There was so much to see. All of time and space, at her fingertips. She could see war and peace and love and bloodshed and everything that ever is or was. And she could control it. She could do anything. But there was only one thing she had in mind. With eyes blazing like suns, golden light pouring from her body, Rose stepped out of the TARDIS, and looked into the face of her best friend and the man she cared about more than anything in the world. His eyes narrowed, his face twisting into that of pain. He knew what was going to happen. She was going to burn.

And suddenly, everything was burning. Everything she'd ever known or cared about, turning to ashes. She saw Mickey, her Mum, even her childhood friends Shareen and Keisha. Then she saw Jack, a pile of dust, The Doctor consumed by golden light. Except this time… he didn't regenerate, his last words slipping scornfully from his lips.

"This is your fault, Rose." He sneered in his northern accent. His words trailed off into screams of agony, and he vanished into a cloud of dust. A pile of golden sand on the ground, like Jack. Rose fell to her knees, scooping up the remains with a choking sob. The particles of dust trickled through her fingers, like an hourglass. You don't have much time left, something hissed at her.

With a gasp, Rose awoke, adrenaline surging through her body and startling her into consciousness. Glancing around the room with rapid breaths, she squeezed her eyes shut, trying to wipe the fresh memories of her dream from her mind. Her body was hot, and a bead of sweat rolled down her forehead. Terror seized her, and she took shallow breaths, trying to fill her aching lungs. Before she could stop herself, she let out a sob, digging her fingers into the cool sheets of her bed. Her cries gained volume as flashbacks of her dream reverberated through her head. The same one, every night for three weeks, since… since Bad Wolf.

A delicate, soothing hum echoed through her mind. Rose forced a smile, recognizing the gentle brush of the TARDIS's conscious against her mind. Her breath caught again, visions of The Doctor's accusation ripping a hole in her chest.

She wanted to find him- find the Doctor and wrap him in a tight embrace. To have him tell her that everything would be okay as she pressed her face into his chest. To hear his gruff northern accent morph into a compassionate voice just to soothe her. But Rose couldn't. Ever since that night, he had changed. He was tall now, and skinny, and he wore a pinstriped suit. Instead of brooding, he was manic and grinned a lot. Everything felt surreal, like some bizarre dream that kept shifting and changing. The Doctor was now like a ball of striped energy with spiky hair. A man with a horrible past, hidden under a wide smile. He was handsome, with dark eyes, a direct contrast to the cool blue ones she had become accustomed to. Rose didn't really know him anymore. She still wanted to travel with him, definitely, but it would take some getting used to.

The blonde haired young woman gripped the edge of her sheets, prepared to pull them back over her body. She couldn't. With a sigh, she kicked the covers off and sat up in bed.

The trickle of water alerted her that the TARDIS had turned on her shower. Good girl, Rose thought, swallowing the last of her cries. She wiped a tear from the corner of her eye, hoping her face wouldn't be red or her eyes swollen when she saw the Doctor.

The blonde stumbled into the bathroom, letting her clothes drop into a heap onto the tile floor. Rose reached out with a finger and tested the temperature of the water. Perfect, like always. The TARDIS knew exactly what she liked. Oh, the benefits of having a telepathic ship. She stepped in, letting the beads of warm water wash away the bad dreams. It worked partly, but she she nearly broke down again.

Rose worked the soap into her hair with her fingers, squeezing her eyes shut tightly. She drew back with a gasp as she saw a perfectly clear image of her nightmare again. The Doctor's eyes filled with hate, his lips curled up in a snarl. That was part that hurt the worst. Not that he never regenerated, but Rose would rather die than have the Doctor hate her. He mattered to her more than anything in the world, even if their relationship was a bit tense right now. She cared for him more than she ever thought possible. She'd been willing to die for him, but he'd died for her instead. Guilt surged through her body and she let out a choking, strangled cry.

She just stared at the wall of the shower, letting the water run down her back. After everything that had happened, she knew it was her fault. She was Bad Wolf. She'd killed her first Doctor, and now she was running around with this unfamiliar man. He was just so different. He was more tactile too, constantly grabbing her hand and grinning like a loon. Admittedly, she really liked the new him. Rose felt a stab of guilt upon thinking that. She felt like she was betraying her old Doctor, the one she had first fallen in love with.

A disagreeable hum tapped at her mind and a flash of emotion crossed over her. Rose realized that the TARDIS was trying to tell her something. He may look and act a little different, the ship was trying to convey, but he was the same man at heart. Her Doctor. And the TARDIS was right. He was still a bit rude, but he was a good man that tried to help everyone. That wasn't so different, was it?

