AN: After spending the last years deeply immersed in the wonderful world of Doctor Who fanfiction, I had to write one of my own. This will be long, starting in and will include a S3 rewrite. I will try to update as often as possible! Please leave a review and let me know your thoughts.

I don't own Doctor Who!

Chapter 1

Travelling with the Doctor was like a drug. All of time and space at her fingertips, it was a high like no other.

The universe could be ruthless and cruel, but there was also beauty and happiness and days when everybody lived. She spent roughly a year with her broody, big eared Doctor. He was angry and bitter, but his devotion was fierce. He was protective of her, his stupid ape.

It was during that year that she began to fall in love with him. Before Adam, before Jack, it was just the two of them spinning through the universe. Inside the TARDIS the whole of creation disappeared, it was just the Doctor and Rose Tyler.

He'd spent countless hours reading to her, her blonde hair sprawled on his lap, his northern accent bringing to life the works of Dickens, Shakespeare, Hemmingway, and countless others. He'd read to her until her breath evened and her conscious was claimed by sleep.

The first night Adam joined them on the TARDIS was the first time she saw his possessive streak. Instead of their usual library reading he'd shown up at her door, book in hand, and a smirk on his lips. He'd discarded his jacket at the foot of her bed, and toed off his boots before crawling under the blankets. Initially she'd been shocked, seeing him nestled in her pink sheets as if it was the most natural of occurrences, it was certainly something she'd never forget.

"Too much sanity maybe madness and madness of all, to see life as it is and not as it should be," he'd said. "Rose Tyler, I'd like to introduce you to a brilliant mad man, Don Quixote. Come along now, we don't have all night," he said patting the bed.

That night he read her the story of Don Quixote, Sancho, and the windmills. Than night her head found a new resting spot laying on his chest, she let his gruff voice and double heartbeat lull her asleep. The next morning she woke enveloped in the Doctor's arms.

The night before, just as she was starting to drift she heard a quiet knock on her door. The Doctor murmured an apology as he shifted her to the pillow before making his way to the door.

"Be nice," she whispered.

The smile he flashed her promised he'd be everything but. Outside stood a flustered shirtless Adam.

"Can I help you?" asked the Doctor.

"I-I'm sorry I thought this was R-R-Rose's bedroom," replied Adam.

"You were right, this is Rose's bedroom. Now let's try this again, can I help you?" said the Doctor smiling.

"No, goodnight," with that Adam ran back to the depths of the TARDIS.

With a silly little triumphant grin the Doctor made his way back to her, "up we go," he said lifting her back to his chest.

"Now where were we?" he asked going back to the book.

"You think you're so impressive," said Rose burrowing herself closer to him.

"I am impressive, did you see how fast that idiot ran?" he said rubbing her arm, "now go to sleep Rose, I'll keep all the idiots away."

After that night, it became a ritual for them. He never read to her in the library again, she'd always find him burrowed in a sea of pink blankets and sheets as he waited for her.

Slowly some of his things started to make their home in her space. The odd pair of dirty socks on the floor, a stack of books on "his" night table, his blue toothbrush next to her pink one. The evidence of his presence made her smile, and made her heart beat a little faster.

When Jack came along things changed a little more. He made it plainly clear to the handsome captain that she was off limits. That night after dancing around the console, he took Jack on a quick tour of the ship, gave him a room, pointed out the galley and left for Rose's room. He found her about to crawl under the covers.

"Wait, come with me," he said taking her hand.

"But Doctor I'm already dressed for bed and I'd like to find out what will happen next, in the book I mean," she replied, taking his hand.

"And you will! Bring the book along and follow me," he told her.

She did as told and left her room, book in tow, holding the Doctor's hand. They walked through several hallways before stopping in front of a dark wooden door with circular carvings.

"I've never seen this door before, where does it go?" she asked, tracing her fingers over the carvings.

"This," he said opening the door, "is my room."

She spent that night in his bed, wrapped up in his black sheets, his arms and his scent. He later confessed that he didn't trust Jack not to join them in her bed. She had laughed at the Doctor's jealousy while silently treasuring the moment they had shared.

Every night after that was spent in either in her room or his. Some days when adventures turned to losses, or the close calls were a little too close, on those night the Doctor didn't read to her, he merely held her closer, as if daring the universe to take her from his grasp.

It was during one of those nights, as he held her close to his chest, peppering kisses on the crown of her head, that she realized she loved him. But it went beyond that, safely cocooned in her Doctor's arms she realized that he loved her too. Suddenly the hand travelling up and down her back had new meaning. She had never, in all the time she'd travelled with him, had the urge to shift their relationship to something more than what it was. But right now all she'd have to do is till her head a few centimeters and their lips could meet. It was his broken voice that stopped her.

"I'm not ready to let you go, Rose Tyler," he whispered up against her neck.

She couldn't answer, a lump the size of a grapefruit claimed her throat, rendering her speechless. The only comfort she could give him was physical. Her arms drew him closer, her lips found his forehead, a hand caressed his cheek. Her actions silently promised him that she wasn't going anywhere. His own arms pulled her infinitely closer to him, his own lips landed on the corner of her mouth, his own hands held onto her, as of his life depended on it. Both knew the other loved them, both incapable of verbalizing the sentiment, but for now, it was enough.

The next morning neither brought up the moment they'd shared, both scared to break the sacredness of it. Rose went about her usual routine and just as she was about to make a dash for her room, the Doctor grasped her hand. She turned to look at him, tongue peeking through her teeth as she grinned at him. He tugged gently at their joined hands, commanding her closer. Her smile didn't falter as the Doctor brought his arms around her, she kept on smiling as his lips grazed the crown of her head, but her smile was quickly fell as he tilted her chin up. His hand cupped her cheek and he gently let his lips descend on hers. The kiss couldn't have lasted more than a second, but it was filled with promise and love, love so overwhelming it left her breathless.

"I'm not ready to let you go," he repeated, kissing her for a second time. "Get dressed Rose Tyler we're going to Japan," he said guiding her to her room.

"I'll make you a cuppa, fifteen minutes Rose," he whispered leaving her at her door.

Rose couldn't get her body to respond, she was still reeling at the Doctor's actions, holding hands, hugs, sure they've shared those, daily even, but a kiss on the lips, that was new.

Japan had been fun, ended with them running for their lives and straight for the TARDIS, but the adventure had ended in laughter and happiness around the console. It was then that all went to hell.

Satellite 5 happened.

He sent her away, she looked at the vortex, he chose to be a coward, she came back to him.

Rose Tyler stepped out of the TARDIS a goddess, golden tendrils of power and energy pulsated around her, she became Bad Wolf.

With a wave of her hand she destroyed a fleet of Daleks, he begged her to stop, she started to burn, he kissed her, she lived, he died.

A skinny man with sideburns, gravity defying hair, and a mole in between his shoulder blades replaced her leather and big eared Doctor.

At first she was scared, she didn't want to believe her grumpy alien was gone. This new man was so different, manic, twitchy, full of smiles and energy.

"I'm still the Doctor," he told her.

"Rose Tyler I'm still the same man the reads to you every night," he whispered taking a step closer to her.

"I'm still the man that kissed you this morning," he continued, taking another few steps in her direction.

"Very first word I ever said to you. Trapped in that cellar. Surrounded by shop window dummies... oh... such a long time ago. I took your hand... I said one word... just one word, I said...'run'" he said placing a hand on her cheek. "And we never stopped, did we? All across the universe. Running, running, running..."

"Doctor?" she asked, the truth beginning to sink.

"There's my clever girl," he smiled, pressing his lips on her forehead.

R&R!