'So, what do you think?'

'It's…different…'

'Different? You don't like it?' She runs her fingers through her hair, attempting to give it more volume.

'I didn't say that.' He clarifies and tilts his head, wondering why she decided to do what she did. He has to admit, it does look wonderful on her.

'What are you saying then, hm?' She wonders with a bit of a smile on her face and runs her hands through her hair again, making a statement to him.

'It's…nice. It suits you. You look nice.'

'Are you sure you can handle this colour?' Rose questions and her grin becomes crooked.

'Are you insinuating that blondes have more fun over brunettes?'

'Maybe,' She smirks and then points to her head. 'And it's not brown, it's a medium coppery blonde colour.' She clarifies and he merely shrugs, not understanding the difference in terms she used. It looks brown to him, but as the clouds clear from the sun, and the light shines into the room, perhaps he can see the copper tone to it. He frowns.

'Why the change at all?'

'Because my life has changed and I'm trying to embrace it,' She responds and drops down on her bed, he leans against the wall. 'Besides who's to say I won't go back to blonde in the future?'

'Is this because of tomorrow?' He wonders and Rose ponders his statement.

'Maybe.' She replies honestly and he smiles a bit, walking towards to her and sitting on the bed.

'Are you nervous?' He puts his arm around her shoulders and she begins to wring the sheet of her bed. He takes that gesture as a sign of confirmation.

'Yeah. Yeah I am.' She confesses and he smiles a bit.

'It'll be okay, we'll be fine. This is what we do.' He reminds her and Rose looks up to him. She can tell…he's ready for this. He's getting impatient. Cabin fever is setting in she understands. It's been six weeks. With only minimal trips to the city to sate him, Rose knows he's looking for something stimulating. He only has to wait eighteen hours.

'What if…what if I'm not good at this…?' She wonders and he pulls away from her, confused and surprised she'd insinuate that she wouldn't be when she's already proven that she is more than capable of doing anything she sets her mind to.

'Rose, you've proven that you can do anything. We'll be doing this together. You're my partner in crime.' He nudges her and she smiles a bit, resting her head on his shoulder.

'I am, John, I am. I will be. I'm just…nervous. When was the last time I had a job?' She counters and he starts to laugh. 'What?'

'Rose! I've never had a job! And I've never done this,' He motions around him and Rose follows his gestures. 'All this…domestic stuff…it still makes me uneasy. But you needed me to be strong for you. And so I've put aside my discomfort to be there for you.'

Rose blinks, surprised and then begins to feel guilty. How could she have been so blind? How could she have just simply ignored his feelings throughout this whole endeavour? She became so hyper focused on how she was processing her grief, her anger, bitterness, the betrayal she felt that she completely forgot how intimidating this new life was for him as well. How could she have done that? She feels terrible that she failed him like that. He surely needed her as she needed him as well, but that thought hadn't occurred to her until right this moment. She had kept him at a distance for so long, it's no wonder that he didn't simply give up on her. However he didn't. Because he believed in her.

She frowns and looks at the ground, as she continues to feel the guilt claw at her. She takes his hand tightly and presses her lips together.

'I'm sorry.' She whispers and he blinks.

'What? Why are you sorry?'

'I've been so wrapped up in myself…I've forgotten how hard it is for you, too.' Rose replies and sighs and he simply shrugs.

'I don't hold anything against you, you know that.' He replies and Rose just shrugs in response. He pulls her tighter for a hug and is amazed that she embraces him just as well. They've been taking everything so very slowly after the last six weeks. Establishing a relationship that is different than what she's been used to, building her comfort zone. It looks like things are coming together, and he's so grateful for that.

'I just forget…' She responds, sheepishly.

'I know. And it's okay.'

She looks up to him, pulling away and smiles, relieved that he doesn't hold her selfishness against her.

Rose gets to her feet and pulls him up with her. She smiles and motions to her door. 'Come on, we have the house to ourselves. I'd like for you to teach me another part of the song, if you're willing.' Rose looks up to him hopefully and he nods his head, unable to deny her of anything.

'Yeah. All right.'

Things are beginning to fall into place, and while sometimes he catches her staring off into the sky, hoping and waiting that he would come back for her, he realises that she's begun to get comfortable with her new life. However he's sure that a part of her will always belong to him, a part that will refuse to fully accept this life. The problem is…will she allow the voice to gain in strength or keep it locked away in her as she continues to adjust. He's going to need time before that thought or potential outcome will reveal itself. Trouble is…he can be rather impatient.

Rose leads him down into the drawing room, dropping down onto the piano bench and he sits beside her as she poises her fingers over keys. She turns up to him and waits for instruction, he starts to play and Rose mimics him. She hopes that she won't get frustrated like she did the other day. She knew that learning wouldn't be easy, but she never imagined that it'd be this hard. However she's determined to learn and to become better every time they get together to learn.

Surely this is helping him as well. No matter what he says she believes that he's just as nervous as she is about tomorrow, teaching her would help take his mind off some of the thoughts that are in his head. Somehow this calms him, she can see it. And tomorrow, things will change for them again. This time she's determined that they will face this together not matter how much of her is bitter. No matter how much of her desperately wants to return to him. She has to continue to fight so she doesn't slip into a depression. Tomorrow it will be different. A new chapter in her life. And she has to make it count.

'Well…that was…interesting.'

'How did they know so much about us?' Rose wonders, tugging the bottom of one of her curls, and he shrugs.

'It's Torchwood, do we really need to think about it further?' He replies and shoves his hands into his pockets. 'Hopefully it wasn't through seedy means.'

'John they knew about, well, Satellite Nine.' Rose reminds him and he folds his arms across his chest as he thinks.

'I know that was…unexpected. Maybe that's what they gave you an alias.' John replies and motions her badge she had hastily shoved into her pocket.

'They were being funny?' Rose retrieves the badge from her pocket and stares at it. She crinkles her nose at the name printed under her given name. 'Rose Marion Tyler, alias, Bad Wolf. What if people start calling me that?'

He pulls one hand from his pocket and reaches over for her badge, taking it from her hands, he turns it over a few times, staring at it. 'It is unsettling. Who knows what will happen if people just start going around calling you that. Tomorrow you should go back and ask them to change it.'

'Yeah I will, it just doesn't seem right.' Rose replies and leans over, prying it out of his hands.

'You took a nice picture.' He compliments and Rose smiles.

'For once it didn't turn out like a license picture.' She agrees and shoves it back into her pocket. She holds out her hand.

'What?' John wonders, staring at her hand.

'I want to see yours.' She declares and he adamantly shakes his head.

'No way.'

'Yes way. I showed you mine. Actually you stole mine.' Rose clarifies and he smirks, shrugging his shoulders.

'Nope.' He counters and as Rose leans over, ready to fish it off of him, the shrill sound of a mobile interrupts them. She frowns and pulls it out of her pocket.

'Hello?' Rose is quiet as the caller speaks rapidly and it's not long before Rose pulls the mobile away from her ear and snaps it shut. She sighs.

'Well? What's up?'

'Break's over. Looks like we may have gotten our first case.' Rose informs him and watches his face light up at that prospect. Before she even has a chance to blink he's up from the bench they had been sitting on and has taken her hand, pulling her up and dragging her down the path and back into Torchwood.

'Come on, Rose!' He hollers at her and she struggles to get into pace with him.

She grins at his enthusiasm, and to be honest with herself, she's rather excited as well. She wouldn't have thought she would have embraced this as well as she is. She thought for sure that she would have to be dragged kicking and screaming into this new life, but she's doing her best to accept the things that she cannot change. She is still doing what she loved doing, helping people, but it's just no longer on the vast scale she had been used to. And she's stuck in one time. But she'd just have to make the best of it. After all, he had wanted to her do some good in this parallel universe, and she would give it her all. To make him proud of her. Even though he'd have no idea of what she was doing, she'd do it anyway. She'd choose to believe that he'd be happy for her, proud of her for doing this at the great cost of their ability to be together. Of her being trapped inside this world forever, and it's then again that she feels the twang in her heart and craves of his touch on her body.

She does her best to try and forget about him, because when she looks at the man in front of her, who is yanking her through the corridors of Torchwood so excited that finally they can do something, she realises that this is what matters now. This is her life now. With John. And she has to make the best of it because she didn't want to disappoint him; he was counting on her to be her happy, effervescent self. And he deserved to have her at her best now. Especially since the hurt and betrayal she has often found herself experiencing has started to become dull. Indicating that she has started to move on.

And so she mentally tells herself that she can do this. She is strong and she is capable of doing anything she sets her mind to. Even better is that she will not be going through this alone. She has him. Her friend. She couldn't have asked for more.

She pushes the darker thoughts to the back of her mind and makes a silent vow that she will not think about the gloomy thoughts when she is with John. It wouldn't be fair to him to only give him half of her. Time to move on. She declares silently.

'John! Slow down!' She calls to him but he merely turns to look at her with a grin on his face.

'Come on!' He calls back and she just attempts to fall into pace. He looks so happy.

And that makes her happy.

She can no longer stand to be cooped up in her room, in the TARDIS much longer. Sure, he'd taken her to see some wonderful things as she recuperated, but now she's growing impatient. She is craving the allure of the unknown, the mystery, the need to help people, to solve the unsolvable.

She begins to pace in her room, trying to decide how she can sedate her cravings. Is she really wanting all that she said she does or is it merely boredom? After all, Amy and Rory haven't returned yet, at least not indefinitely. All they had done was pick them up once and off they went.

She enjoyed Amy and Rory immensely. Their love of each other made her envious, how dedicated to each other they were but also how different they were. Rory's loyalty was unwavering, and his need to help those around him made Rose want to learn more about what he offered those around him.

Amy had a wonderful fire in her. Her bravery made Rose aspire to be more like her, less cautious, and more willing to throw caution to the wind and go for things she wanted without over analysing things. Perhaps the longer she was able to spend time with them both; she could get them to rub some of their traits off on her.

Of course being alone, as they often were, meant that they had a lot of time to rediscover each other. After all, the Doctor that she was spending so much time with was a stranger to her now, as she to him. And yet, strangely, sometimes they would keep to themselves, almost as if they were nervous to be around one another, afraid what would happen between them. As was demonstrated earlier, it was next to impossible for them not to fall into familiar patterns. It amazed her that they could, even after all that's happened between them. Of course Rose has been dying to know everything that had happened since she last saw him, not counting the time he came back to see her in 1969, she wants to know everything about him. Especially what triggered his regeneration. But it's almost as if they are afraid to be the first one to ask. Like they don't want to ask, because it's too personal. Afraid of being rejected, or bringing up old emotions, thoughts and feelings and the consequences that would inevitably come with it. Had he suffered as much loss as she had? There's just so much she wants to know.

Maybe it's just time she set aside her fear and ask him, perhaps if she did then he would feel relieved and then he would ask the same of her. And yet…her protectiveness of him is ignited, is she ready to talk about him in spite of that? Talking about John would just reignite the feeling of loss and anger that he hadn't thought of things properly, not conceiving the outcome that had happened.

Rose sighs; maybe he really didn't anticipate that. He truly might not have known. If that's true, then she can't hold that against him. Because he couldn't have known.

Rose stops and stands in the middle of her room, wanting to do something but unsure of what she should do. She has to stop these thoughts from swirling in her head. It won't do to dwell on the past and she wants to overcome this rather massive roadblock in their relationship, she wants to give him what he wants but she needs to come to terms with that voice in her head that reminds her of reality and what he had done to her. Perhaps if they talk about their respective pasts and go through their emotions as they discuss it, then perhaps it's possible that they can fix what's broken between them.

Unsure of what she wishes to talk about first, nor how to approach the subject, Rose decides that she needs to clear her head, hoping to find neutral and then detail a plan of what she wishes to talk to him about. On a whim she pulls down the band of her shorts and lifts her shirt exposing the incision.

It appears to be healing well, there is still bruising around it, but she has noticed that it's gotten irritated and the need to scratch it, indicating that healing it on track. It is still painful if she makes sudden movements but she's confident that soon it will be healed completely and she can continue on.

She feels the cabin fever creeping in to her and she wonders if a brief run will irritate the wound she frowns and decides that she needs to do something to stave off the feeling she has and so she puts on some more appropriate attire and heads for her door, wondering if they were still in the same place they had left Amy and Rory at, or if they had relocated. There was only one way to find out.

She had grasped the TARDIS' new layout much quicker than she had anticipated and after a few short moments, she successfully has located the console room and smiles. She frowns as she enters and notices that it's empty. She looks around but doesn't spot him. Confused, she kneels down on the platform and grips the ends, looking underneath, but nothing. Where could he be hiding now?

She simply gives up and stands, taking the hair tie from her wrist and she moves her hands through her hair quickly as she effortlessly slips it into a ponytail. Oddly the thoughts of her dying her hair creep into her mind. As much as she enjoyed the copper tones, she had missed being blonde. It felt right. She smiles softly at the memories and start down the ramp.

'Rose?'

She jumps slightly and turns around; he's standing at the mouth of the halls with a concerned look on his face.

'Hi.'

'Hi. What are you doing?' The Doctor wonders and starts down the stairs, Rose simply shrugs.

'I think cabin fever is setting in. I need to get out. And, if this is permitting,' Rose points to her left side. 'I'd like to go for a run.'

'Are you sure you should? I mean…' He trails off and just motions to her side.

'If I can't handle it, I won't. I just need to be out. And…when I come back…I was hoping we could…you know…talk. About us?' She wonders and watches, as his look becomes one of fear and then he nods, pushing the fear away.

'Yeah, all right.' He agrees and stops when he's in front of her. She merely gives him a smile. She can tell what he's worrying about and she sighs.

'I promise, if it starts to hurt, I'll stop and come back. Promise.' Rose replies firmly and places her hand on his cheek; she can see him internally debating and closes his eyes.

'Where do you want to go?' He wonders and she smiles widely, claiming her victory.

'London, please,' She informs him and her voice is soft. 'I want to see what's changed since I've been gone.'

He inwardly sighs, knowing that he can't continue to avoid taking her there; he just doesn't know what sort of memories they'll unearth. He just wants to have her happy again, but she's right. They have to talk about these things, or run the risk of alienating themselves from each other forever. And then what happens? Would she ask to leave again? To go home to the parallel world? He isn't sure if he could handle that type of loss again.

Losing her broke him so very completely, and then to have her voluntarily leave, it would devastate him once more. It could very well be something that he could never recover from. He was tired of losing those who he cares the most for. Especially Rose, because he allowed her to see who he really was, and she hadn't been frightened. She merely wanted to help. Oh, how she did. And now that's she has returned, whatever the circumstances, he realised how integral she had been in his life. And he wants that life back again. He'll fight like hell to claim it as his once more.

He goes to the console and simply flicks a button, and then turns to her. She's staring up at him in anticipation and he feels himself inwardly sighing again.

'Right through that door. London. All yours,' He replies simply and Rose's features light up, and they cause him to smile as well. She turns to open then door but he decides to remind her of something. 'Remember your promise to me.'

'Yeah, I won't forget. Promise.' Rose smiles and opens the door. She turns back once more, with a crooked smile and winks at him, gently shutting the door behind her.

He sighs and leans against the console. Unable to stand the quiet, he pushes back the jacket sleeve and checks his watch. It's only been fifteen minutes, and, hating the quiet of the TARDIS, he opens the door and peers out.

They've landed in an alleyway and Rose is nowhere to be seen. Not being able to stop himself, he gets out and shuts the door. He decides that he'll follow Rose, just in case. In case what? He's not sure. And so he begins to work on his excuse, anticipating the fact that he'll need one.

Rose wishes the crowds had been a bit thinner. However there isn't much she can do, it's just the time. The tail end of London's rush hour commute. She observes all the gloomy faces as best she can. She can't imagine why they would be so depressed; it was an unusually beautiful day. The ground was still moist, indicating the early morning rain that had passed through the city centre, but the sun was breaking through the clouds, showing the wonderful sunrays.

She loves seeing the city again, the right city. Her home. She's missed it. Even though it was exactly the same in the parallel universe, she has to admit, it's nice to look up at the sky and not see zeppelins all the time. She likes the blue sky.

Rose inhales deeply, and when her lungs expand, the incision aches a bit. It's dull, not enough to cause her concern, just enough to irritate her. She decides to press onwards. It's not excruciating, just an ache and she can manage that.

She hastily sidesteps out of the way of a deliveryman not paying attention to where he's unloading his shipment. Just as she does, the man hits a crack in the sidewalk and the dolly twitches, sending the load of boxes to the ground. Feeling bad, Rose stops and helps him with the boxes, which are surprisingly light.

When she's finished, and the man has profusely thanked her, Rose smiles and nods. Inhaling deeply, she stretches and sets her eyes on a small café that is serving breakfast. Frowning and squinting her eyes, Rose blinks a few times, trying to ensure she's seeing what she believes she's seeing.

