Right. So the Doctor may have caused a few breaches in security and almost been dinner for a rather large Venus Fly-Trap, but it was worth it. He'd gotten what he went for, roses that would never wilt or die. Ha, roses for Rose. He was so clever.

It really was a good thing the Doctor was familiar with Earthly protocols in terms of apologizing to a woman. He was rubbish to begin with so at least the flowers would help.

The TARDIS materialized back at the party and the Doctor ran out the door to find Rose. The sooner the better, really. The grounds were far emptier than he left them. It was a bit strange actually. He'd only been gone a short time. Come to think of it, the sun was up. The Doctor started to panic, was he even close to the night of the party? Something shiny and silver on the ground caught the Doctor's eye as he looked around aimlessly.

Hang on, he knew that shine. And that chain. Was it … Rose's TARDIS key? Not good. Very not good.

Full on sprinting now, the Doctor threw open the front doors.

"Rose? ROSE?"

"There's no reason to shout, it just makes the headache worse."

Whipping around, the Doctor was faced with Brandon. He looked incredibly disheveled and rather hung over.

"Where's Rose? You were with her last night, well I assume it was last night, where is she?"

"You assume it was last night? You must've had a lot if you don't even know what day it is."

The Doctor gave his best Oncoming Storm glare.

"Alright, alright. Not in the mood for jokes, I get it. Don't remember much about last night. I think she helped me inside but I don't know much after that. She's got to be around here somewhere."

"Oh, big help you are."

The Doctor set off on his house-wide search for Rose.

"Did you have a fight with the missus?"

The Doctor turned on his heel.

"Sorry?"

"Well you're clearly together, but she spent the whole night with me, didn't she? Just assuming!"

It occurred to the Doctor, just then, that while he and Rose were not a couple, they were actually a couple.

"Blimey. Sorry, I've gotta go."

Luckily for the Doctor, he found Rose curled up on a couch in the next room. He kneeled on the floor next to the couch and put a hand on her cheek. He noticed the faint black lines running down her face, showing the Doctor she'd been crying at some point the night before. He silently cursed himself. If anyone at that party made Rose cry, he'd like to have a word with them.

Oh, it was probably Brandon. Of course it was, she was with him all night! The Doctor knew he was a good judge of character! But there would be time to congratulate himself later when he informed Rose of his heroic deeds.

Without waking Rose, the Doctor carefully clasped the key back around her neck. Now, to take care of the person who caused that makeup smudge!

"Brandon! Could I see you in here for just a moment?"

Gripping his head, Brandon slowly trudged into the room.

"I see you found her."

"Yep, I did! And d'you know what I found? She's been crying. And she was with you, which means one thing. We might have a problem."

"I did nothing, I promise."

"Well, the evidence would beg to differ."

The voices echoing off the ceiling woke Rose. She sat up on the couch, blurry eyed.

"She wasn't crying when I was with her!"

"Then what was it? Hmm? Because I don't take kindly to people who are rude to Rose Tyler."

Hang on, Rose knew that voice. He … came back? Her vision cleared and Rose could see the back of a man in a black suit with impossibly fluffy hair. He came back.

"Bloody idiot Time Lord."

The Doctor turned to face Rose, confused by the cutting tone of her voice.

"Rose, I was just trying to pull the truth out of Brandon."

"About. What."

"Um, well, you were obviously crying last night and you were with him and I needed to know what it was that happened so I could fix it."

SMACK.

"Rose, really, I don't want you to make a habit of that. It hurts."

"Oh, it hurts he says," said Rose, throwing her arms in the air and making her way towards the door.

"Good luck. Fiery, that one," whispered Brandon to a bewildered Doctor.

The Doctor just followed Rose to the front door. She had opened it and was standing there still, just staring at the TARDIS. If he was being perfectly honest with himself, it was a bit frightening. What was she mad at him for? Sure, they'd had a small fight, but overall Rose seemed to have been enjoying the party. What was wrong?

