The Doctor, slightly elated at not losing her quite so suddenly, picked up the keys of the black SUV he'd rented for the last six months, having fooled the leasing company into seeing his driving licence and remembering Rose's comments about him driving a scooter in the 1950's but he considered himself experienced enough to safely drive the roads of 2005.

Rose had gone back into her mother's living room, picking up her jacket.

"Where are you off to madam?"

"I'm going home Mum, I've got nothing here anyway, I'll be back in the morning with my things, then I'll bring John's things over, he's not got that much, he'll have packed most of it."

"Should you be on your own tonight?"

"I'll be fine Mum, honestly. I'll see ya in the morning, yeah?" she asked, picking up her old keys.

"Are you ok with him going off?"

"It's not forever Mum, he'll be back like no time's passed at all."

Little did her mother know but she'd been seeing some form of him the next day. Rose was down the stairs and out into the courtyard, making sure Mickey wasn't still hanging around but he'd be off sulking somewhere that he'd been summoned under false pretences by her mother, as if he could help but she'd already promised the Doctor she'd put up with him, she needed his help to make it all happen.

She went out onto the main road, where the Doctor was waiting for her just past the crossing.

"Hello love, are you really ok?"

She kissed his cheek, then he checked the road and turned the car around.

"Yeah, just a bit shaken. You could have given me a bit more warning ya know? Those dummies were after me."

"I know love and I'm really sorry."

"How did you know I was there?"

The Doctor thought about it. "I just did, be grateful eh? If I hadn't come across you, you'd have been stuck there but knowing you, you'd have got away in time."

"I must have been lucky you were there then, though I'd never have thought about pulling its arm off as it attacked me."

The Doctor smiled and pulled into their street. Once in their flat, he turned to give her a hug.

"I love you Rose," he whispered, then kissed her.

"I love you too Doctor, your other self isn't that bad, a bit rough around the edges but I could tell he was part of you."

"Really?" he smiled, observing her. "Which part? It wasn't my charm, I had none back then and I apologise for what's about to happen tomorrow but it will all work out, you just have to be strong, can you do that, for me?"

Rose managed a nod as she leaned into his chest, reassuring herself he still had two hearts. They had a quick bite to eat, then he wanted to have a serious talk, one he shouldn't really be having but the rules were meant to be broken, he'd already done that numerous times before.

"About my helping with this Rose, maybe I can do it through you, tell you what to do?"

"Don't want to meet your past self?" Rose asked, studying him.

"It's just I don't think it's a good idea, two of us being there, considering I did it on my own last time, with just your help."

"Ok, tell me what to do then?"

The Doctor outlined a few things, such as what was controlling the dummies and where the transmitter was being hidden.

Rose laughed. "You mean you didn't see it?"

"Stop laughing Rose, don't you see? You're much too clever for me. That was one of the reasons I went back for you, well that and the fact you save me in the end but I can't tell you how you do that, you'll just have to put some of your many talents to use."

"What talents? I've not even got a job now, I had to tell mum you'd keep sending me money and why she's not asked why I'm not keeping the flat, I don't know. How do I get Mickey involved?"

"Oh, don't worry about that Rose, he'll already be annoyed that you ditched him for me and then I'm leaving you, asking him to watch out for you. I bet he's on his computer right now, looking me up but, well I shouldn't tell you this but you should look me up as well. Go round to Mickey's tomorrow and ask to use his laptop, then get him to take you to see someone."

He was glad he'd got her to tell him what had happened.

"What if I get the wrong person?"

"You won't, trust me. The other me will come looking for the arm in the morning, you'll have to leave here early, you have to be there love."

"I know but it's not gonna be easy, pretending he's not you. When it's over, how do I tell him though?"

"Well maybe I can make it a bit easier for you? When Mickey's gone home, I'll be waiting where the Tardis lands but whatever you do, don't let the other me go off right away or it will be too late but he should ask you a few things first, then you tell him there's something you have to do before you go and I'll take over."

"What if he throws me out, tells me I've told someone else about him when I should have kept quiet?"

"He'll be curious but I don't know how he'll react, I've not done that bit before. Oh, hang on, I should know. No, yes, I should know but I don't because it's not happened yet."

"Doctor, what are going on about?"

"Nothing, sorry. It's a paradox Rose, an endless paradox that will never be solved. Well it might be, eventually but never mind. I get to have one more night with you, my love, that's enough, isn't it?"

He pulled her close and lay her back against the sofa cushions, putting his hand up the front of her t-shirt.

"It's just not fair Doctor, only having one more night together, then I have to watch you step inside what you call the Tardis and he comes back, without you."

"Oh Rose, I wish there was another way but there isn't, you have to live through this."

"Yeah, you take the high road and I take the low road and you'll be in 2007 before me," Rose smiled, holding his hand on her stomach and pressing it into her, his fingers sprawling out.

"I love you Rose, I swear that will never, ever change, no matter how many times I regenerate after this but I can say this, when you meet me again and I'm not quite me, I may say some things you won't want to hear and maybe, just maybe, that will be your chance, to get me to believe we had something already."