At the small, round table outside there is three women gathered around it. Not wanting to believe it, Rose glances from side to side and once she's sure it's safe to cross, she quickly jogs over. It is impossible. That right now, right here, Rose is seeing her.

The group of women are laughing, and Rose approaches them in a transfixed state, shocked to her very core.

'I am so glad you talked us in to taking a sick day!' The brunette states and the others nod their head. A waitress drops off a fresh pot of tea for the table.

'I know. It's about time you two decided to take a sneaky little shopping trip with me.' The redhead replies and the blonde sits back in her chair.

'Be fair, it's hard to justify…' She starts and then stops, staring up at the stranger who is standing over them, casting a shadow.

'Veena, what's wrong?' The redhead wonders then turns her gaze up to the strange blonde woman in jogger shorts. 'Yeah? Can we help you? Oi, what are you staring at? Do I have something on me?'

Rose stares at her frozen, unable to believe who she's seeing. She swallows and blinks. 'Donna? Donna, it's Rose.'

Donna exchanges confused looks with her two friends, utterly perplexed about who this woman is. 'That's nice. But I don't know a Rose. Sorry. You have the wrong Donna.'

'No…Donna, I mean…come on. You have to know who I am…' Rose pleads and Donna frowns, leaning back in her chair and giving Rose a once over.

'Look. I don't know you. Didn't you hear me the first time?' Donna crosses her arms and Rose just stares at her defeated. Feeling terribly embarrassed and confused.

'Right. Yeah. I'm sorry. Sorry…enjoy your breakfast.' Rose backs away and quickly crosses the street, completely baffled as to why she doesn't remember her. Could it be that they've landed in a time before Donna met her? Met the Doctor? Rose frowns and then widens her eyes. She checks the street name and quickly takes off down the road again, wondering if where she was going could help her.

Donna and her friends watch Rose as she takes off and soon disappears.

'Well that was…interesting.' Veena remarks and Donna gets up. She continues to stare at the area that Rose had just been and blinks rapidly, shaking herself out of her little daze.

'That girl was nutters,' Donna declares and shakes her head. 'I'll be right back.' She turns and walks into the café.

'Completely barmy.' Veena mutters and she takes a sip of her tea.

The Doctor points his sonic in the air, trying to see if he could find out where Rose had gotten. He sighs and stops, staring at the streets sprawled before him, littered with people. He should have really trusted that Rose would be fine, but he doesn't want to take any chances with her. And he hoped that perhaps London could provide the backdrop they needed to finally have that talk that Rose had wanted. It was a neutral place and he had faith that it would only inspire the good memories she had of this London.

He frowns, looking at the sonic. It seems that the sonic is having trouble placing her; it appears that she had dashed across the street, then back the way she came and then through multiple alleyways. What could she be looking for? He spots two women sitting at a table on the sidewalk, across the street and he decides that he will ask them. After all, it appears that Rose had, maybe she mentioned where she could be going. Maybe she even knew them.

Dashing across the street, he quickly runs up to them and then give him a bit of an odd look before glancing at each other. Their look is very wary. Clearly they don't have a liking for stranger approaching them.

'Yes. Hello, good morning. I was wondering if you could help me. I think my friend stopped by here earlier? Have you seen her?'

'That runner?' The blonde inquires, seeing as that was the only person who had stopped and bothered them. He nods. 'She was nuts! She kept insisting she knew our friend.'

'Yeah, even though she had no idea who that Rose even was!' The brunette chimes in.

'Ah, well…maybe…maybe they haven't met yet. You know…things can get,' He pauses and clears his throat. 'Out of order…sometimes.' Even though he was positive he had landed in the correct timeframe. The brunette's statement strikes him as odd. Who was it that Rose had met, and that they didn't remember her?

'All right, sorry!' A new voice cuts in and he freezes when he notices who it is. 'You guys ready to go?' Donna inquires and then frowns when she notices the Doctor. 'Another one?! I leave you two alone, for five minutes, and you find another one?!'

'Sorry, Donna, he was looking for that runner.' The blonde insists and she crosses her arms.

The Doctor hasn't taken his eyes off her. And then he understands why she wouldn't have recognised Rose. It's 2012 yes, but Rose didn't know what had happened to Donna after he had left the parallel world. And he never told her. Why? Well, what were the chances they'd run into each other?! He knows she won't recognise him, certainly not in this body…but to see Donna again…it reawakens so many memories. Opens all the doors he's closed, not wanting to revisit the friends he had lost in the previous regeneration. He was tired of losing his friends and he shut himself off after that. He closed that chapter. How in one day, after running into Rose no less, that he'd also run into Donna? His amazing friend Donna? He's shocked into silence. What is happening with his life?

'Oi, bowtie, what are you staring at? You're looking at me like I'm something special. Well I'm not. So stop it.' Donna wonders and narrows her eyes, however he can't help but notice her voice shakes a bit. Her mind is attempting to place his face. Thankfully she won't know, just a small voice telling her she should.

Why does she get the feeling that there is something familiar about him as well? She had felt it the moment that Rose had left as well. Of course, then the headache started. And so she pushed that thought from her mind. All of the odd ones seem to be flocking to her today. Nothing like this ever happens to her.

'Sorry!' He replies quickly, looking up to the sky. 'Sorry, you just remind me of someone I once knew.'

'Look I already told your friend, I don't know her and I certainly think I'd remember you, so…' Donna trails off, and he understands her unfinished sentence. He smiles slightly and turns his gaze to the sky.

'Right. Well, then sorry to have troubled you. If you could be so kind as to point the direction in which she headed…' He wonders and Donna points over his shoulder, behind him.

'Right there.' She informs him and watches as he turns over his shoulder, watching the traffic go by.

'Well, thanks a lot.' He replies and just gives them a brief nod before heading back across the street, in the direction in which Rose had taken. Donna and her friends watch him until he disappears around the corner.

Donna continues to stare, vaguely aware that Veena and Claire have also stood up, gathering their belongings, putting their coats on. That nagging feeling within Donna has reawakened again. That small voice telling her that she does, in fact, know them. But that's all the voice says. It doesn't say why, or how, or when. Just that at one time in her life, they were very important people to her.

The harder she tries to remember, or figure out their faces, the more the pain in her head increases. She frowns and presses her hand to her head.

'Donna? Everything okay?'

She's roused from her little trance and blinks, turning to Veena. 'Huh? Oh, yeah. I'm fine. Just a bit of a headache.'

'Did you want to head home?' Claire wonders and Donna is quick to shake her head.

'No way! I'll be fine. Besides, I've been looking to this all week!' Donna insists and takes another quick glance at the direction that Rose and the man had gone to.

With that said, she gathers up her coat and smiles at her friends. Part of her wants to go and see who those people are, it's instinct, really. But the voice is quickly silenced by ration. She doesn't have time to go chasing these strangers all over London. And besides, she has better things to do.

As she walks into the city, her friends chatting away incessantly into her ear, instinct propels Donna to glance over her shoulder again, wondering if she'd ever see those two again. She wonders what she would even do if she did see them again. She turns her gaze back to the front and smiles when she hears the pseudo argument that Veena and Claire have gotten into. She pushes all other worries out of her mind and focuses on the now.

Rose inhales deeply, trying to get as much air as she can into her lungs. She's just about there, however, and she hopes that it will shed some light on why Donna hadn't recognised her. She's positive that this is the right time…why doesn't she know her? That had felt like a slap in the face. Did something happen between the Doctor and Donna that ended things between them. Donna demanding to be brought home and then she simply forgot everything about their travels. Donna rejection and inability to recognise her had stung, and it only brought up more questions, and the answers would only come from the Doctor. Perhaps some background information on this situation could be found by the man she was seeking now.

Rose slows herself down to a walk and takes the alleyway on her left, hoping that he's still manning his station. There was only one way to find out. When she walks out of the alleyway, onto the rather quiet street, she spots the newsagent's stand and makes a quick dash for it.

At first she doesn't see anyone, as she closes the distance between her and the stand, she wonders if this would have been all in vain.

'Hello?' Rose calls to the stand and bites her lip. 'Hello? Mr. Mott?'

A man pokes his head up and widens his eyes when he spots who it is approaching him. He covers his mouth at the shock of seeing her again. She…had been let go. That's the only information he received from the Doctor. He hastily gets to his feet and rushes out to greet her.

'Rose?' He wonders and she nods, breaking out into a jog to meet him.

They embrace each other tightly and Wilf lets out a laugh in disbelief. How remarkable to see her now. When he pulls away from her, he gives her a once over and then decides to embrace her again. How long had it been? Two years? What had happened to her? He leads her over to the curb and together they sit. She certainly hasn't changed at all. She looks like she hadn't gotten any older. It's just her eyes, there's so much in her eyes now. Just like the Doctor's.

They're quiet for some time before Rose speaks, and it breaks Wilf's heart to hear what she has to stay.

'I…just saw Donna…' Rose begins and turns to Wilf, her eyes pleading for an explanation. 'And since you know who I am, my fears of being in the right year have been confirmed…Donna doesn't know me anymore.'

'Yeah. She wouldn't. She can't.' Wilf agrees and Rose closes her eyes.

'What happened?' She wonders and Wilf hesitates, unsure of what he should tell her.

'Does the Doctor know you're here? That you're back?' He inquires and Rose nods her head.

'Yeah. He does.'

'What has he told you…about well, about Donna.' Wilf asks, still a bit of hesitation in his voice and Rose tilts her head.

'Nothing. Honestly. I haven't been back long. And things…things aren't the same anymore. I was hoping that today we could have…talked…about things.' Rose admits and Wilf nods, taking her hand in his own and giving it a pat.

'I remember…he let you go…?' He recalls and it draws a light laugh from Rose.

'Is that what he told you? Well, he wasn't lying I guess. Best to just leave it at that, then.' Rose's voice becomes embittered. Wilf notices.

'Things changed…after those creatures…the Daleks. It certainly changed Donna.' Wilf replies and Rose nods.

'She was brilliant, wasn't she? Universes were saved because of her…' Rose recalls and feels a nostalgic smile spread across her face. 'Unfortunately…I don't know much else; he dropped me off in a parallel universe. I've been gone eight years in my universe, it appears like it's only been two here.'

Wilf blinks; shocked by her words and at how easily she was left behind like that. No wonder she had that bitterness to her. Could he really blame her?

'And he hasn't told you anything?' Wilf questions and Rose shakes her head.

'I haven't told him my life yet either,' She counters and sighs. 'It's…different now, between us…'

'Then maybe I should let him tell you…' Wilf replies and Rose turns to him, she exhales slowly.

'I just want to know what happened to Donna…did they travel for a long time after the incident on the Crucible?' Rose wonders and Wilf merely shakes his head.

'No…almost right after everything returned to normal he appeared at our door…Donna was in his arms.'

'Was…was she okay?' Rose questions nervously and Wilf nods his head.

'Yeah, the Doctor made sure of that,' Wilf sighs and looks to the sky. 'Trouble was…it was her mind. By taking his mind into her own…it was killing her…so he had to lock it away. And by doing that…she forget everything. And we've had to make sure she never remembers, if she does…it will kill her.' Wilf responds sadly. Rose widens her eyes.

'Well…I ran into her. Thankfully she didn't remember me. I'm sorry.' Rose turns to him and he's struck by the immense sadness and guilt on her face.

'You couldn't have known.' Wilf responds and pats her hand.

'I'm just…sorry…for her. She loved it all.' Rose informs him and Wilf chuckles.

'That she did,' Wilf agrees and then looks to the sky. 'You know, every night, I look up to the sky, on her behalf. And remember for her.'

Rose smiles widely and turns her attention to the sky as well. While still her heart breaks for Donna and the life she could no longer live because of her sacrifice, to keep the worlds of the universe safe. Rose brings her attention down, and she notices something concealing itself against the wall of the alleyway. Rose gives a crooked smile, knowing who has found her.

'Well…my ride is here.' Rose stands and Wilf does the same thing. He begins to turn around, trying to spot it.

'But I didn't hear the TARDIS.' He protests and Rose merely smiles.

'No. No TARDIS, just…the Doctor.' Rose places her hands on her hips and shrugs at Wilf.

'Is there a reason he doesn't want to come say hi to an old man?' He muses and Rose blinks.

'There has to be.' She frowns.

'He told me…after well, after things, that I would only see him one last time. And something told me that he was going to die. Guess he…well, did he…?' He wonders and Rose shakes her head.

'I don't know the circumstances, but yes…and no,' Rose tilts her head at the alleyway. 'That version of him that you and I knew is no longer alive. But the Doctor always lives.'

'Blimey…' Wilf breathes and Rose turns to him.

'It does get a bit…much…' Rose agrees and she suddenly embraces Wilf tightly. 'It was so, so wonderful to see you again, Mr. Mott.' Rose pulls away.

'And you, Rose. I'm sorry you had to meet Donna that way…'

'Don't be. I'm glad she's still happy. She deserves nothing but the best.' Rose replies and Wilf smiles.

'Thank you,' He embraces her again. 'Will you…try and stop by? I'd love to hear your stories. I miss them.'

Rose lets out a soft laugh. 'I'll work on it, I promise.'

'Then I can ask for nothing else, except to give the Doctor a hello,' Wilf responds and smiles. 'Can't imagine he'd be the shy type.'

'You're right, but I'll mention that to him,' Rose informs him and heads towards the alleyway. She turns over her shoulder and waves. 'Goodbye Mr. Mott!' She calls and he waves enthusiastically to her.

'Goodbye Rose!' He watches as she disappears into the mouth of the alleyway and he lingers in the street before turning back and heading into the newsagent's stand.

'You're good at finding me.' Rose compliments the moment she sets eyes on him. He looks rather meek, and she wonders why he didn't come out to greet Wilf. What's going on with him?

He's quiet. Not saying much, just keeping his eyes locked with the ground. Rose takes his hand in her own and that causes him to break his gaze with the ground. She frowns.

'How's…how is he?' The Doctor wonders and Rose smiles sadly.

'Just fine. Next time, he wants you to say hello. Don't be rude.' Rose gently chides and he smiles slightly. He's unsure how to tell her he isn't sure if he can. He can't continue to move forward if he has to flip back to old chapters. And then he feels guilty for thinking such things. With Rose here now…isn't he rereading old chapters?

She begins to lead him out of the alleyway, wondering why he looks so troubled. Was it simply seeing Wilf again that caused him to relive these old memories that he hoped he wouldn't have to relive again? Or is it something more? They can't continue to avoid talking about their lives anymore. She needs to know. And she knows that he wants to know as well. She stops and he walks into the back of her, nudging her forward a bit.

'Sorry…'

'That makes a change for once.' Rose smiles and he blinks, suddenly remembering her words and the amount of time that she had run into him. He wants more of that. He just wants her. The longer they continue to avoid talking to each other, the more he worries that their relationship has been damaged beyond repair, and that she'll just want to leave him. Go off on her own. Travel alone. Work alone. He doesn't want that. He just wants her. That's all he's ever wanted.

Rose stops again, just shy on the end of the alleyway. She turns up to him and he stares at her, confused and just so dejected.

'I think it's time.' She declares and he tilts his head. His mind reeling will all the possibilities of what her words mean. It's just such a loaded statement. What could she really mean? He tries to show how anxious he feels inside, worried that everything was coming to an end. Again.

'Meaning…' He wonders and she just smiles sadly.

'Time for you to learn about me.' She responds and he feels immensely relieved.

'Are you sure?'

'The distance between us is growing, not shrinking,' Rose confesses and grows concerned. She places her hand on his cheek and he quickly covers her hand with his own. 'I don't want it to happen anymore. I care too much about our past to not have a future with you.'

'I care as well; I just didn't want you to have to bring memories to the surface you weren't ready to share. I can see the hurt in your eyes. I remembered, once, a long time ago, that I worried you were becoming like me. I think you have. I can see it. I don't want that for you.' The Doctor admits and Rose just offers a whisper of a smile.

'I was bound to have picked up some of your traits. I was with you long enough.' Rose responds and he smiles.

'The good ones, not the bad ones.' He clarifies and Rose tilts her chin away from him, a grin spreads across her face.

'How do you know there aren't good ones in there, too?' Rose challenges and he blinks.

'I guess I don't.'

'Would you like to?' Rose wonders and the Doctor freezes, trying to pick apart another one of her loaded statements. She watches him in amusement.

'Yeah.' He confesses and Rose closes her eyes, nodding her head in acceptance. She has to let go of her past. Of her anger and hatred. It will not propel her forward merely hold her back. She has to be ready now.

'All right. Your place, or mine?' She teases and he grins at her.

'Your place.' He declares.

'Ooh, all right.' Rose replies and decides to take him to one of the many parks located close to where they are now.

She stops for a coffee, needing something to hold on to before she begins her story, figuring that as she divulged her information, she would need something to ground her.

