Rogues eyes fluttered open.

'Whoa!' she grabbed her head and sat up. She had a splitting headache, 'Man!' she thought. 'This feels worse than the hangover I had after I went drinking with Logan. And that's saying something!' She was no longer plagued with memories of things she had never seen, but she still got feelings, images and voices. 'I need an aspirin.' She shook her head, looking around her room. A large, comfortable looking leather reading chair that had not been there before was facing her. A pair of black, thick-rimmed glasses was folded neatly, resting on a heavy book titled The Chronicles of Narnia, and beside them, a tall glass of water and two white tablets. Rogue smiled, at the thought the Doctor had put into it. Rogue placed the tablets in her mouth and washed them down with a long gulp of water. It was the most pure water she had ever tasted, it was like all the water she had ever drunk was copies, shadows and this was the real thing. Rogue smiled and she brushed a finger along the rim of the glasses. She could just imagine him, sitting in the chair, reading a book, watching her sleep and touching her mind occasionally, just to make sure she was sleeping peacefully. She walked to her cupboard and selected a long dark blue dressing gown made of an alien material that felt like furry silk and slipped it on. She desperately needed a drink. She walked along the hallway; her feet felt like they were moving in the right direction with a thousand years of experience, which wasn't far from the truth. She approached an ordinary wooden door that she knew to be the kitchen and pushed it open. Inside, clean granite benches and oak cabinets lined the walls. Arms folded on the centre table, the Doctor's head hung over a mug of tea. His face softly lit by three tall candles in the centre of the table. He glanced up at the sound of the door opening and gave Rogue a weak smile.

'Couldn't sleep.' He explained with a shrug.

Rogue smiled. He had done very well, recovering that quickly from a connection that lasted that long.

'You feeling alright?' the Doctor's brow furrowed, glancing at the hand on the table that seemed to be holding her up.

'Yeah, horrid headache, though, thanks for the aspirin, by the way.'

'The what?' The Doctor asked.

'The aspirin.' Rogue answered, 'There was some aspirin on the bedside table when I woke up.'

'Ah, that'd be the TARDIS.' The Doctor scratched the back of his head, 'Its telepathic, so-'

'I know.' Rogue interrupted, tapping her head, a sly smile creeping across her lips. She pulled down a mug and flipped a switch, causing the kettle to boil. She picked up a tea bag from a small box and dropped it in her cup.

'I thought you didn't like tea.' The Doctor pointed out.

'I don't.' Rogue answered simply, pouring the hot water into her mug, feeling the steam dance in her face, 'You do.'

The Doctor gave a small laugh. Rouge took a long sip of her tea, letting the heat roll down her throat.

'We used to do this all the time at my old school.' Rouge pulled up a chair across the table from the Doctor, 'So many people had nightmares and we all used to meet in the kitchen and drink hot chocolate.'

'Which school would that be then?' The Doctor was keen on getting to know Rogue a little bit better.

'Um,' Rogue tucked a white strand of hair behind her ear, 'Xavier's school for gifted youngsters.'

The Doctors jaw dropped, 'You're kidding.' He said in disbelief, 'Professor Charles Xavier? The X-men?'

'Yeah.' Rogue was avoiding eye contact, feeling uncomfortable talking about the people she had abandoned.

'That's why the name Rogue sounded so familiar!' The Doctor grinned, 'You're part of the Elite X-men! Marie D'Ancanto!'

'Rogue.' She corrected softly, she was not Marie anymore, not since her powers returned.

'Of course.' The Doctor bowed his head respectfully.

'The X-men are secret, how do you know about them?' Rogue steered the conversation away from her.

'Well, yeah, now they are, but head forward about, um, twenty years? Common knowledge.' The Doctor shrugged. He glanced down at her shaking hands, 'Why did you take the Cure?' He prompted.

Rogue looked up, surprised at such a personal question, but she found herself answering before she knew what she was doing, 'I thought it was what I wanted, but you wouldn't believe how much regret I felt when the needle left my skin.'

'Wouldn't I?' The Doctor held her strong stare. Rogue broke the contact; he had felt much more than she ever would, she had, mercifully, forgotten that.

'I couldn't bear going back to them,' she continued, 'I deserted them when they needed me most.'

'The Doctor had a sip of the now cold tea, 'They'd take you back, you know.'

'You're not getting rid of me that easily,' Rogue forced a smile, 'Anyway, how could I go back? Not after I've seen inside your head.'

'And now your powers have returned.' The Doctor stated.

'Yes.' Rogue gazed miserably at her hands, 'They came back the day before I met you… Oh…' she gave a half smile, 'that was only yesterday.'

'Actually, day before, by now.' The Doctor corrected. 'Is the absorbing your only power?'

