A/N: I want to thank everyone who has followed this story. It has been a lot more angsty than I had set out for it to be and I thank you for sticking it out. Now, the long awaited and deserved happy ending :)

Rose woke up in her room in her mum's flat. She opened her eyes to see daylight shining through the window. She groaned as she tried to move and her muscles protested severely. She was so stiff she wondered how long she had been asleep.

She rolled over and glanced around the room confused and trying hard to remember what had happened. What was she doing here? Why was she at home? What was she doing in bed in the middle of the day? She felt like she had been asleep for days. And where was the Doctor?

She sat up in the bed and her head swam with the change in position. How long had she slept? Was she sick? Her head cleared and she had some sore muscles but she attributed both of those things to the long sleep she was sure she had. Other than that she felt fine. There was something big that she was forgetting, something just on the edge of her mind she could feel. She searched around the room frantically for a clue.

After a few minutes of searching she remembered. Of course; how could she have forgotten? She remembered her struggle to get to the TARDIS. She remembered the Doctor's pain and love for her that had motivated her to look into the time vortex again. She even remembered the conversation she had with him while having the power of the vortex in her. She remembered that he said he loved her. She remembered his lips on hers right before she had passed out.

"Doctor," she whispered as concern for him filled her.

"Mum…Mum!...Mum!" she called out frantically until her mum burst into the room.

"Rose, darling, thank goodness you're awake!" Jackie said taking Rose in her arms and holding her tight against her. "I thought you would never wake."

"Mum, where is the Doctor?" she said pushing back and looking at her Mum.

"With all you've been through you're worried about him?"

"Mum! Is he alright?" Rose demanded.

"Yes, he's fine," Jackie said putting a hand on Rose's shoulder. "Don't worry about him."

"Where is he?" Rose said starting to get up out of bed.

Jackie pushed her back onto the bed. "Calm down. He's just in the other room and he's fine. You on the other hand, need to take it easy before you just start jumping out of bed."

Now that she knew that the Doctor was alive and still here, she could feel the dizziness in her head and thought maybe it wasn't a good idea to leap out of bed just yet. "How long have I been asleep?" She said laying back against the bed.

"Five days. You gave me an awful scare. The Doctor said that you would be fine…but the longer you slept I started to wonder. And when we couldn't wake you I think he wondered too."

Rose remembered what happened up until she had passed out. She knew she had been almost dead when the Doctor had found her. Even if he had absorbed the energy of the time vortex to keep it from killing she still had a brain tumor.

"What happened?

"I sure don't know. The Doctor burst out of your room and says you're missing and goes looking for you. I went after him and finally I find the TARDIS with the two of you in it both passed out on the ground. I had no idea what to do. I tried everything to wake you but you wouldn't. I could see right away that your color was better and you just looked better. If you hadn't looked so much better when I found you I would have given up hope that you would wake up. I couldn't even begin to understand what had happened and I didn't even know what to make of the Doctor but it wasn't long until he lept up and started bouncing around. He scanned you right away and that's when he saw."

Fear gripped her heart and twisted in her stomach. "Saw what?" Rose asked.

Tears flooded Jackie's eyes and she took Rose's face in her hands. "The tumor is gone. You're not sick anymore."

Rose's mouth dropped open in surprise and her mind spun at the news. She was shocked and almost didn't want to believe it was true, that the very thing she had most wished for had become a reality. Her heart lept inside her chest and tears filled her own eyes.

Rose hugged her mum and Jackie held her back tight. "Rose…I can't believe I almost lost you."

"I know mum. I know."

For several minuets Rose enjoyed being held by her mum as they both cried from happiness. The good news had overshadowed her mind but then a very important thought came back to the forefront.

"Wait," she said pulling back to look at Jackie. "Is the Doctor really alright? You said he was passed out; did he regenerate?"

"Is that what you call it when he changes his whole body?"

"Yes."

"Then yes, he regenerated."

Guilt filled Rose's heart. This is not what she wanted to happen. She was somehow healed but she had not meant for it to be at the cost of the Doctor. She knew he didn't want to change and she didn't want him to have to do it again for her sake like he had the last time. To make it worse she had slept through the whole thing. She hadn't even been there to support him through it in any way.

"And he's alright?" she asked quietly. She remembered the last regeneration and how it had gone wrong. She remembered watching him almost die.