The park is surprisingly not crowded for the lunch hour. Not that Rose minds, it's enjoyable to be one of the few that have decided to venture into the park as well. They find a bench to sit on, facing the river and trees shade them from the bright sunlight. It was nothing short of a beautiful day.

She takes a sip of coffee and draws one leg up, tucking it under the other. She stares into the river and after some time has passed, and she had gathered up all the courage she can, she turns up to the Doctor, who is watching her with a burning curiosity. She knows he's been patient for this. She'll do her best to keep her emotions out of this. They don't belong here, not at this moment.

'Before I start…I just have to ask…cause I saw someone, who didn't remember me.' Rose begins and he sits back, knowing exactly who she was talking about.

'You saw Donna, too?' He wonders sadly and Rose nods.

'Yeah…what happened?'

'Guess that means I'm going first,' He muses and takes a deep breath. Rose reaches for his hand squeezes it tightly. 'It wasn't seconds after…after I…' He stops and clears his throat. 'After I let you go…'

'It was that soon?' Rose breathes and he nods.

'Yes. A human mind can't hold a Time Lord consciousness, it's too much. It would have killed her. I had to lock it away, so that she would have been safe. The drawback was that she wouldn't know about me, or you, the TARDIS, our meeting, the adventures…she had to forget…'

'But…if you took her home afterwards…' Rose ponders, frowning. 'Everyone would have been talking about the Earth, the Daleks…how could she not have remembered?'

'It would have been one of those Donna Noble stories, where she missed it all…again.'

Rose stares up at him heartbroken. He lost her, and then merely moments later, he lost Donna as well. He would have been so alone. And that breaks her heart, because he never deserves to be alone.

'Doctor…' She turns over and sets her coffee down on the little dirt path and turns back to him, embracing him fiercely. He's taken back, not expecting her gesture. 'That's why…you looked so different…in 1969…' She whispers as she pulls away.

He blinks, nearly forgetting that moment. She had been so innocent looking. Still so young and spared of all the eventual heartbreak that would have been coming her way. How receiving she had been to him, even though he knew her final moments with him had been anything but warm.

'It had been a bit of a rough go, if I'm honest. And I needed you then. But always in the back of my mind, at that moment, was how welcoming you were of me. Even though I knew what had happened between us. And you didn't care. Oh, I relished in that. But I bet you would have rebuked me if you had known the real reason you weren't with me…' He trails off and Rose is stunned into silence. Slowly she leans in and very tenderly place a soft kiss on his lips. When she pulls away, he's staring at her completely shocked.

'If you had suddenly appeared in the parallel world, needing me, for anything, for whatever, I would have welcomed you with everything I had. I care…I care so much for you…that I wouldn't have cared what happened to us in the past because at that moment, you would have needed me. And I would have been there for you. Like I always am.'

He still struggles to comprehend what just happened between them as he digests her words. Rose smiles softly at him, knowing that he's staggered by her previous actions and her words to him. He hasn't taken his eyes off her, and in that moment she realises just how much her love of him hasn't waned.

'I…what…' He stammers and Rose widens her smile.

'Tell me…what happened after…? I want to know…' Rose lowers her voice and her question seems to have snapped him out of his daze. He stares off into the river and doesn't answer her right away. She begins to wonder if she should have continued on that train of thought, instead, opting for something about her own life. She very nearly changes the subject when he finally talks.

'I…did what I do best…' The Doctor replies and Rose moves herself closer to him. She can tell that something is building, and will reach a climax…and she wants to be there for him…in case he needs her.

'Last of the Time Lords?'

'Yeah…travelled…for a bit before…things happened on Earth. Rose…you have no idea how much I wished you were there with me…' He confesses and then blinks. 'I'm sorry.' He didn't want to rub her face in the fact that he had left her behind.

'It's okay…tell me…'

He is quiet, taking her hand and squeezing it tightly, he inhales deeply. 'The Master. He…came back.'

Rose widens her eyes completely shocked. 'What…? How could that have been possible…?'

'His followers…a mess, really,' The Doctor sighs. 'The Master, a guy named Naismith and…the Time Lords.'

Rose stares at him, hearing his words, but her mind can't wrap itself around that sentence. 'I beg your pardon?'

'It was a plan that the Time Lords thought of during the final moments of the Time War. They retroactively placed a link in the Master, in his childhood, that damned four beat rhythm.' The Doctor states, the last part of his sentence comes out embittered.

'So…they knew. That whole time…they knew.'

'They did it to save themselves…from me.' The Doctor informs her and Rose closes her eyes, so despondent for what he had to go through.

'They sound so…vindictive…petty…bloodthirsty…' Rose covers her mouth. 'I'm so sorry…' However he merely places his hand on her cheek. 'I just mean…from everything you told me…you made them sound peaceful, wise and just.'

'That's just how I choose to remember them,' The Doctor informs her. 'Understand this, Rose, the horrors of the Time War changed them. They became very dangerous.'

'I just…can't imagine…'

'The Master brought the Time Lords back. And the Time Lords brought back Gallifrey.'

'What…?' Rose's question comes out in the form of a whisper.

'And everything that came with it, breaking the Time Lock meant that the horrors sealed inside would have been freed.'

'Why would they do that…?' Rose wonders and the Doctor smiles.

'So they could survive the end of time and all creation.' He replies and Rose shakes her head.

'How did you stop them…?' She questions and the Doctor shrugs his shoulders a bit, he slumps further down the bench, not wanting to relive the memories again. Rose can see the hurt in his eyes and the reluctance to reveal it to her; Rose rests her head on his shoulder. 'It's okay. Let's stop…for now…'

'It's fine…I'm fine,' He tells her, but Rose can see all the emotion in his eyes, she bites her lip. 'I just…shot the White Point Star…' He whispers and Rose tilts her head.

'What's that…?'

'It was a type of diamond found only on Gallifrey. It was the physical link required for the Time Lords to escape into the universe. Rassilon sent it through the Time Lock. When the Master recovered it, and used it to bring the Time Lords and Gallifrey into the universe again.' He explains and Rose blinks, trying to take in all of his information.

'By shooting it…you severed the link.' Rose surmises and he nods.

'Order was restored.'

'Did you…struggle? With the choice?' Rose wonders and he nods. She closes her eyes, feeling the tears build behind them. She can't fathom the struggle he endured as he was forced to choose between the two things in his life.

'I did…I needed you…' He confesses and Rose opens her eyes, a tear finally escapes from them. He merely smiles and brushes it away for her.

'I'm so sorry.' She breathes and he shrugs, telling her not to worry and he places an arm around her shoulder, drawing her closer. She surprises him by wrapping her arms around his middle. He grows quiet.

'It all worked out in the end…' He replies simply and Rose pulls away, staring at him, he keeps his gaze locked with the river. She places her hand in his cheek and turns his gaze to her.

Driven by her old feelings for him, she places another soft kiss on him. She smiles a bit as she has clearly shocked him again, and he remains still, frozen and no doubt surprised by her actions. When she pulls away she just presses her lips together, enjoying his staggered look.

'Next question…that I have is…'

'The regeneration?' He finishes for her and she nods.

'Yeah.'

'Same day as…everything else…'

'What? What happened?' Rose grows concerned and again he shrugs.

'I had some help throughout that whole mess,' He turns to her and she blinks. 'Wilf helped me,' He watches Rose's face light up and break out into a smile. 'During that final confrontation, Wilf saved a man who had become trapped in this control booth. A nuclear booth.'

'Oh…no…' Rose covers her mouth and instantly knew what he had done.

'Trouble is…I kind of…blew up about that. I mean I knew I was supposed to die,' He pauses. 'You know what I mean. And I thought I wasn't going to survive the encounter with the Master and the Time Lords. And then I did. I was so happy. Until I heard that damn knock. Four times.' The Doctor informs her, feeling immensely bitter once more. Angry that he was born out of his previous regeneration's unwillingness to go.

'You got angry that you were still going to die?' Rose wonders and he nods. 'Oh…Doctor…I knew there was something different about you…' She embraces him and this time he doesn't remain motionless. He embraces her just as tightly, placing his hand on the back of her head.

'So I just walked right in there and, well…I don't need to tell you what happened next. I'm sitting right here. Sometimes a Time Lord lives too long.' The Doctor responds, talking quietly in her ear.

'Were you…alone?' She wonders. Her voice is so soft that he very nearly misses it, even though he knows what she is talking about.

'Yes.'

'Does it hurt…?' She manages to get out.

'Every time.' The Doctor replies.

She presses him tighter to her; she never wanted that for him. Never. She had never wanted him to be alone. Thinking about it has brought the tears to her eyes again, and she feels the guilt eating away at her. His time without her hadn't been any easier, like she had once believed. And now that she knows what he had gone through in her absence, the turn of his people, the Master, all of it, and to know that he had to be on his own…broke her heart.

No wonder she could tell he was different, how damaged he was inside. He had been born out his reluctance to let go. How tired he had become of losing everything that he had once held so dear to him, friends, family, it was becoming such a vicious cycle. He repressed everything, and that makes him very dangerous, to himself and to others.

Her life in the parallel world, compared to his, seemed like it had been easy. That her emotional turmoil had been small in comparison to what he experienced. It had been hard for her yes, but it had been harder for him. She feels remorseful for attempting to compare what she had gone through to what he had. They were so different, their emotions the same, however. They each had experienced a great and devastating loss and grieved for each other, but they moved on. Because they had to. Each believing that they would never be sitting next to each other again.

'I'm so sorry…' She whispers, and she can't stop the tears from falling. 'I'm sorry…'

He pulls away from her and blinks; unsure of what has caused her to become so upset. He frowns and brushes away her tears, however she merely closes her eyes and more begin to fall.

'Why are you sorry?' He wonders and she inhales deeply.

'I should have fought harder, clung to the TARDIS or something…' She responds firmly and he starts to laugh.

'You can only do that if you're Jack, apparently,' He smiles and Rose gives him a small one. 'Now, why are you sorry?'

'For what you had to go through…' She tells him and he simply blinks, still not fully comprehending why she is so apologetic. 'I always believed that what happened to us…you got over like this,' She snaps her fingers. 'In a few days you'd forget I was ever there. And I told myself that it was okay because Donna was with you…and she'd keep you straight…but knowing all this…makes me feel so incredibly guilty that I ever thought like that.'

'You were trying to numb yourself, and you were trying to understand why I did what I did. You were coping,' He informs her and she merely watches him through her sad eyes. Her sadness radiates off of her. 'It was hard on me, Rose, I won't downplay it. When I saw you after I was on Mars reaffirmed that I had made the biggest mistake I've ever made in my life. And I didn't have much longer after that…'

'I remember. You told me that.' Rose recalls and he nods.

'Not long after that whole mess with the Master surfaced. And, if I'm honest, he, the old me, promised that he'd let everything go. He'd forget it. He'd stop it from seeping into this regeneration, but he lied. He made it worse. I'm the result of his reluctance to leave. That's why I haven't seen them, Wilf, Jack, Martha…I can't…I want to look to the future, not the past. And I know that sounds terrible…but those were his friends, I've made my own. We're different on many things, Rose.'

'So…you won't ever consider seeing them?' Rose wonders and doesn't like what he was implying. They were friends, first and foremost.

'If I run into them, then it happens…' The Doctor informs her and she tilts her chin away from him, clearly not liking his answer.

'Then why am I different? I'm in your past.' She wonders innocently and presses her lips together. Her tone is indifferent.

'Because you just are…you're my reason for being selfish. I always put my needs last, everyone else comes first, but when it comes to you and me, I'm sorry but you and me come first this go round.'

Rose studies him, a slight frown on her features. She didn't like that he refused to never see those he had a long history with. Of course, how many others that he had come to know over the course of his time on Earth did he not see anymore? She won't let him forget those who had helped him just because he had regenerated. She'll have to work on his perspective of his friends. They didn't just stop their friendship because he changed.

'Why haven't your feelings changed for me?' Her question is so innocent and she tilts her head, trying to understand how complicated he had become.

'Because you were one of the last things the old me thought about…and then I thought about you afterward too…you…left your stuff all over my room. And I remembered everything.' The Doctor admits and Rose feels her heart breaking for him again. Surely he truly believed that he'd never set eyes on her in this regeneration, ever. So all he had to go on where his feelings for her and his memories of her. The pictures they had taken over the course of their travels.

'I knew it would have been hard for you too, no matter what I told myself to believe, I just never imagined it would have been that hard for you…' Rose confesses and he tucks a piece of her hair behind her ear, studying her eyes. He's struck by how similar they are to his now. He wonders why that is. All the emotions he's sure she's had to deal with over the course of her life in the parallel have left their mark on her eyes, but not her features. She's still shrouded in mystery to him.

'And I see it the opposite for you, I didn't care how hard it was on me, I only thought about how difficult it was for you…'

Rose smiles at that. 'Sometimes we're too much alike.' She confesses and he nods in agreement.

'That we are.' He checks his watch and Rose reaches for her coffee still on the ground. She takes a sip and then pulls the cup away from her lips, making a face as she does so.

'Gross. It's cold.' She complains and sighs.

'Did you want another one?' The Doctor questions and she shakes her head.

'Honestly…I bought it in case I needed something to ground me. And all we've done is talk about you…I feel bad,' Rose informs him and presses her lips together. 'My turn,' She declares and sets the coffee down. 'What do you want to know?'

He wasn't expecting that she would be so willing to bring forth her information after what they had just gone through with his side of things. He surmises it's the guilt in her. And while he doesn't hold anything against her, he knows that she does. Now that he actually has the chance to sit down with her and talk about her life, he can't remember a single thing he had wanted to know.

Rose smiles as she sees him thinking about everything, most likely trying to find the least thought provoking question he can, so as not to have her relive the old memories.

'How long have you been in this universe?' The Doctor wonders and Rose smirks a bit.

'Two years.'

'That long?!' He blurts out and then clears his throat. 'Sorry.'

'Don't be.'

'Why didn't you try to come find me? Or try to contact me?' The Doctor questions and Rose folds her arms across her chest.

'Honestly?'

'Honestly.'

'Because I was bitter and closed off. I didn't know if you had regenerated or not. Truthfully, if you hadn't, I don't think I could have laid my eyes on you. Because if I had, then I would have been angry at you. Not with the fact that you'd left me there, although I might have, but because you didn't think things through. You didn't take into account all angles.' Rose admits and he frowns, not understanding her words.

'I don't understand.'

'I would have been left alone no matter what.' Rose turns her gaze to the river, feel the need to keep him protected, but she understands that she can't keep him within her forever, or she'll never learn to let him go.

'I'll leave that for a moment,' The Doctor decides, noticing how withdrawn she had abruptly become. 'What did you do when you go here? Were you looking to come back?'

'I wasn't looking to come back, although, maybe a part of me was,' Rose admits and rubs her arm. 'Cracks had started to appear in our universe, and knowing that we were running faster than yours, we tried to get a message to you. However…seeing as how I had nothing left to lose, I decided to give it to you in person, knowing that I could just jump back before it closed. I couldn't find you. And before I knew it, I got stuck here. So…I did what I do best, I helped people.'

'I…didn't know.' The Doctor feebly tries to explain it away.

'I know you didn't,' Rose responds and sighs. 'I went to everyone, no one had heard of you in some time…'

'What did you do…? I mean…'

Rose cuts him off. 'Worked for UNIT a bit, helped the Shadow Proclamation. A lot. Helped them inject more of a rational way of thinking. And then back to UNIT.' Rose states simply.

'No Torchwood?' He wonders innocently. Rose shakes her head.

'I visited them, but I wasn't ready for that,' She admits and fingers the chain on her neck again. 'Then I just sort of…became a free agent. I was working on a mission for UNIT when I stumbled into Mercy.'

'Sontarans. Why?'

'Oh, they started boasting again,' Rose rolls her eyes. 'UNIT didn't know what they were up against; shockingly they didn't learn from the last time. I volunteered to talk to them on their ship.'

'Rose!' The Doctor exclaims and she blinks.

'What?'

'You know how dangerous they are!'

'Oh I knew, better me than those men and women,' She crosses her legs and stares at him. 'I just mouthed off to them…' Rose admits sheepishly.

'Rose!'

'Oh, come on! They set me up for some good ones…' She replies defensively.

'That's no excuse…'

'At that time, I was so angry and bitter about my life that…maybe subconsciously…I didn't care…'

'Rose…'

'Look I knew I was in deep,' Rose confesses and he merely draws her closer. 'I did try to leave, I smartened up, I just reacted a bit slow and didn't have time to set coordinates on that stupid thing before the shot was fired.' Rose confesses and he brings his hand to gingerly touch her side.

'Where did you get thing anyway?' The Doctor questions, looking up to her, and Rose flings him a sly smile.

'Same place Jack did.'

'The two of you…' The Doctor sighs. 'And that's how you ended up in Mercy.'

