Author's Note: I'm trying my best to keep this canon, but since I'm sure they will readdress Gallifrey's location sooner or later, it's unlikely to stay that way. Still, I'll keep it as close as I can. This first chapter is more like a prologue than anything, so bear with me since I know this first day in Pete's World has been done many times :)

The prompt for this was from britgirlatheart. I hope this is what you wanted!

Beta: scullywolf

Chapter One: Giving In

Rose watched, disbelieving, as the TARDIS dematerialized. She felt the Doctor take her hand and rubbed her thumb along his, reassuringly, habitually, before she could consciously register that the man who was disappearing in front of her was also standing right by her side.

She turned to look at him as he did the same, and for a moment, she could only stare into his familiar eyes. As she remembered his words, the ones she'd waited for so long to hear, she let go of his hand to fling her arms around him, squeezing him tightly as he wrapped his own arms around her and buried his face in her neck.

O~O~O~O~O~O

Rose's quarters at Torchwood were rather like a nice hotel room, functional but not uncomfortable. Immediately inside the door was a big-enough room with a large bed, a desk, a sofa, and a television. There was a tiny kitchen at the back of the room and an en suite off to one side.

Rose breathed a sigh of relief as she and the Doctor entered the room, finally able to relax and be alone after the long trip home from the beach. Behind her, the Doctor closed the door, and she turned to face him. The Doctor visibly relaxed, muscles less tense, posture less stiff, as he let out a breath and returned Rose's gaze.

Getting home from Bad Wolf Bay had taken some time, but Pete had been prepared for the possibility of their arrival in Norway, so travel had already been arranged. Jackie had talked nearly non-stop the whole way. She did apologize briefly, explaining that she'd thought of so many things to say when she didn't think Rose would be coming back with her, and Rose didn't want to interrupt after that. They had finally arrived back at Torchwood, and Pete, an arm around Jackie's shoulders, had instructed Rose and the Doctor to get some rest and report back in with him the next day.

Now, the two of them finally alone in the room that had served as her home for years, Rose looked at the man she was in love with, trying to wrap her head around the fact that he had changed again, possibly even more drastically than the last time, but he still looked just the same. She placed her hand on his chest as she had on the beach, feeling his single heartbeat.

"Let's sit down," she said, moving her head to indicate the small sofa. "We should probably talk, yeah?"

The Doctor's brown eyes flicked to Rose's lips briefly before returning to hers.

"Right," he responded, uncharacteristically short on words.

Rose removed her hand and moved to sit, positioning herself facing toward the middle of the sofa so that she'd be able to look at him comfortably while they spoke.

The Doctor sat on the other side of the sofa and arranged himself similarly, their knees touching lightly in the center of the seat. He ran a hand through his hair and cleared his throat.

"So," he started, looking down at the floor for a moment before returning his gaze to Rose, "here we are, then."

"Here we are," Rose replied with a little smile. She started picking nervously at her trousers. "I'm sorry. I know you already explained, but...you're still the Doctor, yeah?"

"I'm still me," he told her, voice steady.

"It's just…" she looked back at him and then away before continuing. "It's hard, right? Because if you're still you, well, you left me. Again. But how can I be mad at you about that when you're right here, you know?"

The Doctor pulled on his ear.

"Yeah, the personal pronouns might be a bit confusing for a while. Of course, English is woefully inadequate in that respect, among others. Did you know that the primary language for the planet Urganeez actually has…." He paused when Rose smirked at him, unable to help herself. "Well, that's not relevant right now, is it? Anyway, yes, I left, but I'm also right here, and I know that's got to be confusing for you. It's rather a unique situation for me, too. Never been two of me at once, not without some mucking about in the time lines, at any rate. Plus," he rubbed his chest absently, "few things different this time."

Rose leaned forward to touch him again, covering the hand that was still over his single heart. The Doctor froze, unsure of how Rose was going to act.

"I think," she said slowly, watching their hands, "that I can deal with it, accept that you're still you, as long as you're okay with it if I'm still mad at you sometimes." She looked up to meet the Doctor's eyes, taking a steadying breath when she realized how close his face now was, his expression both serious and expectant as he waited for her to continue. "But you can't leave me again. First the Gamestation, then Canary Wharf, and then Bad Wolf Bay... I love you, but I can't trust you if you keep doing this."

The Doctor moved his free hand to take hers and held it tightly as he spoke.

"You promised me forever," he said, "and now it's my turn. I'm going to try my best to be more open with you, Rose, but I'm never going to be the sort to share everything I think or feel. I promise you, though, I'm not going to leave you again," he finished seriously before his mouth curved slowly into a smile. "Well, might have to leave you now and then, you know, for using the loo and the like."

Rose laughed, then resumed a thoughtful expression.

"How long is forever gonna be, anyway?" she asked.

"I'll have to run some tests, but I expect I'll have a normal human lifespan, maybe a few years longer." He rubbed the back of his neck with the hand that wasn't holding hers. "There'll be a few things like that I need to figure out tomorrow. Not used to this, not being able to read my body very well. My mind seems fully intact, but when I try to use it to examine something inside of me or affect hormone levels or the like," he explained with a bit of a frown, "it's just not nearly as effective as usual."

Rose raised an eyebrow at him.

"What?" he asked, a little confused.

"And what have you been needing to affect hormone levels for?" she asked coyly.

"Ah. That. Well," he started, clearing his throat and blushing slightly. Before he could decide on an appropriate response, Rose adjusted her weight, leaned forward further, and pressed her lips to his.