'Yes.' Rogue answered, 'Why?'

'Um,' The Doctor tried to find the best way to put it, 'When you were dreaming, a metal mirror flew across the room by itself.'

Rogue looked shocked. 'That's impossible…metal did you say?'

'Yeah.'

Rogue frowned in concentration. The Doctor warily placed his cup on the table, tensing up, just in case things got out of control. Her hand rose toward the candles, palm outwards. Her eyes closed and she winced at the memories that were not hers. As she breathed deeply, the Doctor eyed the candle suspiciously. The small flame flickered and the Doctor caught his breath. Slowly, it bent toward Rogues waiting hand, like a light breeze was heading towards her. The flame grew longer, curving towards the young woman like a flower to the sun. It disconnected from the wick and the Doctor thought that it would fade away, having lost its fuel, but it didn't, it hovered through the air, right into Rogues waiting palm. She felt the soft warmth of the fire so close to her skin and jumped, opening her eyes. Immediately, the flame disappeared. Rogues hand clenched, and she wiped it on her dressing gown.

'I'm not exactly sure what just happened.' She said with all honesty. 'I mean, I did borrow those powers once, but, that, that was years ago, and they only last a couple of hours at best.'

'The TARDIS.' The Doctor muttered to himself.

'What?'

'Okay, when you travel through time, you soak up background radiation, its harmless, its just there. But some of my companions have shown signs of changing, heightened senses, increased agility and such.' The Doctor continued, 'it only happened to some people, and the changes where slight, but I have never had a mutant on board before. The mutant X gene may be accelerated.'

He had expected a reaction from her, a frown, a smile, anything, but there was none, just a blank stare with glazed eyes.

Rogue could think of a thousand questions that were running through her mind. She reached out and snatched one up.

'Who…' her voice cracked with emotions that she didn't understand, 'Who was Rose Tyler?'

A lump lodged itself in the Doctors throat.

'Sometimes, I see her face and hear her voice,' she continued, 'who was she?'

The Doctor stood, occupying his shaking hands by packing up the kitchen, 'She…she was my last companion.' He answered softly.

'She was very beautiful.' Rogue remembered.

'Yes. She is.'

Rogue noticed the slight change he had made to her word, 'Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't know-'

'It's alright.' He interrupted.

Rogue swallowed, she knew he was uncomfortable, but she needed to know, 'What happened to her?'

'Look, Rogue, I…' the Doctor turned away, 'I don't want to talk about it.' He pushed open the door with more force than necessary and walked out, leaving Rogue to her thoughts, and his.

She screwed her eyes shut, trying to quiet the hundred voices calling for help, calling her name, no, not her name, his. The Doctor. She tried to sift through his memories, searching for Rose.