'Exactly. I had no idea you would be there. The plan was to get well and get home,' Rose insists and smiles a bit. 'Then I saw you…life in chaos again…'

'Why the aliases?' He blurts out and Rose shrugs.

'Why not? It was just to cover myself, that way I didn't have to grow close to anyone. Keep them at a distance…'

'Now you really sound like me.'

'I told you, I got the good ones and the bad ones.' Rose retorts and he stares at her.

'And all that time…you just helped people?' The Doctor wonders, although he isn't sure what else he expected her to do.

'Yeah. I had no idea where you were. No idea if you'd even want to see me, so I carried on, no matter how tough the road got. Those you leave behind can still do good, and that's what I wanted to do.' Rose informs him and he takes her hand, holding it tightly. She doesn't pull away.

'Were you happy to see me?' His question comes across so innocently, Rose smiles at him.

'Yeah. I was. Whether I wanted to admit it to myself, I missed you like hell,' Rose informs him and then her gaze becomes sullen. 'But the old anger came to the surface before I could think about it.'

'I expected that.' The Doctor replies and Rose shrugs.

'I'm sorry…I was still hurt.'

'Don't be sorry…'

'Anything else?' Rose wonders and the Doctor is quiet as he mulls over her question. What else had he wanted to know about her? He wants to ask about the metacrisis, but something tells him she may not be willing to talk to him about that. Something bad happened between them. Her answers have clearly revealed that. However he's unsure as to what it was.

'I don't know…' He admits and Rose nods her head. 'Were you happy?'

'Were you?' She counters. It causes him to laugh, mostly at the memory of speaking with Bad Wolf just before his regeneration. Was he happy then? No. He couldn't have been. Is he now? Yes. Because he had gotten his fresh start that he had wanted. And yet, no, because of all the pain, all the anger that had bled through into his life now because of his previous regeneration and the unwillingness to go.

'Yes and no.' The Doctor replies and Rose places her hand on his cheek.

'Then my answer will be the same.'

'What about now?' The Doctor wonders and Rose closes her eyes, trying to answer honestly.

'I'm happy to see you.' She responds after some time.

'I am too.'

They are quiet for some time, Rose getting closer to him and they stare out at the river, listening to the people as they continue to walk by them on the dirt path. Rose inwardly sighs and closes her eyes.

'Sometimes…' Rose's voice is quiet and he turns to look down at her, nestled in his embrace as she stares at the water, fiddling with the chain again. 'I feel like I've lived a long life. And I'm still young…' She says the last part with a bit of a laugh in her voice.

'Welcome to my life,' He muses and Rose lets the laugh escape. 'You look young, seriously,' The Doctor tilts Rose's chin so she's looking at him. 'You haven't changed, the exact same since the day I pulled you out of that shop basement.' He states, frowning.

'Good. I'm aging gracefully, then.' She jokes and he shakes his head a bit.

'But your eyes are different, like mine. That's the first thing you said to me. How young I look, but how old my eyes are…'

'What are you saying…?' Rose wonders, frowning.

'I don't know, maybe it's nothing; maybe it's just me. But…didn't you notice?' The Doctor wonders and Rose goes off in thought. John mentioned it every once in a while. She just thought he had been kidding.

'I didn't…he did, though, now that you mention it…' Rose informs him.

"He?'' The Doctor wonders and then blinks, knowing who she meant. 'Sorry. Forget it.'

'I'm so sorry, it's just every time I talk about him…something in me…I just stop myself.' Rose admits and stops the fiddling of the chain. She looks at the Yale key still attached to it.

'Don't worry…when you're ready…' He watches her staring at the key and the ring still there. 'I'm surprised you didn't get rid of it.' The Doctor motions to the key and Rose smiles wistfully.

'I did, I threw this damned key right into the waters…' Rose states, and he blinks at her, her comment surprising him, however he's unclear as to why.

'How did you get it back?'

'He found it, and kept it…' Rose replies softly and the Doctor smiles.

'Guess he knew you might have wanted it back.'

'I know…he knew it was just out of anger and resentment.' Rose's voice becomes quieter.

Deciding something right there, the Doctor reaches for the chain and takes it off, unclasping it at the back. Surprisingly, Rose doesn't offer resistance. He takes her ring off of it and reaches around, taking her right hand and slips it back on her middle finger. She sighs softly and he brings her hand to his lips, kissing it lightly.

'There. I can't picture you without it…'

'I've missed wearing it.' She confesses and stares at it, smiling warmly.

'Are you sure you want to come with me?' He wonders and Rose twists so she can face him properly.

'Yes. I do. I've missed this terribly. I've missed you more than you'll ever know. And I need help to move on from my past…'

'I never refuse those words, Rose.' The Doctor informs her, slipping her chain back over her head.

'I know you don't…' She whispers, bringing herself closer to him. She smiles slightly when she notices the blush creep into his cheeks. 'I still have so much tell you…' Rose leans forward and whispers something in his ear. He widens his eyes.

'How do you know that?' He breathes, and she merely presses her forehead with his.

'I know a lot of things now…' She replies simply, her voice has a slyness to it. 'Don't forget…I didn't think I'd be back…and he wanted to share things about…well him, I guess, things you never got a chance to…'

'Yeah, I can see that. Don't go around telling people what that means, though.' He chides and Rose flings him a look.

'Of course I won't…' She retorts. 'Are you saying that you don't trust me?' She wonders innocently.

'Of course I trust you…it's just…a very close guarded secret.'

'I know it is. And it always will be, with me.' Rose responds and he nods, believing her. Still, it's unnerving slightly that she knows about that about him.

'What else do you have to share with me…that's not as shocking as that just was?' He muses and Rose smirks at his tone. Playful but serious.

'Pictures of people I ran into that we met before…' Rose responds

'Then why don't we go back to my place…?' He offers and she smirks.

'If you're offering…' Rose trails off, still very close to him and wanting to show him that she's trying to open herself up to him again, trying to get over her closed exterior, she quickly places a kiss on him.

When she pulls away she can't stop the smile that has spread across her face, mostly because he's so red. Rose stands and grabs her stone cold coffee and then holds her hand out to him. He takes it and stands, smiling at her, relishing in the fact that she seems to warming up to him once more. He holds her hand tightly and they walk back towards the TARDIS, Rose dumps her coffee in the rubbish bin. What they have failed to see is the perfect black cube that has suddenly appeared in the rubbish bin as well.

'Are you sure you don't want anything?' Rose wonders and she drops her flats by the TARDIS doors, stepping into them and she shifts her gaze to the console.

'Yeah, I'm fine.'

'Okay, I'll be back.' Rose announces and opens the door, shutting it behind her.

What a difference a day makes. The clouds have marred the sun, with long periods in between the breaks of the clouds. The wind has increased and when she turns to look to the south, she can see the dark clouds brewing, the smell of rain in the air. A storm looks like it is coming.

That's when she notices that everyone is crowding around different things in the village. Rubbish bins, an assortment of trees, the gutters…everything. Curious, Rose approaches the crowd closet to her, around a mailbox.

She pushes her way through and stops when she sees what everyone is staring at. A cube. A perfect cube. Confused, she pushes her way out of the crowd and then makes her way into another one. More cubes. Multiple cubes, doing nothing but she can't shake the menacingly feeling she gets from them.

Rose makes her way back out of the crowd and stares down the sidewalk. There are easily hundreds of the little cubes. Drawing everyone around them, peaking their curiosity. Unsure what they are, Rose spins on her heel and runs back to the TARDIS. She throws the door open and rushes inside. The Doctor pokes his head around the console frowning.

'That was fast.'

'We have a problem!' Rose gets out and dashes forward. She grips his hand tightly and pulls him out the door of the TARDIS and into the streets.

The Doctor notices the crowds of people around various parts of the street, confused he turns to Rose who abruptly stops and bends down, picking up something. She turns around and shows him.

'What is that?' He takes it from her and squints at it.

'I don't know. I've never seen anything like this. It just gives me a rather…odd feeling. Like it's watching us…'

The Doctor is quiet before he widens his eyes and takes her hand, shoving the cube into his pocket.

'The Ponds!' He exclaims and yanks her back into the direction of the TARDIS.

'Dad, it's half past six in the morning.' Rory states groggily, rubbing the back of his head and trying to figure out why his father is incessantly ringing his doorbell. Amy appears behind Rory, frowning.

'What are you doing lying around?' His father wonders and he holds up one of the cubes. 'Haven't you seen them?' He shoves it into Rory's face he blinks, leaning back.

Rory's father turns around, with his arms open and Rory and Amy step out into their front walkway. There are mysterious black cubes everywhere. They join Rory's father in the streets, staring at them.

'What are they?' Rory wonders, getting closer to one.

'Nobody knows. But they're everywhere.' Rory's father explains and Amy examines one carefully.

'Well, where have they come from?' Amy wonders and then notices something odd across the street. 'Wait…' She folds her arms and notices that at the children's playground, Rose is swinging, holding a cube in her hand, at one point she shakes it. The Doctor is sitting at the top of the jungle gym and he is examining another cube with a magnifying glass. 'Doctor! Rose!'

She watches as both Rose and the Doctor look up to her.

'Invasion of the very small cubes. That's new.' The Doctor states and Rose continues to stare at, wondering what they could possibly want.

The Doctor has led Rose, Amy, Rory and Rory's father, who had introduced himself as Brian to Rose, back into the TARDIS. Rose is holding one cube in her hand as the Doctor examines hers and the one he had placed on the console. Amy and Rory and on the Doctor's other side, watching him intensely.

Rose glances up and smiles at Brian who is wandering around slightly, theorising about the mysterious black cubes.

'What if they're bombs? Billions of tiny bombs. Or transport capsules, maybe, with a mini robots inside. Or deadly hard drives. Or alien eggs. Or messages needing decoding. Or they're all parts of a bigger whole. Jigsaw puzzles that need fitting together.' Brian wonders and the Doctor nods his head, walking towards Brian and takes the cube out of Rose's hands.

'Very thorough, Brian,' The Doctor compliments, getting closer. 'Very, very thorough. Well done. Stay here. Watch these,' The Doctor places the cube in Brian's hand. 'Yell if anything happens.' The Doctor instructs and heads off towards Rose.

Rory blinks and then pats his dad's arm, giving him an apologetic look before following the Doctor.

He's busy shoving equipment into Rose and Amy's hands. As soon as Rory joins them, the Doctor shoves equipment into his arms as well. Unprepared for that, Rory nearly drops it.

Amy watches Rose and the Doctor closely, noticing that something had changed. It had been some time since she had last seen them but she does notice that they look a bit happier. And that relieves her, knowing that they are obviously working hard.

She turns her attention to the cube that is still sitting on the console and turns up to the Doctor.

'Doctor, is this an alien invasion? Because that's what it feels like.' Amy wonders and Rory warily eyes the cube on the console as well.

'There couldn't be life forms in every cube, could there?' Rory wonders and Rose presses her lips together.

'It's hard to say,' Rose re-grips the equipment in her arms. 'We don't know yet.'

'And I really don't like not knowing.' The Doctor adds, heading for the doors.

The Doctor steps out of the TARDIS and quickly glances around; noticing the sheer amount of cubes gathered in odd spots, on cars, benches…he doesn't understand. Rose steps out after him and studies the dormant cubes.

'What could they be here for?' She wonders and the Doctor leads her towards Amy and Rory's house, he glances back at her.

'I don't know.'

'They couldn't possibly be all the same, could they? They have to be different.' Rose informs him and he smiles.

'That's what we're going to find out.' He replies and throws open the front door to Rory and Amy's house. They cry out from the surprise and the Doctor leads Rose right into their kitchen.

Amy and Rory catch up with them and the Doctor turns to face them with a bit of a smile.

'Right, I need to use your kitchen as a lab…' The Doctor announces and Rose drops her equipment on the floor. Amy drops her stuff on the counter and Rory sets his down on the ground. The Doctor begins opening random cupboards until he finds what he's looking for and pulls out a pot. Rose raises her eyebrows.

'What's that for?' She points to the pot.

'We're gonna cook up some cubes, see what happens.' The Doctor declares and Rory and Amy exchange looks and the room grows quiet. Rory glances up to the clock and then turns to Amy.

'Right. I'm due at work.' He sighs and Amy nods, Rose watches quietly, wondering if she should really be standing in their kitchen, especially since Amy and Rory only seem to be half put together, and only half dressed. She lets her mind wander to the routine that she and John eventually established when they had moved into their own flat.

The Doctor's sudden questioning snaps her out of her memories and she turns to him.

'What? You've got a job?' He wonders and Rory nods, like he isn't sure why he doesn't believe him.

'Yeah, of course I've got a job. What do you think we do when we're not with you?' Rory questions, but there is a lightness to his tone. Rose can't help herself and she smiles as well.

'I imagine mostly kissing.' The Doctor admits and Rose gasps, covering her mouth, from disbelief. She reaches over and taps his arm; Rory merely shrugs at his honest answer.

Amy still has a grin on her face and the Doctor turns to her next. 'I write travel articles for magazines and Rory heals the sick.' Amy informs him and watches Rory leave the kitchen only to return moments later.

'My shift starts in an hour. You don't know where my scrubs are?' He wonders and Amy is quiet, pondering his question.

'In the lounge, where you left them.' She points and Rose feels a crooked grin on her face. She glances to the Doctor who is staring at Amy with a confused face, clearly not used to the domestic side of things. Rose leans against their counter and stares out the window. She begins to remember.

'I can't find it!'

'Did you glance or look?'

'Both!'

'Go and look again, that's where I saw it.'

'Rose, we're going to be late!'

'I know, I can't find the keys!' She exclaims and glances at a table.

'Check the boxes by the door.' He calls to her from the other room and does, but she doesn't see it.

'Not there!'

'That's where I put them!'

Rose shifts the boxes and hears the clear sound of keys dropping to the floor. When she pushes the boxes to the side, she catches sight of them and quickly snatches them up. When she straightens up she catches John walking towards her down the hall, fixing his coat collar.

'Was it there?' Rose wonders.

'Yes. You find the keys?' John questions and Rose smirks jingling them in his face. 'This place is a mess…' He surveys the rooms he can see and sighs.

'We don't have time to think about that now, we're really late…' Rose pulls him towards the door and he shuts it behind him.

'Rose?' Amy questions and Rose blinks, turning back around them.

'I'm sorry…?'

'I just wondered if I could get you anything before I head out…?' Amy repeats and Rose shakes her head.

'I'm all right, thanks.' Rose replies and the Doctor watches her, wondering what she had just been thinking about. He knows that look on her. What was she remembering?

In the street, black Land Rovers have pulled into the street, close to where Amy and Rory's house is located. When the Rovers stop, armed men exit it and begin to surround the house. One man reaches for his radio.

'Approach each side,' The soldier instructs. 'Nonterrestrial life form detected. Target unconfirmed. May be hostile.'

The soldiers begin to fan out, covering their points and the same soldier reaches for his radio once more. Some stand in front of the front door to Amy and Rory's house, reading to burst through on command.

'Approaching source now. Areas will be secure in sixty seconds. Ultimate force available.'

The Doctor is continuously setting up the equipment with help from Rose and Amy watches them with a candid fascination, she sometimes hands things to Rose to hand to the Doctor. Rose and the Doctor work so well together, in a wonderful fluidity. Amy can hardly believe it. Eventually the Doctor turns to glance at Amy and he smiles.

'Eh, the Ponds. With their house and their jobs and their everyday lives. The journalist and the nurse. Long way from Leadworth.' He responds and Rose turns her attention to Amy as well.

'We think it's been ten years,' Amy informs him and Rose blinks, shocked. 'Not for you or Earth, but for us. Ten years older, ten years of you. On and off.'

'Look at you now. All grown up.' The Doctor smiles and Amy merely shrugs, matching his grin.

The moment doesn't last long as the front door bursts open and soldiers rush into the house, their heavy boots stomping on the floor. The voices, over the radio, echo around them, filling the kitchen. Rose frowns.

'Block the rear entrances.' One soldier orders and they hear the boots stomping around, growing fainter.

'Clear!'

'Cut the power line.' The order comes over the radio and multiple soldiers flock into the kitchen, guns raised. Rose merely rolls her eyes. How very subtle.

Amy and the Doctor have their hands raise and he nudges Rose to do the same, but she merely places her hands on her hips.

'Trap three. Back garden secured.' A voice over the radio informs them and the soldiers in the kitchen turn around abruptly when Rory is marched back into the kitchen. He has his hands up and is wearing no pants.

'There are soldiers all over my house and I'm in my pants.' Rory complains and Amy raises her eyebrows.

'My whole life, I've dreamed of saying that, and I miss it by being someone else.'

Everyone is quiet as a woman enters into the kitchen; she is in her late forties and strolls casually towards them. Rose marches forward. She should have known this would have happened, and she is less than impressed.

'Very, very subtle, Kate, really?' Rose complains and the Doctor, Rory and Amy gape at her.

