-1Disclaimer: I own nothing but my feeble dreams of owning it.

Note Hi! First chapter of a new story so I'm happy. Oh, and anyone whose waiting on a new chapter in the master and the doctor, it's coming to me in drips and drabs. I know I've left the Doctor and Rose in a bit of a funny place, but I'm trying. Anyways, this story is an AU of post journeys end. Rose is travelling with the Doctor, but a familiar face (to the Doctor) threatens to split them up….Dun dun duuuuuun.

Chapter 1

The Doctor handed Rose her tea and reclined on the battered sofa next to her. She murmured her thanks and curled up beside him, lifting his arm to wrap it around herself. He grinned as she inhaled it's scent and then sipped it idly. He mimicked her all the while gazing at her from the corner of his eye. Just three weeks ago they had defeated the Daleks and Davros. Three weeks since Rose had made a tearful farewell to Jackie and sent her love to Pete and Tony. Just three weeks since Donna…He shook his head of the thought and concentrated on what was here in front of him. He had everything he could ever wish for, his TARDIS and Rose. That was it. All he wanted. Apart from Gallifrey, but there was no point in wishing for that back. It was a lost cause. He had seen it go up in flames, he made it go up in flames. No room for ifs or maybes. Rose broke his train of thought as she rubbed her cheek against the soft material of his lapels.

"Penny for them?" She whispered. The Doctor furrowed his forehead and looked down at her.

"For what?"

"Your thoughts." She giggled. The Doctor if anything looked even more confused.

"Why would you offer someone a penny for their thoughts? Why not just ask them? There's no point in paying for their thoughts, even if it is a penny. Even an extremely dull one, you know those pennies that have absolutely no shine at all? You know what, to tell you the truth I haven't even really seen a shiny penny lately. All I seem to get is those ones that are starting to go green around the edges. And, here's the tip of the iceberg Rose, I got one, it actually had fungi on it. Fungi, Rose. Your country can certainly afford to make new ones, but no, they insist on giving out non-shiny pennies. When I get change from buying us chips, and I'm choosing to ignore that snort young lady, they always decide to give me those horrible manky pennies back. I'm not happy about that Rose. Not happy at all." Rose smirked as he took a long draught of his tea and squeezed his eyes shut.

"Nice tea?" She grinned.

"Mmmhmmm." Rose tried not to laugh as he sounded somewhat strained.

"Burn your tongue?" She whispered.

"Mmmmm." He nodded. The Doctor exhaled loudly and shook his head.

"God that hurt. My tongue feels odd now."

"Then maybe that will teach you to keep it inside your mouth."

"What's that supposed to mean!?" He cried indignantly, eyeing Rose as she shrugged nonchalantly.

"You just seem to have a fetish for, I dunno, licking things."

"What's wrong with that!?" He cried.

"Nothing! Nothing. It just seems to me that not everything needs to be licked."

"And I lick everything?" He said sceptically.

"Yes." Rose persisted.

"I've never licked you." The Doctor said quietly, his tone dropping an notch.

"Yeah." If the Doctor didn't now any better he would have thought that she sounded mildly disappointed with that revelation. And that she suddenly seemed very busy with drinking her tea. But the truth of the matter was, he did know better. He leant back, unable to keep the smirk from creeping it's way onto his face.

"Han on, you said something about my thoughts?" He remembered. He watched as the imaginary light bulb pinged itself on over her head.

"Yeah, I was basically asking about what you were thinking." Rose beamed.

"I don't remember." She watched as his face set into a look of confusion. She felt something inside her flutter at the sight, and she suddenly felt rather hot.

Ever since she had come back, they had carried on as normal. Even better than normal, they were a hell of a lot closer, a lot more touching involved. But not quite enough. Rose made a snap decision there and then, deciding that if she didn't say this now, she never would. Rose snuggled closer and set both of their mugs down onto the floor.

"Doctor. I know that I've said what I'm gonna say before, and you most probably haven't forgotten. I hope you haven't forgotten." The Doctor gave her a heart melting smile.

"I would never forget anything important that you have to say to me." Rose smiled shyly back at him before she cleared her throat.

"Remember when I go trapped on that parallel universe for the first time?" The Doctor's eyes darkened for a moment as he nodded at her.

"Do you remember our goodbye on the beach? And the last thing I said to you?" She whispered. The Doctor's eyes focused on his converse as he slowly nodded.

"Well?" Rose prompted.

"Well what?" The Doctor muttered back. Rose threw her hands up in the air.

"Well, what do you think of that. Of what I said?" The Doctor looked up into her eyes and fixed her with a piercing gaze.

"What do you want me to say Rose?"

"What you feel!" This was not how she imagined the conversation going. When the Doctor still seemed intent on looking at his converse she took his hands in hers.

"Doctor, I've been back for three weeks now. Three…wonderful weeks. And you know what made them so wonderful?" The Doctor shrugged and mumbled something in her general direction.

"It's you Doctor. Not the TARDIS, though God knows that I love her. Not the travelling, not anything else. Just you." She felt lighter all of a sudden when he offered her a small smile.

"And on that beach, I told you that…I love you. That still counts today. I still love you. I mean, God knows why, but I do. I shouldn't. My mum's told me that I shouldn't, me and Mickey had a full out argument about it. But I do love you. I choose you over my mum didn't I? Over my family. That's gotta

count for something hasn't it? …Doctor you're gonna have to help me out here and say something. This isn't going to work if I'm doing all the talking." Rose finished quietly. The Doctor exhaled a couple of times before nodding.

"It does count." He murmured. Rose looked at him quizzically.

"Leaving your family behind. It counts for everything." Rose grinned at him.

"You don't have to sound so upset when you say that. I choose you, and I always will. Doctor I'd die for you! I love you so much! And I must sound like a typical teenage girl, blabbing on about her crush but that's how you make me feel. And I need to know how you feel about me…" Rose looked at the Doctor expectantly and he frowned as he tried to force the words out.

"The way I feel about you, it's a bit, well, very…compli-" The Doctor stopped as a loud thump echoed throughout the ship.

"In think we've landed!" He cried as he grabbed his coat off the coral shaped support column. He paused at the door as he realised that Rose wasn't following him.

"Are you…you coming?" He said to her shyly. Rose bobbed her head and put on a fake smile that the Doctor could see straight through.

"Rose?" He sighed.

"Yes?" She whirled around eagerly. The Doctor was caught out when he realised he didn't exactly have anything to say. So instead he took her hand and lead a very frustrated Rose outside.