He visits me in my dreams. Or I visit him. It's not entirely clear which. All I know is that we're together.

The first time I dreamt of him was three months after Doomsday, as I'd taken to calling it. In my dream, he was there, in the distance, on a beach. He was calling to me. Just my name. Rose.

As soon as I awoke, I told Mum, Dad, and Mickey. They believed me. I knew they would. They'd met the Doctor. We packed our bags and drove. For hundreds and hundreds of miles, we drove. We ended up in Norway, I believe. In a place that loosely translates to Bad Wolf Bay.

We got there and I immediately knew that it was the correct place. If I listened carefully, I could still hear his voice, saying my name.

I heard a noise behind me and I turned around. He was there, though he was quite transparent.

"Where are you?" I asked him.

"In the TARDIS. There's one tiny little gap in the universe left, just about to close. It takes a lot of power, just to send this projection; I'm in orbit around a supernova. I'm burning up a sun, just to say goodbye." Tears prickled in my eyes.

"You look like a ghost."

"Hold on." He held out the sonic screwdriver and looked like normal.

"Can I…"

"I'm still just an image. No touch." Regret was in his voice. Tears began to trickle down my cheeks. He raised a hand, as if to wipe them away and then stopped.

"Can't you come through?"

"The whole thing would fracture. Two universes would collapse."

"So?" I was joking, but only slightly. "How long have we got?"

"About two minutes."

"How are you?"

"I'm working at the Torchwood here." I avoided his question. "I think I know a thing or two about aliens."

"Rose Tyler, Defender of the Earth."

"Am I ever gonna see you again?"

"You can't." I began to sob openly, not even caring.

"What're you going to do?"

"Travel in the TARDIS, same thing I always do."

"Alone?" He nodded silently, just watching me. The tears were falling thick and fast, I wasn't even bothering to wipe them anymore.

"I lo-" A sob cut me off. "I love you."

"Well, if it's the last time I'll ever be able to say it, Rose Tyler-" He was gone. In that last second before he faded, I knew he was going to say it back. There were even tears in his eyes.

I fell to the ground, unable to hold myself up anymore.

I barely even felt Mum's arms as she enfolded me in them. Back at Torchwood, she stayed as she was, letting me collect myself on my own. It was what I needed at the time. Now, I was broken, no shattered. I'd never felt so alone in my life, not even when I arrived here.

I would give anything just to see him once more. Anything! I don't even doubt his love for me, but I'd like to hear it. Just once, I'd like to hear him say it.

I shakily stood up.

"Allons-y," I said. It was a habit, I couldn't help it. I felt an urge to get away from here. We walked back to Dad's old Jeep. I put my hand on Mickey's arm.

"I'm sitting in the back." He protested. "Mickey! I just lost the man I love forever. We got to say goodbye, but I couldn't even touch him! And he didn't have enough time to say it back. So, please, just let me sit in the back. Alone." He consented and we began to drive.

"At least our daughter is back," Dad said. It was true. I'd barely spoken since I lost the Doctor. I'd hardly even shown emotion. It was as if I was dead on the inside.

"Dad, when we get back, I want to work at Torchwood."

"Of course. You can help with the aliens." He stopped the car. We were at a hotel. We carried in the bags. Dad purchased three rooms. Mickey and I were to have our own.

I didn't shower. I didn't change my clothing. I just threw myself on the bed and cried.

I cried myself to sleep and as I slept I dreamt of him.

We were in the TARDIS. I had no clue where I was, I'd never seen this room before. It was a bedroom, but one I'd never been in before.

"Doctor!" I yelled. He had to be here somewhere.

"Rose, is that you?"

"It's me." As soon as I finished speaking, I was in his arms. To be perfectly honest, we were both crying. It has been an emotional day for both of us.

After what felt like a few hours, we both pulled away, but only slightly. I was still in his arms and we were both sitting on his bed.

"How?"

"I'm not sure, Rose. I think we're dreaming. I decided to sleep, I needed it after the day I'd had."

"I don't want to be dreaming."

"Rose!" I heard. It wasn't the Doctor.

"Go, Rose. It's time."

"Will I ever see you again?"

"Maybe tomorrow night."

"Rose, darling, it's your Mum. We've got to get going. I've purchased food for the car. Your dad, Mickey, and I will drive through the night. We'd like to be home by tomorrow." I changed my clothing and left. The entire time, my dream played through my mind.

We drove for miles and miles. We were home before nightfall. I immediately went to bed, claiming it had been a long day. That was true, but not the real reason.

This time I was in the Wardrobe room. The Doctor wasn't there.

"Doctor?" I yelled, panic in my voice.

"Rose? Where are you?"

"Wardrobe!" I replied. I could hear him racing up the stairs in the TARDIS. He hugged me tightly.

"I never got to say what I wanted to at Bad Wolf Bay. Rose Tyler, I love you." I smiled, genuinely for the first time since we'd been separated.

"You already know, but I love you too."

"Now, we should probably go figure out how this is possible," he said, sentimental moment over.

"I just found my way back to you. Can't we do something fun?"

