Rose Tyler stared in shock at the new face in front of her. Her Doctor had just been standing there when suddenly he had been changed before her very eyes. Now this bloke was rambling on about Barcelona but Rose wasn't focused on that. She had seen this face before even though it seemed impossible. She could still feel the biting wind and cold snow that New Years day as she and her Mum had been walking back home. There had been a man there…a man that she had mistaken for a drunk. She could still remember the interaction as if it had happened yesterday.

Rose began walking home when she heard a groan behind her. She turned and saw a man in a brown trench coat leaning against the wall in the alley. "You alright mate?" she asked.

"Yeah," the stranger had replied.

"Too much to drink?" Rose asked knowingly.

"Something like that," he replied, looking right at her.

Rose couldn't help but feel the sadness that seemed to surround him. She saw hoplessness in his eyes and found herself hoping that this year would be better for him than the last one. He had a certain appeal to him. "Maybe it's time you went home," she told him.

"Yeah," he had agreed again.

Rose was still struck by the way he was staring at her and the resigned air that surrounded him. "Anyway, Happy New Year."

"And you," he had responded as she started to walk away.

"What year is this?" he asked suddenly.

Rose turned to look at him in surprise. "Blimey how much have you had?" she asked him.

He shrugged.

"2005, January the first," she had humored him.

"2005," he had repeated, and again the longing look was back.

Rose nodded, not knowing how to answer.

"Tell you what," he said, and Rose thought she may have heard tears in his voice. "I bet you're going to have a really great year."

"Yeah?" she had asked with a smile.

He gave her a sad smile in return.

Rose smiled again and gave him a "See ya," before she turned to leave. She looked his way one more time before she headed up the stairs. A few minutes later she could have sworn she heard the sound of singing, although it filled her with an inexplicable gloom. *

Rose flashed back to the present. She had never forgotten that face. She watched this stranger as he moved around the TARDIS like he owned it. She supposed he did and although she couldn't help but resent this stranger for wearing her Doctor's clothes she was drawn to him. It was the same feeling she had when she saw him in that alleyway on New Year's Eve. Right then, she resolved to herself that she would stay with him no matter what if he would allow her to. Because whereas this face did not hold the regret and resigned nature of the one she had seen that New Years Eve, it was the same face. And Rose Tyler would do anything to keep this man from turning into that man.

*Taken directly from the episode End of Time part 2