Dinner was a mostly pleasant affair that night at the Tyler Estate. Rose watched the Doctor carefully as Pete asked him questions regarding the metacrisis process and his part in what had happened aboard the Dalek Crucible. She could feel waves of tension rolling off of him, particularly when the conversation turned in the slightest to his possible future plans, though nothing concrete was discussed. While Pete was strategically feeling him out, he stayed true to his word and did not bring up Torchwood for which Rose was very grateful.

Tony proved to be a great buffer. He constantly vied for the Doctor's undivided attention, completely unaware of the conversation the adults were trying to maintain around him. When it was clear that the child was not going to finish his dinner, not even his desert, Jackie crossed her arms and fixed her son with a stern gaze.

"Alright, young man, I think it's time for bed. Let's get you washed up and tucked in."

Tony's face crumpled for a moment but then he turned to his big sister. "It's your turn tonight, Rose! The Doctor told me a story last night, right Doctor?"

"Right you are, Tony Tyler!"

The little boy grinned up at her, expectantly.

Reaching over to tickle him, Rose grinned back. "Alright you, say good night, come on."

Tony jumped out of his seat and ran to give his mum and dad hugs and kisses. He then turned to the Doctor and climbed up into his lap. "You can come over anytime, Doctor! I'll let you play with my TARDIS ok?" He then hugged him around the neck and jumped off, running after his big sister.

Jackie smiled and winked at him. "I think you've got a bit of a fan. I don't know what it is about my children, absolutely besotted with you, both of them!"

The Doctor felt his face grow hot again. That was really going to get annoying, this lack of control over the most primitive of cardiovascular responses.

Pete's mobile rang. Giving his wife an apologetic smile, he excused himself from the table. Jackie rolled her eyes and got up, beginning to clear the dishes. Glancing at the Doctor, who was still sitting there looking a bit lost, she paused and said, "Oi, Doctor. I was never your maid before and I'm certainly not going to start now! Help me clear this table, will ya?"

Jumping up from his chair the Doctor nodded. "Right! Yes, of course… sorry Jackie."

Once everything was back in the kitchen, she turned on the sink and started washing, handing each piece to the Doctor to dry.

"So, how's she treating you love?"

Caught off guard, he looked up from his task. "Pardon?"

"Rose. How's she treating you?"

Wondering if this was some sort of trick question the Doctor shrugged nonchalantly. "Fine, Jackie… why do you ask?"

Rolling her eyes, she stopped what she was doing and fixed the Doctor with one of her looks.

"Don't lie to me Doctor, I know she's being a right pain. She told me so herself just a little while ago!"

Raising an eyebrow the Doctor replied, "She did?"

"Yeah, she did. Something about her acting like a nutter today after… something happened?"

The Doctor froze.

Jackie waited for him to say something, hands on her hips now.

"I swear Jackie, it was just a kiss. I didn't… I mean, it's not like we… I never would have-"

Jackie's laughter cut him off. The look on his face was priceless.

"I know love, I know! I'm just teasing, you plum."

Face hot again, he looked back down at the platter he was drying wishing he were anywhere but there at the moment.

Sensing his discomfort Jackie quieted down. "My Rose can be quite stubborn… and not always very rational as I'm sure you've noticed?"

Still not wanting to meet her gaze, he just gave a small nod instead.

"But behind all that bravado, she's just scared, you know. Scared things won't be the same or that they won't work out. And when she's scared she pushes people away, she always has."

Looking up, the Doctor nodded as Jackie's words brought a memory to the forefront of his thoughts.

"She did that once before… when I regenerated and wound up looking like this. I don't remember what happened while I was unconscious, but just before… well, she did exactly that."

Jackie recalled that day and how distraught Rose had been, so lost without her big eared, blue eyed Doctor. She was glad he had made the connection, it's precisely what she was going for.

"Yes, I remember. She was very upset, convinced you weren't really you. Didn't last long though, did it?"

Smiling, he shook his head. "No, it didn't."

