Sorry, another fic that was partially forgotten while working on Doc's Daughters. Anyway, no dilly dallying, straight into it ;)

"I don't think I would have forgiven Briony," Lilith said gently causing the Doctor to choke on his chip.

"Bit too much pepper on that one," he told Rose at her bemused expression as he thought "Why not?" He'd completely forgotten about Lilith, she hadn't spoken a word since he'd joined up with Rose again, which was saying a lot for her considering she'd been forced to sit on another chair for two hours.

"All that time lost. If I were either of them I wouldn't have forgiven her," she replied. She wasn't sure why she'd let the movie get to her so. Human affairs had always been amusing to her, how hard they trifled for just a few short lived moments.

The Doctor pondered this. He knew where he stood on it, but only because he'd put himself as the role of Robbie, and with it all the deeds of his own into the character.

"What did you think of the movie?" Rose asked, as though reading his mind.

He smiled, "Was just about to ask you the same thing!"

"Well you know what they say – fools never differ," she grinned.

He frowned. "I thought it was meant to be 'Great minds think alike'."

"Yeah well, when you've met the people I have you start to doubt you've got a great mind," she replied.

He gazed at her with all the pride in the universe. "It's not what or how much you know that gives you a great mind, Rose," he told her firmly, not surprised when she blushed. As far as he was concerned she was a thousand times more amazing than she gave herself credit for. No, a million times!

"You didn't answer my question," she said after a moment, not able to meet his gaze.

"Oh, it was good. Not what I expected, but good...would you have forgiven Robbie?" he asked suddenly.

"Robbie? Don't you mean Briony?"

"Well yeah, her too I guess, but...if you were Cecillia, would you have forgiven Robbie?" he asked again, desperate for her answer now.

She frowned at him. "There was nothing to forgive."

The Doctor shook his head. "But it was all his fault! If he hadn't written that note, if he'd just told her how he felt sooner, or held onto her tighter, or...or..." he didn't know what else to say, his eyes just pleading with her to forgive Robbie, to forgive him.

Rose swallowed the lump that formed at the look in his eyes. "I get the impression we're not talking about the movie anymore," she murmured.

He looked down, unable to meet her gaze, which was clarification enough for Rose.

She thought for a few minutes before answering. "He loved her and she loved him so there was nothing to forgive because everything he did was out of love. But if he thought he needed to be forgiven of anything, yeah, I would, in a second," she told him, giving him a reassuring smile when he finally lifted his eyes to meet hers.

"And Briony?" he asked softly, trying to break the moment, knowing leaving her this time would be a million times harder than the last.

Rose shrugged. "She was a child. Like she said, she did what she thought was best for the situation as she understood it, which she really didn't. So yeah, I'd forgive her too. It's that other girl I wouldn't be too sure of," she added, pulling up her nose and causing the Doctor to laugh despite himself.

"You're right, she is full of surprises," Lilith murmured.

"Oh Rose," he suddenly gasped out. "There's so much I should have told you so much sooner!"

She looked slightly taken aback by this, but before she had a chance to question him, he went on.

"When I first met you I was so lost, I didn't even know how lost I was till I'd known you for a few weeks. But I was. And I was so jaded too. I went on doing what I always had, but only because I didn't know any other way of living, and I hated it. Hated everyone I came across, even the ones I was there to help. If I remember correctly I wasn't even particularly nice to you on our first meeting, and yet you were still lovely to me the next time we met...and the next. And by then I think I was hooked," he told her, taking a deep breath before continuing. "You've seen the best of me and you've seen the worst...and yet you stuck by me through it all. You're the only one who didn't choose to...to..." he trailed off, no longer able to speak.

"It's alright," she said gently, taking his hand in hers and squeezing it. "I'm really sorry, but I still don't remember you...but if I stuck by you then you can't possibly be as bad as you think," she added with a grin.

He chuckled softly, blinking back the tears as he looked back at her. "Have I told you recently how fantastic you are?" he asked, his grin fading as her smile faltered and she looked away. "Sorry did I say--"

"It's fine," she quickly cut him off. "Come on, this place is probably waiting for us to leave so they can close," she told him, getting up and heading for the door.

