Rose woke up the next morning with the sun shining brightly through the crack in the curtains. The height of the sun told her it was at least 10 o'clock. A glance at her phone confirmed it. She also saw two unread text messages:

Unread Message 1

Tony: Can you get me a limited edition Man U football? Miles says they are only selling them at the gift shop of the National Football Museum. Thx, sis!

Unread Message 2

Jason: Hope you slept well. Meet me at noon at the Gallery Café on Oxford Rd. Looking forward to seeing you.

Rose responded to Tony with "I'll see what I can do." And an eye-rolling emoji.

Then she responded to Jason with a simple "Me too."

She had plenty of time to make tea in her hotel room mini-bar before hopping in the shower to get ready for the day. It wasn't until she was finishing the last of her lukewarm tea when she realized that this was the first time she'd made herself tea since the accident. She had switched to coffee because the tea never quite tasted right without John there. But ever since her tea the morning of the storm when she first met Jason, tea had returned to her daily ritual and she smiled at the thought.

Rose was out the door of her hotel an hour later, wearing a casual outfit and comfortable walking shoes. The clouds seemed to be teasing the sun, so she brought along an umbrella just in case, not that she would mind another run to the sanctuary of Jason's flat. She nearly left the umbrella behind at the thought, but decided against it.

She arrived at the café just after noon and spotted Jason immediately. He was in his trademark dark denims, a blue jumper that mimicked the color of his eyes, and his supple leather coat. His face lit up with a genuine smile from ear-to-ear. He had a bit of stubble on his face, evidence that perhaps he'd had difficulty sleeping last night and woke up too late to shave before his lab.

His grin didn't fade as he wiggled his fingers in a wave and said "Hello."

"Hi."

"I thought we might start with lunch here and then tour the Whitworth Art Gallery. You didn't mention it yesterday, so I'm hoping you haven't already seen it?"

Rose smiled, noting that Jason had remembered which galleries she had said she visited the day before. "You're right; I didn't make it over to this one."

"Fantastic!" Jason exclaimed. "After the gallery, and assuming the rain doesn't wash us out, we can tour the rest of the University. Just wait until you see the library!" Jason was bouncing on his toes now. Rose wondered if he'd have the patience to sit through the meal and the tour of the art gallery.

They ate their meal quickly while Jason rambled on about this morning's lab and all the parts of the University he wanted to show Rose. After touring the collection at the Whitworth, they walked the campus, with Jason pointing out the buildings, expounding on the history and architecture of each one.

It was getting late and Jason wanted to make one more stop to show Rose the impressive John Rylands library, especially the cathedral-like space of the reading room. When they walked in, Rose's breath was taken away by the sight and the smell of the books. Immediately she felt like she was back on the TARDIS, exploring the stacks of the library. She meandered along the aisles, wanting to run her fingers along the spines of the books encased in glass. She decided that this was her favorite spot on the campus.

"This is gorgeous!" Rose exclaimed quietly (she was in a library, after all). She grinned at Jason, "Thanks for saving the best for last."

"Well, Rose Tyler, this isn't the last spot, but definitely the best. I need to run back by my office to get a few things and on the way, we can figure out what we want to do next. Sound good?"

"Sounds great," Rose replied, anxious to see Jason's office and what secrets it might reveal about the man and his history.

They walked the short distance to Jason's office. He waved hello a couple of fellow professors, but didn't stop to talk. Jason's office was as chaotic as his reading nook at his flat. But unlike the rest of his flat, this one at least appeared to be lived-in. Rose even noted a pillow and blanket in the corner. She smiled imaging Jason falling asleep in his office after a late night of working, much like the Doctor had done on more than one occasion under the TARDIS console.

Jason collected his messenger bag and added some papers and books to it. Once he slung it over his shoulder, he invited Rose back to his flat for dinner.

"I'd love that," Rose responded. Just as they were exiting campus, the rain began to fall and Rose pulled her umbrella out. It was a small one, but they didn't seem to mind sharing. Jason moved his bag to the other side of his body so that he could put his arm around Rose and hold the umbrella over them both as they walked the few blocks to Jason's flat.

"How do you feel about shrimp tacos?" Jason asked as they entered his flat a few minutes later.

"Sounds exotic," Rose answered.

"It's a favorite of mine and the shrimp looked good at the market yesterday. It's a quick meal to make." He explained. Rose sat down at the kitchen table to watch Jason work. He set the shrimp to marinade in some Mexican spices and began thinly slicing purple cabbage. He also pulled out some flour tortillas and set them in the oven to warm up. As he grilled the shrimp on an indoor grill, Rose couldn't help but be mesmerized by his gracefulness and fluidity in the kitchen. It wasn't long before they were sitting down to dinner with shrimp tacos, rice, and black beans.

Rose took a bite and couldn't help the moan that escaped her mouth. The salty spice from the shrimp with the crisp cabbage and creamy jalapeno sauce drizzled over the top was a taste combination she had never had before and her taste buds couldn't wait for the next bite.