"I know this is a little more complicated than just changing faces, Doctor, but I have faith in my daughter. It might take a little bit longer this time, but she'll get there you'll see. Just don't let her push you away, sweetheart. I know you're trying to be patient with her but Doctor, sometimes what she needs is someone to push right back, you hear?"

Gratitude for this woman welled up in him and he grinned at her. "Thank you, Jackie."

"Anytime love. Now why don't you go see what my children are up to? Tony's got Rose wrapped around his little pinky, there's no telling how many stories he probably roped her into telling and he needs to go to sleep!"

Putting down his towel he gave her one last smile and set off to find his Rose. Once again Jackie had proven to be an unexpected ally and he couldn't help but chuckle to himself as he realized just how fond of her he was becoming. It was embarrassing, his other self would definitely not approve.

When he got to Tony's room he hung back just outside the door, curious as to what story Rose might be telling him this evening. He had to admit, he was pretty chuffed about the fact that this little boy, who had never met him before yesterday, seemed to know so much about him and had welcomed him so eagerly into his life. It both warmed and broke his heart to know that this was yet another testament of how much Rose had loved him.

"And then the nanogenes shot out of his hands, right Rose? He shot them at the other gas-mask people!"

"Yes, Tony, he did. And then he said-"

"Everybody lives, Rose. Just this once, everybody LIVES!" shouted the little boy.

The Doctor laughed and stepped through the doorway. Tony was jumping up and down on his bed, pretending to shoot nanogenes out of his hands.

When he saw the Doctor, Tony beamed. "Look at me, Doctor! I can do it too!"

Rose looked over her shoulder and smiled up at him from the bed.

"Guess I'm not the only one with the moves now, eh Rose?"

She bit her lower lip and smiled. He winked at her, leaning casually against the doorway. She smiled wider. Unaware of anything other than the invisible gas-masked people all around him, Tony kept jumping around on his bed, shooting more nanogenes out at random.

Hating to put an end to all their fun, but not wanting to let Jackie down after all her kindness, the Doctor walked over to sit beside Rose and in a low voice said, "You mother sent me in here to make sure you were wrapping up the story. Said Tony needs to go to sleep now."

Looking back up at her brother, still playing with his imaginary nanogenes, Rose sighed. She had missed him so much and would have stayed up all night with him if she could. Grabbing him around the waist she pulled him into her lap and started kissing him mercilessly. The little boy squirmed and wriggled, but then quieted down and threw his arms around his big sister.

"Alright Tony, time for bed, yeah?"

"But Roooooose… "

The Doctor smiled as he watched her resolution waiver. Jackie was right, stubborn Rose Tyler was nothing but a pushover when it came to the cunning little four year old that sat before them. Lacing his fingers through hers, he gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

"Tony Tyler, none of that now. It's late and little boys need their rest or they might just wake up with a gas-mask stuck to their face!"

A tiny gasp escaped from his lips but then he turned to the Doctor and narrowed his eyes. "You would save me though, right Doctor? Just like before?"

"Well, yeah of course Tony, if I could… except, I'm afraid I'm all out of nanogenes. You better do what Rose says, at least until I can get my hands on some alright?" He winked conspiratorially at the boy who tried to wink back.

"Alright love, here's your TARDIS. You all set?"

Settling in, Tony hugged his stuffed blue box and nodded.

Kissing him on the forehead, Rose said goodnight and turned off his light.

As they turned, about to leave, Tony's voice called out once more.

"Doctor?"

The little boy's arms were outstretched, waiting.

Smiling, the Doctor sat back down on the bed and leaned over, giving Tony a hug. As he began to pull away to let the boy lay back again, Tony hugged him tighter.

"Thanks for coming back Doctor. Sissy was so sad when you were gone. Now she can be happy again!"

Behind him, the Doctor heard a soft intake of breath.

Ruffling his hair, he tucked him back in and stood up. When he turned back to Rose, she was looking at him, eyes bright, an unreadable expression upon her face. He approached her and a small smile began to bloom. She extended her hand out to him.

As they walked back towards the kitchen, the Doctor turned to Rose and chuckled. "He is an amazing little boy. He's going to grow up to be quite the handful, just like his sister!"

"You've been talking to mum, haven't you?"

