Belle's phone rang. It was Stephanie, saying she had a new calls client for her.

"I'm pretty booked already, can you give him to someone else?"

"He requested you specifically. Sounded a bit funny."

"What do you mean, like a lisp or something?"

"No no, nothing like that. Seems like a very smart guy, nerdy type. A little nervous."

"I'll fix that. Any special requests?"

"Yes, he wants you to wear black, stretchy flare pants and a pink zip-up hoodie."

"Not very sexy is it?"

"It is to the client."

On the intercom appeared a handsome face, young but careworn, with a shock of unruly brown hair. Upon opening the door, the man looked stricken, and he took a sharp intake of breath. "Is it… is it you?"

"Yeah, hi, I'm Belle, please come in."

His face fell a little but he stepped in and attempted to recover with politeness.

"Belle, it's nice to meet you."

"I'm sorry, Stephanie didn't tell me your name."

"I'm the Doctor."

"Its ok, you don't need to use an alias here. That is, unless you want to."

"No, that really is my name. Well, it's not my name, but its what I'm called."

"Uh, ok, whatever you want, Doctor."

She paused, looking expectantly at him for a minute. He looked confused. "Oh! Yes, here you are…" He handed her a wrinkled paper bag.

"People usually give me an envelope… wait a minute, you've given me way too much…"

"Oh no, please, keep it."

"What about the lottery ticket in here, do you want that back?"

"Oh, no its your tip." She giggled a little, but he seemed perfectly serious. Ok then.

"Please, sit. Would you like some champagne?"

"No, thanks, I don't drink much."

Belle sighed. She could tell it would be a bit difficult to get him to open up. She came to sat next to him on the couch, and put a hand on his knee. He inhaled sharply, as if this made him uncomfortable, as if he wanted to pull away.

"Please, it's ok, you can relax. I'm here to fulfill your fantasies. Please, just tell me whatever it is that you want…"

"Well, can…" He hesitated. "Can I call you Rose?"

"Of course. If you don't mind my asking, is that someone you know?"

"It was… someone, an old friend, from long ago. She's… gone."

"I'm sorry. Is there anything else I can do?

"Can – can you talk in a cockney accent?"

"Nuffink to it," Belle says, and smiles, and for the first time the strange man smiles back.

"There's… there's just one more thing. I- I want to give you some background information."

"If you'd like."

She expected him to launch into a story about his friend Rose, but instead he closed his eyes and put his hands on her temples. Suddenly it all flashed before her. The TARDIS, this woman Rose that looked remarkably like her, and the strange man sitting before her now, brilliant but sad, and lonely, with two hearts, both broken. She saw planets and aliens and history, travels through time and space. She gasped and the Doctor pulled his hands away.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry are you ok? Maybe I shouldn't have—"

"No, no it's fine." She suddenly understood. No matter who this strange man was sitting before her, he was still a client, one whose unfulfillable fantasy could be realized through her – she had the power to make his heartbreak just that much less. She would use the information he had just given her to do so

"Oh, Doctor."

"Rose?"

"Doctor, I've missed you so much"

"Oh, Rose, it's you"

He swept her up in a fiery kiss, filled with the passion of all the kisses that never were.

"Rose, I'm so sorry. I should have told you ages ago, I should have told you a million times, I love you."

Knowing that he meant Rose and not herself, Belle allowed this endearment to ride, and played along. If she was going to be convincing, she would really have to become Rose for the duration of the session.

"I love you, Doctor. I always have"