Rose ended up convincing the Doctor to let them stay a little while after Christmas. He just couldn't say no to her, especially when she gave him those pleading eyes and that special smile. It gave him time to settle in to his new body, anyways. Figure out who he was and all.

Apparently, this version did do domestics. Christmas night, after he had freshened up and changed in the TARDIS, they had Christmas dinner. The Doctor, Rose, Mickey, and Jackie all had sat down together and talked and laughed and ate. He even put on the red paper crown he won in a Christmas cracker against Mickey.

The Doctor was paying attention to the broadcast on the telly when Jackie's friend called.

"It's Bev." Called Jackie from the kitchen, coming back into the room. "She says go and look outside."

Together, they all put on their coats and headed outside. The ground was covered in white, flurries falling to the ground as the stepped out.

"Wot's that?" Rose asked the Doctor, pointing up at the streaks of light in the sky.

"It's the spaceship breaking up in the atmosphere. This isn't snow, it's ash." He answered.

"Okay, less beautiful." Rose commented.

"And this is a brand-new planet Earth." The Doctor mused. "No denying the existence of aliens now, everyone saw it. Everything's new."

"No kiddin'." Rose chuckled and the Doctor got the feeling she wasn't talking about the aliens. "So, wot we gonna do next?"

"We?" He squeaked.

"Yeah, we. Wot you think I was gonna leave you?"

"I dunno… I mean, I thought, cos I changed…"

"So have I." She answered honestly. "Do you not want me anymore?"

"Oh, I'd love you to come." He reassured her.

"Then it's settled then."

"Well, I reckon you're mad. The pair of you." Pipped up Jackie. "It's like you go lookin' for trouble."

"Trouble's just the bits in-between!" The Doctor said gleefully, walking over and putting an arm around her. "It's all waiting out there, Jackie. And it's brand new to me. All those planets, and creatures, and horizons; I haven't seen them yet! Not with these eyes." He walked back to Rose, and added. "And it is gonna be fantastic."

The shared a smile and he held out his hand to her. She took it, no hesitation, and moved in close. They stared up at the stars, holding hands and taking in the cold December air.

When they finally headed back upstairs, the Doctor went to say his goodnights and retreat to the TARDIS when Rose pulled him aside.

"I think we should stay a couple days. For my mum's sake." She murmured to him. "I think after last time it'd be best if I stuck around at least a little bit."

"Yeah, I don't think I ever want to experience another famous Tyler slap." He conceded, making Rose giggle. "I'll just stick to the TARDIS and you can stay with your mum."

"Oh, no. You think I'm gonna trust you alone in a time machine." She said, poking him in the chest. "You'd pop off and be back in time for tea."

"Well, if we're sticking around then I'd rather…" The Doctor started.

"You're stayin'? Really?" Interrupted Jackie from the doorway.

"Well, we were talkin' about it." The Doctor said, pulling his earlobe. "I was just gonna stay in the TARDIS so you two could catch up and all."

"No, are you kiddin'?" Jackie scoffed. "You'll stay here with us."

So, without another word, it was decided. Spending those days at the Tyler flat turned out to be easier than the Doctor had originally thought. At first, though, it was quite uncomfortable. After presents and wine, when they'd all gone to retire for bed, the Doctor felt genuinely uncomfortable as Jackie set up the couch for him. He wasn't entirely sure why until Rose had closed her bedroom door and he was lying on the couch, in the dark, alone.

It had been months since he slept alone. Time Lords only needed half the amount of sleep as humans, and he'd been pushing even that for a long time, but he always slept the most soundly with Rose curled next to him. She was always there next to him, sleeping soundly. It was what made him feel most at home, but now he was alone.

That is, until about an hour later, when Rose's door squeaked lightly open. He turned head around immediately to see Rose standing there meekly. They made eye contact and her wide brown eyes practically carried him into her room. It was much smaller than her room in the TARDIS, but still pink as ever. Very Rose.

"I couldn't sleep without you next to me." She whispered.

She took his hand as she climbed into bed, pulling him along with her. They quickly got comfortable and lied down, the Doctor stiff as a board. He didn't know what to do with his new limbs, let alone what was allowed. In the TARDIS, they would usually face each other, hand in hand, until they fell asleep. Rose was already positioned to do so, but the Doctor lied flat of his back, unsure.

He was more unsure of why he was so unsure. They had done this so many times before, he supposed it was his new body trying to acclimate. Luckily, Rose took initiative. She scooted closer and placed her head on his chest. Could she hear his hearts and just how fast they were beating? For a while, they just lay there, slowly but surely getting more and more comfortable.

"You don't really think I gave up on you, do ya?" Rose suddenly asked him in a hushed tone.

"Wot?" Was all he managed to croak out.

"Before, on the Sycorax ship, you said I'd given up on you at the end. But I didn't. I just had to keep everyone safe while I came up with another plan. I've never doubted you, and I never will."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that. I know you believe in me. I believe in you. I mean, look wot you did today. You were so brave."

"I just hope next time it'll be enough." She said, almost to herself.

The Doctor didn't know what to say to that, so he didn't say anything. Soon enough, Rose was asleep. The Doctor listened to her breathing for a while before following in suit. The next morning, Jackie was less than thrilled at the sight of them exiting Rose's bedroom together. He wasn't sure if she was gonna slap him into his next regeneration or give them The Talk. Luckily, she did neither, choosing instead to ignore it.

The rest of the week went by fairly smoothly. During the days, Rose spent a bulk of her time with either her mum or Mickey or her mate Shareen. The Doctor would fiddle around on the TARDIS, only after swearing to Rose he wouldn't go off. He did end up breaking that promise, only once, to go get Rose a little present. A belated Christmas present of sorts.

