A/N: Sorry for the wait! But I come bearing gifts in the form of a bigger chapter this time around and a poll! We got some fluff and domesticity going on! Things also come out into the open between James and Rose and well... I'll let you read the chapter. As always, I don't own Doctor Who.

You may recognize Rose's dream from "Journey's End". However the dream is 99% from Rose's Point of View.

And thank you all again for taking time to read this, I so enjoy writing it. And I value each and every reader who takes the time to read, review and favorite/follow this story.

James parked the car in the driveway and gathered his things from the passenger seat. Most importantly was the single red rose that was placed on his satchel for the ride home. Rose was all that James could concentrate on all day.

Their discussion had kept getting put off all week by various last minute issues that took their attention away. Clara's last minute remembering she needed more construction paper for school. Or Rose having a few rather difficult recruits to take down a peg as well as remind one of them that she wasn't interested in him.

However today had been an exceptional day, so James had stopped off at a small flower shop on his way home. He wanted to show Rose how seriously he was taking this, as well as how he feels about her. "Bouquet of Roses maybe?" James had initially considered as he looked over the shop's offerings. A kindly lady looking about Jackie's age had come over asking if he needed any help.

James was rubbing the back of his neck as he wanted the initial impression to be right... No, it had to be perfect... "I'm wanting to get the woman I love some flowers, and sadly I've never brought a woman flowers before." James said as he continued to look over the bunches of flowers.

He at first had his eye on a lovely offering of baby pink roses, remembering how much Rose loved pink when they first met. "No... Pink is what you get a friend... You are trying to set a romantic tone here." James thought as his thoughts drifted out for a moment as he made his decision even more firm.

"Are you there dear?" The lady put her hand gently on Jame's shoulder when he wasn't responding to her. Shaking his head slightly, James looked to the lady with an apologetic smile. "I'm so sorry! Thoughts got away with me!"

The lady smiled at him and guessed he was a young man deep in love. "I asked, is she your girlfriend or your wife?"

"Neither actually... Well right now I'm helping to raise her daughter. However I've been in love with her since the day I saw her, and she's mentioned feelings for me as well." James rambled as he stuck both his hands into the pockets of his trousers. The lady smiled and took his arm gently, leading him over to the single roses. "Give her a single rose. It conveys that you are thinking about her and you never know where it will lead." She smiled as she plucked up a rose that was the perfect shade of red.

Taking the rose from her hand he inspected it, as nothing short of perfect would do for his Rose. Noting the way the color went from an almost maroon at the base of the petal to a lighter shade towards the tip, he smiled and announced he would take that one.

Pulling his thoughts from the flower shop, James stepped out of the car with satchel and rose in hand. Pulling out his flat key, he paused at the TARDIS blue colored door and drew a deep breath walking inside their home.

"I'm home!" James announced after locking the door behind him, tossing his keys in the small bowl on the table in the small foyer. He hid the rose behind his back as he knew Clara normally comes running to greet him, and as much as he loved the little girl, she sometimes had a tendency to blurt things out. He wanted to surprise Rose with his small offering.

Plopping his overcoat and satchel onto the closest armchair as usual, he looked around. "Rose? Clara?"

Rose popped her head around the kitchen archway and smiled welcoming him home. "Clara's upstairs. She dared one of her classmates to put a rubber spider on Ms. Ridell's chair, so I told her she's upstairs for the rest of the night outside of dinner."

James raised an eyebrow while joining her in the kitchen as he sucked in a breath. "It sounds like a harmless prank Rose!" Rose turned around from the skillet and frowned at James as she exclaimed, "Ms. Ridell is arachnophobic! Plus what message does that send to the other children? That it is perfectly acceptable to pick on substitute teachers? That poor woman has been through enough since she started last week!"

James frowned as he nervously twirled the stem of the Rose still concealed behind his back. "Clara didn't tell me all that!" He closed his eyes muttering Crap before opening his eyes again, only to face an agitated look on Rose's face. "James! Why would you think this was even close to a brilliant idea? Did you know that poor woman wouldn't even come near the classroom until the head teacher took the spider out of the room?"

