About this story: Here is chapter 6. Doctor Tentoo and Rose are still in Paris, and have been for a few days. This chapter is in the Doc's POV. I hope you like it, I know I liked writing it. Keep reviewing, it fuels my creativity!

I welcome reviews and suggestions! This is just a story to fill the whole this sailing ship left in my fangirl heart. Hopefully you enjoy. I'll be adding new chapters sporadically, but often!

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters. They belong to BBC and Doctor Who.

Rose takes my hand, and my mind stops for a moment. She gives me a smile, and pulls me through the rooms of the Louvre, where we are spending the day running around looking at this universe's famous works of art. I listen to the sweet sound of her voice as she talks, not quite hearing the words as appreciating the excitement within her tone.

I will never have enough time to just simply stare at her. I think I could spend every second of the rest of my life staring at Rose Tyler and never be bored with it. She is a marvel, and a gift. And she is all mine.

"Doctor?"

Oh, no. I've missed something. "Yes?"

Rose rolls her eyes, "Doctor, look, if you're not going to pay attention"—

"No, I am, I am," I scan the room we're in; lots of paintings. Obviously. "We're looking for the Mona Lisa."

"Yeah, Doctor, and look," Rose points to the wall ahead of us, "just there."

We walk up to the red rope that protects the artwork from wandering hands, and stare into the face of the Mona Lisa. But, it isn't the Mona Lisa.

"That is different," I murmur softly. My left hand reflexively reaches into my jacket pocket for my brainy specs, but to no avail. Left them in the other suit. With the other Doctor. I press on, trying hard not to let Rose know my blunder, "Right. It's the same face, but a different angle and setting. Look at her posture here? She's turned in the opposite direction as the other Mona Lisa, and instead of being in the jungle, she looks to be…in a town setting. Somewhere in Italy, I'd guess. Very strange. Not that it isn't beautiful, and it's still one of Divinci's finest (although, if you ask me, I prefer his work with boat shoes), it's still very…fascinating, isn't it?"

"And her eyes," Rose leans closer to the painting, "Her eyes look…sad. Our Mona Lisa, she was a bit mysterious, you know, like she knew something you didn't. This one still has that air, but…I don't know, she looks a bit depressed, don't you think?"

I nod in agreement, "Yes, I believe your right."

Rose stares into the painting for a long moment before pulling away to sigh. "Something about all the differences…they're just so…different, you know? Like, I'm not saying they're bad, and it's a fresh take and everything, but I miss the originals, you know? The one's I'm used to," her eyes look up into mine and we both freeze for a moment, and I know we're both thinking about how I am different from 'the original.' I am suddenly wondering if she wishes she could have all of her originals back, when she forces a smile, "Anyway, let's go get something to eat, I'm starving."

"Yeah, you go on," I release her hand, "I've got to find the loo, I'll meet you next door, alright?"

Rose nods, her eyes filled with a little concern, but she leaves willingly enough.

I make my way to the restroom, thinking about Rose as I move through the crowd. We've been in Paris for two days. And it's been wonderful. But we haven't talked about anything important yet, and it's starting to get to me.

I went through so much while we were apart, and I know I'm not the only one. Well, if we're being technical, there are three of us that went through all of that, now, but I shake my head as if to shake that part away. But there is no denying my own jealousy.

For two nights Rose and I have shared the large bed that resides in our hotel room. The first night I tried to graciously bow out, sleeping on the small sofa and allowing Rose the bed in its entirety.

"Doctor, don't be ridiculous," Rose had insisted, "There is plenty of room for the two of us. I promise I won't bite," she winked at me, "Hard."

At first I was eager to share her bed. I climbed under the covers, and Rose rolled into me, nuzzling into my chest. I wrapped my arms securely around her, and took a deep breath in, loving the smell of her.

She lay still for a moment, before saying, "I'm still not used to it."

"To what?" I had asked, suddenly extremely self-conscious. Was it my beard? Did she not like my hair? My loose t-shirts? What?

"Your single heartbeat," Her hand touched the place where my heart resided, "You think I'd prefer it, since it means we're both human, and I do like it very much. But in my mind I had always imagined…"

"The hearts of a Time Lord," I pulled away to look into her eyes, "The quadric beat of two double hearts beating together." Rose closed her eyes, and I watched her slowly drift, and her breathing start to slow. "Can I tell you a secret," I had whispered when she was almost asleep, "I'm still not used to it, either."

