So John went to start his new job, Rose sending him off with a kiss, the first time she had initiated it he'd thought. That was his problem, he'd had to start most things between the two of them and he didn't have a clue if he was doing everything right and in what order things were supposed to go so if he was getting it wrong, it wasn't entirely his fault, Rose was supposed to be helping him to get used to being a normal human male. He couldn't even go to Jake for any advice and he'd no other friends, he could hardly ask Pete how to date his stepdaughter and Jackie would probably slap him back to the other universe.

So he was definitely on his own on that score until Rose came around and showed him what she actually wanted, which he hoped would be fairly soon. It had been the best part of a month since he'd got here and apart from kissing and hugging in bed and sometimes the odd spontaneous snogging session on the sofa, which he usually started, they'd got nowhere fast and he couldn't think what to do about it. Maybe he should start by trying not to look like his twin, he'd stopped dressing the same at least when they didn't go out, which he liked since he could show her off and have everyone staring that he was with Rose Tyler.

He'd got up that morning, showered as usual and thinking of excuses to get Rose into the bathroom at the same time and maybe entice her to get in with him or at least be there when he came out wrapped only with a towel around his waist then get her onto the bed. Where he was getting these ideas from, he could only guess it was Donna who had wanted to catch one of her boyfriends, it was a shame he'd not merged with a male instead of her, well except for it being Mickey of course. If only he could get Rose interested in him to do more than a bit of snogging and cuddling.

He also wished she would ditch the pyjamas she still wore in bed but he'd noticed she left some of the buttons undone at least, not that he dare touch without an invitation but at least he didn't still have to ask her for a kiss, she was quite happy to give him free reign of that count.

Rose watched him get into a taxi, she was taking her car, Jake had driven it up for her and had got the train back and she was debating adding John as a named driver since he'd proved he could drive the hire car but said he'd prefer a larger model, something a bit more 'Flash' as he called it and telling Rose about the little yellow car he'd had in his third regeneration and Rose laughing about it, saying it was very him.

Rose had noticed he must be getting tired of being the one to initiate a kiss so she thought with it being his first day at his new job as Torchwood police liaison officer at the Glasgow police headquarters, she would give him an incentive to want to come home on time. She set off for the new offices, a first floor suite just outside the city centre consisting of two offices, the large one hers, a conference room, kitchen and restrooms and resumed the work she had been doing from home for the past few weeks.

John had decided he'd have an official birthday now he was part human and had decided he wanted to celebrate so he had randomly chosen a date coming up so he didn't miss out and wanted it to be before Rose's so he'd chosen the 18th of April and Pete had provided all his details for him and sent all the appropriate documents John would need and they had estimated how old he would be if he were really human, which was 38. John said he could pass for younger if he wanted, Rose was now supposed to be older but she didn't look it and still couldn't come to terms with suddenly gaining three years.

So it was two weeks away from John's birthday and they planned on taking their first trip down to London, since Tony was missing his sister and Jackie was complaining about having to travel up to where they were, John saying it wasn't good to take a break upon starting a new job but it was pointed out to him that his position afforded him to work his own hours. He didn't realise how boring his new job was going to be. It was very similar in nature to what the Torchwood team under Rose were doing, monitoring strange reports from the public in the Scotland area in general and newspaper reports of unexplained activities and John was monitoring things actually reported to the police that they couldn't deal with.

John was then to pass anything of interest to Rose, he thought any excuse to go out and visit her and after a week, he was well and truly bored out of his mind and went to visit her the following Tuesday after he'd started, mainly to get a quick snog out of her after pulling all the window blinds and the partition ones closed.

''So, you bored already John?'' Rose asked, seeing that look in his eyes that told her the nature of his visit was not business.

''Me? What makes you think that? I've got plenty to do, some of the reports are crazy but nothing to send your team after though. Really Rose, I don't know how you do it.''

Rose smiled and gave him a peck on the lips. ''Welcome to the real world John, now you know how the rest of us get by. Still regret not taking that teaching job at the all girls college?''

''Stop it Rose, that wasn't funny. Anyway, you'd have got jealous.''

''Really? Of a load of flirty schoolgirls? I used to be one, remember?''

He didn't, well he remembered the cheeky nineteen year old who had run into the Tardis at the words 'Time travel' and she'd never have left his side had they not been separated for over three years.

''Well, I'd best get back to my boring old job then but maybe I can combine it with something else?''

Rose put her arms around his neck, John sneakily kissed her neck, making her smile to herself, not that she wanted to make a big deal out of it but he was beginning to show a few signs he wanted to take things further and she sort of did but it still didn't feel right, not yet anyway. How much longer would he wait though?

