The Doctor watched Rose out of the corner of his eye while he set the coordinates for their next trip. She was dressed in jeans and a white vest today, somehow looking both confident and vulnerable.

A band tightened around his hearts, a feeling he recognised but refused to put a name to. Until yesterday, he'd been able to tell himself Rose was just a companion, another friend travelling with him. But then he'd looked at her across the Cabinet Room table, her life in his hands, and he'd realised he couldn't lose her—no matter what the cost.

Rose had been stronger than him. She'd looked back at him, absolute trust shining in her eyes, and told him to give the order. Somehow, they'd made it out of Number 10 intact, but not without the Doctor's worldview being reduced to the same rubble as the building.

He should have left her in London. He couldn't afford to place the value of a single life over a planet—he didn't have that luxury.

But he also couldn't live without Rose, it seemed, and so here they were.

God, he's gorgeous.

The Doctor's head whipped up. She couldn't have just said… "Did you say something, Rose?"

Rose pulled a strand of hair over her shoulder and played with the ends. "Nah… I was just wondering where we're going." She sidled up to him and looked over his shoulder, even though she couldn't read the display, since it was in Gallifreyan.

An' he smells amazing, too.

The Doctor's hand jerked, throwing the dematerialisation lever and sending them into flight. That had definitely been Rose, but her lips hadn't moved, which meant… He did a cursory check of his telepathic barriers and swore to himself when he realised they were almost non-existent.

As a touch telepath, he typically had to be physically touching a person to pick up their thoughts. However, if thoughts were directed at him by someone in the same room, he could sometimes hear them. The most basic of telepathic barriers kept those stray thoughts out, but apparently, losing the presence of the Time Lords in his head had damaged his telepathic centres, leaving him completely open.

He stroked the console and begged the TARDIS for help. It wasn't right to be peeking into Rose's head, even if he wasn't doing it on purpose.

Connected as they were, the Doctor felt it when the TARDIS picked up a subspace signal and changed course. He opened his eyes and looked down at the new coordinates: Earth. Utah, North America. 2012.

They landed with a hard thud, and the Doctor shrugged into his leather coat while Rose pulled her hoodie on. All right, old girl. Let's see what pulled us here.

oOoOoOoOo

Hours later, after Rose and Adam had gone to bed, the Doctor stood in the console room and glared at the time rotor. I ask you for barriers, and you let a Dalek peek at my thoughts? The lights flashed, and he scowled. Oh, don't even try, he told her. I know you know how I feel about Rose. But whatever ideas you've got floating around your rusty circuits, get rid of them. She's too young and innocent—she deserves better than me.

The TARDIS watched her Thief stalk down the corridor and hummed thoughtfully. Her Wolf was innocent, but she already cared so much for the Doctor. Rose could help him heal, if he'd let her.

An idea occurred to her, and a tinkling chime of amusement echoed through the ship. Her Thief would not be pleased, but he would just have to learn to live with it.

oOoOoOoOo

The Doctor was wary the next morning. He'd felt the TARDIS' amusement the night before, and he was afraid to know what the she had planned. However, when two hours passed and he didn't receive a single stray thought from his companion, he relaxed—and tried not to consider that Rose might be too wrapped up in Adam to even spare a thought for her grumpy alien chauffeur.

The fact that she'd left Adam by himself to explore Satellite Five with him certainly eased those worries, and by the time the Doctor and Rose stepped into the lift to go to Floor 500, he'd almost forgotten she'd brought the boy with them.

The Doctor chuckled as Cathica muttered a final order to not get her involved in their investigation. Humans could be so different. Cathica was too worried about her own future to even be curious when something was obviously wrong, and Adam couldn't handle a bit of culture shock.

But then… then there was Rose. Rose who fit into his life better than almost anyone he'd ever travelled with. He'd given her a bit of a challenge earlier, when Adam had fainted at their feet, and she'd made it clear that no matter what anyone else did, she was sticking with him.

