The Doctor stood in absolute shock, mouth hanging open. He was frozen with surprise at what Rose Tyler had just said to him a mere minute ago. His head was spinning. He just couldn't take it all in at once. He told her to leave, to go home, to be safe with her family and live a normal life again, and she suddenly said that?
"Doctor, I love you!"
Rose Tyler clapped a hand to her mouth, eyes wide open in sudden realization of what had just flew out of her mouth. How could she have said that? The one thing he could never, ever know, and she just blurted it out, just like that! Oh, why! Why had she said it now, after all this time?
"Doctor, I love you!"
Opposite him, Rose stood with a hand over her mouth, eyes wide and staring at him. Clearly she was just as shocked as he was, and quite frankly, he couldn't blame her.
"Doctor, I love you!"
She stared at the Doctor, those four words spinning round and round in her head. He was standing staring at her, his mouth hanging open. He had obviously not been expecting this. A few tears, maybe, or a slight argument, but not this. And to be honest, neither had she.
"Doctor, I love you!"
He stared at her, wondering what was going on inside her head. Was she just as confused as he was? Did she really love him?
"Doctor, I love you!"
She suddenly knew why she had said it. There was no question of it anymore. It was because he had cared about her enough to let her go back home. If you love something, set it free. And that was exactly what he had done. Even though he would miss her more that anything, he was willing to give her a second chance at a safe, normal life. Because he really, really cared about her. So how could she not show him that she cared about him too?
"Doctor, I love you!"
"Rose, I love you too, and that is why you have to go back home. Because I love you, I can't risk your life out here. You need to go back, Rose."
"Doctor, I love you!"
"And, because I love you, doctor, I can't let you stay out here all alone. I want to stay with you, I need to stay with you!"
"Doctor, I love you!"
And almost without thinking, he pulled her into a deep and passionate kiss, and they both knew right then that they were destined to stay together, and no matter what life (or aliens) threw at them, they could always make it through with those for words.
"Doctor, I love you!"