"Yeah? What can you possibly say to me that will upset me?"

"I can't tell you that but instead of getting angry and upset, grab hold of me and kiss me eh, even if Mickey the idiot is with you. Then I'll have to believe you."

"You said before that I can't tell the you I just met, about, well you and I being together. Why not?"

"We had nothing romantic going on, we were just best friends and that can't change Rose, please, don't try and change it but at the end, I'll know and you can tell me, when I've regenerated or maybe just before, how you feel about me and that we had something. The me you've just met is angry with everything, not just you and you make me better, that's what you do, Rose Tyler."

"Hang on though, I'm a bit confused."

"That's only natural Rose but it will all work out, I promise. You and I are just about to begin an adventure together and these last six months, well you gave me something more that I could ever have expected, you treated me like a normal human male and it's the best experience of my life. Remember I told you about going back to 1913 and didn't know who I was?"

Rose nodded, touching his cheek.

"Well, I thought I could never have a life like that for real but I have, with you. Fancy an early night?"

He got up and took her hand, kissing the back of it.

"Carry me to the bedroom?" Rose asked.

"That will be my pleasure love. Oh, there's a few other things I can warn you about that won't make much difference to how things took place."

"Doctor?"

"Yes my love?" he asked as he kicked the bedroom door to and then placed her on the bed they'd share for almost six months.

"Shut up."

"Yes Ma'am."

Satisfied it would give them both something to remember if that was the last night they spent together, for a while anyway, the Doctor put his arm under Rose and held her tightly.

"Rose, there are going to be a lot of situations where you could get a little jealous, both before and after I change into this version of me."

"Oh, you mean like the girls at work pointing and giggling towards you?"

"Well yeah and maybe a bit more? Rose, things can slightly deviate to what I remember happening, very tiny, little things that will make me happy, knowing they'd been changed because when I get back to 2007, I'm letting Martha go, it's not fair on her."

"You did nothing to encourage her, it was her own fault," Rose assured him, kissing his bare chest. "You told her straight out you weren't looking to replace me and she chose to ignore it. What did she expect?"

"Well she mentioned something about 'rebound' when I took her somewhere I'd taken you."

Rose nudged him. "Well in that case, maybe you deserved it?"

Then he heard her giggle. "That's not funny Rose, shame she wasn't a bit more like Donna?"

"You might meet her again, she sounds like fun? Doctor, why are you telling me all this? As compensation for me not being there?"

"Don't make it sound like that Rose. The circumstances under which we part are beyond both of our control, neither of us wanted it and I've been honest with you, there are going to be times when we think we've lost each other and we come through it but the final time, well that's it, no escape and you have to face it, just as I had to and trust me, both my hearts were broken."

"I know, you've already told me. So, this is our last night, like this?"

"For a while at least. Rose, you know I'd tell you more, if I could? I've risked a lot, telling you all this but you can make a choice. You can live through it or I can have the other me take it all away so you don't remember."

Rose sat up suddenly.

"What? That's so unfair to even ask me, how could you? Don't come out with any excuses it will be easier on me. I'm the one that has to explain to my mother that the man I met tonight was you, just a different you and you already told me, it changes a few things when you do come back."

"Shush, don't get upset Rose, I was just giving you the option, blimey."

Rose settled down again. "Let's not fight on our last night Doctor?"

"No, no fighting, definitely no fighting. You know that this might also change my future? Maybe I'm meant to carry on travelling with Martha a bit longer and it changes her destiny?"

"Well you can't have it both ways Doctor, you said you had to put a stop to her advances. Why did you never let anyone get close to you?"

"Oh Rose, you'll find out, soon enough. It was sometimes a case of anyone wanting to get close to me, you as always were that exception."

"I should feel honoured then?" Rose yawned, knowing this was the very last time they'd be like this for some considerable time.

"Oh no Rose, it's I who am honoured you chose to stay with me when I did regenerate, I don't keep a lot of friendships over more than one and when I do, they leave in the end though you and maybe one or two others didn't go without a fight."

"Doctor, please tell me why I leave you?"

"Rose, it would break your single heart if I did and you wouldn't enjoy all the things you're about to experience."

"You think I'm gonna enjoy the ones without this you being there? I can see I'm gonna have my work cut out."

The Doctor chuckled. "Oh don't worry, we'll keep each other on our toes."

"Yeah? Well I hope you know what you're in for, I mean the other you or should I say the other you and the other this you?"

"Rose, a bloke could have an identity crisis. There never were two versions of this me before I came here, maybe that's why I didn't know anything when I came here? What do you think? Maybe one day though we can look back on this? Maybe one day I'll split myself in two, then we'll be in trouble? Rose?"

He knew she'd fallen asleep. They'd spent many nights this time around with her falling asleep, he reckoned it was just his voice because she'd done pretty much the same in the Tardis when they'd stayed up talking or he'd read to her. This time, he didn't want her to go to sleep because there would be none of this when he went back but just exactly what would he be returning to?