"You're still worried about him?" Jackie asked noting the concern in her voice.

"He did it for me."

"He made it through just fine," Jackie said reassuringly. "It wasn't like the last time. He was passed out when I found you both but he's been awake ever since and driving me crazy like normal. Picky eater that one is too; I nearly strangled him before he finally found something he would eat. I don't know how you put up with him. I couldn't get him to leave once because he didn't want to miss you when you woke up."

"Can I see him?"

Jackie smiled. "Yeah, I'll send him in."

Rose watched her mum leave and heard her out in the living room talking. She got a fluttering in her stomach despite everything that had happened thinking about seeing the Doctor in a new body again.

She was so deep in thought she almost jumped when the door slowly started to open. A man came in that she knew but it was a face she didn't recognize. He was clad in a brown tween jacket, red shirt and maroon bow tie and suspenders instead of pinstripes and converse. He looked slightly younger than before. The hair was different, but still good, and still not ginger she noticed.

He looked…nervous as he entered the room. She realized that the last time that he regenerated she had not taken it as well as she could have. In her defense it had been quite the surprise. He had never explained about his ability to regenerate until right before he did it. But still she knew it had hurt his feelings that she had thought he was different at first and that she had even asked him to change back. She could see that he was expecting the same to be true this time around.

"Hello Rose," he said with his new voice. He stayed in the door way clearly wanting to come in but gauging her actions to see how she was reacting to his change.

Maybe it should have bothered her now that he looked different from the last time she saw him. It probably should have caused her some kind of alarm. But at the moment it did not. Not one bit. At the moment all she wanted was him, because she was alive and he was safe. Memories of his pain, of his love for her that she had felt, memories of worrying about his safety filled her in one moment and she only longed for him, new face or not.

"Doctor? Doctor?" she cried out desperately. She reached out for him. He hesitated for a moment but rushed over when he realized what she wanted. He took her in his arms and she buried her face against his shoulder. As she squeezed him harder she felt him let himself relax. It was soon replaced by a feeling of desperation in the way he held her like he would never let her go. She buried her face against the scratchy tweed coat he wore, so different from the smooth pinstripe she was use to, but still comforting because it smelled exactly the same. He was a different man now but the way he felt holding her, she knew; still the same. The clothes were different, the face was different, but he was still the same. She still couldn't believe how it could be possible but it was.

"Oh Rose," he said with conviction his hands pulling her head closer to him his fingers weaving securely in her hair, "I thought I had lost you. But you're here."

"And you're here too," she said tears of joy making their way to her eyes.

There were so many questions and wonderings in her head at the moment. Things were so different than the last time she was awake. It was hard to know where to start.

She pulled back and looked into his face. She put a hand on his cheek and looked into his eyes. As she looked into his eyes she was still amazed that they were always the same. Three times now and she still would know him by them. He remained stone still and quiet as she took in his new appearance. She ran her hands over his face, tracing every new detail of it and she felt him shiver just slightly at her touch. She ran her hands down to his shoulders and down to his chest where they rested, one on each of hearts.

She smiled at him and she wanted him to smile too; she wanted to see his new smile. But he said nothing and she could see that he was worried. She hadn't meant to make him sit in silence for so long but she had to figure out what she feeling first before she could say it and she was trying to figure it out still. She hadn't planned on any of this. She was dying; how she was still here she didn't know. She hadn't wanted him to have to regenerate again. But here she was and there he was in a new body.

"You were bound and determined to use another one of your lives on me," she finally said but there was nothing but gratitude in her voice.

"If you weren't so determined to absorb the time energy I wouldn't have to, now would I?" he said in mock seriousness only. She could tell that he felt guilty about it and at the same time, happy to know all she had done for him.

"Are you feeling alright? Did the regeneration go alright?"

"I feel just fine. Couldn't be better. The regeneration went much better than the last one. I do have to say that my new taste buds are rather picky. I think that I drove your mum rather crazy with my finicky appetite. I might not be allowed over here anymore when this is all over," he said with a smile. The first smile she'd seen. It was different but she liked it.

She laughed and put a hand on his face. "It's still you Doctor. It's still hard to believe how it can be but it's you." She knew that he had doubts about whether she believed it and she wanted him to know even with the new things she could still tell it was him.

