"Poor Cassandra."
"What?" He turned round to stare at Rose in disbelief. "Are you serious? You're serious, aren't you? Poor Cassandra? Poor Cassandra what?"
"You know, I think I preferred the old you. You were a lot less…"
"Dashing? Energetic? Excitable? Humourous?"
"Mouthy." Rose grinned. "And yes I am serious."
"The trampoline who's tried not once, but twice to kill us? You feel sorry for her?"
"She just wanted to stay young." Rose shrugged. "It must be strange to not be able to face up to your own mortality. Bit like you, really."
"She's nothing like me!"
"Yes she is! All that switching faces and jumping bodies and cheating death and-"
"I'm nothing like Cassandra." He was firm on that.
Rose fell silent for a time before she spoke again. "You said everything has to die some time."
"It does"
"What about you then?"
"What?" He frowned, taken aback by her question.
She shuffled awkwardly. "Well. You cheat death. Do you ever-"
"Yes."
"Oh." She nodded. "When?"
He shrugged. "Not for a long time yet I don't think. I've sort of lost count really… I'm only supposed to have thirteen regenerations, but it's all a bit random…"
"Right." She nodded again.
"You still find it weird don't you?"
"What?"
"Me. New new Doctor." He smiled. "I know it's strange for you but…"
"It's fine," Rose said eventually. "I mean, I was a bit confused at first. And you could have given me some warning. But it's fine now."
"Good. So where next?"
"Anywhere." She grinned. "I'd go anywhere with you."
He grinned back. "I'm glad you said that. The feeling's mutual." He pulled a lever. "Let's see where anywhere is then."
