Rose was taking this very calmly, considering they'd only discussed their arrangements briefly over coffee and she had totally ignored him last night, having been exhausted from all that dimension hopping. She should have at least given him another kiss and maybe a cuddle for his troubles, after all, it wasn't his fault that his twin had inadvertently created him and decided they should have their 'happily ever after' just because he couldn't do it himself.
Now the new Doctor, well John Smith was laying out his plans to her stepfather and Jake before he had even decided what he wanted to do with his new life, now he only had one, apparently.
''John, let me know where you're going to be living and why don't you and Rose take a vacation somewhere before you decide what job you're going to try? Take a week or two somewhere, my treat and relax, Rose has had a tough time lately, since we got to know about the stars going out and it can't have been easy for you, getting thrown into this. Rose, you're being very quiet love, are you ok?''
Rose nodded. ''Yeah, I'm fine, don't worry about me. Ask mum to call me, to let me know she got back and give Tony a hug for me will you? John and me will take your advice, maybe we can just take a break in the Scottish Highlands for a week, in a hotel or something but I'll have to take him shopping first.''
Pete smiled. ''Yeah well I don't expect he'll find Norwegian fashions to his liking but I dare say a few t-shirts and some jeans will be the same anywhere.''
John looked at his blue suit, thinking Donna had been enough in criticising his attire. ''What's wrong with blue?''
''John, you can't keep wearing the same suit now, the Tardis isn't here to do your dry-cleaning for you and iron your shirts. I'll order a car and we'll stay here tonight then get the ferry across to Scotland and find somewhere to relax for a few days, it's just a bit too cold here for my liking. I'm glad someone packed my coat for me, I've been freezing in just my jacket. Jake, are you staying?''
''Nah, going back on the afternoon flight, why don't you keep my rental car, just drop me at the port and transfer it to you?''
''Why, what you driving Jake, not a jeep I hope?''
They ended the call to Pete and went in search of an early lunch then Jake rang the car hire at the port and Rose gave her details, them jumping at the name Rose Tyler and all the arrangements were made for her to hand the car back wherever she found herself. John thought just how far she had come in the few years she had been here and was amazed she had been here three years and it was 2012, it being the very beginning of 2009 back where he'd just come from, well he thought it was, he lost track sometimes, it could have been 2008, Donna hadn't mentioned it.
The car turned out to be a nice blue Renault similar to the one Rose had left back in London, wondering what Pete would do with it then decided to call him later and have it sent up to where she and John would be settling down, she liked that car. Still, the hire one didn't have a retractable roof but who wanted that in freezing cold Norway?
They said goodbye to Jake after dropping him off and went back to the hotel, John keeping quiet as he still wasn't sure about his new relationship with Rose, perhaps all that talk to Pete about them sharing had been too much for her so a two bedroomed apartment was definitely on the cards. He just hoped she wouldn't remain cold towards him but it was hardly surprising, she had expected to either come back with the real thing or stay on her old world with his twin.
They arrived back at the hotel, Rose wanted to go visit the free spa included in the price so John said he'd go and wander around the town and pick himself up a few things such as underwear and some toiletries, knowing Rose would complain if he used her things, not that he wanted to use women's things in particular or borrow her underwear, it was all a bit weird. He smiled to himself as he set off with Pete's company credit card, having memorised the security number and was amused he'd be buying stuff without resorting to bluffing. He was back two hours later with assorted carrier bags and wearing a big grin on his face that he'd had two women in the local stores trying to get his phone number, which he didn't have so he'd thought of buying himself a mobile phone to surprise Rose then thought better of it since it was a little known provider and thought he'd just wait until they got to Scotland.
Since two women had shown an interest in him, he thought Rose was just as well not knowing about it, this version of him had been a bit on the 'vain' side he supposed, which was why he'd not wanted to change when that Dalek had got lucky and shot at him, plus, he knew his twin had been running towards Rose and she would have been devastated to watch him regenerate yet again. Watching Davros torment her though had been heartsbreaking for the other him but she had been strong and had given as much back at the creator of the Daleks.
He unpacked his purchases and noticed Rose had done her unpacking and used the spare hangers to hang up the three t-shirts and the two casual shirts and then the tweed jacket with the red collar and trim and elected to change into the black t-shirt with the Spiderman logo on it over a long sleeved white one and the pair of jeans he'd picked up at the last minute. He'd also bought three pairs of Converse in off-white, red and black (for best he'd convinced himself) and had just put on the TV when Rose knocked on the door, her having left the room key in reception for him to collect after his impromptu shopping trip.
He stood up as she entered, she was now wearing black trousers still but a beige chiffon top with a white top underneath and her hair tied back. His twin had been a fool in not expressing his feelings for her but now she was all grown up, it wasn't 2006 any more and she was a woman, not a 19 year old shop assistant from a London council estate. She could probably have had any man she wanted, there would have been a long line clamouring to ask her out but she had readily agreed to take up with him, even after he had left her.
''Wow Rose you look great. Enjoy your spa?''
''Yeah, just what I needed, wow yourself John, you've had a change in your usual dress sense, you're gonna have to fend off the women now but remember our agreement or do you want to back out?''
''No, I don't want to back out, there's no need to get jealous if women look at me, I'm not going to get tempted so don't worry.''
''Even when it's a French noblewoman?''
''That was different and you know it Rose. Is this what it's all about, because Reinette took a fancy to me?''
