Last chapter folks - hope you've enjoyed it :)


The Doctor barged into the console room, trying yet again with the pressing of levers and buttons to dematerialize from the time and place. The Tardis, however, had other ideas.

Not a sound, not even a whisper.

Amy and Rory came running in after him. After Rory's announcement, the Doctor had wasted no time in rushing to the console. The young Pond looked over at her fiancé, worry etched in her fair features. She looked back to the Doctor and raised a hand to settle on his back. The Doctor quickly moved away from her.

"Doctor, what…what's wrong? It's just a party – something to eat," she didn't want to come off as too nosy, knowing full well how badly that worked with him.

Rory came up closer to the Doctor, getting in his way and making it impossible to move past them both. "Doctor, we don't have to go…I'll get us something to eat and we'll just stay here and see how we can help you fix the Tardis," he tried with all his might to calm the Doctor. Had he known who Rose was to him, he never would have accepted her invitation as quickly as he had. He could have kindly declined, feigning some rush of leaving. How could he have known who she was?

The Doctor felt his hearts beat ferociously against his chest. His bones ached and his head was pounding. The breath in him was rushing in and out, his chest heaving. He knew it was nothing dire and that he was exaggerating. There was no way his future with Rose would be jeopardized, now that Rory knew what had happened between them. So why was he on the verge of panic?

He stared at them. First at Amy, the confused look on her face appeared comical and yet not. She was worried about him and he wanted to tell her not to be so that they could just move on but he wasn't so sure what was happening to him. Somewhere outside those doors, a young Rose Tyler was living her life without any interruption from him. Nothing was going to change that. Still, he felt a strange overwhelming feeling inside of him.

He then looked at Rory, his knowing and sympathetic look telling him that he just had to say the word and they would ignore this. Rory could make this happen, he could make Amy leave it alone. So why wasn't he telling him that's what he wanted?

Instantly, and with a mental nudge from the Tardis, he suddenly understood why. The Doctor staggered a bit, falling into the console room chair behind him. The reason why he couldn't tell Amy anything about being all right and why he wouldn't be telling Rory he wanted to ignore it.

It was because he honestly wasn't all right and he didn't want to run away and ignore anything. He knew it the moment Rory had said that they'd all been invited to Rose's party.

The Doctor wanted to see her. It was selfish and it was unnecessary, but those things had never mattered to him much when she was involved. He had rules, very explicit rules for everyone around him and himself – but they quickly dissolved whenever she was around. He wanted to be in her flat at the Powell Estate once again – to breathe the air she was breathing. He'd make sure that her future was left untouched as he needed it even more than even she did. Oh, he was being very selfish – but this was an opportunity he couldn't let go.

Amy and Rory rushed to him, afraid that he'd gone more than a bit mad. He smiled up at them, a faint and defeated smile.

"So, what time is the party?"

xoxo

The trio walked down the sidewalk, Amy and Rory holding hands and the Doctor clutching a distressed package of Jammie Dodgers in his hands. His palms were sweaty and he smiled that even in a new body, Rose was still making him feel emotions that only she could manage.

They walked without conversation, the Doctor unknowingly leading the way. Amy had looked at Rory more than once at how the Doctor could possibly know where the party was located. Rory would smile at her, happy that his blunder had been more than welcomed by the daft alien in the end. He'd even changed his bowtie – for some reason choosing to wear one that was blue and decorated with lighter blue swirls.

The Doctor stopped abruptly and looked up. The Powell Estate. He smiled in it's wake, relishing the fact that even if it wasn't happening for him, somewhere his Ninth self was crashing into Rose Tyler's life – forever changing them both. For the better.

He could think of everything he could have done and would have done differently. He could obsess over whether or not she hated him now, but he chose to believe that she was happy.

The Doctor chose and wanted to believe, and honestly truly did think, that Rose Tyler was somewhere very happy with the Tenth human Doctor. He smiled at the thought.

There would always be pain at what he'd lost. A part of him would make him fear that he had disappointed her one final time and at his lowest moments he'd bring out those thoughts again – but for now…for just one night, he chose to believe different.

"We're here," his whisper was loud in the quiet darkness. The sound of music was wafting from above. His heartbeats quickened.

"Great," exclaimed Amy, making her own choice to stop being nosy…at least during this adventure, "now, can you tell me why you decided to bring that sad looking package of Jammie Dodgers, Doctor?"

He smiled at the cheer in her voice. The Ponds were holding hands and would kiss whenever they could manage it. It was the way things were supposed to be and he was happy they had realized it as quickly as they had.

"Isn't it a human custom to bring the hostess something?" his smile widened as he walked ahead of them to the stairs inside the building.

Amy dragged Rory along, huge grins plastered on their faces.

Once at the right level, the Doctor just stared at the all too familiar door to the Tyler flat. Rory stood next to him with Amy at his arm.

"Go ahead Doctor, knock."