The Doctor blanched but tried to keep his face neutral.

Not noticing, Rose continued. "She says that about him all the time. Tells Pete it's like raising me all over again, only as a boy."

Relieved that this was all she had meant, he relaxed and smiled back.

"I bet you were cuter though, Rose."

She bumped him playfully with her shoulder and laughed.

Arriving at the kitchen, they found Jackie finishing up a cup of tea.

"Thanks for dinner again mum, it was lovely!"

"You're welcome sweetheart! Are you two headed back home? You're welcome to stay if you like. Pete's doing some work but I'm going to be up for a while yet if you want to watch some telly."

"Thanks mum, but we still need to go by the grocers. "

The Doctor groaned.

"Oh hush you, we'll get you some bananas, deal?"

Perking up considerably, the Doctor nodded and began to swing their hands back and forth. Jackie looked on in amusement.

On their way to the grocers, the Doctor asked Rose something that had been preoccupying his mind since the previous night.

"Rose… where exactly does one get a stuffed TARDIS from?!"

Rose laughed.

"Well, it wasn't very difficult really, had it custom made for him. I just drew a couple of sketches and gave a pretty detailed description and that was it."

"That's brilliant!"

"Yeah, well I thought he might like it. I can only imagine what he'll do when he sees the real thing!"

"Have you told him?"

"Oh no, we'd never hear the end of it if I had. He'd probably ask about it every five minutes and then mum would kill us… besides, on the off chance that… well, I mean, if it takes longer or something, I didn't want… I guess I just thought it would be best if I didn't, is all."

"No, that makes sense… we wouldn't want to get his hopes up... just in case… of course."

Sensing the Doctor's distress, Rose silently berated herself.

"I'm sure everything will work out just fine, Doctor. She'll be up and running in no time and then we can surprise him, yeah? Mind you, mum won't let us take him anywhere, but we can at least let him run around on the inside. He's always wanted to see the pool, that would probably be enough for him for a little while!"

Grinning, he looked at Rose and said, "Oh I don't know, there are quite a few child-friendly planets out there! For instance, Hedgewick's World of Wonders is a great big theme park on-"

"No, not without mum's permission. She would never forgive us… I would probably lose big sister privileges over that one!"

The Doctor sighed dramatically. "Oh alright… party pooper."

Rose looked over at him and smiled to herself as she took in his slumped form, arms crossed, looking rather put out by the thought of not being able to take Tony along for a "safe" adventure. She loved that he was so good with him, barely a day after meeting. She remembered him telling her a long time ago that he had been a father once. The thought had been so shocking then, but as she had watched their interactions today she realized how naturally it came for him, and she loved it. She wondered if one day… well, perhaps it was best if she didn't think about that just yet.

It had been a long day and whether by luck or unspoken agreement, the trip to the grocers was kept simple. Rose thought he might be difficult again, but surprisingly he was not. Well, for the most part anyway. She did have to scold him for starting to eat the bananas before they had reached the register.

"But Rose, how are we supposed to know if they're good or not? First the hair gel and now this? Blimey, you humans are far too trusting."

Rose just rolled her eyes and took the banana away.

The Doctor pouted.

Rose had to bite her lip to keep from smiling.

Once they got back to the flat, the Doctor helped her put everything away and then leaned against the counter, looking at her expectantly. He wasn't quite sure what he should do next.

"Are you tired?"

"No… not really," he confessed.

"Did you sleep at all last night?"

"A little. Three hours and twenty four minutes."

"Well, that's something at least. Do you think that's all your body will need from now on?"

"It's hard to say… I imagine it may change with regards to my exertion levels, but yes, overall I don't think I'll be needing more than three to four hours. Still seems a waste of time, if you ask me!"

Rose laughed. He had hated how much she slept when they traveled together, insisting that going to this place or the other had to be more fun than lying around in bed for eight hours every day. She imagined that this would be a bit of a blow to the ego for him, actually needing to take part in such an inferior human activity.

"Well, you can always watch telly upstairs or read, I have plenty of books and we can get more for you."

"Sure Rose, that will be fine. Once I have everything for the TARDIS, I'll probably spend a lot of time on her as well."

