[Italics are flashbacks/memories of bits and pieces of scenes from earlier chapters. Or telepathic communication.]

The Doctor sighed. "You're very sure.. This could be the real world." It wasn't a question.

"It can't be," Amy shook her head. "Rory isn't here."

The Doctor could have chocked on the irony. He could have also broken into a chilling manic laugh. He could have. But he felt too deadpan to even think. He did not want to open his eyes. Opening his eyes would only make it real. Real. So this is it. This is the real world. Amy was right, Leadworth was only a dream. But of course she was right, his companions often are. He only takes the best.

There were many questions that shoved their way to the front of the Doctor's mind; the main one being: whose dream was it?

He opened his eyes and swallowed at the sight of the TARDIS floor- empty, with nothing but ice crystals left in Rose's absence.

"But it could be yours," Rory starred down the Doctor. "You know us, you know her, you probably want her here. I've heard that name before, Rose Tyler-"

It was his dream.

"Because once we wake up, and I mean really wake up, you'll be gone again and it won't…" Both their faces dropped completely, emotionless masks gone entirely./em

"Matter?" It wasn't really a question.

Of course it was his dream. How could it not be? His friends happy? His Rose- not his Rose. Or was sh- doesn't matte- whatever. Point of the matter, it was his dream. Even a human could create a dream, it's like that twenty-first century movie, 'Inception.' But to create two and with no flaws? Had to be his, what with that Time Lord brain and all. But now was not a time for bragging. Now was a time to ask and answer questions. Such as that of the nature of the Dream Lord.

"Drop it. Drop all of it. I know who you are," The Doctor said, forcing the Dream Lord to break from his stare down from Rose.

"Of course you don't."

"Of course I do. No idea how you can be here, but there's only one person in this universe who hates me as much as you do." The Doctor ended with a smile, at which the Dream Lord smiled back.

Rose knew exactly who he was talking about. The Doctor could feel it and nudged her consciousness to confirm her assumption. He could feel her sorrow, though she tried to hide it. She wanted to immediately draw up her walls, and the Doctor knew it, but she kept them down in support.

The Dream Lord was him. Only he hates himself that much. But how? How could the Dream Lord be him?

Before the Doctor could consider any answers, the Dream Lord appeared. But how? Unless…

"So you chose this world. Well done. You got it right," he was standing, facing the console. "And with only seconds left. Let's warm you up."

The Dream Lord reached for the controls, flipping a few switches until the power came back up, the faint hum of the TARDIS surfacing more clearly in the back of the Doctor's mind. He could also feel the TARDIS pulling away from the cold star.

"I hope you enjoyed your little fictions. It all came out of your imagination, I'll leave you to ponder on that," he words started to slow as he paced the console. "I have been defeated. I shall withdraw. Farewell."

The Dream Lord stood for a few seconds, staring at the Doctor before disappearing.

Now that… That..

He can't be here.

"Rose, you can't be here," The Doctor said, purposely avoiding Rory's question.

"Now you're definitely being rude." Amy smacked his shoulder but he didn't flinch.

"No, I mean she really can't be here."

If the Dream Lord is, or, well, was, here… That can only mean one thing.

They're still dreaming.

A Lord of Dreams, a formless figure in reality, can only be in and take form in a dream.

This actually also meant two more things. First, he's going to have to kill them all in this dream, too. It would be the only way to truly get back to reality. But.. Two, Rose was still here. But where?

He felt a sharp hum from the TARDIS to nudge him from his thoughts.

What? What is it? She's here, isn't she?

The TARDIS hummed softly and the light leading down the corridor at the top of the stairs shone brighter. The Doctor took off running. Well.. Hobbling, seeing as those most of his joints were still numb from the cold.

When Rose woke up, she was, once more, in her bedroom on the TARDIS. She also hadn't screamed, but she couldn't feel the Doctor in her head. She had no idea how she could have gotten there, but she did. Which could only mean they're still dreaming. She was completely frozen, covered in crystals of ice and had to slowly force herself up. By the time she got to her feet, hunched over slightly with the weight of the ice and cold dragging her stiff limbs downwards, the lights turned on and the hum she had always recognized as the TARDIS, pulled to the front of her mind. It warmed her insides slightly, but only enough to be able to push out the mental equivalence of a hug.

The door to her room slid open and she knew she'd have to trudge her way out and to the Doctor. He must be here. He has to be. Somehow, they must still be dreaming, there's no way she could be there if they weren't. She wasn't really sure how she knew that or came to the conclusion, but it held firm.

Back in the console room, Amy and Rory slowly rose to their feet, disregarding the Doctor entirely.

"Something happened," Rory was shivering as Amy wordlessly watched him. "I.. What happened to me? I.."

He stopped trying to look for the right words to say as Amy leaned forward, resting her chin on his shoulder, and pulled him into as tight of a hug as her stiff arms could manage.

"Oh. Oh, right. This is good," Rory stammered on in confusion, not sure of being able to do much else. "I am liking this. Is it something I said?"

Amy remained silent as she pulled back to look at him.

"Could you tell me what it was so I could use it in emergencies and maybe birthdays?"

Amy quietly snickered a little, a small smile creeping along her face.

Then they heard the Doctor crying out, "ROSE."

Amy and Rory looked to each other, confused and concerned.

"She.. She can't be here, right?" Rory asked. "I mean.. I mean, the Doctor said once we wake up.."

"ROSE."

"DOCTOR." It was her. It was Rose. Maybe she found a way to really be here. Or maybe something worse than they thought was happening.

Without second thought, they attempted to make their way to their friends.

Friends…

Yeah.

