Tap tap tap! Tap tap tap!

The soft persistent knocking gradually woke the Doctor from his sleep. Blinking open his eyes slowly, he groaned and stretched his stiff limbs. It was still dark outside and glancing over to his alarm clock he saw that it only 1:37 in the morning.

"Who the hell is up at his hour?" he grumbled, rubbing his eyes as he sat up in bed. The knocking grew louder and the Doctor forced himself up. Groggily he shuffled down the hall calling out, "I'm coming, I'm coming. Just hold on a tic."

When he reached the door, the Doctor opened it slowly and peered around the wood. To his surprise he saw a rather dejected looking Rose standing in the hall.

"Rose?" the Doctor stifled a yawn and opened the door fully. "What are you doing here?"

"Couldn't sleep," Rose mumbled.

"Oh," the Doctor sniffed. "Sorry to hear that."

Silence developed between them and Rose started fiddling with the hem of the hoodie she was wearing, looking around but not meeting the Doctor's eyes. He stared at her in confusion for a few moments before it finally dawned on him.

"Oh! Right, sorry," the Doctor scratched his head and moved aside. "Come on in."

"Thanks," Rose gave him a small smile and moved past him. Kicking off her shoes, she headed over to his couch and plopped down on it with a sigh. Closing the door, the Doctor sauntered over to the kitchen.

"You want some tea?" he offered to his friend.

"Sure, that sounds nice," she answered.

After setting the kettle on, the Doctor moved over to the couch and leaned against the backrest. He looked down at his friend and raised a brow at her. She was lying stretched out on the sofa, fiddling with the zipper on her jacket and avoiding his eye contact.

"So what brings you to my humble dwelling at this late hour?" he asked.

Rose shrugged, "Already told you. Couldn't sleep."

"Why?"

"Dunno," Rose sighed. "I'm just… not feeling well."

"You sick?" the Doctor said, reaching a hand down to feel her forehead.

"Not like that," Rose looked up at him finally and pushed his hand away. "If I felt sickly I'd go see an actual doctor."

"Oh, so you need a special type of doctor," the Doctor smiled. "Say, a tall, skinny thing who has experience in carrying for his friends."

"Yeah," Rose returned his smile gently. "And who is available 24/7."

"Hm," the Doctor pretended to ponder this for a bit. "Can't say I know any doctors who are available like that, Rose. Some of them need their beauty sleep."

"Oh," Rose looked away. "Sorry I woke you. And, er, interrupted your 'beauty' sleep."

"You're fine," the Doctor reassured her, reaching down again and brushing a stray hair from her face. "You know my door's open to you anytime."

Rose smiled up at him, "Thanks, Doctor."

The kettle whistled loudly, and the Doctor returned to the kitchen. He prepared their tea making sure to only put two sugars and one cream in Rose's instead of six sugars and three creams like he did with his own. When he finished, he returned to the couch and Rose adjusted her position so she was sitting up more, with her legs tucked under her so the Doctor had a place to sit.

"Ta," she smiled as he handed her cup to her. "Mm, that's good."

The two sipped her tea in a comfortable silence for a few minutes, enjoying the peace. Soon Rose started to move closer to the Doctor until she was leaning against his shoulder. When the Doctor finished his cup, he set it down on the coffee table in front of them.

Turning back to Rose he said, "So, you want to talk about it?"

Rose set her own cup down with a sigh and then returned to lean against the Doctor. He lifted his arm and wrapped it around her, giving her shoulders a reassuring squeeze.

"It's just hours now," Rose murmured. "I've tried not to think about it much, but…"

Rose trailed off and buried her head in the Doctor's shirt, her hands gripping the thin fabric. Hours. It pained the Doctor to think that he only had hours left to be close to Rose, but he couldn't afford to focus on that. Rose's happiness is what mattered, and right now she needed someone to reassure her. Even if that someone needed reassuring on his own.

