I know I am a horrible, terrible person for starting another story but I just recently rewatched GitF (I'm a masochist, apparently) and it made me so mad I just couldn't help myself. The plot bunnies would not let me go. Because I cannot reach into the internet and shake Ten for being such an absolute low-down prat in this episode, I shall instead inflict much angst upon him here. Let me know what you think. I'll finish this one as quick as possible. It is probably going to be darker than my other fics, as a warning.

Rose stood silently in the doorway, watching him flit and flirt around the Console, animatedly explaining the intricacies of Time Travel to That Woman. That Woman who was currently sitting on the pilot's bench in her finery, looking so poised and regal and, god dammit, beautiful.

He hadn't even noticed her come to the doorway. He always noticed. He would look up from the monitor screen and flash his "I'm-so-glad-to-see-you-even-if-you've-only-been-gone-for-five-minutes" smile or scoot out from the under the grating when he heard her footsteps, bouncing up to share something with her. He would always acknowledge her seemingly welcome presence, even when he was all leather and anger, tamping down his swearing and grinning his mad, apologetic smile at her when something particularly vivid came out. He always knew she was there. She used to jokingly call it his Spidey-sense and he'd reached out and tweaked her nose and corrected her. His Rosey-sense, he'd answer and then frown, as though he couldn't believe he'd just said something that cheesy before lighting up again, spinning her off to the next adventure.

Or at least he used to.

But everything had recently gotten so complicated. So twisted. And now he was smiling iher/i smile at That Woman and That Woman had her delicate, white hand laid on his arm, laughing as if he was the most brilliant man in the universe.

Well, he probably was, but that was beside the point, right?

Still...it was temporary, right? One trip for the magnificent courtesan and then, whoosh. Everything back to normal.

Well, normal plus Mickey.

Mickey who had paced beside her for five and a half hours and frittered and worried and doubted the Doctor. But she hadn't. He would always come back for her. He had promised. She'd told Mickey that. Never mind that he didn't know precisely WHEN in the 51st century they were. Never mind that he didn't know the name or location of the spaceship. Never mind that they were locked out of the TARDIS because Rose had lent Mickey her key and he'd left it inside and there wasn't a soul alive on this ship, much less food or water...

He would come back. He had to come back.

And he had! Sprinted back into the TARDIS, bubbling with joviality and chattering about the brilliance of That Woman. And Rose had been so happy to see him, she'd covered up her slightly battered heart and rejoiced in having him back, in being Right. She knew him, she lo- nope. But He'd come back. He would always come back.

And then...suddenly they were going back for someone else. Madame Du Pompadour had breezed into the TARDIS with all the regality of her stature and suddenly Rose found herself standing in doorways unnoticed.

He'd just...replaced her. Found a smarter, prettier, more sophisticated model and...

Nope. She wasn't doing that. She wouldn't think that. It was temporary and even if he ran, it was always her he came back to. Maybe she couldn't be his everything but she could be his now. Her relationship with the Doctor had been changing so fast of late she felt she needed a safety belt. His regeneration and then Christmas...Queen Victoria and then Sarah Jane and Mickey. Banana daquaris and clockwork robots and now, That Woman.

Rose sighed heavily and turned back to her room, ghosting away from the door. A kip, perhaps and then she'd face That Woman's one adventure and then everything would go back to normal.

Whatever the hell normal was. Rose left the hall with a heavy heart, determined not to cry. A kip and a shower.

The air in the TARDIS console room took on a sudden uncomfortable chill and the Doctor shuddered. Curious. He'd have to examine the internal atmospheric systems...then suddenly the Doctor raised his head, his eyes darting toward the door. It felt as though he'd missed something important...ah, well.

Reinette had just asked him about the Time Rotor and he was only too happy explain to her how brilliant he was. This was simple. He didn't have to watch his words around Reinette and controls his body's reaction to her. He didn't have to wonder how she was feeling, what she wanted from him, if she was happy. He didn't have to consider what a hell his life would be like with her gone from it. Simple.

Right?

Right.