''I don't know John, I think she took more than a fancy to you and there was I, humble London shop girl who was nothing to her, how do you think it made me feel when you went back to invite her to go with us? Where would that have led to?''
''Oh, so it's all coming out now is it Rose? You were totally jealous, if that's the case, how do you think I felt, seeing you with Mickey then?''
''What? We were just friends, I stopped going out with him just after we met, he was the one that came chasing after me.''
''Yeah? Well Reinette was the one chasing me, she might have had me executed if I'd refused her and I almost got trapped there, remember? You can thank her I came back after five and a half hours, she had that fireplace taken there otherwise, that would have been it.''
''What about us? Would the Tardis have just taken us home?''
''Yes but since then, I've programmed the ship to drop anyone off who's on board then come and find me.''
''Bit late now though but you're changing the subject. So she'd have come along, then what?''
''It was just for one trip Rose, she couldn't have stayed, it would have changed history, I just wanted to show her things weren't that bad. What about you? You went off with Mickey when he came to Cardiff.''
''So, you were flirting with that Slitheen.''
''Huh? Well what about you and Adam Mitchell?''
''Really? There was no me and Adam Mitchell, he was a selfish jerk only there to help himself, he was a computer hacker and bragged about it. So what about you and Sarah-Jane? Bit old for you now ain't she?''
''Is that the best you can do Rose? You were always flirting with Jack.''
''Jack's on the other bus, in case you'd not noticed and he flirted more with you than he did with me. While we're at it, how much did that Martha fancy you?''
''I told her I wasn't looking to replace you and she chose to ignore the fact, it's not my fault.''
''Maybe you led her on a bit? Showing off were you?''
''She saved the earth, I was captured and I would have died or remained in captivity, the Master would have ruled forever, there was no-one to stop him.''
Rose hung her head. ''Sorry, I didn't know. So much for not getting jealous of each other huh?''
''That was all in the past, on another world, let's just forget it. In case you're interested, Donna almost slapped me for suggesting such a thing, she said I was a long streak of alien nothing.''
Rose giggled.
''You think that's funny do you Rose Tyler? I might just have to come over there and tickle you for that.''
Rose pretended she was running for the bathroom door but he caught her. ''Ok, maybe I won't tickle you? Come on Rose, forget it, we both needed to get that out of our systems. Friends?''
''Yeah, 'course we are, a long streak of alien nothing?''
''Well afterwards she started calling me 'spaceman' so that was slightly better.''
"Spaceman, I like that, very apt. Go on then, show me the rest of your new wardrobe, bet you've got some more new converse shoes?''
''But of course, old habits die hard. Sorry, about that thing with Mickey, I encouraged him to come along, after the bats in the school, I thought you missed him.''
''No you idiot, not that much but it hurt, when he stayed here, the first time but he was so stupid at not believing I'd got over him, Pete said he couldn't wait to go over and warn me. I followed him out of the basement at Torchwood and I never realised it was him and he wouldn't leave when he had the chance but I never wanted to get back with him, not like that and deep down, he knew that, he was jealous, of you.''
''Why? It's not like anything ever happened between us, I mean you and the other me, he always thought you'd get back with Mickey, he didn't know how to react.''
''I'd noticed. Ok, we're over the jealousy bit, right?''
''Right, so can we hug now?''
''Ok, just a hug then, don't go pushing your luck, John. Are you sure you want to be called John Smith?''
''What's wrong with that?''
''You could be anyone you wanted, you know that. Did you look any more at that fobwatch?''
''No and you're delaying that hug.''
She let him put his arms around her, how many nights had she replayed in her mind all the times they'd hugged, she'd kissed his cheek and walked around, hand in hand? She had lost count, now they were hugging, the last time was only recently after they had found each other and she'd almost lost him when that Dalek had come out of hiding and shot him. She had dreamt of more than them hugging but now, she wasn't sure if she still wanted it, with him. How was she expected to cope, knowing it was the Doctor and yet he wasn't, he was an individual who looked and acted like him.
Rose broke away, John knew the reason, he wasn't the man she wanted, not really. Why did it have to be so complicated? Why couldn't she just accept him for who he now was? He was more human now, he could love her back but on that beach, he had whispered he loved her but she'd never said it back, not this time. Maybe that kiss should have been enough reply but until she said it again, he was going to do everything he could to win her back, to get her to want to say it and if being her friend was what it took, then he would be her friend.
They had found each other and that was what counted in the end, albeit Rose had done all the hard work but that was what she'd set out to do, finding a way where he had found it impossible to get through the void without unleashing everything within it but maybe he had Davros or even Dalek Caan to thank for that, for weakening the walls, enabling her to travel between realities until she had found Donna and made the connection. That was Rose all over, never giving up, he had taught her well. Maybe she wouldn't give up on him after all. He just had to prove he was the same person who left her here in the first place, she must have forgiven him for that or she wouldn't have tried to get back to him.
Proving he was the same man was an entirely different thing and would take some doing but if Rose had gone to all that trouble surely she was willing to give him a chance to prove it? Rose had finally retreated to the bathroom, she needed to think about what had just taken place, the old jealousy bug that she had felt when he'd gone back to fetch Reinette. He hadn't answered her question, how would she have felt if he'd come back with the Frenchwoman in tow? Maybe he was right though, how did he feel when Mickey was constantly hanging around albeit he'd been the one to encourage her ex boyfriend to tag along, that was entirely his own fault, why should she feel guilty over that?