'Oh, Marion, all these muscles and they still don't know how to knock,' Kate simply shrugs and extends her hand. Rose reluctantly shakes it. 'Sorry about the raucous entrance.' Kate apologises to Amy and Rory.

'Marion…?' The Doctor questions and Rose turns over, offering an apologetic shrug. Another alias. Just how many does she have?

'Spike in arton energy at this address. In the light of the last twenty-four hours, we had to check it out and, uh, the dogs do love a runout. Hello, Kate Stewart,' She extends her hand and shakes the Doctor's, then Amy's and then Rory's. 'I'm head of scientific research at UNIT. And, with dress sense like that…' Kate trails off and holds out a scanner in front of the Doctor's chest. 'You must be the Doctor. I hoped it'd be you. I'm glad to see you've met Marion. She had been looking for you. Which reminds me,' Kate pauses and turns to Rose. 'We have to talk about that little incident with the Sontarans.'

'Free agent, remember?' Rose retorts and folds her arms.

'Oh, I do wish you'd reconsider, Marion.' Kate complains and Rose folds her arms.

'Did it once, I won't do it again.'

'That was the old UNIT, I've implemented the changes we worked on.' Kate reminds her and Rose merely shakes her head.

'Not interested.'

The Doctor steps forward, wanting to change the subject and keep Rose out of this woman's line of fire. 'Tell me, since when did science run the military, Kate?'

'Since us,' Kate motions to herself and Rose. 'UNIT's been adapting. Well, we dragged them along, kicking and screaming, which made it sound like more fun than it actually was.'

The Doctor eyes Rose and she smiles sheepishly. 'Right. What do we know about these cubes?'

Kate strolls into the kitchen further, Rose eyes her warily and the Doctor keeps Rose closer to him. 'Far less than we need to. We've been freighting them in from around the world for testing. So far, we've subjected them to temperatures of minus two hundred Celsius, simulated a water depth of five miles, dropped one out of a helicopter at ten thousand feet and rolled our best tank over it. Always intact.'

'All around the world, people are picking them up and taking them home.' The Doctor states and Kate nods.

'Like iPads have dropped out of the sky,' Kate confirms. 'Taking them to work, taking pictures, making films, posting them on Flickr and YouTube. Within three hours, the cubes had one thousand separate Twitter accounts.'

'Twitter!' The Doctor replies, disgusted.

'Have you treated this as a hostile incursion?' Rose wonders and Kate nods.

'I have. I've had our teams gather them all up and lock them in a secure facility, but that would take massive international agreement and cooperation.' Kate sighs and places one of her hand on her hips.

'We need evidence. The cubes arrive in plain sight, in vast quantities, as the sun rose. So what does that tell us?' The Doctor wonders and puts his arms over Amy and Rose's shoulders.

'Maybe they wanted to be seen, noticed.' Amy offers and the Doctor nods a bit.

'Well, more than that. They want to be observed. So we observe them. Stay with them, round the clock. Watch the cubes,' The Doctor tosses a cube he's picked up off the counter into the air and catches it. 'Day and night. Record absolutely everything about them. Team cube, in it together.' He kisses it. Rose merely watches him with a bit of a smirk on her face.

Rose watches him with an unimpressed look. Amy leans forward and get Rose in her line of view. Rose offers Amy an apologetic smile and they both turn their attention to the Doctor who is lying upside down on a sofa in between Rose and Amy. Rory merely leans back. The Doctor ensures that he has the cubes, placed on the table, in his line of view.

'Four days. Nothing!' The Doctor says suddenly and reaches to the table, snatching a cube up. 'Nothing! Not a single change in any cube,' He slaps it and Rose pinches the bridge of her nose. 'Anywhere in the world,' He places the cube back on the table and sits up. Four days! And I'm still in your lounge!'

Rose sighs and crosses her legs. 'I believe it was your brilliant plan to watch them, wasn't it?'

'Yes…' He responds looking at her. 'Well, I thought they'd do something, didn't I?' Rose merely flings him a look. 'Not just sit there while everyone eats endless cereal!' He counters and gets up, starting to pace.

'You said we had to be patient.' Rory reminds him and the Doctor stops briefly before resuming his pacing. Rose and Amy exchange looks.

'Yes, you, you! Not me! I hate being patient! Patience is for wimps!' He declares and drops back onto the sofa; he turns to Rose who is watching him with a fascination. 'Don't you give me that look. I can't live like this. Don't make me. I need to be busy.'

'Fine!' Amy exclaims, exasperated, putting her hands up in the air. 'Be busy! We'll watch the cubes!'

The Doctor gets up and hurries from the lounge. 'Yes!' They hear the front door shutting.

Rose exhales and apologises to them. 'I'm sorry…'

'Does he always get like this…well bored?' Rory wonders and Rose shakes her head.

'No…he just…gets cabin fever. He doesn't stop. He just goes, you know what I mean? He was like this the last time, too.'

'Last time?' Amy wonders and Rose covers her mouth.

'I'm sorry,' Rose sighs and is unsure as to why she let that slip. 'We've done this before, he and I, a long time ago.'

'Same result?' Rory wonders and Rose nods.

'Exact same. It's just as he said, he needs to be busy.'

'Busy doing what?'

'Anything that will take his mind off of this…' Rose informs them and Amy leans back, crossing her legs. 'I'll go check on him…' She gets up.

'Oh, he'll be fine. Relax, I'll go put a pot of tea on.' Amy declares and Rose sits back down. Amy gets up and walks into the kitchen.

'So…how've you been?' Rory attempts to make conversation and Rose shrugs.

'All right.'

'Why did that Kate woman call you Marion? I mean, if you don't mind my asking.'

'That's the name I used when I used to work for UNIT, I don't like using my real name.'

'Oh…so…Rhoswen Wolfe…?'

'Purely fictitious.'

'I see…'

'I'm rather complicated…' Rose responds and Rory smiles.

'I'm starting to see that.' He responds, wondering where that bitter woman he had met in Mercy had gone to. She seems to be completely different.

Amy comes back moments later with three mugs, steaming. She sets them down on the table and takes a seat beside Rory.

'Thanks Amy.' Rose takes a mug and blows on the cup.

Soon they fall into a pleasant conversation, as Amy and Rory tread carefully around Rose's relationship with the Doctor.

The Doctor suddenly leaps over the back of the sofa and sits between Amy and Rose, a wide smile on his face.

'That's better. Nothing like a bit of activity to pass the time. How long was I gone?'

Rose checks her watch, as does Rory and he answers first. 'Uh, about an hour.'

The Doctor nods and then pauses, inhaling deeply as he shakes his head. 'I can't do it. No.' He gets up and jumps over the back of the sofa and heads for the TARDIS.

Rose, Rory and Amy get up from the sofa and dashes out the door after him. He's heading for the TARDIS and Rose jogs to catch up to him.

'Where are you going?' Amy calls to him.

He doesn't answer her and just opens the TARDIS door, stepping into it. Rose, Rory and Amy step in after him. Everyone stops in their tracks when they see that Brian is still in the console room, seated on a folding chair and watching the cubes intensely.

'Brian! You're still here…' The Doctor says and Brian turns back to them, shrugging his shoulders.

'You told me to watch the cubes.' Brian replies simply.

'Four days ago.' The Doctor states and Brian blinks, looking around slightly.

'Oh! Doesn't time fly when you're alone with your thoughts.' Brian smiles a bit.

Rose makes her way to the console and Rory and Amy stay behind as the Doctor moves forward to join Rose. He gives her a small smile, as she understands what he had wanted to do. As he moves around the console, he grabs her wrist and she looks up to him briefly before he lets go, moving by her.

'You can't just leave, Doctor.' Rory informs him and Brian gets up from the folding chair.

'Yes, course I can. Quick jaunt. Restore sanity. Oh!' He snaps his fingers and rushes back towards Amy and Rory, draping his arms over them. 'Hey! Come, if you like.'

'They can't just go off like that.' Brian interjects and the Doctor frowns, turning to him.

'Can't they?' He wonders and turns to Rose. She merely looks at him sympathetically. Confused he turns back to Amy and Rory. 'Can't you? That's how it goes, isn't it?'

'No, Doctor, it isn't.' Rose informs him and he tilts his head.

'I've got my job.' Rory reminds him.

'Oh, yes, Rory, the universe is awaiting, but you have a little job to go to.' The Doctor responds and Rose shakes her head.

'Listen, Doctor, you have to understand…' Rose begins to approach him. 'Little or not, it's important to him…'

'Yeah, I mean…what you do isn't all there is.' Rory retorts and the Doctor folds his arms.

'I never said it was. All right, fine. I'll be back, soon. Monitor the cubes. Call me,' The Doctor responds, and Rose can hear the bitterness underlying his tone. He abruptly snaps his fingers. 'I'll have the TARDIS set to every Earth newsfeed.'

Amy smiles and waves to him before she, Rory and Brian turn around and walk out of the TARDIS, shutting the door behind them.

Things are quiet between the two of them and eventually the Doctor turns to Rose, confused.

'Did you want to go too?' He wonders and Rose merely smiles.

'Where did you want me to go to?'

'I don't know…'

'I'm here,' Rose walks down and takes his hand, gazing up to him. 'What's wrong?'

'Is real life really more exciting than this?' He wonders innocently and Rose merely shakes her head, a small smile on her features.

'Listen, you have to understand that they want to enjoy their lives…and yes real life can be more exciting than this.'

'Was it for you?'

'Yes, it was,' She replies. He sighs and just stares at the TARDIS door before turning around and heads for the console, taking Rose by her wrist. 'You still have me…' She offers.

'Yeah, I do, thankfully…'

'Anywhere in the universe…' Rose replies and smirks at him.

'What do you think, Ms. Tyler? Fancy a stroll across the stars?'

'Try and stop me.'

'There. What do you think?' Rose wonders and twirls the bouquet a bit in her hands and he smiles.

'Looks good.' He compliments are Rose inhales them, smiling.

'Well we'd better get moving, or we'll be late.' She counters and he offers his arm, which she gladly takes.

Together they walk back to the TARDIS and Rose can't wait to see the look on their faces when they show up. After all, it's very nearly been nine months here on Earth, and Rose couldn't wait to hear all about their lives. She quickly steals a glance at the Doctor, unsure if he knows that he's slowly losing them to reality. They may love this life just as much as she does but she can tell that they love reality just as much.

Together they walk into the back garden; there are a collection of people there and a wonderful smell of food. Rose catches sight of Rory and Brian on the grill and Amy wandering around as she speaks into her mobile.

'Being as it's our wedding anniversary, we thought you and Rose might've dropped by. I left you messages…'

'We know!' The Doctor calls to her and she quickly spins around, smiling widely as she sets her sights on him and Rose.

Rose steps forward and hands her a stunning looking bouquet of flowers. 'Happy anniversary!' Amy embraces her tightly and then moves on to the Doctor.

He glances back to their house and then drops his voice. 'Come with me. And bring your husband.' He claps his hands and takes Rose back to the house.

Amy gives him a funny look, but nonetheless goes and collects Rory.

The Doctor and Rose step out of the TARDIS and into a posh looking hotel room, Rose glances around, studying it. Shortly after, Amy and Rory step out in period type evening clothing.

The three of them have no idea where they could possibly be and wait for the Doctor to reveal just where it is he's taken them.

'Twenty-sixth of June 1819. The recently opened Savoy Hotel. Dinner, bed and breakfast for two,' The Doctor stops as a chef strolls by them carrying a covered platter. 'Bonjour, bonjour, merci, Auguste. You'll be back before the party's over. They won't even notice you went. No complications, I promise.'

Rory and Amy exchange looks as Rose holds her breath, hoping that they'd be willing to try it. Without warning, Rory takes the Doctor's face in both of his hands and kisses him resoundingly on the cheek. Rose grins and the Doctor blinks.

'Oh!'

Rose, sensing that they'd want to be alone, takes the Doctor by the arm and pulls him into the direction of the TARDIS. Changing her mind, she leads him to the direction of the door. He watches her with a curious look and she shrugs.

'You can buy me a drink.' Rose states and he blinks.

'But…I don't have money…'

'Really?' Rose replies and sighs. They shut the door just as they hear Amy squeal out of excitement and Rory laughs.

Rose wipes the dirt off her face and pushes her hair back, retying it once more. She turns to look at Amy and Rory who are quiet as the four of them sit on the edge of the road, staring off and the Doctor straightens his jacket. All of them look vacant and they're dishevelled. Unable to stand the quiet, the Doctor puts his arm around Rose's shoulders and then clears his throat.

'Bit of a shock, Zygon ship under the Savoy, half the staff imposters. Still! It's all fixed now, eh?'

The three of them turn to look at the Doctor and he's immediately quiet. Something in Rose wonders just how much of that he truly knew. And she wondered if this might have been a bit of a ploy to have them come back with him since she was sure he missed them.

Rose sighs and rests her head on his shoulder.

'This way!' Rose calls and abruptly takes a right turn and throws open the door. They enter into a large wood panelled room. It is richly decorated with tapestries and ornate trinkets. The Doctor brushes by them and leaps onto the bed, sinking in and Amy stops in front of it, folding her arms.

'I thought we were going home!' She states crossly and the Doctor gets off the bed.

'You can't miss a good wedding. Under the bed. Under the bed!'

The four of them hastily crawl under the bed and hold their breaths as a muffled voice is heard in the halls.

'…King of England.'

'Great. That's just great.' Rose states and the Doctor covers Rose's mouth with his hand and the takes his free one and press it to his lips.

'It wasn't my fault.' Amy whispers defensively.

'It was totally your fault.' Rory retorts and Rose peels the Doctor's hand away from her mouth.

'Try being subtly threatened by Anne Boleyn…' Rose cuts in. She had been clearly threatened by the arrival of she and Amy. Scared that she would lose favour with the King. Even if their arrival was temporary.

'Somebody was talking and I just said 'yes.'' Amy replies and Rory widens his eyes.

'To wedding vows. You just married Henry VIII on our anniversary.'

'Anne didn't like that.' Rose smirks, Amy merely reddens.

'Shush!' The Doctor breaks in and everyone is immediately quiet.

They see feet and legs of Henry as he enters the room; he stops and surveys the room, and is certain that he saw that odd collection of people enter this room.

The Doctor abruptly sneezes and Rose sighs while Rory buries his head in his hands.

'Sorry…'

The Doctor gets Amy and Rory back home just before their friends are going to give them the anniversary toast. They dash off to join their friends and Brian notices that Rose and the Doctor have returned. They watch as Rory and Amy are laughing and chatting with friends and Brian comes towards them.

'How long have they been away?' Brian wonders and the Doctor blinks.

'Busted…' Rose whispers and Brian folds his arms.

'I don't know what you're talking about.' The Doctor replies innocently.

'Because they're wearing totally different clothes form earlier.' Brain points out and Rose presses her lips together, turning her gaze up to the Doctor.

'Seven weeks. I got sidetracked. A lot…' The Doctor admits and Brian turns to Rose, studying her.

'Did you used to travel with him?' Brian wonders. 'I've never seen you before…'

'I did.' Rose replies and Brian turns back to the Doctor.

'What happened to the other people who travelled with you?' He wonders and the Doctor swallows, turning to Rose.

'Uh, some left me, some got left behind, some have found me again, and some, not many, but…some died,' The Doctor cuts Brian off when he notices that he's opened his mouth to protest that statement. 'Not them. Not them, Brian. Never them.' The Doctor promises and Rose takes his hand as all three of them turn back to Rory and Amy embracing each other tightly and are laughing.

Rose wonders if they have already made their choice, because to her they look happier…

After the party has ended, Rose helps Amy clean up the mess. While in the kitchen and Rose is washing the dishes, Amy drying them, the Doctor watches them and Rory tilts his head. The Doctor looks like he wants to ask something, but is unsure of how it will be received.

'Can we…stay here?' He wonders hesitantly. Amy stops drying dishes and Rose turns to him. 'Rose and I. With you? And Rory. For a bit. Keep an eye on the cubes. However long that takes.'

Rose swallows, completely taken back by his statement. She turns to Amy who is studying her and then she turns to the Doctor.

'I thought it would drive you mad.' Amy wonders and the Doctor shakes his head.

'No. No, no. I mean, I'll be better this time. I…' He pauses and stares at the floor. 'Miss you…'

Rose's heart aches for him, knowing that he's slowly losing them to the thralls of real life and he doesn't understand that. He doesn't understand that there could possibly come a time when they will be forced to choose and they might not choose him. She doesn't know how long they've been travelling with him, all that time that Rose and the Doctor spent away the first time hadn't revealed much about his time after his regeneration. She can just see how much the two of them mean to him.

As Amy exchanges looks with Rory, Rose quietly goes back to washing the dishes.

Rose eyes them warily as the three of them continue to eat that odd concoction of peculiar ingredients as they stare at the telly. She had refused on the grounds that it sounds so weird. The Doctor turns to Rose and notices her cautiously watching them and he offers her one. She shakes her head and he shrugs, taking a bite.