The kiss was tentative at first, slow and seeking as they got reacquainted. When the Doctor moved a hand to her waist, Rose moaned softly, and the Doctor took the opportunity to deepen the kiss. Their lips moved faster, tongues searching, and the Doctor tried to pull Rose closer, but she pulled back, breaking the kiss, panting slightly as she collected her thoughts, gratified to hear that the Doctor's breathing was as ragged as her own.

"We're not done talking yet," she said when she found her voice, "and if we cross that line again, there's not gonna be any more talking tonight."

The Doctor sighed.

"I suppose it wouldn't help to say I'm okay with that?" he asked lightly, and a glance at his face confirmed he was mostly joking, perfectly content to skip the talking for now but willing to continue if it was what Rose needed.

Rose smiled.

"We can get more comfortable, at least," she told him, turning around to face away from him. He stretched his legs along the sofa and she sat between them, leaning her back against his chest as he wrapped his arms tightly around her, nuzzling her neck and taking in her scent.

Rose covered his arms with hers, enjoying the feel of being held by her Doctor.

"I missed this," she said quietly.

"Mmm," the Doctor hummed in agreement.

"You're going to need a name, you know," said Rose, "for paperwork and things like that."

The Doctor took his face away from her neck so he could speak.

"I can't just go by 'the Doctor' for things like getting a mortgage, I suppose, can I?" he said, his tone falling just short of a whine.

Rose chuckled.

"No, I don't think they'll let you sign your name that way," she replied.

The Doctor was silent for a moment, and Rose could practically feel how hard he was thinking.

"I can't think of anything at the moment that means 'Doctor' and wouldn't get the same reaction as if I kept my name," he said. "But 'Jason' means 'healer.' I think I could live with 'Jason,' as long as you still call me 'Doctor' in private," he finished, waiting for her response.

"I'm okay with that," she said. "I'm sure Dad can figure out the paperwork so you're an official doctor, so I can maybe get away with calling you by your name in public sometimes, too."

The Doctor grinned and made a happy sound.

"I could earn all sorts of doctorates, me," he said. "Have a few already, of course, but they won't be on record here. Could probably create a few new degrees of my own, really."

"Not sure it works quite that way, Doctor," said Rose teasingly. "What about a surname, then?"

The Doctor stilled.

"Well," he said, swallowing, "I was rather hoping you'd help me choose a last name, since I'd like to share it with you someday."

Rose worked to keep her breathing steady, needing to clarify but not wanting him to think she was rejecting him.

"That's rather domestic, innit?" she asked casually.

"I suppose," he told her carefully, "but then, it's just another way of saying 'forever,' isn't it? And we've already done that."

Rose leaned her head back to rub against the Doctor's cheek.

"Then choosing a name together sounds perfect, Doctor," she said, and he pulled her even closer, letting her feel his heart race against her back. "Though I might need a little while to adjust first before I take it as mine, too, yeah?"

"Of course," he said in a rush. "I know this isn't what you'd pictured…."

Rose interrupted.

"I pictured being with you, Doctor," she told him firmly. "Everything else, it's just the details."

The Doctor buried his face back into her neck again, enjoying the feel of her for a moment before she yawned.

"We need to get your paperwork sorted before we can talk about the paperwork involved in sharing a name. Maybe we should choose a surname for you tomorrow, though, yeah? We need to decide before meeting with Dad, but I'm a bit knackered right now, and I'm afraid we'll pick something like, I dunno, 'Fluffernutter.'"

The Doctor made a sound of agreement, but neither made a move toward the bed, content to lie entwined on the sofa.

"How long will it take the TARDIS coral to grow?" asked Rose after a moment of comfortable silence.

"Assuming I can get the right equipment quickly enough from Pete," answered the Doctor, "the TARDIS should be ready for us in, oh, fifteen months, two days, three hours, and ten minutes, roughly speaking."

Rose snorted.

"Still have your sense of time, then?" she commented.

"Yup!" the Doctor replied, popping his 'p' and wiggling slightly. "I've still got an impressive mind."

"Hmm," said Rose thoughtfully, "is there anything else you've got that's still impressive?"

The Doctor stilled again with a different sort of tension this time, and he loosened his grip so that he could run his fingers along Rose's sides, then along the strip of skin between her jacket and trousers.

"I may need help investigating that," he told her. "Would you care to be my assistant?"

In response, Rose twisted around to kiss him once, then twice. She got off the sofa with a grin and moved toward the bed, holding a hand out invitingly.

The Doctor didn't hesitate to join her, scooping her into his arms to land them both on the bed at the same time, kissing the resulting giggle from her mouth.

For several minutes, the only sounds were breathy moans and sighs.

"Missed this, too," managed Rose after various barriers were removed.

The Doctor moved a hand to her temple, tentatively.

"May I?" he asked softly, looking into her eyes.

"Please, Doctor," replied Rose, covering his hand with her own as had become her habit whenever the Doctor craved a temporary telepathic connection during their intimate moments.

He rested his forehead on hers and closed his eyes as he concentrated on merging his mind with the mind of the lovely woman who waited trustingly beneath him.

The Doctor froze.

He was able to sense Rose's presence as usual, yes, but he also felt another. More than one other. In his mind, the mind that had been a lonely place for so long, the Doctor was suddenly conscious of a whole planet-full of familiar, telepathic presences that he hadn't felt since before he'd met Rose.