"Hey, hey," the Doctor turned so he could wrap his arms around her fully. "What's all this? Everything's going to be fine. Okay?"

"But what if it's not?"

"It will be," the Doctor said, pulling back to see her clearly. "Look at me. I know you're scared, and it's okay to be, but everything will be fine. When your countdown ends, you'll meet your soulmate and… and you'll be happy."

The Doctor gave her a warm smile, hiding the dull ache he carried with him. Rose rested her head against his shoulder with a sigh.

"How can this stupid clock know who will make me happy?" she whispered.

"Well, in the olden days before the soul clocks," the Doctor explained, rubbing his friend's back gently. "People would get to know each other, date or court, and then after time, they would have this moment where they'd realize that the person they were with was the person they wanted to spend the rest of their life with. There were no soul clocks to tell them if they were right, no person to confirm what they were feeling, but they just knew. And so, long story short—researchers and scientists basically found a way to harness that feeling an individual has and found a way to predict who their soulmate would be. Instead of having to date uncertainly as to whether or not the person was 'the one,' the soul clocks would count down ten weeks until a person would meet their soulmate…Sorry, rambled a bit there, but does that make sense to you?"

"I don't know," Rose admitted. "Nothing really makes sense to me anymore."

"What'd you mean?"

"I should be happy," Rose whispered. "I should be overjoyed that I'm meeting my so-called soulmate. But I'm not. I don't… I was happy before this. Then my stupid clock had to start and now it feels as if it's just ruling my life. And, and I'm afraid of when it stops. I just… I don't, I don't want this."

The Doctor listened to Rose quietly, stroking her shoulder lightly with his thumb. He could feel Rose shaking as she spoke. Reaching for her hand, the Doctor intertwined their fingers and squeezed her softly.

"No matter what happens," he gave her a small smile. "I'll always be here for you, okay? If something's wrong, or you need something, or just want to talk, I'll always be here for you. Even if everything changes, just know you'll always have me."

A smile crept up on Rose's face slowly and she reached forward to wrap her arms around his neck in a tight hug.

"Thanks, Doctor," she said, pressing a soft kiss to his jaw. The two grew quiet again, changing their positions so that they were both stretched out on the sofa with Rose resting on top of the Doctor. He stroked her hair gently, feeling a wave of exhaustion come over him. He could tell that Rose too was also starting to feel the effects of day. Her breathing had steadied and if not for the soft hums she made every once in a while, he would have thought her already sleeping.

"You getting sleepy?" the Doctor asked.

"Mm, a bit," Rose responded. "I don't want to go back to the dorms though. It's cold outside."

The Doctor chuckled and then offered, "You can stay here tonight, if you want."

"I'd like that," Rose said. "Thanks. And before you suggest it, I'll be sleeping on the couch. Your flat, your bed, you're gonna use it."

"I don't mind the couch, Rose," the Doctor countered. "Besides, you know I don't sleep much anyway, you should get the bed."
"Doctor, we have this little argument whenever I stay over," Rose laughed. "And who always wins?"

"You do."

"That's right."

"But, there's also been instances where you sneak into my bed," the Doctor continued.

"So?" Rose said with a yawn. "Your flat gets cold a lot. I need an extra blanket sometimes, so I just use you."

"Is that the reason? I could turn up the heat if you'd like."

"No, I like sleeping by you," Rose said quietly. "It's… comforting."

The Doctor smiled, "Well in that case perhaps we can just share tonight, eh?"

"Yeah," Rose grinned into his shirt and gave his chest a small squeeze.

The Doctor knew he shouldn't allow himself the comfort of having Rose near him. He should take her back to the dorms, tell her they couldn't act like this anymore. No more extended hugs, no more small kisses to the cheek, no more hand holding—it wasn't right. All those little gestures of affection weren't meant for just friends. Though they never were just friends were they? He liked to think they were something more. But he guessed they never were, or things might have been different. Rose was affectionate with all her friends, he wasn't anything special. Rose didn't love him the same way he cared for her. Why should she? Tomorrow afternoon she was going to meet her love, and everything would change. But maybe, just for tonight, the Doctor could pretend that their different soul clocks didn't exist.

