A/N: Wow, so it's been a while. Sorry about that. Also sorry if this chapter is a bit rubbish, as, well, it's been a while. Despite the time gap, this story still seems really rushed. But anyway, the stuff you REALLY need to know is this: This story was inspired by a video on YouTube (plug in "/watch?v=yAUMU3QQE6w") of Boyce Avenue's version of a certain Katy Perry song. They've altered the lyrics, and I like their version a lot better (I'm not a fan of the original), but if I say too much more I'll spoil something big. And yes, I know that stuff like this has been done before. I just saw the video and couldn't resist. I hope you like it!


Rose looked back up and sighed. When had it come to this?

She looked at the woman before her – not a young woman, she noted sadly. She had been trying to ignore that for so long. Every once in a while she would wake up late in the morning still feel unrested, and she would remember. The Doctor would have already left the room, though he normally stayed until she was up, and she would roll out of bed and shuffle over towards the bathroom. She would look up into the mirror, just as she was doing now, and she would sigh. Every time she tried to shove the feelings away, to ignore them, belittle them, even laugh them off. But every time it got a bit harder.

She tucked a stray strand of her dark gold hair behind her ear as she looked longer at the girl – no, woman, she reminded herself again – in the mirror. She looked herself up and down. Shoulders slumped, pajamas crumpled, hair an absolute mess. She was not very out of shape, what with all of the running, but the way she saw herself now she looked particularly sluggish and weak. Perhaps they were running less often now. Perhaps that's just what life did to a person. She didn't know. What she did know was simply enough said, but the implications scared her, and she did not want to utter those words. Still she knew from the image before her and from the feeling deep in her heart that she could not deny it too much longer. She was getting old.

Not very old, mind you, but older. It was odd – aging was something that happened every second of every day. Every morning she woke up a day older than the last. And yet she would never get used to it. When had she gotten this old? She tried to laugh at herself again for a moment and reminded herself that one day she would look back at this very moment and remember how young she had been.

Nevertheless, she had never imagined herself being this old. She wondered if anyone ever did. Children often imagine growing up, but they never imagine this. Teenagers imagine being 21, but they don't ever think about the day they will wake up and find themselves to be fully 45. Not even she could imagine the day when she woke up and discovered herself to be 60, 70, or even 80 years old. It was a wonder she had made it this far, she laughed a bit again. It would be a miracle if she ended up dying of old age.

Unlike most people, however, Rose never had to stop and ask herself where those years of her life had gone, or wish that she could get them back. She knew exactly how they had been spent: In her very own fairy tale. Ever since she was 19, her life had been an adventure. There had been hardship and loss, but so much more joy and love. All of time and space were hers to spend with her amazing husband, and for the last several amazing years, their growing family as well. Fairy tales always ended with happily ever afters, and Rose knew that she had one of those. But the story books never included this part of ever after – the part where the princess gets older, and there's nothing she can do to stop it.

She looked up to the mirror again and leaned in close to inspect her own face. She stretched the skin under her eyes and around her mouth and rubbed her hand over her jaw and her forehead. She looked into her own eyes and wondered what mysteries others saw there. She could never see much in them herself. As she straightened back up she ran her fingers through her hair. She needed to have it colored again, her roots were awful, and she enjoyed being blonde. She smiled. The Doctor liked it too.

She wondered what he thought of her. Of her getting old. She wondered if he still thought she was beautiful – or as beautiful as before. He had told her time and time again that he would love her no matter what, and she believed him. He proved his love completely by being willing to go through the same – to age and wither and eventually die. She wondered how he could stand it – how in the world he could give up so much for her, give up practical immortality, just to trade it in for being human. The very word sounded disgusting as she looked at herself in the mirror. He seemed to fancy it, but she still wondered if he ever wished that they were both Time Lords instead.

Sighing one last time, she turned to go get dressed properly and get ready to go find out what her husband was up to. Today was Saint Valentine's Day, but she half wondered if he even remembered. Living in a time machine made keeping up with dates very complicated. She was glad that their children – who were growing up faster than she could ever imagine – had some amount of Time Lord genes. She was pretty sure it was the only thing that let their young minds keep up so well with their crazy, exiting, complicated lives aboard the TARDIS. They were both with their grandparents and Uncle Tony at the moment, gone to see a movie and catch up with her little brother, who she could hardly believe was nearly all grown up.

What Rose didn't know was that this morning her husband had, in fact, remembered the date. And that he stood in the door way watching her with a small smile. He had woken up early and spent over an hour simply holding her in his arms as she slept. He turned off their alarm before it went off and slipped out of the room to let her sleep while he made breakfast.