And that has been the deepest conversation we have had since arriving in Paris. Not that I assumed this trip would put us both in a talking sort of mood. Only, well, if we don't talk about our feelings now, when we're as alone and together as we ever have been before, when will we?

I enter the restroom, not needing to use the facilities, but instead needing a moment to collect my thoughts. I gaze into the mirror.

My face is the same as it has been since I last regenerated. I run my hand over the thick scruff that covers my face and neck, something I didn't really need to worry about as a Time Lord, now I'm quite fond of the facial hair. Rose seems to like it, too.

I wash my hands in the sink before taking a deep breath to steady myself. I look over my assembled outfit; my new deep blue suit, with a dark t-shirt that reads The Exclaimers proudly across my chest, and, lastly my red trainers. Lifting my feet a bit, I smile, because these are the trainers I first wore when I regenerated all those years ago. These trainers have seen a lot of running.

I straighten, gather my resolve, and leave the Louvre to find Rose.

I find her in a café next door, sitting alone, sipping a drink, gazing out of the window. She isn't facing the door, so she doesn't see me enter the restaurant. When I slide into the seat opposite her, I am relieved to see her posture relax, her eyes brighten, and her beautiful face light with a smile.

"Took you long enough."

"Hey," I fold my arms across my chest, "Even Time Lord meta crisis need a mo' to primp. You can't expect me to be this handsome without any work at all, now, Rose, be reasonable."

Rose smirks as she hands me a menu. "I've already ordered a bit of lunch, but I wasn't sure what you were hungry for?"

I look over the menu and pick the first thing I see. I wave to the waitress who jots down my meal choice and leaves to inform the cook.

"I should have known," Rose mumbles into her steaming cup as she takes a sip.

"What's that?" I ask, leaning forward, "You should have known what?"

Rose sets down her cup and mimics me, leaning forward over the table closer to me, "That waitress. You must've noticed."

"That she's a woman? A bit hard to miss that one, Rose," I furrow my brow in confusion, wondering what it is she's getting at.

"No! Well, yes she's a woman, but that isn't what I meant," Rose bites her lips, holding back a smile, before she blurts out; "She was checking you out!"

I grin broadly at her, "Well, can you really blame her?" I send Rose a wink which she takes with a roll of her eyes.

"Blimey, could you be anymore full of yourself?"

"Probably not," I answer with a shrug and sit back in my chair again. I straighten my legs under the table, trying to get comfortable, but I accidently brush my leg against Rose's. "Oh, sorry about that," I pull away instinctively.

Rose smiles, sticking her tongue through her teeth, and I feel her leg brush against mine again. My eyes widen and her smile turns dark as she brushes my leg with hers again, this time slower, and a bit more sensually. I jolt up in surprise, pulling my legs back under me.

"Oh, sorry about that," She repeats, sitting back in her chair, her expression smug, "Thought that was the table."

"Right," I clear my throat, "Right, well. Honest mistake."

Our waitress returns, bringing Rose's plate and my drink. "Your food will be ready in a moment, monsieur," She informs me, before disappearing into the kitchen once more.

"Can you believe her?" Rose asks, her tone appalling.

"Yes. I think she's a proficient waitress."

"She was undressing you with her eyes, Doctor," Rose stabs at her chicken risotto with a bit more force than necessary, "Might as well of been stripping you down right here."

"Rose, I think you're overreacting a tad," I take a sip of water and think back over the waitress again. I hadn't noticed any lingering eyes or anything. But it would take a disaster of epic proportions to pull my gaze away from Rose for more than a moment. I can't even think of the waitress's hair color, and she was here less than a minute ago.

"Oh, right, yeah, of course, I must just be overreacting," Rose eats a bit of food and glares up at me. She swallows, takes a gulp of her drink, and says, "I can't believe you didn't notice her. I bet you ten quid she gives you her number written on the back of our receipt!"

"Even if she does, I won't care!" I laugh a bit at the situation, "Oh, Rose, you'll have to get used to women looking at me. I mean, well, come on. You've seen me!" She rolls her eyes and stabs her chicken again with gusto, and I raise my hands in surrender, "Alright, alright, maybe I'll just waltz around with a paper bag over my head. Wear shabby clothes I find in dumpsters. Refuse to shower. What do you think, sound like a fair trade?"

