"No, no, NO!" Rose argued, nearly choking on her mouthful of wine. "I did not make you go streaking through Henrick's. That was all you, Stacey."

"Apparently," the Doctor added with a grin.

Stacey blushed a deep crimson, which Rose just considered payback. Stacy, Natalie, and even Marcie and Billy, had been pulling every embarrassing story from her childhood they could think of from the choir strike to the many times they'd play truth or dare. And Rose just loved dares, so there were plenty of stories, except that the four storytellers liked to exaggerate the details.

"Don't believe half this, Doctor. I wasn't nearly that wild."

"Oh, bollocks," Marcie cut in. "I heard all the stories."

"And that's what it was! Stories! Gossip. If I'd done half the things the four of you are talking about, I'd still be locked in my room." She looked to the Doctor. "You really think Mum would let me get away with this?"

The Doctor snorted. "Not in a million years."

"See?" she declared, looking around the table! "Now, come up with some true stories."

"Is it true you sing?"

Rose looked to the Doctor again, who had taken up a casual position in his chair, having finished eating. Though, Rose was pretty sure he ate more of the frosting off her piece of cake than she did. He leaned toward her, his arm across the back of her chair, his thumb brushing the spot between her shoulder blades every few moments.

She immediately shook her head. "Nah, just in the choir. It was something to do after school."

"Are you nutters?" Stacey shouted, probably a little too loudly because several people turned to look in their direction. She laughed and took another sip of her fourth glass of wine before setting it down again, nearly tipping it into her beef Wellington. "You were the best singer that choir had seen in years! You could have been Billie Piper!"

Rose wanted to argue the point, but the look in the Doctor's eyes held her silent. A slow smile, the one she called his 'secret smile', touched his lips and his eyes were bright. "I'd love to hear you sing. We have a conservatory. The acoustics are perfect."

"That was a long time ago."

"You sang with Jimmy," Marcia said, her voice practically dripping with sarcasm, and Rose wondered what she's ever done to get on the woman's wrong side. Course, Marcia might just be the type of person who enjoyed causing trouble. "That wasn't all that long ago. What, four years?"

"A lot has happened in four years."

"You can say that again," the Doctor mumbled under his breath, leaning a little closer to her so only she heard what he said. "End of the world. Nanogenes. New faces. Werewolves…"

Rose rested her forehead against the side of his throat, hiding her smile. He turned into her and kissed her brow.

"Get over it, Marcia. You're not going to bother Rose with Jimmy Stone. Can't you see the woman is thoroughly loved and in love? Who cares about a washed up wedding singer when you can have someone look at you like that."

His arm came snugger around her shoulders, and Rose scooted closer to him. She tipped her head back and smiled. And he was… looking at her like that, and her stomach warmed.

"Miss Tyler, may I have this dance?"

"Sounds lovely."

He pushed his chair back and offered Rose his hand. "Ladies, Billy, it was nice talking with you. Thank you very much for sharing some fantastic stories, many of which I'm sure I will be using as blackmail later." Rose nudged his side, and he grunted softly. "But, it has been four hours, thirty-two minutes and forty-seven seconds since I've been alone with Rose and I'm feeling a bit peckish."

"Doctor!" Rose gasped, pushing him away from the table.

As they stepped away, she heard Marcia ask the others "Does anyone else think it's odd she calls him 'Doctor' instead of his name?"

He took her hand and they weaved together through the tables, and Rose waved at Shireen at the head table. Shireen waved back. They hadn't had any time to really talk other than a couple quick hugs and a promise to talk again soon. The Doctor promised Shireen it wouldn't be three years before they talked again – he'd see to it. It was okay… she was happy to just be here.

There were only a few couples on parquet dance floor, and as the band played a slow dance song, the Doctor held her hand above her head and turned her slowly before circling her waist with his arm and pulling her close. He pressed the hand he held to his chest, covering it with his own as they swayed.

"You're better at this than you used to be."

"I'm better at a lost of things than I used to be." He said it matter-of-factly, as if it were obvious.

Rose groaned. "You wish."

The next song was faster, and he was able to show off his more intricate dance moves. By the end of the song, when he dipped her just as he had on the TARDIS in London with Jack watching, Rose was laughing and dizzy with all the spinning. When he pulled her against his chest, his own laughter rumbled through him and she rested her cheek against his lapel.

As the music slowed again, he pressed his hand into the small of her back to bring her flush against him and when she settled into his hold, the same hand slid down to just follow the curve of her bottom.

Rose enjoyed the tingle that danced up her spine, spreading into her limbs. "Overall, it's been a rather uneventful evening," she said before tipping her head back to look at him. "No running. A serious lack of running."

The Doctor looked out across the room, smiling before meeting her eyes. "It's not always about running. Sometimes, it's about enjoying. Speaking of which... I would very much enjoy hearing you sing."

Rose saw the gentling of his eyes again, just as they had at the table. Fir the first time in a very long time, Rose felt the rush of color in her cheeks. Why the thought of singing for him gave her nerves, she didn't know. She'd shared her mind and her body with him.

"On Gallifrey, we're raised to have a deep love of music in all forms. But, my favorite music is the voice… it's individual and imperfect, and yet the most beautiful thing in the world." The music continued, but their dancing stopped so the Doctor could lay his hands on her cheeks. Rose slid her arms around his waist, letting herself sink into the dark brown of his eyes. "You must be so beautiful when you sing."

The tangible weight of his voice wrapped around her like a velvet blanket. He bent to kiss her, but stopped before he did and looked behind her to the stage. "Rose."

"Yes?"

"What was the name of that bloke Marcie Whatserface kept mentioning?"

"Jimmy?"

"As in… Jimmy Stone and the Stoners?"

Rose looked over her shoulder and her jaw dropped. No wonder Marcie wouldn't let the topic go. And now Rose remembered something Stacey had said off-handed about Jimmy being a wedding singer. There he was… bad haircut, worn red jacket, and ratty boots… Jimmy Stone.

"Oh. My. God."

He watched them, and Rose felt the smallest pang of guilt at the look on his face. Not that she would have curbed her affection for the Doctor, but Jimmy had to think she was rubbing it in his face.

"I think perhaps I should go speak to him." The Doctor said, moving past her.

Rose grabbed his hand. "Doctor! Wait! Why? What are you going to say?"

He was smiling when he turned back. "Thank him, of course."

Rose paused, blinking. "Thank him?"

"Of course. Without him, you might have done something stupid like gone to University. And then where would I have been, eh? Eaten by the Nestene Consciousness? Or worse, been stuck with some idiot of a travel companion." He yanked her against him with a wicked grin, his hand immediately sliding to her bottom. "One not nearly as sexy."

Rose laughed and stepped backwards, pulling him with her by wrapping her fingers around the front of his jacket. "I think perhaps that conversation might require more explanation that you want to give. Besides…" She stopped walking to stand on her toes and whisper near his lips. "I think it's time we go home. I'm feeling a bit peckish, myself."

His grin was her answer. The Doctor took her hand and they did their best not to run from the hall.