Disclaimer: This is not mine. I repeat, Doctor Who and any other related characters are not mine.

Thanks to my fantastic beta, Hudine. Sorry about the delay in chapter two.

Chapter 3: Missing You.

Rose stretched, bone popping as she did so. She removed the old apron she was wearing and hung it over a chair. It was two a.m.and she was finally going home. Well, as close to home as she had on this god forsaken planet. Helena stuck her head into the kitchen and grinned.

"You have got to stop working these double shifts. I don't understand how that man of yours lets you do it. Do you ever see him?"

Rose smiled at her friend. Helena was the other employee at the bar and had become a good friend over the last few weeks. Five weeks to be exact. She was a year or so older than Rose and her dark hair fell to her waist.

Rose accepted the drink Helena offered her gratefully and downed the shot quickly before answering.

"He's not mine for one and we need the money. Besides, even if I didn't work I'd never see him. He's always working on that damn box."

Helena gave her a curious look and Rose waved her off. "I gotta be going. I'll see you tomorrow afternoon, yeah?"

"Yeah. You working another double again tomorrow?"

"Nope, tomorrow, I get to sleep."

"Cheers to that. I'll see you tomorrow."

Rose waved good bye to her friend, stepping out the back door into the cold night air and rain. It wasn't really a long walk back to the house, but in the dark it felt like an eternity. She pulled her jacket around her tightly and began to walk quickly. It wasn't that she couldn't take care of herself, but in the six weeks they had been stranded here, there had been more bombings than she could count the city was rife with mobbing and murders.

On a regular basis, Rose had returned to the house dusty and haggard from a long day's or nights work and possibly a near death experience. The Doctor barely seemed to notice, sparing only a glance and a few words every day. It wasn't that she didn't understand how caught up with fixing the TARDIS, but she was working her ass off to keep him fed and with a roof over his head, no matter how many leaks it had in it and he didn't seem to realise. She had stopped sleeping in her own room in the TARDIS at this point. It was just easier to fall into the creaky bed in the small bare room just inside the front door. She missed him. She missed the jokes and the companionship, the comfort of his presence, the feeling of safety he inspired in her. He didn't even notice she was gone.

Rose ducked her head against the rain and forged forward with a small groan. She sounded like she was married. She turned the corner of her road and paused. There were two groups of guys just outside her house. It looked bad. They were all shouting, trash talking. They were the Fiean and the Anaxine. Rose shook her head and marched up to the groups, stepping between two of the men. It was probably a very stupid move but she was tired and sick of the whole thing.

"Hey. Quit it."

One of the Anaxine sniffed at her, tail flicking behind him. "And who are you to tell us what to do?"

One of the Fiean men stepped forward. "Yeah, little girl."

Oh, she thought exasperatedly, they can agree on that but not on anything else.

"I am the person wholives in that house." She jerked a thumb at her house. "You guys wanna kick the crap out of each other, fine. But not in front of my house got it."

They seemed taken aback by the confidence of the young woman who was considerably shorter than all of them. They moved off and Rose could hear the violence erupt further up the street. She dragged herself up the steps and opened the door, revelling in the quiet and darkness.

"Hey."

She jumped as the Doctor spoke from the darkness where the couch was.

"Hey. What are you doing out here?"

She dumped her jacket on a worn arm chair and shook out her damp hair.

"I was waiting for you. Do you want something to eat?"

"No thanks. I'm just going to go to bed. I'll see you… whenever."

She entered the cramped bed room and lay down, not even bothering to get changed. She barely heard him come in and shifted uncomfortable as he sat down beside her. He swept some hair from her face. "I've missed you."

Her voice caught in her throat and she grabbed his hand fiercely. She was so tired and his unexpected admission had crumbled her defences. He lay down beside her and she buried her face in his chest, as his strong arms encircled her.

When she woke up, he was gone, back into the TARDIS but when she stuck her head in to say goodbye he looked up and smiled at her.

"Don't get yourself killed out there."

"I won't. Bye."

End Chap

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