Rose Tyler stared out the window of her room numbly. She felt like crying, but she felt that her tears had run dry hours earlier. So now she would just sit, and she didn't know what next.

The Doctor, the human Doctor, sat quietly on one side of her bed, trying to focus on some imaginary thing on the carpet. He concentrated his stare into a small corner, and pressed his lips together in worry.

Rose hadn't moved; she just stared at the horizon, which was slowly acquiring a warm yellow glow as the sun continued around the parallel Earth.

The Doctor cleared his throat. "Rose?" he managed, his voice cracking.

She sat unmoved, her lips closing at last. The bed groaned as the Doctor stood carefully, and he cautiously approached her. Still bundled into a self-wallowing fetal position on the window sill, Rose sniffed and kept her gaze steady on the sunset.

The Doctor sighed. He understood how hard this would be on her, how much she loved him, and how she may very likely hate him for replacing her perfect Time Lord.

"I miss him." came her small voice, barely a whisper.

The Doctor gave her a reproachful look, and sighed again.

"I know, Rose, but he wants this."

Tears welled in her eyes and the Doctor immediately regretted mentioning him. Quickly he added, "Listen, Rose, it's not what you think. He's not lonely; he has so many more that love him. And better yet, he can live knowing you have a chance at a happy life with your family and the people you love. Trust me, it's better this way."
He bit his tongue, hoping Rose wouldn't take that the wrong way.

She sniffled again, and turned away from the window.

"He's just so lonely, an he needs me… an I need 'im…"

The Doctor crouched next to her and leaned in. "Rose Tyler. I assure you, he's traveling around the universe a happy man because you, the woman he loves, is safe with him. Me. I'm him, and he's me, only I am utterly and irrevocably yours, forever and always. If you let me, anyways. I was made for you, Rose, Tyler, and don't forget that this is exactly what the Doctor ordered." He winked at her on the last word, and she shied away, hiding a small grin.

As she stared out the window again and said nothing more, the Doctor's heart sank. Things weren't going as he had planned, and it killed him to see her unhappy.

Then she spoke: "For the longest time I asked myself why I kissed you on the beach and not him, cos I always thought it was him. I regretted that moment so much, kissing you because your perfect voice said those three little words, while he flew off without me, again."

She turned to face him, her expression unreadable. He felt sheepish as his human cheeks flushed with shame and heartbreak, but her mouth broke into a grin.

"Now I know why I did that, kissing you, cos I'd very much like to do it again." she giggled, and met his mouth with hers.
He leaned in to her, embellishing his power to fully apprehend his feelings for her and was really starting to get into it when she broke the kiss. He frowned, and she giggled slightly at his awkward cuteness.

Smiling down, she cradled his head in her hands and whispered, "You're mine, utterly and irrevocably, forever and always."

Her voice slipped into a toothy grin and their lips once again met, this time more passionately as he held her tightly and never let go.