose hadn't moved.

"C'mon," he encouraged, gesturing outside with the umbrella. "Before we miss it."

"Time machine," she protested, folding her arms across her chest. "Are you all right?"

"Oh, absolutely! Perfect condition. Tip top. Never been better." Unbidden, his eyes dipped down to the indent of her chest, newly emphasized by her change in position.

The movement was brief, but not quick enough to escape Rose's keen skills of observation. She immediately noticed the apprehension lurking behind his guarded expression and the dash of panic evident in his shuffling feet. It meant she'd discovered something he didn't want found out, but she knew better than to demand answers when he was feeling flighty.

" 'Kay," she acquiesced, blithely passing him and exiting the ship.

The TARDIS had materialized at the edge of the market, between two wooden buildings that reminded Rose of ones she'd seen in feudal Japan. That trip seemed like a lifetime ago, when the Doctor had worn another face and they had a captain for company. Now, so many things had changed. Rose tipped her head back, watching the bits of grey sediment falling from the sky. Hearing the TARDIS door close and the scuffling of approaching feet, she asked, "S'not snow, is it?"

"No. No, that's soot. Pollution." The Doctor popped open the umbrella and held it aloft, protecting them both. "This planet is covered with factories fueled by coal. Well...not exactly coal. Serves the same purpose. It's the industrial epicenter of..." Something brushed through his hair and he jumped, almost dropping the umbrella.

Rose giggled. "Sorry. You've a bit in your hair."

"Oh," he squeaked, trying to watch her fingers as they tousled his hair this way and that. "Better?"

One last sweep and she grinned, tongue peeking between her teeth. "Much."

He cleared his throat. "Good. That's...good. Always good to have good grooming. Tends to lead to good first impressions. Well, unless you're visiting the Kromanini, in which case they're really just interested in how good your hair would look on a shrunken head. Your head specifically, if they managed to shrink it. Of course, they'd have to catch you first and you're very good at running so..." Suddenly aware of his rambling, he queried, "Market?"

"Yeah," she agreed, threading her arm through his. "Let's."