The next time she appeared John Smith was completely unprepared. She turned up in his room as he'd been sitting down to a spot of afternoon tea. When Rose walked out of his personal library his teacup landed with a smash, scattering bits of china and tea on the wooden floor, and the journal he'd been updating landed with a soft thud next to it.

'Y…y…you. You're not real.' He stammered, pointing at her with a shaking finger.
'What? I thought we'd been over this.' Rose was confused and more than a little worried at the Doctor's behaviour.
'No. No. You're a dream.' He got up and proceeded to show her and prove to himself by pinching his arm hard. 'Ow!' His eyes widened and he backed away from her. She followed until his back connected with the window and the edge of the curtain slid around his shoulder.
'What's wrong with you?' Rose was really concerned now. He wasn't acting himself at all.
'Go away. Go away.' His hands waved in front of him and he tried to shoo her. 'You can't be real. I can't be seeing you.'
'Well clearly you are.' Rose was getting a bit impatient but she asked more gently. 'Doctor, what's going on?'
'I'm not the Doctor. He's just a story! And you… you're a dream. Just a story.' John pushed past her and grabbed his journal off the floor. Flicking to the right page he shoved the picture he'd drawn of her under her nose.
'Ok… ok… calm down. I'm just a story. You're daydreaming.' This seemed to help immeasurably. Glad the Doctor was no longer on the verge of having a heart attack or two, Rose set about trying to figure out what on earth was going on. Looking around the room she noticed that it was obviously not her time. She saw a newspaper thrown haphazardly on the bed and glanced over at the date. 1913 and England apparently. She looked back at him. He was dressed as a 1913 schoolteacher, that wasn't so worrying, what was worrying was that he was acting like he was a 1913 schoolteacher.

'What's your name?' Rose hugged herself.
'John Smith.' John moved gingerly around the shattered teacup.
'Do you know who I am?'
John nodded slowly. Rose waited for him to clarify.
'Rose.'
Rose nodded. 'How do you know me? You said I was a dream, what did you mean?'
'I dream about you.'
'Okay.' Rose said slowly. 'What are we doing in your dreams?'
'Running. We do that a lot and… other… things.' Things that it appeared he would never mention aloud to any living soul even under torture.
Rose smiled and her tongue crept between her teeth. This was John's favourite smile and he couldn't help but smile shyly back, despite circumstances.

So apparently he did know who she was, sort of. That still didn't explain what was going on. He seemed much more at ease when he thought she was a dream so she'd play along until she found out more.
'Well John. It's been nice to see you again. I'm going for a walk.' She headed for the door that was thankfully ajar just enough for her to squeeze through, she didn't think it would help him if she walked through the wall, in fact she wasn't sure she could having previously only appeared here and appeared there. As she reached the door she just couldn't resist and looked back over her shoulder.
'I'll see you tonight.' She smiled suggestively and loved the shocked look on his face.

She wandered through the school and was incredibly glad no one but the Doctor could see her. It would have made this whole thing much harder and more time consuming if she'd had to dodge people and keep to shadows all the time. Eventually she found Martha dressed as a maid and cleaning with another maid. Rose sat down to wait and listen. Judging from the odd tiny slip up she made here and there, Martha obviously knew a bit more about what was happening than the Doctor had. Eventually they finished cleaning and Martha headed out in her coat and hat. Rose followed. Finally, she thought, as she followed Martha into a shed and saw the TARDIS. Once inside Rose smiled and closed her eyes. Home. The TARDIS gave a delighted little hum and Martha smiled.
'You haven't done that before. What is it?' The TARDIS continued to hum and Martha shook her head, reminding herself that the ship was only a machine.
'Hello sweetie.' Rose said skimming her hand just over the tops of the controls. The TARDIS softly whistled hello. Rose looked up. 'Can you feel me?' The TARDIS answered with a hum that obviously meant yes. Rose grinned.
Martha had moved around to watch the monitor so Rose followed her. She smiled as the image of the Doctor filled the screen. As Martha watched Rose discovered the truth. The Doctor was human and hiding. No wonder he'd been shocked by her appearance. He was a man from 1913. She chuckled. Poor thing. It also soon became apparent that Martha was in love with him. Rose sighed. She knew how easy it was to love the Doctor… and how hard. Part of her felt sorry for Martha and another smaller part growled at the other girl.

Rose sighed. She knew she couldn't stay here. She'd only get in the way of the plan to hide from the Family, and she wasn't sure John Smith would be able to handle her presence.

~*~

Later that night Rose crept back into John Smith's room. The window was open and the breeze pushed the lace curtains gently into the room. The moonlight stretched in over the sleeping form in the bed. Rose softly walked over to him and climbed onto the corner of the bed. She sat still and watched him while he slept. Every now and then he'd make a soft noise and move a little. Rose smiled and stretched out to lie on the bed next to him. She watched as his eyes moved rapidly beneath his eyelids. He gave another soft moan.
'Rose.'
Rose bit her lip. He was dreaming about her? She watched him intently, willing him to say something else.
'Stay. Don't leave me.' He pleaded with the Rose in his dream.
Rose's breath caught in her throat.
John gasped and his eyes flew open, full of tears. Seeing her lying next to him he calmed down a little.
'I'm still dreaming, aren't I?'
Rose nodded and he smiled, not wanting to wake just yet.
'Close your eyes again.' Rose said simply and smiled when he obeyed.
'I love you.' She assured him.
John nodded, and with his eyes still closed he didn't see her fade from view.