"What do you think?" he asked and she was surprised to see him glancing at himself self-consciously. She knew it was her fault and she felt bad that he still felt that way after all this time. He thought she might not want him like this.

"Well…it's different. Not bad different; just different." It was her answer the last time and though she didn't want to use the same one what could she say? Did he want her to say she liked him better this way or the way he was before? Either way it seemed like an insult and that was the last thing she wanted to do.

His face seemed to fall. She guessed that whatever he had hoped to hear, that was not it. "Its just going to take some time to get to know you like this," she said reaching out to straighten his bow tie, "That's not a bad thing. It can be fun to get to know someone," she said smiling at him.

He gave a somewhat shy half smile back. "You like my bow tie?"

She smiled. "Yeah. It's cool."

"Bow ties are cool."

She laughed but he looked serious again. "But really; is this…alright?" he asked.

"Of course it is," she said firmly putting her hand on his face and looking deep into his eyes. "This time and the last time-you did what you did for me. You died for me, to save my life. Just because you have a different body it doesn't make me forget any of that. In fact," she paused to emphasis what she was about to say hoping it banished every insecurity he had about his new body "every time I look at this face I will remember what you did for me."

She could see in his eyes that point sunk in. It might not have chased every insecurity away but she could tell that it made an impression.

"I…I'm sorry that I made it happen. I know you didn't want to change."

"No…Rose, I don't want you to feel guilty. Believe me when I say, that it has been a pleasure. I have never, in all my life, had such a good thing to regenerate for. To regenerate because of love…it makes it not that bad. I would have done anything to make you better."

Tears flooded his eyes. It did not escape her notice that he said love. Her heart beat faster. "Doctor…" she said.

"Rose, I almost lost you," he said and this time he wasn't trying to hide the tears in his eyes. "I almost lost you forever."

"I'm here," she said hugging him, to reassure herself as much as him. "I don't know how but I am."

"You're sure you're feeling alright? You were asleep for so long."

"Yeah," she said thinking about it."My head…"

"What?" he asked, concern creeping back into his voice.

"It doesn't hurt," she said looking at him in amazement. "For the first time in months, it doesn't hurt at all."

He smiled at her, a real and genuine smile, something she hadn't seen a long time. "The tumor is gone," she said.

"I know Rose," he said with the purest joy on his face.

He reached down and kissed her head lightly before just holding his hands on it. She closed her eyes and just took in the feeling of being well and not sick, of having her head free of pain and sickness, of having the Doctor's hands on it.

This was a moment that she thought they could never have. They had both been healed, brought back to life. It was everything that she wanted but she still didn't know how it was possible.

"How is this possible? How can I be better?" She whispered out. "Was it you who healed me?"

"No, it wasn't me. I took the time energy out of you so it wouldn't kill you but I didn't make you better. You were already better at that point."

Rose was puzzled. She could remember everything up until the point where she passed out and she knew that she had been very sick. "I don't understand. When I got to the TARDIS I…was just barely holding on. I knew I was about to die. I could feel it. Was it the time energy?"

"The time energy is incredibly powerful. Powerful enough to bring life and death. It has the power to bring a person back to life even if they're dead if that's what you use it for. It healed your head while it was in there. But it is too powerful to be kept inside of you. It would have killed you if I hadn't removed it, that's why it kills me too."

"But that's not what I asked for. That's not even what I had in mind when I did it."

"But that's what she wanted."

"The TARDIS?"

"Yes. You asked her to give her someone who would love me, who would take care for me. Her answer was you."

"But how did she know?"

"Rose, in your mind you might have been asking her to take me to someone else who would take care of me after you were gone but in your heart what were you asking for?" he said giving her a knowing glance.

She broke her eyes away and thought about it. She thought about those moments before she looked into the TARDIS. Of course she wanted to live. She wanted to be the one with the Doctor. She knew that no one could be what she had been to him. She didn't really want anyone else with him.

"Not to die. To not have to leave you," she answered quietly, still a bit embarrassed to openly admit her feeling for him.

"Don't you see? It was a gift. She read your heart as well as your mind and she knew what you knew; no one could ever replace you. She gave you back to me because anyone else would have been a substitution."

She had known that was true but she had not allowed herself to hope for it. Ever since she found out she was dying she only wanted to live. She only wanted the Doctor to be taken care of. But all this time she had never known there was a way for the two to go hand in hand.

