It was another, damn pretty boy.

Was that why Rose had asked to return to the asteroid market that she and he had visited when it was still just the two of them? After the bloody knob that got a door in his head and before the walking innuendo boarded his ship.

He relented, even though he really didn't want to, and when the TARDIS put up a mild complaint he thought that maybe he would have an out. But she landed, the mutinous thing, and Rose was out the door faster than he thought possible.

Rose had wandered off, as per usual. He'd managed to get a glimpse of her talking to a native, smiling and with a familiarity that made a green eyed thing in him rear up. He only looked away long enough to snap at some merchant trying to sell him something that looked like coffee but smelled like cinnamon, and she was gone.

So was the guy she was talking to.

The Doctor went off in search of his blonde companion while ignoring the fact that Jack was also loose on the asteroid. He didn't care about what he got up to, or who he flirted with. He could get himself arrested for inappropriate mentioning of trousers for all he cared. The Doctor's concern was for one human, and one human only.

Weaving his way through the crowd and trying to remember more of the alien bloke that he'd spotted Rose with (aside from humanoid, bright yellow eyes, smiles too much), he caught a glimpse of bright, red hair.

Human, easily. And one human was bound to have noticed another. Trailing her as she shopped, he glanced around in hopes of catching a flash of blonde. He'd had no luck by the time he was beside the red-haired human woman.

When she turned her head toward him, the Doctor flashed her a smile in return to her weary one. Her clothes were from Earth, twenty-first century. Early twenty-first century. She was probably in her thirties or forties from what he could guess, and there was something in her green-blue eyes that spoke of a kindness and wisdom that most of the stupid apes couldn't hope for.

"Hello," He said.

"Hello," She replied, polite but with an edge to it that he couldn't quite place.

He watched as she perused the local tea selection. So she spoke English, but she didn't seem to have an issue with reading the native language. But she dressed in clothes from Rose's time. That could only mean …

"Don't get the pear one," He told who he suspected was a future companion. "It's disgusting. And while you're at it, don't get the sugar cane. My friend got it last time we were here, and it was terrible. Tasted nothing like sugar at all."

He remembered Rose's enthusiasm. She liked to tease him that he took his tea quite sweet, and that the tea should satisfy that sweet tooth of his. It hadn't, and no amount of actual sugar could make it palatable.

His hearts ached with the reality that precious moments like that with Rose were slipping away from him. She'd been traveling with him for about a year, now, and was nearly caught up to the calendar age Jackie would know her to be. But how much longer would she want to hang around with an old man like him? What if she decides to go back to Rickey sooner than he would like. Which, if would admit at least to himself, would be never.

"You haven't seen her, but the way, have you?" He asked, realizing now the red head had said something and he didn't catch what it was at all. Or even cared what she had said. "She's about your height, blonde, hazel eyes, human."

"Sounds like my friend Rose." She replied with an absent-minded smile as she selected a tea and paid for it.

It felt as though his hearts stopped for a moment. Her friend Rose? As in Rose Tyler? His Rose? He wanted to ask, but wasn't sure he should. Future knowledge was dangerous, and he'd have to forget, but still. She knew Rose.

Something dangerously like hope settled in the Doctor's soul even as the mysterious woman wandered off, perhaps after a future version of the very woman he sought out. A part of him wanted to follow after her and try to catch a glimpse, just to be sure, even as an echo in his mind reassured him that his hope was valid.

"An' you tell me not to wander off." Rose's voice startled him out of his ponder, and he whipped his head around to look down at her.

She was exactly as he'd last seen her. Her hair in braided pigtails, pink hooded jumper still zipped over the white shirt exactly the way it was when she left the TARDIS. Her nylons didn't have a single snag that he could tell, and while he still felt her denim skit was a touch small, it wasn't any more frayed than before. Rose Tyler was in perfect condition from when she left.

"Where'd you take off to, then?" He asked, folding his armed over his chest and looking down his nose at her. It was then he noticed two bags in her hand. They were made from the local vegetation, and were similar in appearance to those paper bags with handles on earth. One, he noted, was filled with something bright and colorful that looked suspiciously like yarn. The other he couldn't tell what was in it.

