~oOo~

The hot spray of the shower helped to release the tension in Rose's shoulders. Liam showing up last night had burst the bubble world that she had been living in since the TARDIS arrived in her basement. It had been easy to get swept off her feet by John. He reminded her so much of the Doctor was like when they weren't running for their lives.

But she had moved on with her life. Had moved on with Liam, loved him, helped to raise his daughter, and agreed to marry him. He wasn't just someone that she wanted to walk away from. Not when Liam hadn't been afraid to love her back.

Stepping out of the shower, she wrapped a towel around her. She needed time to think, alone. Maybe she could send Liam on an errand and steal away for a bit

"Rose, darling," Liam called, coming into her room. "I think we have a problem."

Unconsciously, she tightened the towel before responding. "Just got out of the shower, give me a minute." Taking a deep breath to compose herself, she stepped into her room where the tall broad-shouldered man that she still loved dearly stood leaning against the dresser. The expression on his face was one of worry, one he usually wore when his ex-wife was giving him grief over Sophie. "What's wrong?"

His body tensed momentarily. "The Doctor is downstairs. He's wearing jeans, not the suit that you said he normally wears, and he didn't know who I was. Do you have any idea what's going on?"

Dammit, just when she thought things couldn't get any worse. "What did you say to him? Did you call him Doctor? Shit." Her voice was frantic, hoping that Liam hadn't said anything to upset John.

"Calm down, Rose," Liam strode over to her and gently placed his hands on her shoulders. His thumb drawing small circles on her collarbone. With that small, familiar gesture Rose felt herself relax. "Tell me what's going on and why the Doctor is suddenly back in your life and why you didn't mention it before."

Taking a deep breath, she began to tell him about the TARDIS landing in her basement and the Doctor needing to hide from the Family. "So he doesn't remember anything about his real life, all the things that he thinks he knows aren't real. And I haven't told anyone but Jack because I didn't want to put anyone else in danger because of this Family, least of all you and Sophie."

Reaching up, he caressed her cheek. "That's a lot to ask of you, keeping him safe from these people. Why you? Why not one of the dozen other friends he's met along the way?" Liam sighed. "He hasn't done anything more than send you flowers for ten years, and now he asks you to risk your life keeping him safe? You've moved on from him."

Rose had always known that Liam knew whom the flowers came from, even if he never asked and she never said. "The TARDIS picked me, not him. Maybe she missed me; maybe he missed me."

"So what?" Liam's brow furrowed, his eyes searching her face for something. "Have you two been seeing each other since he got here? Because he seemed pretty damn upset when I said I was your fiancé. I know what we said before you left, but I didn't think that this would happen."

All of the sudden she felt like she was on the defensive. It was this line of questioning that she was trying to avoid by not telling anyone, save Jack, that the Doctor was here. "No, we're just friends." She couldn't believe that he had told John about the fiancé thing, especially since, strictly speaking, it wasn't true. "Look, I'm not trying to start something back up with the Doctor…"

Something occurred to her. Something that Liam had said when he came into the room. "You said he didn't recognize you. He's never met you. How would he know who you were?"

It was Liam's turn to look defensive. His long fingers drummed on his thigh, a telltale sign that he was uncomfortable. She knew him well enough to know that he'd been caught hiding something from her. It wasn't something that he normally did. There were very few secrets between them. That was one of the things that she cherished the most about their relationship, their openness.

"I met him once," Liam whispered. "About two weeks after I proposed. I was leaving Sarah Jane's. I'd dropped off a book for Luke, walked outside and there it was, the TARDIS. And he was leaning against that blue box waiting for me."

"What did he say?"

"Same basic threat I got from everyone else. 'If you hurt her I'll make sure that you regret it'. Not that I didn't fully believe it from Jack or Mickey or your mum, but from him… I was pretty sure that I could have ceased to exist if he decided that I shouldn't." Liam shivered. "But there was something in his eyes when he said your name… I'll never forget that."

"But you didn't bother to tell me that you saw him!" Rose wasn't sure which was worse, Liam keeping this from her or the Doctor for thinking that he had the right to do that. She grabbed her undergarments from a drawer. Definitely the Doctor. He had no right to threaten Liam.