He followed her in silence, knowing she needed a bit of space. They kept walking for a long time before finally reaching a lookout point over the Thames. He looked down and could just make out the Eye and couldn't help but smile. "A huge circular metal structure. Round and massive, slap bang in the middle of London...and yet some people still miss it," he said softly.

Rose giggled softly. "Know what you mean. I knew this guy once, all the brains in the world, and it took him a few goes to spot it," she told him with a small smile. "Sorry," she quickly added, rubbing the tears from her cheeks.

"Nothing to be sorry for," he replied as he put his hands on her cheeks, wiping her tears away with his thumbs. He stood staring at her for a moment longer, just smiling, before turning away to lean against the railing once more.

"He was...the guy with all the brains...him and I travelled together for a while. You reminded me of him when you said fantastic. Was like his favourite word," she told him, giggling softly. "If you don't count allons-y or yup," she added.

"Oh I got to say that last Christmas," he told her excitedly, quite forgetting himself once more. "There was this...midshipman named Alonso!" he told her, completely beaming, "And I got to tell him 'Allons-y Alonso!'! It was fantast...Sorry," he quickly added, realising what he was doing.

Rose gave him a sad smile. "It's alright...you just...remind me so much of him sometimes. He was just...I don't know," she trailed off.

"So you and him were..." he said softly, wondering how she would describe them.

She quickly shook her head. "Oh no, nothing like that...not for wanting of course but...no. He was my best friend in the world though. Amazing and wonderful and...just completely irreplaceable."

He grinned softly. "Bet he felt the same way about you," he replied.

Rose smiled back, but shook her head once more. "Na, he...he's used to travelling. Been doing it for cent...decades," she quickly corrected herself. "I don't think he would've taken long finding another companion," she said softly.

"Wouldn't have been so quick if it hadn't been forced on him," he replied, thinking of how inappropriately timed Donna's arrival had been.

"What?" Rose asked in confusion.

He sighed. "Rose I don't doubt for a second that he thinks you're as irreplaceable as you think he is," he told her sincerely.

"You've got to tell her Doctor," Lilith said desperately.

'She doesn't even know it's me,' he thought back.

Rose couldn't hold his gaze, looking back to the ground. She glanced at her watch. "Ten to midnight, oh mum is gonna kill me," she said, only half joking. "I should probably get going."

"Tell her now!"

"Rose, there's something I've got to tell you," he told her earnestly.

She looked at him slightly worried. "If it's that serious might be best for first thing in the morning don'tcha fink?" she asked jokingly.

He shook his head. "It'll be too late come morning," he said softly. "Look none of this is gonna make sense because you don't know who I am...but it's my last chance to say it...I mean I know I said that last time, but this time it really is, because I've made a deal with the devil to be hear," he said, trying to smile.

"Oy!" Lilith yelled, not sure if she was complimented or offended. "Stop stalling! You're running out of time!" She could feel the minutes drifting away in a way she never had before, and she supposed it was because she was linked with a Time Lord.

"What I'm trying to say is...Rose Tyler," he gulped, completely prepared to vanish at that moment. Finding himself still there, his smiled hugely, his hearts soaring that he would finally get to say those three words. "I," he paused, suddenly realising the full impact of this moment, realising why it had been so difficult for her to say it, realising he'd never felt this way before, and may never again.

"You've got to tell her!" Lilith screamed. "She's got to know!! Please Doctor, she has to know you love her!" she screamed, no longer wanting to hold the spell that kept them apart.

Rose stared at him, hanging on his silence as much as his words. The white noise was fading, and it was as though their were hundreds of veils between him and her that were slowly being lifted so that she might see him properly.

The Doctor swallowed, clearing his throat. "Rose Tyler, I...oh to hell with it," he finished, pulling her into his arms and kissing her with all the love he felt. It was a short and yet magical kiss, and as he pulled away, he felt completely on top of the world as he stared down at her, still in his arms. Her eyes were still closed and she looked like an angel. "I love you," he whispered, brushing a hair from her face.

Her eyes fluttered open slowly, and she stared back into those deep brown eyes once more. Only this time she recognised them, and for the life of her she couldn't understand why she hadn't recognised them sooner! "Doctor?" she breathed. The smile that she was rewarded with for just that one word sent tingles down her spine as she smiled back at him.

