I don't own Doctor Who. If I did, Rose and Ten would still be on the show. He might still adopt a bowtie, though. Cuz I gotta admit, bowties are pretty cool.

The Doctor sat tearstained and limp in the TARDIS infirmary, going over the events of the past hour in his head. He had defeated whatever evil ruler the TARDIS had brought him to (he'd already forgotten the alien's name), but he wouldn't've if he knew what would happen in the process.

He was running with her, running from the alien overlord's guards. But it didn't matter... running, walking, they might as well have just stood there for all the good it did for her. As they were on their way out, they ran into a couple guards that were coming their direction. No matter, he thought. They had passed plenty of guards in their time, these ones should be no different. But then, without hesitation, one of them shot. Not at him, but at her. At his Rose.

I could've saved her. He didn't know how, but he knew, just knew that there must've been some way he could've kept her alive and well.

He kept listening to the back of his mind.

You could have saved her. There was a way, Doctor. You could have saved her. She could still be here. But she isn't, and it's your fault, Doctor. Your fault. Those words, they kept repeating in his head, over and over, haunting his mind.

Your fault.

He was on his knees, tears forming in his eyes again, next to his now lifeless companion. His wilted Rose.

"I've seen fake gods and bad gods and demi-gods and would-be gods..." He managed, blinking back tears. "I've had the whole pantheon. But if I believed in one thing... just one thing..." He whispered. "I believed in you." With that, he left a kiss on her forehead, and walked out of the room, closing the door slowly behind him.

xoxo

The next morning, the Doctor woke up slowly, face tearstained from crying himself to sleep the other night. He didn't want to get up and face the world, but he knew he had to. He went to the kitchen and make himself some breakfast, though he wasn't really hungry. He stopped it his tracks when he stepped in.

"Mornin, Doctor!" Rose exclaimed, looking up from her sudoku.

He stumbled back. "R... Rose?"

"What's the matter?"

"You... th-this isn't possible... you're dead! The guard shot you!" He shook his head in denial.

Rose pulled her shirt up to reveal the stitches he had made where a bullet hole previously was. "Is that what this is about? Found it while I was showering, scared me half to death it did."

"Y... you're really Rose?"

"Last time I checked, yeah."

The Doctor ran up and hugged her, lifting her up, tears forming once again. But these were tears of joy. His Rose was back. He didn't understand how, but he didn't really care. She was back, and this time he would be sure to tell her how he felt. He was given a second chance, and he wasn't going to mess this one up. "Rose Tyler, I need you to listen to me." he said as he put her down, but kept his hands on her shoulders.

Rose just nodded, surprised at the sudden change of tone.

"I thought you were dead. You understand this much, correct?"

"Well, I woke up in the infirmary, so I assumed I must've been hurt pretty bad."

"You were. And it was my fault."

"No it-" Rose began, but the Doctor cut her off.

"But that's not the point right now. I've been wanting to tell you something for a while, but I've been to much of a coward to do it. But now that I've had you slip out of my hands, I realize how important it is that you know."

"Kn-know what?"

"Rose Marion Tyler... I love you. I love you more than anything I've ever met or seen or touched or heard. I know before I met you I was merely a lonely Time Lord, but having you gone, I had no will to live. Nothing in the universe could make up for losing you. I could meet a thousand other people, but not one of them could I possibly love as much as I love you. Since you've been with me, my greatest fear isn't an alien race or Daleks or any other robots, my greatest fear is you asking me to bring you back home. And I would. I would sacrifice my own happiness just to please you. If you asked me to rearrange the stars, I would, a thousand times, if it meant not having to be apart from you. I love you, Rose. And nothing can change that."

Rose had been crying since the middle of his speech. "You had me at 'Marion'." She laughed through her tears.

The Doctor laughed as well, and not being able to restrain himself any longer, pulled her into a passionate kiss.

/implausiblehappyending

Well, I hope you liked it... if you didn't, at least I had control of your mind for a few brief minutes while you were reading this.

This actually didn't take me too long... I am intentionally avoiding the last two episode of Season 2 at the moment, so no spoilers in your review that you're going to write!

I'm just stretching this Author's Note to pass 1000 words. You can stop reading now.