John went back to his office, thinking of ways to amuse himself and had an idea but he'd need some more help from Jake and possibly Pete and he couldn't let on to Rose what he was up to. He was always good at pretending to be other people, he'd got away with it countless times, bluffing his way in and taking charge, well maybe not all the time, the planet Midnight and a bunch of strangers on a bus came eerily to mind, he didn't want to go through that again in a hurry, he'd barely escaped that one and no number of regenerations would have helped him.

So the pair of them continued their separate jobs for the next week or so, Rose decided she liked him kissing her neck so she stopped wearing the pyjama top and wore a vest top, which pleased John no end and by the end of the week, she was wanting her turn kissing his neck, with his arms wrapped around her back but not daring to put his hands any lower down, well not until she moved then for him.

By the time they were due to go down to London, opting for the train since it was a long way to drive, Jake had informed John that things had been arranged and when he got back to Glasgow, police headquarters wouldn't miss him that much and his absence was going to be covered by John going out following up lines of enquires. Pete had to be brought in though, he was amused as to what John was up to but when he explained to Rose's stepfather it was for her benefit, he was all for it, agreeing that the pair of them both needed a shove in the right direction because Jackie was driving him crazy by repeatedly asking Rose if anything had happened in that department.

For his birthday, John had wanted to spend the afternoon first having a flight on the London Eye after lunch at one of Rose's favourite restaurants, then back for a birthday tea with a banana flavoured birthday cake, which was Rose's idea and had amused the cook that he also wanted bananas and ice-cream for dessert. Then just after seven, Pete had his driver take them to a west-end theatre to see a show then a late dinner afterwards at a fancy Italian restaurant nearby.

Then they were driven to the hotel Pete had arranged for them, an overnight bag each already packed for them and they were shown to one of the best suites, John taking the baggage while Rose collected a special present she had been keeping for him. So once they were alone in their room, a trolley with a bottle of champagne waiting for them, even though it was getting late, she made him open the box and waited for his reaction. It wasn't what she expected as he opened it to find an exact copy of the long brown coat he'd had in the other universe.

John held it up in front of him. Rose had already bought him a new watch, saying it all added to his new job as part of his image.

''Well, what do you think? It took me ages to find that, do you like it?''

''I don't know what to say Rose, it's totally unexpected. I was trying to begin looking less like him, dressing differently, getting two new suits, well except for the converse but I got some shoes for work.''

''You don't like it?''

''Oh Rose, it's not that, I do like it but I was trying to be different because I thought, you know, it was because I was too much like him that was making things difficult for you, reminding you of him all the time.''

''I'm sorry, I shouldn't have bought it for you but I didn't think about it, that it would remind me of him, I mean the other you.''

Rose ran into the bathroom, thinking she had well and truly spoilt what had been an amazing day, for both of them. They had walked around holding hands like they used to, kissed at the top of the ride on the London Eye, Rose saying only because it was his birthday and not to get used to them kissing in public, otherwise the media would be all over them.

John realised what he'd done, she'd meant well, maybe she didn't see his twin every time she looked at him, maybe he was being paranoid but now, he knew more than ever he had to separate himself from his twin if ever he and Rose had a chance at any sort of life together because the longer he looked and acted like the other Doctor, she would always see him and not John Smith.

He gave her a few minutes but Rose was at the other side of the bathroom door crying, regretting she ever bought the item she'd seen on the auction site and got it on a 'Buy it now' deal and paid more but she'd thought it would be worth it to see his face but it had gone wrong on her, he didn't want it because he thought she was just wanting the other Doctor back. She did but John was growing on her, slowly but she was seeing less of the Doctor in him and more the human side of him and now, he would surely want to go his own way, whether to go back to Glasgow or remain in London.

''Rose, are you ok in there love?''

She looked up. He'd never called her that before. ''Yeah, I'll be out in a minute.''

He knew he'd blown it now, she'd want to go back on her own or stay here, there was no chance now unless he did something drastic and if she came out of the bathroom and told him to leave, he'd put up a fight because he did love her and would show her, take Jake's advice and tell her what he wanted and somehow, hopefully, she'd want the same.

He heard the door opening and wished he still had two hearts because she was surely going to break the only one he now had.

''I'm sorry Rose, I didn't mean it to sound like it did. I was trying so hard to stop sounding and acting like him and I didn't mean to infer you preferred him over me, I know it's not like that. He was wrong, to leave us here together, to get on with it, he should have given you a choice, he gave everyone else one, all except us.''

''He didn't give you a choice either but if he had, would you have chosen to stay here, with me John?''

''Yes, without any hesitation because I can give you what he can't, I can give you all of me, no holding back. What about you Rose? Would you have chosen to stay here, with me?''