As the Doctor set the coordinates to take them home, he made sure not to let go of Rose's hand, lest he suddenly disappear back to the other universe. Rose too was reluctant to part contact with the Doctor; after all it had been nearly a year since they'd been together.

"I suppose we've got to do domestic when we get back have we?" The Doctor asked sighing slightly.

"Yeah, sorry," Rose said sheepishly.

"For you, anything," the Doctor replied making Rose blush again.

The TARDIS screeched to a halt and the Doctor led Rose towards the door. When they opened the door it was like a whirlwind had suddenly started up. Jackie Tyler, despite giving birth less than an hour previously, was standing in front of the TARDIS screeching at the Doctor.

"WHERE THE HELL DID YOU COME FROM?" She shouted. "WHY DIDN'T YOU GETIN CONTACT SOONER? DO YOU KNOW HOW UPSET ROSE HAS BEEN?"

She went on and on for well over ten minutes and by the end of it the Doctor's ears were ringing. He grinned, nodding at Pete who was holding his newborn son and covering his ears.

"Nice to see you two Jackie," the Doctor said.

"You pair have got a lot of explaining to do," Pete said, trying to look angry at his daughter and failing.

So the next few hours was spent telling Jackie, Pete and Mickey (though he was unwilling) exactly what each of them had had to put up with over the last year. Jackie seemed to soften slightly when she realised just how upset the Doctor had been at losing Rose and how hard he'd tried to get back to her.

Pete was only half listening as he held his new son, seeming to find fatherhood stranger than he'd thought he was. It was different with Rose, she was practically grown up, but Rory was different.

Mickey too seemed to be softening though he still looked like he thought Rose was going to abandon them and fly off into time and space again, and that this time she wouldn't come back.

After they finished talking Jackie and Pete returned to the room that was assigned to the Tyler's for the duration of their stay. Mickey left to get his car and drive home, leaving Rose and the Doctor to use the TARDIS to return to the Tyler manor.

Later that night, Rose was once more in her own bed, in her own room, in her mum and dads house. For a change and for the first time since the Doctor had left, she was actually sleeping properly.

Of course this might have had something to do with the warm body of the Doctor lying next to her. He was watching her, a smile on his face as she sighed, dreaming about something.

He never thought he'd feel this way again. After losing his family happiness always seemed to elude the Doctor, but earlier today he'd willingly swapped a universe where he had family, for one where he could see Rose.

The next few days passed quickly and Jackie soon returned home with her new son. Every thing seemed to slot into place; Rose's parents were home with her, she had a new baby brother, Mickey stopped acting so jealous and worried and she finally had her Doctor back again.

There was still one thing bothering Rose though. The Doctor wasn't someone who settled down. He didn't do domestic and as much as he was trying to hide it, Rose knew that the Doctor was getting itchy feet.

He longed to be back out in the universe, exploring. After all, new universe meant new aliens. Nothing would be the same. The Slitheen family might be running a charity or the nestene consciousness might be shaped like a puppy. The Doctor couldn't not go and see that.

But Rose didn't look like she was ready to leave her family again. Not after she'd only just got her dad back. Neither of them seemed eager to broach the subject and it was almost a month before the tension got too much for the both of them. They were in the kitchen making a cup of tea for the rest of them when Rose started the conversation.

"When are you going to ask?" She said quietly, pouring out the milk.

"Ask what?" The Doctor replied, feigning innocence.

"You've been dying to ask for weeks now," Rose said, turning to look at him. "When are you going to ask when we leave?"

"Rose," the Doctor stuffed his hands in his pockets. "We both know it's not as easy as that."

"You could still ask," Rose said smiling sadly.

"And what would you say... if I asked?" The Doctor shuffled awkwardly.

"I'd say…" Rose paused looking serious and the grinned. "Yes!"

The Doctor grinned back and pulled Rose into a big bear hug. He knew she'd stick by him.

"When shall we tell them?" He asked, pulling back a bit. Rose looked slightly downcast then. It looked like they still had work to do.

A few days later they were stepping into the TARDIS after saying a teary farewell to Rose's parents and Mickey. Their hands were still linked as the Doctor set the coordinates for a random place in the universe.

They'd promised to come back, but as they explained, life goes on. They had to travel. There was so much out there to explore, and so little time.