Rose stared at Lyselle and then at the Doctor.

"Erm…" she managed, her mind in free-fall. Lyselle and the Doctor. Only she didn't call him that now, did she? Rose came to a realisation and it wasn't a good one. She backed off, then turned and ran.

"Aw crap," Lyselle muttered as she watched her friend flee. "She thinks that you and I…"

"What?"

"Oh you are hopeless. Go. Find. Sort."

"Yes ma'am."

He found Rose on a parapet some twenty minutes later.

"You're very hard to find when you don't want finding," he told her as he approached.

"Well, take the hint," Rose retorted sourly.

"What's the matter with you?"

"Nothing."

"Oh. Lyselle said you were pissed at me."

"Hmm."

"Ah you are. What did I do now?"

Rose stared at the rising suns. "Nothing," she sighed.

"Lyselle said you think that she and I are… involved. Actually that wasn't exactly what she said, but that's beside the point."

"What did she say?" Rose asked carelessly. She glanced at him. He'd gone an odd shade of pink and she found her interest piqued."

"It doesn't bare repeating."

Rose giggled, despite herself. She could well imagine the terminology Lyselle had used.

"Well anyway, I thought I should let you know that we're not."

"You were kissing her."

"She was kissing me. She does it every now and then. Strange girl."

"You think that's strange?"

"Really, yeah."

"What if I did it?"

"What, kiss Lyselle?"

Rose laughed so hard she ended up coughing. "No, you silly arse. You."

The Doctor seemed to think about this for a while. "Not sure," he said finally.

She looked at him reflectively for a moment. Then swiftly, before she could change her mind, she leaned over a planted a brief kiss against his lips. He blinked at her.

"Well."

There was a long pause. "I think…"

"Yes?"

"I think we should get going." He grabbed her hand and dragged her off.

Lyselle was waiting by the TARDIS as Rose was dragged rather unceremoniously into the courtyard.

"Oh you found her, good," she said warmly. She looked at Rose carefully. "Are you okay?"

"Sure," Rose laughed. "He kind of explained. As much as he ever does."

"That's okay then. Theta," she said to him than. "Are you sure you won't stay just a few more days."

"Nah. S'too boring and not enough near-death stuff."

Lyselle laughed. Then she hugged him and Rose. "Be careful, the pair of you. I hope we'll meet again Rose."

"Yeah, me too," Rose said, and found she really meant it.

They entered the TARDIS and seconds later it faded out.

"Goodbye Theta," Lyselle whispered to the now empty air.