The Doctor had at first tensed as he felt her sweet lips cling to his. He would have pulled away except that Rose's arms around his neck were vice like, keeping him where he was. He wasn't sure he'd have the will to pull away anyway and groaned softly against her mouth.

Rose had lost her power to think. All she could do was feel. The Doctor had kissed her once before, after she had looked into the heart of the TARDIS. She had saved him from the Dalek emperor at the possible expense of her own life. He had taken the Vortex out of her with a kiss saving her life but costing him his; causing his ninth self to regenerate. That moment however paled in comparison to this. The Doctor's lips were now bruising her own as he deepened the kiss. He parted her mouth with his and gently started to explore her with his tongue. His arms were almost crushing her against him and both found that breathing was becoming rapidly difficult.

Suddenly the Doctor gave a wretched cry "No!" and Rose nearly stumbled as he swiftly detached himself from their embrace. He continued to hold her hand though, hoping that she wouldn't give him the well know Tyler slap that he so richly deserved.

Rose wasn't sure what had happened. One minute he was kissing her with a passion she'd never experienced before and then suddenly he'd withdrawn. What was he playing at? Did he regret it because it was a little late for that? How dare he treat her like this! She never got the chance to berate him however as a couple of very strange things happened diverting her attention.

First of all she couldn't move and from the Doctors cursing it appeared he had also become immobile. The second strange thing was that his sonic screwdriver, which was usually kept hidden in the depths of his bigger on the inside than outside pockets, was hovering in mid air between them.

Rose forgot her anger and asked, "Doctor, what's it doing?"

The Doctor was gazing up at his handy dandy screwdriver like he'd never seen it before. It floated there, its clicks and buzzes constantly echoing in the room.

"It's trying to find a particular setting," said the Doctor, "But which one?"

"It's your screwdriver Doctor. Surely you know what settings it's got. Like a power tool. Yeah?"

"Rose the sonic screwdriver has infinite uses. Even I don't know everything it can do."

They both stood there rooted to the spot. Rose was glad at least that the Doctor was still holding her hand. It gave her a little strength as they waited for the sonic device to stop.

Rose noticed that Lothello had left the room. When had he gone? During their kiss or just before the screwdriver started acting weird?

Her thought process was interrupted suddenly when the sonic screwdriver gave a final click and buzz and a white screen of light appeared in front of them. Into the screen came two figures: figures they knew very well, for they were mirror images of themselves.

'A reflection? A hologram? A trick played by Lothello perhaps?' thought Rose as her mind raced, wondering what was coming next. They still could not move.

"Who are you?" said the Doctor to the images within the white light.

"We are your subconscious Doctor, both your own and Rose Tyler's. Too long you have struggled against what is meant to be. Too long have you refused to 'dance'. We have been brought to life from within each of you to show you your deepest desires. The technology that this planet has combined with your screwdriver has allowed us to come forth. It will allow us to show you both the unfathomable depths of love that you feel but continue to deny. We will be proof to both of you that you must take that step forward, embrace the inevitable, and burn together in a heated passion so fierce it will take all of eternity to extinguish. We will prove to you that the future is not to be worried about. Take what you have in the present and learn from us. You know we speak the truth because we are you." The Doctor and Rose figures on the screen then turned to each other and stepped into the first of their embraces.

Rose and the Doctor, both still unable to move, gaped at each other their eyes wide.

"Oh Rassilon!" breathed the Doctor. "Rose?" he asked in a guttural voice, "Is this true? Is this what you want?"

She looked at him with such love in her eyes. Why hadn't he recognised it earlier? He watched her form just one word.

"Yes."

Rose could see that all pretence in the Doctor was broken; his hearts were laid out for her to take, to keep as long as she wanted them.

The Doctor sighed once more, knowing so many reasons why this should not happen. In what seemed an age ago, a lone Dalek had said it best. She was the woman he loved and he could not pretend otherwise. He called to the figures within the light. "Show us," he commanded, "I can deny my hearts no longer."

At this acceptance of their fate the sonic screwdriver floated down until it was held within the Doctor and Rose's grasp. The embracing figures of them both remained on the screen but now something new was occurring.

Rose felt it first. She still could not move but a heat was slowly starting to find its way inside her body. She felt faint brushes against her lips sensual and soft like... like butterfly kisses and a sudden anticipation started to fill her causing her to be afraid.

"Doctor?" she cried out in panic.

"Rose, love, it's okay. Let it happen. Our subconscious selves are not only showing us our future but letting us experience the sensations as well."

"How...oh…how is it possible that they can do this?" hissed Rose as she now felt kisses sweeping her neck and shoulders.

"What, um, well... blimey, you want a science lesson at a time like this?" It was obvious that the Doctor was also having trouble thinking as he felt fingers caressing through his hair and soft lips finding sensitive spots designed to drive him crazy.

"Uh... Yeah... you're right, not now," agreed Rose as she finally realised that the two figures in the white light were now naked.

'Oh God!' thought Rose, 'What if he doesn't like my body? Will I embarrass myself?'

She glanced at him. Perhaps he read her mind because he answered her unspoken question in a manner that relaxed, pleased and excited her all at the same time.

"Rose," his voice was deep and lust shone brightly from his eyes, "Remember this is our desires. There are no mistakes, its all perfect. We are perfect and when I get the chance to prove that to you, I won't stop until you believe it too."

His gaze wandered back to the couple on the screen who were now lying on a soft stretch of green grass. Arms and hands moving they traced and learned each others bodies. Kisses followed, gentle bites, nibbles and soft lips sending thrilling sensations through them which echoed back to their conscious selves who were accepting them now without trepidation.

