"You won't fall, I promise," the Doctor said quietly, watching Rose look disbelievingly at the space in front of them. They were stood on a cliff over a hundred feet high, with sharp jagged rocks below. It was a tourist spot on the edge of the universe. 'Wilson's Walk' it was called.

It was a place where, though it looked like you would fall, you would actually be able to walk right across to the other side of the chasm. The Doctor had explained how it worked but Rose hadn't been listening, she'd just been staring at the drop. For some reason the new Doctor just couldn't convince her as thoroughly as the old Doctor had been able to. He couldn't make Rose trust him totally anymore.

The Doctor realised this and decided that maybe if he bought Rose here and showed her that she could trust him, their friendship might return to what it was.

"But it's a long way down," Rose whispered her throat dry.

"I'm not going to make you do it," the Doctor said earnestly. "But you'll regret it if you don't."

Rose had turned very pale and the Doctor could tell that she was scared stiff. It made his hearts ache that she wouldn't trust him.

"Close your eyes," he said suddenly. Rose looked at him as if he were mad. "You'll feel better if you're not staring at the drop."

Rose took several deep breaths and closed her eyes. The Doctor smiled, ok, so she did trust him a bit then.

"Give m your hand," the Doctor whispered gently. Rose held out her hand and the Doctor took it gently in his. He felt her tense as he moved closer. "I'm not going to push you don't worry."

Rose smiled slightly, despite the fact that she was in a very vulnerable situation. The Doctor stood right next to her and bought her hand up to his chest so the back of it was pressed directly over one of his two hearts.

"Can you feel my heart beating?" He asked. Rose nodded. "It's pumping at a hundred and two beats per minute. That's how scared I am. I'm a Time Lord and I've done this before! I shouldn't be scared, but I am."

He bought her hand down again and linked his fingers properly through hers, his long brown trench coat flying out behind him in the wind.

"Do you want to do it?" He asked quietly. Rose opened her eyes and looked at him. She nodded and he grinned. Not the manic grin he'd had before his regeneration, but a nice one still. "We'll do it together yeah? We'll jump after three."

"Ok," Rose said, her grip on his hand tightening.

"One," he said quietly. Two…"

"Three!" Rose cried and they both jumped. She stumbled into him as their feet landed on very solid thin air.

He caught her and held her still. She looked like she was about to throw up. He grinned again and looked up at the three bright moons above them.

"Told you, you wouldn't fall," he said quietly. Rose felt her heart ache. She so wanted to believe him, but somehow she couldn't trust him properly because she hadn't quite gotten over his regeneration yet.

"I'm sorry," Rose said suddenly. The Doctor turned back to look at her frowning.

"What for?" He asked confused.

"For not trusting you," She replied, smiling sadly. "I know you'd never let anything happen to me."

"Got that right," he said smiling. "What? Did you think after my regeneration I was gonna push you out of an airlock?"

"No," Rose said starting to feel even worse. She leant her head against his shoulder and looked up at the sky. "I just thought you wouldn't want me travelling with you anymore."

"Of course I still want you to come!" The Doctor said quietly. "I just thought you'd want to leave."

"No, I never want to leave you," Rose replied. "I want to do this forever."

The Doctor chuckled softly and looked down at Rose.

"You'll want to leave one day," he sighed sadly. "All my companions do."

"Not me," Rose said frowning at him. "S'not like I've got anything to go back for. I mean we visit mum and Mickey, but there's nothing else at my mums flat."

The Doctor smiled slightly. That was the first time since his regeneration that she hadn't called her mums flat 'home'. She'd obviously decided the TARDIS was her home still and that made warmth spread through him like a good cup of tea.

"You will," he said, a little sadness remaining. "Everyone leaves me eventually."

"Well I won't because…" Rose paused. She wasn't sure why she was about to say what she'd been going to. After all, she thought she'd fallen for the old him and now everything was out of sync. But maybe it wasn't? Maybe if she told him…

"Because?" Asked the Doctor interrupting her thoughts.

"Because I love you," Rose said simply, smiling up at him. The Doctor stared for a moment before breaking into a huge grin.

"Fantastic," he whispered.