Author's Note: This is the last chapter folks. Many, many thanks to those who have read and reviewed.
"Now you've got to admit that this is probably the most impressive thing you've ever seen. Tastes fantastic too."
Rose glanced up from swirling her straw lazily around her Coke to see the Doctor setting down the most ridiculously elaborate ice cream she could possibly imagine.
They were sitting in a booth in an ice cream parlour in San Francisco, 1957. It was like they'd stepped onto the set of 'Grease', right down to the colour of the tablecloths. The Doctor had insisted that fifties America was the place to go for great ice cream and she hadn't argued with that. Quite frankly she was glad to go anywhere that wasn't forty degrees in the shade and covered in sand.
She hadn't even complained about being made to wear a dress. After her recent experiences with clothes, as long as it appeared to be more than underwear she was happy to wear just about anything.
He sat down, grinning even more manically than usual. It was amazing really. He travelled around the universe in a time machine, he could visit any day or place he wished, but the thing he saved his extra huge, face breaking smile for was ice cream.
Aliens were so weird.
Now chocolate, that she could have understood.
She took the spoon he handed to her and scooped off part of the raspberry ripple layer and some pink sprinkles. He was right. It tasted excellent.
"Do you mind if I…?" he asked, indicating the cherry on the top.
"Go for it," she gestured, giving him free range to eat whatever he wanted.
Heading for the mint side this time (with chocolate sprinkles) she caught him starring at her expectantly, and she suddenly realised what this actually was.
It was a giant ice cream apology. With sprinkles, wafers, flakes and a cherry on top. She smiled fondly. Men were so obvious, whatever species they were.
"You don't need to keep apologising, alright?" she reassured, causing him to pause with a large spoonful halfway in his mouth.
He swallowed the ice cream too quickly, wincing at the cold.
"So you're not angry with me then?" he said, as warily as he might handle some kind of dangerous animal.
She shook her head. "Nah. A little shocked, that's all. I didn't even remember you being there until then."
But she remembered it now, and at the most inopportune moments the memory of kissing him would pop into her head, along with that deliciously warm feeling the thought invoked, and she would feel the need to rapidly suppress it. She wouldn't have him knowing it affected her like that.
"Neither of us were ourselves," he pointed out, sounding a little awkward still.
She picked up another spoonful of ice cream and let it melt in her mouth before continuing, a cheeky smile on her face.
"I wasn't all doom and gloom, you know? You weren't a bad kisser, after all."
She laughed as the Doctor clonked his teeth with the spoon and starred at her, wide eyed.
"For an alien," she added, grinning cheekily, realising how nice it was to leave him gawping like a goldfish every now and again.
He seemed to pick up on this because a grin spread across his face too.
"Well," he admitted, looking at her with a mischievous glint in his eye, "It wasn't the worst thing I've ever been forced to do."
"Oh thanks!" she scolded, in mock admonishment.
She was secretly very satisfied with that response though, because he had unwittingly given her the answer to the thing she'd been wondering about. There was more between them. He felt it too. The look in his eye had told her that. They were doing nothing but waiting for one or other of them to take that first step.
But that knowledge was filed away for the future. Someone would have to take that step eventually, and maybe she'd have to be the one to do it. But not today. Or tomorrow. Later. For now she had her hands full exploring the universe, saving people and staying alive. She was perfectly content to know that some day it could happen. That it probably would. Besides, getting there could be half the fun.
"And I think we've both learnt a valuable lesson from this," he added, pouncing on another spoonful of ice cream.
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah. You've learnt not to take flowers from strange men."
She giggled slightly at that.
"And what have you learnt? Not to buy me dangerous presents?"
"No," he said, with a teasing smile. "That your dancing is a powerful weapon. Next time we're in trouble and need a distraction, I know what to do. The aliens' eyeballs will fall right out. Although in some species that's a sign of great honour and acceptance."
Rose took his teasing with good grace. It was a bit funny when you thought about it.
"Sounds gross," she said enthusiastically. "When can I meet them?"
"Maybe later. We've got a meteor shower to watch, remember?"
"Yeah, I remember something about a restaurant too," she recalled. "You buying me dinner Doctor?"
"I just brought you ice cream," he said incredulously. "You're so demanding."
"Yeah," she said nonchalantly. "And you kissed me whilst I was drugged."
He looked at her with a wry smile. "You can't use that forever, you know."
"Yeah, I know," she agreed. "So I'm getting the most out of it whilst I can."
"What about your ice cream?" he said, taking another spoonful for himself.
She played with it unenthusiastically, picking it up and letting it plop back into the bowl. "It's melting. I don't like it when it melts."
He rolled his eyes.
"Come on then."
He stood up, holding his hand out. She immediately grabbed it, like a natural instinct, and he pulled her to her feet.
"Don't s'pose you're gonna change for dinner," she said hopefully as they walked towards the door.
He shook his head. "No chance."
A determined look set itself on her face. "One day, Doctor, I swear I am going to get you into a suit."
"You do that, I'll strand you on the planet of six foot slugs," he warned.
She stepped in front of him, hands on hips, looking up at his face with a mildly smug expression. "Nah, you wouldn't."
He looked straight back down at her, enjoying the glint of humour in her eye. Loving her enthusiasm. Glowing in her company.
"No," he said shaking his head. "I wouldn't."