Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who, or David Tennant, or Billie Piper, which is a pity.

A/N: This little oneshot is supposed to be set sometime between "New Earth" and "Tooth and Claw", so images of 9 are still quite recent in Rose's mind, but this is a 10Rose. Also a bit AU, they could have done so much more with the time-vortex incident in PotW.

I know it's really angsty, but I needed a change from writing mine and my friend's story on our joint account - Doctor's-Daughters - and a little oneshot sprang from a single line in one of the chapters.

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Once again they had walked the cold metal path to the glowing green column that was the centre console, hand in hand. The same path that they took each and every day. But today had been different. The entire few weeks had been different, but today was more so. Today her fellow traveller had been distant and empty. They had saved another world, but there had been no burst of adrenaline this time. Just forced smiles and empty, staring eyes.

Those new eyes, she thought, those new, dark eyes.

So different to the icy, silver-blue of the man he had been before. She could hardly believe that he was the same man. And she alone knew one thing deep in both her old and new hearts; she was his forever, and he would never have to part with her again.

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After what had seemed like an eon, he and his companion reached the raised area around the console. He had suffered so long with nothing at all except his home, the TARDIS, the final remnant of his planet. But now he had his flower, his Rose, and he knew that he was afraid. Not only afraid for her but also for himself, if ever anything untoward should happen. He was afraid, and so he did the only thing that his somehow numbed mind could do. He drew her close to him, buried his face in her hair and held her tight.

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And when he held her, it was of a drowning man clinging to the last rock of hope is an ocean of catastrophe when all else is lost. And in his despair, small tears of hate fell from his dark eyes for the monsters that had brought him down. But mixed in with these were tears of joy for the little human girl who had raised him to the light once more. The same blonde girl who he held tight in his arms, who had saved him in more ways than she could imagine.

"Shh, I'm here." Now she spoke, her voice soft as she pulled away and took him by the arm. "Come with me."

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So she held his hand and, as to a child, she led him through the corridors, knowing that if she were to let go, he would drown in his own sorrow. She held him tightly, and sang to him a song of life and light, which seemed to be enriched by a soprano hum that harmonised with her voice.

So she led him, on a route they had never taken before, to a place where they could sit and forget the hardships of life outside, and look forward to a brighter future in each other's company.

A place where they could simply be.

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And there you have it. R + R people. I'm not an experienced writer, but I do my best…