A/N: Happy (belated) Father's Day!

Disclaimer: Don't own Doctor Who, Hallmark, etc.

He's Been Thinking (About Her)

He won't resort to cheesy Hallmark cards, Rassilon no. It's just…

They're on Earth, London. The Doctor seems to find himself here more and more often. In truth, he doesn't mind. It's nice; people walking past them, no second glance, nothing to differentiate them from the crowds.

(Except for that blue box on the street corner, the one that holds more than just an inside.)

Rose is pointing around; he'd almost think he'd brought her some brilliant planet. The Earth is brilliant, but he could take to her some many new places...

He could take her to the planet where the ice is purple and the sky is golden. Trpyiowr, he thinks it's called. The Doctor can just imagine her laughing from the sheer beauty.

Except that wouldn't be the landscape, not really. It would be her, bright smile and eyes, laughing even if sky almost blinded them.

She has to put up with him, you know. All that danger and running, death more often than anyone else has seen—except for him, but who's going to be his protector?

She already is, a little voice in the back of his head whispers. The Doctor shakes his head, prompting a teasing question about fleas, which is when he scowls and looks around the street.

He knows the universe isn't all good; more than anyone else thank you very much. But it's also wonderful, and she too knows the wonderful, like those days when they do nothing but lie down in a field of soft wheat somewhere, or look up at the stars.

He loves those days.

Of course, they do manage to break a law, or get captured by carnivorous sheep (a story for another time) … but who really cares?

The Doctor even loves this, walking around a bustling city while Rose shops for her mum.

And as he walks around, enormous grin stuck on his face, he can't help but feel like he should give her something in return. Maybe it's silly, but she would have never have gotten into this life if it wasn't for him.

Without thinking, he turns to her and asks, "What do you want?"

Rose turns to him. "Well, we need to get more mil—"

"Not that," he interrupts a bit impatiently, though suddenly he feels embarrassed. "I mean..." Okay, definitely embarrassed.

"What?" she asks now, intrigued.

"You know," he waves his hand about and hopes he isn't blushing.

(She thinks it's charming that he's flushed.)

"What?" Rose repeats, raising an eyebrow.

Maybe it's the eyebrow (it gives her a puzzling air), but more likely he's just a coward. The Doctor mumbles, "Nothing," and sufficiently distracts her with the errands they have to do. He isn't called the Doctor for nothing.

But the thoughts won't leave his head. He wants to get her something—to show her, despite all destruction, there's still beauty. But more than that really, he wants to show her how much he appreciates her, how much he needs her.

But he doesn't really think any gift can do that.

And as they pass a card store, he knows a Hallmark card is something he's certainly not getting her. Because though the cards that say I love you may apply to them, the thought of—

No. Not, not finishing that sentence, he thinks firmly. No, nope, nada.

Rose squeals as the Doctor claps his hands over her eyes.

"What are you doing?" she asks, half laughter.

"Shhh," he mutters in response, keeping his hands on her, but leading her somehow throughout the TARDIS.

"Where did you take us now?"

"Rose Tyler," he says, stern voice infused with happiness.

She sighs and mumbles, "Infuriating man—Time Lord."

His laugher rumbles, and she can feel it through her skin. The door of the TARDIS creaks open, and he helps her step out. She still can't see anything, but she can feel plenty.

The air is fresh, a cool breeze that just mildly reminds her of sharp mint toothpaste. Somehow she feels more refreshed already. The ground is slippery, slick like… ice?

It's easy to lose balance, and so somehow she finds herself leaning comfortably against the Doctor, his hands still on her face. There is some sort of light creeping through the gaps between his fingers though that makes her incredibly curious.

"Can I look now?" she asks impatiently, masking her excitement.

He draws his hands away, and finally Rose can see where he has brought her.

She's standing on ice—not just plain ice, but purple ice. The light that shines down has its shades changing indefinitely; violet, periwinkle, magenta, deep purple… And the ice is in all forms, frozen sculptures, half completed. Waves, twisting spirals, it goes on and on.

And when she looks up, she almost buckles, and the Doctor slips his arms around her, sort of hugging her, only she's not facing him, but staring at the sky.

(He wants to hug her.)

They sky is golden. Pure golden, with strands of orange-yellow running through, like strange whispers of clouds.

The golden sky prompts a small memory, a dream of a dream, where her thoughts stream into blue eyes, golden threads, I create myself, and ow—gold—ow—Doctor—my head.

Rose shakes the strange thought—event?—off, and turns to him, smiling so much he feels better just looking at her.

"It's beautiful!" she gushes, and he's so glad he brought her here.

Because she's shining more than the landscape, and this, this is so much better than a rubbish card anyway.

She walks up to one piece of ice and trails a finger over it. Suddenly she laughs and twirls.

"Beautiful!" Rose repeats.

The Doctor grins and wiggles the fingers of his hand. She slips her hand into his familiar one, and now they are hugging—hugging and laughing, and she's thanking him, not just for this, but everything.

He waves it off with his other hand—because he's not going to let her go even for a second—and hugs her again, wishing that here, just right now, purple ice and everything, he could kiss her.

You know, just a peck or something.

Or maybe—

That's when the officials show up. They look something like humanoid zebras, but start lecturing, something about this being an official planet park, with visitors only sanctioned by Prince Blaercvro.

That's when they tune them out, and the Doctor looks down at Rose. She's trying desperately to hold in her laughter, grasping his coat in her hands and hiding her face.

He grins widely.

And then they start running.

A/N: Just a little something that popped into my head when I passed a Hallmark store.

School is driving me nuts, and this gets the insanity out. :D Hopefully. It's almost over though... *grins evilly*

Reviews will be adored... ;)