Rose hated to admit it, but Mickey was right. The Doctor did, now that she thought about it, seem to be a bit of a womaniser. Sarah-Jane had evidently been thoroughly smitten with him; he had, as Mickey so tactlessly pointed out, referred to the famous Queen of Egypt as 'Cleo'; and as for his relationship with Madame de Pompadour…Rose didn't even want to go there. These 'encounters' left her feeling somewhat insecure; she worried that she was only a passing fad to the Doctor, that he would soon move on to another girl, sweep her off her feet and through time and space before revealing, sorry love; it's only for a little while.
Suddenly, the image of the Doctor popped into Rose's head, wearing a tuxedo and a smouldering look. It smiled and said, "The name's Doctor. The Doctor."
Despite herself, Rose smiled and fought back a laugh. The Doctor was far from being 007; he was cheerful rather than smooth, and more dorky than deadly. But then, she supposed his eccentricity and boyish enthusiasm was all part of his charm.
Inwardly, Rose shook herself. She was annoyed with the Doctor, after all. But…she thought for a moment. Why was she angry with him? And why was she thinking about his charm? She shouldn't care about his relationships or his past. She knew that her time with the Doctor was not to last forever – she had known that since she met Sarah-Jane…but she shouldn't let the whole thing get under her skin. When it came down to it, Mickey was her boyfriend, and she loved him – her relationship with the Doctor was entirely professional.
Wasn't it?
Rose was woken from her reverie by a knock at her door.
"Come in," she called, and the Doctor himself stepped into the room. Speak of the devil, Rose thought to herself. Then she looked up at him, and frowned.
"You all right?"
The Doctor, who usually sported an omnipresent cheeky grin, now looked oddly solemn. When Rose spoke, he looked at her as if seeing her for the first time. He paused, before making a half-hearted attempt at a smile.
Rose was puzzled by the Doctor's glum manner until the word "Reinette" flashed across her mind. Wordlessly, she stood, walked over to the Doctor and hugged him. He returned the embrace gratefully, and sighed. Rose felt the warmth of his breath at her ear, blushed and drew back slightly. The Doctor looked at her, nonplussed.
"Thanks," he muttered, his voice barely more than a whisper.
"Looked like you needed cheering up," Rose explained in an awkward voice. She then reached for her bedside table and handed the Doctor the gift he had earlier given to her.
"Banana?"