He had come back to their room to ask her if she would rather have bananas, strawberries, blueberries, or chocolate chips in her pancakes, when he stopped at the door. He caught sight of her in the mirror, although she did not see him. She was gorgeous. He watched her scrutinize her own appearance and noticed her frown. But all he could think of was how stunningly beautiful she was. He heard her sigh once more and realized with a small sigh of his own that she could not see it. She could not see what he saw. Then he got an idea. He smiled to himself as he slipped away from the door and decided that the pancakes could wait.

As Rose finished getting dressed she checked the clock once more. It was practically midday. Why had the Doctor let her sleep so long? It was a weekend, that was true, but still. In the back of her mind she wondered about getting older. She wondered if he had planned a trip for them while the kids were gone – they did have all of time and space available. Their little family had vowed to stay as perfectly relative to each other's time lines as they could – neither of them want to skip a single second of their children's growing up – but they did have all weekend to spend.

Just as Rose tied her hair back and looked herself over in the mirror one last time, she heard a noise. It was a rather beautiful noise, and one she had not heard in quite a while. It was the sound of a piano being played. Simple chords in an even simpler progression. She knew that the Doctor could play, and play well. But he had not graced the TARDIS halls with his music for some time. She smiled as she heard the first sign of her husband that she had heard all morning, and quickly made her way out into the hall in search of the music and the amazing man that made it.

The chords continued simply, as if the Doctor was practicing a little tune that he had never played before, or one that he was remembering from very long ago. They became more confident as he heard her shut the bedroom door. As he heard her footsteps coming down the hall, he opened his mouth in song. Rose stopped short in the hallway when she heard his softly whispered words.

"I think you're pretty without any make up on." The Doctor softly sang in a gentle melody, striking even gentler chords. Rose could only stand still for a moment, her mouth hanging open, as his beautiful voice washed over her, bringing her the exact words that she needed to hear. "I think you're funny when you tell the punch line wrong." She almost thought that she recognized the song from long ago, but no, that couldn't be the song he was singing. That was not his type of song, and this – this was so gentle and soft.

The Doctor continued, "I knew you got me when you let your walls come down – down." He smiled, but still did not turn from his work, his fingers dancing gracefully over the ebonies and ivories. Rose took careful, silent steps down the hall towards him, unsure if he was aware of her presence. She was still curious about his song, as she realized that she knew it, sort of, but the way he sang it was like nothing she had ever heard before.

"Before you met me I was alright but things were kinda heavy – you brought me to life," The Doctor's smile widened as he remembered that first night when he had taken her hand and told her 'Run!' It had changed him and saved him in more ways than either of them could ever know. And it continued to bless him every minute of every day. "Now every February you'll be my Valentine – Valentine." He had never much liked Valentine 's Day, until he met her. She was a miracle to him, and he could not believe that she was his to cherish forever more. The song seemed perfectly written for them – well, this part did anyway. The rest of it he was unsure about – it was not what he wanted to emphasize, not what he wanted to say. So he changed the words to mean exactly what he felt.

Rose at last came up behind him as he went on. She stopped silently in the door way and watched him, his back to her, as he played on the grand piano. "Let's just talk all through the night. There's no need to rush." The Doctor closed his eyes and moved his head with the gentle flow of the music, remembering fondly all of the nights he had spent holding the love of his life in his arms, simply talking and listening to her talk. It brought a warm smile to his face. "We can dance until we die. You and I – We'll be young forever."

Rose wondered for not the first time if her husband could actually read her mind. He knew exactly what troubled her, and he was here to say that no matter what, he loved her more every day. Both of them thought back to their wedding day, and slowly dancing alone on the floor, secure in each other's arms. She remembered how tightly and gently he held her, how he pressed soft kisses to her brow as she leaned against his chest, her eyes closed, letting his single heart beat fill her ears with music. His song made her want to dance again. She closed her eyes and smiled as he reached the chorus.

"You make me feel like I'm living a teenage dream, the way you turn me on, I can't sleep – let's run away and don't ever look back, don't ever look back!" Rose smile widened with his as he poured his heart out in song and let his fingers dance freely over the keys, striking chord after chord and growing the accompaniment, making it up as he went along. Rose had never particularly cared for the original version of this song, but this – this was something else entirely. "My heart stops when you look at me. Just one touch, now baby I believe – this is real. So take a chance and don't ever look back, don't ever look back!" Suddenly all of the doubts she had felt earlier began to melt away. It did not matter how old she got, he would always love her, and she would always be beautiful to him. And for her, that was enough.