The Doctor looked at the young man, a panicked look in his eye. He coughed and said in a hurry, "Remember, don't call me the Doctor, don't mention a big blue box that travels in time and if you need to call me anything, call me John."

Hurriedly, he knocked on the door before he could lose his nerve.

Amy looked at the Doctor, "John? Seriously? Such a boring name, the next thing you know you're gonna want us to add a Smith after it."

The Doctor turned to her and was about to protest when the door suddenly swung open.

He felt the words die in his throat.

Rose's blond hair was straight and looked impossibly long as it hung down her shoulders. A strand of it was in front of her eyes, taunting him. She was wearing her mascara heavy and dark – a pang of the past hit him in between his hearts. Her lips were glossy and pink, looking almost swollen. Her skin, as fair as it had always been was inviting to the touch. She was wearing a shimmering purple top that seemed to tie behind her neck and back. It was slightly raised in the front, showing a patch of her stomach. It made his mouth go dry.

She was wearing black jeans and sneakers with a plethora of colors decorating them. Pinks, blues and purples swirled among them.

But what was the very best was that her mouth was brightly set in an exquisite Rose-Tyler-smile. He had fought to look at her before in the chip shop, but found that he couldn't and wouldn't let his eyes wander from her this time.

"Hi! So glad you could make it. Come in, make yourself at home," she stepped aside letting them in. Amy and Rory walked through, smiling at her in thanks and stood staring at the scene. There were people all over the flat, smiling, laughing and drinking. The pair edged to the side, unsure if they should leave the Doctor.

The Doctor walked in last, staying close to Rose. He held the package of biscuits closer to his chest.

She closed the door behind him, "There are drinks and nibbles in the kitchen, and the loo is through there. Rory said you were all leavin' soon so, just have a good time!" Her smile was infectious and they all mirrored her joviality.

Amy called out to the Doctor over the music, "We're going to get some drinks and nibbles Doctor. We'll bring you something!" And then they were gone.

He was torn between following the Ponds and staying close to Rose. He'd been unsure of human social activities when he was with her, choosing to follow her league when he wasn't unknowingly insulting those around him. He had no one to follow this time.

"You all right there mate?" her sweet voice engulfed him. The Doctor smiled at her, trying his very best not to stare. He was failing miserably.

"I'm all right," a party guest jostled him as he walked past, reminding him of his gift, "oh, right. Always customary to bring the hostess something I believe." He handed Rose the sad looking package of Jammie Dodgers.

Rose looked at him in surprise and laughed sweetly as she took the pack from him. "That was very nice of ya'. Don't think we met properly before," she stuck out her hand, "Hi, I'm Rose Tyler – and your name is…"

The Doctor's grin widened and he reached out his hand to grip hers. The touch of her skin against his made his skin prickle and his mouth to go dry. He could see stars behind his eyelids.

"John. Just…John," his voice was a whisper and his eyes were tracing over each angle of her face.

Their hands lingered together longer than necessary and the Doctor took much glee in that and the fact that she had been smiling with her tongue against her teeth at him.

"Well, Just John, I hope you have some fun…and thank you for the gift," she chuckled, glancing down at their clasped hands. She let her arm droop so it felt like they were holding hands and not so much shaking them in greeting anymore.

Someone called out her name and she let go of him abruptly. He felt a cold emptiness where her touch had been.

"They must of run out of ice or somethin' Be right back," she tugged on one of his suspenders and smiled as she made her way through the crowd.

The Doctor stared after her, the huge smile securely planted on his face.

Amy and Rory made it back with a plastic cup of something brown that tasted rather horribly. He thanked them and set it on a shelf near to him. The pair had decided to dance and invited him along, but he shooed them away, happy for them to spend some time together.

As they made their way to the middle of the room, he noticed with some sadness that Rose had yet to come back. He stood on the tips of his toes to see if he'd catch of a glimpse of her and he did…but it made his smile quickly disappear.

An older boy wearing a leather jacket (nothing like his old one) was standing over her, almost pushing her into the wall near the kitchen. Rose wasn't really protesting so he felt it unnecessary to go save her. It didn't stop him from wanting to, however. The Doctor quickly felt his rage boil his insides. The only thing that kept him from running and launching himself at him was the fact that it would mean interfering with Rose's life. He forced himself to look around and in the process took notice of another familiar face.

Mickey Smith was watching the same ordeal that had the Doctor wanting to remove the leather-jacket-wearing idiot from Rose. A familiar look of jealousy flitted across Mickey's features. That's when it all made sense.

Rose had not started dated Mickey yet and this leather punk must be the ever-infamous Jimmy Stone. This revelation made him want to go yank him off of Rose even more, knowing full well what pain and misery he would eventually put her through.

But he forced himself to look away from them both. He couldn't interfere no matter how much he wanted to – not if he wanted to have the future he would eventually have with her.

The Doctor glanced at Mickey and pleaded with him silently to take care of her until his Ninth self came along.