"Doctor," Rose said quietly, breaking through the Doctor's thoughts. "Did you really come to my room the other day just to say you're happy for me?"

When the Doctor didn't respond right away, Rose tilted her head up to look at him, making sure he hadn't fallen asleep.

"No," the Doctor finally murmured.

"Then what was the reason?"

"It's not important right now," the Doctor looked away. "I'll, I'll tell you later."

"Promise?"

"Yeah, sure," the Doctor whispered. "But I am happy for you, Rose."

"Thanks," Rose smiled. She grew quiet once more and a few minutes later her breathing leveled and the Doctor knew she had finally succumbed to sleep. Softly, the Doctor leaned forward and pressed a lingering kiss to the top of her head. Cuddling her gently in his arms he whispered the words he wouldn't allow himself to tell her when she was awake.

"I love you, Rose Tyler."

"Oh, I'm so excited for you!" Martha squealed and gave Rose a tight hug.

"It's gonna be great, Rose," Mickey chimed in. Rose gave them both a smile but the Doctor could tell she was still uncomfortable about the whole thing.

"How much longer you got?" Jack asked as she took a sip of his beer.

"Er," Rose glanced down at her forearm and mumbled, "Bout twenty minutes."

"Twenty minutes until meeting your other half!" Jack cried happily and gave Rose a pat on the back.

The conversation continued in a similar fashion. Jack, Martha, and Mickey kept telling Rose how "exciting" everything was and would ask her various questions, while Rose would mainly keep quiet and give them half-smiles every now and then. They were all clustered around a table at the Noble while the Doctor hung back at the bar. He didn't feel the need to join their fun guessing what Rose's soulmate would be like. Honestly, he just wanted to go home. But he promised Rose he would be there, no matter how miserable he felt.

He would like to say Rose was feeling better about her nervousness, but one look could see how on edge she was. Every few minutes she would check her soul clock and then quickly cover it with her sleeve. She would smile and pretend she was excited but the Doctor knew her too well to be convinced.

"How're you doing, spaceman?" Donna's voice said beside him. Turning the Doctor met her gaze briefly before turning back to look at his friends.

"I'm alright," he sniffed.

"And how's Rose?"

"Nervous," he said. "But doing better."

"Good," Donna nodded and mirrored the Doctor's position, arms crossed while leaning against the counter and watching the conversation across the café. Jack was telling embarrassing stories of some of his mates' countdowns, making the group laugh.

"Rose said you were going to take her to town square," Donna commented.

"Good place to meet soulmates," the Doctor said. "Lots of people."

"Are you going to hang around in her last few minutes?"

"I don't want to," the Doctor sighed. "But Rose wants me there, so I will."

"I'm sorry, Doctor," Donna said quietly and put her hand on his arm. "I wish things could be different."

"Yeah," the Doctor murmured. "Me too."

Across the way, the conversation had switched back to Rose and what the others thought her soulmate would look like. Mickey and Jack were currently arguing on whether or not Rose's soulmate would have dark or light hair. Rose meanwhile had started fiddling with her earring and kept looking around for any possible way of escaping.

The Doctor glanced down at the watch on his wrist. 4:35 blinked up at him. Rose had a little under fifteen minutes now. Sighing quietly the Doctor lifted himself from the bar and headed over to the table.

"Sorry to interrupt, guys," he said as he went over to Rose and put a hand on her shoulder. "But we should get going or you'll miss your soulmate, Rose."

Rose met his gaze with a look of silent thanks at freeing her from the discussion.

"Text us some photos of the new lovebirds will you, Doctor?" Jack smirked.

"Oh no he won't," Rose said as she got up from the table. She gave Jack a small flick to his head and smiled saying, "You're just going to have to wait like everyone else to find out who it is."

