Hey! All right, before you begin:

This is not the ending- I repeat, this is not the ending! As usual, I had to break the final chapter up into two separate ones. I don't think you'll mind, though, will you? Nah.

Also- I've got a feeling that some of you are going to love this chapter, but it's possible some of you will hate it. I guess I'll just have to see how it fans out!

Happy reading, my friends!

Cameron made a quick exit down the hallway, not entirely sure what had just happened. As soon as she turned the corner, she stopped and fell up against the wall, trying to gather her thoughts. She had sent Jack to tell Rose, right? But Rose didn't have to believe her. If she was really mad, she might just ignore him. Of course, it was possible that Jack's belief in Cameron might mean something to Rose…

…But then again, Cameron had always found Rose to be exceptionally independent for her age, so Jack taking a liking to Cameron might not make all that much of a difference.

She took in a breath, counted to three, and let it out.

Where to go next? She wondered. Cameron thought for a moment and decided that maybe she should go hang out with Chase. Toss the ball around for a while- maybe that would calm her down. When Rose was ready to come talk to her…if that ever happened… Cameron would be waiting.

Cameron took two lefts, then a right. As she turned the corner, a figure clad in a grey T-shirt and sweatpantsran into her shoulder, jolting her.

"Oh!" the person said in a familiar, and not American, accent. "Sorry. I was in a rush, I didn't even look- Cameron?"

"Rose!" Cameron said, surprised. She was truly shocked. "I didn't think you'd still be around."

Rose looked down, uncomfortable. "I know. I was on my way out when Jack caught up with me and told me what you told him." Rose looked at Cameron, her eyes screwed up, but not holding back tears. "Cameron, I…I'm sorry."

Cameron opened her mouth, but no words came out. She had expected to be yelled at some more, or Rose to completely blow her off- not apologize to her.

"Jack told you, then?" Cameron finally managed to say. "What I said?"

Rose nodded. "House really did eavesdrop?"

Cameron nodded back. "He did. I didn't know, Rose, I would've never set you up like that. Not if I had known. Never."

"No, I know," said Rose. "I'm just sorry I didn't believe you earlier. I should have known I could trust you."

A smile broke out on Cameron's face. A wide one, too, and she pulled Rose into a hug. Not a huge one, but enough to let her known all was forgiven. Rose hugged back, and eventually pulled out.

"Ah, God," she looked down at herself, "what am I wearing?"

"I was just wondering that," Cameron said, giggling. "Looks like you got dressed in the dark."

"Speaking of dark," Rose said. "The Doctor's room is empty. Where did he go?"

"Oh!" Cameron said. She had completely forgot. "Right before I talked to you, in the cafeteria, Foreman and I told the Doctor he was getting discharged today- he hopped out of bed and went to take a shower. He said he didn't want to smell like hospital any more."

Rose unconsciously played with the hole in her shirt. "This hospital has a shower? Where?"

"I'll show you," Cameron replied, took off down the hallway.

dwdwdwdwdwdwdwdwdwdwdwdwdwdwdwdwdwdwdwwd

The Doctor let the stream of hot water massage the muscles in his neck. He shifted his weight to the right, and then the left, trying to get the pressure from the water to knead out the tight muscles in his back, but it was to no avail.

He wondered how long he had been in the shower. Five minutes? Fifteen? Thirty, he decided, or at least twenty. No amount of time going to be enough, but he found PPTH's showers extremely relaxing, and especially clean- Dr. Chase told him virtually no one ever used them.

The shower itself was rather big-four metres, probably, by four, with royal-blue tiles. The Doctor wasn't sure if he liked the size or not, but it made the sound of the water echo and fill up the space so it didn't seem as large.

He decided he didn't care, and went back to relaxing. Just when he was about to tilt his head back and let the water wet his hair, he heard footsteps.

They padded along in a fast rhythm… not running, but not walking. Skipping?

Nah, he thought.

But Chase said no body ever used the showers!

What are the odds of someone taking a shower the same day as me?

The footsteps grew louder, get faint and then, eventually, stop a little ways away from the shower cubical he was in.

The Doctor stood still, not wanting to turn the water off.

"Doctor?" the voice questioned. "Is that you?"

The Doctor's brow furrowed. "Rose?"

"Yeah. Hi."

"Bloody hell!" the Doctor sputtered. "You gave me a heart attack!"

"Could you hear me?"

"Yeah."

"The water's so loud, though." Rose paused. "Oh, I forgot- your ears have special powers."

"S'right."

Rose didn't say anything for a minute. "Heard you're getting discharged today," she said at last.

"Yep," the Doctor replied. "Thought I'd do you and Jack and the TARDIS favour and at least smell good when I get back on board."

"Probably a good idea."

"Rose…" the Doctor said. He wished he could bring himself to shut off the water, but wasn't sure if he could. "Couldn't you have waited until I got out to come find me?"

"I'm sorry," Rose said, as if she figured he would ask eventually. "A lot has happened since I talked to you last."

"Oh?"

Rose recounted the events of the previous night and that day's morning for him.

"…and Cameron showed me to here and now…here I am."

"I'm gonna kill him," the Doctor said. Rose couldn't see his face, but she knew he was angry.

"Oh, now…" Rose couldn't think of any compelling argument. "Jack beat him up already!" she said, knowing it was a weak retort.

"That's was an unbelievably cruel thing to do," the Doctor said. "Not what Jack did- that was okay- but what House did. Listening. Violating you."

"I know," she said softly. "But I'm over it now."

The Doctor didn't speak.

"Hey," Rose said. "He saved your life- maybe you could spare his? For my sake?" She crossed her arms. "I don't think I could handle the stress of you killing House. The police would have all kind of questions for me, and…I'd just faint. Like Wilson did," she said, laughing lightly.

