A/N: If this appears to start in the middle of a storyline, it's because I couldn't think of a way for Lauren and Mickey to meet, so it's set where they've been together for about a month.

For Lollzie - Merry Christmas! I know you asked for Merlin/Morgana, but I can't write them to save my life, so I thought you'd like this!

A Truer Love:

Mickey wrapped his arms around Lauren when she got to his place. He smiled as she hugged him back. It had taken him years to get over Rose, and sometimes he wondered if he truly had even now. He's been with Lauren about a month, but he hadn't told her about Rose. He enjoyed being with Lauren, but he didn't know if he'd be able to tell her about Rose. He knew it was time to move on, it was past time to move on, and he wanted to. He just needed to stop thinking about Rose. She had left him. She moved on, before they were really even other. Lauren was here.

'Everything all right?' Lauren asking, tugging a strand of her ginger hair behind her ear.

Mickey nodded 'Yeah' he said.

Lauren sat on the sofa in the living room and looked up at him, 'Mickey?'

Mickey smiled. 'Just thinking'

'Don't wanna do that too often' Lauren joked 'Could be dangerous'

Mickey stared at her in mock offence. 'I'll have you know an genius can easily be mistaken as an idiot'

Lauren laughed. 'I can believe that' more seriously she asked 'So what're you thinking about?'

Mickey knew then he had two option; he could either tell Lauren about Rose, which could go one of two ways. Lauren could freak out and leave, thinking she was only a rebound girlfriend, or she could understand and see that most definitely wasn't the case. Or he could just shrug it off and say nothing. 'Rose' he said, only as he spoke did he realise why he was telling her. He knew she deserved the truth, but he also felt like he needed to tell Lauren about it to completely move on from Rose.

'Who's Rose?' Lauren asked.

Mickey opened his mouth to reply and once he started, he didn't stop until he had told Lauren everything. He started with how he had thought him and Rose were forever, he hadn't realised how boring their life had been, and he loved her completely. He explained how the Doctor got in the way, but he continued to wait for Rose, even when he was sure she'd never come back. Lauren didn't interrupted, even when Mickey was sure she had something to say. He hadn't known why he had always waited for her, maybe there'd been a small part of him that believed she'd still come back for him. A very small part. Eventually he travelled with the Doctor and Rose, and stayed behind in the parallel world. Being so far away from Rose had been hard for him, he missed her with all his heart. She'd been his best friend and girlfriend for year. He explained how one of the hardest things had been that he never knew where he stood. Rose had never officially ended it, so even when he knew it was over, there was still something that had kept him hanging. He explained how he hated the fact that when there was trouble he had rushed to see Rose again. He told Lauren how it was then he finally learnt his lesson. In the parallel world after she lost the Doctor, he stayed as a good friend to Rose and would've given the world for her to feel the same towards him but the message hit home hard then; she wasn't ever going to want to be with him again. He had nothing in that world, since his Gran had died, so when there was the problem with the Daleks he stayed in this world. He didn't think about Rose that much these days, but he still missed her.

Lauren thought they were more to what Mickey said than what the words actually told her. She couldn't help thinking that he was worried, scared even of getting that close to someone again. Once he had finished she said one simple sentence. 'I'll never leave you like that, Mickey.'

It was one simple sentence, full of promise, that meant so much more to Mickey. It showed to him that Lauren truly did understand. She didn't think she was just a rebound girl, like he was worried she might, she understood exactly how he felt. It was one simple sentence that caused him to say - and mean with all his heart - something he hadn't said to anyone since Rose. 'I love you, Lauren'

Lauren smiled 'I love you too' she whispered back, before leaning forward to kiss him.