"But the Doctor gets to find out first hand!" Jack whined. The Doctor forced himself not to scowl. He'd switch places in a second if Jack really wanted to.

"I'll tell you all about my soulmate after I meet them, okay?" Rose promised with a small smile. Jack frowned but sighed dramatically saying, "Fine. I guess I'll have to sit here for the rest of the day waiting patiently."

"Yeah, you do that," Mickey grinned. "But meanwhile Martha and I are going to continue our search for a nice flat for the two of us."

"How's the search been so far?" the Doctor asked.

"We've found a few good choices," Martha said. "It's all really exciting."

"But don't let them bore you with their home shopping!" Jack interrupted. "Get going Rose! The clock is ticking!"

The Doctor and Rose parted company with their friends shortly after Jack's outburst. They exchanged a few quick goodbyes and then the Doctor took Rose's hand as they walked along the sidewalk, winding their way toward town square. They stayed silent as they walked, with Rose seeming to be in deep thought.

It was a mild weathered day, a bit chilly but not enough to need a huge coat. Rose shivered beside him, however, though not from the cold. She'd been shaking nervously all day. The Doctor knew he should probably say something reassuring to her once more, but he didn't know what else to say. He'd said everything he could to calm her down, and Rose still wasn't any better.

Rose's pace started to slow until she stopped all together. The Doctor glanced ahead and could see the fountain that stood in the middle of the plaza shining clearly. They only had a few blocks to go. Frowning, he turned back to Rose and went over to her.

"Rose? You okay?" he asked with concern, putting his hands on her shoulders.

Rose shook her head and leaned forward so she could wrap her arms around the Doctor's middle. She buried her head in his sternum as the Doctor hugged her gently, giving her hair a pet.

"Hey, what's wrong?" he murmured to her.

"Everything," Rose's voice shook. "I can't do this."

"Yes, you can," the Doctor soothed. "And everything will be brilliant. You'll see."

"How can it be?" Rose pulled back and looked up at him tearfully. "How can you say everything's okay?"

"Because," the Doctor paused and sighed. "You'll be happy…"

"But I am happy," Rose whispered. "I'm happy with, with—I don't need a soulmate. I've, I've already got one and…"

The Doctor felt his heart skip a beat. Unconsciously he tightened his hold on Rose as she stared up at him. Her gaze dropped briefly before meeting his again.

"Doctor, I…" Rose trailed off, and then the Doctor's heart stopped.

Rose kissed him.

The Doctor froze for a split second, a million impulses coursing through him. His head told him he should pull away, that this was wrong. But Rose was moving her mouth against his in such a wonderful way that all his thoughts drifted away. The Doctor brought his hand up to the nape of her neck, his fingers tangling in her soft hair. Rose emitted a small moan as he did causing a shiver to run down the Doctor's spine. Seconds passed and an uneasy feeling started to curl in the Doctor's chest replacing the ecstasy. When Rose began to deepen the kiss the Doctor forced himself to pull away.

"Wait, Rose," the Doctor stepped back, not missing the look of hurt that crossed Rose's face. "We can't do this. I… I can't do this. It's not right."

"Doctor—," Rose's voice cracked and the Doctor shook his head, not meeting her eyes.

"No, Rose, I won't do this to you," he wouldn't let her finish and started to back away. "You need to meet your soulmate, find your other half, and forget about me."

"But I already found my soulmate!" Rose pleaded, going over to him and gripping the lapels of his coat.

"You don't know what you're saying."

"Yes I do!" Rose's voice quivered. "I don't need a stupid clock to tell me who I'm supposed to be with. Doctor I… I love you."

The Doctor felt his heart clench and turned back to look at her, seeing tears in her eyes. He wanted nothing more to return her declaration and kiss her once more. Wordlessly he opened and closed his mouth a few times before forcing out, "You can't."

"What?"

"You can't love me," the Doctor murmured. "You're meant for someone else."

Curling his hand around her wrist, he pushed her sleeve down so he could catch a glimpse at the few numbers left on her arm.