"Would it have mattered if I did?" Liam's voice was soft and gentle, and it made Rose angrier. Taking her clothes, she went into her walk-in closet to get dressed. The door slammed shut behind her. From the other side of the wood, he spoke again. "Would you have really wanted to know if he had come and he hadn't visited you? I know you. That would have hurt worse than him staying away completely. I promise that I wasn't keeping this from you because I wanted to cause you pain. Trust me, the opposite is true. I never want to see you hurt."

Rose halted while pulling on a pair of black trousers. He was right. She would have been distraught had she known that the Doctor had visited someone close to her but had avoided seeing her. Dammit, she wanted to stay mad. Liam using logic against her worked most of the time, and the Doctor wasn't really here for her to rage at.

Quickly, she finished getting dressed and stepped out of the closet.

"I'm still a little mad at you, at both of you." She poked Liam in the chest. "You, go downstairs and tell John I'll be down in a minute and play nice."

"I'm always nice," Liam countered before swooping down to give her a quick kiss. "However I'll promise not to say anything to purposely upset the Time Lord in hiding. I do want to talk more about this later though, sweetheart."

Rose rolled her eyes. "I figured as much. Now shift." Turning on her heel, she stalked off towards her en suite.

Thankfully, it didn't take Rose long to fix her hair, choosing to plait it while still slightly damp. These days she wore far less make up than she had when she was traveling through all of time and space. Within ten minutes, she was pulling on her boots and heading downstairs. Hopefully, Liam had stuck to his word and played nice. Not that he was ever really the jealous type. The Doctor, well her first Doctor, had been extremely jealous and from what Liam had said it seemed as if John had retained that particular trait. Fan-bloody-tastic.

At the bottom of the stairs she took a moment to quietly study the two men. Liam was on the sofa, one arm thrown across the back, his right ankle resting on the opposite knee, looking completely relaxed. On the other hand, John was leaning forward, elbows on his knees with his long fingers splayed across his face. Tension radiated off of him as he glared at the man across from him. Rose cleared her throat. John stood abruptly, almost tripping over himself. When his eyes locked with Rose's he grinned and relaxed slightly. From the sofa Liam gave her a lazy smile.

"You look amazing," John said hurriedly. "I mean… It's good to see you. I thought that we were going to the cinema. Wasn't expecting you to have company."

"Sorry 'bout that." Liam joined in the conversation without getting up. "I didn't let Rose know I was coming. Did I, darling? Thought I'd just surprise her."

She let out a sigh and then smiled at John. "Yep," the p popped in her typical fashion. "Total and complete surprise. So I'm sorry, but it looks like plans are going to have to change."

"I like a good film," Liam added, smiling cheekily. "Might be a nice outing."

"How long is he going to be here?" John addressed her, completely ignoring the other man.

"Don't know," Rose replied at the same time Liam said, "Might be making it permanent."

Rose narrowed her eyes at the dark haired man on the sofa. "Liam and I have a lot of things to discuss. I'm sorry, but I'll have to take a rain check on lunch." Reaching out, she laid a hand on John's arm to reassure him. "Hope you understand."

"Come on, flower," Liam said, finally standing up. "John's already here, and I'm a bit peckish. Why doesn't he join us for lunch?" Coming around to her side, he wrapped an arm around Rose's waist. "What do you say? Rose? John?"

A look of anger flared on John's face as he glared at Liam's hand on Rose. Suddenly having these two on the same planet didn't seem like a good idea, let alone at lunch. She was just about to decline when John looked up at her, and she could see him tamp down the jealousy. "Sounds great."

"There's a really good Chinese place near the resort," Rose added before anyone else could make a suggestion. The place had nothing but round tables, so there would be no fighting over who sat by her. "John, could you be a dear and grab my green jacket from the closet?"

"Of course," John replied softly before giving Liam a hard look and left the room.

When he was out of earshot, Rose rounded on Liam. One of her shapely eyebrows raised, and she tapped her foot impatiently. "Well?"

Liam grimaced. "He really doesn't like me. Are you sure that he's not the Doctor?"

