As the day wore on, he was seen by more Doctors. He even consented to a brain scan once he was convinced that it wasn't going to wipe his mind. They've used that equipment on aliens before. In the end they concluded that he was indeed healthy, even if they couldn't make heads or tails of his brain scan. He still had the brain of a Time Lord, just the body of a human. His reflexes were also slightly faster than an average human. He gloated a little when the optometrist determined he did need glasses for reading. ("You thought I was just showing off, didn't you Rose Tyler?")

He was discharged from the medical ward and he was given some plain looking clothes to wear out as his blue suit and burgundy trainers were thrown out. This unnerved him more than he let on. Those were his last pieces of his identity he had left and they were just chucked in the bin. He tried to reason that he could start fresh… but damn. He was going to miss those trainers. He prayed Converse existed in this universe too. But anything he wore now was better than that hospital gown.

He had asked, well, demanded that he could talk to Pete Tyler. He was still livid at him at the way he dragged him to Torchwood. But the only answer he got from his secretary was "he will see you later at the manor." He inwardly shuddered at the thought that he may have to live under the same roof as that man for a while. He needed to settle this and soon.

In the meantime, Rose guided him down to the legal department and into an empty office explaining that there were some forms he needed to fill out before he could start his new Human life properly. The one thing they needed first was a name. He knew he'd always consider himself to be the Doctor, despite whatever else people would call him. He smiled cheekily knowing exactly the name he would use. It was the one he always used when he needed to pretend he was human, but he felt that he should add something in memory of the person who made his existence possible. He sighed heavily realising that she may never remember him. He had a strong feeling he know what the original Doctor did to save Donna's life. In handwriting that few found legible, he scrawled:

Dr. Johnathan Noble-Smith.

Rose rolled her eyes in mock-exasperation noticing what he just wrote.

"John Smith? Really? You couldn't choose something like 'David' or 'Matthew'? Something more, I dunno… original?" She sighed. He shook his head.

"Nah! I like it! Besides what kind of stupid name is 'Matthew Smith' anyways? Seriously who names their kid that?" She cast him a long-suffering glare. "I'm being rude again, aren't I?" Rose smiled.

"Some things never change… John." She tested out his chosen name and scrunched her nose. "Nah, I'm never going to get used to that."

"Oi, now who's bein' rude?" He poked her shoulder playfully. She laughed.

"It's just…" She took his hands into hers and smiled at him. "You'll always be the Doctor to me." He smiled at her warmly. His heart beat harder in his chest as he made a decision. He needed to tell her something that he hadn't told anyone in centuries.

"That isn't even my name." He said quietly. Rose nodded.

"I know. Nine centuries in and you're still coping." She chuckled. He couldn't help but grin as he recognised those words. But his smiled disappeared as he continued.

"I do have a name, but when I left Gallifrey it became too dangerous to use. Not even Susan, my granddaughter, knew it." He could hear his own voice cracking with emotion. "I choose a title over a name. Less painful that way, because the last time I told anyone my name was on my wedding day. And now she… my entire family…" His voice hitched as Rose pulled him into a hug. She realised that any memories of the Time War were painful for him, and now he was telling her more personal details she never dared ask about before.

"I'm sorry." Was all she could think to say. He held onto her like a lifeline as the raw emotion just poured out of him. He never bared his emotions like this, and was almost embarrassed that they were just tumbling out of him now. But this new Human body seemed to come fully equipped with almost uncontrollable Human emotions. It also didn't help that he picked up a bit of Donna's personality during the Metacrisis. He focused on his breathing and allowed himself to be comforted by the feeling of Rose's arms around him; her hands rubbing small circles into his back and shoulders. He released the death grip he realised he was applying to her shoulders and pulled her into a more gentle hug. He was able to steady himself after a long moment and pulled away far enough to look into Rose's eyes.

"Rose, you're the only woman I've truly loved since I lost her and my family. And that's why I need to tell you something. But I can't just say it out loud." He held up his hands, his fingers hovering over her temples. "Do you trust me? Time Lord Telepathy can be a little… well… intimate." She smiled at him cheekily.

"And here I thought you wanted to take things slowly." She teased. His face turned crimson.