The Doctor frowned. "I suppose…"

Rose exhaled. "Thank you."

Silence, once again, filled the showers. Rose saw that there was a bench and sat down on it, but the Doctor was thinking…thinking about what Jack had said. Here was Rose, and this was his opportunity.

…But he wasn't sure if he could do it.

The words were out of his mouth, though, before he could stop them.

"Rose, I need to talk to you."

"Hm?" Rose asked, obviously oblivious.

The Doctor resisted the urge to clamp a hand over his mouth. What have I done? He thought as he turned off the water and wrapped a towel around his middle.

The Doctor pushed the curtain back and found Rose to his right, sitting on a bench. She was looking the other way, but turned her head in his direction when she heard the curtain being drawn.

Rose blinked several times. She had never seen the Doctor without his jacket on, and he was…muscular, and very attractive. Rose hadn't ever really thought about what he would look like without the jacket and shirt, which shocked her a great deal, the more she thought about it. This new sight was a pleasant surprise.

He was in good shape, of course- Hell, Rose thought, Great shape. Fantastic shape. How could he not be? He saves the world on a regular basis!

Rose realised she was being rude. "Sorry!" she apologised, and looked away

He chuckled. "What, you think I shower with my clothes on?"

"No, I didn't…think at all."

"You can look," he told her.

Rose looked back at him, making it her personal goal to not let her eyes wander.

"What did you need to say?" she asked.

The Doctor sighed. "It's complicated."

"When is it not?" Rose asked. "Anything. It's always complicated."

"Well, this is especially complicated."

Rose puffed out her chest. "I can take it."

The Doctor tilted his head back, hoping that his neck would pop. It didn't. "Alright," he said. "But you have to face the other direction."

Rose looked disappointed. "You said I could look!"

"I changed my mind."

Rose grinned a little. "What's this all about?"

"You'll see," he said, not returning a grin. He deeply regretted the fact that he was in a towel- it made him feel vulnerable, although he hated to admit it to himself. Where was that jacket when he really needed it?

Rose stood up and turned around 180 degrees. "Alright."

The Doctor took in a breath. What exactly was he supposed to say? This wasn't like in movies where he hero come in, sweeps the girl off her feet, and they ride into the sunset. It would never be like that- they wouldn't get a storybook ending.

That was the part that worried him most. Their ending was always unsure.

All the more reason to tell her! The Doctor told himself, but found it was Jack's voice speaking to him. Now!

He decided to turn around as well, so that he wasn't facing her.

"Is there something on my butt?" Rose said, swatting at her rear-end with her hand. "Hey, are you looking at my butt?" she asked.

"Not anymore," the Doctor joked. Rose turned around to see that he was no longer facing her…and took note to how nice his ownbackside was.

"Can we get this over with?" Rose said. "I want to go change clothes before we say good-bye."

"Right," the Doctor said, trying not to feel rushed. He couldn't say what he was about to say under rushed conditions.

"Okay. Rose?"

"Yes."

"I…"

She listened patiently.

"I…"

"…Is this a code?"

"No! Would you just shut up for a moment, please?"

Rose crossed her arms defiantly, resisting the urge to turn around.

"I…Rose, I…I think I'm in love with you."

It was as if the weight of a thousand tons had been lifted off of his shoulders. He didn't know how long he had been carrying around these anvils, but he knew that he must have acquired them over the past few days.

Just as fast as the weight had disappeared, the Doctor got the sudden feeling of the bottom of his stomach dropping out, leaving a gigantic hole.

What did I just say?

Rose dropped her arms from across her front. "You love me?"

"No!" he said, wheeling around. "I said…I said I'm in love with you."

"Is there a difference?" she asked, turning to face him, her face flushed with pink.

"Yes!" he said, frustrated that he had to explain. "A huge difference!" He rushed forward and grabbed her shoulders.

"An enormous difference!"

There was a voice in his head- his own- was screaming at the top of its lungs for him to stop talking, right then.

But he decided to ignore this voice. It was the voice of reason, and there was nothing, as far as he was concerned, even remotely reasonable about his situation.

"Listen, Rose," he said, his voice on the verge of shouting. "I'm standing, sopping wet in a bath towel, and I've got you by the shoulders. I'm in love with you," he said. "And I don't want to admit it to ether of us."

"You… you love me, then," Rose concluded.

For as smart of a girl that Rose was, the Doctor thought, she really wasn't getting it.

"I used to love you," he said, dropping his hands. "And I still do, probably. But I'm in love with you now."

Stop! the voice screamed. Don't say another word. You'll regret it!

The Doctor rubbed his face with his hand and through his hair as he watched Rose- she was completely unreadable.

"Oh, Rose," he said. "What did I do? I'm out of my mind," he said, and paced to the other end of the room. "That's what you do to me, Rose."

Rose watched the Doctor pace for a moment. Her brain was going a million miles a minute- her heart was not far behind. She was sure she had heard him correctly- he really had said it.

Just as she had started crying lo those few nights before as all of those emotions surfaced, Rose felt a similar feeling. It wasn't fleeting- it wasn't only for a moment. But it was like the world had opened up to her, and she had to jump in before it closed again- and she was truly afraid that it already had.

In less than a second Rose had crossed the room. She put her hands on the Doctor's bare arms and kissed him on the mouth.

This, needless to say, halted his pacing. Without even thinking about it, he kissed her back.

The Doctor didn't want to pull out, but did. He didn't go back far, though, and Rose could feel his breath on her mouth.

"Don't speak," he said. "Not another word. Just answer me this- do you…" He still had trouble saying it. "You love me, then?"

Rose smiled, feeling herself melt a little bit. It must have taken him a lot to tell her. He deserved a lot of recognition.

"No," she said, and kissed him eagerly again. "But I am so in love with you."