"Stop being a knob, Li. I asked you to play nice." She couldn't stop herself from rolling her eyes.

"I thought I was being nice, inviting him to lunch and all." The grin on his face was far too adorable as a result Rose punched him in the arm to wipe it off of him. "Oi!" He rubbed his arm in mock hurt. "What was that for?"

"Just be normal, alright? Be your normal wonderful self and tonight when we're alone we'll talk about you and Sophie moving here." Her hands rested on his biceps. "I'm not something to be fought over, no matter how John acts. Okay?"

"Yes, ma'am." He leaned over to kiss her, and she turned her head and he caught her cheek.

~oOo~

The ride to the restaurant had been uncomfortable, at least for John. Liam had Rose laughing by the time that they had reached the end of her street. Honestly, John didn't think that it was a smart decision on the other man's part to cause the driver of a vehicle to cackle so hard she could barely breathe. It was dangerous, reckless, annoying and about twenty-seven other words that could express his displeasure but weren't polite to even think of in Rose's presence.

Once they made it to their destination, John scrambled out of the backseat in order to open her door for her. Part of him felt it was inane to feel so jealous of this other man. With her words, Rose had made it clear that she wasn't interested in a relationship. Then again, there was a simmering tension between them. He'd never force her into anything she was uncomfortable with of course, but he had been hoping to build something with her.

Then Liam had shown up.

From what he had gleaned both on the car ride and the conversation before ordering their meal was that Liam was a London solicitor who worked a lot of pro-bono bitter custody disputes. Liam had tried to downplay it, but Rose had gushed about the good work that he did for a living. A radiant smile had been plastered to her face when she explained to John that Liam took on the cases that no one else would. The ones where one party was rich or powerful and the other didn't have the means to pay a high priced lawyer. He was fighting for what was fair for everyone, and most importantly, so that children wouldn't be wrenched way from a loving parent.

Reaching over, Liam laid a hand on Rose's. "I'm no saint, Rose. Just someone with the means to help others where I can. It's not like I'm saving the Universe."

Beside him, Rose choked on her drink. Liam gently patted her back before turning to look at John. "Tell me about yourself, John. What do you do?'

"Travel mostly," John replied, taking a sip of his iced tea, not sure if he'd ever get used to that particular American beverage. Who had ever thought it would be a good idea to put ice in tea? Madness, absolute madness that was. "Traveling and writing about it. Telling people the best beaches to visit, the best places to have chips."

"Sounds interesting," Liam grinned and dropped an arm around Rose's shoulders. "What are some of your favorite destinations?"

"Spain is lovely, nice weather. I like the beaches in Nice, but there is something to be said about Raxacoricofallapatorious this time of year." He lifted his eyes and met Rose's gaze. Her face contorted in confusion.

Liam tried to wrap his mouth around the word. "Raxico… Racixio…"

"Raxacoricofallapatorious," Rose said softly. "Never heard of it. Where's that at?"

Wracking his brain, John couldn't seem to come up with the answer. "Somewhere in the former Soviet Union…I think."

Rose seemed to relax with his answer. "That sounds about right." Catching her tongue between her teeth, she smiled. That smile always seemed like it was reserved just for him. He hadn't seen her give it to Liam, at least not yet. His heart skipped a beat. What was it about this woman that drew him in so much?

Liam coughed, causing John and Rose to both look away from the other. "Anyway," John said, leaning back in his chair. "Right now I'm working on a book, a novel, a story. It's coming along rather well if I do say so myself."

"What's the book about? If you don't mind my asking." Liam scooted closer to Rose, leaning over slightly so he could look at the other man.

Suddenly unnerved, John tugged on his ear. He has only ever discussed his book with Rose and even then it has been in vague terms. "Well, you know… it's about the end of the world as seen through the eyes of God."

Rose snorted. "Fancy yourself a god, John?"

"Nah," he gave her lazy grin. "I'd make a terrible god, much too fallible, me. You though, Rose, would make a wonderful goddess."

"I don't doubt that," Liam replied, pressing a kiss into her hair. "Rose has the biggest heart of anyone I've ever met. It's why I love her so much."