'If I had a restaurant, this would be all I'd serve.' He states with his mouth full and Amy flings him an unimpressed look.

'Yeah, right. You, running a restaurant.' She replies dismissively.

'I've run restaurants. Who do you think invented the Yorkshire pudding?' The Doctor wonders and Rory merely chuckles.

'You didn't.'

'Pudding, yet savoury. Sound familiar?' The Doctor states and the shoves another fish finger at Rose. 'Come on, try it.'

'No, thank you.' Rose replies and shakes her head.

'Really, honestly, it's not terrible. Promise.' Amy offers and Rose looks at her with uncertainty in her eyes.

Pressing her lips together, she reluctantly takes the fish finger from the Doctor and dips it into the custard, and grudgingly takes a bite. She eyes the Doctor and shakes her head.

'I hate it when you're right.' She mutters and takes another bite.

'I know you do.' He smirks at her.

Amy walks into the kitchen to see Rory diligently cleaning the countertop, lifting a cube out of the way to do so. As he walks back to the sink, Amy approaches him and embraces him tightly from behind. She smiles at him when he turns to catch a glimpse at her.

'Good job, mister,' Amy states. 'Civilisation saved, surfaces wiped. What more could any woman ask for?' She wonders and laughs a bit. 'I mean it.' She kisses Rory.

Rory pulls away as something has dawned on him. 'Where's the Doctor? And Rose?'

'Rose has gone out for another run and the Doctor is on the Wii again,' She replies simply. 'Rose should be back any moment. But I'm going for a bath,' Amy plants another loving kiss on him and heads out of the kitchen. 'Oh, by the way, Rose offered to cook tonight.'

'Awesome.'

Amy smiles and heads out of the kitchen and Rory turns back to the sink, wringing the sponge out. On the table that has another cube on it, it opens for mere seconds before closing again. Rory turns to it, thinking he heard a sound. But the cube is the same as ever. He watches it for a few moments but it doesn't change.

He shrugs and turns back to the sink once more, however in his peripheral vision, he catches sight of the cube opening. He widens his eyes and rushes over to it to examine it. Before he gets there it closes once more. Rory pulls back and it opens once more. When he looks forward it closes again.

Rose drops down on the sofa, breathing heavily and watching the Doctor still absorbed in the videogame. She smiles a bit when he turns to her, however it's briefly as he goes back to concentrating on the game.

'How was the run?' He questions and Rose exhales, watching how animated he's becoming over the game.

'Good, good, tiring.' Rose admits and he turns to look at her briefly. She inhales deeply. Her cheeks are still red and she brushes the fallen stands of hair out of her face.

'When did you start that?' He wonders and Rose pauses.

'In the parallel world.'

'Right…'

'Careful, you nearly missed.' Rose points the screen, changing the subject and he looks back over.

'Oh!' He shoves his hands into the air and Rose smiles at him, shaking her head when he jumps onto the sofa. 'That's second set, Doctor! Ha, ha! Oh, if Fred Perry could see me now, eh?' He turns to Rose. 'He'd probably ask for his shorts back.'

'I won't even touch that statement…' Rose rests her head on her hand, closing her eyes.

The Doctor smiles and continues to play the game as he notices that she's fallen asleep. They don't hear the cube that has hovered behind them.

Amy hears Rose come back in and her subsequent conversation and she smiles a bit to herself as she heads to her bedroom. It sounds like they are getting along much better than they had in the beginning. She's immensely happy for him. All the minimal stories he'd told her of Rose, the pictures she saw of her revealed that at one time…they had been very happy. And that they had had a very different relationship than what they do now.

She hopes with everything in her that they can fix what had been damaged. He seems so much happier now that Rose had stumbled back into this life. Even if had been by accident. She wonders just how rich their history was. Even with all this time spent with her, Amy hasn't really gotten a chance to ask Rose. What would she even ask? Perhaps some things are better left unsaid.

Amy doesn't know the true extent to which Rose was hurt by the Doctor, but she's in a constant state of forgiving. She truly didn't believe Rose would have when she saw her in Mercy. He painted her as such a different person and then to see her as acting the exact opposite confused her. However seeing Rose as this woman who was so willing to help around the house and do other 'domestic' things like cooking dinner tonight, reveals a very sweet person underneath.

Amy enters her room and walks into the ensuite bathroom. She glances to the cube that is still sitting on her bureau. It's still normal and so she continues on, not catching that the cube has turned blue until she sees it out of her peripheral vision. She walks back over to it and reaches her hand over it to pick it up however she immediately pulls her hand back.

The top of the cube reveals a row of needles. Amy looks at her palm that now shows the marks from the needles. The needles quickly retract into the cube and then the sides of it display her heartbeat. She widens her eyes.

Rose blinks a few times, not realising she'd fallen asleep and looks up to the Doctor who is still engrossed in the videogame. She shakes her head and feels her eyes close again, only opening them when the Doctor begins to speak at the television.

'Third set, decider. Come on, then,' The Doctor smirks then frowns when he notices that something has blocked his view. It jostles Rose out of her groggy state. 'Out of the way, dear, I'm trying to…' He trails off and notices it's the cube.

'Uh…Doctor…that's…' Rose gets up and walks towards him, the cube turns in her direction and Rose frowns at it.

'Listen, whatever you are, this planet, these people, especially that one right there that you're subtly threatening, are precious to me. And I will defend them to my last breath. Is that all you can do, hover?' The Doctor scoffs. 'I had a metal dog could do that,' The Doctor smirks and Rose laughs. The cube abruptly opens, showing the muzzle of gun. Rose hits the Doctor's arm and points. 'Ooh! Ooh, that's clever. What's that?'

Anticipating the cube's next move, the Doctor embraces Rose from behind and moves backward with her until they fall back onto the sofa just as the cube fires.

'Whoa!' She calls out, surprised and notices that the cube has moved forward. She twists around and climbs over the back of the sofa, taking the Doctor with her.

The Doctor lies on his stomach and peers underneath the sofa and watches the cube, which fires at him again. He yanks Rose up and they run from the room all the while the cube floats in the middle of the room, uploading all the information.

The Doctor peeks around the corner and smiles. 'Oh, you really have woken up.'

Rory comes running from the kitchen into the hallway and spots Rose and the Doctor peering into the lounge. He approaches them.

'Doctor!' He calls and Rose and the Doctor turn around. 'Hi. The cube in there, it just opened?'

They don't have time to answer as they head heavy footsteps come thundering down the stairs.

'The cube upstairs just spiked me and took my pulse!' Amy informs him and the Doctor starts to laugh.

'Really?! The one in there fired laser bolts and, now, it's surfing the net!'

Everyone turns around when Brian joins them in the hallway looking rather frantic.

'You're never going to believe this. My cube just moved. It rattled.'

The Doctor laughs and pulls Rose into the lounge so that they can watch the cube some more and that's when Rory's mobile rings.

Confused he pulls it out. 'Hello?'

'Rory, mate, I'm desperate for help. People are saying they've been attacked by the cubes. It's going to be a long night.' Ranjit's voice is full of stress and Rory nods his head.

'Okay I'm on my way.'

At the hospital, the small girl is still sitting in her chair, while the cube in her lap begins to glow blue. She glances up and surveys the crowds of people in the room.

Rory hangs up the phone and turns to Amy who is watching him put his mobile back into his pocket.

'I have to get to work. They need all the help they can get.' Rory informs them and Amy nods deeply.

'Let me come with you.' Brian offers and Rory flings him a surprised look before he eventually shrugs his shoulders.

'Take your dad to work night, brilliant!' He smiles at Brian and then turns to Amy. 'Okay, you going to be all right here?' He wonders and takes her hands.

Amy merely pulls him in for another kiss. 'Keep away from the cubes.' She states firmly and Rory nods.

'All right.'

Amy watches as Rory and Brian head out of the hallway and towards the front door. The Doctor and Rose come out of the lounge, having now put on his jacket and he is glancing at the Psychic Paper. He has a large grin on his face and Amy frowns.

'What are you grinning about?'

'We're wanted at the Tower of London.' The Doctor informs her and puts the Psychic Paper into his jacket pocket and already has begun to head for the door.

Rose and Amy follow behind him. Amy can see the hesitation in Rose's eyes and she wonders why exactly that is.

Kate is walking with Rose and the Doctor as Amy walks behind them, listening and she looks around the hall, it has a coolness to it. She watches as Rose crosses her arms across her chest and Amy realises how uncomfortable she is here.

'Every cube across the whole world activated at the same moment.' Kate explains and the Doctor nods his head.

'Now we're in business. You sent me a message to my Psychic Paper. You know, I'm almost impressed.' The Doctor compliments and Amy jogs to catch up to them.

'Secret base under the Tower? I hope we're not here because we know too much.' Amy wonders and Rose turns to her.

'You never know with Kate, sadly. She's got officers trained in beheading.' Rose rolls her eyes and Kate merely smirks at Amy.

'Marion forgot to mention the ravens of death.' Kate states and walks away.

'I like her.' Amy smiles to the Doctor and he just sighs.

'Yeah.'

Kate leads the three of them into a large hall, where there are a few rooms and many computers that are used to monitor the sealed rooms. Rose glances around and notices the changes that Kate has made in her short absence.

She glances into the sealed rooms and notices that the cubes are in there, being watched, sealed off in case anything happens.

'There are fifty being monitored and more coming in all the time. I don't know how useful it is. Every cube is behaving individually. There's no meaningful pattern. Some respond to proximity, some create mood swings.' Kate informs them an Amy abruptly stops at one of the holding units.

'What's this one?' She wonders and Kate stops beside her, folding her arms.

'Try the door.'

Amy does as she's told and opens the door to the chamber, only to hear the familiar sound that has been associated with the Chicken Dance. Rose and the Doctor both cover their ears. Kate merely shakes her head.

'On a loop!'

Amy hastily shuts the door.

When Kate leads them into another portion of the Tower, another large computer room, the Doctor and Rose walk towards the computers and the Doctor hastily begins to type on it.

'This is the latest.' Kate states.

'Oh, dear.' The Doctor presses a few more keys. Rose shakes her head.

'What's going on?' Amy wonders and Rose turns back to her.

'Major systems breach at the Pentagon, China…' Rose is cut off as the Doctor interjects.

'Every African nation, the Middle East.' He finishes and Kate sighs.

'Don't worry, Kate, we'll figure this out.' Rose offers and Kate just smiles slightly at her.

'Oh, I have no doubt, Marion. It's just that I've got governments screaming for explanations and no idea what to tell them. I'm lost, Marion. We all are. And we need your help, Doctor.' Kate admits and he turns back to her.

'Don't despair, Kate. Your dad never did,' The Doctor reminds her and Kate stares at her. Even Rose eyes the Doctor in disbelief. 'Kate Stewart. Heading up UNIT, changing the way they work. How could you not be? Why did you drop 'Lethbridge?'' The Doctor wonders and Kate merely smiles at him.

'I didn't want any favours,' Kate admits. 'Though he guided me, even to the end. 'Science leads,' he always told me, said he'd learnt that from an old friend.'

The Doctor smiles slightly. 'We don't let him down. We don't let this planet down.' The Doctor reminds her and everyone's attention is drawn to gazing around the room as an alarm sounds.

'They've stopped. The cubes. Across the world. They just shut down.' A tech informs them and everyone exchanges confused looks.

'Active for forty seven minutes and then they just die?' Kate questions and Rose shakes her head.

'I don't think so. It wouldn't make sense. Maybe they've gone dormant. But definitely not dead.' Rose states and the Doctor nods his head.

'Exactly.'

'Then why shut down?' Amy questions.

'I don't know. I don't know. I need to think. I need some air. Who has an underground base? Terrible ventilation!' The Doctor declares and strides out of the room. Rose and Amy chase after him. He leads them right out of the underground base and into the cool night air.

The Doctor is sitting in the middle of Rose, on his right and Amy on his left. They are sitting on a wall that is overlooking the Thames. He is strangely quiet. Rose knows he's thinking about the correct move that he should take in regards to the cubes. She wants to help him, but she doesn't know what needs to be done. He reaches for her hand and she takes it tightly in his own.

Together they stare up at the sky and he is quiet for some time, rubbing Rose's hand with his thumb.

'The moment they arrived, I should've made sure they were collected and burned. That's what I should've done.' The Doctor finally speaks and Rose turns to him.

She tilts his chin towards her and smiles. 'With your non-serious face? I hate to tell you, but no one would have listened.'

He stares at Rose and she smirks at him. He merely gives her a small one and turns to Amy.

'You're thinking of stopping, aren't you? You and Rory.' The Doctor wonders and Amy widens her eyes. Rose presses her lips together, upset that she had been right in her assumptions and how badly she feels for him. Because she can tell how close they've grown. Amy, Rory and the Doctor. She'd love to know how they met, their adventures. She wants to know it all.

'No, no, I mean, we haven't made a decision.' Amy responds truthfully.

'But you're considering it…' The Doctor wonders and grips Rose's hand tighter.

'Maybe. I don't know. We don't know. Well, our lives have changed so much. There was a time, there were years, when I couldn't live without you,' Amy chuckles a bit and Rose smiles sympathetically at her. 'Um, when just the whole everyday thing would drive me crazy, you understand…right Rose?'

'Of course I do, Amy.' Rose replies and the Doctor stares at them, not quiet understand their connection. He struggles to understand and hopes that Amy isn't seriously considering leaving.

'But since you dropped us back there, since you gave us this house, you know, we've built a life. But I don't know if I can have both.' Amy admits and the Doctor stares at her, not understanding.

'Why?' He wonders innocently and Rose shakes her head, knowing how hard this is for him to understand. She hopes that Amy will explain to him as easily as she can. She excuses herself, knowing where this moment is going to take them and the Doctor watches Rose hop down and smile sadly at him. She walks a few steps away from them and Amy smiles appreciatively at Rose when she looks back.

'Because they pull at each other. Because they pull at me and because the travelling is starting to feel like running away.'

'That's not what it is…' The Doctor states but Amy merely smiles.

'Oh, come on, look at you. Four days in a lounge and you go crazy, dragging Rose who knows where.'

'I'm not running away,' The Doctor insists and he glances at Rose who is staring up into the sky. 'This is one corner of one country, in one continent, on one planet that's a corner of a galaxy, that's a corner of a universe that is forever growing and shrinking and creating and destroying and never remaining the same for a single millisecond and there is so much, so much to see, Amy. Because it goes so fast. I'm not running away from things. I'm running to them, because they flare and fade forever. It's all right. Our lives won't run the same. They can't. One day, soon, maybe, you'll stop. I've known for a while.' The Doctor admits and Amy merely stares at him confused.

'They why do you keep coming back for us? I mean…Rose is here… don't you want to spend time with her?' Amy wonders and the Doctor stares at Rose, skipping rocks into the Thames.

'We are. We're taking it slow. And in response to your question it's because you were the first. The first face this face saw. And you were seared onto my hearts, Amelia Pond. You always will be. I'm running to you and Rory before you fade from me.' The Doctor admits and Amy rests her head on his shoulder.

'Don't be nice to me,' Amy states and feels the tears run down her cheeks. 'I don't want you to be nice to me.'

'Yeah, you do, Pond,' The Doctor smiles and leans his head on Amy's. 'And you always get what you want,' The Doctor replies quietly and then thinks about the words he's just said. 'They got what they wanted.'

'What?' Amy sits up. 'Who did?'

The Doctor slaps his cheeks. 'The cubes. That's why they stopped. Rose! They've got what they wanted! The cubes!' He shouts to her and Rose jogs back up to them.

'Then we need to move it!' She calls and leads them back into the underground base.

They find Kate in the hallway of the underground base, who is looking over reports and Rose calls out to her first.

'Kate! We have new information.'

She turns to them confused and frowns. 'What do you mean?

'Before they shut down, they scanned everything, from your medical limits to your military response patterns,' The Doctor informs her and Kate folds her arms. 'They made a complete assessment,' The lights abruptly go out. 'Of planet Earth,' The Doctor scans the area with his sonic. 'And its inhabitants. That's what the surge of activity was. Problem with the power?' The Doctor wonders innocently and Kate flings him an unimpressed look.

Kate grabs a torch and switches it on. 'Not possible. We've got backups.' She states firmly and Rose shrugs.

'Interesting.' Rose replies and the Doctor uses the sonic, as he walks by Rose, he pulls her with him. Amy and Kate follow them.

As they come to the solitary chambers that house the cubes, Amy stops in front of one of the rooms and widens her eyes. The cubes in the rooms each glow blue, with the number seven lit up in the blue light.

'Doctor. Look.' She calls to him and the Doctor and Rose stop.

'What?' He wonders and together they double back to where Amy is, they watch with a candid fascination about the cubes and the number seven.

'Why do they all say seven?'

