The Metebelis crystals turned out to be rather harmless. Well, perhaps not completely benign, but safe enough for the half-human Time Lord to handle safely. Unlike the ones that had caused him to regenerate into his fourth incarnation, these were small enough in number that they did not put out any significant form of radiation. However, their different effect on psychic abilities intrigued the Doctor.

"It seems, Rose, that here in this universe these crystals do the exact opposite of what they do back in our universe! Normally they would serve as an enhancer for someone's psychic abilities, but these are not doing so, are they?" he asked, turning to the Torchwood employee.

"No sir, they're not. We have been running some tests and our empaths have all confirmed that in their presence, they are unable to sense other's emotions."

Tossing one of the softly glowing gems up in the air, the Doctor grinned and replied, "Yep! That's what I thought."

"How did you know that, sir? Are you an empath as well?"

Placing the crystal back down and looking around the lab at other work stations, the Doctor shrugged. "Not as such, no. Weeeell, not strictly speaking anyway, though I do have other psychic abilities. Tell me… I'm sorry, what's your name?"

"Tim, sir."

"Ah, right, Tim then! Tell me Tim, what exactly are you doing with these crystals?"

"Well, studying them, for starters. We just acquired them in a trade."

"I see… and any idea on what Torchwood plans on doing with them after you're done studying them?"

Rose sighed. His tone was ever so light but she could hear an undercurrent of a challenge in it. Of course he thought they were up to no good. She crossed her arms and fixed the Doctor with one of her glares. If he noticed, he didn't seem to care.

Looking awkwardly from the Doctor's face to Rose's clearly annoyed one and back again to the Doctor, Tim cleared his throat. "It's all still in its very early stages, but the initial interest is pointing towards a defensive amulet of sorts. After our run ins with various less than friendly psychic species, we realized that our basic defensive psychic training won't always be enough."

"I see."

Rose watched as his jaw quit clenching and his posture began to relax. For all his initial excitement, she could tell it would be a while before he felt truly comfortable here and even longer before he stopped seeing nefarious intent in everything the company was doing. She really couldn't blame him, she had had the same attitude at first as well. She would just have to be patient with him as Pete had been with her.

"Well then, carry on Tim! As you were!"

And just like that the Doctor turned to Rose (his manic grin plastered back onto his face) and before either she or Tim could react, had flitted away a few stations over like a four year old, unable to stay focused on one toy for too long. He quickly struck up a conversation with the scientist there and much to her horror, picked up whatever it was she was working on and licked it with little preamble. Rose hurried over, trying hard not to laugh. She had forgotten how jarring that little habit of his could be, particularly for someone that was not acquainted with his eccentricities.

The rest of the afternoon was spent poking around the various labs. Rose watched as the Doctor grew more excited, particularly when he was able to in moments solve several problems that had been plaguing a handful of researchers with their respective projects. Ever the showoff, he still enjoyed displaying his impressive knowledge and cleverness.

As they walked back to her car, Rose reached for his hand and playfully bumped him with her shoulder. "So, discover any evil plots that need thwarting, Doctor? Any Yvonne Hartman's in the making?"

Chuckling a bit, the Doctor bumped her right back. "Not yet, Rose Tyler. But I'm still looking, trust me."

Rolling her eyes, she smiled and shook her head. Patience, she reminded herself. Patience.

On the way home they picked up some dinner and made plans for a quiet night in front of a movie to unwind from the day's excitement. Rose's feet were killing her and she couldn't wait to get home and into her jimjams.

When they got back to the flat, she disappeared into her room, promising to be right back after changing. Not knowing if they would be spending another night on the couch or not (he secretly hoped they would) the Doctor decided to change as well, as his jeans were not quite as comfortable as everyone made them out to be. He ached to be back in his suit but resisted the urge since he wanted to preserve it as long as he could. At least until the TARDIS was grown and capable of providing him with more. He really needed to get going on that.

A little while later they were both changed and comfy, sitting in front of the telly upstairs in the loft. Rose had brought up a large thick blanket while the Doctor carefully carried up their dinner. As they ate and poked fun at the previews, Rose thought back to the many times they had done this on the TARDIS and smiled as she realized how far they had come in just a handful of days. Once they were done eating, the empty containers and utensils were cast aside and she curled up against him, resting her head on his shoulder. The Doctor wrapped an arm around her and pressed a soft kiss to the top of her head.

Yes, this was significantly better than the nervous and oftentimes awkward tension that had existed between them for so very long during their travels together. Back then she had almost convinced herself that she was alright with their friendship the way it was. Of course part of her would have always wanted more from him, but the Doctor was worth it and she would have taken him in whatever form he was willing to give her, regardless of what she felt. Equal parts guilt and elation filled her as she realized that she would not have to make that sacrifice anymore. She wondered what would become of her Time Lord and if he would someday find the kind of happiness he had gifted them. She wasn't sure if she would ever feel at peace about that uncertainty, but she knew she needed to push aside those thoughts and not let them interfere with what she and the man beside her were trying to build.

"What are you thinking about Rose?" The Doctor had peered down at her when she had grown uncharacteristically quiet and found that look in her eyes that meant she was far far away.

"Hmm? Oh, nothing really… just about how we used to do this on the TARDIS. I loved our movie nights."

The Doctor smiled warmly. "Oh yes, I did too!"

Sitting up a bit, Rose tilted her head in confusion. "You did? You always seemed so put out about it. I couldn't ever get you to shut up and quit criticizing my choice of films! 'Bloody waste of time, this is, Rose Tyler! We could be off exploring!' " Rose's impression was incredibly accurate and the Doctor couldn't help but laugh even though he was trying so very hard to look indignant.

