Disclaimer: Doctor Who is not mine and never, ever will be.

A Call From Home
To an ordinary person, she was just another face in the crowd. There was nothing about her, which screamed just how extraordinary she was. That she had seen things these people could only dream about.

She was Rose Tyler. The Bad Wolf. The Defender of the Earth. She had seen the end of the world and beyond. She had met Charles Dickens and Queen Victoria. She had dangled from a barrage balloon during the Blitz and defeated the Devil himself.

Not one person could tell just how heartbroken she was and how much she ached for man she could never see again, because she did not let them, hiding it all with her determination.

She still could not believe how uninteresting living a linear life on Earth could be. After seeing such exciting and fascinating things with the Doctor, everything seemed to have lost its appeal. She gazed at the sky and the sun she had seen die.

What could you do, when the sun and the stars were constant reminders of a life and love so brutally torn away?

Suddenly she felt her phone vibrate. With a sigh she picked it up, hoping it was not Torchwod. Right now, all she wanted was to go back to her apartment and relax and try not to think about her hopeless situation.

"Hello, this is Rose Tyler," she said. There was a moment of silence on the other end, but when the other person spoke, the voice took her breath away.

"I know. Long time no see."

Oh no. This was some kind of hallucination or a really, really bad practical joke. There was no way he was calling her, it was simply impossible.

"Who are you?" she said, unable to keep her voice from rising. "What do you want from me?!"

"Blimey, a guy calls to say hello to his long lost friend, and that's how you react? And I thought I was rude. Although I do admit, it's a sudden, unexpected and, judged by your reaction, rather shocking call. Maybe I am the rude one. Always rude and not ginger. I should have called to tell you I was going to call, but that doesn't make much sense, does it?"

There was only one man, who could babble on and on like that. Immediately her anger was washed away and replaced with hope and excitement.

"D-Doctor?" she whispered. "Is... is it really you?"

"Who else? Now, turn around, please, so I can say a proper hello. It's no fun looking at the back of your head, though it certainly has its advantages."

Slowly she turned around, seeing a mop of unruly brown hair in the crows. He was standing a few feet away, beaming happily. She dropped her phone in shock, unable to tear her gaze away from him. She was frozen to the spot in several seconds, unable to wrap her head around the fact that it was him and he was here. However, this state of disbelief only lasted a few seconds, before she ran to him, pushing people out of her way, and practically threw herself into his waiting arms.

They stood there, in the middle of the street, clinging to each other. A few people swore at them, but they did not notice. All they cared about was each other and the wonderful feeling of finally being with each other again.

They broke apart, and she cupped his cheek, looking into his brown eyes. "I love you," she said and saw his smile widen even more.

"Oh, Rose Tyler, you wonderful, brilliant human. You beautiful, sweet woman. How could I possibly not love you too?"

Rose laughed aloud as she finally heard the words she had dreamed about ever since that day on Bad Wolf Bay.

"Isn't it rather rude to laugh when a poor, lonely yet devilishly handsome Time Lord declares his love for you?" the Doctor asked.

"Yes, yes it is. I guess you were right when you said I was rude and not ginger," Rose said.

"Oh, but I am always right. We could travel the Universe, being rude and not ginger together... I mean, if that's what you want..." He tried not to sound too hopeful. "I mean, you have your family here, a job at Torchwood, I wouldn't blame you if you want to stay..."

"Doctor," Rose interrupted him. "I love you, and I promised you forever, and I promise this time nothing will stop me from fulfilling my promise."

He leaned down, and their lips met in a sweet, gently kiss. It was like nothing they had ever experienced. This was better than winning a bet, bananas and edible ball bearings. This was where they belonged.

This was home.