Rose felt like she was about to fall over. In fact, she did fall. Her legs just gave out. The Doctor, however, always ready for action, grabbed her around the waist to keep her upright. Rose locked her hands around the Doctor's arms to steady herself.

"Rose? Rose, please stop crying."

"Did you just do what I think you just did?"

"Umm … yes?"

She choked out a laugh of disbelief followed by, "wow."

"Wow?"

"Wow."

The Doctor hurried Rose back to the TARDIS. She really needed sleep and, apparently, he'd surprised her so much she almost fainted. Hmm. Interesting. The Doctor had a small smile on his face. 'Wow' was definitely a better reaction than another slap.

"Rose, please, just go have a shower and get some rest."

"We're not done, I'm still angry with you."

"Aww, really?"

"Yes!" she said and crossed her arms in defiance.

"You have to believe me when I say you misunderstand. I would never, will never leave you behind. I probably couldn't go on without you."

She scoffed at him and focused her eyes on the floor. The Doctor sighed.

"Besides, Rose, how could you think anyone would leave you when you're wearing that?"

In spite of herself, Rose smiled.

"Was that a smile?"

"No."

"Come on, let me prove it to you. Do you trust me?"

She wiped at her cheeks, trying to remove the remnants of tears and makeup as she replied, in a whisper, "of course."

"Then, please, just go relax and come find me when you're feeling better."

Rose nodded in agreement. He moved to hug her, and she didn't move away this time. Instead she hugged him back, and the Doctor figured that was a step in the right direction.

"I'll be here when you get back, I swear."

With those words, the Doctor ran off down the hallway. He had things to do! Important make-Rose-happy-again things to do.

Rose sighed. She wasn't mad anymore, not really. Even the hurt was starting to subside. She was just confused. Logically, she knew the Doctor would not have come back and nearly Oncoming Stormed Brandon on her behalf if he didn't have a good reason. It was just, why did he run off in the TARDIS after they'd had a small tiff? She would, Rose supposed, just have to trust the Doctor like always.

She had a shower and wrapped herself up in bed (Doctor's orders!) but there would be no sleeping. Rose's brain seemed to have just caught up with the most recent events of the day. The Doctor had kissed her … and she basically fainted in response but he didn't seem put off by it. Just worried, actually. And he had not shown any signs of running away after the fact. Maybe their relationship was finally moving in the direction Rose desperately wanted it to.

After about an hour of trying to figure out what the Doctor could possibly be doing to 'make it up to her', she decided she was fully recovered. As she walked out of her room, Rose could hear music coming from deeper within the TARDIS so she followed it.

Five minutes later, Rose stumbled onto a ballroom. The TARDIS was, of course, infinitely huge but why would she have a ballroom?

"Doctor?"

She turned the corner into the room and the Doctor just about fell over in surprise. Rose giggled as he tried to regain his composure. It looked like he'd been practicing his dancing.

"Rose! You didn't see that, did you?"

"See what?" she said, shrugging innocently.

"Oh, I knew I liked you."

"Doctor, you're still in your suit and I'm in sweat pants and a t-shirt. Clearly not appropriate dress for what you have planned so I'll just go change."

"No! No, no, you're perfect!" he said pulling her close to him.

The Doctor sighed in relief. The entire operation seemed to be going much better than he anticipated. Rose's anger seemed to have gone and she didn't look in the mood to give him another slap.

"Doctor, what is all this?"

"This is me making it up to you!"

He pointed the sonic screwdriver behind him and the music changed. It was slower, more peaceful. The Doctor half bowed to Rose and extended his hand. She curtsied and took it. Pressing themselves as close as they possibly could, the two swayed to the beat of the music.

"You know, we're going to have to talk about it. You leaving, I mean."

"I thought you weren't cross with me anymore? You don't seem to be."

"I'm not, really. It's just … I need to know why," tears were forming in her eyes again, "you just left me. And, obviously you weren't really leavin' me, but I was so upset."

The Doctor lifted Rose's chin towards him and softly wiped a tear from her cheek. He opened his mouth to respond but immediately closed it, sensing Rose needed to talk it out.

"Remember when you said always wait five and a half hours? Because I did. I spent the first couple of hours just telling Brandon about you, about us. After that I just …" she trailed off.

"What?"

"I started doubting everything we've ever had. It's stupid, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for whatever I did to make you leave me."

"Rose, don't. You didn't do anything wrong. I know how it must've looked and I'm sorry. I am so sorry. I was wrong and I went to fix it. I only planned to be gone a few minutes so you would never know, but, of course, I got the time a bit wrong and mucked everything up. This is what I was doing, look, over there."

He motioned to a vase atop a piano, filled with the roses he'd broken a few laws to get.

"You … got me flowers?"

"Well, flowers I almost lost and arm for. But yes. It is Earthly custom to apologize to a lady with flowers, isn't it?"

Rose kissed the Doctor, which took him by surprise. He fell backwards to the ground, pulling her along with him. They landed with a small thud.

"You okay, Doctor?"

"Always. Rose, I really am sorry."

"I know."

"Rose, there's something I realized today and I hope it helps to explain, but not excuse, everything that happe-"

"I love you," she blurted out.

"You do?"

Rose nodded emphatically.

"But. Why?"

"Didn't you just say you almost lost a limb just to get me flowers?"

"Yes?"

"Then stop asking stupid questions," she replied simply and kissed his cheek. "Umm, sorry, you were saying, Doctor?"

"Hmm? Oh! Oh, yes. As it so happens I was just, um, about to say some things, uh, feelings that you chose to express a few seconds ago. Well, that is to say, I love you, too. Obviously.

"Yeah?"

"Yes."

Rose smiled. This specific smile was not one the Doctor had seen since telling Rose he was taking her to a party. It overwhelmed him.

The Doctor hugged Rose so incredibly tight she thought she might suffocate. When he finally let her go, she was gasping for breath. The two locked eyes and burst out laughing at the absurdity of their situation. They were lying on the floor of a ballroom, confessing something they'd been repressing for so long, and yet it somehow suited the pair of them.

"Hello."

"Hello."

"Doctor?"

"Yeah?"

"Next time I ask you to dance with me, just do it."

He chuckled into her hair.

"I certainly will. Rose, are we okay, then?"

"Of course we are! We'll always be okay, you and me. Stupid bloody Time Lord."

"Well, yeah, but you love me anyway."

"Yeah, I do."

Rose kissed him then, deciding she could spend the rest of her life in that ballroom if it meant that moment would never end.