She felt a tiny bit of her sadness ebb away. Rose scrubbed roughly at her face, and finished cleaning herself. She wanted to look completely normal when she stepped out of the shower. She dried herself quickly, searching for her stash of makeup. Applying a light coat, she added a touch of mascara, but not too much to seem overdone. Once satisfied, she stored away her bag of supplies and got dressed.

Waiting for her in the console room, was the Doctor. The pinstriped man looked up from his book with a grin.

"I see the bear has finally awoken from hibernation," he teased, shutting his book and setting it aside. He leaned against the console, his smile faltering lightly. "Rose…"

"Yes?" Rose asked, putting on a wide smile. The Doctor's lips had tightened to form a straight line, and he frowned. Her smile was too wide, too forced. He could tell something was wrong.

"I… I heard you in the shower." He admitted, looking a bit ashamed. "Are you okay?"

"You were listening to me shower?" Rose burst out with embarrassment and a touch of anger.

"No!" The Doctor replied quickly. "Well, yes, but it's not like that. The TARDIS picked up telepathic signs of distress and I went to go see if you were okay…"

Rose relaxed slightly, but she didn't meet his eyes. "'M fine Doctor, really." She put up the facade again, twisting her features into a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Don't worry about me."

Like that's possible, The Doctor thought, biting back a sigh. Couldn't she see he just wanted to help? He opened his arms, pulling her tightly against his chest. Rose closed her eyes, burying her face into his body. It felt a lot better than she thought it would. She had been worried about getting to know the new Doctor, but she had also been longing for this. The steady double beating of his hearts against her chest was comforting, and she realized she would have trouble letting go. The hug actually had quite a therapeutic effect.

The Timelord pulled away, watching her facade crumble. Lips trembling slightly, Rose choked back another sob.

"Rose, what's wrong?" The pinstriped man asked her, resting his arms on her shoulders. She looked into his warm brown eyes, a stark difference from his previously cool blue ones, and wiped a tear that had escaped the corner of her own.

"'M tired Doctor." She admitted, leaning back into him. He wrapped his arms around her again, in a comforting embrace, her warmth seeping into his cooler body. The crook of her chin dug into his shoulder, and he looked down at his best friend with a worried pout.

"Tired?" The Doctor repeated, the words hanging in the hair. He mentally slapped himself. How could he be so blind? Of course she was tired. With all that had happened lately, it was a miracle she was still on her feet. The TARDIS sent him an annoyed prod through his mind, chastising him for his ignorance and lack of observation.

Rose loosened her firm grip on the skinny alien, leaning back to peer into his chocolate eyes. "Recurring nightmares," she admitted softly. The Doctor's smile vanished, and he looked at her with great concern. He was all too familiar with recurring nightmares. Every time he closed his eyes he could see Gallifrey burning. The children weeping and the mothers crying. But also daleks turning to dust. You had to. He reminded himself for the thousandth time. There was no other choice. The entire universe was at stake. He needed to quit feeling sorry for himself and help Rose. She needed him right now.

"Oh." The Doctor managed to say, trying to keep the guilt from creeping into his voice.

"'S nothing really, should go away soon." Rose lied, looking away from him. The Doctor had known Rose for over a year now. Avoiding eye contact was one of the Tyler Tells, as he liked to call it. It either meant she was really upset or lying… or both. This time, he suspected it was both.

"How long?" He croaked out, his voice barely heard.

"Three weeks." Rose shrugged. The Doctor's frown increased in size.

"Since-"

"Yeah."

"Oh."

Despite the severity of the situation, Rose couldn't help but be a touch amused. She'd never seen this Doctor so at a loss for words. This new him had an unstoppable gob.

"Why didn't you tell me?" The Doctor asked quietly. Rose's amusement vanished.

She avoided his gaze. Was that… betrayal in his eyes? She thought with concern. Frankly, she didn't know. Though similar, this new Doctor had different ways to convey his mood. Uncertainty crept into her heart as he was reminded just how different her first Doctor was from him.

"I didn't want to bother you."

"Oh, Rose," the Doctor sighed, taking her hand into his. Their fingers intertwined so naturally that Rose couldn't help but give a small genuine smile. "Don't worry about bothering me. You're my friend. You can tell me anything." What he wanted to say was, Rose Tyler, you are the most important thing in the universe to me, the light keeping the shadows at bay. My hearts beat for you. As much as he really, really wanted to, he couldn't say those words.

"'M'kay. I'll keep that in mind." She said giving him another quick hug. "Thank you."

"Always." He promised. "If there's anything I can do to help, just tell me."

