Rose woke with a start. Gasping for breath, she attempted to sit up but found herself held back by a mysterious force. She willed the dancing colours to form coherent images before her eyes. Slowly blobs and indistinct forms morphed into the ceiling of the TARDIS console room.

"What… what…" she gasped. Her heart was beating rapidly, her breaths were ragged and quick.

"Shhh…" she heard from her left. "Shhhh… It's alright. You're ok." The speaker came into view. It was the Doctor. He hovered over her and closed his eyes. Nearly instantaneously a cool wave washed over her body and she calmed.

Her thoughts, jumbled just a moment ago, were coming into focus now. "What happened? I don't understand. Was it a dream?" He shook his head. "The Eaglon, the maze… ANNI…"

"Exactly."

"What?"

"ANNI- Automated Neural Network Integration. She psychically took control of you."

"I don't understand." Rose was staring up into his eyes. They were soft and concerned.

"ANNI is a…" He thought for a moment, searching for the right words. "ANNI uses a psychic wave to transmit from a Neural Network to individuals in the receiving area. A Neural Network is kind of… a… a thing, you know? It, uh, brings information to people."

"What information?"

"Any information. All the information."

"So it's like the internet?"

"No… well, yes. Except not really. Ok, let's think about it like the internet. The Neural Network is kind of like the internet. All the information is stored there. It connects to individual beings using a psychic wave. It's like…" he paused again, thinking. "It's like wireless internet. The psychic wave is transmitted and individuals pick it up, much like a computer would. But it needs a physical interface in order to transmit the signal."

"Physical interface? Like a router? So instead of using a router it uses a physical interface… me?"

"Precisely!" he cried excitedly. "The Neural Network needs a physical interface. That's where ANNI comes in. ANNI is what chooses who will be the interface. Long, long time ago," he began animatedly. "The creators of the Neural Network decided to set up a failsafe should they be unable to carry on their method of choosing interfaces. So they automated the Neural Network. They set up parameters for ANNI to choose the interface so that it could run in perpetuity."

"Why did she choose me?"

"I have no idea." He was clearly flummoxed.

"So ANNI was challenging us? If we didn't make it out, we'd be… what? Transmitters?"

"Dead. You'd be dead." She gulped. "And it's not exactly us…"

"But you were there, too. You found me in the maze…" she felt a gentle tapping on each of her temples as he moved his fingers lightly. "You… were in my head, too? You and ANNI?"

"Um, yes." He averted his eyes.

"So, let me get this straight, yeah? ANNI psychically takes over my brain and you jump in to….?"

His response was quiet but full of meaning. "I was concerned. No one's ever survived a challenge from ANNI."

"Oh." He smiled weakly. "And if I died in there, I die here." She paused thoughtfully. "You told me to run. No matter what, you said, run. You were willing to do that for me."

"Well, to be fair, I was fairly sure nothing would happen to me if I died in there. I wasn't positive, but I had a good feeling about it."

"I'm not in danger now though, right?"

"No. None at all."

"Then could I…" she gestured with her head indicating her desire to sit up.

"Oh, right, of course." The instant he removed his fingers from her temples Rose felt an expulsion of warmth echo through her body. She shuddered. "Oh, sorry." The Doctor removed his coat and draped it over her shoulders. "That's a common reaction to psychic withdrawal." He pulled her close and gently rubbed her arms.

She leaned her head against his shoulder. He smelled like leather and cinnamon, an exotic combination that served to comfort her on one hand and excite her on another. Right now, however, she just wished to breathe deeply and be held.

He cleared his throat. "The human mind is kind of like a long hallway, rooms on either side holding memories. When you want to access those memories it's like opening one of the doors. You can go in and riffle around, paw through the filing cabinets and then hold the memory in your hand. When I was trying to find where ANNI was in your mind, I had to open a lot of doors. I saw a few things you may not have wanted me to."

She moved back and turned her eyes to him. He knew everything about her. What could he possibly be talking about? Her brow furrowed as she tried, without success, to find one memory she would not willingly give him.

He sat a moment almost as if he wanted her figure out what he was talking about. With a look of exasperation when she could not satisfactorily read his mind he pursed his lips. With a voice just a touch higher than he typically spoke with he cooed, "You've been looking. And you like it…"

Rose's cheeks flushed immediately. She had been fairly certain that he had no memory of when Cassandra took over his body because she had no memory of when it happened to her. Hearing him repeat those words embarrassed her to no end. She cringed and pulled the jacket tighter.

To his credit, the Doctor attempted to stifle his laugh, but some things are too difficult, even for a Timelord. His chuckle turned into a full-blown laugh which itself morphed into a roar. Rose turned to him, thinking he was making fun of her. But the laughter was so good-natured and so contagious that not even Rose could resist. Soon they were breathless from the exertion.

"You know, though, you're not the only one who's been looking…" Rose's eyes widened. Was he saying what she thought he was saying?

"What?"

"Rose," he cupped her cheek. "My brilliant, fantastic Rose." He gently brushed a strand of hair from in front of her eyes.

"Doctor," but before she could finish the thought, his lips crashed into hers, and with them something exploded in her brain. Purple and green and light and stars and the warmth of the sun on a spring day and the laughter of the children and all the things she loved. And the Doctor. Especially the Doctor.

His body was warm and her lips were willing. Her hands rested on his hips as his pulled her face closer. The kiss was sweet and full of passion and absolutely perfect.

He pulled back and Rose could not help the broad smile the suddenly spread across her face. His face echoed her own. Then, just as quickly, he spun on his heel and sauntered back to the console.

"So, Rose Tyler, where do you want to go next?" The Doctor fiddled with the levers and spun a do-hickey.

Rose, startled finally into action moved toward him.

"I don't really care, 's long as it's with you."

"And that, Rose Tyler," he said as pushed a button and looked sweetly yet excitedly at her. "Is exactly why I keep you around."