It had been a long held desire of the Doctor's to do what he was doing right now. Pretty much from the time he had met Rose he had longed to reach out and touch her mind. For him it had practically been love at first sight and for him, as a Time Lord, to love someone was to have this connection with them. His mind had sensed it, whispers of her mind and had instinctively reached out towards her. It was a constant battle for him to rein it in and that was hard to do when keeping his mind back and away from hers had been the last thing that he had wanted to do. He had even feared at times that he would not be able to keep his mind in check and keep it from springing out and reaching hers. Though she required physical touch to make the connection, he did not and springing it on her had not been the way he wanted her to find out about this.

He savored the moment that he finally let go of the restraint he had held for so long and pressed gently on Rose's mind. He basked himself in the light that was her essence. It was even better than he had imagined it would be. His mind had longed for hers. The closer they had become and the more feelings that he had for her the stronger it became. It was instinct for his mind to do so and it had hurt to deprive himself of it. He ached with pleasure as her feelings began to flood inside of him.

Her light was so new. It was warm and bright, yellow and pinkish and felt like life, new life. It was kind and welcoming, it was open and trusting; the very opposite of the things that he knew his felt like. It burned bright and steady; it did not flicker or waver. It wasn't tired and weak like his felt at times. At times he felt he had to search for energy to make himself keep going but she didn't have to. Her mind was so young and full of wonder. She had been full of energy and always looking for adventure long before he had known her.

As he pushed on her light to identify the qualities coming from it he first saw that compassion was strong in her. She had a greater potential to care for people than he would ever be capable of. He could see that it was not a struggle for her. Where he warred within himself between doing right and wrong she did not. She genuinely cared for people; it came naturally to her. She was incredibly intuitive and could sense when others were troubled even if they did a good job of hiding it. It was almost as if she sought them out, that her soul was drawn to them. She could read them well and know they weren't alright. How often had she been able to read him like that? Just this very night she had known there was something wrong with him even when he tried to pretend there wasn't.

And others sensed it. It was the kind of compassion that gave people hope. She was the kind of person that made people feel better just by being around her. She made them better people, she made them want to keep going. Just as she was drawn to help them they were drawn to reach out to her. She was a servant at heart and others could feel that. Sometimes it was taken for granted, sometimes she got used. But she still kept looking for ways to help. Even when she felt she wasn't appreciated she couldn't make herself stop caring.

She saw those who needed help where sometimes he did not. On more occasions than he wanted to admit she had helped him to see where he needed to be gentler. She could now give him a look that told him he was being rude and then he would realize that there was something he'd missed. Eventually, he would see what it was. It made them a perfect team. He could see the complex bigger picture but she saw all the little details along the way.

She was also strong. But it was not the kind of physical strength that came from exerting power over another. It was a quiet strength, a strength of character. It was the kind that burned slow and steady that kept her going in the long run. It kept her going when she wanted to give up. It made her powerful in the other good qualities that she possessed.

Loyalty was a strong feeling in her. When he brushed upon this quality it stirred his hearts. He needed this so much. She always told him she would not leave him, that she was always going to stay with him but there were times when he wondered if that could really be true. And it wasn't her that he doubted; it was himself. But now he could see for himself how strong and unwavering her devotion could run. When she pledged it to someone it was a great gift. When she decided to stand beside someone it was until the very end. Having to be pulled apart from that person would be greatly painful because she would have devoted herself to them. She didn't walk away from people; they had to walk away from her.

He felt safe with her, like she would protect him. She would always fight for him. As long as she lived she would do everything in her power to make sure he was safe and taken care of. She would never turn her back and leave. She would never hang her head and give up. She would always fight for him and with him by his side.

But it wasn't only that she would physically protect him. His hearts were safe with her. There were no critical or judgmental hints anywhere upon her mind. He really could share himself with her and she was would take that and keep it safe. She wouldn't share it with others. She wouldn't use it as a weapon against him. She wanted to care for him. She wanted to do things for him, not because he needed the help; only because she wanted to be kind. He saw that now in full color. As much as she had said it and he had not believed it, there was no denying what he saw written upon her mind. He could see that she wanted to take him in and he wanted to let her.