Jason glanced at her with a smug look, "good?" he inquired.

"Amazin'," Rose responded.

"I tried this dish a few years ago on a trip to Mexico. The seafood in the Yucatan is so fresh there. All we need is a margarita and this meal would be an exact replica." Jason continued.

After dinner, Rose offered to do the dishes, but Jason shooed her out of the kitchen. He assigned her with the task of refilling their wine glasses and finding something to watch on the telly. Jason joined her on the sofa a few minutes later.

"Couldn't find anything to watch?" Jason asked when he saw the television was off.

"Nope," Rose replied. "I don't watch much TV, so I wouldn't be able to follow any of the shows right now."

"How about a movie?" Jason offered. Rose hesitated to answer, more interested in spending time with Jason rather than watching a movie that she knew she wouldn't be able to pay any attention to.

"Ummm….." Rose wasn't sure how to proceed or whether she should. She and the Doctor had always just enjoyed each other's company – chatting or reading to each other. "Maybe we could just talk some more. If that's okay…"

"Fine with me. Got an endless gob, me." Jason smiled. "Let me just put on some quiet music." Jason plugged his phone into his stereo and the sounds of 1920s-1930s jazz and swing music. Jason settled on the sofa, sitting so that he could face Rose. "What would you like to talk about?"

"Tell me more about your adventures. I haven't traveled much that wasn't work related; maybe I can live vicariously through you."

Jason proceeded to tell Rose about his trip to Mexico, studying Aztec and Mayan history. He then talked about visits to various parts of Europe for physics conferences, and a trip to New York representing the University at a sciences symposium. They laughed at his adventures (often misadventures) where he would end up on the wrong train or in the wrong place at the wrong time. Rose told Jason a bit about some of her Torchwood missions, at least the ones that weren't classified or too gruesome to relive. As the evening moved to night, there was a break in the conversation. The familiar sounds of Glenn Miller's Moonlight Serenade filled the air. Jason stood and offered a hand to Rose, "May I have this dance?"

Rose smiled at Jason, taking his hand and letting him guide her over to the open floor near the fireplace. Jason held Rose's hand in his and placed his other hand at her waist, keeping a chaste distance between them. As they swayed gently to the music, the dancers slowed closed the distance separating them. Rose rested her head on Jason's chest and Jason nuzzled his cheek against the side of her head and moved the hand at her waist around to the small of her back. Rose heard him breathe deeply into her hair.

The song ended and they continued swaying in their embrace, seemingly oblivious to the change in music. Eventually, they separated slightly, keeping their hips pressed together and their legs intertwined, allowing them to look into each other's eyes. Jason brushed his thumb over the skin of her hand he was holding, steeling himself as if he needed to confess something. "Rose," he said breathlessly. "I hope I don't scare you off by saying this. I know it's only been a few days since we first met, but I find myself utterly distracted by you. I've never felt as close and comfortable with someone before, much less someone I've only just met. It's as if we were destined to find each other. And I find that when we are together, it's getting harder to let you go at the end of the day."

"Then don't," Rose answered. Rose knew, logically, that she shouldn't go on. She would never move this fast with any other man; Jake's voice in her head told her this was a bad idea. But everything within her heart said to keep going. "Don't let me go."

Jason stared into her eyes and Rose saw happiness in those icy blue depths. Happiness and something else even more powerful. She saw hope. Jason reached his other hand from her back up to cup Rose's cheek as he continued to gaze into her eyes. Rose nuzzled her cheek into his palm, and when she looked back at Jason, he closed the distance between them and kissed her. The kiss was gentle at first, tentative like he was waiting for Rose to respond. Rose leaned in further, adding to the pressure on their lips and after a moment of hesitant lips moving over each other, Rose parted her lips to run her tongue along his lower lip. Jason immediately responded. He opened his mouth and their tongues met, just as lightening crashed outside and the power went off inside Jason's flat. The thunder jolted them apart and they gazed at each other another moment before realizing that the flat was dark, save the light streaming in the window from the street light outside.

"Stay here," Jason said as he released her. Rose's body protested the loss of his warmth. She couldn't see where he was going, but soon heard the sound of a match striking and the living room was illuminated by the flame. Jason lit a few candles and set them on the coffee table. He then went over to the fireplace and started a fire. Rose returned to the sofa and couldn't help but relax in the flickering light of the candles and fireplace, despite the rapid beating of her heart. She tried to stifle a yawn, but Jason saw her.

"It's late and you should get some sleep. This rain may last a while. Why don't you take my bed and I'll just sit out here and read for a bit. I'll wake you when the rain stops and I can drive you back to the hotel." Jason reached for a book that sat on the coffee table, a collection of Charles Dickens short stories. He moved a few candles to the table next to the sofa nearest his seat to give him enough light to read by.

"How about you read to me instead?" Rose suggested.

"Alright," Jason smiled and opened the book to one of his favorites. Rose snuggled next to Jason as he began reading. Within minutes, Rose was asleep.