A/N: Disclaimers in Chapter One

Chapter Eight: She Is A Diamond

Rose was worried. For the past few days the Doctor had been acting strange. It wasn't his normal brand of eccentric behavior with his mad escaped mental patient grin and his terrifying ideas of what constituted a fantastic adventure. This was a different strange. He was quiet. He seemed nervous around her and rarely looked her in the eyes anymore when speaking to her. He still took her hand when they went out but now it seemed to be an unconscious offhand gesture rather than the sign of their connection she'd always viewed it as before. If that wasn't enough to worry her there was the fact that he had yet to kiss her again.

The Doctor wasn't Mickey. He wasn't Jimmy or any of the other men she'd dated. Rose didn't expect him to be. She didn't expect him to be anyone but who he was to the outside world the Doctor; in her heart Theta. Because he wasn't anyone but who he was Rose didn't expect him to grab her and snog her senseless or shag her in a heated frenzy up against the TARDIS console the moment that they were alone. She wasn't waiting for him to come to her room during the evening hours, or at least during what passed for evening on the TARDIS, for a quick make-out session before bed. It wasn't his style and not just because he was gentleman. She was however expecting something to happen.

It had been three days since he'd kissed her and not once had he smiled at her or looked at her in a way that indicated he had any intention of doing it again any time soon. Rose knew he wasn't the type that did domestic; it was part of his charm but she'd expected some sort of acknowlegement at the change between them and the longer she went without one the more worried she became.

Did he regret kissing her and touching her? Rose found herself thinking of that question more and more often. He'd certainly seemed to have been enjoying himself at the time but no one could do guilt quite like the Doctor and she wouldn't put it past him to be feeling guilty about their kisses now. If he'd been Mickey she would have just confronted him about it and got it over with. The blunt approach that worked with Mickey didn't work with the Doctor however. If she confronted Theta like she would Mickey the man would grow even more quiet and stubborn. She'd just have to wait him out. As long as he didn't try to take her home everything would be fine.

"Rose, how would you feel about visiting your mum for a while? You could take Jack with you." The objected of Rose's thoughts suggested as he appeared in the doorway of her bedroom.

"What's going on? You never want to visit my mum. In fact the last time we visited mum you compared it to dental surgery without anesthetic performed by an epileptic chimpanzee. "

"And it is, Rose. It's just there's something I need to do and I can't have you there when I do it so I thought maybe you'd want to visit your mum for a bit." The Doctor answered.

"All right. Mum would like it I'm sure and she'll love Jack." Rose agreed hesitantly.

Thoughts of everything being all right as long as the Doctor didn't send her home were still in her head and here he was doing just that. It frightened her a little and worried her more than a little. The only reason she wasn't completely in panic mode yet was because the Doctor had suggested that she take Jack with her. Rose didn't think he was going to ditch Jack on the Powell estates in the twenty-first century. To her way of thinking that meant he wasn't going to ditch her either.

Something must have shown on Rose's face because the Doctor suddenly pulled her into a hug. He held her tightly for a long moment and kissed the top of her head before pulling away far enough to look her in the eye without releasing his hold on her.

"What's wrong, Rose?"

"Nothing, really." Rose hastened to assure him.

The Doctor didn't answer instead he stared at her one eyebrow arched in disbelief.

"It's just you've been kind of strange, for you I mean, for the past couple of days and I was thinking maybe you were trying to find some way to tell me that you want me to go home. Goodbye TARDIS, goodbye London hopping. Hello Powell estates and Jackie Tyler." Rose spoke in a rush an embarrassed flush coloring her features.

"Why would I ask you to leave?"

This time Rose's response was even more rushed and her face had gone from flushed to vivid scarlet.

"Becausethatnightafterdinneroutwekissedandtouchedeachotherandnowyoucan'tlookmeintheeyeanymoreandhavebeenactingodd."

To her surprise and pain the Doctor began to laugh. At first it was a quiet chuckle but then he let go and really started laughing. Rose attempted to pull out of his embrace. Having the Doctor laugh at her was bad enough she didn't want to have to witness it any longer than she had to. In response to her pull his arms tightened and the Doctor looked down into her face all traces of amusement gone.

"I'm sorry Rose. I'm making a muck of this and I know it. You make me feel things that I thought I'd never feel again, things that I thought I didn't deserve to feel again. More than that you make me feel things that I haven't felt before. I'm sorry if you think I've been acting odd for the past few days but I've had a lot on my mind. I'm not about to send you home, Rose Tyler not when I've only just found you. I wanted you to go to Jackie's because I have an errand to run and I can't have you there. I won't tell you why or where but I promise you it will be fantastic. All-right?"

"All-right." Rose agreed happy that she had misread the situation and that he wasn't asking her to leave.

"Come out when you're ready. We're at the Powell estates." The Doctor instructed her letting her go reluctantly.

Before he was fully out the door he turned in her direction again.

"Oh Rose?"

Rose who had turned back toward the bed answered without looking at him.

"What is it, Theta?"

Instead of answering her verbally the Doctor grasped her arm and spun her around to face him. The momentum of the spin had Rose throwing her arms around his neck to maintain her balance. One look at the heat in his eyes and her arms around his neck tightened as she drew herself closer.

The Doctor bent his head and kissed her. It was a hard, passionate, possessive kiss that left both participants breathless when it ended.

"What was that for?" Rose asked when she was sure she could speak without panting.

"Kiss goodbye and all that." The Doctor said evasively.

Rose was sure there was more to it than that. The Doctor may have been able to fool others often but she could read him easily. There was something in his eyes and in his manner that suggested not all was as it appeared. Still if she pressed him on it he'd either deny it or go off in a sulk. She didn't want to deal with either at the moment so she let it go.

"Where's my kiss goodbye? It only seems fair that I get one if I'm leaving as well." Jack said appearing in Rose's doorway.

"Rose kiss him. I haven't been inoculated against flirtatious rouge Time Agents yet." The Doctor instructed her.

"And I have?"

"You dated Mickey The Idiot you should be safe." The Doctor said before walking out of the room.

Rose obediently raised herself on tiptoe and brushed her lips against Jack's in a chaste kiss.

"Which one of us should be insulted by that comment?" Jack asked her once she'd pulled away.

"You know something. I'm not really sure."