"I – I didn't mean intimate in that sense. All I was trying to say is that this kind of communication is just more… well… ah…" He stammered at a complete loss for words. He also didn't quite know what to do with his hands other than shove them through his already messy hair.

"I know what you meant." Rose gave him his favourite smile and a quick peck on the cheek. "I just missed riling you up. You're so cute when you're embarrassed."

"Cute?" He squeaked. She nodded. "Rose Tyler, you are such a brat. I knew there was a reason I fell for you." He finally cracked a smile as he raised his fingers back up to her temples. "Now I'll ask you again: do you trust me?"

"You know I trust you with my life." She said without hesitation. He smiled and nodded as he pressed his fingers to her temples.

"Close your eyes." He instructed and she complied. The world seemed to spin around them for a moment and Rose felt herself becoming dizzy. "You're alright." She heard the Doctor's voice inside her head. "This will pass in a moment. Just stay with me. Concentrate on my voice. You're doing fine." She let his voice wash over her, and it was almost like he was enveloping her in a warm blanket. The dizziness passed just like he said it would. "Okay now… open your eyes." Her eyes blinked open. She gasped realising where she was standing. It was the TARDIS.

"But, how?" She stammered. She saw him standing on the far side of the console, dressed once again in his blue suit and red trainers.

"You're inside my mind." He explained gently. "Not quite as dark and scary in here as you thought, eh?"

"Does it always look like this?" She asked a hint of laughter in her voice.

"Not always. Sometimes it looks like this." The TARDIS faded away and they were now standing in a field of bright red grass. She spotted several trees with silver leaves nearby. In the distance she saw a vast city encased in a giant glass dome. The view took her breath away. He sidled up beside her and wrapped his arm around her. "Welcome to Gallifrey."

"It's beautiful." She breathed. He shrugged.

"Beautiful to look at. But regardless, this is… was my home." Rose nodded. She remembered him telling her about how corrupt the Time Lords became and why he felt compelled to leave. She then spotted movement out of the corner of her eye. She turned watched a group of men climb up the hill.

The first one was a withered old man dressed in a sharp suit. He walked with a cane. He locked eyes with her a moment and smiled sagely at her before walking on by.

The second man looked a bit younger. His clothes looked far too big on him and his dark hair reminded Rose of Mo from The Three Stooges. He grinned at her as he pulled a recorder out of his pocket and played a little tune as he walked on by.

The next man was tall and dressed in a luxuriant looking velvet coat. His curly hair was once again white. He walked with purpose. He nodded at Rose and bowed his head with a slight smile on his face before striding away.

The fourth man was just odd. He too had curly hair, but it was such a mess under a floppy hat. He wore the longest scarf Rose had ever seen in her life. He smiled at her with a mouth that seemed to have more teeth than was physically possible. He bounded over with a small paper bag in his hand and offered her to take what was inside. She did so timidly and laughed when she pulled out a Jelly Baby. He smiled again at her and bounded away to join the other men. She thoroughly enjoyed the sweet.

The next one was a young man with blonde hair. His beige and orange clothing made him look like he was at home on a cricket pitch, but he had a stick of celery pinned proudly to his lapel. He smiled and tipped his hat at her as he walked by.

Number six was dressed in the most ridiculous suit she ever saw in her life. It was a clash of colours all stitched together with a cat pin attached to his lapel. "It was a weird phase." Rose heard the Doctor sigh beside her. The man in the technicolour suit smiled and nodded towards Rose and kept on walking.

The next man was shorter and more round in the middle. His jumper was covered with question marks and he carried an umbrella that shared that same shape on its red handle. He waived at her with his umbrella with a smile. He too kept on walking.

The next one was once again young. He had long curly hair that reached his shoulders and was dressed in 19th Century attire. He looked towards Rose with sleepy looking eyes and a gentle smile. He waived at her and kept walking.

Rose had begun to wonder what was up with this parade of strange men, until she saw the next one cross into her line of vision. She immediately recognised the leather coat, the close cropped hair, the prominent ears and the piercing blue eyes. Her hands flung to her mouth as a gasp escaped her lips.

"They're all you!" She breathed. The Doctor beside her smiled and nodded.

