Author's Note: This story turned out absolutely beautifully and I even tried to do a dialog heavy thing towards the end; which I tend to avoid since I find it awkward. I'm proud of this because, if for nothing else, I tried something new. I hope you've enjoyed and will leave a review of my works. I've been working on this idea for a story about Rose and the Tenth Doctor next. Hope you'll all join me for that adventure as well!

The Doctor had looked even more frustrated at her words, obviously in a hurry to get them away from here, but Rose was prepared to stand her ground on this. She would need the capability to get a job upon returning again and if she just left without word she wouldn't be able to do so without moving. Moving was not something that Rose wanted to do when she already left home to come back to London.

Everything was confusing and she hated even thinking about it. The Doctor let her down none the less, and took her hand immediately. Like losing contact was not an option at this point. Rose wondered if she had just agreed to go away with him; if he would have set her down at all or simply carried her to the Tardis.

Holding hands with him felt familiar in a comforting way and strange at the same time, as it had been so long since they had done so. He tugged restlessly at her hand and led her to the Tardis despite everything Rose had told him; but to be truthful she hadn't expected anything different. He was an inpatient man and walking a long ways with nothing exciting happening wasn't on his list of things he did, ever. Then again, things like coming back for her was something that she had also thought would be on that list. Perhaps there was more to the Doctor then she was giving him credit for. A man like him deserved all the credit in the universe and Rose wanted to believe he was above such things like stereotypes. He could do what he wanted, shocking her with ease because maybe today he just woke up and decided to check up on the Earth. Maybe that's how he found out she was in some kind of trouble.

He was coming back to save her even now; even after she had left him and crawled away to start life again on a rock that she would never be able to call home anymore. Like he cared after she singlehandedly destroyed everything they had between them. She didn't deserve this kind of thing; didn't deserve the kindness or the hand clenching at her own.

The Tardis shook lightly as he brought her to her place of employment; Rose wasn't sure how he even knew where it was. It looked seedy even from the outside, and Rose flushed from the embarrassment. She wondered if he had secretly been there when she was working, or if the Tardis had been keeping an eye on her. She wasn't even sure which of those sounded worse to her. Either would show that she had made a mistake in leaving because she was still loved. It was hard to think about with wanting to cry.

Rose felt like she was on autopilot as she was out of the Tardis and meeting with the sketchy owner of the small club to tell him she wasn't going to be coming back. He had always been to touchy-feely for her to be comfortable around him; and she was grateful when the Doctor followed her into the establishment. It was aggressive of him to knock away an angry wondering hand away from her backside, and Rose could just picture how this looked with him pushed up suddenly against her back. Like he was protecting her from a predator of some kind, and not the man whom had been nice enough to employ her. It didn't really matter he if was a drunk with groping hands; she had needed this job and he had hired her with barely a question about it.

The poor owner looked quite alarmed when he had been hit and Rose watched as he stumbled back when realizing he was on the receiving end of a powerful and dangerous looking glare. Rose bit down on her lip harshly; this is not how she wanted things to go. So what if the owner was a bit drunk looking, balding and didn't smell the best; he had given her a chance when she really needed one. Now he was being attacked by an angered Time Lord. He didn't deserve this and Rose felt embarrassed to even be put in this situation.

"Look Jerry, I'm sorry about him. He's rude on the best of days and don't mind the glare, he needs glasses and won't get them. Poor darling can barely see." Rose tried her hardest to bull her way out of the situation while placing a hand on the Doctor's chest, symbolically holding him back. She could practically hear him growl, and was slightly distracted by the feeling of two hearts beating strong under the heat of her palm. Rose didn't even know why he was acting so hostile; but at the same time was beginning to wonder if Jerry was some kind of dangerous alien. He seemed too pathetic to her to be any kind of danger.

"Any, I'm grateful for the work but now that um, John is back I'm leaving to travel with him again." The Doctor seemed happier, or maybe smug after that last sentence, but Rose decided to ignore it. She wasn't exactly sure how much longer he could be in here without exploding from the sheer impatience of it anyway; this probably counted as something domestic in his mind.

"I didn't want to leave suddenly without saying anything, and just wanted to say that I really appreciated being hired. Thank you." Rose practically had to shout out over her shoulder as the Doctor took to forcefully steering her away from the other man and out of the seedy club. The expression on his face was a hard one, and Rose puzzled about it until the Tardis doors were closed behind her. Like he was angry about her gratitude.

He sent the Tardis hurling into the void of space without another word to her, and she took in his graceful dance around the controls with a lump in her throat. Rose hadn't thought that she would ever get to see him like this again when she had stepped off. It remind quiet as the Doctor neared her again; his large hand coming up to brush a straying hair back behind her ear. "You shouldn't have had to be grateful for a dead-end and perverted job Rose, you deserve so much better than that." He looked sincere enough to make Rose's heart pound harshly in her chest. Though, if Rose was going to be truthful, than she still felt like slapping him for that out of nowhere comment. He didn't have the right to say such things when he had practically chased her out in the first place.

