"How do you mean?"

"Have you not wondered why I never searched for a wife before? Nine hundred years is a long time, I have had companions who would travel with me for a time, but never someone so intimate as a wife."

"Yes, I have," Rose answered shyly.

"It is because always, sooner or later, my companions would leave me."

"Why? Why would anyone ever give you- I mean this up?"

He smiled at the slight rectification.

"Because a mere human could spend his whole life with me, but I could never spend my whole life with them. In the end, they needed to leave, were they to have a chance of a normal life on Earth. I have had couples travelling with me. Their expectations of a future together would not include always being accompanied by a space-travelling alien and his box. Once I had to leave a companion behind because I was summoned home and humans were not permitted on Gallifrey.

Not seeing a satisfiable direction this conversation could go, Rose became a little agitated.

"Why are you telling me this? I am not any different. Even when I stay with you for eighty years, that would still be but a blink to you. I have tried not to recollect this fact, it pains me too greatly. Why do you have to remind me so ardently?"

There were tears beginning to form and realizing his mistake, the Doctor quickly took her in his arms.

"Oh Rose, I'm sorry, I did not mean to cause you pain. I meant to bring you hope, I just rattle along too inconsiderately. Forgive me, please listen."

He drew back and lifted up her chin to wipe the tears away. He kissed her softly and when she gave a little nod, he continued.

"After a terrible war, the greatest that ever was: a time war, which I had to end, thus bringing forth not only the demise of my enemies, but also the destruction of Gallifrey; the control that had always been present, no longer surveyed my actions."

Letting go of her hands, he stood up and entwining his fingers on his back, he began to pace around the console. Here and there pushing a button, flipping a switch or doing some other undefinable thing.

"There are rules, meant to keep order and peace in the galaxy. That was our purpose, we were guardians, keepers. Certain points in time are fixed, not to be changed or else terrible things could happen. Certain lines were not to be crossed, changes in civilisations that would ultimately destroy them or some other race. The TARDIS has a heart that channels a pure form of the vortex that is outside right now. It has a power to scatter atoms, annihilate and destroy. It burns. But she can also bring life."

At this he turned towards Rose and gazed intensely at her for a few seconds.

"She showed me, after I regenerated into this body, she showed me a way."

"A way to what?"

The Doctor sat down again and grabbed her hands in his.

"You can have more than eighty years."

"More? How?"

"She can bind your life to mine."

Trying to grasp his meaning, Rose did not respond to this, so the Doctor furthered his explanation.

"This body will age just like a human, only more slowly, and should I stay alive long enough, when my body comes to its end, it will change. Regenerate, like I told you. I will begin again."

"But how-"

"When your life is bonded to mine, you will share in that process and change as well."

"I will become like you? But you mentioned earlier that I would never be-"

"No, not exactly. You will remain human; one heart; same brain, nothing different. Except you will experience an increase in your ability to comprehend and you will not suffer the negative effects of ageing like a normal human would."

"That would be-" Rose felt her hope revive and an overwhelming sense of joy took over. "That would be fantastic!"

The Doctor laughed at her rapturous squeal, however his serious demeanour made Rose calm down.

"There is a downside is there not?"

"Yes."

"Tell me."

"I have- No, I should begin a while back. A name given on Gallifrey gained length over time, as there where new names added, like titles and surnames. The names became so long that they were at some point unpronounceable. So instead we chose, or were given titles. Titles that became names and they were not chosen randomly."

"The Doctor."

"That title became my name, my name is my identity. I have a tendency to fix things, a wish to right wrongs. The Doctor: it is who I am, what I do and therefore I often find myself in situations that need fixing."

"You mean you seek out trouble?"

"No, no, no, I would not put it that way. I merely happen to stumble upon troublesome situations where ever I land. I think the TARDIS often directs me towards places where I am needed. Earth in particular is a very stubborn planet, I find myself there very often."

"You have saved the world?"

"Earth? Yes, on numerous occasions."

"How come no one has ever mentioned you? You should be famous."

"I tend to keep out of the picture. I do not wish to cause a riot. Informing the wrong person of my identity would cause tremendous discomforts. That, and humans easily forget."

"I would not, never."

"That is why I married you."

He laughed and tipped her nose with his forefinger.

"Over the last decade I have changed face two times."

He allowed the words to sink and when seeing the look of fear on Rose's face, he knew she understood.