"I'm sorry ok?!" James put up his hands in apology while explaining himself. "Clara came to me a few days ago asking if I ever played a prank in school and what it was. I couldn't suggest anything from Gallifrey, so I said the first thing that popped into my head!" As James finished pleading his case, Rose only sighed and turned back to the skillet. "Well tomorrow you are taking her to school, and you BOTH are apologizing to Ms. Ridell."

James let out a breath when he realized that Rose wasn't about to rip him a new one. Putting on his best grin, he brought his hand back around the front of him. "Maybe this will help me slide back into your good graces?" he said nervously.

"I never said you weren't-" Rose started to say before gasping at the rose that James was holding in his hand.

James grinned as he received the reaction that he had hoped for. "I know we haven't been able to talk about things Rose, but I wanted to let you know how I still feel about you. My feelings haven't changed in the two years since Norway." Seeing Rose turn around after gently taking the rose and looking around the kitchen for something to put the rose in, James was torn between putting his arms around her and stirring the vegetables.

Deciding that it wouldn't be romantic if the kitchen caught fire, James picked up the wooden spoon and gave the skillet a stir.

Rose took the spoon from James and nodded her head upstairs. "You should go talk to Clara, since you all but encouraged her."

"Yeah yeah, I get it. Let the bad guy be the bad guy." James chuckled and gave Rose a small kiss on the cheek. As he headed through the archway towards the stairs, James popped his head back into the kitchen and gave Rose a cheeky grin. "I see the windowsill has a new decoration."

Rose turned towards the windowsill as she heard James climb the stairs and smiled at the small vase. The vase which now held the lone red rose, having a prominent place in the middle of the window.

Clara sat on her bedroom floor as she colored on her paper, her tongue sticking out of her teeth at the corner of her mouth. No doubt who she inherited that from. She was humming one of the songs she heard at school when she heard a voice coming from her doorway.

"You didn't tell me that your teacher was scared of spiders Clara," James said as he leaned against Clara's doorway.

Clara's head shot up and grinned as she saw who was in her doorway. Scrambling up from her place amongst the scattered drawings she ran into James's waiting arms.

James lifted her up into a giant hug and smiled as he felt Clara's small arms circle around his neck. Turning his head to look at her, he put on a serious face and said, "I'm serious Clara. Why didn't you tell me your teacher was scared of spiders?"

Clara shrugged as James walked into her room and sat her onto her bed before sitting next to her. "I didn't know! Anna said it would be funny because her older brother did it to his teacher."

"It still wasn't nice Clara, and I think deep down you know that. Now I have to take you into school tomorrow and we both have to apologize to Ms. Ridell." James sighed as he wasn't angry with Clara, not really upset really. However he felt that he was responsible for explaining to Clara that it wasn't a nice thing to do to her teacher.

James and Clara then continued to sit on her bed as she told him about the rest of her day. She even tried to get him to attempt to score her some dessert and TV time later. "I'm already on shaky ground with your Mum on this Clara. Lets not push it, you are lucky you aren't grounded." James stood as he heard Rose call out from downstairs announcing that dinner was ready.

Later that night, James leaned against the archway of the kitchen and looked longingly at Rose as she stood against the sink washing the pots from earlier. He decided at dinner that it was time. Things were going to be discussed tonight. In hindsight, he would regret throwing this conversation onto Rose in the manner that he did, but at least it was put out there in the open air.

Pushing himself upright, James walked over to Rose and put his arms around her body and drew her back closer to his chest. Inhaling deeply, he leaned down so his mouth was level with her ear and softly whispered, "Rose Tyler I Love You."

James felt Rose's body stiffen as her brain registered what was just whispered to her. Rose set the pot down in the sink and rinsed her hands. The slightly trembling hands that reached out to turn off the spigot did not go unnoticed by James.

"Rose?"

"James please... Can we talk about this after we finish cleaning up?"

"Why can't we talk about this while we are cleaning up Rose?" James asked, feeling himself start to get frustrated. He wasn't talking about ground breaking discussion on how to stop global warming or anything.

Rose turned around to face James who had moved his arms to rest on either side of her on the counter top. "Because you can't just bring a discussion like this out of left field! I want to have all my thoughts in line before we go talking about this." Rose instantly regretted saying that as soon as she saw the hurt rise in James's eyes.

