John took a step back, eyeing the Doctor up and down, taking in his outrageous fashion sense as well as his funny new posture. Rose just stared at him in disbelief. The Doctor stood there for a moment, a bit uncomfortable under the awkward situation.

Rose took a tentative step towards him, reaching her hand out to his face. "But.. you've changed..."

The Doctor smiled, letting Rose gently touch his cheek "Yes, I tend to do that."

Rose sighed, taking another step towards him "Oh Doctor..."

John stepped in front of her, still wearily staring at the man who stole his title and his life away from him. He spoke in a solemn tone "How did I die?"

The Doctor glanced at him, before turning back to Rose "It was Donna, actually. Well, her father, got himself trapped in some sort of locking chamber, couldn't let himself out without radiation flooding it. Long story short, I took the hit for him, quite literally, experienced a long and painful death before my cells finally decided to regenerate, and Geronimo! Here I am."

Roses eyes filled with tears. She rushed towards the Doctor, nearly pushing John aside, wrapping her arms around him in a sorrowful embrace "Doctor.. you never returned, you never came for me, I thought you loved me?"

A cold silence rushed over the three of them as Rose realized what she had just said. She slowly backed away from the Doctor, turning towards John, tears streaming down her cheeks. "... I'm sorry"

John stared at her for a moment, heartbreak showing through his accusing eyes. Then he turned to the Doctor, jealous fury burning through his single heart. "Why are you here, Doctor? What else can you take from me?" He reached into the pocket of his trench coat, retrieving the money he'd accumulated over the years and dropping it all on the ground "You want my money? Take it!" He ripped the trench coat off his shoulders, throwing it at the Doctor "You want the clothes off my back? Take it! You want everything I've ever owned?" He slid his blue suit off over his arms "Take it.." He let the jacket drop to the ground, followed by his shirt, leaving his torso bare and cold in the sea breeze.

He walked slowly to Rose, wrapping his naked arms around her "But please don't take her"

The Doctor stared at the two for a moment. "Rose.." His voice dropped its excited tone, and for a moment, he sounded like his previous incarnation. "I left you with him because I knew he would love you.." He glanced at John, who looked ready to attack at the first wrong move he took "Because he could love you."

Rose stared at the Doctor, tears drying on her pale cheeks. She thought for a moment of all the adventures she had had with him, all the memories she'd shared. She thought all the way back, when his face was different, when she'd first felt a draft of what she knows now to be love. She'd thought back to the first time they'd kissed, to all the times the Doctor saved her from certain destruction. And she remembered how he'd been so selfless and thought only of what he could do for her.

And she remembered how, not once, had he ever told her he loved her.

The Doctor smiled at the two of them, handing John back his trench coat. Rose took the coat and wrapped it around Johns shoulders, smiling up at him as he kissed her forehead.

She turned to the Doctor. "I will never leave his side, not for anything you can offer"

The Doctor grinned, tipping his hat and adjusting his bow tie. John finally lost it, laughing loudly as he gestured towards the Doctors attire "What, is that?"

The Doctor seemed slightly offended "What? I wear bow ties now, bow ties are cool"

Rose began to laugh to "And a top hat? You look like an old picture my mum has in her office of her great granddad."

The Doctor smiled, brushing the rim of his hat "Yes, top hats are cool too."

John smiled "I'll tolerate the bow tie, but the hats absolutely ridiculous"

The Doctor took it off, tossing it in the sand "Yeah, but I'll tell you what, I've got a fez! Now those are cool. I'll get that." And with that, he went running off back from where he came.

John shook his head, laughing under his breath. "I never thought I'd live to see that"

Rose smiled up at him, tugging on his trench coat "I love you"

"I love you too"

"Are you two gonna stand there all day, or are you gonna turn around?"

John and Rose both looked up. The Doctor was standing not a few yards away, leaning against a tall blue box. The glowing letters reading "POLICE BOX" spread across the top. The Doctor stepped up to John, gesturing towards the Tardis "Would you do the honors?"

John smiled at him, clutching Rose in one arm and raising his other "You're not half bad" He snapped his fingers, the sound echoing across the beach.

And the Tardis' doors flew open.