Disclamer: I own nothing but the pink laptop that this was typed up on for fun. No copyright infringement intended, I've gained nothing but my own smile for this work

Ginger? But still Rude

Rose spent a good while with Luke in the gardens, and she was surprised as to how easy it was to think of this man with a name and not just the Doctor, and she was glad that he had taken a name because she still didn't like calling him the Doctor, it just hadn't felt right. So he was Luke Davies and he was holding her hand and blathering away about all of the Doctor's adventures since she had left. Rose knew even at the rate he was going that he was leaving some of the events out, and he was unsure how to broach the subject of Joan, or Jenny, and even unsure about the year that never was. He knew in time he would tell her he would tell her everything because though they had been in the habit of going through some of his past since Rose had meet Sarah-Jane at the school he had yet to share everything. He was just about to start in on the dangers of libraries when he stop and looked at Rose, his Rose.

She raised an eye brow at him unsure as to why he had stopped his tale, "Luke," she asked. When he continued to just stare at her she raised her eyebrow at him, "Luke penny for your thoughts?"

"Huh," he questioned pulled from his thoughts.

"Penny for your thoughts," she repeated the saying.

He grinned at her, "Just remembering how much I missed you," he replied huskily rubbing his thumb a crossed her cheek.

She gave him a soft smile, "Missed you too," she breathed looking deep into his eyes. They weren't the Doctor's eyes but it was a subtle difference that she thought he may not even notice it when he looked into a mirror. There was a lighter hue to them then the Doctor's deep brown eyes use to have and she assumed that was the bit of Donna in him, she drew her eyes to his hair and a grin pulled at her lips which caused to him to raise a eyebrow at her, "Your hair, its not just a brown anymore," she started as she ran her fingers of her free hand through it, "you're a bit ginger."

"What?" he asked with a bit of a grin.

"You've got some red in there now mate," she said with her classic grin her tongue poking out between her teeth, "when the sun hits it just right I can see it."

"Aw brilliant," he exclaimed, "I always wanted to be ginger." He gave Rose his biggest grin, the one that always melted her heart and she was glad to note that that had not changed, "Good ol' Donna," he said running his own hand through his hair making it even wilder then it was as he grinned at Rose.

"Oi," someone called from the kitchen door, "are you two ever going to get back in here, its freezing out here."

They turned and could just make out Jackie pulling her coat tighter around her, "We're coming," Rose called back and then looking at Luke might as well humor her or she'll send Pete after us."

He nodded looking back at the large estate, "Never asked," he started, "do you live here with them?"

She looked out of the corner of her eye as they walked back to the house, "Mom gave me my own suite here, and when I'm in London I'm usually here but I've got a flat in the city and another in Cardiff. Mind you I rent them on a monthly basis couldn't settle for the mortgage."

"Oh," he questioned with a bit of a grin, he wouldn't have guessed that he had rubbed off on her so much, "don't all humans strive for that mortgage?"

She tossed him a cheeky smile and said, "Don't know, do they?"

He chuckled at the questions, "Good point," he started but stopped walking pulling her to stop in front of him and look back, "but it wouldn't be so bad with you to share it with," he said seriously.

Her smile turned sad for a moment as she said, "That one adventure."

Luke gave her a small smile as he pulled her into what to anyone else would feel like a bone crushing hug, he willed all of his love for her into that one hug. He knew she would never forget her Doctor and in her eyes he was different from that man she loved but he had hope she would let him in, after all didn't she agree to forever on that beach just hours before. He just had to give her time, though that seemed so daunting now that he only had a normal human life span. He pulled away from her just enough to look into her eyes and said, "I love you Rose Tyler, but we can take it slow if you want."

As she looked him in the eye a single tear fell down her cheek she wiped at it angrily and said, "I'm sorry, it's been a long day."

He didn't fail to notice that she hadn't said those three words and he heart sunk but he wouldn't let her see his hurt, not right now because she was right even for an amazing woman it had been a very long and emotional day. His mind started to race again as the crossed the rest of the yard in silence, she obviously hadn't moved on from the Doctor, having confessed her love to him during their originally goodbyes on that beach about two years before and then tracking him down with incredible odds against her and being left behind again but with a clone this time. He mentally sighed hoping he would be enough of the Doctor for her, and maybe he was better, after all he was very similar to her first Doctor she fell for, but thankfully not with the big ears! He stoped himself there, it had been two years for him since their goodbyes on that beach, two years so that would mean, "Rose," he started slowly trying to keep his voice even, "How old are you now?"

She snorted a laugh, "Bit ginger but still rude," Luke just looked at her, "You're not supposed to ask a woman her age," she explained.

"Yes, yes, right," he stammered then asked, "Then how long has it been for you, since we parted?"

She nodded knowing that's what he had wanted in the first place and bit her lip thinking for a moment, "There was a few years between that day at Torchwood and our goodbyes," Luke's eyes went wide, "shortly after that the Darkness was coming and it took us almost five years to get the cannon working," she continued, "I'm twenty seven now."

He scrutinized her face, "You don't look a day over twenty," he marveled and thought for a moment, "even Mickey and your Mum, Pete too, you lot have barely aged."

Rose nodded, "they ran a lot of tests on us at Torchwood, seems the void stuff slowed down time's effect on us."

Instantly Luke had what really looked like the old paper 3D glasses on and could see the particles swirling around her and even his own hands when he looked at them, though she had more than he did, "Blimey," he exhaled.

She laughed at him and said, "What else did you take from the TARDIS?"

He grinned and said, "Only what was mine and wouldn't be missed." She shook her head and gave him a quick kiss on his cheek before entering the kitchen again where the maids where busy putting a proper dinner together, "Jackie's not cooking," he managed to ask feigning disappointment, causing Rose to erupt in a fit of laughter.