A/N ok this is the 7th chapter; this is one for shippers, fluff!

Thankyou for the reviews, they make me write faster believe me. I only have a little bit of time to write these chapters (at the moment I am writing this during my study lesson, getting my priorities straight!). I have 3 days left until I start holidays over here and guess what the first holiday weekend is the season finale of Doctor Who, life is so unfair, but I am going to sit back for a couple of nights and relive the 1st and 2nd series, with tissues of course. Oh and some home work, kinda have to pass year 12!

Ok this here is the chapter, have to go now and write the 8th chapter!

xxx

She had so much to work out, so much to think about. She didn't know where to begin.

He was back, and he had told her why he had sent her away.

She had only been walking for a short while when her legs brought her where she needed to be the most.

The TARDIS.

She stopped in front of her, just standing there looking at her and taking in the familiar scene. Stepping forwards she placed her hands upon the side and caressed The TARDIS, taking every bruise that the beloved ship had acquired in the process.

Whispering quietly "hasn't been taking that much care of you has he?" she said lovingly.

She lifted her arms and brought her hands down and around her neck and slipped off the one item that she had kept of her travels with the Doctor. The TARDIS key, which she hadn't been able to part with. She had tried to, tried to erase any thing that reminded her of him, but it seemed to call to her, made her feel guilty. She loved the TARDIS, she had felt a connection with the ship. She had made the Doctor think that she had forgotten about the Vortex, truth was she did remember and still felt a deep connection with the ship.

She slowly put the key in the key hole and turned it slowly. Hearing the door unlock she unhurriedly eased the door open. Pushing the door all the way open she stood in the door way just looking around her only true home.

She took note of every change, though there were little, only month had passed. But she noted the new lever and the absence of the exposed wires, he had finally fixed that then, she thought.

She walked all the way in and ran up to the console, she felt truly at home here, by the heart of The TARDIS. She caressed the console and slowly walked around it. Her heart was bursting; she felt so much emotion, sadness, happiness, anger, grief. However standing there with the slowly changing colours of the Vortex, there was one feeling that towered over the others, Love. It was so overwhelming she felt tears running down her cheek and slowly sunk down on the floor and pulled her knees up and folded her arms on them and put her head down and cried.

She cried away the pain of three years, cried away the anger and suffering. She cried away all of her doubts, she washed away everything that made her lose her self and made way for a new beginning.

That's it love cry, wash away the pain, heal your soul.

She brought up her head, still crying. Looking around confused, for the source of the voice.

I'm hurt, has it been so long since you have heard my voice that you have forgotten me completely.

T…..T….TARDIS, her mind was also crying, cleansing her throughout.

That's right Rose my love, I'm here.

TARDIS! OH MY GOD! I missed you so much she broke down crying, this time with relief, oh I never thought I would hear your voice again, it has been a long time. Not as long for you through, but still time has passed.

No matter how much time passes, I will always morn your loss, I have been so lonely. You have no idea of how happy I am to see you again and to talk with you again, it's fantastic!

But you had The Doctor, surely you would talk to him?

He and I had different opinions on your leaving. I didn't want you to leave, he did. He thought that it was for the best.

He told me the reason; I'm still a little confused how I can be in two places at once though. But I know what he saw made him uneasy and he was worried for my safety. I just wish that he had spoken to me, wish he told me his fears. Why didn't you tell me?

I couldn't, as much as I hated the idea of you leaving, there was still a part of me that was scared that maybe what he saw may have been right and sending you away was the only solution. Forgive me Rose, just as Theta; I was worried about your safety.

I understand that, however it has caused my trust in both you and him to be tarnished. I am having a hard time coming to terms with everything that has occurred in the past 24-hours.

I understand Rose, we both do. You will need time to get used to the fact that we are back and in the long run learn to trust us again. It has been a nightmare since you left, for everyone; please think about coming back with us.

I just need some time to think about everything, so please can you just leave me. I'm sorry but if I am going to sort this out then it needs to be on my own.

Of course Rose, follow your heart, it worked for Theta.

And with that the TARDIS retreated from Rose's mind leaving Rose to think about everything and to make a decision to change everyone's life.

xxx

"She's been gone an awful long time Jackie, do you think I should go and look for her?" Jackie suppressed the urge to groan.