00·00·00·02·15

"Stop saying that!" Rose pulled her hand away and then linked their fingers together. "I'm meant for no one other than who I choose."

"But," the Doctor said. "But I'm a broken soul! I'm meant for no one. I can't, I can't make you happy, Rose."

Rose didn't reply right away and the Doctor closed his eyes. He couldn't do this, he had to get away. In two minutes Rose would meet her soulmate and then she'd understand what she was missing. And he would be worse than before.

The Doctor felt Rose's hand cup his cheek and he opened his eyes to see her smiling up at him.

"You're so stupid," she whispered. "You already make me happy, Doctor. More than anyone in the world. And I love you, so very much."

"How can you?" the Doctor murmured, leaning into her touch.

"Because you make me happy!" Rose giggled through her tears and stroked his face with her thumb. "You're smart, funny, ridiculous and brilliant, and you care about me. I love you, Doctor. Nothing's gonna change that."

"But your soulmate," the Doctor began as he reached up hesitantly to wipe away her tears.

"Is standing right in front of me," Rose finished for him and moved closer so that she could loop her arms around his neck. "You said that people used to have this moment when they'd realize who their other half is, right? Who says my soul clock isn't counting down to that?"

"Oh, Rose," the Doctor whispered into her hair as he hugged her tighter. He didn't know what to do. He couldn't allow himself to believe what Rose was saying… could he?

"I love you," Rose murmured again, pulling back to press her lips to his cheek. "I don't want anyone else."

She continued her trail of kisses down his face until the Doctor couldn't take it anymore. Turning his head he claimed Rose's lips with his forcefully, trapping her against him tightly in his arms. Rose responded earnestly and the Doctor couldn't help but smile against her mouth. He was aware that people were passing them by on the sidewalk and shooting them glares but he didn't care. All that mattered was Rose's fingers digging in his hair and her lips against his. They didn't part until the need for air became pressing. The Doctor pulled back briefly to inhale before moving back to pepper Rose's jaw with firm kisses and trail down her neck.

"Doctor," Rose giggled, giving his hair a tug. "People are starting to stare."

"Don't care," he mumbled against her skin.

"Oh!" Rose gasped and pulled away. "Wait, wait, look!"

With a large smile she showed him her exposed forearm. Dull black zeros were imprinted on her skin—her countdown had finally ended. The Doctor glanced around them to see if anyone was approaching her. When no one caught his eye he turned back to Rose with a growing smile on his face.

"Rose Tyler," he grinned.

"Told you," she beamed.

With a laugh he seized her in his arms again, spinning her around gleefully. Rose giggled and clung to him tightly pressing her face into his shoulder with a smile. When he set her down gently, the Doctor leaned forward to rest his forehead against hers.

"Thank you," he murmured, bringing his hand up to caress her cheek. "I love you, Rose Tyler."

"Mm, I know," Rose smiled and gave him a quick peck to his lips. "You told me last night."

The Doctor's eyes widened and he said, "I thought you were asleep."

"I was," Rose rubbed her fingers against the small hairs on the back of his neck. "But then somebody moved a bit and I woke up to a kiss and an 'I love you.'"

"You should have told me you were awake," the Doctor said.

"I thought about it," Rose replied. "But part of me thought I might have been dreaming and didn't want to wake up."

The Doctor smiled and leaned forward to seal their lips together once more. After they parted he asked, "So what now?"

"Well I promised mum I'd text her a picture of my soulmate after I met him," Rose made a face and continued. "Oh she's not going to be happy about his. She was expecting someone younger and a bit more handsome."

"Oi!" the Doctor scoffed.

"I'm just teasing," Rose giggled. "Anyways, I think, we should just take the day off. Have a night on the town, get some chips, and then go back to your flat for the rest of the evening. How's that sound?"

"Absolutely fantastic," the Doctor smiled and leaned in share a tender kiss with his newfound soulmate.