James closed his eyes for a moment before opening them to look into Rose's eyes. "I thought we were actively working towards something here Rose. I thought after the other nigh-." James paused as he willed himself to keep in control of his emotions before continuing. "I thought after the other night when we got home from your parent's house that, that you already knew what you wanted. But I see I was wrong." James withdrew his arms and stepped back from Rose.

"James please! No listen to me," Rose called as she stepped away from the sink and grabbed at his hand. Swallowing the lump that was beginning to form in her throat she continued. "How could you begin to even think that other night meant nothing to me? All night I was giddy as a damn teenager!"

"Then why are we doing this Rose? We've been circling around the issue regarding US for two damn years!" James dropped Rose's hand as he ran both hands through his hair and down his face. He was so frustrated right now, this wasn't going at all how he had planned.

"Because I can't just switch gears like you can Doctor!" Rose said in a loud frustrated voice as she clenched her fists at her side. James's eyebrows raised so high, they almost touched his hairline. His jaw slacked open in pure surprise as his brain registered what was just said. "Doctor, she just called you Doctor. Not James... Think you idiot! How are you going to respond?!" James's mind was racing as his half Time Lord, half Human brain started to think of a proper response.

Rose's eyes widened as she clapped both hands over her mouth. She didn't mean to call him Doctor to his face. "God I'm sorry James! I didn't mean to-." Rose's muffled apology was interrupted by James holding a finger up, his face blank as he carefully said, "You just called me Doctor."

Rose could only nod her head in affirmation. Her heart was pounding as James wasn't showing any emotion, which could be either a good thing or a bad thing depending on the situation.

"Why now Rose? Why after two years, you now call me that?" James continued to stand straight as a board. In his head there were a thousands thoughts flying around. Did she secretly wish the proper Doctor was here? Does she wish I was him? James's heart was beating a mile a minute as he dared not to hope that maybe Rose was finally believing what they both told her when they were at Bad Wolf Bay. She accepted it easily enough, but accepting something and believing something were always two different scenarios.

Rose dropped her hands to her chest as tears started to well in her eyes. Blinking them back, she bit her lower lip as she took a deep breath. "You've always been the Doctor to me James. I just never said it because I was afraid it would remind you of what you lost. Plus when we decided to hold off telling Clara who you were... I figured it was easier to just call you James." Pointing to where her heart was on her chest, Rose whispered, "You were always the Doctor to me here."

James felt his body tremble slightly as his brain processed what he was hearing. Part of him wanted to walk away to regroup. Part of him wanted to be upset that she didn't trust him, well given their past he couldn't blame her. And the biggest part of him wanted to gather her into his arms and kiss away all the doubts and worries.

"Despite what you may have assumed Rose. What I may have lost is miniscule to what I gained." James's hands started to gesture and wave around as he continued, "Think about it Rose, I don't have to live under the curse of the Time Lords. I don't have to worry about what happens 40 years from now, except maybe where we decide to retire to. I don't have to keep emotional barriers around my heart." James exhaled as he voice went low, very relieved that he no longer had to keep this bottled inside.

"I no longer have to deny myself the chance to love you. I don't have to deny myself your love. I want it all Rose, everything you want to give me." James took a step towards Rose as he continued to pour his heart out to her. "Yeah being domestic scares the ever living daylights out of me. However if it means I get to spend every single day of this one life with you and Clara... I'll take it, call it penance for every time I made you wonder about my feelings when I was the proper Doctor if you want."

Rose sniffled as she pulled herself back together. She smiled as she heard Jame's declaration of his feelings and even felt her heart lift slightly. "So where do we go from here?" Rose asked softly, more towards herself than James. "I'll go wherever you want it to go James. I've always loved you and I always will. But one thing... And just hear me out on this please." Rose wiped the few tears that threatened to trickle down her flushed cheeks.

"Anything Rose. Just name it and it's yours."

"Take tonight and really think about what you are saying and what you are offering." Rose held up her hands at James as his face scrunched up in confusion opening his mouth to begin to speak.

"No please James... Just... Just let me finish." James blew out a puff of air and closed his mouth, motioning for Rose to continue.

"I believe everything you are saying. I really do, but I know that sometimes you leap without thinking. Just like... Just like with Reinette. I want you to really consider if you can do all that you are promising to me five...ten...fifty years down the road. Or are you going to wake up one morning and decide enough is enough and run away." Rose felt her heart squeeze as she said those words, even when she brought up the incident with Reinette. But she had to say it, she had to hear from him that he was going to be alright with all this.

