Rose wasn't quite sure how long she had stayed curled up on the floor. She stopped crying almost straight away, one thing she had learnt was that crying wouldn't bring him back. Too numb to move, and quite frankly too tired to care, Rose just sat on the floor, staring at the place where he had been.

It was quite ironic really, things had gone exactly as they were meant to, but they couldn't feel more wrong.

As the sun slowly began to rise, and the fact that he was now quite literally on the other side, time has never seemed less important. She was only awoken by her coma state as she heard the familiar sounds of papers rustlings and filing cabinets opening, which reminded Rose that there was a world outside of her office.

So Rose did the only thing that she knew, she got up, dusted herself off, and went to find some reports to finish. Rose decided she had to carry on. I mean, there wasn't much else to do; there was no way now to go back.

He had one universe to defend already, so she may as well defend the other.

Rose spent the entire day working, skipping lunch and keeping herself to herself, she tried to convince herself that she was keeping busy and coping, but in reality she just didn't want to return back to the flat. She didn't want to sleep in the bed which still carried his smell and his imprint.

Rose was busy listing the reasons in her head of why she should stay at work when she was rudely interrupted by the growling noise erupting from her stomach. Rose wanted to work forever, but her body had other ideas. Sighing loudly, she grabbed her handbag, and left Torchwood. Walking home, she drew her jacket tightly around herself. She wasn't particularly cold, but it was something to distract her now empty hands.

"Who's going to hold his hand now?" Rose thought to herself, again.

Rose took the long way home in order to pick up some chips, there was a chippy right up the road from Torchwood, but he had gone there, so that made things too….domestic now he was gone.

Trudging up the stairs, Rose fumbled around for her keys in her bag, as a chip was half hanging out of her mouth. Stuffing another one in so she could enjoy them whilst they were still semi warm, Rose found her key, opened the door, and threw her bag into the hall.

Kicking the door behind her shut behind her, Rose didn't ever reach the sofa.

In her way stood a tall man.

With great hair.

"Rose Tyler" he chucked "I don't know I can't leave you five bloody minutes! I've only been gone, pooh what is it? ``18 hours, well actually only 10 minutes but I thought I'd surprise you here! Anyway where was i? Ah yes, I've barely been gone and you've already gone back to chips and tele!"

Rose just stared at him, emotionally exhausted.

"Hi" she barely chocked out?

"Oh even better!" "I do the impossible and all I get is 'Hi' Blimey I'd hate to hear what you say to your work colleagues when they muck up!" Despite his laughter he couldn't hide the tears in his eyes.

"How? I thought…but" Rose was having trouble organising her thoughts as a million questions raced through her mind.

"The dimension cannon was locked onto the Tardis, so they were connected, and with me standing there, ready to go, I was connected to both. It heard you asking me to stay, and felt me wanting to stay with you. The Tardis listened, and I ended up here. Guess she did always take me where I needed to be." The doctor couldn't hide his tears anymore.

"I'm sorry…I'm so so sorry" Rose whispered in between huge sobs. "I was just confused, I just wanted you to be happy, and I felt guilty if you stayed here for me. And I was angry and stupid and yelling at you for not giving me a choice when I was about to do the same to you and…."

Whilst Rose was pouring her heart out in between choked sobs The Doctor had closed the gap between them with three large steps, and stopped her mouth with a kiss. Kissing him back deeply, she clung to his jacked and he protectively wrapped both his arms around her waist and pulled her into him.

Eventually they broke apart, resting their foreheads against each other, their tears mixed.

"This is it" he cried. "You and me, forever, this is where I want to be."

"Good" she laughed, "Because I am never letting you go again."

The Doctor carried Rose into her bedroom and put her to bed before joining her. Laying her head on his chest, she curled herself into him as he held her.

And he never let go

Ever