"How did you even do it Rose?" he asked with a bit of awe in his voice. "You were so sick, so weak, how did you even make it to the TARDIS?"

She smiled at him while she thought about it. "Sheer determination. There's no logical way to explain it. It was just that I was so determined and…I was given the strength to do what I had to," she was thinking about how what she had just learned about the Doctor and his feelings for her had pushed her on to action.

"But how did you get the TARDIS open? The last time you said you had to rip it open with a truck. You couldn't have done that this time."

Rose smiled. "Ahh, the TARDIS. She'd been mad that time."

He smiled too. "Mad?"

"Yeah. I was trying to get her to do something you didn't want then. You'd given her orders and I was going against them. I had to get a little pushy."

"And this time?"

"She knows me; just like you said. I just had to talk to her and she understood."

After a pause the Doctor looked at her and asked, "I know you already thought you were dying…but why did you do that for me? Why did you put yourself in danger…in pain? Just for me?"

"Doctor…" she said pausing and remembering the emotions that saw inside of him, "It's like I said: I wanted you taken care of. I know you can't believe it but I love you. You love me so much; you'd do anything for me. Why is it so hard for you to believe that I feel the same way about you?"

The Doctor looked down looking uncomfortably He knew she was right but he didn't know how she could know him so well. And he didn't know what to say. "I…I"

"I know it's true. I saw…I saw how you feel about me."

"What?" he said glancing up at her.

Rose felt bad. She hadn't meant to see what she did and she hadn't done anything to make it happen but she still felt like it was invasion of privacy. "I'm sorry I saw it. I promise I didn't try to; I didn't even know it was possible," the words were rambling out of her mouth quickly and she tried to make them slow down. "It was when we were talking before…when you were upset and you touched my head and I saw inside of yours. Feelings mostly," tears rolled down her face, "I saw how much you love me. I saw how much it was killing you that I was dying. I knew you wouldn't go on alone. And I wanted to make sure you were going to be taken care of."

The Doctor was overwhelmed. He could not believe that she had seen into his head and heart and she still loved him. The depths of her devotion to him was overwhelming. He could only strive to be the man she deserved so much.

"You don't need to feel embarrassed…or bad," she said misunderstanding his silence. The Doctor had always been so private with his emotions even with her. She knew that he shouldn't feel bad about his emotions; they meant so much to her. It had been so special to her that she should see them but she was beginning to think that he did not feel the same. Maybe she shouldn't have even said anything about it.

"Rose…I don't feel embarrassed. I feel overwhelmed. Everything you've done for me…I've never had that. I don't deserve it."

"Doctor…"

"I've put you through so much pain…I've taken you for granted for far too long. I have been selfish."

"No, you haven't."

"Yes, I have. I let the fear of getting hurt keep me from giving you what you deserved, what I wanted to give you. And I'm sorry."

"I don't think that was it. I think you wouldn't let yourself get close because you didn't think you deserved me. You didn't think you were worth it."

"I don't."

Rose was at a loss for what to say in response. What could she say to make him see that he was worth it, so worth it, to her?

"I swear I didn't know," he said suddenly nearly begging for forgiveness. "Everything I saw told me you were going to die, that you had to die."

"I know Doctor," she said reassuringly.

"I was certain of it," he said still pleading. "It looked like a fixed point. I looked for every reason for it not to be true, for it not to be fixed…I'm so sorry Rose," he said becoming more and more unhinged by the minuet.

"Hey now," she said looking into his face that looked so sad. "None of that now," she said pulling him to her. He put his face against her shoulder and held her tight.

"Everyone makes mistakes," she said holding him. "I know you like to think you don't," she said with a smile, "But that means even you."

But he didn't smile at her joke. He pulled back and looked at her. "It was my fault."

"What do you mean?"

"All of this pain you had to go through…it could have ended so much sooner if I had only seen that you could be saved."

"Doctor. It's alright. You made a mistake but it's alright now."

"I can't always see my timeline clearly especially when I am on the brink of making an important decision. This could have been over sooner if I wasn't too stubborn to admit what I was trying to deny."

"Then it's a good thing you have smart women in your life," she said with a smile.

He put a hand on her chin and smiled faintly. "My brave, smart Rose."

