Rose squirmed under the Doctor's gaze, barely meeting his eye for a second. He studied her with those dark eyes of his for almost a minute before returning to his task. He scooped the scrambled eggs off the pan and into a waiting bowl. Then he shed his apron, tossing it into the sink and picked up the bowl, a block of cheese and the plate of bacon. "Grab that loaf of bread will you?" he asked on his way towards a door Rose could swear wasn't there a minute before. Rose blinked twice, watching the Doctor disappear through it before hopping off the counter and picking up the bread loaf. Lastly, she took the Doctor's coat from the hook on the wall and followed him through to the next room.
It was a small sunroom with windows lining three walls, the fourth held the door back to the kitchen. The Doctor had already set down the bacon and eggs on the table and he stood behind one of the chairs waiting for Rose to sit down. Rose beamed at him and plopped her bottom down in the chair. With a 'thank you' to the Doctor, she set the bread loaf down and watched him leave once more. He returned carrying two plates, two glasses, some silverware and a bottle of orange juice. Setting the dishes and juice down, the Time Lord took the seat opposite Rose.
Rose licked her lips and scooped a spoonful of eggs onto a piece of bread. Next, she placed two strips of bacon on the eggs and topped it off with another slice of bread. All this time, the Doctor didn't move, he just watched her. Rose suddenly felt self-conscious in her own skin. "Doctor? Aren't you going to eat anything?" She took one of the glasses and poured a healthy portion of juice into it. The Doctor didn't reply, he didn't even shake his head to acknowledge her question. "What is it, Doctor?"
He crossed his arms and leaned against them on the table. "Rose, what do you remember about Canary Wharf?"
Rose carved a bit of cheese off the block and added it to her sandwich. "I remember Mum, the Cybermen and the Daleks. I remember the Breach and I remember that Mickey, Jake and Pete came to our world after following the Cybermen. That's really all I remember. The rest is sort of… dark. Fuzzy, like an old film. Why is that?"
The Doctor began in his rambling way, "Some sort of memory repression due to trauma, I'd guess. You'll probably remember after a few days."
"Trauma? What do you mean? What happened to me, Doctor?"
The man's brown eyes widened and he chuckled nervously, "No, nothing happened to you! Well, not just you. Technically it happened to the whole world." He cleared his throat. "Let me explain, all right?" He poured himself a glass of juice and took a long draft. After draining half of it, he paused and took a deep breath. "I had to figure out a way to get rid of the Daleks and the Cybermen quickly and without endangering anyone. So I sent everyone from Pete's World back through the Void with those teleport-jumper things they had." Rose blinked and took another piece of bacon to chew on. The Doctor wouldn't meet her eyes. "I tried to send you back," he confessed.
Rose stopped mid-bite. "Why would you do that? I told you 'forever', don't you remember?"
The Doctor still wouldn't look up. "I had to try. Your entire family, your whole life was going to another world that you would never be able to reach." Suddenly, he laughed. "But you wouldn't go! You almost died because you wouldn't leave me," he smiled. He finally looked at her. Their brown eyes met and a silent duel of determination began. Rose looked down at her plate, admitting defeat. "It would've been worse than death, actually, but it didn't happen so we shouldn't torture ourselves with what-ifs." He swallowed and continued, "Anyway, we defeated the Daleks and the Cybermen and closed the Breach in the Void. The thing is, your mother, Mickey, Pete, all of them are locked on the other side of it. You'll never see them again," he finished. He looked at her, studying her reaction.
Rose swallowed, her mouth suddenly dry. "So that's why you made all this. Breakfast, cooking, domestics… All because you felt like you needed to make it up to me?" The Doctor opened his mouth as if to object. "Nevertheless," Rose continued, "I appreciate it."
Rose put her hands on her knees and spread her fingers as she thought. "I told you that I'd travel with you forever. I meant it, Doctor. I will follow you whenever, wherever," she smiled sadly. "You're definitely stuck with me now."
The Doctor gave her a small smile and he took another drink. "Are you going to be okay?" he asked, looking at her over the rim of his glass.
Rose took a few moments, poking at her sandwich as she thought. She took a breath to begin but stopped herself once more. She played with her bacon, tapping it against the plate. She began once more, "Doctor," she broke off, choking a bit on her sadness. It had sunk in finally. "Is there any way to say goodbye to her?" she asked quietly.
The Doctor looked at her. Her soft brown eyes were misty and a tear hung on the end of her lashes. With a determination reserved only for his pink-and-yellow girl, he answered, "I will find a way. I promise." He reached his hand across the table to her. Rose looked at it, then him and smiled. Taking his cool fingers in hers, she murmured, "I'll hold you to that."