Rose Tyler was their friend; real or not.

Rose heard the Doctor scream for her. She thought he either figured out this is a dream, as well, or he must have held his hope way too high. Or maybe he was breaking down, having a full blown panic attack. Just like James used to when he woke up from some of his rougher connections with the fully Time Lord Doctor. Either way, Rose screamed back. But then she stopped in her tracks and tried to reach out to his mind.

Nothing happened.

How could nothing happen?

She tried again, screaming his name, his real name, in her mind, tearing a sharp pain throughout her entire head. She dropped to her knees at the same time as the Doctor, as he turned the corner. They held their heads and gritted their teeth, but kept eye contact the entire time.

They stayed like this for a few moments before finally lowering their shields entirely, letting their minds settle together before reaching out.

"You can't do that."

"It's a dream, I can do anything," Rose responded without really thinking about her reply.

"No, you can only do anything in a dream if.. it's.. your-" The Doctor swallowed hard, and Rose stopped breathing all together as her heart skipped a beat.

"Could be your dream, too," Rose nodded to the Doctor, letting the attention fall on her and away from a very grateful Amy.

"Maybe it's yours." Rory offered.

"Can't be, she doesn't know the two of you, or this face."

"Doctor," Rose breathed out in a whimper.

The Doctor shuffled forwards on his knees and pulled her flush against himself. He rocked them back and forth as they both silently sobbed.

"How can it be my dream?"

"I don't know."

"But the Dream Lord, he's-"

"Me? Yes. But you already knew that. Of course you did."

"Yeah." Rose forced the rough lump down her throat as her voice broke. "Course."

He held her tighter and sighed.

"What are we going to do?"

"You know what we have to do, Rose."

He kissed the top of her head.

"I didn't scream. When I woke up. But I didn't feel you either."

"I would assume- and mostly, I'm just making this bit up as much as I can right now- the link we held in Leadworth before.. I would assume it held through back to here. I think the crash may have been too taxing on either one or both of us to do much more than keep you from screaming. Surprisingly enough, that takes quite some effort, Rose Tyler."

"James used to say that, too," her voice was barely above a whisper.

The Doctor caressed Rose's mind, even daring to send her the smallest waves of love. She returned some waves of her own. They stayed like this for a while, comforting each other's links and holding each other in their arms, eyes closed so they wouldn't have to see the other cry.

Eventually, Rory and Amy find their friends curled up together on the still ice covered ground, rocking each other back and forth as they sobbed and mumbled incoherently to each other. Eventually, their words stopped, but their movements did not.

"You know what we have to do, don't you." It wasn't a question, but he asked her mentally anyways, wanting to be able to send waves of comfort with his words./p

"Yeah."

"The last two times, I really thought it may be my last chanc-"

"-Doctor, you don't have to do this."

"Rose Tyler, yes I do."

He slowly pulled his arms across her back and up to her face, caressing her cold, flushed cheeks. Their eyes were open now, but they soon closed them as the Doctor leaned in to kiss Rose Tyler.

"I love you." They said it together and Rose violently sobbed mid-kiss as they did so, but the Doctor continued to kiss her anyways. When they pulled away, they left multiple lingering kisses before pulling each other back into a tight embrace./p

"I should have said that before I regenerated. And I'm not just talking about this one. Rose Tyler."

"Doctor." Rose started violently sobbing again. The Doctor only held her tighter for a minute longer before she collected herself, clearing her throat, and pulling back to look at him.

She grabbed his face and kissed him longingly before resting their foreheads together.

Amy and Rory knew they should have turned at left during their first kiss, but they couldn't seem to force themselves away. But this time, they knew it was best to head back to the console room, giving them a true moment of privacy. And so, hand-in-hand, they wordlessly made their way back to the console room, where they silently waited.

"Do it. Blow up the TARDIS. It's the only way."

"Together."

Rose pulled back and looked at the Doctor. She considered him for a second before standing up and offering him her hand.

"Together."

They walked slowly, clinging onto each other's arms, holding oh so tightly. Before they made it to the stairs, they stopped, taking in deep breaths before giving each other one last kiss. They let go of each other and made their way hand-in-hand down the stairs, plastering on as much of a smile they could manage.

"So this is a dream too, then?" Rory nodded to Rose who nodded in return.

"Yes, and we're going to have to blow up the TARDIS," The Doctor said, his voice laced with despair that he didn't even bother trying to hide.

"Do we at least get to say our goodbyes?" Amy asked Rose.

She smiled sadly before releasing the Doctor's hand and pulling the young woman in for a tight hug. Both Amy and Rose started to sob, not to discretely.

"Take care of him for me," Rose whispered into Amy's ear.

"Always do," and Rose let out a single wet laugh.

"And tell Rory. Tell him before it's too late."

"Every chance I get." The girls pulled back and nodded appreciatively to the other.

Then Rose turned to Rory, and pulled him in tightly as well, "You keep her safe. And you tell her. Every day.. You tell her."

"I promise," he whispered back and squeezed Rose.

"Don't promise me," she sniffed. "Promise her."

"Every day." And with that, Rose pulled back, patted Rory on the cheek, and made her way back to the Doctor's side. He pulled her in close by the hip and left his hand there. She let him.

While they were saying their goodbyes, the Doctor had set the TARDIS to self district. There was only one last thing to do.

Rose grabbed his free hand and he lifted their joined hands above the final button that needed to be pressed.

"I'll dream of you later," Rose tried to joke to ease the tension, but deep down she knew she was serious.

"I dream of you all the time."

Rose turned to meet the Doctor's eyes, and they pressed the button. Together.