"Yup." He said, popping the 'p'. "All me." He grinned cheekily. As if to prove his point, a tenth man walked over the crest of the hill. He was all spiky hair, pinstripes and sandshoes. It was the Doctor that left them on Bad Wolf bay. He smiled warmly at Rose and winked at her before walking on by. Rose felt an almost overwhelming urge to run after him and just cling to him for dear life. But words from earlier that day drifted through her mind.

"It's still not right. The Doctor's still you!"

"And I'm him."

Rose smiled, realising what he was doing. He was showing her every aspect of himself. He would always be the Doctor at heart.

"And we all share one thing in common." He spoke as if reading her mind and continuing her internal dialogue. She found herself gaping at him. "Don't look at me like that. I can see right into your mind when we're linked like this." The landscape shifted again. Rose now found herself lying on a blanket staring up at a starry sky. He must have been able to read her mind as she was just thinking about how they had done this so many times before on so many different worlds. The Doctor lay beside her his arms resting comfortably behind his head and his feet crossed at the ankles. But now they were inside his mind and the sky looked more beautiful than any real sky she'd ever seen before.

"Now, Rose. I want you to understand that this isn't something I tell just anyone. They have to be truly special." He reached for her hand, and she took it. "Now, watch the sky." The stars started dancing around in the sky and slowly a swirling pattern appeared. Rose began to realise that it was Gallifreyan writing. She gasped when it occurred to her that she could actually understand it. It was a word that was so beautiful it brought tears to her eyes. She propped herself up on her elbows and looked down at the Doctor.

"You're name is…" She couldn't get the end of that sentence out as he quickly grabbed her and pressed his lips to hers. She was stunned for a moment, but then found herself eagerly kissing him back. They pulled away after a long moment and Rose saw that they were back in the Torchwood office and that kiss was more than just in their heads.

"Yes, that's my name. My true name. It's my gift to you." He reached out and tucked a piece of Rose's hair back behind her ear and let his hand linger on the side of her neck. She smiled brightly at him.

"So you're really called…" He interrupted her with another kiss as it was quickly becoming his favourite way of keeping her quiet (and just one of his favourite things to do in general). He felt her smile and chuckle against his lips. He took that to mean that she got the message and with some reluctance he broke the kiss.

"Names are powerful things." He whispered resting his forehead against hers and gazing into her eyes. "Who knows what could happen if mine fell into the wrong hands, even in this universe. Now promise me you'll never say it out loud." She nodded, and he enveloped her in a warm hug.

"So, I'm really the only person you told in all this time?" She murmured against his shoulder.

"The only one I've told, but…" She drew away from him and saw that he had his brooding face on.

"But… what?" Rose prodded getting slightly worried. The Doctor sighed heavily before continuing to speak. He told her about traveling to The Library with Donna and how they met the mysterious River Song. He told her just how freaked out he was when River acted like she had known him for a lifetime despite the fact that he just met her and when she whispered his name into his ear to gain his trust. He even seemed to get visibly upset when he spoke about how she sacrificed herself to keep him safe.

"I suppose I did save her life in the end, though. I apparently gave her my screwdriver in the future and I found a way to store a backup of her consciousness in the library's computer." He said as he wound up the story.

"Maybe it's for the best." Rose said softly.

"What do you mean?" The Doctor asked. "How can it be for the best that I left her to exist forever inside a computer mainframe? What kind of life is that?"

Rose shook her head.

"I mean, you obviously met her in the wrong order." Rose reached for his hand and he took it. "I have you, but he only has Donna…"

"He doesn't even have her anymore." Rose looked at him with confused eyes. "There was no way she could survive being the Doctor-Donna. A Time Lord consciousness is too much for a human mind. He would have had to wipe her memory of anything we did together to keep her alive. He basically killed her." Rose pulled him into a hug. "She was my best friend, and now he's alone. He'll never admit it, but he just can't handle being alone."

"And you can admit that?"

His arms tightened around her.

"Rose, I would be devastated if I lost you again. He and I have the same feelings. So if I can't handle being alone…"

"And that's what I'm trying to say. He's not going to be alone forever. He's going to properly meet River, and they'll have a life together. And that makes me happy. I can't bear the thought of him being alone."

"You still love him." He made it a statement and not a question. She nuzzled his neck and smiled.

"I love both of you."

He smiled.

"Quite right too."

See, told you this chapter would be longer. Just want to say sorry to any Matt Smith fans out there, I just could not resist that little joke at his expense.