'Seven. What's important about seven? Seven wonders of the world. Seven streams or the River Ota. Seven sides of a cube.'

'A cube has six sides.' Amy points out but Rose merely shrugs.

'You have to count the inside.' Rose replies and Amy frowns. The Doctor begins to sonic the cube.

Abruptly the cube changes to the number six.

'I'm telling you, it's a countdown.' Rose points to the cube and the Doctor nods.

'I agree. What else could it be.'

'Not in minutes.' Kate interjects and the Doctor turns to her.

'Why would it be minutes, Kate?' The Doctor wonders and inhales deeply. 'We have to get humanity away from those cubes. God knows what they'll do, if they hit zero. Get the information out any way you can. News channels, websites, radio, text message. People have to know that the cubes are dangerous.'

'Okay, but why is it starting now? I mean, the cubes arrived months ago. Why wait this long.' Amy wonders and Rose continues to stare at it as she offers Amy an explanation.

'Oh, it's because they're clever. They've lulled us into a false sense of security. Given enough time, people would collect them, take them home and fold them into their lives.' Rose states simply and the Doctor nudges her, she turns to him and he's smirking at her.

'Humans, the great early adopters. And then wham! Profiles every inch of Earth's existence.'

'Discover how best to attack us.' Kate surmises and presses her hand to her forehead. The Doctor turns to her.

'Get that information out any way you can. Go,' The Doctor goes back to the tech station. He's joined by Rose and Amy. 'Right, every cube was activated. There must be signals, energy fluctuations on a colossal scale. There must be some trace. There can't not be,' He turns back to stare at Rose, Amy and Kate. 'We to think of all the variables, all the possibilities, okay? Go, go, go, go, go!'

Amy and Kate rush off while Rose and the Doctor remain together, trying to bounce ideas off one another.

Rory watches as a nurse begins to hastily grab the cubes from every station and gather them up onto a tray. As he walks by with his arm around another nurse, he gets an odd feeling inside of him.

'Right, get them out of the building. Just away from here, as far as you can. And get back here before it hits zero,' Rory catches sight of his father who is staring at an IV, and he walks over to him. 'Dad, could you go and get me a box of tape for dressings. It's just the cupboard round the corner.' Rory points down the hall and Brian nods.

'Yes, boss.'

Brian moves to another corridor that is completely empty. It strikes him as odd, but he continues on anyway. He looks back and is nearly run over by two nurses pushing a gurney. Brian notices that they have masks covering their faces.

'Sorry, excuse me,' Brian calls to them and both of the men stop. 'I'm looking for the supplies cupboard,' The nurses make no movements to say that they've acknowledge him. He tries again. 'I said, I'm looking for the supplies cupboard.

Both men slowly turn around and begin to approach Brian.

The small girl is still sitting in her chair, waiting. She stares off into nothingness but knows that her cube has now changed to display the number three.

Rory frowns and tries another corridor. His father is nowhere to be seen. Confused he walks down one corridor and spots another nurse, and so he jogs towards them.

'Have you seen my dad?' Rory wonders and the nurse shakes their head.

'No, sorry.'

Rory nods and attempts the next one, the same one that Brian had just been in when he ran into the odd nurses. He frowns and looks one way and then the other. He widens his eyes when he catches sight of Brian being pushed by the two nurses on a gurney.

'Hey. Dad,' Rory shouts and begins to run after them. 'Hey! Hey!'

The men run for the lift as Rory chases after them. They enter the lift and one of the nurses presses the button and the door close just as Rory arrives. He frowns as the lift doors are lined with tape that reads 'Do no use.' Taking a chance, he presses the button and the lift doors open. But it is empty. He steps in.

The doors close as Rory pounds on the side walls. He then faces the back wall and tentatively reaches his hand out and touches the back wall. It shimmers and ripples. Knowing that his father is on the other side, Rory takes a deep breath and walks through the wall.

He enters through the portal and finds himself in a room that has patients from the hospital lying on plinths around the edge. Rory turns in a small circles and struggles to comprehend what he has just walked into.

Rose and the Doctor are staring down one of the cubes in the chamber as the cube number has just flipped to three.

'R…I mean Marion, Doctor, please, you don't have to do this.' Amy pleads and the Doctor turns back to her, Rose remains focused.

'She's right. You don't have to be in there. We can do this remotely.' Kate offers and Rose merely shakes her head.

'Marion will be staying here. I'm going in.' The Doctor states simply and Rose scoffs at that.

'Marion is right here. And she will be going in, because she doesn't stand on the sidelines,' Rose counters and turns to the Doctor. 'Remote isn't your style and it sure as hell isn't mine. Let's go.'

The Doctor shakes his head and sighs, knowing he'd be unable to convince her otherwise. She's too damn stubborn. Rose opens the door and the Doctor lightly taps Amy on the head before heading in with her. Rose leans against the wall as the Doctor takes a seat in the chair. He reaches forward and spins the cube as he waits. He looks to Rose who smiles at him.

'The old team…' She offers and the Doctor matches her smile.

'I don't recall the old team getting in this much trouble.' The Doctor counters and Rose flings him a crooked grin.

'Then you really don't know me now. You're going to have so much fun with me!'

The sober up when they see that the cube has reached the number two. And then one. And then…zero, cutting to black.

Rose and the Doctor hold their breaths as the cube lid slides open and Rose moves forward, curious to see what's inside.

'Geronimo…' The Doctor whispers and he doesn't see that Amy and Kate lean forward in anticipation.

'What's happening?' Kate wonders.

Rose and the Doctor peer inside of the cube…but there's nothing there.

'Well, what's in there?' Amy wonders and Rose turns back to her.

'It's empty. There isn't anything inside it.' She informs her and Amy blinks.

'Well, that's good? You know, it's not bombs, it's not aliens.' Amy states but notices that the Doctor and Rose have both begun to shake their heads, staring at the cube.

'Why? Why is there nothing inside? Why? It doesn't make any sense!' The Doctor states frustrated and takes Rose by her wrist, noticing that her pulse has increased slightly. He wonders what's causing it. Together they stride from the chamber and back into the computer room.

When they stride in, the tech is watching a variety of screens with views from street corner cameras. People are just walking past the cubes on the ground, ignoring them.

'Glasses, is it the same?' The Doctor addresses the tech and he turns to face them. 'Is it the same all around the world?'

'They're empty. We're safe. Right?' Kate wonders and Rose catches the nervousness in her voice.

'No, we're not Kate, we're so far from safe.' Rose informs her.

'All along, every action has been deliberate. Why draw attention to the cubes, if they don't contain anything?' The Doctor wonders aloud and Rose locks her gaze with the floor, trying to figure it out.

'Doctor, look…' Amy suddenly says and Rose and the Doctor look up.

The monitors are showing people on the streets gripping their chests and collapsing to the ground.

'They're CCTV feeds from across the world, showing the same.' The tech informs them and Kate covers her mouth.

'People are dying…' She points to the screen.

'No. What? They can't be dying. How? How are they dying?' The Doctor wonders, staring transfixed at the screen.

'I want information on how people are being affected,' Kate orders and then turns to Rose who is breathing heavily. 'Marion? Are you okay?'

Rose has begun to pant and the Doctor spins around. 'Marion…?' He calls, he very nearly calls her by her first name. Her real name. But if she doesn't want these people to know her real name, he has to accept that.

She cries out in pain and grips her chest, falling to her knees, hunching over.

'What's going on?!' Amy cries and drops to her knees in front of Rose. The Doctor beings to approach her, and she hasn't even moved, just small cries. Immensely worried. Her pulse had increased earlier. She's dying…

'The cubes! They brought people close together. They opened and…' The Doctor freezes and grabs his chest, falling into a chair with a cry of pain. Rose's head shoots up and she stares at him, scared.

'Not you, too!' Rose cries out and shakes her head, not wanting to accept that he had been affected as well.

'Doctor?! What's wrong?' Amy cries and the Doctor shakes his head, only watching Rose.

'Uh! I don't know!' He confesses and Rose point to her chest, gripping it and manages to hold up her fingers to form the number two. The Doctor widens his eyes. She only has one…and it's failing.

'Posters are logging a global surge in heart failure, cardiac arrest.' The tech announces and the Doctor widens his eyes.

'That's it. Ah! Ah! Oh…only one heart. Other one's not working.' He pounds his chest and turns to Rose, staring at him. Her eyes are full of concern for him. After all this time she still worries for him before she worries for herself.

'Want…want me to…?' She breathes. 'Just like…before.' She manages a very weak smile. And he immediately recalls her attempt before in the 16th century. Hitting the wrong side really hurt. He quickly shakes his head.

'Okay! That's it! I'm getting you two to a hospital.' Amy announces and helps Rose to her feet, she cries out again. Amy shuffles her along and the reaches for the chair the Doctor is sitting in. She spins it and uses her free hand to push him along. He glances at Rose and wants to do anything he can to help her. He wonders why she hasn't immediately…died…yet. What's keeping her alive?

Rose reaches out her hand and grips his shoulder tightly. He blinks and looks up to Amy.

'No, no, no, no, no! Just a second. Turn around, turn around, turn around,' The Doctor pushes the chair back to the desk. 'Come on; show me ten seconds after the cubes appear. Show me the patterns in their electrical current. See? Hang on, Marion! I need a few more seconds.' He turns to Rose who has begun to nod, but he can see she's fading quickly.

'No!' Kate calls out, realising what's going.

'Yes, the power cut. They sucked the power and then…ah! They're signal boxes! People, wham! Pure electrical surge out of the cube, target at the nearest human heart. The heart!' The Doctor slaps the tech's chest. 'An organ powered by electrical current, short-circuited. How to destroy a human? Go for the heart. Ow! Crickey Moses!'

Rose lets out a small gasp from the pain and slips from Amy's grip, back to the floor. The Doctor stares at her, watching her attempt to fight the pain and feels incredible guilty for giving in so easily. He reaches back for her and grips her hand, she just turns up to him and he can see the fear in her eyes. He covertly uses his thumb to check her pulse again. Her heart is racing so quickly that he doesn't want to admit that she could go at any moment. He never wanted this to happen to her.

'Doctor, the scan that you set running. The transmitter locations. It's found them.' Kate announces and he nods, still attempting to fight the pain.

'Oh, look at them all, pulsing, bold as brass. Seven of them, all across the world,' The Doctor hits his chest again, wincing from the pain. And attempts to focus once more. 'Ow! Seven stations, seven minutes. Why is that important? Ah! Ow, ow!' The Doctor turns to Amy and winces. He can hear Rose panting still, attempting to slow her heart rate down. 'How do you people manage one heart? It's pitiful! The wormhole. Bridging two dimensions. Seven of them, hitched onto this planet. But, but where's the closest one? Glasses, zoom in.'

The tech does as he's told and zooms in on the London area, narrowing the search down further to a building. The Doctor glances at Rose, wrapping her arms around herself and squeezing her eyes shut tightly. It could be any time…

Amy widens her eyes when she realises the building that the tech has identified. 'That's the hospital where Rory works.' Amy informs them and everyone is silent, unable to believe it.

Rory swallows and glances around the ship and manages to spot his father still being watched by those odd nurses.

'Dad. Dad!' Rory shouts and begins to run towards him, however when the nurses take a step forward. 'Just get away from him.' Rory warns and watches when the nurses pull hypodermic like weaponry out and begin to advance towards Rory.

The Doctor, Rose, Amy and Kate hastily run into the hospital. He has Rose tucked to his side, but she's not doing well. She bites her lip and he places his hand over his chest, trying fight back the pain and he quickly looks to Kate.

'How many deaths have been recorded?' He wonders.

'We don't know. We think it could be a third of the population.' Kate admits and the Doctor turns to her.

'Kate, I have to find the wormhole. But the attacks could still happen. Tell the world. Tell them how to deal with this. The world needs leadership right now.'

'I'll do my best.' Kate informs him and the Doctor offers her a quick smile.

'Yeah, of course you will. Good luck, Kate.'

Kate smiles and nods, quickly heading out. No sooner had Kate left that Rose slips from the Doctor's grip, back to the floor and he falls against the wall. Amy looks at the two of them unsure of who to help first. Rose manages to glance up to Amy and notices how conflicted she is. Rose manages to point to the Doctor and Amy nods. Earth needs him; their circumstances are becoming dire. She'll take a backseat for now.

'Okay, how long are you going to last with only one heart?' Amy wonders and puts her arm over his shoulder and helps him up.

'Not much longer,' He admits and looks at Rose who has propped herself up against the wall. 'Rose…? Rose, are you okay?' He questions and she can barely open her eyes.

'Find the…wormhole…I'm fine…I'm okay…' She manages to get out and the Doctor nods. He gets his sonic out and points it into the air.

'Right. Find the wormhole. Hello. Hello!' The Doctor states and turns it towards the small girl. 'Oh, hello,' He manages to walk over to the small girl. 'You are giving off some very strange signals.'

The girl's face and eyes begin to glow an eerie blue.

'Oh, my god…' Amy widens her eyes and takes a step back.

'Outlier driod monitoring everything. If I shut her down, I can,' The Doctor aims the sonic at her neck. 'All. It's all right,' The girl sways and he tries to gently lower her to the floor. 'Amy, I can't, Amy!' The Doctor slides to the floor. 'I can't do it. I need both hearts. Ah!'

'Amy!' Rose weakly calls over and Amy turns around to see Rose pointing to something placed in the hallway. 'Use it…ignore…whatever he says…'

Amy nods and Rose can no longer keep fighting it. She closes her eyes and gently slips away. Her rapid, irregular heartbeat slows and then stops.

'All right, desperate measures.' Amy decides and rushes towards the defibrillator that Rose had pointed out. She quickly switches it on and dashes back over to the Doctor who is now lying on the floor. He widens his eyes when Amy approaches him.

'What? No! No, no, no, no. That won't work. I'm a Time Lord! Ah, Amy!' The Doctor attempts to move away but Amy bends down and opens his shirt.

'All right, clear!' Amy calls and applies the charge, ignoring his protests.

Once applied, the Doctor sits up quickly and smiles, standing invigorated. 'Welcome back, lefty. Two hearts! Back in the game!' He kisses Amy's forehead. 'Never do that to me again. Where's Rose?'

The Doctor notices her lying face down on the ground and rushes towards her kneeling down and moving her into his lap. Her head lolls to the side and he notices that she is no longer breathing. He checks her pulse and grows concerned when he can't find it.

'Doctor…we have to find that wormhole…' Amy interjects and the Doctor doesn't look up to her.

'Not until I revive her.'

'Doctor…she's gone…' Amy points out and he shakes his head unwilling to accept that. 'We have to go. Those cubes could attack again, they could kill more people.'

'No…I can't leave her.' The Doctor responds and Amy watches him, her heart breaking.

'If they attack again, they'll kill more people. We need to stop them. I know how important she is to you, but it's the rest of the world…' Amy points out and the Doctor quickly turns to her.

'I don't care about the rest of the world right now! She's important to me!' He shouts at her and Amy approaches him, placing her hand on his shoulder. He turns up to her. 'She can't die…'

'I know, we can help her but we need to figure this out first…' Amy begins to pull him up and he reluctantly begins to stand, holding on to Rose's hand until the last possible moment and watches her helpless as she lies motionless on the floor.

Amy pulls him down the hall, and she, too, takes another look at Rose. She hopes with everything in her that they can save her.

The Doctor traces the wormhole to a lift and Amy pushes the button, the lift doors open and they both peer inside.

'Oh, portal to another dimension in a goods lift?' Amy wonders and the Doctor catches the disappointment in her voice.

The Doctor checks his sonic just in case and he can't stop the worrying thoughts about Rose. He turns back to look at the corridor and wishes with everything in him that she would just stroll towards them. She doesn't come.

'The energy signals converge here. Does seem a bit cramped, though.' The Doctor admits and he and Amy step inside.

They check out the lift and their eyes are drawn to the back wall as it ripples. The Doctor pokes it with his finger. He and Amy share a smile.

'Through the looking glass, Amelia.' The Doctor holds her hand and they step through the portal.

When they emerge they arrive in the same room that Rory had chased his father into earlier. Amy glances around confused and then turns up to the Doctor.

'Where are we?'

'We're in orbit. One dimension to the left.'

Amy studies the room and notices that Rory is lying unconscious on a table at the end of one of the rows. Brian is on the gurney right next to him.

'Rory!' Amy calls and begins to head towards him. The Doctor reaches into his pocket and tosses a small jar to Amy as he crosses Rory's other side.

'Seborean smelling salts. Outlawed in seven galaxies,' The Doctor informs her and Amy holds the smelling salts under Rory's nose. He sits up at the very same moment they are shot at. They quickly duck behind the table. 'Whoa! What kind of a welcome do you call that?' The Doctor wonders and turns to Amy. 'Get them out of here. You too. Now.'

