Sorry this update was so long in coming. The first week of school plus work meant that I was completely swamped – I swear it won't always be like that. School's out today for the hurricane, so I'll probably update again tonight/tomorrow or else I would have made this one longer. Good luck to anyone out there in Isaac's path.
Disclaimer: I do not own this show or the characters (duh).


Rose woke up slowly, comfortable and lying against something warm. As her thoughts and the memory of the previous night's conversation returned, she realized where she was and slowly opened her eyes.

Weak sunlight crept into the room behind the blinds in the window, too dim and gray to be anything other than early morning. She was pressed against the inside of the couch, legs curled up underneath her and head resting on the Doctor's chest. He had somehow angled himself against a pile of pillows so that he now laid against the arm of the couch, body turned towards her and legs resting on the nearby coffee table. She could feel the rhythmic rise and fall of his chest, and turned her head slightly to confirm that he was still asleep. His face was peaceful, with all hints of the weariness that hung over him in his waking hours erased. Not wanting to wake him, Rose closed her eyes again and let her thoughts wander.

The kiss had been amazing… He'd agreed with her teasing request easily, but his familiar hesitance had returned when he'd begun to move towards her. It was almost as if he found it hard to believe that someone would want to be near him, and was terrified of letting himself have even that moment of normalcy… But she'd leaned into the kiss, making the decision for him, and after a moment he returned it eagerly. It was gentle and caring, reminding her of the first time he'd kissed her while the power of the time vortex coursed through her veins. But this time there was no half-recalled rescue mission or sense of danger – it was just her and the Doctor. Together again after so long apart, finally admitting how they felt for the other…

Before she'd known it the kiss had deepened, driven by the same desperation that had come over them earlier, the same need to be with the other, to be not alone for the first time in so long. She'd wrapped her arms around his neck and he'd pulled her against him, so that their bodies were pressed together and they were both nearly sideways on the couch.

And then it was over. He broke the kiss, gently, and met her questioning eyes. His had been bright with joy, she remembered. Relief mingled with excitement – they had finally found each other, they were on their way to a new adventure. She was sure her eyes had held the same soft happiness, judging by the smile that lit his face. He'd kissed her on the forehead, murmuring something about sleep. The last thing she remembered was the warmth of lying against him, and the touch of his hand running through her hair.

The same thing pulled her out of her thoughts now, causing her to blink open her eyes from the half-sleep she'd fallen back into.

"Good morning." came a quiet voice, prompting her to turn and look up.

"Good morning to you too." she said, returning the greeting and smile in kind.

"I trust you slept well?" he shifted slightly to speak to her easier.

"Well I would have, if my pillow wasn't quite so bony.".

"At least you didn't have some insane blond taking up the entire couch." he replied, grinning. She scoffed and sat up, straightening her legs out and relieving the ache that had built up from staying in one position all night. Legs stretched out and lying against the back of the couch, the Doctor now had room to swing his legs onto the wide couch and turn on his side to face her.

"Rose, there are some things you need to know if you come with me." the Doctor began, suddenly serious. She nodded, curious about his choice of words. 'If?'.
"I can travel from our universe to this one in the TARDIS, but it comes with limitations. You see… To cross universes there's a type of power that has to be emitted. During the cross that energy is absorbed, but if I travel with the TARDIS in this universe that power is sent out with nothing to harness it. It would cause a rip in the universes again.".

"So… When we leave…?" Rose began hesitantly, fearing the answer.

"We can come back." he quickly explained, "But to travel we'll have to go back to our own universe. It isn't really that much of a difference from before, just no phone calls. And a charge up period whenever we cross back over, but… Why are you smiling?".

"Two reasons." she replied, her grin teasing. "One being that I was willing to drop everything for you the day the Cybermen attacked and you still think that me going with you hinges on if I can call home every day or not. Two being that I think I have a solution regardless.". He glanced away for a second, surprised – as usual – at her response.

"But how could you…?" she only shook her head, her grin a promise to tell him later, so he continued. "Alright then… Anyways, to travel in this universe would also mean disrupting the way things have always been and altering the entire course of time here, and we can't have that." He flipped over to lie on his back, arms crossed and staring at the ceiling. "This universe has managed to survive without my meddling for all this time, they don't need me to start now.".

"Actually…" Rose said carefully, "You're here Doctor. There's a version of you in this universe.". She felt him stiffen, and he turned his head to give her a questioning look. "Well I mean, this universe didn't have a version of me because I was never born. But here you were still the only one that survived the time war… You-he appeared one day when we were trying to stave off an infestation. Showed up in a modern-day bus stop with a back door mind you, he'd fixed the TARDIS to change. And he looked just like you when we first met, all black jacket and big ears.". She was smiling, trying to tease him, but he remained tense beside her, a small frown visible in the dull morning light.

"Why didn't you go with him?" he finally asked, turning his head towards her. His eyes searched hers for an answer.

"Because he wasn't you." she said simply. "He looked like you and talked like you, but he wasn't my Doctor.". He relaxed a bit and she continued. "Beyond just that, he was violent and reckless. Dismissed us all as useless to help and killed every last one of the attacking aliens. He never offered them a way out.". This brought him up short, and the Doctor frowned in thought for a moment before realization appeared on his face.

"He was me… If I'd never met you. Or any of them. He was me without the touch of humanity to hold me back." He said, looking at her carefully and then turning to kiss her on the forehead gently. "Come on then," he jumped up from his position on the couch, holding out his hand to her. His eyes betrayed him, still lost in thought, but she went along with it. "if we're going to leave we may as well make them breakfast to put them in a good mood.".