"Paper bag might be an improvement," She mumbles into her plate.

I laugh loudly, and shake my head, "Goodness, Rose. You are too much."

Before she can reply, the waitress returns with my plate. I watch Rose, who is glaring up at the woman with my food. I turn my smile to the waitress, "Bless you," I say, taking my plate from her hand, "I'll be sure to let you know if we need anything else."

"Don't hesitate, monsieur," She purrs, and then saunters back to the kitchen.

My eyes meet Rose's with astonishment.

"You see!" Rose waves her hand to illustrate her point, "She gave you bedroom eyes and everything! What am I, invisible! It's like I'm not even here!"

"No," I reach across the table and grip her hand, "No it isn't."

Rose's expression softens, "Well, I know you see me."

"And I don't see anyone else."

She smiles and looks down, her face turning a bit red. She squeezes my hand before releasing it. "Eat your food. We've got to get back to the hotel soon to finish packing."

I drop my gaze to my plate, but I smile as I eat, my heart pounding with a giddy kind of glee at Rose's reaction. I don't know why, but I like it when she's jealous.

Rose and I are packing our bags to be sure we're ready to depart for Rome in the morning. We'll be traveling by train, which Rose has never done before, and I am excited to do for the first time in this form.

As I'm folding up my suit coat, Rose holds up a garment to show me.

"What do you think of this?"

She holds a red dress, sleeveless, and short, with barely enough fabric to call itself little more than a shirt. I picture it on her and my face flushes. To cover my blush I look back at my suitcase. "Well, it's a bit small."

"But it's supposed to be small," She sighs and folds the dress back up to shove it into her case again, "I don't even know why I've kept it. It's ridiculous, you're right."

"No, I just said it's small," I look up at her, "I just…well, I wouldn't want anyone else seeing you in that. But, uh, if you really like it, you should keep it. Wear it to dinner tonight, I don't know."

"Oh, you wouldn't like other people to see me in something so…alluring, eh, Doctor?" Rose waggles her eyebrows, "Well, well, look who's jealous now."

"No, no," I wave my hands in protest, "I'm just saying that that is a lot of exposed skin. I just feel perhaps…some modesty would be more appropriate. Or something along those lines."

"I've worn it before, you know. And I thought it looked rather fetching," Rose folds another item before she says; "Jake thought it looked good too. That's why he bought it for me."

The shirt in my hands drops to the floor as I stare across the bed at Rose in astonishment. "Some…a man bought that dress for you? Jake? Who the bloody hell is Jake?"

"You've met him. Remember?" Rose motions with her hands, "Blonde, spikey hair? Worked with Ricky, the other Mickey? He helped save us from the Cyber-men, remember?"

I rack my brain, and an image comes to mind. I cross my arms, "Yeah. Yes. I remember. Teeny man with a weird face, kind of an American-ized thing going for him. Aye, I remember Jake."

"As I recall, you liked him," Rose points out. She folds a few more items of clothing, and I notice a certain pep in her movements.

"You…you're enjoying this, aren't you?" I accuse, leaning forward over my case, "What, were you and Jake…dating?"

"What? No!" Rose shakes her head, "No, no. He was a friend. Is a friend. He's been a really good friend, especially when I needed one the most."

"Right, right," I take a seat on the bed, "The kind of good friend you receive sexy dresses from?"

Rose sits down beside me, a grin on her face, "Oh, so you think it's sexy."

"Oh, blimey, Rose, you know it's a sexy, teensy, tiny dress meant for sexy times with a bloke. Why would he buy you something like that, then, eh?" I scoot closer to her, trying to keep my tone light, but I know all I sound like is a jealous idiot.

Rose moves closer, crossing her legs over the comforter, and shrugs. "We're really close. And he, well, we were having a Christmas party. At work, at the Torchwood HQ. I didn't want to go. I had been working there a year, and all I could think about, all I had time for, was…getting back to you," her eyes find mine, and I can see the insecurity there as she continues, "I didn't want to go to a party. To pretend to have a good time and fake a smile. I was just going to sit home, do some paperwork. I don't know."