'What are you going to do?!' Amy cries and the Doctor pushes the gurney towards Amy. She uses the smelling salts on Brian and he immediately sits up.

'Absolutely no idea. Get him through the portal. And stay with Rose, please.' The Doctor instructs and helps push the gurney until they are fired at again. The Doctor catches sight of a lone bald figure dressed in a black cloak. Its skin is heavily cracked and wrinkled.

The Doctor stops and watches the figure, slowly getting closer to the figure.

'So many of them, crawling the planet, seeping into every corner.' The being replies and the Doctor checks over his shoulder.

Amy and Rory pull the gurney out of the room as Brian looks around completely staggered. The being disappears in a flash of light only to reappear at the computer screen. The Doctor realises that it is only a hologram, and so he walks towards the other side of the screen and looks at the being carefully.

'It's not possible. I thought the Shakri were a myth. A myth to keep the young of Gallifrey in their place.' The Doctor states firmly.

'The Shakri exist in all of time and none. We travel alone and together. The Seven.' The Shakri responds.

'The Shakri craft, connected to Earth through seven portals in seven minutes. Ah, but why?

'Serving the word of the Tally.' Comes the reply.

'Why the cubes? Why Earth?' The Doctor wonders and there is a pause.

'Not Earth, humanity. The Shakri will halt the human plague before the spread.' The Shakri informs him and the Doctor shakes his head.

'Erase humanity before it colonises space,' The Doctor walks to same side of the screen. 'We thought the cubes were an invasion, the start of war.'

'The human contagion only! Must be eliminated.' Is the firm statement the Shakri gives the Doctor.

The Doctor turns and notices that both Amy and Rory have come back and are standing on either side of him. Amy frowns at the Shakri.

'Who are you calling a contagion?' She wonders angrily the Doctor folds his arms across his chest and watches the two of them.

'Oi! Didn't I tell you two to go? Who's watching Rose?' The Doctor wonders and Rory smiles.

'My dad is. And besides, you should've learnt, by now.' Rory informs him and Amy turns to the Doctor.

'Yeah, and what is this Tally, anyway?'

'Some people call it Judgement Day or the Reckoning.' The Doctor replies and Amy frowns.

'Don't you know?'

'I've never wanted to find out.' The Doctor admits and his thoughts turn back to Rose, fearing that what's been done to her and the rest of humanity can't be reversed.

'Before the Closure, there is the Tally. The Shakri serve the Tally!' The being calls out and the Doctor rolls his eyes.

'The pest controllers of the universe. That's how the tales went, isn't it?' The Doctor wonders and Amy and Rory exchange odd glances.

'Wow, that's seriously a weird bedtime story.' Amy decides and the Doctor shrugs his shoulders turning to her.

'You can talk, wolf in your grandmother's nightdress? So!' The Doctor claps his hands and turns his gaze back to the Shakri. 'Here you are, depositing slug pellets all over the Earth,' He walks to the other side of the screen to face the Shakri. 'Made attractive so humans will collect them, hoping to find something beautiful inside. Because that's what they are. Not pests or plague, creatures of hope, forever building and reaching. Making mistakes, of course, every life form does, but. But, they learn. And they strive for greater and they achieve it,' The Doctor walks back towards Amy and Rory. 'You want a tally? Put their achievements against their failings, through the whole of time. I will back humanity against the Shakri every time.'

'The Tally must be met. The second wave will be released.' The Shakri announces and begins to furiously tap on the keyboard.

'What does that mean?' Amy wonders.

'It's going to release more cubes to kill more people.' The Doctor informs them and Amy widens her eyes.

'The human plague, breeding and fighting. And, when cornered, their rage to destroy. You're too late, Doctor. The Tally shall be met.' The Shakri declares triumphantly and abruptly dissipates into nothing.

'He's gone?' Amy turns around, trying to find that creature.

'He was never really here. Just the ship's automated interface. Like a talking propaganda poster,' The Doctor informs them and runs back over to the computer that the Shakri was just on. He has to reverse this. He will not lose any more people. And he needs to revive Rose. 'I can stop the second wave,' He sonics the computer hastily. 'I can disconnect all the Shakri craft from their portals, leave them drifting in the dark space. Ah, but all those people who were near the cubes, so many will have died…'

'Even Rose…?' Amy whispers and the Doctor doesn't turn to her. He worries immensely for her and can't imagine a life where he knows that she is no longer living in it. He just was reunited with her and the damned universes have taken her from him again. And it wasn't even his choice this time. She had been too damned stubborn to listen to him. Gone in that room anyway. And, she's lying dead in a hospital corridor. If he can't fix this…she won't wake up. He's unsure if he can take any more loss in his life.

'Yeah. Even Rose.' The Doctor replies and Amy can hear the heartache in his voice and she struggles to think of something that will help him. Rory watches the two of them lost…not understanding what's happened.

'I restarted one of your hearts.' Amy reminds him and Rory turns to Amy.

'You'd need mass defibrillation.' He points out.

'Of course! Ah, beautiful. But, Ponds, Ponds, we're going to go one better than that. The Shakri used the cubes to turn people's hearts off. Bingo!' The Doctor declares and claps his hands. 'We're going to use them to turn them back on again.' He uses his sonic and Amy cautiously approaches him.

'Will that work?' She wonders quietly and he turns to her. She can see the desperation in eyes, but also hope.

'Well, creatures of hope. Has to,' The Doctor replies simply and he turns back to the screen. The readout on the screen changes as the Doctor continues to use the sonic. 'Thirty seconds. Don't let me down, cubes. You're working for me, now,' The ship suddenly lurches and then begins to shake violently. 'Oh, dear. All those cubes. There's going to be a terrible wave of energy ricocheting around here, any second. Run.' The Doctor states simply and rushes by Amy and Rory towards the exit.

Rory turns to Amy with a wide smile on his face. 'I'm going to miss this.'

Amy squeals in delight and the two of them grab each other's hands and take off running after the Doctor.

The Doctor, Rory and Amy fall to the floor of the lift as they are forced through the portal as the ship explodes in space. They turn over and look before the Doctor is back on his feet and running to the corridor that he's left Rose in.

By the time he gets there, he catches sight of Brian sitting close to her and Rose just sitting up. Pressing a hand to her head, she pulls it away after some time and looks around, confused. Brian notices the Doctor in the hallway before Rose does and he smiles a bit, watching him take tentative steps towards her. Brian also notices that Amy and Rory have caught up to him as well. They hang back. Giving them the space they need and even Brian gets up and walks towards Amy and Rory, sensing that the young blonde is very precious to the Doctor.

Rose hears the footsteps and brings her attention to the Doctor, still feeling a bit dizzy. She smiles at him when he kneels down in front of her and studies her, ensuring that she well, aside from still looking ashen, she appears to be in good health. He places a hand on her cheek and Rose closes her eyes, exhaling deeply.

The very thought of losing her, again, drives him forward and he embraces Rose tightly, surprising her. She places her arms around him and smiles.

'I thought I'd lost you…' He admits and Rose holds him tighter to herself.

'For a moment there, you did,' Rose confesses and pulls away. She places both her hands on his chest and looks up to him, smiling. 'All better?'

'Working fine. Never suggest that to Amy again.' He states and Rose embraces him again.

'Why? It was better than me hitting you like last time.' Rose whispers and he laughs softly in her ear. He pulls away and gets to his feet, offer his hand to Rose who takes it tightly and he hauls her to her feet.

Together the Doctor leads the small group out of the hospital, ensuring that Rose is close to him. Rose can tell he's still addressing his emotions about losing her. She feels terrible for having to put him through that. Because she knows that he doesn't take loss well. In the short time they've once again known each other, she can tell how attached he's grown of her. And how she can no longer deny that she still has the same feelings for him.

The thought of not having him in her life…she can't picture it. Even though she had been on her own for two years before she caught up with him again. By taking the slow path lead her on some of the most amazing adventures she's ever had, and look what it had done. She caught up with him.

They went on some truly astonishing adventures in the interim without Amy and Rory. They had reconnected on some levels and are working hard on others. She believed that they could fix things between them. The Doctor looks down to her and she looks up to him, offering a bright smile. He merely squeezes her hand tighter.

Rose, Kate and the Doctor are walking towards a car that is parked outside the Tower in the day. Kate smiles at the Doctor and Rose when they stop by the car, studying the pair of them. She turns to the Doctor and exhales.

'You, you really are as remarkable as dad said. Thank you.' Kate gives him a kiss on the cheek. The Doctor blinks.

'A kiss from a Lethbridge-Stewart. That is new.'

Kate turns to Rose and shakes her hand. 'Wonderful to work with you again, Marion. I hope you'll consider my offer of rejoining UNIT again.'

'No, thank you.' Rose replies simply and Kate merely folds her arms.

'Well, we'll be in contact then. I'm still waiting for that briefing on the Sontarans,' Kate reminds her and Rose sighs. Kate catches the look the Doctor gives Rose and she frowns slightly. 'I'm not going to see you again, am I?'

Rose shrugs and smiles a bit. 'Who knows?'

The Doctor checks his watch and nudges Rose. 'I'm sorry, Kate, but it appears we're late for dinner.'

The Doctor opens the door to the car for Rose and she climbs in. He holds his hand out for Kate to shake and as she goes to reach for it, he retracts his hand and Kate begins to laugh. Instead he salutes to her, climbing into the car. Kate waves goodbye as he car pulls away.

Rose watches him as he gets in and he turns to her, studying her. He points to her chest and she looks down.

'What?'

'Are you okay?' He wonders and she gives him a funny look.

'Yeah I mean, I think so…I feel fine. I'm…kinda hungry,' She admits and he begins to laugh. 'So…what happened in the hospital?' She wonders.

'It was the Shakri.'

'The Shakri? Thought they were a myth.' Rose frowns and the Doctor blinks.

'Wait, how'd you…ah, right. Never mind,' He informs her and Rose merely shrugs a bit. He keeps forgetting that she knows so much more now. 'They wanted to cleanse the universe of humanity before they got a chance to colonise space. They went after the heart. Easiest way to take down humanity.'

'Hn, that seems…unfair…'

'Of course it does! Humanity has a lot it still needs to accomplish.'

'Although, who was it that said we could be more of…a burden on the universe the longer we explored…?' Rose wonders and the Doctor nods.

'You got that right.'

Rose shifts closer to the Doctor and he puts his arm around her. Relishing in the fact that she is starting to come to him on her own, maybe that means she's feeling more comfortable and willing to take more chances with him. He places a kiss on her head and she merely wraps her arms around his middle. She was trying, and trying hard at that. He couldn't ask for more from her.

'You made me try your…thing…' Rose protests. 'Now you have to try mine,' She takes the chopsticks and gathers the food she had wanted him to try, dipping it in the sauce she had made. He shakes his head. 'Come on, everyone else likes it.'

'It's true, that sauce you made is wonderful!' Amy compliments and Rose smiles.

'Thank you!' Rose smiles and leans forward over the table, shoving the chopsticks into his face.

The Doctor makes a bit of a face and shakes his head, Rose abruptly takes a bite and then offers the other half to him. Reluctantly the Doctor eats the remaining half and Rose smiles in triumph.

'It's…good.'

With that over, the table falls into storytelling, everyone sharing something. Even Brian had a wonderful story to share. Rose remained quiet, listening instead, unsure of what she should share, something that isn't too personal. Thankfully she isn't called on and a sense of relief washes over her.

She catches sight of the Doctor checking his watch and wonders just how late it really is. He takes another bite of food and glances at Rory, Amy and Brian.

'Mm, dear me. We'd better get going. Things to do. Worlds to save. Swings to…swing on,' The Doctor states and Rory, Amy and Brian look up to him. Rose tilts her head and the Doctor grins as he gets to his feet.

Rose gets to her feet and smiles at them, just as she gets close to the Doctor, he rushes back to Amy and Rory, leaning over them and he puts his arms around their shoulders.

'Look, I know, you both have lives here, beautiful, messy is what makes you so fabulously human. You don't want to give them up. I understand.'

Rose walks back over, taking the Doctor's hand and she shakes her head, smiling sadly. 'No, you're wrong about that.'

'I am?'

'Yeah, you are, Doctor,' Brian agrees and the Doctor frowns in confusion. 'It's you they can't give up. And I don't think they should,' Brian turns to Rory and Amy. 'Go with him. Go save every world you can find. Who else has that chance? Life will still be here.'

The Doctor smiles at Brian and Rose presses her lips together. 'You can come, Brian.'

'Somebody's got to water the plants,' Brian shrugs simply and glances briefly at Amy and Rory. 'Just bring them back safe.'

'You have our word, Brian.' Rose states and he smiles at her, wanting to know who exactly this strange young blonde was. He may have not known the Doctor long, but he has never seen him act this way with one of his companions before. What makes this Rose so different?

As he watches the two of them interact, he gets the feeling that there is something more between them. Deciding to sit with them again, Rose and the Doctor sit beside one another and listen to the story that Rory has just started.

He watches Rose take another bite of food and offer the other half to the Doctor once more. He merely shakes his head and points to something on her plate and she nods her head. He quickly snatches it off of it with her plate and eats it.

Brian smiles and watches around the table, loving everything about this very moment.

Rose drops down beside him on the console chair. It had been very late when they had left the Pond's house. Amy and Rory had already turned in for the night and Rose had decided to join the Doctor after she had showered. She brought with her a few special pictures, ready to slowly start allowing him to see into her life. Each day a little bit more.

He turns up to her and notices that she's holding something in her hands as she sits beside him. She stretches and crosses her legs.

'I wanted to show you something.' Rose informs him and takes a photo out from behind her back.

'What is it?'

'Take a look…' Rose hands him the picture and he studies it.

At first he's staring at it, trying absorb what he's seeing before a small smile breaks out on his face.

'Look at your hair! It's brown!' He cries and then grabs a piece of her blond hair and studies it. Rose smiles a bit and takes the picture out of his hands. 'You look so…different. I like it. You look really…pretty when you curl your hair…'

'Yeah?'

'Yes. Who is that?' The Doctor points to the young boy seated beside Rose.

'My brother.'

'I beg your pardon?' The Doctor questions and snatches the picture out of her hands again, studying it carefully.

'Yeah. Happened while I was…gone. Mum told me…in…Norway.' Rose rushes through the last part and the Doctor nods.

He goes back to looking at the picture. Rose is sitting on the grass with her brother in front of large house. They both have wide smiles on their faces, and the boy looks young, no more than eight or nine.

'I'm just…floored…' The Doctor informs her and Rose looks at him with a slight smile.

'That was on his first day of school,' Rose informs him and hands him another picture. 'And I thought…I'd show you this one, too.'

He carefully takes the picture from her and studies it intensely. She's in Torchwood, sitting on a desk, looking at something off camera, with a smile on her face. Leaning on the desk beside her…he doesn't believe it. Pointing to the same thing Rose must be looking at is…himself. Well, himself a regeneration ago. And he appears to be in the middle of explaining something.

He glances to Rose who is also looking at the picture. She doesn't say anything a first, just allowing the memories to surround her.

'So, you did end up going to Torchwood?' He wonders and Rose nods.

'Yeah, we couldn't just…stop the life we had grown used to. Well, that I certainly had.' Rose replies and he nods.

'I knew you'd make me proud. Rose Tyler, defender of the Earth.' He puts his arm around her and she remains quiet.

'I had help this time though.'

'You did…everything was okay?' He wonders nervously and Rose nods, smiling at the memory.

'Yeah. It was. For a long time.'

'I'm glad to hear that.'

'I'll tell you more…' Rose looks up to him and he just nods.

'Whenever you're ready…'

She embraces him tightly and together they enjoy the quiet solitude of the console room. She had allowed him a glimpse into her life after he had left her in the parallel world. They're building trust again. They're attempting to grow close again. He likes that. He rests his head on hers and before he knows it, she's fallen asleep on him. Like she used to. He can't believe that even though they are attempting to keep things at a slower rate, it's been so easy for them to fall into familiar patterns.

While he was able to learn some things about her, so much more of her is still shrouded in mystery. As his life is as well. He hasn't told her everything. Hopefully she will be willing to share more. He would be.

He glances down to her, sleeping soundly and it causes him to smile. This human woman, she defies the impossible.

He places another kiss on her head, still amazed that they had been reunited once again. However he worries if there is some kind of darker means behind their reunion. Is something bad on the way?

Woo, hi guys!

I'm so sorry it's taken so long to get this chapter up. The intro was really long! What did you think? Did you like it? Do you miss Donna? I do. That's why I decided write her and Wilf into this chapter. It was really to try and wrap up the loose ends that Rose would have had. And yay, more aliases.

I've also had problems with FF, trying upload. And I finally was able to.

So, drop me a review. Because I'd like to know if you want me to break some hearts again next chapter, or if you'd like me to write about some random adventures that Rose and the Doctor would have had during that 9 month absence. Cuz I do have a few ideas.

Thanks guys!