"Rose?"

"Why?"

"What?"

"You. And the TARDIS. Just … why?"

"Rose, you're not making a lot of sense. Just come with me, I have something to show you."

Rose turned to face him. Just hours ago, she resigned herself to living in the 1920s. She'd be a shop girl again, left with nothing but memories and a key. Oh, her TARDIS key! She'd lost it last night! A frantic gasp escaped her lips. It concerned the Doctor enough that he brought his hands to her shoulders. Rose brought her hand to her chest, fighting back tears at the loss she knew would come from the lack of a chain around her neck.

Instead of nothing, however, she felt something cold, small, and metal. A key. Her TARDIS key.

"Where did this come from?" she said more to herself than to him.

"Found it outside by the TARDIS. I thought you might want it back."

"Must've fallen off when I helped Brandon inside. I … thank you. For finding it, I mean."

"Why are you looking at me like that? And, not that I care of course because it suits you, but, why are you wearing my coat?"

Right at that moment, Rose was more thankful for the Doctor than she was angry. Overcome with emotion, she hugged him. Her grip was so tight, Rose imagined she might break the Doctor in half. But she couldn't help herself. She wanted to yell at him and scream at him and cry and never let go all at the same time. The Doctor returned her hug with an equally tight grip.

"Rose, what's wrong?" the Doctor said into her hair before kissing her on the head. That action surprised even him!

Rose simply began to cry into his chest. The Doctor decided the conversation was better had in the TARDIS. And maybe the flowers would even cheer Rose up! Well, if he could ever figure out what was wrong.

The Doctor loosened his hold on Rose to move her towards the TARDIS, but that only made her hug him tighter.

"No! Don't leave."

"Rose, I'm not going anywhere. I was just going to walk you to the TARDIS. What in the world gave you that idea?"

"Because you left earlier."

A look of scary realization came over the Doctor. Of course, how could he be so stupid! Rose must have seen him leave in the TARDIS. What was she supposed to think? The Doctor felt a pain in his hearts, knowing it wasn't Brandon who made Rose cry. It was him.

"It's wasn't what you think, I promise."

Rose pulled herself together as best she could and found the strength to push away from him. Without another word she marched herself across the front yard towards the TARDIS.

"Rose? Rose, wait. I didn't mean it, really!"

Turning on her heel, she found the Doctor jogging across the grass to meet her.

"And what are your promises to me now, Doctor? Hmm? You sulked all night and then left me! What am I supposed to think?"

"If you'd just let me explain-"

"Explain what? How you promised you'd never just leave me behind? I sat in the cold on that grass for five and a half hours after you left! Sitting. Waiting. Wishing. But you never came back. So I thought you must not want me along anymore. I s'pose it's my fault for fightin' with you last night. I thought there was something else here but there's not, and that's fine, but don't stand there and pretend you don't know what's wrong!"

Of course, it wasn't fine. Rose let out about as much as she could. Whatever was to happen next, it had to be the Doctor's doing. She didn't know if she was more angry or hurt or just relieved that he had come back.

The Doctor couldn't quite believe what he had just heard. Certainly, it looked bad, but Rose was clever! They'd come a long way since France and all that. And he'd almost lost a limb to get her flowers! What else was he to do? Being in love was not exactly in the Time Lord handbook. Well, even if it was, he'd have thrown it into a sun anyway.

He reached out for her, but she moved away.

"Rose, I-"

"No, it's okay, you don't have to. I'm fine."

"You're very clearly not."

"I just don't understand. You left me. You promised you wouldn't and then you just left me."

Rose was really hurt by all this, and the Doctor knew it. His hands were running through his hair as the Doctor racked his brain for some way to fix it. There was nothing. No logical solution, no quick fix. This was the one situation in which his brain was no help.

The Doctor had to work off instinct, so he did.

He kissed her.