"So you lived another life?"

I paused on the landing looking where the Doctor leaned casually against the console.

"If you lived another life, what brought you to this one?" He leaned forward, his gaze intent and curious.

"I suppose that's a bit of a long story." I walked up to where he stood, only to lean on the console beside him and gaze at the engines. "A bit unbelievable too."

"I have time."

I glanced at him from the corner of my eye, "My consciousness was placed into the blank slate that was this timeline's infant Rose Tyler."

I felt every movement of the Doctor. He shifted and my breath caught in my throat.

He spoke in an undertone.

"Where did your consciousness come from?"

I took a breath. "I came from a different dimension altogether." I turned and walked around the console. Out of the corner of my eye I saw as the doctor tensed as I walked away.

"You said you were placed? By who?"

I pursed my lips and looked down at the controls. "I don't know their name. They are beings who travel through dimensions."

"Starling." His voice was low and his gaze was intent. The kind of look I'd seen before, a searching look. As if he were trying to find out all my secrets with one look. "The name that's followed you. Will you connect the dots for me?"

I let out a sigh. I knew I was being too coy. I needed to face my fears and tell him. Coming around to stand before him, I rocked back on my heels before lifting my gaze to his.

"It is what I am. A being infused with starlight, it's in my consciousness and in my very DNA." I lifted my hand and offered it to him. "Come, I'll make you dinner as I explain."

He slipped his hand in mine, holding it tightly as he pulled me to his side, slipping his arm around my waist. It was reassuring he wasn't turning away just yet.

When we were in the kitchen, we fell into a companionship lull as we began preparing ingredients.

"A Starling exists when the race picks a dimension and timeline; and a person integral to the dimension. In a fresh timeline, the consciousness is then downloaded into the blank slate. An infant is yet to have a consciousness, so the Starling will not go mad." I paused, swallowing nervously, "Many Rose Tylers have lived in previous timelines."

"But you are the first that is a Starling."

I nodded.

"I still am Rose Tyler, but locked away in my mind is a life lived before I was a Starling."

Between the sounds of dicing, silence reigned.

"There's more. How did you survive absorbing the time vortex?"

I sucked in my breath before letting it out. I set down the knife in my hand and turned to the Doctor.

"Each Starling is bestowed with a gift. Something the race themselves possessed in some form. I asked for Time."

The Doctor gasped, "But that's impossible."

"Depending on the dimension, a gift would manifest in different ways. I was told I'd receive my full inheritance later. It wasn't until the Bad Wolf event that I was given access to my previous memories. I'd have feelings or little hints. I could hear the song of time whenever a TARDIS was nearby," I gestured around us, "I could hear individual songs for different people interwoven with Time's song, but I didn't know what it all meant."

I glanced at the Doctor. His brows were furrowed but his gaze hadn't left mine.

"I may not be a Time Lord but I will not die anytime soon. My longevity is pretty limitless. I will always look just about 25." I resisted the urge to nibble on my lip. "When I told you I'd make sure you'd never be alone again, I wasn't making a false promise. You never will have to worry about losing me due to old age. In fact I've noticed my body is pretty durable. I think it would take something cataclysmic to kill me." Any further words stopped as I saw tears fall down the Doctor's cheeks.

He reached out and held my arms.

"Rose I..." his head fell against my shoulder, his shoulders shook as long sobs echoed through his being.

I enveloped him in my arms, my fingers running through his hair. After my Doctor's sobs settled, I slipped my hand around his waist, kissed his forehead and whispered, "Blanket fort?"

—

Tucked into the nest beneath our blanket fort, we turned toward each other and gazed into each other's eyes.

Something shifted in the Doctor's eyes, something steadfast and reassuring. He wasn't going to reject me, he never would reject me.

"I l..."

"I lo..."

Both our cheeks were painted in dusty rose.

The Doctor chuckled before kissing my forehead. "I love you, Rose Tyler."

He kissed my cheeks, "I love every person you ever were and will be."

I didn't realize I was crying until he cupped my cheeks and kissed away the tears.

"I love you," I whispered, "so very much, my Doctor."

The Doctor smiled, his forehead against mine before he sat back just a bit and looked down upon my lips.

We both moved at the same time, our lips brushing against each other before deepening.

Our lips only parted to speak of our love again.