Lunch was somewhat of an awkward event for Rose and the Doctor. After realizing just how long he had been sitting there talking with his new boss, he had felt terrible and apologized profusely on the way to the lift, again on the way to their car, and some more while they ate. Rose had brushed it off with a tense smile but he could see it in her eyes, how much it bothered her. The more he apologized, the stiffer Rose became, until she finally snapped at him. After that they continued eating in uncomfortable silence.

Rose had been running late herself and so it wasn't that she was annoyed by any long wait, she was just irritated it had been because of Stella Evans. Of course, she knew better than to be jealous. The Doctor was just being his friendly and talkative self, something she loved dearly about him, even if he was terribly absent minded at times because of it. They had been through enough over the past week that it was going to take a lot more than Stella batting her eyelashes to make her question his motives. Still, she didn't like the woman and knew the feeling was more than mutual. Rose had a feeling she was in for a lot of grief at the hands of the director of R&D now that the Doctor would be working in such close proximity but there was nothing for it. She would just let this go, determined not to let Stella rattle her. It's what she wanted, after all. Glancing up from the last of her chips, she watched as the Doctor picked at his half-heartedly, completely dejected. Guilt gripped her stomach and squeezed hard.

Stella, one. Rose, zero.

"Well played," she thought. "Well played."

Reaching across the table, she placed a hand on his forearm. "Hey… I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at you, Doctor. And I really am not mad at you, I promise."

He looked up at her then, searching her face, trying to understand why she seemed so upset if she really wasn't. Rose saw the confusion in his eyes, big and brown. He had the familiar crinkle between his brows that meant he was contemplating something particularly puzzling. She had seen it many times during their travels, usually when they were in some bind or other that had required quick thinking and creative solutions. The invisible hand around her stomach tightened its grip as she realized the extent of his discomfort and how hard he was trying to sort this all out in that magnificent head of his. A rush of warmth and compassion for him swept over her and she couldn't help but give him a genuine smile, tongue peeking out just slightly. Upon seeing this, his shoulders relaxed a bit and he returned her smile hesitantly, but still looked completely befuddled. He stayed silent, hoping she would be more forthcoming.

"Doctor… Stella and I, we don't really get along all that well."

The Doctor's brow crinkled even more upon hearing this. "Why ever not, Rose? You're the nicest person I know!"

Smiling ruefully, Rose shook her head a bit. "Well, she doesn't seem to think so. Not everyone welcomed me to Torchwood with open arms… and some seem to think I only got as far as I did because of Pete, rather than my own merits."

"And you think Stella is one of those people?"

"Think? Doctor, I know so. She has always been one of the most verbal about it."

Rubbing the back of his neck, the Doctor was silent for a few seconds. He couldn't say he knew his new boss very well yet, but during their interactions — today in particular — he hadn't gotten that impression from her at all. On the contrary, she had spoken very highly of Rose and her team who had been responsible for the acquisition of over half of their most valuable alien tech as of late. Perhaps there had been a misunderstanding somewhere along the line. Regardless, he didn't like having Rose upset with him, directly or indirectly so he didn't contradict her.

"Right… well… I don't have to work there if you don't want me to Rose… I could always join your team and go on missions with you. Actually, I'm not sure why we hadn't thought of that before! It would be just like old times, the Stuff of Legends again, eh?" He looked at her so eagerly, his hopeful smile one of the cutest things she'd ever seen.

"Doctor, you can join me any time you want, and do whatever you please at Torchwood, really. I just suggested R&D because it seemed like the best place for you while growing the TARDIS and you would be a great help to them down there. Lots of tinkering to do, and plenty of scientists to impress with your brilliant mind."

The Doctor beamed.

"Seriously though, I don't mind. I want you to be happy at Torchwood, so work where you want to work. She and I will just have to play nice and that will be that. I'm willing to put up with a lot more than Stella Evans for you, I hope you know that."

Without thinking, he leaned across the table and kissed Rose in the middle of the packed chippie. "Rose Tyler, I love you!" he said with a grin.

Somewhat shocked, she smiled back shyly. "I love you too, Doctor."

It was probably going to take her a while to get used to the exuberant and nonchalant attitude with which he had been offering up his affection since Bad Wolf Bay. Part of her wondered if she would ever grow accustomed, but if she was completely honest with herself she hoped that she wouldn't. After years of dancing around their feelings, she knew that the freedom to express his love for her was something she never ever wanted to take for granted.

"Quite right, too." He quipped with a wink.

Underneath the table, she kicked him playfully and threw her last chip in his face. He continued to beam like a fool.

After lunch, they made their way back to Torchwood and the Doctor showed Rose all the materials he had "catalogued" for Pete and would be using for the TARDIS. She couldn't make heads or tails of about a third of what he was saying but was caught up in his excitement nevertheless. Afterwards, they retreated to his office and like two giddy teenagers planning some great mischief, spoke in hushed tones as they discussed the logistics of getting everything shipped to their flat in a way that wouldn't raise any suspicions or blow their UNIT cover story.

