Disclaimer: Do I really have to keep reminding everyone?

A/N: I guess "End of Time" wasn't done with me, so, just in case, ***WARNING: SPOILERS*** for EoT. Set in Pete's world after JE, Rose/10.5. Set parallel to EoT, pun intended, thank you very much. Now oblige me again and, below, begin to engage in the activity of using your eyeballs to look at the pretty letters, otherwise and commonly known as reading.

Remembering

Rose stood outside, arms crossed tightly across her chest against the cold. She was craning her neck to look up at the sky. She wasn't looking for anything in particular. She was just…gazing. The stars. The moon. They were all beautiful to her. And she should know. She'd seen them up close and personal. The thought made her sigh. Her breath came out in a visible white puff. Snow layered the ground around her and the house standing behind her. Her house. Theirs actually. But she was the only one there to enjoy it. Right then, anyway. And there wasn't much to enjoy when she was alone.

But she wasn't complaining. Not really. She just missed him whenever they were apart. She couldn't help it really. They'd been apart so long that missing him had become a habit. Now that she had him back (forever), she was trying to break that habit. But his being so wonderful made it all the harder.

She heard familiar footsteps suddenly. She didn't turn, but a smile grew on her lips. He cleared his throat. She had to give in. So she did, and her smile miraculously grew at the sight of him. He was grinning too.

"Sorry. I just wanted to see you." He spoke from a few yards away, hands buried in his coat. "That first glimpse always blows me away."

Her throat tightened. She was at a loss for words anyway. She licked her chapped lips and regained her composure. "Happy New Years." She smiled almost shyly. Their first holiday together. In the parallel universe at least.

He chuckled, shaking his head. "Happy New Years."

A shudder passed through her. "Déjà vu." She murmured.

His brow furrowed. "What's that?"

She shook her head, frowning. "It's like…It's like we've done this before. Just like this. Wait." She held a hand out when he moved to step forward. He froze. She took the scene around her in intensely, then shut her eyes tightly and her fingers at her temples. "I've been here before." She murmured to herself. "Or somewhere like it. You were there. And I was here. And it was New Year's."

He scratched the back of his neck. "It's just a feeling though…déjà vu. Could have been a dream."

"You're going to have a great year." She recited.

"What?"

"You said…you told me that…on New Year's. Or he did…someone."

"That's impossible," the Doctor reasoned. "We've never spent a New Year's together before. Not on Earth anyway."

Rose's eyes opened with a gasp. "The year we met. 2005. You came to me. And you…you were watching me from the shadows. And you were…hurt." Her smile faded. "Why were you hurt?"

He was in front of her now, his hands sliding up her arms comfortingly. "Rose, I don't know what you're talking about. I never went back then."

"No but you did. After you'd changed. And I thought you'd been drinking and I said happy New Year's…It was before I met you, and you asked me what year…it was you, wasn't it?" She was confused now.

But realization was dawning in his yes. He murmured in a low tone now. "Why did you think I was drunk?"

Her eyes searched his face for an answer. She replied slowly. "I only noticed you…him...because it was like…you sounded hurt. And when I looked…it was like…you were in pain."

"I was saying goodbye." He realized, closing his eyes.

"What?" Rose asked urgently. "What are you talkin' about, Doctor?"

"He, I mean. He was saying goodbye."

A beat passed and then tears filled her eyes as the truth dawned on her as well now. "It wasn't you." She breathed.

"It wasn't me." He confirmed. He leaned down to rest his forehead against hers as she closed her eyes to tears.

"He said goodbye," she whispered, a tiny smile taking place on her lips. "Will he be okay?" She asked suddenly, looking up into his eyes.

"Always." He smiled.

This chappie is dedicated to the ever lovely Francesca Montag, who just in case you didn't know has a new story up called "When You Can" that you must read...when you can (hehe, I'm on a roll tonight)...because it is…simply amazing. Thanks also to all my loyal readers: over 300 reviews and 50 favorites and alerts; you guys are awesome and the reason that wonderful things exist. Like chocolate, for example.