Title: Loose Ties

Rating K+

Characters: Rose, 10

The song is "Make This Gone On Forever" by Snow patrol. Hauntingly beautiful song.

A/N: This is my first Doctor Who fic, so be gentle. Just a bit of fluff really, to see if I can write the characters. Let me know how I do and I'll be eternally grateful!

Please don't let this turn into something it's not

"Rose, wait!" The normally fast Doctor was no match for Rose, espeically after he'd upset her this way. It would be a wonder if she'd ever forgive him at all.

I can only give you everything I've got

I can't be as sorry as you think I should

But I still love you more than anyone else could

He finally let her go, stopping in the middle of the street. All for a misunderstanding. The Doctor climbed the steps up to the flat in the Powell Estate, passing through the unlocked door like a ghost.

"Back in time for tea, then? Good, I've already put the kettle on." When Jackie got no response, she searched for answers.

Jackie opened the door to Rose's room, taking in the mess of magazines and clothes everywhere on the floor. When she'd decided to go traveling with the doctor, she'd expected some of Rose's mess would be cleaned up. But no, it was here in all it's graces. And so was the Doctor, sulking in the corner chair.

"What did you do?" She demanded, upon not seeing her daughter anywhere.

"Sort of had a thing. It's nothing." He mumbled, even though it wasn't.

"A thing? Where's my daughter? She wasn't going to give in until she heard every detail.

"I think I might have lost her." So he told his story.

They'd taken a break from traveling the universe and stopped at home, mostly so Rose could stop and see her mom. Their next stop was Cardiff to let the TARDIS recharge a bit. But that's not where the problems had started, not exactly.

They'd been in the Grath galaxy, where there had been a disturbance in the balance of power between the ruling class and a proletariat uprising. Basic stuff, sort of a Time Lord's duty. When everything was said and done the Doctor had been knocked in the head twice, Rose once; they'd had scrapes; Rose lost half of a jacket. But they'd come out the other side and set things to order.

But again, this is not the trouble. This was a normal Saturday out for the Doctor and Rose, until the princess came in.

They were nearly out the palace doors when she came at them. It blindsided them both. She was radiant, literally glowing slightly from somewhere inside. Her hair was dark black, almost blue, and hung in ringlets down her back. She had on a thin veil, but her face was obviously flawless. And Rose knew that look she was giving the Doctor, and that made her stomach twist uncomfortably.

"Thank you for your help, Doctor. It is appreciated here and across our stars."

"You're welcome. We actually need to be going-" Upon seeing her, the Doctor began looking for the nearest escape route. But she was not to be deterred.

"You never came back." The princess accused, pointing a finger at him. "And you were a different face."

"I did, and I do." He replied, rubbing the toe of his trainer on the stone floor.

"Why? We had a binding agreement, if you forget."

Truth be told, he had forgotten. But now that he was reminded, he realised he was in a very awkward place.

"What kind of agreement is that?" Rose spoke up, giving him the eye.

"We are betrohed. Although I prefer the other face better. The ears you had were devine."

"Betrohed. That's like married." Rose said incredously.

"I never agreed to it, exactly. It all happened very quickly." Seeing the look on her face made him feel like a complete toad.

"Look, I'm terribly sorry, but that must have been about 20 years ago for you, you know I never planned on coming back. You need to rule this place more sensibly, to begin with. Hopefully you won't need me intruding again." The Doctor glanced helplessly at Rose. He'd do anything to make sure she wasn't hurt from all this.

The first thing she did when they got into the TARDIS was go into her own room, making it very clear that the Doctor was not to follow her. As soon as she'd turned the corner, he dialed Jack.

"Finally, you ask me on a date." Jack greeted, but the Doctor wasn't exactly in the mood.

"Where are you right now?"

"Cardiff. Oh, I know. The next question will be what I'm wearing." Jack teased, but finally took the hint that the Doctor was feeling serious. "What's going on?"

"I'm worried about Rose...I need to clear up a few loose ties in the universe. Too many things have been left unaccounted for, and it seems like all of them have the potential to hurt her."

Behind him, Rose had left her room and was coming down the main hall to the control console. She was close enough now that she could start eavesdropping.

"What do you want me to do?"

"I'm going to leave her with you if you don't mind."

Rose didn't need to hear anymore. She crept back to her room and began to pack her things.

When the Doctor came knocking, he had no idea what to expect from Rose about everything that happened. He was consequently lost for words.

"Have we landed?" She asked, trying for ice in her voice but failing miserably.

"Well, yes. But can I talk to you for a moment?" He was worried, he'd never made her this unhappy before.

"No, we can't. I get it, you're through with me. Onto the next. Shove me off with Captain Jack and go get married to a bloody princess." She grabbed her suitcase and was out the door before he could form a coherent thought. But her loud words down the hall lingered through his head.

"I loved you, you know."

All that I keep thinking throughout this whole flight

Is it could take my whole damn life to make this right

This splintered mast I'm holding on won't save me long

Because I know fine well that what I did was wrong

The last girl and the last reason to make this last for as long as I could

First kiss and the first time that I felt connected to anything

The weight of water, the way you told me to look past everything I had ever learned

The final word in the final sentence you ever uttered to me was love.

"And that's how you left my daughter? And you have the nerve to come into my home?" Jackie hauled off and slapped him across the face without a thought.

"You could have had her and made her happy and now you've gone and ruined it. You'll never see her again." Jackie proclaimed, but her voice was getting fuzzy.

And I don't know where to look

My words just break and melt

Please just save me from this darkness

"Doctor. Doctor." Jackie's voice was being replaced by a much nicer one, and he opened his eyes. Rose was propped up on her arm, looking down at him worriedly. The blankets on the bed were mussed like there had been a fight, and he pulled them back up around him and Rose. He imagined he was the cause of their disarray.

"You were dreaming about my mum yelling at you again." She said, brushing a piece of hair away from his eyes and smiling slighly. The Doctor gathered her up in his arms and they lay there together, Rose snuggling up against him while he breathed in her scent.

"How did you know?" He said into her hair, closing his eyes again.

"You were saying, 'Jackie, no! Jackie!' a lot. Did she hit you this time?"

"Mm." He said, pulling her closer. "It was a good one, too. Right across the face."

She sighed happily, feeling tired again as he became relaxed. "Next time, dream about me. You're always happy when you wake up from those."

"Alright. I can do that." He kissed her neck as they settled down for sleep together, him knowing that none of the dream was real. He'd gotten his wish, to stay with Rose forever. He had to stop dreaming that it hadn't happened this way.

As she was falling asleep, the Doctor carefully lifted his head up and whispered in her ear. "I love you, Rose Tyler."

A/N. The real 10? 10.5? You decide!