"Well… I'll have you know, Rose, that while the films you chose were quite ridiculous at times, I did enjoy spending that time with you curled up on the couch… especially when you would get scared or sad and it gave me an excuse to put my arm around you." He wagged his eyebrows and his lopsided grin revealed that he thought he was so clever.

Rose laughed. "Oh Doctor, did it never occur to you that I might have been doing that on purpose?"

"You what?"

Rose just laughed. For someone so intelligent, he could be impossibly thick at times. "Well, I had to get you to somehow, didn't I? Screaming and crying seemed to do the trick quite well, actually. Superior Time Lord and all, you're still such a bloke. Worked like a charm!"

The look on his face was priceless.

"Rose Tyler, you little minx!"

Rose just grinned, tongue in teeth.

"Hmph! I can't believe you would play upon my sensitivities like that, see if I ever fall for it again!" And with that he crossed his arms over his chest and fixed his gaze on the screen. Rose could tell he was trying very hard to keep a scowl on his face by the way his mouth twitched.

Seven minutes and forty three seconds later, Rose gave a little squeal and inched herself ever so slightly closer to him, hands clutching the blanket over their laps. The Doctor let out an almighty sigh and put his arm back around her, rolling his eyes. Rose snuggled in, a satisfied smirk blooming across her face as the Doctor's pretend scowl was replaced with a smirk of his own. And to think she actually believed he was that oblivious. He couldn't help grinning at his cleverness.

"Yep, still got it indeed!" he thought to himself as he rested his head on hers.

After the movie was over, they stayed where they were and Rose shut off the telly. She reached over for the small remote she had used the day before and opened the dome ceiling so that they could lay back and watch the stars. The Doctor was astounded at how clearly they could be seen despite London's ambient light. Rose explained that Pete had thought of that and constructed the dome out of a special material they had developed for Torchwood's own telescopes and other equipment to monitor the skies. It wasn't the same as watching from the TARDIS doors, but far better than what would normally be possible in such a bright city.

Eventually they grew quiet and just lay there for a while, simply holding hands and staring up at the stars. The Doctor was the first one to break the silence.

"Rose… what you said this afternoon… about having all those panic attacks when you first got here, did you really?"

Turning her head to face him, she saw deep worry lines on his face.

"Yes Doctor, I did."

"When did they start? I mean, what brought them on?"

"Well… I had been here a few weeks I think. I'm not quite sure, actually. Time just sort of stopped for me back then. But I had finally started getting back into a somewhat normal routine again. Then one day I went shopping with mum, she wanted to get me out of the house and insisted. She thought a girls day out might cheer me up some so we went to the shops and… well, I saw a long brown coat in the window on a mannequin, and I just sort of… lost it. Mum was used to my tears, but this really scared her. Both of us, really, I thought I was dying… right and properly dying, you know?"

Remembering what it had felt like that afternoon, the Doctor squeezed her hand and swallowed hard. "Yes, I know."

"After that they just started coming more and more regularly. Sometimes they were triggered by something obvious, like bananas for instance. We went a whole year without them in the house. I think it drove Pete mad, but he went along with it, mum made him. Other times they just took me by surprise for no apparent reason at all. Those were the worst ones because I never saw them coming."

Turning on his side to face her, he scooted himself closer and pulled her into his arms. She snuggled close and held him just as tightly.

"Oh Rose… I can't- I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry. I never meant for you to-"

"Shhh, it's ok, Doctor. I know. I never blamed you, I still don't. It just happened and I know you would have come back for me if you could have. In a way, I'm oddly grateful that it did happen. Mum's got Pete now, and then there's Tony. I can't even imagine my life without him now! And being apart… it forced me to grow up and do hard things. Things I never dreamed I could ever be capable of doing, least of all without you by my side."

Smiling into her hair, the Doctor gently shook his head. "Rose Tyler, you'll never cease to amaze me."

Pulling back a bit in order to look up into his face, she smiled as well. "That's what I'm counting on."

"Oh? And why is that?"

"Well, because if we're lucky Doctor, we probably have a long and quite mundane life ahead of us… got to keep you intrigued somehow, or you just might change your mind about this whole human life thing."

The Doctor noted that she said this with a grin, but in her eyes he saw a vulnerability not common for Rose, and it pained him that she might actually believe he could ever grow tired of her.

"Oh Rose… trust me, you'll never get rid of me now. Besides, who else will keep Torchwood in line if not the Stuff of Legend, eh?"

Rose's eyes widened. "So you'll join me then? Really?"

"Really. Besides, with access to the labs we can get started on the TARDIS and then it will only be a few years before we're back among the stars!"

"So let me get this straight… you're just joining Torchwood to use our materials and technology?"

"Well, yeah. That and to keep you out of trouble, of course."

Rose looked thunderous for a moment and the Doctor wondered if he had been wrong to be so up front with his motives. But then Rose threw her head back and laughed.

"Gotcha! I was wondering how long it would take you to come up with that! Why do you think I took you down to the labs in the first place?"

Feeling like he'd been had, the Doctor was slightly offended but quickly got over it as he watched Rose laughing so hard she began to cry. It was good to see her this light and happy again. He lived for these moments. He always had from the second he had grabbed her hand and whispered, "Run!"

The Doctor didn't get his wish of falling asleep on the couch together again that night. Instead, Rose slept in his arms beneath the stars. He really couldn't complain.