She had come back to the flat with a fresh new haircut when the Doctor came back. They sat around, watching Christmas movies the whole day while Jackie was off at work. The Doctor was actually a bit nervous to give the present to her. He hadn't bought a Christmas present for someone in hundreds of years. He just hoped she would like it. Rose, being Rose, picked up on his antsy behavior.

"You left, didn't you?" She asked casually. He was caught.

"Oh, alright. I did, went out to do a little shopping is all." He got up and went to his jacket, pulling a small parcel out of the big pockets. "Well, I suppose now is as good a time as ever. Merry Christmas!"

"You got me a Christmas present?" She asked, giggling.

"So hard to believe?"

"Wot happened to no domestics?" She teased, getting up from the couch and walking over to him.

"I clearly have made an exception for you." He said, gesturing to the flat.

She opened the small package carefully. From inside the box, she pulled out the necklace. She looked up at him in surprise.

"It's beautiful." She gasped.

"I thought it was fitting." He shrugged, pointing at the rose pendant on the golden chain.

She held the necklace tight as she launched herself into the Doctor's arms. It felt so fitting, her body against his. It was almost like this body was molded for her hugs. She stepped back and offered the necklace to the Doctor. He took it and she turned around, moving her hair out of the way. He slipped the necklace on her, his slim fingers fumbling against her neck to clasp it shut. He couldn't help but fixate on how her skin was smooth and soft under his fingertips. When she turned around, touching the necklace lightly, she was beaming at him. Then, she kissed his cheek.

"Happy Christmas, Doctor."

He beamed right back at her, his face very warm. They went back to the couch to watch the rest of It's a Wonderful Life. Rose wouldn't stop fiddling with the gold pendant, smiling the whole time. It made the Doctor's heart swell, seeing how much she loved her present. She didn't even take it off when they went to bed that night.

They climbed into the bed in silence on the third night at the Tyler flat, the Doctor much more comfortable with putting an arm around her and having her snuggle her head on his chest by now. They lied there for a while, saying nothing, but both aware that the other was still awake.

"Doctor?" Rose pipped up.

"Hmm?"

"Can you tell me a story?"

"A story?" He repeated, looking down at the top of her head.

"Yeah, tell me about one of your other companions."

"Well, there are quite a few of those." He murmured. Suddenly, he felt the need to defend her feelings. "Not tha' you're not important. I mean, I traveled with a lot of people, but you're not just the latest in a long line or anything' like that. Well, technically, you are, but that's not how I feel about you." Oh, lord, he was rambling. Seems like this body did that a lot, but now he was digging his own grave when he brought up feelings. Luckily, Rose interrupted him.

"Doctor." She said kindly. "Just tell me about one of them."

"Alright." He thought hard, and decided to start from the beginning. "Well, Susan was the one who convinced me to take companions."

"Really?"

"Yeah, two of her teachers noticed her…odd behavior. Wasn't the best at acting human, her."

"Wonder why." Rose giggled.

"Anyways." He warned teasingly. "Two of her teachers were quite concerned about her…" And he told her the story about how Ian and Barbara joined them on the TARDIS.

He didn't stop there, though. He kept talking about various other companions, telling Rose how they came to travel with the Doctor. Jo, Peri, Ace, even the Brigadier, despite him not really traveling with him.

"And there was Sarah Jane. Oh, her story is one of my favorites. The stowaway." He chuckled. "She was a born investigator. Got her in trouble, more than once. Tha's how she came to travel with me. She apparently thought I was odd, so she hid away in the TARDIS. Turns out I was actually a lot odder than she anticipated. Especially after she saw regeneration herself."

"She saw you regenerate?" Rose pipped up.

"Yup, into my fourth regeneration."

"Fourth." She said, looking up at him. "So, wot number are you at now?"

"Uhh… Ten, I believe." He answered. "It's a bit blurry, being nine hundred and all." He joked. She didn't laugh.

"How many times can you regenerate?" She asked meekly.

"I dunno. Many said that after twelve, you were done, but tha' was back when the Time Lords were regulating that kinda thing."

"Oh." Was all she said, no longer looking at him.

"Rose?" He said softly.

"I'm sorry." She whispered. "It's my fault."

"Rose." He sighed, holding her closer. He knew she felt guilty about his regeneration, she'd even said so while he was asleep, but he'd hoped what he said next would quiet her guilt. "You have absolutely nothing to be sorry for. Coming back was your choice, but regenerating was mine. There's nothing I wouldn't do to save you, please believe that."

"I do." She thought for a moment. "I say we leave tomorrow. Head back out there."

"You sure?"

"Absolutely."

They didn't say another word after that. Rose had finally succumb to sleep minutes later. The Doctor stroked her hair and just enjoyed her company for a while. He had never felt love so strong before in his life. He had of course experienced love; first love, familial love, love for friends and companions alike. Nothing held a candle to the unending love he felt for Rose Tyler. He wasn't afraid to admit it to himself anymore. He was a completely new man, and this man was in love with Rose Tyler. He probably would be in his next thousand regenerations after, even when she was long gone.

That very thought turned him cold. Her death was not a question, it was just a matter of when. His fear was her death being at his hands. She would follow him to the ends of the universe and that scared him. He couldn't go back, though. He would always love her, that was fact. He decided he could love her, but only from a distance.

With how much he was sharing, though, that distance was getting smaller. True, he only told safe stories. He told the beginnings, but never the endings. He hated endings. He wondered briefly if she'd be so forgiving if she knew what sort of man he was really capable of being, the man he'd always be no matter what face he wore.

Why was love so close to fear?

A/N: So, there's that! I'm currently working on season two now, so more chapters on the way. Hope everyone's doing alright and more chapters on the way!