"You died two times?" Her voice was barely conceivable and he squeezed her hands in reassurance.

"I regenerated. Still here, see?"

"But-" She swallowed. "Did it hurt?"

"Oh yes."

He tried to laugh away his anguish, nevertheless she could tell he did not relish the regeneration part.

"So, when you change, you will still- I will still be-" She could not finish the question, but he understood.

"You will always be my wife, that will never change. But you have to understand, should you bond with me, near me or not, you will partake in the same risks, for I cannot change who I am."

"And I do not wish you to do so. I understand the risk. But to be able to be with you, forever; live my life without the concern of leaving you alone one day, I would gladly suffer the consequences. Only tell me this: should I die first, will the change occur as well?"

"Yes, that bond will work both ways, but I will not allow anything to happen to you."

"You cannot promise me that," Rose replied with affection. "But I consider myself to be as safe as can be in your care."

"There is one more thing the bond will establish." The Doctor's eyebrows raised in pleasant anticipation as he awaited Rose's question as to what that might be.

"The telepathy?"

She surprised him.

"Ah, well, that was not what I had meant to say, but to a degree: yes. The bond will enable you to gain a certain level of awareness of my mentality. You quite astonished me earlier, when you projected your emotions towards me, that was highly instinctual and very unexpected."

"It had been my intent to show you what mere words could never express. I thought I had nothing to lose by trying. I am very happy it worked and I look forward to discovering how to deepen that connection. Yet you said this was not what you had meant to say, therefore please tell me."

The Doctor smiled and announced cheerfully: "It will make us compatible."

Rose stared at him blankly.

"You know: compatible. Being from different species, there would not have been a chance for me to father children by you. In connecting the way I just disclosed, we will be able to- ehm, conceive."

He pulled his ear, gazed at the console and seemed a bit embarrassed all of a sudden.

Rose just turned bright red.

"Right, so, enough talk. Are you hungry? Thirsty? This is our wedding day after all, wrong time to just sit here and talk. Although, if you prefer it, we can talk some more."

Rose, still bereft of speech, merely shook her head. She needed an other minute to regain composure.

When she felt secure enough for her voice not to tremble to much, she said: "I would like a drink, and then I want you to tell me how this bond will be established."

"You wish to go trough with it?"

The Doctor could not have looked more ecstatic and Rose laughingly replied: "Of course, you have named to many reasons for me not to desire it. Will it be painful though?"

"No, not painful, uncomfortable possibly, very intense. You will need a lot of sleep afterwords."

"Can we do it now?"

"Now? You wish to go through bonding on your first day in the TARDIS, your first night by your internal clock. Our first night together, our wedding night?"

His consternation was overly clear and Rose instantly felt guilty. She had her reasons however and endeavouring to be as bold as she could possibly be, she made to clarify her decision.

"You are my husband, and I will honour your wish if you will have this night as a wedding night should be. However, please allow me to tell you why I petition that night to be after the bonding process."

The Doctor opened his mouth, but heeding her request, closed it again and nodded in silence.

"This is all very new to me, not just the part about being wed, that is thrilling enough as it is. Being married to an alien makes it all a bit more complicated and I will need some time getting to terms with everything that has been thrown upside down, these past few days."

She gave a quick smile to enlighten the gravity and continued: "There are so many questions that run through my head at the moment. I feel I cannot relax thoroughly before some of those questions have been answered. Giving me this option of becoming more than I even hoped I could be, since I met you, gives me reason to hope for the first time, that I will be able to understand that what you have to teach me."

Rose saw that the Doctor began to grasp her idea.

"Allowing my brain to connect to yours, thus eliciting a whole new means of comprehending, will make it easier for me to process all other unusual things that are sure to come my way. If it will leave me exhausted, well, frankly, I am already there."

"You have thought about this better than I have. I will no longer object, you are right. But let me warn you that you will probably pass out once the bond is established. Don't worry, I will carry you safely to bed. Where I will leave you to rest for as long as you need. I have to insist therefore that you first have something to drink and then change into something comfortable for the night. You will have to overcome a few scruples perhaps, but the bonding needs to be done here, at the console."

Rose bit her lip, when thinking she had to walk about wearing only her nightgown. Yet here was only the Doctor and he was her husband now, she simply had to set aside her discomfort.

Standing up, she followed the Doctor towards the galley, drank a large glass of water and then let herself be led to the bedroom.