The illustration for this chapter is posted on my profile. I make no apologizes for the brevity of this chapter. Its' my favorite! =D And be prepared for the story to REALLY take off from here!

Chapter 26

Rose perched herself up as far as she was able on her rather uncomfortable black strappy shoes, straining to see across a sea of people. Ugh, she hated dressing up. She could hardly move in her ridiculous cocktail dress, and the shoes were in their entirely own category of 'not fun'. Next time, she was not letting her mum talk her into picking her outfit. Add to the mix the fact that she was practically dead on her feet, and she wanted nothing but be out of the infernal place as soon as possible. These social events were always so very draining- all glitz and glamor and grating gossip.

Spotting an elusive opening, she quickly darted to slip past, but two imposing men conveniently placed themselves in her way. Rose looked them over- tall, broad shouldered, stoic, lifeless. Yep. MI6, no doubt. Drat. Seemed Hartman had gotten to Harriet first. Must have told her not to listen to her and her dad. Jake however, had fared better. Seemed he had somehow managed to slip past, mingling with members of congress, a glass of champagne in his hand. He threw a furtive glance toward the President speaking with the Secretary of Defense just a few steps away.

"Ooo, that awful woman," she whined to Pete. "She even went out of the way to tell the President not to listen to us! How is it Harriet can listen to Hartman but not you? You're the Director for heaven's sake!"

"She must think your relationship with him has compromised both of our judgments, or that's probably what she was told anyway," Pete sighed, looking about warily. "I'll see if I can get to the other side."

She nodded grumpily as her father disappeared into a crowd of diamonds and sequins. Just then, she spied Jake's spiky hair as he finally managed to get Harriet's attention. She couldn't help but smiled as he asked the president to dance, hand extended in a courtly bow.

"Rose?"

Rose's eyes widened at the familiar voice- a voice by all accounts she ought not to be hearing. She spun on the spot to find the Doctor standing there, adorned in his familiar brown pinstripes, converse shoes, and signature messy hair.

His own eyes flew wide as he took her in. Never had he seen her look so beautiful. Her hair fell in loose curls at her shoulders flanking a set of cultured pearls at her neck. His eyes lingered at the plunging neckline of her lacy black dress, her golden curls dancing about as she breathed. For a moment he couldn't speak. Which, considering the size of his gob, was quite the achievement.

"W-what are you doing here?! You can't let them see you!" she chided, grabbing him by the arm and yanking him into the hallway, pushing him against the wall with a thud. She peered around the corner to see if anyone had noticed before whirling around once more. "How did you get past security? They'll know where you are! They'll know your immobilizer isn't working! They'll lock you away again!" she fussed shaking her head at him, drawing her hand up accusingly.

Still the words wouldn't come. "I-"

"What?" she asked expectantly, stepping back to eye him from head to toe, waiting for his explanation. It had better be a good one.

Faced with the sudden reality of situation, the monumental task of bearing his soul seemed so very intimidating. He swallowed, his throat feeling a tad parched as he fiddled with his collar. "My chip fell out. And, and... I- I had to see you," he stammered, starting to feel just a bit silly.

"You couldn't wait? We were just about to-"

"No," he declared emphatically. She blinked at him in surprise, head tilting in confusion. Then his hand sought hers with deliberateness, lacing their fingers as he gently tugged her forward.

Her heart thudded at the sudden blazing look in his eyes and at the rather romantic physical gesture- a gesture that had stepped over the unspoken boundaries of their friendship. "It's too dangerous for you to be here," she whispered with a small shake of her head as stepped so very close.

"It was too dangerous for me not to come," he corrected her, sliding his hands around to the small of her back, pressing them together. Whatever questions she had about the ambiguity and nature of his intentions were quickly fading."I thought I'd never get to do this again when they put that device on me," he whispered. "And I told myself that if I ever got out of there, it was time to stop dancing around how I felt about you."

Her breath caught in her chest as his words, unleashing a flurry of nerves in her stomach.

"Rose..." His breathing quickened as he nervously eyed her. "Oh, Rose. I'm hopeless. I'm hopelessly mad for you. And if you any feelings for me, any at all, please tell me because I can't stand not knowing."

Eyes beseeching and lovesick, he tenderly brought her hand upon his beating chest. The soft touch of his fingertips tingled upon her hand. His heartfelt declaration of love melted her, her resolve nearly crumbling. Her thoughts began to swirl when he spoke once more.

"'Cos if you do, Rose, if you do we can run from this- all of it, you and I," he spoke, gently drawing her head closer to his, cradling her face as he grazed her cheeks with this thumbs. "We can travel the stars together again. We can have freedom and adventure for the rest of our days. If my presence is threatening this planet then we can leave, together."

Her heart fluttered as she realized just how weighty those words truly were- he was offering to run away with her. "Oh," she breathed staring into his dark pools, hope and longing written upon them. The intensity of his searing gaze threatening to pierce through all of her lingering defenses- all of her lingering guilt and inner conflict.