Rose sat silent and still as the Doctor probed her mind. She could feel what he was sensing, the things he could clearly see of her and she was relieved to see how her strongest qualities looked to him. He was getting closer, closer, deeper and deeper. She could feel that he was just on the edge of her forbidden place, like the place of the Doctor's she had approached. She had one just as he did. She now realized that she did not need to put up a door to lock away this part of her; it was already there, strong and without a door knob, the kind that could only be opened from the inside. In the deepest part of her, where she kept her heart and soul there was a door. This was not a part of her that was there and open for anyone to see upon invitation inside of her mind. This one could only be opened with consent by one person; the person she would give those parts of herself to…forever. Her cheeks burned at the realization that this was a part you only showed with the one you pledged yourself in marriage to.

It was the only part so far to make her feel embarrassed because even just having him this close to this part of her made her feel naked in a way. She had not known there was so intimate a part hidden inside of herself still waiting to be unlocked. It hadn't entirely surprised her when she'd found the Doctor's; after all, she had already known that his name was hidden away. But she was surprised to find one in herself and apparently the Doctor was as well. She could feel realization dawn in his mind as he realized how close he had come to that part of her. And though there was no danger of that part being opened she still felt him beat a hasty retreat backwards.

Rose began to hear a song playing in her head. It was unlike any song she had ever heard. It was like the song was not made up of notes but words and feelings though they were not named. It was like a spirit would sound if it was made of sounds. She had never heard it and yet somehow it was completely familiar and known to her. It was playing from the Doctor's head into hers and she could tell that it was a song that he knew well, that he carried it around with him with happiness. It brought a smile to her face at once.

Finally, she had to ask, "What is that?"

She heard a smile in his voice when he replied. It's your song.

"My song?"

Yes. It's the song of your spirit that calls out. Kind of like your theme song.

"I…have a song? Does everybody?"

Yes. It's one of the ways that Time Lords could tell the difference between each other. We obviously changed our appearances but we could always tell who a person was by their essence and the sound and feel of them. While we have to reach out to know someone's mind and to see their light and memories, the song calls out on its own. Even humans play one even though they're not aware of it.

"So this is what you...first knew of me?" she asked, thinking about how he had come to find her that day when she was in danger and needed help the most.

Yes. I heard you before I ever saw you. That's how I knew to find you.

"But it's...it's so..."

Beautiful

It was beautiful. Rose couldn't quite believe just how much it was.

You're surprised, the Doctor said.

"A little, yeah."

Why should you be? Your heart and your mind, the way you care about people and life, those are things that you can't hide. You're constantly projecting it and those things create beautiful sounds.

"Do you always hear something like this…is this how you know how to pick someone to come with you?"

To a degree. I'm always drawn to people who feel special. Those who desire adventure, who are caring. But no one else has ever made quite as much sound as you did. Your song literally made me stop in my tracks and turn around to find out who you were.

Rose blushed at the compliment. To learn about yourself from inside another person's mind was indescribable. She had a hard time believing she was beautiful, physically or otherwise. For so long she had thought the opposite and though she tried to work on more positive thoughts about herself these days, old habits were hard to break. But hearing how she sounded, it was impossible to deny that it did sound beautiful.

"I wish...I wish I could hear yours. Can I?" she asked nervously.

Well, I've never heard my own since it's a projection of myself. And I can't make you hear mine. But I can show you what I've heard mine sounds like from others.

"Okay," she said with excitement. "This is all so...so fantastic!"

He laughed at her use of his once favorite word and it tickled inside of her mind. There was a quick pause before the notes of his song started to float through her mind.

His song sounded ancient. It was like a song that had been around for so long it had woven itself throughout time so that it was familiar to all but its origin was a mystery. He sounded so old and yet so whimsical and full of young wonder. It was a strange combination; it was full of the wisdom and the weight that an old man would have gained over time and yet still childlike and curious, always searching and learning.

It was complex and wise like he was. It was by no means simple but intricate. It sounded sad and lonely; it was so lonely. It broke her heart and it made her want to cry. She'd never heard anything so full of loss and despair. It was like losing someone a million times over. But though it was full of angst it was, at the same time, optimistic and energetic.

She was still listening to the Doctor's song when memories that were not her own started to drift from his head into hers.