She was momentarily taken back. It was perhaps the most honest thing he had ever said to her.

"Well you know what I have to say about all of that: It was worth it. If this is what it took to have you…it was worth it to me."

The Doctor was silent for a moment and Rose could see that there was a raging war inside of him. "Without going through this we wouldn't have known what we needed to know about each other," she continued. "We both know each other so much better now."

"I want to see," he finally said. "You've seen my pain. I want to see yours. I want to see what it is that you had to go through in all of this."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. I don't know if you know or not but I can be a little thick skulled."

"No!" she said in mock surprise with a smile.

He smiled back but turned serious again. "I never want to forget any of this. I've almost lost you…more times than I want to think about. And still I didn't let that encourage me to tell you how I felt. "

"I'll show you," she said quietly.

"Just think about the past couple of months and if there is anything you don't want me to see then just hide it away where I can't see it."

She had no intention of hiding anything from him. He hadn't been able to hide anything when she had seen his pain and she would let him see all of hers in return. But she nodded silently for his benefit.

He placed his hands on either side of her face, putting his index fingers on her temples, his thumbs on her chin gently stroking back and forth a couple of times. She closed her eyes as he did and focused on the past couple of weeks.

She let him see the full extent. She let him see all the way back to when the headaches had started and when the fear and doubt had set in. She thought about the day that she had gotten the horrible news and how alone and scared she had been. She thought about those mornings she had spent trying hard to get ready for the day ahead even when she felt so bad. But she also thought about those days and how she had worried about telling him because she didn't want to hurt him.

She thought about the day she told him and he saw the fear she had both in telling him and in the waiting after she told him. She heard him whisper a sorry but she soon thought about that night and how good it had felt to have him there, how peaceful she had been able to sleep and how much it had meant to her to have him there. She thought about the following weeks and though there was pain there was also happiness and comfort. She thought about all he had done for her and how all of it meant so much to her. She thought about how the greatest pain was leaving him.

She didn't just want him to see the pain. He wanted to see that and she didn't mind showing him but she wanted him to see how through it he had been a bright light and help.

Things were changing in the Doctor's heart. While he felt unlovable he was seeing how truly loved he was. While he felt selfish he saw how he she saw all the selfless things he did. He still felt like he still didn't deserve the way she felt about him but he would never again deprive himself of her. And even more importantly he would never deprive her of him. Because she truly was happy with him and it was all she ever wanted.

She began to get some feelings from him. He hadn't meant for her to see before. His defenses had been down and he had not meant for her to see into his mind where his pain was. But right now he wanted her to see into his mind, he was making her see. Before she had seen his love for her in the midst of the pain of losing her. But now she saw his love for her in the joy of having her. Though he felt he did not deserve it he was immeasurably grateful for it and would do everything he could to try and never take it for granted again.

When the Doctor took his touch off her mind, Rose felt suddenly tired by it all. Though she was better she had still been through a lot and felt like she needed some more rest. The Doctor sensed it too and he laid her down on the bed gently but hovered just a few inches from her face. "You should get some rest," he said quietly.

"Alright," she said, too tired to put up any kind of fight.

"But before you do," he said with a smile. "Just in case you missed it the first time," he said pausing and smiling down at her. "I love you Rose," and he leaned down just a breath from her lips letting her to be the one to meet him this time. The first two times she'd been unaware and he had taken; this time he would let her. She was more than glad to move and close the space between them.

"Rose, are you sure you're alright?"

"Mum, I'm fine," Rose said looking at her mum with a smile. "I'm 100% better."

Rose had been home for a two weeks since the day she had woken up. She had been better since that day. The Doctor had again confirmed that the tumor was gone and she was completely healed. A full scan had shown that all was as it should be in her body not that she needed it to tell her that; she knew she was better because she felt it. The headaches, nausea, dizziness and weakness were all gone. She felt so good she felt like she could conquer the whole world.

The Doctor had been the one to insist on resting at home. She had been surprised by it considering she knew that he was going stir crazy in that time. Her mum had agreed and Rose knew she would never be able to stand against the both of them so she didn't fight them on it. Even she was going a little restless at this point. And the way that her mum and the Doctor kept going at each other she was pretty sure it was time to move on.

Jackie looked defeated; she wanted Rose to stay but she knew that it was time for them to move on. "Mum, I promise that we'll come back soon for a visit," Rose said consolingly.