Leaning over, Rose softly whispered, "I love you, too." It had sounded like a reflex for her to say that. Maybe she'd hoped that John wouldn't overhear, but he had and he was overcome with jealousy.

A tight silence fell over the table. Their food arrived a few minutes later, and they tucked in without anyone a word to each other. After several uncomfortable minutes, Liam excused himself when his mobile rang, leaving John and Rose alone for the first time that day.

"So engaged…wow," John stated softly, hurt creeping into his voice. "Liam appears to be a good bloke." He'd always prided himself as a good judge of character and as much as he hated to admit it, the other man genuinely seemed to be a decent guy.

"He's the best," Rose replied, eyes darting all around the room, looking at everything but the man sitting next to her. "We've been through a lot together, him and me."

A lump formed in his throat and his chest tightened thinking about the little girl in the photo. "How long have you two been together then?"

Sighing slightly, Rose said, "'Bout five years. The last one sort of off and on; long distance relationship, you know."

Some of the tightness eased slightly. So the child probably wasn't hers, at least not hers with Liam. She would have mentioned if she had a child. Wouldn't she? Maybe not. Probably not. It wasn't like she had been forthcoming with information on her fiancé. "Why didn't you just tell me?" The words left his mouth before he had a chance to stop them.

Rose gave a small, derisive laugh. "We've only just met, John, only known each other a couple of weeks. I told you before, I don't just spill my life story to everyone. I've told you more in the brief time I've known you than anyone else in town will ever know." She twisted her napkin in her hands. "And things with Liam are complicated."

"You keep saying that," John hissed. His anger and jealousy took over so that he hadn't actually listened to what she said. "It's like an excuse when someone wants to get close. You say it's complicated, and suddenly things are supposed to go away. If you weren't interested in me at all, then you should have just said something."

Looking up at him, there was fire in Rose's eyes. "My relationship with Liam has nothing to do with you and I've told you, numerous times, that all I wanted from you was your friendship. It's hardly my fault that you don't listen or think about anyone but yourself. Ever."

"Well, you hardly know me so you don't really get to judge me." Anger escalated and he wasn't able to tamp it down. "I've been nothing but open and honest with you since the day we met. You're the one hiding things. You're the one with all the secrets." Thankfully the restaurant was nearly empty since he was almost yelling. "I'm not the one who is stringing two men along because you can't decide which one you want. Just like you always do. Coz that's what you do, isn't it, Rose?" Resentment dripped off of his words and for a moment he felt like another man.

Fury radiated off of her as she slid her chair back from the table. "You are a right bastard. Do you know that? Never in my life have I ever been unfaithful to anyone, unlike you." Pulling out her handbag, she threw some money down on the table. "Call a cab to take you home. I'm done."

She stalked off and didn't look back. Somewhere in the back of his mind he pictured her doing something similar, dressed in different clothes, a rucksack on her back. It had been his fault then just as much as it was his fault now. When he blinked the image was gone, and all he was left with was regret. Where had those words come from? It was almost as if he was comparing her to a ghost. Someone who lived in his dreams.

Pushing his plate back, John lowered his head and started to bang it lightly on the table. He had potentially just ruined the best thing he had before he even really had it. Stupid, stupid man.

There was a shuffling sound as someone sat down at the table. "Sorry about that. My daughter, Sophie, called. If it's not one crisis it's another when you're ten," Liam said, and John looked up. "Where's Rose?"

John could feel the heat creep up his cheeks as he blushed. "We had… a difference of opinion, and she left. Didn't expect her to leave you behind, though."

A soft chuckle sounded from the other man. "I was gone for less than ten minutes, and you had a row. She can be a little hot tempered, my Rose. Especially if you goad her into it. Let me guess, it was about me."

How could this man sit here and calmly talk to someone who could potentially be a rival for his fiancé's affections? Someone who didn't see him as a rival, obviously. "How are you human?" Again, the words tumbled out of his mouth before his brain could catch up.

"I'm just as human as you are, maybe more so," Liam laughed and clapped him on the back. "Come on, let's call for a taxi. The wait will give Rose some time to cool off."