That night, Rose awoke screaming. Her dreams were getting progressively worse and worse. The young woman took in a few sharp, shallow breaths, trying to calm herself down. The screams turned into sobs, and she buried her face into her pillow, her tears soaking into the cloth.

"Rose?"

Rose turned around, startled, to see the skinny form of the Doctor in the doorway. She couldn't see his expression in the darkness, but she knew he was concerned.

"Yes?" she sniffed, loosening her white knuckled grip on the sheets. Even in the darkness, the Doctor could see how pale she was.

Her bed creaked as he sat down softly beside her. As soon as he was within reach, she wrapped her arms around his body and cried into his shoulder.

"How many hours of sleep have you been getting per night?" He asked, his voice hardly a whisper.

Rose's voice was unsteady and cracked a little, "Two, maybe three."

The Doctor's eyes softened. That was nowhere near enough. No wonder she'd been stumbling around like a zombie lately. That might be enough sleep for a Timelord, but definitely not for a human! Rose broke into another fit of tears.

"I'm here, Rose." He soothed quietly, stroking her blonde hair. Her body was wracked with another sob before slowly down. "I've got you."

Rose was surprised when he pressed a kiss against her forehead. His touch was calming, and she immediately felt the adrenaline and distress ebb away. She could get used to his more tactile behavior. What did I do to deserve him? She asked herself, smiling into his chest. Maybe this new Doctor wasn't so bad after all.

Once she was calm, the Doctor slowly rose from his seated position on the bed. Quick as a flash, Rose's hand darted out to grab his, and she pulled him back to her.

"Please don't go." She begged silently. The Doctor didn't need much convincing. He crawled on top of the covers, pulling her into a tight hug, and she closed her eyes again. The Timelord smiled warmly as her breath slowed and she drifted into sleep. Cuddling her in his arms, he allowed himself to close to his eyes as well.

Four and a half hours later, The Doctor awoke, still cradling his Rose in his arms. She was sound asleep and looked so peaceful. He didn't dare move, lest he wake her from her first calm sleep in weeks. Affection surged through him, and he brushed a lock of blond hair away from her face, tucking it behind her ear.

She stirred slightly, and her eyes blinked open. Grinning he shut her eyes again, humming contently. Her grip tightened around him. Suddenly, her eyes shot open and she nearly fell from the Doctor's embrace as she realized what they were doing.

"Doctor?" She choked out. Had he been with her this entire time? She wondered, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment.

"Hmm?" He asked, a lopsided grin present on his face. "How did you sleep?"

"Wonderful." She admitted. "No nightmares."

"That's good." The Timelord released his hold on the blonde woman and rose from the bed. He didn't often stay in once place for so long. Sleep wasn't as necessary to his kind as it was to a human. He reddened slightly. "I... I should go."

"Okay."

"Better get dressed," The man said from the doorway. He was still wearing his pinstriped suit, Rose realized. "We're going on an adventure today, now that you have the energy."

Rose didn't need to be told twice. She hopped into action.

Twenty minutes later, the Doctor leaned unceremoniously over the console of the TARDIS. He flicked a few switches, and made a small adjustment to the zigzag plotter. His hands darted out, slapping various buttons and twisting different knobs. Putting in the coordinates, he readied himself. He was preparing for Rose to get back. It had been exactly 21 minutes and 34 seconds since they had left her room.

The Doctor's lips twitched into a smile. There was something about human females. They always took ages to prepare for anything. His many companions had proved this time and again.

Once there was nothing left for him to tinker with, the Timelord resorted to picking up the book he had discarded the previous day. It was advanced physics, written in circular Gallifreyan- a textbook from his time at the academy.

It was then he noticed the beautiful blonde woman standing in the doorway. He looked up with a massive grin, earning a smile from Rose.

He loved watching her smile. He needed to repair their relationship so she would smile again. Ever since he'd regenerated, he had missed seeing her smile. But it would take some time.

Rose loved watching him smile too. Despite not knowing this incarnation of him long, she knew she already loved that wide, manic grin of his. It warmed her heart, no matter how much she tried to resist it. And resist it, she tried. She'd been trying to ever since she met him in all his big ears and leather glory. But even being in his general vicinity was enough to simultaneously calm her and exhilarate her at the same time.

Rose was wearing a grey hoodie and jeans, but the Doctor still thought she looked gorgeous. Wait, what? What was he thinking? He'd noticed stray thoughts like that for the past few months. What was wrong with him? Trying to ignore the flutter in his stomach upon seeing her, the Doctor bowed his head in greeting, and began his dance around the console.

"So where are we going?" She asked him, scooting up next to him, before he shot off to yank another lever.

"Further than we've ever gone before." He answered with a grin. And the TARDIS shot off through the time vortex.