Author's Notes: Wow… a Doctor Who story from me… meh… hope it's okay! It's not going to be updated until I get five reviews:P I'm so evil…

This, my dear readers, takes part after "The Parting of the Ways" in the First Series with the Ninth Doctor. Man, I'm smart to remember all that!

Enjoy!

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We'll be playmates and lovers, and share our secret worlds…

But it's time for me to go home…

It's getting late, dark outside,

Need to be with myself in centre clarity, peace, serenity,

I hope you know, I hope you know,

That this has nothing to do with you,

It's personal, myself and I,

We've got some straightening out to do…

And I'm gonna miss you like a child misses their blanket,

But I've gotta get a move on with my life,

It's time to be a big girl now,

And big girls don't cry…

Fergie… Big Girls Don't Cry (Personal)

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One: No Longer the Last

'…Now, where were we? Ah yes, Barcelona!' the Doctor beamed, and Rose examined his appearance.

'Who're you?' she asked.

'Rose? You know me! I'm the Doctor!'

'No… you're not the Doctor! You're nothing like him!' Rose screamed, as she pushed herself past him and ran to her allocated bedroom.

'Rose?' the Doctor called after her. When he heard no reply, he sighed; 'women. She'll get over it in a minute. If not, I've got some serious work to do…'

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Rose lay on her bed, crying into her pillow. When the Doctor said he wouldn't see her like that again she was confused, but when he turned into that… she understood.

'Why, TARDIS? Why couldn't he just be like that forever?'

In reply, the TARDIS rumbled, and at first Rose could not decipher what she was trying to say, but then a voice appeared in her head, clear as day and night.

'He is a Time Lord… they have thirteen regenerations...'

'Regenerations? What is that supposed to mean? TARDIS, I loved him, I truly did, so why has he changed? Will he ever change back?'

'My sweet Rose, he can never change back to a previous form, and he changer to save himself o he could stay with you. Every Time Lord is born with fifteen regenerations, and they will change every one hundred years for those fifteen regenerations. Then they die. Humans could never last as long as a Time Lord, and I do not expect you to understand, but the Doctor loves you too. He will not believe it because he is scared of loving… you made him feel love, but he is alone. He cannot watch someone he loves grow old and die while he lives on, that is why he is an idiot most times… he's hiding sadness within his body…'

'Isn't there a way I could be a Time Lord?' Rose asked, for she did not wish the Doctor to live a life alone.

'Time Lady, my dear. And Rose, it is too dangerous. No human has ever survived it…' the TARDIS' voice was suddenly firm, as if scalding a young child.

'But I looked into the TARDIS; I became "Bad Wolf"! How many humans could survive that?'

'True, you may just pull through, but there is no saying that you will last three regenerations with the Doctor…'

'TARDIS… I love him. That's enough to pull me through anything any day!'

'I will see what I can do…'

Rose felt the presence of the TARDIS leaving her mind, and she collapsed back onto the bed once again, and let the tears take their course.

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The Doctor paced up and down the control room, wondering what he should say to Rose to explain regenerations, when the TARDIS called him.

'What is it girl?'

'Rose is ready for you now,' she said softly.

'What?'

'You may go speak with her now. She has calmed down. Everything has been explained,' the TARDIS said.

'Oh… okay then?' the Doctor shrugged, and walked towards Rose's room, but before he could leave the control room, the TARDIS spoke;

'She knows you love her… she loves you too. Don't be afraid to tell her the truth. She's ready…'

The Doctor walked off to her room. Timidly, he knocked on the door.

'Come in,' Rose whispered.

The Doctor opened the door and saw her sitting on the edge of her bad, head in hands. She looked as if she'd beaten herself up over something, but the Doctor couldn't figure out what. Her breathing was slow, as if forced.

'Two hours…' she whispered.

'Sorry?' the Doctor asked.

'Two hours ago I left you to come here. Went quick didn't it?'

'Not for me… it took an eternity to pass,' the Doctor took a seat next to her.

'Doctor…' she spoke slowly. 'Please don't hate me.'

'Rose, I could never hate you… I… I love you…'

Rose smiled, 'I know, and I love you too, but you'll hate what I've done to myself.'

'What?'

Rose took his hands, and placed them under her breasts. At first he was slightly shock at her gesture, but then he felt it.

Two hearts.

He pulled his hands away sharply, 'Rose… why?'

'I wanted to stay with you forever… I have three regenerations, as do you. Please don't hate me…'

'Rose, I don't hate you. I would never hate you! But you'll have to watch your family die while you live on, how can you live with that? How can you love a thing like me?'

'Doctor… we have a time machine. We can go back to see her, you never seemed to think of that. And I can easily love you. It's almost too easy.'

'But… why are you so weak?' the Doctor wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close to him.

'I'm the first human to survive. And I only survived because I looked into the TARDIS,' she coughed, and the Doctor held her by the shoulders and looked her in the eye.

'Rose…'

'I'll live, Doctor. I'll live…' Rose's limp form fell into the Doctor's arms as hot tears stung his eyes.

'She is alive. Just weak. Let her sleep. Stay with her… always…'

Gently, the Doctor laid Rose onto her bad, and lie next to her. He placed an arm over her waist protectively, and allowed sleep to take over his body.

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