She nuzzles into the pillows and looks up at the ceiling, "But Jake, he wanted me to get out there. 'Stop living your life as if you're already dead,' he said, 'you've got to let loose and have fun every once in a while.' Otherwise, what would be the point? That's how he put it," a smile finds her lips and she looks over at me, "So he went out, bought a dress, and took me as his date. Not as a real date, but so I wouldn't be alone and on my own. He really took care of me, Doctor. When I wouldn't let anyone else in, he could get through to me."

I sit back against the pillow beside her, and I slowly wrap my arm around her shoulders. She leans into me, and I sigh a little. "I'm glad you had a friend. I really am."

Rose nods; "I don't know where I'd have been without someone there to talk to…" her arms warp around my middle, and she scoots closer, "It was hard without you. The way we left it…I mean, you didn't even…and I was alone. I only had Mum and, and she was starting a new family. Mickey tried, but he just wanted to move on. Who could blame him? But I couldn't. I couldn't. I needed to find you. You…you needed me."

"I needed you," I whisper into her hair, wrapping my other arm around her, "I did. I needed you beside me. I wanted you, Rose, only you. Forever."

"What did you do? Where you alone? Where did you go?" Rose pulls away just enough so she can see my face. I notice a tear gathered at the corner of her eye, and I brush it away with the pad of my thumb before I answer her question.

"I was alone. For a while. I met Donna the day we said goodbye, and she…she made it a little hard, at first. Then I met Martha a little while later. I…I didn't really see Martha, though. She…well, she loved me, I suppose," My hand runs up and down Rose's arm slowly, "but I only saw the absence of you. Martha tried, and succeeded, to be brave and strong and brilliant. In the end, though, she…she needed someone who could love her back."

I feel Rose's fingers tracing patterns into my chest. I meet her eyes and smile, "I thought about you all the time. Even when it hurt the most, you were always in my mind, in my heart."

Rose lifts her face and kisses me softly. She pulls away and looks deep into my eyes.

"I love you." Her voice is strong, and her eyes are clear.

I pull her close and kiss her deep and true. My hands roam her back and my lips claim hers for eternity. I don't want her to be alone anymore. I don't want to be alone anymore.

She pulls away, "Doctor," I kiss her lips, trying to silence her. I need her, I need her like air. "Doctor," she murmurs against my lips again, "Doc…tor," her hands find my face and she kisses me fiercely, her lips and tongue tangling with mine. I moan against her as she pushes me further into the pillows. I reach for her face, trying to hold her to me forever, but she pulls away quickly, "Doctor!"

I open my eyes in surprise. "Rose!" I exclaim in confusion.

"Doctor, I need to say something," Rose takes a deep breath, her hands trailing down my neck as she steadies herself. "I, I have to say one thing. I love you, Doctor. You, the human-Time-Lord-metacrisis. I love the other Doctor, too. But you, Doctor, you right here," She rests her forehead against mine, closing her eyes, "You have my heart, Doctor. You have all of me, forever."

I steal a quick kiss and nod against her, my nose brushing her cheek. "Thank you. Oh, Rose," I try to kiss her again, with the intent of never releasing her lips again, but she sits back with a smile on playing on her mouth.

"We have some things we need to do, Doctor," She slides off the bed and continues folding her clothes. I watch her for a moment, appraising her ruffled hair, swollen lips, and flushed cheeks. Rose looks over at me and grins, "What are you staring at?"

"The most beautiful woman I've ever seen."

"Oh, shut up," She throws a shirt at me, and I play dead for a moment, making her laugh, "Oh, Doctor. Get off your arse and finish packing. Then, we can go to dinner."

"Maybe we should call room service," I suggest, hopping off the bed and onto the floor to finish my chore. I waggle my eyebrows at her, "Then we won't have to worry about getting dressed."

"Doctor!" Rose giggles, "Blimey, what has gotten into you?"

I shrug and try folding a shirt, but I'm too distracted. I start shoving clothes into my suitcase, damned the folding. I slam my suitcase shut and look over at Rose with a large smile enveloping my face, "I just love you, Rose. I always have. And I always will."

**What did you think? You should be prepared, the rating may go up in future chapters, but we won't be entering M territory. We'll learn a bit more about Rose's time spent alone in Pete's World in the future, but what do you think about her past so far? Let me know if there is anything you'd like to see from our babies in the chapters soon to come! Review if you can! Here we go!