Title: Everlasting

Rating: K+

Summery: Rose and the 10th Doctor stop off in London for Christmas just a few months after the regeneration has taken place. Both still adjust to each other has changed, as well as how they've changed themselves. (slight 10/Rose)

Authors Note: Needless to say I was a bit surprised by the wonderful feedback I received! My drabble, if you call 2000+ a drabble, seemed to be rather popular. Here is the next chapter, some more 10th/Rose fluff, but I don't plan for this to turn into some adventure, that's what the show is for.

She ran her fingers through her blond hair, moving the massive strands from her vision. After being to planet to planet and saving time after time the news of what was happening now a days seemed so very…boring. Here she was, sitting in her mum's living room with a cup of hot tea listening to the boring announcer go on about the biggest Christmas sale in years. She had to remind herself. These people didn't know what she did; they didn't know that this would all be irrelevant in the years to come. No one would care.

She shifted in the large couch, turning her attention back to the frosted window. The snow had settled from the night before, and the mixture of frozen water and cold air started to freeze the windows like every year. She put her chin in her free palm, looking out the window at the new addition to the scenery this year. Amidst the falling snow sat a police box, standing there as if it always had been even though it hadn't. It was collecting snow, soon the blue paint would be chipped and he'd complain about having to repaint the box as soon as they left this time to another.

A smile played on her lips and she looked over at him. He was sprawled on the other couch across from her, sleeping soundly, but still adorned in his sleepers and bathrobe. He looked content and comfortable, except the small moments where he would shift, but he would fall back into slumber at that point. She studied him; even now she wasn't fully used to his new appearance. She started at his head, taking note of the somewhat poofy hair and narrow face. He had a smaller body now, lean and didn't have as much muscle tone, however he seemed physically fit. He was shorter, but still taller than her. As she raised her cup for another drink she noticed that one of his slippers had fallen to the floor when he had moved.

She lost it.

The hot tea spurted everywhere as she snorted into her cup, and withdrew quickly, moving the hot water off her face. He stirred for a moment but fell back asleep. She put the cup down and continued to dry her face with her sleeve as she laughed. Her mother poked her head in from her bedroom but went back to her doings. She continued to giggle but forced herself to pause as she reached over the table and picked the slipper up silently and hid it behind a pillow. Maybe in his new look and thinking he'd be more opted for teasing than he was previously.

However her giggling didn't subside long, for he rolled off the couch and straight onto the floor with a large thud. She covered her mouth and laughed, shutting her eyes tightly at the tears that threatened to come out. She managed to open one eye as he sat up groggily, rubbing his head and groaning. He slowly looked over at her, disorientated as she proceeded to lie on the couch and curl into a ball in her giggle fit. He ran his hand through his hair and made the attempt to figure out what she was laughing at, but he didn't receive his answer until he stood and found not a slipper but carpet against his foot. He looked down, frowned, and knew this would not do.

He looked at her through narrowed eyes, something told him that she had done something while he was….well what was he doing? He took a moment to recall what he remembered last, which was standing in the afternoon chill talking to Rose and her annoying "boyfriend" Mickey about how the TARDIS could survive the elements but complain about the cold. He quickly put one and one together and figured he had blacked out as he was still adjusting to his new form.

With the greater mystery solved he turned his attention back to the giggling blond on the sofa, put his hands in his pockets, and simply spoke.

"I seem to have lost something, Rose Tyler."

She paused and looked at him for a moment before breaking down into a fit of giggles again. He groaned, not practically in the mood for this childish banter she enjoyed. Now if it was a playful banter about analytical studies he would have enjoyed it, but he knew there was no point in trying to get her into one of those topics. He simply stepped around the coffee table, squatted down to eye level as she opened her eyes and looked at her seriously.

"I think you know what I'm missing." He said. She blinked and tried to play dumb, but he wasn't going to let her this time. He pointed down to his bare foot and she slowly looked over the edge of the couch, trying not to laugh. He groaned again. The Slipper-less Time Lord….oh what a story of irony that would haunt him forever. A snicker found her way out as she put her face into the couch to hide her laughter. He sighed, no more Mr. Nice Time Lord.

"Rose Tyler I demand the return of my slipper."

Rose dared to look him up in the eye and then she dared to smile. "Or else you'll do what?"

That was a good question. What would he do? A million things came to mind, all which he could process of course, but most of them he could only get away with when they were onboard the TARDIS and not in the living room of the wrathful Jackie Tyler. This left him with one option that he knew would work because he had seen others get away with it. So, what was he to do without giving it away? That was simple.

He smiled. That put enough playful fear into her at the moment. Here he was squatting beside her couch, smiling when she was laying down on it; however she wasn't going to let him intimidate her like that, not at all. In response she smiled, daring him to do his worst.