"I do though, was the only place I could get a job after disappearing for so long." Rose wanted him to understand so badly; she was practically begging for it. The Doctor picked up on her desperation, but being the old alien he was didn't really get her meaning. Rose knew that understanding small human plights often escaped him, but this time it seemed like the most frustrating thing in the world. She stepped away from him, inching away to have her own space and look him in the eyes. It was time to know what was really going on. The Doctor beat to speaking though, and in that moment she was glad he did. She would have spoiled the moment by asking questions. "You have me to provide for you Rose, you don't need a job and you certainly don't need to settle for such seeding bottom-pickings." The Doctor growled.

Rose shivered as she realized that he somehow had his arms on either side of her, trapping her to the console. She hadn't even noticed him moving; had barely even registered her own back touching the wall of machinery. Another thing she had apparently never noticed was the height difference between the two of them. Or maybe it had never mattered before he had decided to cage her in and loom over her to watch her pitiful reaction. Rose could only hope that he wasn't trying to play some kind of trick on her, because that seemed far too cruel in her eyes. Then again, rejection of flowers probably deserved some kind of retribution.

Rose didn't answer him, as though strong arms were having an unforeseen effect on her brain; like possibly melting it out though her ears. The Doctor didn't seem to mind the silence, leaning down and touching their foreheads together while just watching her. It was tender and uncomfortable all at once, Rose tried squirming to relieve the tension, but the move was ineffective in the ways she had pictured it being. She absolutely hadn't pictured him groaning against her and shuffling closer, so there was absolutely no room between the two of them. His forehead was no longer touching hers, but the Doctor simply replaced it with his lips.

There was no way that he couldn't feel her heart trying the violently bounce its way out of her chest, but Rose was already too confused to be embarrassed about that as well. Thoughts seemed to just be racing for her; what happened to the danger, was the Doctor alright, why would he say things like he would provide for her? Her mind was just about spinning from all the unsaid and unspoken possibilities. She stayed quiet about them for another few minutes, as too not destroy the moment.

Her poor head was starting to spin, nothing made sense anymore. This was the Doctor and not only had he come back and taken her away from a bad job, but was now initiating intimate contact with her. She felt like some kind of princess being knocked off her feet, hoping to fall into the arms of a hero or prince. That would certainly freak the Doctor if she said it aloud to him. Or, maybe not with the way he suddenly ducked down and pressed those lips to hers.

Rose couldn't think of a time in her life where her eyes had physically tried to pop out of her head before that moment. She twisted her head away as soon as she could and bit harshly on her lip. This is not how she pictured today happening, and it especially hadn't ended with a kiss in her mind. A kiss where she was caged in by his leather clad figure, strong and slightly cool against her. Safe and sound, with the man whom had opened up her world to include an entire universe to explore.

He tensed when she turned away, but refused to move away from her, and she noted he didn't even bother to give her any space. Whatever was happening at this moment, was certainly not okay with her; and also starting to hurt her brain. What about the danger that had been lurking, because they apparently weren't moving fast and doing anything to prevent an attack? As much as she had pictured kissing him the entire time she had traveled with him; this wasn't how she had pictured it and everything that had happened Rose was feeling more than a little bit vulnerable and confused.

That's when the argument started; "Why won't you let me kiss you?" The Doctor growled in a frustrated manner.

"Why don't you try explaining what exactly is going on here first, because this seems to be attacking us and I thought the Earth was in danger." Rose tried to explain while still chewing on her lip.

"I never gave any kind of hint to your world being in danger!" The Doctor didn't shout, but his voice was starting to escalate in volume.

"You brought me flowers; of course I took it to mean pending invasion or something dangerous followed me home. No has ever brought me flowers before!" Rose was becoming increasingly frustrated with trying to get him to understand, on top of it no longer making sense in her own mind. Not good for an argument when you immediately see the other side as more logical; but then again, Rose had never really been good at arguments. She finally let go of her now abused lip; grind on it anymore and she would have to deal with the blood.

"You deserve flowers every day, but hopefully accepting those instead of making me throw them in the trash. Rose, I've never felt so alone until you were gone. I need you to stay with me, just for a forever or two." He sounded so sure of himself, and even brought a hand up to caress at her hurting lip. Swiping a thumb over it carefully over the darkened red skin, like he was trying to the biting pain away.

Then they were kissing again, with Rose having had initiated it this time. She dug a hand into his almost non-existent hair and let him press even farther into her. This moment through all the confusion and worry, was something beautiful that really mattered. Even if she had messed up and upset him; he still had some kind of feelings for her. She definitely had some kind of feelings for him. They pressed together like they could become one; each resolving to never let the other go again.

Rose had never been very smart, or good at making decisions. She was a human and knew the Doctor found her species to be somewhat inferior to, at the very least, his own. It had been a whirlwind of weeks since they had met; since they had argued. This was making up and forgiving all at once; the Doctor had visited and brought flowers. Let her tape up his wounds and witness him in a vulnerable state. Trying to show her that he still cared and that he relied on her for more than Rose even realized. He had done so much without her even realizing. Well, now it would be Rose's turn to make it up to him.

She moaned into his mouth when one of his hands surprised her and traveled a bit farther down, coming to rest on her behind. At Rose's noise or surrender, the Doctor pulled his head away and buried his face in her hair. His breathing was ragged and uneven. "Will you stay with me?" The question came out quiet, like he hadn't even planned on asking it and the words just slipped out.

"Forever."