Run! Is it always this dangerous? Culture shock. Don't worry, it happens to the best of us. Welcome to the end of the world. Is that a technical term, jiggery-pokery? Tell me who you are! This is who I am! Right here, right now. Alright? All that counts is here and now and this is me! Everything has its time and everything dies. I'm left travelling on my own cause there's no one else. There's me. I want chips. Not a bad life. Better with two. I'm so glad I met you. Is she safe? Will she always be safe? Can you promise me that? That's the thing. If I don't dare, everyone dies. Do it. You don't even know what it is. You'd just let me? Yeah. 'Cause this is my life, Jackie - it's not fun, it's not smart, it's just standing up and making a decision because nobody else will. I could save the world but lose you. You would make a good Dalek. It wasn't your fault. And do you know what? I wouldn't have missed it for the world. What use are emotions if you will not save the woman you love? I've got to do this, I've got to end it. The Daleks destroyed my home, my people. I've got nothing left. You should go back. Tough. You're stuck with me. No, I get it: for once, you're not the most important man in my life. Rose, my whole planet was destroyed, my family - do you think it never occurred to me to go back and save them? Before this war began, I was a father and a grandfather. Now I'm neither; but I'm still a doctor. Yeah, know the feeling. The world doesn't end if the Doctor dances. Everybody lives, Rose! Just this once! Everybody lives!! Blaidd Drwg. What's it mean? Bad Wolf. This ship's alive. You've opened its soul. My masters, they fear the Doctor. I'm going to rescue her! I'm going to save Rose Tyler from the middle of the Dalek fleet! And then I'm going to save the Earth! And then, just to finish off, I'm going to wipe every last stinking Dalek out of the sky! Rose? Yes, Doctor? I'm coming to get you. I'm dead - or about to die any second, with no chance of escape. Just let this old box gather dust, no-one can open it, no-one will even notice it. Have a good life. Do that for me, Rose. Have a fantastic life. Coward. Any day. I looked into the TARDIS... and the TARDIS looked into me. I am the Bad Wolf. I create myself. Everything must come to dust. All things, everything dies. I want you safe... My Doctor. The Time War ends. The power's gonna kill you, and it's my fault! I see everything. All that is, all that was, all that ever could be. I think you need a doctor. You were fantastic, absolutely fantastic. And you know what? So was I! New teeth, thats weird. Who are you? Then how can I remember this? I took your hand, I said one word. Just one word, I said..."run"! Don't challenge me, Harriet Jones! 'Cause I'm a completely new man! Can I just say, traveling with you, I love it. New New Doctor. Yup. Still got it. I'm The Doctor. And if you don't like it, if you want to take it to a higher authority: there isn't one. It stops with me. What have you done to Rose? Give her back to me. I'm so old now. I used to have so much mercy. I don't age. I regenerate. But humans decay. You wither and you die. Imagine watching that happen to someone you... What, Doctor? You can spend the rest of your life with me. But I can't spend the rest of mine with you. I have to live on. Alone. That's the curse of the Time Lords. You were my life. There comes a time, Time Lord, when every lonely little boy must learn how to dance. Why no emotion? Because it hurts. Doctor, have you known grief, and rage, and pain? Yes. Yes, I have. And they hurt? Oh yes. There is no power on this Earth that can stop me. The Domestic approach. I've trapped you here. Yeah, well stuck with you, that's not so bad. The killer of his own kind. And the lost girl, so far away from home. The valiant child who will die in battle so very soon. If they get back in touch, if you talk to Rose, just tell her ... tell her I… Oh she knows. If I believe in one thing, just one thing… I believe in her. It said I was going to die in battle. It lied. Who are you? The stuff of legends. I was a dad once. What you just say? You know what - they keep trying to split us up, but they never ever will. Never say never ever. Nah, we'll always be alright, you and me. Don't you think? Doctor? Something in the air. Something's coming. A storm's approaching... How long are you going to stay with me? Forever. A footprint doesn't looked like a boot! It's not an invasion, it's too late for that. It's a victory. You're on every street, you're in their homes, you've got their children! Of course they're gonna fight! You are proof. Of what? That emotions destroy you. Yeah, I am. Doctor... Help us. What?! Close the breach; stop the Cybermen; defeat the Daleks?! Do you believe I can do that? Yes. Maybe that's all I need. How did you survive the Time War? By fighting, on the frontline. I was there at the Fall of Arcadia. Technology using the one thing a Dalek can't do. Touch. Sealed inside your casing, not feeling anything. Ever. From birth to death locked inside a cold, metal cage. Completely alone. That explains your voice - no wonder you scream. You will never be able to see her again, your own mother! I made my choice a long time ago, and I'm never going to leave you. There's one tiny little gap in the universe left, just about to close. And it takes a lot of power to send this projection- I'm in orbit around a supernova. I'm burning up a sun just to say goodbye. This translates as 'Bad Wolf Bay'. Rose Tyler, defender of the Earth. The one adventure I can never have. Back to the TARDIS. Same old life. Last of the Time Lords. On your own? I-...I love you. Quite right too. And I suppose, if it's my last chance to say it... Rose Tyler...

'Doctor…' Rogue breathed. She opened her eyes, somewhere during it all, she managed to fall to the floor, twitching and groaning. Tears were streaming down her face. Sitting up, she softly wept for the girl she had never met. The Doctor needed her. She knew it. All those times that he had hidden behind a cheery voice, it all built up, even her, the last Time Lord, needed a shoulder to cry on. She sought him out. Grabbing her gloves from her room, she stuck her head inside his bedroom. It was empty, but she knew where he would be. With her. Rose's room. He went there when he missed her; he felt closer to her, sometimes, he felt like she was in the room. At the top of some stairs, an ordinary door stood ajar, soft golden light pouring from within. Cautiously, she ascended the stairs, hoping that they wouldn't creak. She peered inside. The Doctor was sitting on the end of her still unmade bed, the entire room looked how it was the day she left it, clothes on the floor, hairbrush on the table. The Doctor drew a shaky breath, head in hands, elbows on knees. His body didn't shake or heave or sob, his eyes remained screwed shut, but tears were dripping off the tip of his nose and running down his arm. Rogue sat down beside him, about an arms length away, as far away as possible, while still saying, "I'm here, its okay." She gently placed a gloved hand on his shoulder. Eyes still closed, he straightened.

'Rose Tyler was the first person in eight hundred years I… I loved.' He gave a small laugh and a sad smile tugged at his lips, as if he only just voiced his feelings. 'I loved her, Rogue, and I never got to tell her that.' He fell sideways onto the bed, he head landing next to Rogue. He wept silently and she rubbed a hand up his shoulder.

Rogue answered, 'She knew.'