Rose sat on her bed in the TARDIS, feeling numb. She didn't know what to feel anymore; anger, hatred, fear and sadness were all swirling around within her, yet all together they made nothing. How was it possible that she could feel everything and yet nothing at the same time? The Doctor would know, but right at this moment he wasn't much into talking to her. He was about as fine as she was, but that wouldn't stop the both of them from lying to each other.

How had it all come to this?

The Doctor was sulking in the Console Room. He wouldn't ever admit it to anyone but he was sulking. Here he was; the last mighty Time Lord and all that seemed to give him was the power to break hearts. In going back to save Reinette he had hurt Rose, and by going back to Rose he had let Reinette down. In the end time or fate had made the choice for him, but that didn't stop him from feeling guilty, didn't stop him from sulking. He was sulking because in the end it had been Reinette that he had let down, the choice had been made for him. Why couldn't he have had both?

If only things were so simple.

Rose decided that the best way to fill the void that threatened to consume her was with chocolate ice cream, so she made her silent way to the kitchen, fearful of disturbing either the Dcotor or Mickey. When Rose entered the kitchen however, all she found was the Doctor; the one person she could have done without bumping into. He was sat at the table, staring at a cold mug of tea as though he were trying to disintegrate it with his mind. He hadn't heard her come in, so she made her silent way to the freezer for some ice cream.

Rose knew that ice cream could never fill the hole the Doctor had left in her heart.

Rose had come into the kitchen and the Doctor had heard her. But he pretended to ignore her; somehow it made him feel better if he blamed her for losing Reinette. The Doctor knew that that was a lie. Nothing could make him feel better; he had failed someone again, had failed to achieve the perfect happy ending that he had envisioned. No, it wasn't Rose's fault, but he could resent her. Resent her for the fact that Time and Fate had conspired against him to choose her for him. Why could he not have had both, or chosen for himself?

Only the Universe knew the answer to that, and she wasn't letting on.

Rose looked back at the Doctor when she had gotten her ice cream; he was still sat there, trying to disintegrate his mug with his mind, willing it to turn into Reinette. He had left her for another woman, had left her to die on a cold spaceship a million light years from home, but Rose found that she couldn't hate him. Not any more. When Rose went to the cutlery drawer she took out two spoons, before quietly walking over to the table and sitting down. Without saying a word she offered him the spare spoon.

Perhaps ice cream would help them get to know each other again.

The Doctor reacted with surprise when she sat down beside him; at the very least he had thought that she would be angry with him, and probably would want nothing to do with him. Without saying a word he accepted her peace offering of a spoon, and they both began to drown their sorrows with ice cream. The silence that lay over the two companions was uncomfortable and unnatural. Reinette had come between them and their friendship, and the Doctor wasn't sure how he could make things right with the woman that the Universe had chosen for him.

And that was when it hit him.

The chocolate ice cream certainly helped, but Rose hated being sat here with the Doctor unable to talk to him at all. She wanted him to know exactly what he had done to her; he had stolen her heart, and shattered it to a million tiny pieces when he broke that mirror. But despite all that he had done to her, all that he had made her feel she forgave him. In the end he had come back to her, and maybe that was all that mattered. But she still hurt inside, and only her Doctor could fix her shattered heart.

But what if he didn't want to fix it?

The Doctor mentally slapped his head with his spoon. 900 year old Time Lord he may be, but he was still incredibly stupid at times. The Universe hadn't chosen Rose over Reinette for him, because the Doctor had already done that. In going back through that fireplace the Doctor had chosen Rose, because it was Rose who truly mattered to him. Yes Reinette had loved him, had understood how lonely he was, but it was Rose who truly understood who he was. Rose had been the Bad Wolf, had absorbed the Time-Space Vortex for him, to save him; it was Rose who truly knew him.

And that was why he had gone back for her.