He had been like this ever since he came back. He had sat down for a few minutes to drink his tea. And then he started pacing and looking at his watch every five seconds mumbling about what time it was and just how dark it was getting.

Now he opted for the place by the door and the window, pacing between the two, looking out of them and then going to the other "Just in case she came either way".

He was like a 3 year old that'd had too much sugar and couldn't stand still for the death of him.

"For the hundredth time Doctor, no! Stay here, that's what she said to do, so do it!" she said tiredly.

"But Jackie" he winged "she has been gone for hours now, she just said that she needed to think, how much thinking does she have to do" he's like a bloody kid having a temper tantrum she thought to her self, she rolled her eyes before beginning slowly and saying each syllable so he could understand her.

"She .Is .Fine" she said slowly "she is thinking at the moment and she will be back soon, trust me" she pleaded with him, praying that Rose would come back soon just so that he would be out of her hair and Rose could then look after him.

"But….." he started. Jackie had, had enough.

"Look Doctor, when she gets back, she gets back. No sooner and no later. We can not make the time go faster. She has been out longer than this before, trust me I know how you feel, worrying that she may not return and that she might be dead in some alley some where. But I've learnt not to worry, she always came back eventually, maybe not as soon as I would have liked, but she did come back. This was both before she met you and even more so when you dumped her back on earth, so believe me when I say she is fine. Now come on sit down and have another cup of tea and wait for her, worry free" she patted the seat next to her and gestured to a cup of tea in front of her.

Just as he sat down he shot up. For just as he sat down the centre of all their worries came through the front door.

"Rose!" he practically flew to her and wrapped her in a bone crushing embrace. He was just about to let go when she returned the embrace ten fold, hanging on to him for dear life.

"Oh Doctor, it is so good to see you again! My Doctor" she sighed and tightened her grip on him and snuggled into his chest "I'm so sorry about before, being so angry and the sort, but I know that you did what you did to keep me safe. Though it was stupid and brainless of you, it was noble, just promise that you will never do it again ok?" she was asking him not to break her heart again, never to leave her, always protect her, even form him.

"Promise" he pulled her into him tighter, trying to bring her in, never to let her go. Of course none of them remembered Jackie.

"Ahem! As lovely as all this is, Rose you need some rest." Looking at how tired the Doctor looked too, she added "you too Doctor" he went too protest, but still holding onto Rose "Ah! No arguments sleep, now off with the pair of you, go on scat" she shooed them away.

They stood there in the entrance way still holding on to each other, neither wanting to let go of the other.

"Suppose I can sleep on the couch then" he said indifferently looking at the uncomfortable couch. She moved out of his embrace.

"If you want to, just that I do have a double bed…but if you want the couch" he laughed nervously.

"Bed sounds great, you sure" he looked down into her eyes.

"Doctor, I haven't seen you for 3 years and I don't care about how long it has been for you, but I need to be near you, I can't be away from you at the moment, it would hurt too much" she looked down frightened about showing fear and weakness. He took her chin in his hand and lifted it up to look in her eyes.

"Let's go get some sleep then"

Together they walked off to her room and settled down on to her bed. Too tired to do much else they snuggled into each others embrace and soon they were lost to sleep.

xxx

Waking up Rose felt a strong bar holding her waist down on the bed. She started to panic and her breathing became quicker.

Suddenly there was a hand on her forehead, slowly stroking it and getting the hair off of her face.

"Shhh, it's ok, shhh now, everything is ok" he had her in an embrace to try and quieten her down.

They sat like that for a few minutes, her wrapped up in his embrace, quietly rocking her backwards and forwards, soothing her.

After a while she looked up at him.

"Sorry about that, same nightmare came back" she said embarrassed.

"Hey" he lifted her chin up to look back at him "it's fine, perfectly understandable, can't imagine that they would leave you after the first night of me being back" he said old humour back.

"Yeah I know, it's just I thought that they would just leave me alone, that's why I hardly sleep, cause I know that in the shadow there they are" she said distantly.

"Who, Rose?" he asked slightly worried, if she was having the same night mare as him, about the shadows.

"The nightmares, silly" she said poking him in the ribs.

"What are they about?" he asked seriously.