"Oh Rose! My beautiful Rose," he said, pulling her closer so he could hug her, letting his head drop to her shoulder. He wasn't sure why it hit him in that moment, but he suddenly realised he was crying. All the pain of losing her and being away from her all these long months, only to be reunited for a few short hours.

Rose was taken aback by his sudden change from glee to despair. She rubbed his back as she whispered sweet nothings in his ear. "It's alright my Doctor, we're together again," she said, pulling away just enough so she could face him grinning.

Only he wasn't grinning back. For the first time she could see all the love he felt for her in his eyes, but she could see all the sorrow at having lost her. No...at having to lose her. "Oh, four hours tops, then you'll never ever see me again." "It'll be too late come morning." She stared at him, her own smile fading. "It was only for today?" she asked, almost begging him to tell her no.

He nodded softly, swallowing hard as he tried to stop his tears flowing.

She felt her own tears trickling down her face as she stared at him. "And we watched a stupid movie?!" she half yelled, slapping his arms. "I could have taken the day off!" she yelled, beating her fists against his chest.

"I was told you wouldn't know who I was. I didn't know what else to do," he told her as he pulled her to him, stopping her attack by pinning her arms between them. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," he told her as he stroked her hair, kissing the top of her head.

"No, it's my fault. God, I knew there was something weird when I felt I could trust you despite...well everything," she replied, not wanting to bring up their morning encounters.

He pulled away just enough to meet her gaze, her few words having reminded him. "Rose, I don't know what caused you to get to that state, and I wish I had time to talk you through it, but I don't. But please, promise me you won't again. The only thing that keeps me going is knowing you're here, living your life. If I thought you were..." his voice broke, and he swallowed hard. "I don't think I could go on knowing that."

"I promise," she whispered softly. "As long as Martha doesn't drive me up the wall again," she added, trying to lighten the mood.

He chuckled. "And be nice to her! She's not so bad!"

She raised a brow at him. "And how would you know?" she asked.

He looked down slightly. "Well she saved my life in...the other...well my universe...and so I thought I'd give her one trip to thank her," he mumbled.

Rose couldn't help but laugh at his embarrassment. At least he wasn't alone, even if she didn't like her replacement. "So I take it that was probably a few trips ago and she's still with you?" she asked teasingly.

He couldn't help but return her beautiful smile. "Told me you know me better than anyone else," he grinned. "Ooh, before I forget!" he said, suddenly hunting through his pockets, finally pulling out a small brown bag and green velvet box. "I've had these in here for...oh since before I changed," he said, waving a hand before continuing. "This Jack and I...forcefully removed from Amsterdam," he said holding up the paper bag, "And this we politely acquired from Brazil. We meant to give them to you that Christmas but...well you know how it was," he said, finally passing them over. "Don't open them till I'm gone though, too embarrassing," he added.

Rose pocketed the items before pulling him into a huge once more. "How long do we have?" she asked softly.

"A couple of minutes," he murmured softly, holding her tightly to him. He tilted her head up and kissed her soundly, enjoying everything about her. Her taste, her smell, her feel, and the sounds she made. He slowly pulled away, kissing the tip of her nose before drawing her back under his chin. "I should have done that a long time ago," he whispered.

"Tell me about it!" she replied, causing them both to laugh.

Slowly, he let her go, knowing leaving with her in his arms would be harder than not. "I really meant everything I said today Rose. You really are irreplaceable...but being alone to think of what I've lost--"

"I know," she replied.

And he knew she did. She was the one person in the universe who might have an idea of how he really felt. "And I do love you," he said, grinning hugely once more.

"Quite right too," she replied, poking her tongue between her teeth despite the tears that were forming in her eyes once more.

"Oy! That's my line!" he told her sternly, trying to look angry but only managing bemused.

"Hold on to her," Lilith pleaded, her voice barely making it out through her tears. "You can't lose her again!"

She giggled softly, kissing him softly once more, somehow knowing their time was drawing to a close. "I love you too," she murmured.

"No!" Lilith exclaimed, but the time was up and as the pair beamed one last time at each other, the Doctor disappeared.

Know it ended sadly, but hope you enjoyed it anyway. Please review, means the world to me...