Rose looked up from her ice cream to find the Doctor staring at her. It was the first time he had truly acknowledged she was there since she had entered the room. He was staring at her with those fathomless brown eyes, and Rose felt herself falling, caught up in the whirlwind that was the Doctor. Oh hell how she loved him! She would forgive him of anything, just because he was the Doctor. What Rose wouldn't give for him to tell her that he loved her too; he looked like he wanted to tell her something.

But he was the Doctor; he would never tell her that.

The Doctor knew that he had to tell her; tell her that he hadn't abandoned her, that he had chosen her, but he couldn't find the words. For the first time in his present incarnation, the Doctor was absolutely speechless. Emotion welled up inside of him, and he couldn't find the right words to say. In the end he just let something tumble out of his mouth.

"I didn't abandon you, Rose, I swear I didn't."

"Yes you did, Rose said quietly. "You went flying off, running headfirst into danger without thinking, as per usual. But you came back. All I need to know is why? Why did you come back for me when you quite clearly preferred Reinette?"

Rose looked at the Doctor, willing him to understand how she felt, willing him to answer.

The Doctor stared at his companion in disbelief; how could he have so completely missed this? How could he have been stupid enough to think that Rose wouldn't have noticed? He knew why; because he had far too wrapped up in sulking like a small child that he hadn't gotten his own way. He had lost Reinette, now was he going to lose Rose too?

"I forgive you, Doctor," whispered Rose quietly.

"I chose you," blurted the Doctor suddenly. "Oh Rose, I chose you."

Rose looked at him in shock and surprise; she hadn't expected him to say that, especially with no trace of a lie in his voice or in his eyes. Rose could forgive him for anything he did or said, but she didn't think she would understand him, not even if she spent her entire lifetime with him. But she wanted to understand him; Rose wanted to know how he could leave her for Reinette, yet still come back to her and declare that he had chosen her.

"But, you went back to Reinette. You left me."

"I came back," replied the Doctor "I came back for you."

"Why? Wouldn't you rather have stayed with a woman who is beautiful, intelligent and classy? Why would you have chosen me over someone like her?"

The Doctor knew why; everything finally made sense to him. The Doctor knew why he had chosen Rose over Reinette, and in truth the answer scared him.

"Because you are everything the Reinette was and so much more. I'm just the only one who can truly see it, and I'm sorry it took me so long to see.

I love you Rose Tyler, I love you."

Rose sat there, numb with shock. She wanted to jump up and down in joy because he had told her what she always wanted him to say, but she didn't quite dare for fear of waking up from this dream. He's sat there expectantly, as though waiting for her to say something, but what was she supposed to say to that declaration. Chocolate brown eyes bored into her own and she finally knew the truth; she could tell him.

Finally, she could love him the way she had always wanted to.

Rose was just looking at him, and the Doctor didn't take it as a good sign. But then something changed in her; the smile never reached her lips, but it was there, plain as day in her eyes. The Doctor didn't know how that was a reply to his declaration, but he found that Rose's smile prevented him from thinking anyway. Before he could even consider the implications of what he was about to do, he leaned forwards, and kissed her gently on the lips. When he drew back, Rose was simply smiling at him.

"I can't make you any promises Rose, all I can do is my best."

Rose wasn't surprised that he had kissed her; somehow it felt like that kiss was a perfect moment that had been waiting 900 years to happen. Rose felt that despite the anger, the pain and the hurt she had felt earlier because of him. She knew she had to tell him how she felt, but knew that it was pointless because he already knew, even if he hadn't wanted to admit it before. Somehow, they would find a way to be together forever.

Through the thick and the thin.

Neither of them had to say anything more just then, because suddenly a great tremor ran all the way through the TARDIS; they had landed, or more likely, crashed somewhere. The Doctor and Rose grinned at each other; another adventure was waiting for them out there.

"Come on," said the Doctor "Lets go get Mickey and see what's out there."

Rose only grinned. They would discuss this more later, for now they knew all that was important. The Doctor took Rose's hand, and they ran off together to find out what adventures were awaiting them today.

The Doctor isn't perfect, bit neither is Rose, but together they become something more. It just took them rather a long time to work out what they were together, and for them to embrace it.

There'll be no stopping them now!