He was sitting at a table in the chip shop where they'd had their first 'date' when she found him. He tended to visit the place occasionally, when he was feeling especially maudlin.

When someone placed an order of chips in front of him, he was taken off-guard. He'd turned around to face the person, and there she was, chewing nervously on her lower lip.

He couldn't believe she was real. All the time he'd spent searching for a way to get to that other Universe, all of his failed efforts…and in the end she had found her way back to him.

Because that's what she did, his Rose. No matter what, she always found her way back to him. Out of all of his companions, she was the only one who saved him, not the other way around.

And she was here. Right here, in front of him, and she was the same and different and just…Rose.

He was stunned, completely speechless, which was impressive for someone like him. She held out her hand and waggled her fingers until he'd numbly taken it; still a perfect fit. Without saying anything, she'd led him back to the TARDIS.

"Rose," he breathed when the doors closed behind them. "How…"

She reached up and gently traced the lines at the corners of his eyes, brushing the darker skin beneath them.

"You're not sleeping," she chided.

He almost started to ramble on about how Time Lords didn't need to sleep nearly as much as humans due to their superior biology, but she was right. He wasn't sleeping; he hadn't really slept since he'd lost her. Oh, he'd caught naps here and there, but it didn't seem right, wasting time with sleep when he could be working on a way to reach her.

He swallowed thickly and closed his eyes as he leaned into her hand, holding it there with his own.

"I couldn't."

She twisted her hand until she held his again, then pulled him with her as she walked to her bedroom.

It was exactly the same as it had been when she left…the bed was still unmade, the room was a bit messy, the shelves a bit cluttered, and it was entirely hers. Without letting him go, she toed her trainers off.

He still didn't seem to know what she was doing when she sank into the pillows and tugged his hand until he was sitting beside her. She smiled softly, guiding him down until his head rested on her chest and pulling the covers over them both.

"Go to sleep, Doctor," she whispered as her fingers ghosted across his forehead and temples in a hypnotic pattern. "I'm not going anywhere."

He wanted to fight it, to stay awake. He'd just got her back, after all; surely there was more they should be doing…hugging, laughing, crying, talking about what they'd done in those eternal years she'd been away from him, kissing. Especially kissing…he wasn't about to suppress that desire any longer, now that he had a second chance.

But she was all around him, and she was so warm and soft, and there was her smell, something unidentifiable but entirely her, and even though he didn't know what it was, it was his favorite smell in the Universe. And he was so tired. Tired of being strong, tired of being all alone, just…tired.

Besides, Rose wanted him to sleep, so that's what he was going to do.

There would be time for explanations later. And kissing. A small smile at that thought tugged the corners of his mouth as he held her close to him and drifted off to sleep.


A/N: Rickmanlover24601 has threatened to beat me with a shovel if I didn't start posting some of the fics that are languishing in my "Done" folder. Since I really don't want to get thwacked, I figured posting would be a good idea.