This was domestic and a half. He couldn't help thinking that as he handed her a cup of tea and a box of tissues. She didn't reply, still too choked up with tears to say much, but she managed to force a wobbly smile and took the mug in a trembling hand.

They sat in companiable silence for a long time, the only sound the occasional choke from Rose. He sat on the control room floor, looking into his rapidly cooling tea and musing over the events of the day. He'd known it had been a bad idea to come here, but he'd still done it. Had barely even tried to talk her out of it. He wondered why, but already knew the answer. He'd learnt early on that he rarely won arguments with Rose anyway, and on top of that, he just wanted to make her happy. He'd done what she'd asked him to do. He might have known it would end in tears.

"Thank you," she managed finally.

It had been so long coming that it took him by surprise and he spilt some of his lukewarm tea over his hand. He glanced round at her.

"What for?"

"For… for bringing me here." Rose shrugged. "For letting me try again. For forgiving me."

"I didn't have much choice, did I?" he said roughly, standing up and downing his tea in one go, and even managing not to pull a face. "Couldn't very well leave you here, could I? You'd only go getting yourself into more trouble."

Rose smiled weakly. "I'm sorry," she said, for the thousandth time that day.

"I know you are."

"I didn't know it would be such a big deal, I didn't think…"

"You humans never do," he said, but softly and he put an arm around her shoulders gently. "That's your main problem."

She looked up into his face. "Will it all be okay now? What happened I mean… is that it?"

He nodded. "He did what he had to do. He was a brave man."

Rose nodded, wiping her nose on an already sodden tissue. "The best."

"Like his daughter." The Doctor smiled again and kissed the top of her head. "I can see where you get it from." He walked away from the control room to put his mug back in the kitchen.

"I wonder what Mum would say if I told her."

He turned round quickly. "You can't tell her, Rose."

Rose sniffed. "Why not? She knows Dad died, why can't I tell her?"

"Because all of that, that never really happened for your mum. She won't remember any of it."

Her bottom lip began to tremble again. "But I can't just not say anything." He knew what she wanted. She wanted someone to talk to, to tell her feelings to, to share her grief. Anything to make her feel better. Only Jackie wasn't the one she could do that with.

"You've got to. For your mum's sake if no one else's." He moved towards her again and forced her to look up at his face. "Think about it, Rose. How would she feel to know you'd been there, that you were with your own father when he died?"

"But-"

"You're not to tell her."

Rose swallowed the lump in her throat. "Then what do I say?" she asked. She was looking to him for direction, asking for help.

"Nothing. You say nothing." As her face fell, he knew he had to soften the blow with something. She'd die inside if she couldn't say anything about today. Like he had until he'd met her, locking all his feelings and pain away inside of him. He didn't want that to happen to her. He rubbed her shoulder. "You say nothing to your mum. But you can say anything you like to me."

A smile finally broke across her face. She didn't say anything, but it was enough. Gingerly, she stood up and then he felt himself in her arms and for a few moments he hugged her back. Then he released his hold slightly, and she stepped away, her cheeks turning a light pink.

"This tea's cold," she said finally, picking her unemptied cup up. "I'll make some more. Do you want one?"

"Always." He handed her his cup. "Milk, three sugars remember."

"Like I could forget." Rose laughed. Just before she reached the corridor she paused and turned back round. "Doctor?"

"Yes?" He turned from where he was already fiddling with the control panel.

"Did you… did you think I was a cute baby?" she asked shyly.

He thought back to looking at that baby, the little innocent who had no idea what it would one day be capable of, and smiled. "The cutest," he replied. "The most beautiful baby I've ever seen."

Rose smiled back. "I thought so too," she said, laughing it off, before heading down the corridor.

He hadn't been joking. She had been beautiful. She still was.