Eventually, they decided to call it a day and head back to the flat. No one had really expected them to show up for another few days anyhow, and with Rose's debriefing out of the way, they had no reason to stay. So after heading back up to Rose's office to pick some things up, they chatted with Donna for a while and then set off for home.

While they had put the tension and discomfort of the morning behind them, it had taken its toll on them both. In the quiet moments of the car ride home, their minds couldn't help but turn to that very uncomfortable situation earlier that day. The Doctor and Rose were no strangers to spats, they often got into minor rows during their travels, but somehow this felt different. The TARDIS was endless in size and they had always been able to get away from one another while they cooled off. The closer they got to the flat, the quieter they became, knowing that their home was now quite finite in size. Even though they had resolved their issue today, there might be a time when it wouldn't be so easy. This worried the Doctor more so than Rose, and he longed for his TARDIS more than ever.

Rose dropped her purse on the entryway stand and told the Doctor she would be out in a bit after changing. She retreated to her bedroom and after closing the door behind her, sat on her bed and sighed. She didn't know why she was feeling so edgy all of a sudden as this morning's ordeal was long over and they'd had a pleasant afternoon together. She had only planned to change but feeling that she needed a little bit more time to herself, decided to take a shower as well. Rose hoped that the hot water would help her relax and shake of the lingering tension that seemed to have taken up permanent residence in her shoulders and neck since they'd left Torchwood.

Meanwhile, the Doctor retreated to his room as well after hearing Rose's door shut softly. He didn't need or want to change but sought instead the comforting presence of his TARDIS coral. Taking it out of the little nest he had made for it in one of his drawers, he held it in his hands and sat down heavily on his bed. Head bowed, he let out a quiet sigh as he felt the little coral's consciousness brush lightly over his, curious and gentle. Blocking out all other senses he reveled in their connection, not quite as strong as with his original TARDIS, but familiar and soothing nevertheless. Anxiety began to rise in him as he contemplated how long it would be before this TARDIS would be complete, particularly with the setbacks he would need to overcome due to some of the materials Torchwood was lacking. The time would be miniscule relatively speaking, and he really had no cause to complain since Donna had given him the key to accelerating its growth, but right that second it seemed that even a few years would feel like an eternity to him. Sensing his discomfort, the coral's hum grew louder in his mind and washed over him like a warm wave.

A small smile spread across his face and taking a deep breath he opened his eyes and ran a hand through his hair. He was overacting, he told himself. Everything was fine. It had been a simple goof up on his part, Rose accepted his apology, and they had had a lovely afternoon. She had been a bit quiet on the way home but she was probably just tired from the debriefing, nothing more. Determined to not let his worries ruin the rest of their evening, he got up and went to the kitchen, a plan already hatching in his mind.

When Rose finally emerged from her room, having dressed in her jimjams, she wandered into the front room expecting to find the Doctor there reading a book. He wasn't there, however, and she was about to call out to him when she heard some noise above her head and looked up just in time to see his face pop out over the loft railing.

"Up here, Rose! Oh and do me a favor, bring the afghan, will you?"

Puzzled, she grabbed the blanket off the back of the couch and proceeded to climb up to the loft, wondering what in the world he was up to. Perhaps he wanted to watch a movie? That would be fine, she could use a cuddle right now anyhow.

The first thing she noticed was that the round couch had been scooted across the room and up against the far wall. The second thing was that there was a tablecloth spread out on the floor, upon which sat a smiling Doctor and what looked like…

"A picnic?" A grin spread across Rose's face.

"Yep!" The Doctor smiled even wider and patted a place beside him.

Sitting down, Rose flung the afghan she had been carrying up onto the couch and turned back to the spread before her. Surveying the plates, she saw that the Doctor had made them sandwiches, a simple salad, and brought up some fresh fruit. The dome above them was open and through it she could see the darkening sky, streaks of pink and purple lending their color to the fluffy clouds that floated lazily by. A lamp in the corner dimmed low gave off just enough light so that when the sun went down completely, they wouldn't be sitting in total darkness.

"Wow, this is great, Doctor! Thank you!"

"You're welcome, Rose! Now may I interest you in a banana daiquiri?" He held up a pitcher with a mischievous grin.

Laughing, Rose held out her glass to him. "Not trying to liquor me up, now are you?"

With a look of mock outrage, the Doctor scoffed. "What do you take me for, Rose Tyler? I'm too much of a gentleman for that! Besides, I really just wanted to try my hand at making them without the TARDIS. Mind you, that blender of yours is just pitiful, but not to worry… I fixed it!"

Not being able to help the worried glance she threw in the direction of her kitchen, she just sighed and shook her head. She'd worry about that later, she supposed.

