A/N: I am so sorry for the delay! There's no excuse for it, especially as this scene is such a continuation of the last. Sorry!

"Why were you crying?" he asked gently, wiping another tear from her face. He had assumed she was crying because of him. Because he was less than the man she wanted. Less than the Time Lord she deserved. But the way she looked at him, even this assurance in his own failure waivered.

Rose looked away at his question. She chewed her lip for a moment, considering what she should say as she backed up through the open door, inviting the Doctor in, and sat down on the edge of her bed. The blinds were open, unlike in the Doctor's room, and he could see the stars. Even though they were new stars and held countless mysteries he paid them little heed now, waiting instead upon Rose's word.

"I was just…" She sighed heavily and looked to her hands in her lap. "I'm scared for him: For the Doctor." She looked up. She could read the pain in his face as he looked to the feet and the dark floor. "It's not you, Doctor," she reached forward and grabbed his hand, drawing his eyes back up to her own. "I'm happy you're here. I want you here. I need you. It's just…" She sighed again.

Just as he was about to interrupt her with an 'I know-', she surprised him again. Her voice lowed to an even lower whisper as she sniffed, "Who's gonna hold his hand now?" Her tears return in a heavy rain.

The Doctor's brow knotted as he gently sat down on the bed next to her, still holding her hands warmly in his own. "What?" He asked softly, inclining towards her to hear her whisper.

Rose rubbed her wet nose and tried to speak up. "He said… He said you needed me."

"I do." The Doctor assured earnestly.

Rose nodded, "He said it was very him…"

The Doctor finally understood why she was upset. "Yes…" He said "It is." Before he could say anything else, Rose spoke again in the halting, gasping voice that accompanies grief.

"I just… I don't want him to be alone. And… And I was so concerned about me – about us – that… I didn't even think! I mean..."

"Oh Rose…" She was in his arms in an instant, with a flood of snot and tears now pressed to his best blue suit, and his lips once more pressed to her brow. "My sweet, brilliant Rose."

It would be just like Rose to worry so much more about him, even if it was the other him, than about her own happiness. Even after her entire life had been turned upside down and she had been left by the man she loved on Bad Wolf Bay again with the looming question of what would become of her future, still, what brought her to tears was the thought of him being alone. She was, indeed, the Rose Tyler he knew and loved. Compassionate enough for both of them and loving enough to teach him how to love.

"He's not alone." The Doctor tried to assure her, running his hand through her hair and trying to free it from the sticky face of the girl in his arms. "He's got Donna, he's-"

"For how long?" She asked, more sharply than she meant. The Doctor sighed, and she could feel it in her entire being.

He did not know how much she knew – perhaps she even knew how the Doctor might have to leave Donna. After all, the Bad Wolf had nearly killed her, and forced him to regenerate. But no matter what, they both knew that Donna could never stay forever. Just the same way Rose could not. The other him was still a Time Lord, and whatever Donna was now she was still very much a human. The Doctor did not have an answer this time. "Will he be alright, Doctor?" Rose asked at last, hugging him tighter, her fingers finding firm purchase in the thick blue fabric that clad his shoulders.

The Doctor did not answer right away. It was practically him that they were both talking about, but even he could not imagine what the other Doctor was going through. He did not want to imagine it. But he knew himself well enough. After nine hundred years of losing the ones he loved and watching them all move on, he knew how to handle it. He knew how to move on. When he had lost Rose he had done his very best to continue living as she would have him live, and the Doctor was sure that he would do it again.

"Yes." He said at last with some confidence. "He'll be alright. He's got the TARDIS, and... He's got you."

"What?" Rose pressed back to look at him, confusion filling her puffy eyes. She gripped him even tighter, hoping that he was not about to suggest that either of them leave the other and go back.

"His memory of you." The Doctor clarified at once. "Just being around you, Rose, it's done him so much good. And now, knowing that you're safe and…and loved." A small smile came upon his face as he tucked a stray lock beck behind her ear. "You've given him hope, Rose Tyler. Hope that not every story has to end badly." Rose nodded, but still seemed unconvinced. "We talked, you know. Before… Well before we came here. Before he landed us on the beach. Me and him talked. He told me that whatever happened I should live for him, and I should make you happy. Those were his only instructions. He said that as long as you were happy, then he'd be alright. 'Cause he'd know that just this once, he did something right."

"Doctor-"

"I told him that he has to do the same. He has to live for me and he has to make you happy." The Doctor continued. "The first time, when I lost you," His grip on her tightened unwittingly "I tried to tell myself that: I had to live how you'd want me to. You'd done so much for me, Rose Tyler, and I couldn't waist it. I told him, before he left, not to waist it. I told him to make us proud – you and me."

The Doctor soon found himself in Rose's arms again. They came this time to wrap about his neck as Rose buried her face once more, crying against him as he hugged her to himself. "Thank you." Rose whispered through her tears. The Doctor merely hugged her tighter.

"He'll find someone, Rose. He won't be alone. Even if he regenerates, I know he'll find someone. Someone like Donna, maybe, or – or someone like Sarah Jane even. I know he won't ever forget you, but he won't be alone. The TARDIS will take care of him. She always does. And so will you." He pressed a kiss to her cheek as he, too, buried his face in her arms.

For the next several minutes they sat together, holding each other in companionable silence. The Doctor gently stroked Rose's hair and rubbed her back, nuzzling his head beside hers. Tears fell freely, but together they kept up hope. Hope in each other, and in the Doctor.

