Things are Different Now

It would be an understatement to say things were a bit awkward between Rose and this new new new Doctor. Because they weren't just a bit awkward. Think how awkward things could possibly be, then add another suitcase of awkward. She still couldn't come to terms that he was her Doctor. Sure, they had kissed on the beach, but she claimed it was only a spur of the moment type of thing.

Now, the Doctor knew it wasn't just a spur of the moment thing. He knew Rose loved him just as much as he loved her, but she felt like she was betraying the original Doctor. She wanted to push the feeling she had to the back of her mind and just repress them. One of the Doctor's goals in this parallel universe was to learn how to be a human, but that had to wait. First, he needed to prove that Rose that he and the original Doctor were one and the same.

It was a little difficult getting Rose on her own because the mansion was so large, that he easily lost her. It made him think of the days when they were in the TARDIS. Whenever she was angry at him, she stormed into her room, and the TARDIS would rearrange the rooms so the Doctor couldn't find her. Maybe the TARDIS controlled this mansion too.

His hand went to the coral in his suit jacket. His other self had given this to him before departing. It was a TARDIS coral, and it would allow him and Rose to grow their own magical blue box. It would take years to grow, but with Donna's suggestions, the duration would significantly decrease.

Stepping through the mansion, the Doctor glanced into all the open rooms. He found a sewing room, a game room, and an antique room. The last one piqued his interest, but he had other matters to deal with. Namely, finding Rose.

The Doctor found Jackie and Tony in the living room watching some cartoon about a talking sponge or something. Well, Tony was watching. Jackie was flipping through some gossip magazine.

He sat next to them on the sofa. "Hey, you two."

"Hey," Jackie replied. "How come you're not with Rose?"

"We're… having difficulties. Can't seem to find her in this place."

Jackie looked up from her magazine at him. "She's not in her room?"

"Nope. Unless she was ignoring me because I knocked. I knocked like three times, and no response came! And people call me rude!"

"Shut up for a second," Jackie snapped. "Rose usually goes to her room when she's got a lot on her mind. If she's not in there… she must be in the garden."

The Doctor quirked a brow. "The garden?"

"She goes there sometimes too. Says the fresh air relaxes her."

"Alright, then…" He got up from the sofa. "I'll go check the garden."

Rose was sitting by the pond, the Tyler's dog at her side. She put her hand on her head and pet her. She had a faraway look in her eyes.

The Doctor stepped up, and merely watched her. An image flashed before his eyes. An image of Rose chasing around two children in the garden. They were smiling. And he came into the picture, catching one of the children by the waist. And their laughter was contagious. They laughed and laughed, and they were completely and utterly happy.

The Doctor smiled at this image, this dream, he conjured for himself. Slowly, he took steps forward until he was right by Rose's side.

"Rose," he said.

"Yes?"

He sat down next to her. "Rose, go and play."

"You talking to me or the dog?"

A smile tugged at his lips. "The dog."

Rose barked and went off to the direction of the mansion.

"Listen…"

"Before you say anything," Rose interrupted. "I wanted to say I'm sorry."

"I need you to know that… Wait, what?" He looked at her dumbfounded. "You have no reason to apologize."

"Yes, I do. I was acting childish. These past few days, I was thinking. A lot. About us. And… I want this."

His breath hitched. "Y-you do?"

She smiled shyly, nodding.

A big grin spread across the Doctor's face. His hand reached out to cup her cheek, and he leaned in to brush his lips against hers.

"Things are different now, though," she said. "You've got one heart, one life; we've gotta be careful."

"Mmm, that's true."

"But you know what?"

"What?"

"Different isn't a bad thing."