Rose was smiling again, she was glad that The Doctor was back, but her reasoning was beginning to kick in, he must have found someone else to travel with by now. Her smile cracked as she began to realise that she was no longer his, companion. She looked around the new TARDIS again.
"So, this has all changed then, it's nice, I like it, a bit more Spock" she was trying to change the atmosphere. The Doctor followed her around the TARDIS with his eyes, never blinking. He knew something was wrong with Rose, he could feel it. He knew her, completely knew her and something wasn't right, but knowing her, he knew that she wouldn't tell him so easily. Rose threw a quick glance at The Doctor. She stopped, the pair observed the other from opposite ends of the ship, each trying to work out what the other was thinking, it had been so long.
"Right, I know what you need. A quick trip" The Doctor announced, as he started running around pushing buttons and pulling leavers.
Rose felt her heart jump, another chance to go with The Doctor, to be with the man she loved, but he wasn't her Doctor. She placed her hand on the control unit.
"No" she confirmed.
The Doctor turned to her bewildered, why didn't she want to go? Was it because he has changed, because of the regeneration? Because it had been so long. He felt all his excitement and hopes fading away. She didn't want him.
"I just, well it's never just one trip is it?" Rose stated, The Doctor started to make his usual counter "but it's a time machine excuse" when she cut in "and don't say that, cause we never end up where we are meant to be, do we?" she questioned. He knew she was right.
"I just want to.. hang out. As mates" She was trying to convince herself that was all she wanted.
"okay then" The Doctor answered, "chips?"
Rose smiled, he still remembered. Maybe he wasn't completely different after all, after all she had gotten over one regeneration, and he wasn't exactly bad looking now, just younger.
The TARDIS materialised outside the café where the pair had chips after their first adventure together. Rose turned to The Doctor and smiled, he took her hand and the pair went in.
They spent the whole day there, just talking. It soon felt as if they had never been split up in two different parallel worlds. For once The Doctor wasn't worried about what was going to happen, he was happy, in the present, but he was worried, about Rose. There was still something she wasn't telling him.
"What happened?" He asked. Rose knew her stalling was over, she was going to have to tell him. Her heart began to break at the thought of it. She burst out in tears, The Doctor took both her hands and smiled at her reassuringly.
"Whatever it is I'll help"
"You can't" she sighed " It's John, erm sorry the other Doctor, the one you left me with. Well we stayed together, had a life. I got that job with Torchwood and he, well he wanted to try human things. He learned to drive, he learned 3 languages in a day, he made cakes, did a bit of everything really. We got a house, and a mortgage. He officially made his name John Smith and that was that, we had a life. No aliens, no danger, just the 9 to 5. I thought that I would never get over my life with you, and he thought that too. We argued, he never felt good enough, that he was just the copy. Every time we'd fight, he'd say that, what good is a copy?" she began to tear up again, The Doctor felt a twinge of guilt, well how else was John supposed to feel? "Anyway we got through it, we got married, yeah. A proper wedding, you should have seen the state of mum, she didn't stop crying. We were happy. Then last year, I had loads of work to be doing so I asked John to go do the weekly shop. He never liked doing it cause he wouldn't know what to buy, but I convinced him to go, and there was an accident, with the car. John died before he made it to the hospital. He was gone before I could tell him, that I did love him and it didn't matter that he wasn't you, because he was my John, mine, and that we were happy."
Rose completely broke down, The Doctor pulled her up and she collapsed in his arms, he held her so tight. He didn't need to say anything, she knew that he was sorry, and that he was be there for her.
The Doctor looked down at Rose, he began to tear up himself, she had been left alone, while he was off with Amy and Rory, she lost her husband.
"I'm so sorry" he whispered.
Suddenly there was a loud thud from behind them, both The Doctor and Rose sprang away from each other like two caught teenagers. They turned to the doorway behind them, The Doctor realising who it was turned back to Rose, then back to the door. This was going to be difficult.
"Hello Sweetie."