Rose pushed open the door of the TARDIS with extreme caution. Inside, she could see the Doctor bent into an awkward looking position in order to adjust a piece of machinery. His back was to her. She closed the door behind her with as little noise as possible, but he still heard. "I've done it, Martha!" he called out. He continued before Rose had time to correct him. "After all that, it was something really simple. She's up and running again. The universe is our oyster again – well, once we've got out of this one." He stood up and spun around with a manic grin on his face. It faded the instant he spotted who was standing before him. "Rose-"
"You're leaving then."
"I- Not right now."
Rose forced a smile. "I'm glad you got her going again."
The Doctor nodded. "Are you alright?"
Rose opened her mouth for the instinctive affirmative reply, but then changed her mind. "No, I'm not," she answered, stepping closer to him. "Martha came to see me."
The Doctor looked taken aback. "What did she say?"
"That doesn't matter."
"It's my job to give awkward answers, Rose," the Doctor replied with a small smile.
"I learnt a lot of things with you, you know," Rose laughed. She paused for a moment. "I'm sorry I got angry last night."
"I think you were perfectly justified."
"I know this has been difficult for you too." The Doctor could not argue with this. A silence descended upon the pair for a minute or two before Rose spoke once again. "Is it safe? For you to leave, I mean? In theory both universes should be gone right now. Won't you going back just increase the risk?"
"We came in a tiny hole, Rose. It shouldn't be there, but it is. If we go back through the same one, there should be no further damage. And I'll close it up once we're back. Reduce your workload a little. Holes are never good – they let in all kinds of things."
Rose nodded and smiled weakly. "Thanks."
"Once I'm gone, there's no coming back," the Doctor continued.
"You said that last time."
"I know. But-"
"I understand, Doctor. The chances of it happening this time were one in a million. After this the odds go down considerably."
"It's not impossible-"
"But it's about as close as you can get." Rose finished the sentence.
"You could come, Rose." The thought had been running through the heads of both ever since the conversation had begun. "You could return to your earth. Keep travelling the universe with me."
"Leave everyone behind."
"They could come too."
"A year and a half ago I would have jumped at the chance. You know that. I would have sacrificed everything just to join you again. That day on the beach – I thought things would never get better. It felt like my life was over."
The Doctor smiled sadly. "I feel a but coming."
"But it wasn't. Things did improve. I've made a new family, Doctor. I have a Mum, a Dad, a little brother. I'm going to have a husband. Maybe children of my own. I can't leave all that behind."
"I understand," the Doctor replied, although the look on his face said something different entirely.
"I still love you, you know?" Rose had to say it. "I'll never stop. The time I spent with you changed my life."
Now the Doctor smiled. "I love you too." He met Rose's gaze. "I've waited a long time to say that."
"I've waited a long time to hear it."
"Maybe the old girl did know what she was doing when she brought me here."
"You never doubted her, did you?" Rose smiled, and the Doctor smiled in return. "Would you like to go out for dinner tonight? As a goodbye? A proper one this time."
"I'd love to."