"Well, you can come back. You can just leave that one," she said gesturing to the Doctor who was standing a several feet off near the TARDIS, "behind."

The Doctor glanced their way and it was obvious that he knew they were talking about him but he just gazed around like he had not heard anything. Rose just smiled fondly at him and though he wasn't looking at her a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth in response.

Rose turned back to Jackie "Mum."

"Oh, I'm just kidding…kind of," she said and they both smiled. "I know you love him."

"I do," Rose said with certainly, never more sure of anything in her life.

"Well, I don't know how you put up with him and all of his craziness or how you get use to him changin' his whole body like that," she said giving him a wary sideways glance before focusing back on Rose. "But I know what I need to know about him: he loves you."

Rose stared back at the Doctor, her Doctor, now truly hers more than he ever had been before. It felt so good to not have to deny the love that she felt for him anymore.

"I won't pretend that it's not weird to think about the fact that my daughter is in love with an alien," she said emphasizes the word that Rose could never quite seem to make herself use to describe him, "because it is weird. But I have never seen anyone love someone like he loves you."

Jackie teared up remembering the day that was still so recent. "When he saw that you were alive and that you were completely healed," she stopped for the tears. "I have never seen someone who was so happy. The way he held you and looked at you even when you were sleeping, the way that he wouldn't leave your side…its true love. Alien or not. And that's all I could ever want or ask for you," she said tears running down her face.

"So I guess I have to be nice to him," she said brushing away the tears and smiling at Rose. "Because if it weren't for him and his crazy life and ways, I wouldn't have you here right now," she said putting a hand on Rose's cheek.

"I love you mum, so much," Rose said leaning in and giving Jackie a tight hug.

Rose saw the Doctor glance her way and she motioned for him to come over. He smiled and rubbed his hands together as he walked over to the two women. "Well, Jackie I suppose its time for us to be off. Try to get by without me, I know it will be hard but I'm sure you can mange," he said in a teasing tone.

"With you far away from here and out of my hair that's the only way I can manage," she tossed back.

Rose just shook her head and rolled her eyes at the two of them. They had been at it every minuet since she had woken up. And she loved every moment of it. It was so different than the way she thought they would have to be at this time. She would have been dead and they would have been broken and alone. To hear them bickering at each other was music to her ears. It actually brought tears to her eyes and they were finally happy ones.

"What am I gonna' do with the two of you?" she said rubbing the Doctor's tweed covered arm and smiling at them both.

He smiled at her. "Love us, of course. Well, I say 'love' but with her it's probably more like 'tolerate.'"

"You," Jackie said pointing a sharp finger at him "Just make sure you take care of her."

He looked at her and answered seriously. "I intend to spend every minute doing just that," he said looking at Rose. The way he looked at her, open and honest his feelings for her obvious, she would never get tired of that.

"Thank you," Jackie said, her words carrying volumes and gratitude for many things. She shook off the seriousness and smiled once again at Rose and touched her face. "You two better be off then."

Rose gave Jackie one last hug before turning to look at the Doctor. He held out his hand for her to take. She put her hand in his and they both smiled. This was something that was familiar to them. Everything that they had to learn and figure out about being together, but this was one thing that they were very familiar with. They laced their fingers together and she marveled at how this man's hand in three different forms always felt perfect and exactly right in her own.

They walked in comfortable silence the short distance to the TARDIS. Rose looked over her shoulder giving her mum one last smile and wave before following the Doctor into the TARDIS. He closed the door behind them and they just stood for a moment, quiet and unmoving side by side, letting out a sigh. They both looked each other and smiled. Both were relieved and happy to be back.

This felt like a beginning, a new life for them both. Both having been saved from death, given a tomorrow that neither thought would ever become a today.

"I never thought I would ever see this place again," she finally said.

The Doctor turned and looked at her. He leaned in close to her, reaching out a hand and gently touching her face. He started to pull his hand away looking embarrassed that he had reached out but she reached out and held it here. He still couldn't believe that he could touch her and it was alright. This man who had all the answers, who was always so much smarter than everyone else was not an expert when it came to this.

He paused a moment looking shy as he leaned closer in. She smiled back and nodded slightly to encourage him and he leaned in and gave her a gentle kiss. It was brief and kind of awkward but full of affection and gentle. She loved it. The awkwardness and nervousness of it reminded her that this was all brand new. She smiled to think that she was the only one who had ever kissed this set of lips. He was all hers, finally.

