A/N: Hey ya'll! I'm not getting much response from this story so please let me know what you think. :) I know it hasn't quite picked up yet but it's a comin'!

The Doctor went straight into action. "Now, we're looking for evidence, anything that might be out of place, even just the tiniest bit. Could be a busted clock, open jewelry box, footprint…"

Rose's keen eyes searched the room in one wide swoop while the Doctor rambled on. This was all starting to become much more familiar now; solving mysteries and stopping aliens.

The buzzing of the sonic screwdriver interrupted Rose's thoughts. She looked over to see the Doctor turning the head of the sonic screwdriver, turning it on, and waving it in every direction.

"Oooh…" he murmured as he paused in the direction of the bed. He stepped forward slowly, the sonic sounding more high-pitched with each step the Doctor took.

"Whatcha got?" asked Rose, following right behind him.

"Shhh shhh shhh!" He tiptoed forward until the sound of the sonic grew almost unbearable.

Reaching out, the Doctor plucked something invisible from on top of the made bed. He shut off the sonic and pocketed it, staring at whatever he had between his fingertips.

Rose leaned forward, squinting. "What is it?"

He turned his hand so that the light hit it right, and Rose could see a single strand of short, straight, brown hair in the Doctor's grasp.

"This is good!" He grinned, staring at the hair. "Oh, this is very good! They were careful, the kidnappers, but not careful enough." He turned the strand in the light. "Just left one tiny thing behind."

"Is that human hair?"

"Don't know. Plenty of hair looks like it's human. We'll have to go back to the TARDIS and scan it." He carefully slipped the hair into his jacket pocket and spun in a full circle. "Right. Any more evidence? Clues? Anything?"

"I'll look." Rose started on one side of the room and the Doctor started on the other, scouring anything and everything. However, there wasn't much to look through. The furniture was minimal, and there weren't keepsakes of any kind. The room looked as if it was meant for a guest rather than someone who lived there every day.

"Queen didn't have much stuff, did she?" Rose asked as she put all the pillows back as they had been on the bed. "I guess the Vespiforms are all very…basic."

"Practical," the Doctor sighed, setting a corner of the rug back on the floor. "Practical is the right word. They're not creative, not sentimental, just practical."

Rose sat down on the edge of the bed, watching as the Doctor outlined the rug with his sonic. "Makes everything a bit dull, doesn't it?"

"Well, for a human, yeah." He squinted at the floor, and Rose made a mental note that she needed to get him glasses like he had in the other universe. "Oh yes, they were very good," he mumbled to himself. He ran a hand through his hair and buzzed his lips as he put away the sonic screwdriver once more.

Rose smiled at him, realizing then just how much she had missed this and wondering why she could have ever driven him away. This was the Doctor, the man who saved whole planets and civilizations and by some miracle chose her to come with him.

It was in that moment Rose finally knew that this was where she was meant to be. Wherever the Doctor was, it was home. This was the same man she had run away with all those years ago, just half-human especially for her. Her Doctor.

"What are you doing that for?"

Rose's smile grew at her sudden revelation but she looked all around her, wondering what the Doctor meant. "Doing what?"

He strode across the room to stand in front of her, his eyebrows furrowed as he held out his hand to her. "Smiling. It's really distracting when I'm trying to solve a kidnapping."

Rose raised her eyebrows at him and grinned wider than ever. "Then stop lookin'." She placed her hand in his.

"Not as easy as it sounds, you know." He tightened his grip on her and pulled her off of the bed. "Anyone could see your smile from-"

But he stopped talking as Rose wrapped her arms around him. It was all she had wanted to do after her earlier reflection on how perfect this life was.

"All right, then…" He slowly returned the embrace. "Did I do something right?"

Rose retreated and held onto his arms, which were still around her waist. She shook her head a little, focusing on his tie rather than his face. "I was just thinkin' about you, and I…" His eyes were soft and curious when she met his gaze. "I'm glad I'm here with you."

He grinned that beautiful, disarming smile that would melt anyone's heart. Leaning his head forward, he tapped her nose with his finger. "The feeling is mutual, Rose Tyler." He looked at her for a few more seconds, just gazing at her in something like wonder. "But there's time for that," he said finally, sliding his hand into hers. "Right now we have to find ourselves a kidnapper." He pulled her toward the door, but it opened of its own accord when they were still several steps away.

Three Vespiforms walked into the room carrying various objects of what Rose assumed was cleaning supplies. Their visors were down, and the leader had an angry look in his eyes.

"What did you do to bewitch my guards?"