"Oh, right. Well…"

An awkward silence hung in the air between them again. No one really knew what to do or say next and they were running out of small talk. Not sure if this was the greatest idea, but wanting to make an effort, Rose pressed on.

"Do you… want to watch a movie or something? I'm not really ready for bed either."

The Doctor thought about the loft and that big couch. He wondered if it would be too uncomfortable after what had occurred earlier. She was asking though, not him…

"Um sure… or I could read you a book, if you like?" he asked somewhat shyly.

Rose smiled. It was a little routine they had on the TARDIS, particularly on nights when she was having trouble sleeping. He would come and sit in bed with her and read until she fell asleep. It was one of her favorite memories that she clung to in the years they were separated. She realized that she liked that idea much better.

"Yeah, I'd like that. I'll just uh… I'll go get ready for bed, yeah?"

Oh. He hadn't thought about that part. Would Rose think him too forward? He hadn't meant…

Seeing the uneasiness written all over his face, and feeling that they'd both had enough awkwardness that day, she smiled and said, "I'll just meet you back in the front room, yeah?"

Relief flooded him and he grinned back at her.

"Alright. I'll uh, go get ready too. Guess if I'm sleeping now I shouldn't let those brand new pajamas go to waste! Hmmm, pajamas, what a funny word! Pa-ja-mas. Rolls off the tongue easily enough, but funny nonetheless, don't you think?"

Rose just raised an eyebrow at him.

He shut his mouth before he could continue with his nervous ramble.

"Uh, sure Doctor…whatever you say. I'll um, be right back, ok?" Shaking her head, she walked off.

A little while later he came back to the front room, jim-jamed and ready to read. He was glad she had taken him up on his suggestion, this was a much safer option and one that was tied to many good memories for him. Although he had constantly teased Rose about her inferior need for sleep, he loved those quiet moments they often shared as he read to her while she drifted off. He had missed that so much.

Rose came back a few minutes later. Her hair was in a ponytail, face scrubbed clean of all makeup, and wearing long flannel pajamas. She had never looked more beautiful to him.

"So, what would you like to hear, Rose?"

Wandering over to the bookshelf, she picked up the first book she saw. It didn't really matter what he read. Not tonight, anyway. She was all nerves and excitement. Establishing their routines again would be a good thing, but still she couldn't help but feel a bit timid about it.

"Got this from Mickey, it's a thriller. He said it was pretty good, I just hadn't gotten around to starting it yet."

She walked back over to the couch and handed it over to the Doctor, who scooted over to the very end. He grabbed a cushion and laid it on his lap, patting it. Rose grinned and stretched out, head on the cushion. The Doctor grabbed the afghan off the back of the couch and threw it over her as she snuggled in happily.

"Comfy?"

Nodding, she reached out from underneath the fuzzy blanket and took hold of his left hand with her right, interlocking their fingers and resting them just below her chest. His right hand awkwardly held the book open against the armrest. He wasn't quite sure how he'd manage the page turning but it didn't matter, he was quite content at the moment.

One hour, twenty three minutes, and nineteen seconds later, Rose Tyler was asleep. He had a feeling she hadn't been paying too close attention to the book for a while now, as her breathing had slowed and her grip on his hand had slackened, but he was enjoying the moment too much to stop. Now though, she was making soft snuffly noises, which were the closest she ever came to snoring, and meant she was out cold. The Doctor felt bad, perhaps he should have woken her before now. This had never been a problem on the TARDIS as she had already been in her bed. Not wanting to disturb her, he turned off the light, reclined his portion of the couch and settled in for the night.

Adjusting to the movement, Rose turned in her sleep, facing him now and bringing an arm up which she draped across his chest. Reflexively, she scrunched up a bit of his t-shirt in her fist and snuggled in some more.

Rearranging the blanket to cover them both, the Doctor placed one arm around her shoulders and the other began softly stroking her hair. He closed his eyes and cleared him mind, focusing instead on what it felt like to have Rose so close once more.

Thirty seven minutes and fifty two seconds later, the Doctor was asleep as well.