"Well I don't know where your slipper has run off to." She replied, smiling and he raised his eyebrows in interest at the challenge. "Maybe you should keep better track of your slippers or they'll run off your very feet like that."

He smirked and took her challenge. He stood, hands in his pockets and waited a few moments still she had propped herself up on the couch. He reached out and tickled her sides and she shrieked in laughter, desperately trying to get away like a cat who found out it was bathing time. He leaned forward on the couch with one knee off as the other one lay against it and continued to tickle her.

"Stop…stop it!"

"Then either release my helpless slipper or tell me where I might find it. Poor thing must be all alone."

"I said stop it!" she shrieked as she tried to claw away. He caught a bit of blue out of the corner of his eye and snatched his precious slipper in one hand while he continued to tickle her with the other. Something made his hairs stand on end and he stopped, seeing that Rose had freeze like as if she were a child that had been caught trying to get cookies. He slowly followed her eye vision and found the wrathful woman standing in the hallway. His eyes widened and he stood still, and mentally sighed at the human impulse to freeze and hope no one would see him.

However seeing him, the Doctor, with the expression of a 'deer-in-headlights' was enough to send anyone into a fit. Jackie had simply giggled before heading back into her room, not giving the awkward position another thought. Rose giggled and took the opportunity to shove him away from her with her foot as she sat up. He scrambled backwards, steadying himself with the wall as he replaced the slipper to its rightful place.

"Well great going, you and your slipper." She pretended to scoff.

He returned to her side and bent down, placing his lips against her ear which startled her. "You were the one that had taken the poor thing hostage." He whispered before standing up and striding into the kitchen. Rose tilted her head in wonder, still adjusting to this new man. He was so much like he was before, but so different. For every difference there was a similarity, and at times it made her head spin. He was more analytical, but still mad. He was still funny, but in different ways. He still liked to read, but spent more time reading than he had before. He teased her less about her intelligence, and more in physical way, but never beyond what a friend would do. She sighed, running her hand through her hair as she looked at the ceiling again.

While she pondered him, he leaned against the kitchen counter with his hands in his pockets. Her thoughts were on him while his were on her. It appeared to him that she had changed more than he had changed. She was less cheeky, but still cheeky in her own way. She was less contradicting to herself and more open with what she expected and wanted from him. She was more open with her feelings around him, but less about what was on her mind. He crossed his arm in front of his chest and set his elbow on it, hand on his chin as he thought. She was still just as ready to torture him, but in different ways. He knew for certain that three months ago she wouldn't dare take a slipper, but then three months ago she didn't know that he owned a pair of slippers. Three months ago Rose Tyler had never seen him sleep, if you could call passing out from regeneration side affects sleep. Three months ago they wouldn't be on Earth for a holiday; they'd be off in some foreign system saving some species from dooming themselves.

Rose's thoughts had also drifted to the months and how things had changed. Here they were in her mother's apartment just two weeks away from Christmas. Three months ago he would be complaining about it being too domestic for him and begging her in his own way to leave for an adventure. Three months ago she had never known he owned anything other than a black leather jacket or that he could even fathom sleeping, let alone sleeping on her mother's couch. Three months ago he would have stalked out of the room instead of tickling her.

Her eyes drifted to the small cutout in the wall where she saw him thinking. His head would tilt, his eyebrows burrow together, and the corner of his mouth would twitch, going either up or down depending on the thought that would cross is mind at that moment. He would stay still instead of pace about in thought and flinging his hands into the air. He would continue to think of a way to make it work if it was broken, even when he was off doing something else at the moment. She noticed that his eyes had drifted to her as well, studying her like she was him. In this moment Rose had noticed the small drift that had formed between them, and she could tell that he noticed as well. He must have seen something, for in a moment he was out of the kitchen and in front of her, grabbing her arm and pulling her up from the couch.

"What are you doing?" she asked, startled.

"Well let's go on then!" he smiled, dragging her to the door as she grabbed her heavy coat. "We have things to do and places to see!" Rose faltered as he opened the door and turned to her. "After all with just a few weeks you'll never see London this cheerful and good willed! Come on now get the coat on we don't have time to waste." He was out the door quicker than she was able to understand the sentence, but she sorted it out while she placed her jacket out and informed her mother. She closed the door and ran down the stairs after him. Finally she caught up to him and pulled him back, looking at him.

"You daft man." She shook her head. He looked at her oddly as she gestured to his attire. "You are planning on going around London in your sleepers?"

He smiled. "I've seen you silly people go around in London with much less clothing on, I don't think anyone will care. And if they do, so what of it Rose Tyler? They won't remember it past tomorrow." He grabbed her hand and smiled. "Let's go."