James stood silent for a moment. He inhaled deeply at the mention of Reinette. He had hoped that they had put that far behind them, but she did have a point. It was a valid fear, but he wasn't going to run. Where would he go? Rose and Clara were his life, his reason for living.

Rose took his silence as his answer and made her way around James and walked to the stairs. She hugged her arms around herself as she turned to face him. "Just promise me that you will think it over, take your time with your answer." Rose sighed and turned towards the stairs.

James heard her light footsteps ascend the stairs and walk softly into her bedroom. He let loose a string of colorful expletives in both Gallifreyan and English as he kicked the cabinet. "Why can't I have a flippin moment that isn't so COMPLICATED once in a while?!" James muttered angrily as he shook his right foot to lessen the sting from when his foot hit the solid wood door of the cabinet.

James leaned against the sink and pulled at his hair. He knew what his answer was, what it would always be. But he didn't know what to do, go upstairs and tell her? She probably wouldn't believe him based on what just happened.

James decided to go to bed and think over his plan. Maybe he'd talk to Pete about the best way to assure Rose of his affections. Sometimes he wished human dating rituals weren't so complicated, but he couldn't go about it in the Gallifreyan way. He didn't think Rose would appreciate him going to Pete stating an interest in an arrangement for her hand without her knowledge or consent.

James paused for a moment outside of Rose's door, his hand resting on the wood of the door before turning around with a sigh and retreating into his room.

He would win Rose Tyler's heart by reassuring her how he feels. Nothing would get in his way.

"He needs you. That's very me." Rose looked at her Doctor incredulously. This wasn't happening... She had intended to stay with him forever, and he thought that just because his Meta-Crisis needed a friend, she had to stay behind. Rose opened her mouth to object only to be interrupted by Donna.

"But it's better than that though. Don't you see what he's trying to give you?" Donna spoke up, the entire situation was beginning to break her heart. She liked Rose, she admired all that the woman did to get back to the man she loved. She saw her best friend's hearts struggle not to break as he tried with all his might to not break down as he practically pushed the woman he loved into the arms of another man. By this point both of the Doctors were looking at her and she looked directly into the face of the Duplicate Doctor. She had gotten to know him and she knew that everything Rose was being promised was true.

"Tell her! Go On!" Donna prompted him, a sense of urgency apparent in her voice.

The Duplicate Doctor took a deep breath and looked at Rose. "I look like him. I think like him. Same memories, same thoughts, same everything. Except I've only got one heart."

Rose looked at the man in the blue suit, who was the painful splitting image of her Doctor. Blinking her eyes a few times as tears were threatening to fall she asked, "Which means?"

"I'm part human, especially the aging part. I'll grow old and never regenerate." He's part human... Rose thought to herself. Is this what they mean? Everything I ever fantasized about having with the Doctor... I'm being given the chance to make it real? Rose couldn't believe what she was hearing, but she wanted it to be true. After years of disappointment in trying to get the cannon working, she needed clarification on this wonderful and beautiful thing she was hearing.

"You'll grow old at the same time as me?" Rose choked back the lump that was beginning to form in her throat.

The Duplicate Doctor smiled as it seemed she was getting the meaning, she was at least putting two and two together. "Together." He confirmed as he smiled.

Rose still had doubts. She's been used to people telling her what she wanted to hear to get her off their backs. But after asking both Doctors about the sentence that was started years ago, and how it was going to end. It was the Duplicate Doctor who said the words... The words that she had been craving to hear for so long, the words that she was damn sure her doctor was going to say the first time. The words that for some reason, he left it to his Duplicate to say.

Then she kissed him. She couldn't pinpoint why exactly. She knew it was mainly joy and love driving the action, however maybe part attempt at invoking jealousy in her Doctor. Part of her still hoped he would declare he changed his mind and his Meta-Crisis was on his own as he was pulling her back into the TARDIS.

She broke away from the man she was kissing when she heard the TARDIS dematerialize. Part of her heart had broken and she honestly didn't know what she was expected to do.

Rose looked down as she felt a warm, familiar hand grasp her own as they both watched the last of the TARDIS disappear. Looking at the man that was basically left in her care, she finally decided that she could do it. She could make him better, she would love him with all she had.

