The couple quickly shut themselves in Rose's room, happy to have the door muffling the sounds of Jackie Tyler's rant. They turned to face each other, hands still wrapped together instinctively. The Doctor let his free hand move to rub his ear nervously as Rose just stared up into his face, her eyes sparkling with joy and tears. He shifted his feet slightly and stared down at them. He was nervous and awkward, fidgeting, and obviously. Rose felt a small smile creep onto her face as she watched his agitation; he was like a small child feeling guilty.

"So, you're a peeping Doctor now are you?" Rose laughed, trying to calm the Doctor and herself by bringing them back to gentle mocking, their old ways.

"God, how was I supposed to know that the TARDIS would land me right into your mum's bedroom. Now that, that was scary." His grimace just elicited more laughs from Rose who by this point had reached for the Doctor's other hand. Their fingers curled together, the perfect fit.

"Did you not think to check the monitor? I mean you could have ended up anywhere." Rose asked, furrowing her brow and taking great pleasure at feeling superior.

"Weeeeell, I could have I suppose." He said, unconsciously bringing their joined hands up to ruffle the back of his hair. He looked at the floor,

"I was just a bit distracted." He muttered his words, eyes moving shiftily across the floor, back and forth, resolutely not looking at Rose.

"Oh yeah?" She exclaimed cheekily. "Wait…by what?"

"Well…new universe, uuuh," He paused awkwardly and mumbled almost in a whisper, "you."

"What d'you just say?" Rose called, partly in shock and partly in joy, a grin sweeping over her face, her mouth still slightly open as she smiled and her tongue poked over her teeth.

"Yes, well never mind. So, how long has it been?" He tried to brush off his last comment, and took the chance of the subject change to look up at Rose again.

"Five and a half weeks." She laughed. "Not quite five and a half hours but you know."

"Ha!" He exclaimed. "Classic!...Well, not exactly what I'd aimed for…was meant to be two days, but still." He looked as if he was deep in thought as he scrunched his nose up, sniffing and looked out of the window.

The two stood in silence for a few moments, both still trying to adjust, trying to believe that this could be real. Rose could feel the questions burning inside her; she needed to know if he had meant what he had said to her mum earlier. She needed to know why he was back, how he was back. How long had it bee? Was he the same? Had he found anyone else? She needed to know everything. She willed herself to stop thinking about it all as she felt tears beginning to creep into her eyes.

"You came back." It was almost inaudible, so soft. The Doctor had only heard her use that tone when she was truly scared. When they were in the church when Pete died, when the beast had told her she would die, when they had said their goodbye. He let go of her hand and moved his up to her face. He held her there, cupping her cheek as she leant her face into his touch, allowing a stray tear to flit from her eye. Her hand moved to cover his and her gaze locked to his, eyes sparkling with tears yet unshed.

"I had to Rose. It's you, I mean…I couldn't…I never stopped…I couldn't lose you." He felt his breath catch in his words and Rose's shallow gasps falter under his touch. Almost at once they threw themselves together into their third embrace in under fifteen minutes. They clung to each other, both too scared to let go, as if once their hold was broken they would disappear again. Rose's hands were grasping at his shoulders, his back, clinging to his coat and then grabbing as much of him as she could. The Doctor kept his arms locked around her, as tightly as he could without hurting her. His head rested by her temple and he inhaled the scent of her, the scent of Rose, the scent of home.

"Doctor, did you mean it? I mean the stuff you said…like to my mum and all? Was it…are you…was it true?" Her voice was muffled as she whimpered the words into his collar, her hands still clinging almost painfully to the back of his shoulders.

"Yes." He whispered into her neck, his breath tickling her and sending shivers down her spine. He moved to hold onto her arms and pushed her away, with a smile edging onto his face.

"And, Rose Tyler. I have something to say to you. Never got to finish it on the beach did I?" They were now once again looking into each other's eyes. Rose searched his face in surprise and apprehension. She had longed for him to say it for so long and now, this was it. She let the Doctor guide her to sit on the bed. He stroked her face and she ran her fingertips over his temple, his cheek, his lips.

"Right. Even though this isn't my last chance to say it, Rose Tyler…you owe me my game of twister!" His maniacal grin was back and his head cocked slightly to the side as he finished his words and gave her a wink. Rose rolled her eyes, she longed for him to say the words she needed to hear. She wanted the truth from him. But for now this was good. He was back. Rose suppressed a grin. The Doctor was really back, his idiotic comments and jokes just proved it. She flung her arms around him and in a bout of tearful laughter they collapsed to lie on the bed together. As they lay there, the Doctor pulled her chin up so that they were face to face, just inches apart,

"Oh and Rose Tyler…I…"