Affairs of the Heart
Rose had settled, she knew that. Her Doctor made a decision and she made one in turn. She couldn't have her Doctor so she settled for the man who looked and talked like him.
She was absolutely devastated when her Doctor had refused to bring her back with him that day on the beach. She was vulnerable and upset and when the look-alike had kissed her she acted upon instinct. Rose had only wanted comfort and the man before her was offering nothing but kindness and stability exactly when she needed it most. She made a decision. Rose settled for the second best option available to her. She'd have been foolish to not accept his offer of forever.
With a heavy heart and questionable judgement, Rose dived into a serious relationship with the Doctor look-alike. He soon chose to go by the name of Ben Baxter and Pete made the necessary arrangements for the correct papers and backgrounds. Two months later, Rose and Ben married. Rose still waited to hear the familiar sound of the T.A.R.D.I.S. and sighed heavily when she caught Ben doing anything domestic.
It was hard for her. Ben loved her more than she did him. Everyone knew that as a basic fact of the unusual relationship. Jackie worried constantly about the two. Rose and Jackie would often fight over Rose's decision to marry Ben. Even so, Rose still upheld her vows, and in time, she discovered that if she closed her eyes really tight she could pretend that the lips pressed against hers were those of her Doctor.
Nights were still the hardest for her. No amount of wishful thinking could cover the harsh beat of Ben's one, human heart. She longed for the comforting lullaby that only her Time Lord's dual hearts knew how to play. Soon, Rose found herself awaiting her dreams. Though she fell asleep in the arms of another man, she loved her dreams the best. In her dreams she was home, Rose Tyler, in the T.A.R.D.I.S. with her Time Lord. As it should be.