They would have the fantastic life that her big-eared and northern Doctor had told her to have if she was ever to be separate from him.

Rose's eyes opened as she awoke from her dream. "I wonder where that dream came up from," Rose had muttered to herself as her brain started to become coherent. Wiping her eyes, she found that a few tears had formed during her dream and she looked towards her night table for some tissues.

In front of her tissue box, she found a small note. "This is a first." Rose smiled to herself. Easily recognizing James's handwriting, she smiled as she read the note.

Took Clara to school like you told me to. I'll be at Torchwood later as I'm needed to help figure out the weapons that were found with the Monoids that Jake rounded up. Breakfast is downstairs waiting for you, figured you wanted a bit of a lie in. Sadly Clara and I ate the last of the Banana pancakes... Sorry bout that.

See you soon,

James

Rose smiled and inhaled deeply as that giddiness that she felt the other night began to creep up her face. Not only did James make breakfast, but he left some aside for her, and wrote this note, AND left it by her bed. Maybe she shouldn't have doubted his assertions that he could in fact do domestic in the long haul.

Rose swung her legs over the side of the bed and padded down the hall. Descending the stairs, she made her way into the kitchen. As promised, there was a covered plate sitting at her place as well as another note. However this time it was in what she recognized as Gallifreyan.

Rose squinted her eyes in frustration as she tried to guess what it said. After a few tedious moments, she gave up and decided to ask him about it later when she saw him. Placing the note safely to the side, she uncovered the plate and inhaled the aroma of the plate of food in front of her. "When did the Doctor learn to cook?" Rose wondered as she tucked into the breakfast. Part of her briefly enjoying a quiet morning as she ate.

James whistled as he walked down the hallway towards Rose's office. He had stopped at that flower shop again before heading into Torchwood. He was always looking for reasons to delay stepping foot in the building, however today he was rather eager. He had taken the long way around to Rose's office as usual. There was a shorter way, however it would involve walking past a certain giant white room that was painfully familiar.

Arriving at Rose's door he knocked as he held the bouquet behind his back. He decided on lilies this time, given that from what he read, they always spring back from the ground no matter what. If that didn't describe their relationship, then he didn't know what would.

Rose smiled as she spied James in her doorway and welcomed him inside. She put aside her paperwork as he shut the door. "What do you have there?" She pointed to the arm that was obviously behind his back. "If this is some random gooey, squiggling thing James. I'm still trying to get the smell gone from the last thing you wanted to show me."

James smirked as he quickly recalled the incident Rose was referring to, he then shrugged nonchalantly as he brought forth his arm. "No random gooey, squiggling things today Rose... Just some Lilium longiflorum. I thought you might like them enough to consider having lunch with me."

Rose double blinked as he handed her the bouquet. "Are... Are you asking me out on a date James?"

James grinned and nodded, "I believe that a date is long over due. Just you and me, food and then me properly wooing you off your feet. Wooing... now that's a fun word to say. Wooooooooooooing" James drew out the word in a mini ramble as he tested the word on his tongue. "What do you say? Lunch date? Back in time for more tedious paperwork?"

"Depends..." Rose said slyly as she picked up the card from earlier.

"Depends on what? I see you found the card I left for you."

Rose smiled as she fingered the writing on the card lovingly. "Depends on what you wrote, since I can't read Gallifreyan."

James grinned as his plan had worked. He knew Gallifreyan doesn't translate, so he would have the opportunity to say his feelings to her again. Stepping closer to Rose with a sly and confident gaze, he took the hand that held the card and ran a thumb over the back of her hand. "It says, Rose Tyler I Love You."

Rose's breath stilled as he told her what the card said. Reaching up with her free hand, she took James's tie and pulled him closer to her. Rose pulled his head down for a kiss, one that rivaled the one she gave him at Bad Wolf Bay. She was no longer unsure of his feelings or intentions. She knew that he would be there for what has become his family for as long as fate would allow.

James wrapped his arms around Rose's waist as he kissed her intensely. He groaned lowly at the back of his throat as Rose nipped at the bottom of his lip. Running his tongue long her lips, he sought to explore more of her. His slightly cooler tongue felt like it was entering an oven when Rose parted her lips, and it was delicious.