They had a lovely dinner, talking and laughing and eating without further thought to the tension that had plagued them both on the ride home. The sky grew darker and as the stars came out, they finished up their meal and stacked everything over by the staircase. The Doctor pulled two throw pillows off the couch and placed them on the floor, laying back and resting his head on one of them. Holding out his hand to Rose, he pulled her down gently next to him and looked up at the stars above them. For a moment, they both remained quiet, content with just listening to each other's breathing as they contemplated the heavens above.

After a while, Rose turned her head to look at him. "So… now that you have almost everything you need for the TARDIS, how long do you think it will be before she's ready?"

The Doctor stayed silent for a few more seconds but then met Rose's gaze.
"Weeell, it's hard to say for certain, but I would venture to guess a year or two, give or take. Like I told you before, there are a few things I'm lacking so that may play a part but the coral will have a lot to do with it as well… how easily she takes to the growth media and how she transitions to absorbing this world's energy to facilitate the process."

"That's… that's not too bad though… I mean, considering, right?"

Nodding, the Doctor looked back up towards the sky. "Yes, considering how long it takes to grow them traditionally, this is a blink of an eye in comparison. Of course I wish she were ready tomorrow, but really I can't complain. We could have just as easily not ended up with a TARDIS to grow at all."

Rose shuttered at the thought and felt a reassuring squeeze of his hand. She felt like kicking herself. As much as it would pain her if they never got to travel amongst the stars again, it was nothing compared to the loss it would have been for him.

Softly, they talked about the places they would want to visit right away, in their first few trips. They contemplated the possible differences that might exist between this universe and their original one and how that might affect their adventures. They even discussed how long it might be before Jackie would allow them to take Tony on trip or two. The Doctor insisted that eight years of age was plenty old but laughing, Rose just shook her head and tried to warn him not to get his hopes up… they would be lucky if they could convince Jackie to let him come before his sixteenth birthday.

After a while, the hard floor began to get uncomfortable and noticing that Rose kept squirming, the Doctor suggested they relocate to the couch. He shifted it back to its place and asked Rose if she wanted to watch a movie. Nodding, she sank down onto the couch and after adjusting the cushions, sighed as she sat back comfortably. The Doctor popped in the first movie his fingers came to and joined her. He threw the afghan over them and she scooted closer to him, waiting for his arm to come up around her shoulder so she could rest her head on him. Smiling, he did so and couldn't help but marvel at how easily they were falling into this routine again. She snaked an arm across his stomach and squeezed him lightly. The Doctor made a happy noise in the back of his throat and Rose giggled quietly to herself.

When the movie ended, the Doctor looked down at her expecting to find her asleep since she had been silent for quite a while now. Instead he was met with her gaze, eyes bright and a slight smile on her face. Pulling away from him, she stretched and gave a great big yawn. She reached for the remote, shut everything off and then turned to fluff one of the throw pillows before lying down. When the Doctor didn't do the same, she looked up at him questioningly.

"You gonna sit up like that all night, Doctor?"

Taking this as an invitation, he smiled shyly and shook his head. Turing away from her for a second, he threw his legs down over the side in order to remove his trainers. He then took off his jacket and tie and unbuttoned the collar of his shirt. The last time they had slept up here had ended up in that accidental intrusion on Rose's thoughts and the awkward conversation that followed. He had thought they would keep to their own beds or the long couch downstairs for a while, so this was somewhat unexpected. Not one to pass up a night with Rose in his arms, the Doctor lay down and squirmed a bit until he got comfortable.

Rose waited until he was done before resuming the position they were in previously, head on his chest and arm around his waist. "This ok?"

"Of course, Rose."

"Good… I mean, I know we said we'd you know, take things slow, and I still stand by that, I do… it's just that now that we can, I don't really feel like spending the night away from you. And this is much more comfortable than the couch downstairs, yeah?"

Taking her hand from his middle, he lifted it to his mouth and placed a kiss on her knuckles. "Yes, definitely more comfortable. And… I'd rather not sleep away from you either," he admitted with a grin.

Wrapping her arm around his waist again, she gave him a tight squeeze and yawned once more. She tilted her face up and gave him a soft kiss on his jaw.

"Good night Doctor."

"Good night, Rose. Sweet dreams," he replied and returned the kiss, placing one lightly on her forehead.

Within minutes, Rose was making the soft snuffly noises that meant she was fast asleep. It took the Doctor a lot longer to follow her, as he lay staring up at the stars wishing he had thought to change out of his suit as well. He had never found them uncomfortable before the metacrisis, but then again he had also never slept with Rose half on top of him either, he thought to himself as she fidgeted a bit and threw one of her legs over both of his. Chuckling quietly, he unbuttoned his sleeves and two more on his shirt as he reminded himself that there were a lot worse things in the universe than being squished to sleep by Rose Tyler.