"When you're around me, life's like a movie scene." The Doctor sang, and Rose almost laughed. "I wasn't happy until you became my queen." Rose was reminded once more what a blessed happily ever after they had. "I finally found you; my missing puzzle piece." The Doctor sang on. "I'm complete." He opened his eyes at last and looked up. Rose took the opportunity, and prayed that she would not stop him or ruin the moment. She came gently up behind him and placed her hands on the Doctor's shoulders. A huge grin spread across his face as he looked up to her in pure joy, still playing on the keys. "Good morning." He said softly. Looking at him practically upside down, she noticed the funny little creases around his eyes and the growing lines in his brow. He looked just as old as she did – they were in this together – and he was beautiful.

Rose smiled back at him and leaned down to kiss her husband gently. "Don't stop." She whispered, and he nodded, still having not ceased to play. She rubbed his shoulders fondly and he leaned back against her as he continued. She loved listening to him sing. She also wanted to see what he would do with the rest of the song – he was not the type to sing about skin-tight jeans to say the least. And she wouldn't want him to do so – because that was not what mattered.

"Let's just talk all through the night, there's no need to rush. We can dance until we die. You and I – We'll be young forever." The Doctor sang again, and began another chorus. When he finished it he continued with his altered lyrics. "I'mma get your heart racing if that's what you need in this teenage dream tonight." He sang with a smile as she rubbed his shoulders fondly. "Let you rest your head on me if that's what you need in this teenage dream tonight – tonight…tonight…" The Doctor's voice quieted and slowed, as did his piano playing. Rose leaned down to wrap her arms about his chest and rest her head on his shoulder, her hair draping down on his arm. "Tonight." He whispered again. She pressed a gentle kiss to the side of his neck as he played quiet chords.

"Yeah!" The Doctor sang louder than he had before, and Rose smiled to hear it so close – she could feel the music in the skilled motion of his arms and the vibrations in his chest and neck as she leaned on him. She hugged him as he sang on. "You make me feel like I'm living in a teenage dream! The way you turn me on. I can't sleep, let's run away and don't ever look back, don't ever look back!" her eyes were closed and a peaceful smile was upon her face as she remembered being a teenager and running away with him. She had been 19, he had looked completely different, and they were in a different world. And yet she would do it all again in a heartbeat. But here, holding him close, both having lived for years and years together in each other's love, she realized that this was even better than her wildest teenage dreams.

"My heart stops when you look at me – " The Doctor grinned and looked to his wife, who kissed his cheek again. "Just one touch and baby I believe!" He cheered. "This is real. So take a chance and don't ever look back, don't ever – I'mma get your heart racing if that's what you need in this teenage dream tonight." Rose stood up with a smile, rubbing her hands over his chest as she did so, and took her seat next to him on the piano bench as he finished up his song. "- Let you rest your head on me if that's what you need in this teenage dream tonight, tonight, tonight." The Doctor smiled as he played the last chord. Rose's head now rested against his shoulder, just like he had offered in his song. "Tonight." He whispered one last time, pressing a gentle kiss into her hair. They both smiled fondly as she looked up to him. Rose was the first to speak.

"That was beautiful." She said, her voice spell-bound and gloriously in love.

"You're beautiful." He returned simply and honestly, with a smile that filled his eyes and both of their hearts. "We might not be young forever, Rose." He said seriously. Over the last decade he had learned what it meant to be human better than most people would ever understand. "But you know what?" He wrapped his arms around her and turned towards her, placing his forehead against her and cradling her in his embrace.

"Hmm?" Rose asked with a blissful smile as she comfortably returned his hold.

"You'll always be my dream – more than I could ever hope for or imagine." He said softly and she smiled. "My Rose."

"My Doctor." She replied with a heavenly sigh. For a while they simply sat there holding each other. Rose breathed in his familiar scent and everything about him, soaking in the love that he practically radiated for her, held secure in his warm embrace.

"Oh, and I was meaning to ask you earlier, Rose…" The Doctor at last broke the comfortable silence.

"Hmm?" She replied again.

"Do you want pancakes?"


A/N2: Once again, sorry for the stolen lyrics. I don't know who to attribute them to, as it's part Perry's and part Boyce Avenue's. Go watch the video. But the song on iTunes. (shameless plug!) - and once again, I'm very sorry if this chapter sucks. My brain wasn't really on full cylinders when I wrote or edited it. And yes, I know I probably should have posted this around Valentine's day, not now, in April... at least it's not ANOTHER Christmas fic :P!