She was confused, why was he asking about what her nightmares were about, it's not like it wasn't obvious she slowly tells him "well it's light at first, everyone is happy and smiling, your there. And then it gets dark and sorta cold, but it too cold, like it's touching my very soul, its weird right. And then well everyone starts to disappear and then you and I are left standing there, your just sorta like standing there and then you start shouting at me. I can't really understand what it is your saying, but I can feel theb hatred comeing off you in waves. Then your other self is there and he's shouting at me and all, screaming at me that I am a stupid ape and a lot of other stuff." She starts sobbing then, he knew how much she missed the other him, knew that she loved the other him. And seeing the one that you love shouting at you and calling you names it must really be eating at her.

"Is there anymore"

"A little, but not much more." She takes a deep breath steadying her self "then you both disappear, and I'm completely alone, there is just this shadow that is coming towards me engulfing everything, like a black hole. And then I wake up, always at the same place, and it is getting realer and realer every time it happens" she snuggles into his embrace trying to forget the echo of her nightmare. What really rattles him is that the shadow is there, possibly the same shadow that haunts his nightmare, but his nightmare is real, he has seen it happen before him.

"The other me might be gone Rose, but I am still here" he whispered into her hair.

"That's just it, you weren't. I was having this nightmare before I left the TARDIS. I was so scared that morning you threw me out, because it was like my nightmare. You were angry with me for some reason, you hated me, and I saw him in your eyes when you got angry and I imagined him saying what he did in my nightmare" she sobered a little and was crying silent tears, remembering that morning 3 years ago.

"I've gone over that morning so many times in my head, and gone over the weeks before that, and I've tried to figure out why you sent me away, and now that I know, I thought that the nightmares would go away" she whispered.

He felt so bad about sending her away, he cursed him self for not confiding in her, keeping secrets from her. She had suffered for such a long time; he vowed never to leave her again. Changing attitude the doctor happily got up bringing Rose with him.

"Come up we get, breakfast will be ready in a minute, come on up" she pouted but complied, hitting him playfully on the arm and gathered up some clothes and went into the bathroom.

When he was sure that she wasn't coming back, the Doctors mask dropped and left worry. She still looked tired and wasted; he vowed that he would always protect her, even if it meant staying here. She really had impact on him if he was willing to settle down, but thinking about it, that's what they had done on the TARDIS, it was just different because they were travelling and the sort. Well, he thought, she deserves it after the hell I put her through.

Walking into the kitchen he was greeted by the smell of Jackie's cooking, and his stomach grumbled in response, when was the last time he ate, he asked himself.

"FOOD!" He came bounding into the kitchen with all the energy of a 5 year during a sugar rush. He instantly sat down and started to pile food onto his plate. And he also in that moment received a clip behind his ears.

"Hey! What was that for?" he pouted, as he looked at Jackie.

"You will wait for Rose, now sit there patiently and wait" as she turned away he stuffed a piece of bacon in his mouth and poked his tongue at Jackie's back.

A musical laugh came from the door way "Careful now Doctor, my mum will take your food off you if you're not careful" her eyes sparkling in humour. Turning to her he saw that the water hadn't done that much to take away the tired look, just brought some of her old sprit back.

Jackie swiped his breakfast away from him.

"Hey! That's unfair" he whined like the 5 year old that he was

"I did tell you to wait" she warned

"Poor baby, here" Rose sat down and gave him a plate with more bacon on it "mum don't be so mean, he is obviously hungry" she reprimanded her mum, who in turn tutted and rolled her eyes away from the couple.

"Well maybe he should listen to me more often, now the pair of ya eat your food" she gestured to the food.

xxx

After breakfast they both sat down to watch some TV.

They were curled up on the couch watching some random soap, after a small bickering about what they were going to watch.

He looked down at the form of Rose, and brought her closer to him.

"Travel with me?" he held his breath waiting for the answer, he didn't know what compelled him to ask that question.

"Forever" she answered and snuggled into his embrace.

His heart soured.

"I don't deserve you, never did" he breathed wondering at the angel in his arms.

"This is your last chance, believe me Doctor, I won't survive this again" she said soberly.

And he knew that was the truth, he just didn't know whether she would survive being with him.

"Just be there to hold my hand" he whispered.

xxx

A/N Three more chapters left (I hope)! So if my calculations are correct I need to post everyday until Doomsday. Phew wipes forehead keeps typing. LOL!

REVIEW! I love reviews!

xx