The TARDIS landed with a distinct thud. Rose didn't waste a moment dashing for the door. The Doctor routinely put set the box to standby and followed her into the harsh sunlight. He sighed when he caught sight of her smile. The smile that said it all; 'This is amazing!' 'How beautiful!' 'Brilliant!' Sure he'd seen it before and on many different faces, but hers, well it never failed to take his breath away. He had missed it more than his complex Time Lord brain could possibly comprehend, and now that he had it back he vowed to find every possible reason to keep it there.

"Where are we?" he took her hand, leading her up the draw bridge.

"Aequalitas, that's Latin for equality. Year twenty seven thousand sixteen, height of their golden age." a stalky man drew his very alien looking gun.

"Identify." he said simply.

"Sir Doctor, Dame Rose." a flash of the psychic paper and the guard let the pass without question. He turned back to her "This is their capitol, inspired by earths medieval Camelot."

"Why?" Rose was rather put off by the idea.

"Oh, well I suppose it has to do with the whole honor, valor, justice, you know knight's code, being chivalrous and all that." he took her around a courtyard. There was always a little crazy to digest in interplanetary travel, but these people. Dressed in wool scraps, carrying hand held communications devices it was two worlds colliding. "Sort of looks the same, smells infinitely better." she laughed causing him to smile involuntarily. "Here we are." He pulled her close to his side. Rose took in the building; it had a tall steeple, but didn't look like much.

"This Rose Tyler is the most visited cathedral in the entire universe." she passed him an incredulous look he pulled her along by their intertwined fingers. "Come on." half a dozen steps and a rather large wooden door later that smile, the one that oh so literally turned his world upside down was back and it was infectious. Coupled with the soft light from the stained glass windows and the chorus echoing off the alien equivalent to concrete, he was beginning to wonder how long he could remain… indifferent. She was a head of him now, twirling to take in the entire view. His hearts swelled at the sight of his pink and yellow girl.

During the two years she was trapped, well three really, he thought about her… constantly. Sometimes he'd distract himself by saving the world, but when it was just him in the TRADIS his thoughts ran rampant.

"It's just so…" words were lacking, but the doctor found the reverence in her voice fitting. What Rose found most curious were the idols, or rather lack thereof. "Who... who do they worship?"

"Ah, well in the late seventy sixth century an ordinance was passed that required all planets to declare a global religion, but this is one of the top fifty tourist destinations is the universe, and was allowed exemption. People come from all over to whisper prayers and give praise to whomever they choose to believe in. There is no place like it." she giggled, and he gave her a curious look.

"Don't suppose anybody prays to a time lord, do they?"

"Eh, not in this century anyway." after all he'd seen he wasn't sure anybody should be putting faith in them.

"Who do time lords believe in?" she inquired earnestly.

"The race or the only survivor?" he instantly grew somber and she regretted the question just as quickly.

"Sorry." she offered, but coming from her he couldn't possibly be offended by the question.

"s'okay, really." he squeezed her had in reassurance. "More to see." She passed him a smile, which he gladly accepted.

They wandered the city and Rose spared no smiles as she relished in the idea of being on his arm again. She fought so hard to get back to him to feel this again, and it had been worth it.

"What's that?" she pointed to a small crowd gathered around a platform.

"Yes!" he squeezed her arm excited. "I've always wanted to see one of these." Rose still looked confused. "Right, this is a community showing of Anna Marie, lovely story, written by Sir Augustus. He's the equivalent to Shakespeare on this planet." They watched in silence. Rose concentrated more on the feeling of The Doctors arm around her waist that the actual play. Though she had to admit the story was entirely lovely, it wasn't enough to take her mind away from the immense happiness she had floating in her belly. Once finished The Doctor guided Rose through the maze of storefronts lining the streets.

Without warning he felt a twitch in the psychic recesses of his brain. Startled, he focused on Rose, but she showed no indication of feeling the link. Then it happened again, the connection seemed to be sputtering and shorting out. Rose was still oblivious. He frowned inwardly. Things had been going so well. Granted they had only been on few small trips. Danger was inevitable. He knew that, but he wasn't ready to put her life on the line. Obviously if he had a choice he never would. So, he decided to ignore it and continued to smile like he hadn't a care in the world.

Less than ten minutes later a clear signal came through. It was dark and sinister, and completely impossible to ignore. He gave her hand a final squeeze. "I need to take care of something." He said evasively. Rose was startled by his expression, urgency with a distinct hint of hesitance, and then he turned to leave.

"Doctor?" her heart sank. They hadn't been more than a few feet away from each other since she came home.

"I'll be back." His eyes burned with sincerity and something about it made her decide not to follow him. Without another word he took off.

Rose was distracting herself with the different little baubles, specifically a black box, when a mysterious stranger gently wrapped his hand around it effectively trapping her hand in between.