Not being able to help himself, he grabbed her hips and set her onto the edge of her desk. Her legs wrapped around his hips as he felt his pants begin to get slightly tighter. Instinctively he pressed himself against Rose as another growl escaped his lips. He kissed her more heavily as their tongues probed deeper, wanting all that they could take.

Rose squeaked as she felt herself being lifted onto her desk. Putting her flowers and the card to the side, she tightened her grip on James's shoulders as her legs attached themselves around his waist and he pressed himself against her.

"Doctor!" Rose gasped as his lips left her mouth and started to travel down her jaw and towards her neck. "When you said that you have ALL of your memories..."

James growled in a possessive manner when she called him Doctor. "Yes Rose..." James groaned as her hips bucked against his, he smell the arousal rise between them both. "I have retained every single memory prior to when the energy was poured into the hand."

Rose leaned down and tugged at his ear with her teeth as she heard James hiss out a few choice phrases. "Are you sure you want to skip before we've walked..."

James pulled his head back and cupped her face in hers. "I only want to if you want to Rose. But I think you should tell me to stop, because I can only go so far before it will become near impossible for me to stop." James didn't want to stop, but he knew that doing things out of order complicated things before. Not that he regretted it as Clara was conceived as a result of that one night.

Rose nodded her head regretfully. "I think we should.. for right now James."

James leaned in for another kiss. Hearing the door knock and open he swore as he heard a young male voice say, "Whoa! I'll come back."

Rose gave James a sympathetic glance as he pulled himself away from her and hopped down from her desk. "What do you need Richard?"

James gave the man one of his best scowls... Not only did he interrupt Rose and him, but this was the recruit that had an unhealthy crush on Rose that had to be squashed by Pete. He recalled that Richard wouldn't take No from Rose and would only get the hint when Pete stepped in.

"I uhm... I actually needed Doctor McCrimmon. We got the outer shell off those heat pod weapons and we need his advice on how to handle and store them." James looked between Rose and James.

"Alright then, wait in the hallway and I'll be along in a moment Richard." James gave Richard a dismissive glance and turned back to Rose as the door closed. "Sorry we have to cut this short. How about I go do my usual where I show my brilliance and then I'll come get you for lunch?"

Rose smirked and teased him about being a show-off before agreeing to lunch.

James sauntered out of Rose's office and almost collided with Richard. "Damn... he actually waited for me!" James lamented as he really didn't want to take the walk with Richard. He was an ok kid, but sometimes his mind strayed to places it aught not stray to.

"Soooo... You and Rose eh? You know, if she had actually given me half a chance I might have given you a run for your money Doc." Richard walked alongside James as he gloated about what James classified as a delusion of grandeur. Rolling his eyes as he looked at the young man, James said, "I'll have you know that Rose and I go way back."

"Say what you will Doc, but where you only had her on the desk... I would have had her against the wall screaming my name by then." Richard smirked as he faced James. However the smirk on his face was quickly replaced by fear as James grabbed his shirt and slammed him into the wall. In James's eyes was the brewing of what had been once described to Richard as the Oncoming Storm.

Bringing his face close to Richard, James's eyes filled with fury as this young kid had the nerve to even THINK about talking about his Rose like that. The disrespect and sheer vulgarity of it all. "Listen to me.. And you listen well as I will only say..this..once. Don't you ever even think about Rose in that manner. Even if I was never in the picture, you would never measure an ounce of worth for her. Got it?" James had initially intended to tell this punk exactly what Rose was to him. How he loved everything about her, how she was the mother of his child and if he had his way, that she would be his wife as soon as he could manage it. But he didn't deserve that information and he really did not relish the idea of explaining the concept of Meta-Crisis to him.

Seeing Richards rapid nodding of his head signaling his understanding of what was said, James released the tee shirt that he had grasped and stepped away from Richard. He straightened out his suit jacket and tie before continuing his walk towards their destination, acting as if the confrontation between Richard and himself did not occur.

James ruffled the fur of the Monoid that he was examining, declaring that he could find nothing threatening about the creature. He told the team leader what sort of habitat and substance that they needed to survive and left them to arrange containment while they found a habitable planet for the group they had rounded up.

Giving a wave to the team of technicians that he consulted with on the heat pods, James smiled and headed back towards Rose's office. He had a lunch date to keep, and he wasn't about to keep her waiting.