Rose hadn't seen this room before. It was small and round; with a domed ceiling that she couldn't see the top of for shadows. Underneath the metal grill of the floor, soft blue lights glowed at intervals, giving off just enough light for someone to walk in without tripping over or meeting a wall. There was a dark circle in the centre of the room; carpet, she presumed, with a cushion on it. Walking into the room, Rose felt an overwhelming sense of peace; not even the constant humming of the TARDIS could be heard in here, and it seemed strange to be without it.

"How come I've never been in here before?"

"I'm pretty sure there are places in this ship I haven't been in before. But this one would normally be hidden. I'm the only one who comes in here, when I want to be by myself."

Rose wasn't quite sure how to reply, so she said nothing. The look on the Doctor's face as he spoke told her that whatever this room was, it was personal – a bit like a diary, she supposed – and that it wasn't a small thing that he was letting her see it. She circled the room, looking down through the floor at the tiny blue lights winking up at her, eventually finding she'd come full right round and into the dark centre space.

The Doctor appeared to be ignoring her again, still standing inside the door. His eyes were closed and he looked like he was talking to himself.

"This really isn't a good idea, you know…why are you so sure?"

"Doctor?" Rose went over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. He didn't move.

"Trust you? After that?"

Rose wasn't sure what made her say what she said next. She wasn't even sure it was her speaking, because the voice didn't sound like her own. It sounded distorted somehow, and she remembered, just briefly, a scream, like crashing waves. "It's okay. Really."

And for some reason, she believed it.

The Doctor's eyes snapped open, and he looked around, as if he didn't realise where he was. He blinked, and his face broke into a hug grin.

"Right! Where were we? Oh yeah – take your pick."

"What?" Rose asked, incredulous. Where had that other stuff come from?

The Doctor, who was halfway across the room by now, turned and walked back to her; more like a swagger, actually, hands stuffed in his pockets, grinning like a maniac. He stopped in front of her, inching his face closer until their noses were touching.

"I said – take your pick," he whispered, and Rose shuddered, swallowing nervously. "Psychic way," he whispered into her left ear, "Med bay," he whispered on her right, "or the fun way," he finished, face in front of hers again, his mouth almost on hers this time.

Rose smirked at him. "Fun way. On one condition."

"What's that?"

"You tell me what the Hell's so special about that chocolate."

"Done." The Doctor flashed her his very best smile, before jumping round her to close the door. Rose gasped. The door, once closed seemed to vanish into the shadows that hid the edges of the rest of the room so that it appeared no to exist at all; they were trapped, enclosed in this tiny cocoon of blue.

"Rose?"

"Yeah?"

"Just by that cushion, there should be a button. This goes against everything I've ever told you, but push it." He arranged himself on the cushion while she did so; suit jacket tossed into a shadow somewhere. Somewhere in the blackness above them a light flickered to life, followed by another, and another. Rose looked up, open mouthed, at the flecks of light. They looked a bit like some kind of alien star map.

"Gallifreyan sky – well, how it looked from my home anyway. Not sure why it's still here, actually. Must be getting sentimental in my old age." He smiled, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Anyway," he continued quickly, "not getting very far looking at stars, are we? Sit." He grinned and pointed to the floor in front of him.

Rose sat cross-legged on the floor, surprised at how comfortable the carpet was. "You sure this is okay?" she asked nervously. "You swear you're not going to blow up or anything?"

"Promise." The Doctor made crosses over both hearts with his hand, before putting one hand up on either side of Rose's face, palms hovering a tiny distance away from her cheeks. "Now just close your eyes, and try not to think of anything."