His hearts feeling mangled and lonely, he made his way down the short corridor to what he knew was Rose's room. Making sure no one was watching, he quickly opened the door and slid inside.

In the moonlight, he could see everything that Rose loved and held dear. Photos of her and her mother littered a tabletop, joined by one lonesome photo of her father holding her as a baby. Good ol' Pete Tyler. It made the Doctor smile that she would someday meet him again.

The room smelled of fresh flowers and he recognized the familiar perfume bottles on her table. Bottles of brightly colored nail polish, the odd trinket. She would add to them in the future.

The future. It made it hurt a bit less.

He was so lost in a memory as he looked at the small clutter of books on a shelf that he failed to noticed that someone had joined him.

"They aren't much…," said the familiar voice.

The Doctor startled and turned, coming face to face with the object of his thoughts.

"I'm sorry…I didn't mean to…I mean…," he stammered and felt his nerves tingle at being in her room with her…alone.

She smiled half-heartedly, "No worries." Her voice seemed sad all of a sudden.

He looked at the down turn of her mouth and found himself missing her smile tremendously. Technically he'd been without it for awhile…but it never failed to surprise him just how much he missed it.

"You were saying that they aren't much…," he wanted her to keep talking, anything to hear her voice before he'd have to say goodbye to it again.

Rose looked at him and back up at the small collection of books, "I was sayin' they aren't much, but they're mine."

He watched her as she stood staring at the Adams and occasional Bronte and Austen.

"Well, I'm sure you'll have more than enough of them one day. A whole collection of them," he smiled with the memories of her happiness at seeing the Tardis library for the first time. The joy he'd see every time he'd be looking for her, only to find her reading amongst the books.

She laughed, clearly not believing him, "Thanks, but I think there will be more bills and trinkets cluttering the shelves instead of books," she turned to look at him, finding him watching her, "but things can change, yeah?"

The Doctor wanted nothing more than to tell her that it would be different. That not only would there be trinkets and books cluttering her shelves, but that the shelf would be in her proper home – no longer her human one.

But he couldn't tell her that, so he responded the only way he could, with a simple, "Yeah."

They heard the shouting of her name again outside the walls of her room. She rolled her eyes, "They can never do anythin' without me apparently. I should go." Rose turned to walk to the door, but the Doctor reached out and grabbed a hold of her wrist, keeping her there.

She turned and looked down at his hold on her, and then back up at his eyes. Those eyes that must have seemed so very odd to her as they were both old and new.

"What…," she started, but didn't finish.

Without a word, he inched closer to her but still held onto her wrist. His free hand reached up and cupped her cheek. It was warm under his cool touch and he wanted to close the distance between them. The Doctor wanted to kiss Rose Tyler like he had wanted to do thousands of times before. To kiss her the way she had kissed him on Bad Wolf Bay that final time.

Final time for them, but the first time as well.

But he couldn't and wouldn't kiss her. It would never stop at a kiss, not when it was her and him. A kiss would never be enough.

Maybe that's why he had never kissed her – not in a proper way, that is, with the lingering moment before and after and everything it was supposed to bring them. He knew it wouldn't be enough and then what would he do when she'd leave him or if something were to happen to her?

It was too late for these questions. He just wanted to touch her.

Her wide eyes stared up at him. He knew she was waiting for him – but he couldn't so he let his arms drop and the feeling of her touch was soon gone. He took a step back and smiled at her as best as he could.

Rose let out a breath neither knew she had been holding.

"What was that for then?" she wasn't angry, but she seemed to want to know why he had stopped.

The Doctor shrugged, as nonchalant as he could, "For everything to come."

Confused at his enigmatic answer, she smiled nonetheless and stepped toward him. She stood on her tip toes and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek very near his mouth. The Doctor felt his hearts hammer horribly wonderful against his chest.

She whispered near his mouth, "For everything to come."

Rose dropped to the heels of her feet and softly tugged on his bowtie.

"Nice. Bowties are cool, this one especially," she winked and with one last glance made her way out of the room, the call of her name ringing in his ears.

The Doctor was on his way back to the Tardis, the feel of Rose's lips against his skin lingering still.

It was long after that he heard the pattering of feet on the sidewalk after him. He didn't have to look behind him to know it was the Ponds.

"Doctor, are you okay?" they both asked him simultaneously, causing them all to laugh.

"Oh, I'm just fine, great night for a party," his voice was low and happy despite not being able to keep Rose with him.

"Think the Tardis will be up to another adventure?" Amy asked, happily snuggled up against Rory, making for an awkward but funny walk.

The Doctor laughed heartily, his ship's cleverness long since revealed, "Something tells me that the Tardis will be up and in another dangerous adventure in no time."

They smiled at each other and walked in companionable silence.

The Doctor was more than happy to leave but even happier to have had it happen at all.

And he just knew that Rose would had loved the bowtie.