"Like what?"

"Can we travel?"

"I'm not sure. Shall we find out? Where (or when) would you like to go?"

"Somewhere I can wear a costume." He walked over to a shelf of clothing and accessories. The Doctor threw a dark red, floor-length dress to me.

"Put this on. I'll go set the coordinates." He came back in a tunic and leggings. He looked hilarious.

"A little help here?" I'd managed to get my dress on, but the laces were still untied in the back. His fingers brushed against the bare skin of my back as he tied my dress for me. I pulled my hair back in an elaborate style.

"You look beautiful, Lady Rose." I curtsied.

"Thank you, Lord Doctor." The TARDIS jerked to a stop. We were here.

For once, there was no alien activity. We just wandered around. It was relaxing after the stressful few months we'd had. Until the beeping came, that is.

"What's that noise?"

"My alarm clock." He gently kissed me on the lips, for the first time since I was the Bad Wolf.

"I love you, Rose. Tomorrow night?"

"I'll be there. I love you too."

I awoke. It was time to go to Torchwood.

~X~

"Rose, this is an all-access pass. It means you have the highest level of clearance. You can go anywhere and know everything. First, you need to go around through the holding cells and get to know some of the aliens. Captain Lucas Gilmore will teach you anything you need to know. Then, you'll learn combat and weapons training."

"I don't do weapons."

"Rose…"

"No, Dad. It's not happening. The Doctor managed without them, I can too."

"You need protection." I sighed.

"You can teach me, but I won't carry one. And they'll only be used for emergencies. Negotiation and all other possibilities must be done first." Dad agreed, knowing I would offer no better.

I walked to the Alien Holding Cells with Captain Gilmore. I was handed a binder of alien types. The dividers were labeled friendly, unfriendly, neither, uncertain, and undetermined. I started to flip through it as we walked past some of them.

"This is called a Slitheen, actually," I said as I passed the page. It was in the 'Unfriendly' category. I added information and corrected some, until I came to a familiar face.

The Doctor

Species: Unknown

Sightings: Spotted once before, took out an army of Cybermen.

Known to travel with one or more companions, usually female. No information on identity. Last known companion was said to have blonde hair.

Classification: Undetermined

Traits: Two hearts

Undetermined? Why was the doctor undetermined? He was obviously a friendly sort of alien. They didn't have much information on him.

"What is wrong with you guys?" I asked Captain Gilmore.

"Excuse me? Cadets don't speak to their superiors like that."

"It's a good thing you aren't my superior then."

"You are new, I obviously have more experience than you."

"What is your clearance?"

"Three, why?"

"I'm a four." His mouth dropped open.

"There are only four known level fours, Peter Tyler, Jackie Tyler, Mickey Smith, and Jake Simmonds."

"I'm Rose Tyler. I think you know my parents. And I'm also the person on Earth with the most alien experience."

"Not possible. I've never even heard of you."

"I traveled with the Doctor." Before I knew it, all of Torchwood knew who I was. I was Peter and Jackie Tyler's lost daughter who knew more about aliens than anyone and traveled with the Doctor. I was a freak and a celebrity at the same time.

~X~

"We should get married," I told the Doctor that night. He was shocked.

"I know you don't do domestic, but we haven't a clue how long this will last."

"Maybe not married, Rose, but there's a Gallifreyan bonding ceremony. It will leave us bonded forever. It's a mind link, Rose. Once we do it, you'll never be rid of me."

"Did you do it last time?"

"No. We were young, we didn't want to be bound yet. And then she died."

"I'd love to be bonded to you." He pulled on my hand until I was sitting on the floor in front of him. We were sitting cross-legged, and so close our knees touched. He put his fingers on my temples and instructed me to do the same. He began to whisper words I didn't know. But somehow, it was as if I knew them anyway. They were foreign, but I knew just what to say.

The Doctor kissed me gently on the lips

"It is done." There was a sudden burning on my back and I cried out in pain. Then, I heard his voice in my head.

It's alright, Rose. The pain will pass. Trust me. I trust him. I let myself go and lost myself in the pain. Then, it was gone.

"What was that?"

"Sorry, another part of the ceremony. It's a tattoo, something that shows you are mine."

"So basically I have 'Property of the Doctor' written on my back?"

"See for yourself." I went up into a bathroom and turned around. There was an intricate tattoo on my back. It was beautiful. The swirling black lines were graceful and mysterious. I'd never seen anything like it. The tattoo was big enough to cover most of my left shoulder blade, but not my entire back.

The Doctor appeared behind me.

"It's beautiful," he whispered.

"Yes, it is." He showed me his tattoo as well. It was similar to mine, but more masculine.

"There's one more part to the ceremony."

"What is it?" I asked, fearing more pain.

"We have to consummate it." I smiled. Finally, something fun. It would be even more fun with the new thought reading.

~X~

I was showering to get ready for work when I saw it. The tattoo was on my back, clear as day. It had carried over to the real world. The dreams were real.

"Rose, darling, when did you get a tattoo?" Great, of all times for Mum to walk in on me unannounced.