They had still only kissed a few times. While she knew the depths of his love for her she also knew that centuries of living a certain way weren't going to change overnight. Physical affection was still something that fairly new to him and they were still two different species; they were going to have their differences to work on. But with her human physical capacity for affection and his mental capacity for affection she was sure they would have a winning combination. She wanted to take as much time as they could to figure this out and enjoying every step of the way.

"I can't promise that I won't be a complete failure at this. But I am going to try my best."

She smiled at him. "I know you will." She knew it was hard for him. But she also had seen how much he loved her and she knew how much she loved him and that made her know this would work.

Suddenly, a small sob escaped her mouth and a few tears came into her eyes.

"What is it?" he asked in alarm.

"It's…It's just that I never thought I could have this…all of this."

"I'm sorry," he said regretful.

"It's not your fault."

"It's not my fault that you were dying but it's my fault that you thought that this," he said gesturing between the two of them, "could never be. I'm sorry that it took you dying," he choked on the last word. "To show me how I should be living."

"I know it's hard. You're a Time Lord; it's not your fault you see all of time at once. I saw it too when I had the vortex in my head. I honestly don't know how you can stand it without becoming overwhelmed. But that's all in the past now; let's just focus on today."

"It is hard. But you help. I want to live more like you, all brand new and not weighed down by the past or future."

He paused before he continued. "You're sure you're alright with this?"

"Am I alright with it?" she said with a smile. "Alright with being alive? Alright with having you all to myself? Yeah I think I can be alright with it."

He smiled but continued seriously. "No;, that's not what I meant. Are you disappointed?"

"With…?"

He just looked at her and she knew what he meant now; disappointed that he had to change.

She looked into this face that was still new but becoming more familiar with every passing day. This one could look so sad. In this face she could see more than ever before how much he wanted to please her. She knew he had wanted to in all three forms but this face showed it more than other two had. This face was more open, more honest, more willing to let emotions be seen. She knew that his current mindset and situation affected his regenerations and realizing this fact just showed how far they had come.

She smiled fondly at him. She had thought about it for the past two weeks and she finally felt she could adequately explain her emotions about his regenerating. "Well…it's like the first time. When you changed I did miss the first you I met. I fell in love with that man in the leather jacket. But after you changed I still knew it was you. Every once in a while I would see him. You would smile and I could see that wide, goofy, contagious smile. Or I could see the passion in your eyes. I never lost that first you, just like I will never lose that second you. And even after you changed it was like…you became even more. You became things I didn't even know I wanted."

She could tell that the words she spoke hit the right chord. She could tell by the way he paused in speaking that they went down to his heart. "It will be the same way this time. I'm eager to see what this one has up his crazy sleeves," she said with a sly smile her tongue peeking out between her teeth. She wrapped her arms around him and looked up into his face.

"You know," she said still smiling, "I do especially like the new suspenders," she said with a sly smile taking her finger and running it along one of them.

"And why is that?"

"They make it easy to do this," she grabbing him by both his suspenders and pulling his lips to her own.

When she pulled back she was glad to see him smiling. "You know," he said "I've always liked a good adventure. But I have to say this is one adventure I am especially looking forward to."

"Oh, me too," she said with a smile. "What do ya' say?"

"I say let's not waste any time," he said pulling away and running around the console nearly bouncing with energy. "There are a few places I've been trying to get you too and you've never seen them and these eyes haven't seen them. That is if we can get this old girl to cooperate," he said placing his hand lovingly on the console.

"Oh, I think she understands," she said walking over to where he stood and smiling affectionately at her. The rotor gently hummed in response. "See, she knows." She placed her hand over his on the console. "Thank you," she whispered still looking at the console.

A few minuets passed in silence before she looked at him. "So many beginnings," she whispered.

"Just enough," he said paralleling a darker conversation they had between them in this very room.

"I'm ready to get started. How about you?" she asked.

She smiled at his response.

"Allons-y Rose."

A huge thank you to all who followed this story and believed deep down that I wouldn't really kill Rose off :) I would love to hear what everyone thought of the story especially those I haven't heard from so please leave me a review. And thank you once again for being along for the ride.