At long last, after crying her fill, after finding hope once more, and after nearly falling asleep in the heaven that was the Doctor's embrace, Rose sniffed one last time and whispered the only grief she had left. "I never got to say goodbye…"

The Doctor pulled away from their embrace at last. Sitting up straight, he took her shoulders in his hands and looked her straight in the eyes. "Then that's what we'll do." He said, sounding as if he was ready to make a solemn vow. "We'll find a way to say goodbye." He then reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out the last present that the Doctor had given them: 'Chunk of TARDIS' he had called it. It was a chunk of hope. "I don't know how long it will take for this little chunk to grow" he said, "But we'll have a TARDIS – you and me. And we'll see the stars. Somehow, someday, we'll figure out how to send the Doctor a message. We're practical experts on the subject, aren't we?" He did his best to make her smile, to make her laugh. He adored her laugh. "We'll give him our best wishes and tell him a proper goodbye. How's that sound?"

Rose nodded, sniffing and giving him a little smile as he placed the piece of TARDIS coral in her hands, grasping them tightly in her lap with a reassuring squeeze, holding the piece of hope between them. He lifted his left hand to stroke his thumb gently over her damp cheek as she sighed, letting out a breath that she did not even know she had been holding. He could practically feel the stress and worry that she had born for so long melting away as she leaned against his hand, finally relaxing.

"How 'bout you get some sleep, hmm?" He asked after a moment, and Rose opened her eyes to meet his. "I can go start working on this, start writing up some plans." He took the piece of TARDIS back into his hand and started to stand up.

"No." Rose said. It was not a request, it was a command. She did not release his hand, and a moment later he was sitting back down. "Stay?" She said. This time it was a request, shy and uncertain, as she took both of his hands in both of hers again. She could not quite explain, but the thought of being away from him, of being alone again in the dark room, just did not seem right.

He did not respond straight off, but from the look in his eye she felt the need to defend her argument anyway. "You need sleep, Doctor." It was her turn to bring her hand to his face and rub gentle little circles on his cheek. "Just the same as me." She smiled. "You've had a busy first day"

The Doctor nodded, but looked down. He had forgotten again. Forgotten that he was different. Normally when he regenerated there was such a change that he could never forget. But now, all he wanted to do was prove that he hadn't changed at all. He did not know the extent of the biological differences, but Rose was right, he needed sleep. Just like a human.

"Hey." Her voice pulled him from his thoughts and drew his eyes back up to hers. As if she could read his mind and knew all of his doubts and fears - that he was less than the man he had been – he was surprised to hear her whisper "I'm sorry too."

The Doctor's head shot up, his eye narrowed in confusion as they locked onto hers, but before he could protest she continued, "About what I said earlier – that you weren't him." She gripped his hand tightly. "I was wrong." She said. He nodded. "I mean it." Rose insisted, pressing her hand more firmly against his cheek. "You're the Doctor – My Doctor. Don't ever let me or anyone say otherwise, okay?" A small smile came to the Doctor's face as he nodded once more. "You know how I know?" The Doctor raised an eyebrow and Rose almost giggled. "Only the Doctor would be silly enough to think I wanted him gone – or caring enough to offer it." She leaned forward to hugged him once more. This time there were no tears. They both smiled and held each other as they used to after every adventure. "I love you." She whispered into his ear. She could feel him smile against her.

"I love you too." He said as he pulled away, but not completely, coming to rest his forehead against hers, brushing his nose against hers.

"So you'll stay?" Rose backed up a little to see his full reaction.

"I'll stay." He smiled even wider. "I promised."

"Good!" Rose cheered. A moment later she had bounded over the bed and flipped on the reading lamp mounted by its headboard. The Doctor blinked for a moment in the sudden light, as Rose shoved over the covers on her side of the still made bed and climbed under them. The Doctor laughed and stood to do the same to the other side. Having no luggage, neither of them had proper nightclothes. Rose still wore her dark jeans and light pink t-shirt. She had removed her jacket, and now the Doctor did the same, tossing his now soggy blue suit jacket away and climbing into bed. He placed the chunk of TARDIS carefully on the bedside table, and Rose flipped off the light.

The Doctor soon found himself snuggled next to Rose, her back to him, with his right arm a pillow under both his head and hers and his other arm wrapped about her. Her hand lay over his, hugging it to herself and holding his hand where it draped over her stomach. Her other arm curled under her head by his where their fingers entwined. She did not know it was possible to hold both of his hands while falling asleep, but she also did not know it was possible to be this entirely comfortable. She leaned back onto him, their deep, restful breaths matching the same soothing rhythm as, for the first time, their heartbeats did too.

"Goodnight, Rose." The Doctor sighed happily as he settled against her. When she first invited him to stay the thought flashed through his mind that he did not know how such proximity to the woman he loved would affect his new human body, but no matter his concerns this peaceful embrace felt nothing but right. He knew he would have no trouble getting to sleep now. "I know this isn't what you expected when you came to find me…" he continued "And I know this is gonna be hard, waiting for the TARDIS and all, but… We're gonna be alright, yeah?"

He felt Rose rub her head against his arm and tighten her grip on his left hand. "Doctor?" She answered. "We're gonna be fantastic." He tightened his grip around her, hugging her to himself. "Goodnight, Doctor." She said. "We should be in London by morning."

"We can get fish and chips." He said sleepily.

"Yeah." He felt her laugh against him. "Our third first date."