He shot her a sideways glance. "That's her gone. Adam's given up. Looks like it's just you and me."

She met his gaze, head-on. "Yeah."

"Good."

"Yep."

The Doctor's smile widened at Rose's nod and confident tone. He turned to the port and inserted the keycard they'd been given, then took her hand as the lift doors closed.

Hmmm… alone in a lift. I wonder what he'd do if I pushed the stop button and kissed him?

The Doctor gaped at Rose, but thankfully, the doors opened to Floor 500 before he could say anything.

That night, for the second night in a row, he lectured his ship.

Oh, don't act innocent, he said when she chimed in response to his first question. I know what you're up to. But I told you. Rose deserves better.

She hummed in exasperation, and the Doctor threw up his hands. What do you mean, I need her? 900 years old, and I've made it this far without Rose Tyler.

The TARDIS didn't even acknowledge that claim, so the Doctor tried another tack.

Look, you know how humans are about their thoughts being invaded. An' Rose wasn't happy when I told her you're telepathic. So how do you think she'd feel if she knew you were passing her thoughts on to me?

The TARDIS paused thoughtfully, but finally agreed.

The Doctor let out a sigh of relief and went to bed. It was hard enough to stay away from Rose when he wasn't being hit with every one of her… personal thoughts.

Months passed, and the Doctor forgot about the brief glimpse into Rose's head. Then one day they followed a mauve alert to World War II, and fraught with jealousy, he allowed Rose to goad him into dancing.

The Doctor looked at the gorgeous woman in his arms and sighed. Goad—hah! She'd barely had to ask before he'd taken her hand.

Rose looked up at him, and something in her warm brown eyes made his hearts race. He tried to control his desire for her. She wouldn't want him, not with her defrocked captain waiting in the wings.

I wish I could tell you how much I want to kiss you.

The Doctor stared down at her, reeling from the yearning in that thought. Before he could do anything stupid, they were teleported out, and the moment was lost.

He didn't bother questioning the TARDIS about that slip. He knew exactly why she'd let that through—because Rose wanted him to know.

After that, it became increasingly hard to keep his distance from her. Every time he hugged her, every time she took his hand, her longing was there, under the surface of her skin. As closely as it echoed his own, he knew that it was only a matter of time before he caved and gave himself and Rose what they both wanted.

But the Daleks came first. Instead of the tender first kiss he'd dreamed of, the Doctor had to satisfy himself with a kiss to Rose's forehead as he sent her away. He hated the lost opportunities, but it seemed their time was up.

The last thing he expected to hear as he stared down the Emperor of the Daleks was his own ship. And when Rose stepped out and he realised what she'd done, he wanted to scream at the TARDIS for allowing it. Rose couldn't hold onto the Time Vortex, and she didn't know how to let it go. He was going to lose her.

The Doctor had to look away when Rose admitted she was in pain. "The power's going to kill you," he told her, heartbroken, "and it's my fault."

The TARDIS smacked him with a virtual 2x4. You can take it out of her.

The ship felt different in his head, and the Doctor realised he was hearing Bad Wolf, not just the TARDIS alone. Bad Wolf was both her and Rose, working together.

"I can see everything," Rose said. Time echoed in her voice, and the Doctor looked up at her again. "All that is, all that was, all that ever could be."

The Doctor stood up and looked down at this incredible woman he was in love with. The TARDIS was right. He could take it out of her, and give them both what they'd been wanting at the same time.

"That's what I see. All the time. And doesn't it drive you mad?"

Pain flickered through Rose's gold-tinted eyes. "My head."

"Come here," the Doctor beckoned, holding his arms out for her.

"It's killing me," she sobbed.

It would kill him, too, but he would regenerate. "I think you need a Doctor," he said, then pulled her into his arms. As he pressed his lips to hers, he hoped fervently that Rose would like his new body. Because one taste of Rose Tyler would never be enough.