"Lennious, one of the local blokes? His husband Attaran is a sorta candy maker. Last time we were here they had these gorgeous little truffle things. Only had a couple at the time, enough for me to sample. Anyway, taste like the best banana cream pie I've ever had with just a little chocolate. Well, not really chocolate, I suppose, but still. Lennious promised next time I came by they'd have some for me. Attaran spotted me as we were coming off the TARDIS and I had to get some for ya. Sorta missed our own private anniversary of traveling together, so…."

Rose sheepishly handed him the less empty looking bag, and he peered inside.

Beneath a clear, possible glass like cover were a half a dozen beautiful little truffles. He knew by the weight and size of the bag that the box was like a tower in design, and that likely cost a significant amount of credits. It hardly mattered that he had access to unlimited currency, the fact that Rose had thought to get him a gift, a nice one a that, warmed him in a way had him grinning whether he wanted to or not.

"So what's that, then?" He asked in an effort to distract from his heated cheeks.

"Oh!" Rose snapped out of some sort of revere that he hadn't really noted she'd fallen into, and reached into the other bag. He was certain the length of yarn was never going to end for a moment before she revealed a scarf nearly as long as to rival his old one. "Isn't it brilliant?" She asked with that tongue touched grin that had his smile stretching. Lately that smile had been only for him, Rose pulling the collar of her shirt or hiding it behind her hands if anyone else dared to drag it out of her. "Thought it might be a bit long at first, but then I thought 'whatever'. Might come in handy if I'm some place super cold. Oh! Like Woman Wept. Think we can go back? Might be able to play in the snow bit longer now."

"Dressed like that?" The Doctor teased, taking the scarf and wrapping it around Rose's neck a couple times. His fingers lingered along the lengths left hanging before he realized what he was doing. Taking his hands back as if they burned, he stuffed them in his pockets and turned away, looking off in the direction the red head had left in. "Gotta refuel before we go anywhere."

"Refuel? Seriously?" Rose question, looking suspicious.

"Yeah. Know just the place, too. Good ol' Cardiff. The rift that the Gelth opened's the perfect fuel. Can even pop into your time, if you'd like. Takes time to top up."

"Yeah?" Rose asked. "Maybe I can phone Mickey, see if he'd wanna come say hi. He'd need an excuse to go out that way, though. Suppose I could tell him to bring my passport …." She trailed off.

He ignored the jolt of pain to his hearts at her musings, not wanting to confess that green eyed monster that came out when she took off with the chocolate making native was re-emerging. So she wanted to phone Rickey the idiot? So what? He was human, she was human. He supposed she might still consider him her boyfriend, though he was sure they broke up before Adam was dragged on board.

"Don't need a passport." The Doctor said gruffly, turning to head back toward the TARDIS.

Rose's hand fell into his, fitting just right, and she leaned against him.

"Never know with you." She teased, and his jealousy eased a bit against his will. "Might land us in a year that all travelers need one. Can't always use the psychic paper, ya know."

"Hasn't failed yet." He retorted, cringing the moment the words left his mouth.

Rose giggled, "Famous last words, though." And then she wrapped her other hand around his arm, practically hugging herself to him. "Come on, let's go find Jack and get us back to the TARDIS."

He didn't argue, though it was tempting to shrug it off and stay a while longer where e could pretend she was entirely his.

As they made it to the town square, he spotted the red head sitting on the lip of the fountain. And there, beside her, was Rose.

She looked toughened but still just as beautiful, a touch more mature though no older. Before either Rose could notice one another, the older one stood up, phone to her ear and hurrying the red head along. He watched where she went, catching a glimpse of blue in the opposite direction of where he had parked his wonderful time machine.

He looked down at her, a bit of awe stirring within as she chewed her lip and glanced about, likely looking for Jack.

She stays. He wasn't sure for how long, but he knew that she wasn't about to hop off the TARDIS anytime soon. It would hurt, he knew, if Rickey decided to come over to see her. He knew that for a while her attention would diverted, like when Jack came aboard. But she wouldn't leave him, she wouldn't opt to stay behind in Cardiff.

He noted a pretty boy from another planet eying her over, and the Doctor pulled her closer.

Even if she was just a brief flicker in his long life, she was a light he sorely needed and would be heard pressed to let go of. She was his, and would be for a while yet.

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