"Where's your pretty boy gone?"
"Adam has gone to have a shower." Rose gave him a firm stare. "Try and get his name right, at least."
He didn't reply. She moved across the console room and put a hand gently on his shoulder, the leather squeaking softly under her touch.
"Are you okay?" she asked softly.
That question sent shivers down his spine. Of course he wasn't okay. He hadn't been okay for a very long time, and he doubted if he would be again. But he couldn't tell her. It felt strange to even have anyone ask, anyone care enough to bother.
"Yeah. 'Course I am."
Rose studied his face carefully. "You sure?"
"Certain."
She still looked doubtful. "You do know why I stopped you today, don't you? I couldn't let you shoot that… thing-"
"Dalek."
"-Dalek… not when it was so vulnerable."
She looked so unsure. He knew she only wanted to please him, make him happy. She wanted him to say she'd done the right thing. But he really wasn't sure, he didn't know if she had or not. He knew from all his experience that things never really turned out the way you wanted… And those Daleks were pesky buggers.
At long last he replied. "No, I know. You were right, it was unfair of me." He forced a smile. "I'm fine."
Still she hesitated. "You know… my dad died." He looked at her sharply, not sure where this was coming from. She continued hurriedly. "When I was a baby, I mean. Ages ago. It's not the same as you, it's not anything like you. I just thought…"
He knew what she just thought and he was grateful. This girl… sometimes he wondered how he'd lived without her. Rose Tyler. He'd forgotten how good it felt just to have someone with you when you visited these places, someone to talk things over with. He knew he wasn't very good at it; he'd spent too long bottling everything up. But he was learning. He hadn't realised until now how lonely he'd been before, haunted by his past and with no one to talk to about it, or to change the subject and take his mind off it. At this moment he felt a rush of love for this girl who had entered his life. She couldn't possibly feel the pain and guilt and grief he did and he would never want her to. But she was trying.
He smiled and gently stroked her hair. "Thanks. Now, you better go and make sure Pretty Boy doesn't do something daft."
"His name's Adam!"
He knew his name was Adam really. But he had competition on his hands now. And he would be damned if he'd give Rose up that easily