Rose felt she might collapse at the sheer force of passion coursing through her. Her breath was fitful, her eyes half closed with desire as the imaginary hands continued to play her like a beautiful instrument. She felt hands on her breasts, mouth and tongue caressing, kneading and teasing her nipples to life. They were being worshipped and she let out a sharp intake of breathe as it wound up the pleasure she was already feeling. She felt the same hands sliding down her waist, over her hips and caressing her thighs. She felt the hidden fingers sliding into her lower warmth and finding the source of her womanhood. Rose gasped out loud when the hand was soon joined by an equally gentle probing tongue reaching in to taste her.

'God!' she thought, holding on to the Speakers chair with her free hand for support. How divine and yet only an echo of the real thing. The gentle probing and deep thrusting caresses continued and eventually sent her spiralling over the top into ecstasy. As she felt her subconscious self orgasm the real Rose's eyes never left the Doctor's, willing him to see how she was feeling, hoping that he was experiencing the same delicious madness.

"Please," she whispered to him. "Please."

As Rose was begging him, the fires within the Doctor's body glowed brighter. He had seen the Doctor within the light please his subconscious Rose. He had felt the softness of her skin, and the soaking warmth of her core. He could see the moisture on his fingers and felt the need to put them into his mouth to taste her. His mind was suddenly overpowered by the new sensation of her bringing her hands down his chest, wrapping those beautiful arms around his waist and caressing his lower back. She ran her hands down further before returning to the space between his thighs and then by all the Gods of Gallifrey she was touching him. Running her fingers down the length of his shaft, gentle probing, playing, teasing, until he thought he might burst in more ways than one.

He could see colour flush Rose's face as she too realised what was happening. The blush faded and a naughty grin spread across her face. She was enjoying this way too much now. Wait till he got his hands on her for real.

The light moment was gone in a flash as both of them sensed that the climax was building. The figures in the light were moving again. The subconscious Doctor was poised over his love ready to claim her for his own. He pressed into her and the two were united as one. The sensations of the union were not lost on the Doctor and Rose who could both feel and experience the journey. They watched the entwined couples, soft movements, in and out, slowly at first before gaining in intensity and heat. They were riding a wave of anticipation that was building to a crescendo.

Rose felt her light bathed counterpart explode and found herself yelling "Doctor!" as unearthly pleasure coursed through her.

His guttural cry of "Rose! Oh, my beautiful Rose!" made her realise that he too was feeling the passion of the subconscious Doctor's release.

They gazed at each other and then up at the screen. The figures in the white light were kissing each other basking in the soft glow of their recent love making. Rose and the Doctor suddenly found that they could move again and wasted no time before reaching out to hold each other, lips crashing together in a fiery embrace.

"Doctor," said his subconscious self, "We have shown you proof, we have shown you love. You are not alone, remember that." Then they were gone leaving Rose and the Doctor to contemplate what had just happened.

"I love you Doctor," said Rose, her cheek pressed against his shoulder.

"Rose Tyler, in all my 900 hundred years I can honestly say that I love you more than anything else throughout the whole of time. Be with me always."

In her ear he started to sing softly another part of the lyrics he'd started earlier that day

"Its long been on my mind
You know its been a long, long time
I've tried to find the way that I can make you understand
The way I feel about you and just how much I need you
To be there where I can talk to you
When there's no one else around"

"Do we understand each other now?" breathed Rose.

"Oh yes!" said the Doctor and kissed her. He let his mouth travel a gentle path down her jaw and across the softness of her neck, relishing the male pride he felt as she shivered in delight against him.

Their embrace was interrupted by a nervous cough.

"Ahem."

It was Lothello. For a human without emotion he looked a little scared, not sure what sort of reception he would get from the couple standing in front of him.

For the first time Rose remembered the alien technology that had been in use during their recent encounter and turned bright red with embarrassment.

"Oh my God!" she said and then advanced on Lothello menacingly. "I hope you weren't in there with that machinery, watching."

The Doctor laughed. He loved it when she got angry though preferably at someone else other than him.

"No!" squeaked Lothello. "Honestly I just set up the scanner and receiver and it collected the data by itself. We have a sense of propriety you know even without emotions."

Then he asked them in a pleading voice, "Please Doctor, please Rose. I can sense that something unusual occurred here today but will you allow us to use the data to help our people?"

Rose looked at the Doctor who nodded his agreement. She then gave Lothello her consent but with one proviso.

"If this ever hits the internet you'll find yourself missing a very important part of your anatomy got it!"

"Right," whimpered Lothello. "Understood."

"So now, where's that screwdriver?" said the Doctor. "Don't want to forget it."

He found it on the floor near the Speakers chair. He tucked it into his pocket and smiled inwardly. A very versatile tool indeed. He may not have known that it was capable of today's events but he knew a setting or two that would come in handy for the future, and hoped Rose would approve.

"What are you smirking about?" asked Rose, taking his hand.

"Oh, just about how much I love you."

"Doctor?"

"Yes Rose."

"That song you were singing earlier. I think I remember it now but particularly the last verse. Would you sing it for me?"

The Doctor obliged.

"You see I'd like to share my life with you
And show you things I've seen
Places that I'm going to places where I've been
To have you there beside me and never be alone
And all the time that you're with me
We will be at home"

"Yes," breathed Rose. "Wherever I am with you, I am at home."

The Doctor kissed her passionately.

"Come then Rose, lets go find the TARDIS, our home together."

As they wandered off hand in hand he could hear the song chorus lyrics rolling through his mind.

"Follow me where I go what I do and who I know
Make it part of you to be a part of me
Follow me up and down all the way and all around
Take my hand and say you'll follow me"

John Denver... He still wasn't sure where that had come from, but he'd got it wrong. There was no leading or following. The Doctor and Rose were walking side by side into their new life together.

The way it should be.