He was like poison and antidote in one. Like a fire she couldn't get close to yet couldn't keep away from. She was on the precipice. She could now only go forward and be consumed, or go back into the cold.

"Rose, Rose don't you see? I am him," he insisted, desperately clutching her waist to him. "The meta-crisis wasn't a cloning process it was a regeneration. Regeneration energy is what contains the Time Lord consciousness. It allows us to survive when the body dies. This body might be new, but the soul that lives in me is his. I am literally him. Not a copy, not a replacement. I am him. I've always been him, and I've always love you."

His words zapped through her like a jolt of electricity, doing more in one moment to snap her out of her stupor than days of coffee. Utterly shocked, she took a tentative step back, a shaking hand drawing to her open mouth. He couldn't be- he couldn't be the same man. Her Time Lord... Slowly, her gaze turned to the floor, her mind racing.

Instinctively, he reached out his hand but stopped short as he recalled the disasters of the past, leaving his fingers to curl tensely in the air. With each painful second, panic began to build.

"I- I just need a minute," she muttered breathlessly, her blond curls hiding her eyes just out of view. With that, she turned and ran as best as she could manage, disappearing around the corner.

"Gsshhh," he groaned in frustration, running his hands through his hair and circling on the spot. He wasn't sure if he should let her go or not. He was nearly sick with anticipation. It was killing him.

Rose hurriedly shuffled down the hall before finding a small alcove for the loo, leaning against the wall to take a much needed time out. Could it really be? Was it true? All this time, all this time it had been him all along? But then... he didn't leave her behind, did he? Then another realization struck her- she had made that promise of forever to him too. She had kept him away for nothing. So much time had been wasted! And now he was waiting for her, waiting to run away. Her heart swelled, tears of joy welling in her eyes. Then she grinned, a grin to end all Rose Tyler grins. She was going to do it... She was going to run away with this man!

Rushing into the hallway, she nearly ran head-long into Jake who jumped in surprise. "Rose," he exclaimed excitedly, "We did it! Harriet Jones is going to let the aliens go! She's decommissioning the chip program as we speak!"

It was enough of a shock to jostle her yet again. "Really? Just like that?"

"Yep," he said happily.

"I've gotta to tell him," she said, astonished.

"You mean Pete? Already told him," he said smugly, bouncing on the heels of his feet.

"No, the Doctor," she corrected him, smiling widely once more at the sound of his name.

Jake looked surprised, his head peering down the hall. "He's here?"

She nodded her head in affirmation, her emotions practically bubbling over with excitement and anticipation. "Yep! Come on," she said stepping lightly toward the hall.

"Before we tell him, dance with me Rose." Just then, he unexpectedly grabbed both her hands, spinning her around to face him in a dizzying maneuver.

"Wait, what?!" The room came to rest, and she found herself looking up at him, his piercing blue eyes so very insistent. Surprise seemed to be the recurring theme of the evening.

"Just one dance. Come on," he urged, pulling her closer.

What was he on? This wasn't like him. "Jake," she chided with a shake of her head, yanking herself from his grasp. This was hardly the time, and they hadn't come here for that. And she certainly wasn't going to leave the love of her life waiting any longer.

But the cheery demeanor vanished from Jake's face as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a strange metal device. Then her heart stopped as it all became so very clear. "Oh god," she uttered, stumbling back as a white light flashed in her face.

"Dance with me, Rose," he ordered expressionlessly.

Rose struggled to bring the figure in front of her into focus, her mind buzzing. The man reached out and pulled her tightly against him, setting her hands upon his shoulders and wrapping his hands around her waist.

Unable to wait any longer, the Doctor turned the corner and stopped in his tracks.

There she was, in his arms. His insides lurched as his fists clenched. Swallowing hard, he swerved around the corner once more. He rested against the wall, taking a long deep breath to find his wits. It couldn't be. It couldn't be. She couldn't love this man more than him. After everything they had been through... They could just be dancing... like friends, he rationalized. In the... hallway.

No. Jake had made himself perfectly clear earlier. Jealousy shoved through him like hot iron to the gut. Whatever this was, he had to confront them and find out for himself. Once again, he stepped around the corner.

Time stopped.

Jake was kissing her passionately, holding her face in his hands... and she wasn't stopping him. In that moment he forgot how to breathe, his universe collapsing in slow motion right before his eyes. When the need for air could be held back no longer he inhaled, the breath scorching his throat, haggard and strained. Shaking, he stepped back, tears stinging his eyes.

He couldn't bear to watch any longer. For the last time, he rounded the corner and tried to run from the crushing ache that had settled in him. But even as his feet swiftly carried him away from the sounds of laughter and music, he knew there would be no running from this. Not this time. He was too late, she was gone. He had lost her.