"Fantastic!"
Rose smiled but it faded quickly.
The Doctor's smile faded as he watched Rose, despite how she had said she still wanted to travel with him, things were a little awkward. He was sure it would stop been awkward, but he wanted it to be sooner rather than later. He wanted his Rose back. . .it was hard enough getting used to been his changed self, but knowing it was hard for her too –when she would look at him and her smile would be there but her eyes were sad because of what she saw wasn't who she was used to seeing. . .hurt him all the more. "Rose, what's wrong?"
"Nothing," She said smiling –he could see how hard it was for her to do that. "its nothing."
He sighed and moved around the TARDIS's console, leaning against it with his arms crossed rather than touching her. "When have you ever not been able to tell me what's bothering you?" He watched her closely –as he did all the time- as her eyes locked on him and then back to a random spot on the wall. "Ah, I know: since I changed. You want to go home, don't you?"
"What? No. Do you want me to go?" She asked, her head turning quickly to look at him, her eyes wide and worried.
He chuckled, it was a dark and hurt kind of sound. "Of course not. But something's obviously bothering you and the only thing that's changed between us is my face. . .so what else could be wrong?"
Rose swallowed thickly, and glanced down at the console, fiddling with something. "Fantastic."
"What?"
"You keep saying 'fantastic'."
His frown deepened further, he couldn't think of a time when he was this confused over something Rose had said. "But. . .I always say 'fantastic'."
"No you don't. . .I mean, you do but not-not you you, the old you says-said that. It's just. . .hard, to hear y'know? I know it's stupid, and not fair and selfish –I mean it's you that's changed everything about you, how hard is that on you? And I've got the nerve to get upset when you say something you always say! I mean, how unfair is that? It's ridiculous-," She cut off as the Doctor laughed. "W-what? Why are you laughing?"
"Rose, you've been upset because I say 'fantastic'?"
She sighed and slumped against the console. "I know, I know. I'm sorry."
The Doctor smiled widely; she didn't want to leave him, she was just trying to adjust –as he was- and she was finding it hard because of one word. If he was been truthful, he only said it because he thought she wanted to hear it, something familiar to remind her it was still him, the stranger that had grabbed her hand and said 'run' all that time ago. "Rose, you don't have to be sorry, not ever. I won't say it anymore, okay?"
She smiled softly at him. "So, what're you going to say instead?"
"Hmm," He wrapped his arm around her shoulder as he thought, and suddenly smiled widely down at her. "allons-y."
"What?" She laughed.
"Yep, definitely allons-y. I like that."
Thanks for reading!
Just a quick and pointless little fic :) sooo excited for the 50th tomorrow! Really can't wait to see Rose and Ten, and how Eleven will react to Rose! Just hope it's not just her as The Bad Wolf.