"Well, here we are. Mars," the bowtie Doctor announced. "We saved the day, took care of the Master, and now it's time for farewells." He looked around at everyone and saw nothing but downcast gazes. "Sad? Is everyone sad? Why is everyone sad?"

"Farewells are hard," answered young Rose.

"Yes, but it's us and us," the bowtie Doctor reminded her. "It's not actually farewell. It's Rose and the Doctor, and Rose and the Doctor. You've got your Doctor now and you'll definitely see this me again. And of course you'll always be you, so you can't miss yourself. Nothing to miss."

"Sorry, but before we leave, do you mind if this Doctor takes me to the infirmary?" asked older Rose.

"What's wrong?" both Doctors quickly asked.

"It's alright. I'm okay. It's just… Do you mind?"

"No, of course not," said the younger Doctor. They walked into the infirmary together and the Doctor immediately asked again, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I just wanted a proper goodbye from you," she confessed. "The younger me will eventually see that Doctor, but I don't get to see you again."

"But I'm the same man," he reminded her. "Well, he's a bit strange and that sort of scares me, but he's still me."

"That's just it. I love you always, but you're always a bit different. I miss you like this. I just wish I had a little more time with you."

"I'm sorry, too. I'm going to forget all this. The young Rose I'm traveling with now, she's amazing, absolutely incredible, but I wish I could remember this adventure or even just a sliver of it, to think about the mature, brilliant woman she becomes. You're fantastic, Rose Tyler. Then, now, and always."

Rose reached up and tenderly brushed his cheek. "I just wish you could remember that I love you."

The Doctor blinked down at her, looking a bit nervous. "Love? Like love?"

Rose chuckled. "Surely, you must have guessed. You already love her now, don't you? You're still afraid, partly because she's young, partly because she's human, and partly because love is just scary. It doesn't have to be scary though. She loves you, too. It's just, she's as scared and confused as you are."

The Doctor just nodded.

"If it's alright, I'm going to ask you to stop being scared for just a moment… After Bad Wolf, when the energy was put back, you locked away my memory of it… so I don't remember when…"

"Remember when what?"

"The first time you kissed me. You made me forget. It was the only kiss I got from you when you were like this and you made me forget. It's not fair."

The Doctor swallowed hard, obviously nervous.

"Forget that you're scared for minute? Know that I'll love you and stay with you the rest of your life? Kiss me like you can keep me forever?"

The Doctor stared at her a moment and she saw hope and longing in his sad eyes. She gently stroked his cheek again and his eyes closed. Rose guided him to meet her. Their lips met and they stilled there. Warmth spread through their bodies at just that light contact. Rose kissed him again more firmly and the Doctor reciprocated. With each kiss, they desired another. The Doctor pulled her against him and her fingers ran through his short dark hair. He moaned into the kiss and found he was daring enough to run his hands up her sides and back down over her hips. Rose opened the kiss and their tongues touched tentatively. Inhibitions were quickly falling away and the kiss became more desperate. They both remembered that this one kiss would be the only one they'd get to share as they were now. The Doctor was even more daring, stroking his hands up her back beneath her shirt and running them back down to grip her bum. Rose moaned in pleasure and felt his excitement growing between them. She thought that they should stop. So did he, but neither of them could relinquish the other. Rose's hands caressed his skin beneath his thin jumper all the way up chest.

"Hey, how are things go-" the bowtie Doctor stopped suddenly when he saw them and popped back into the hallway. "No, you've got to go back. You can't see this. Very private," he was presumably telling the younger Rose. There was a bit of arguing, but then the bowtie Doctor stepped fully into the room. "Rose Tyler, I thought there was a problem. You left us out there to wait just so you could seduce me? The me that has only just begun entertaining those kinds of thoughts?"

"Oh, I assure you he wasn't just entertaining thoughts a second ago," Rose teased.

"You are impossible. You know I'm all yours, but you can't go seducing my past. That's not how it's supposed to work," he admonished. "That me doesn't get kissed. Well, he gives you a kiss once and Jack gives him a kiss. But he doesn't get snogged and certainly doesn't get that touchy touchy business."

"Is that supposed to dissuade me? Because really that just makes me think of how unfair that is. As sexy as he is, he receives no pleasure or recognition like that?"

"Sexy? I… We're not… You shouldn't be doing this and we've got to go," he said sternly.

"Alright. Understood. Just give me a minute to say goodbye and we'll be right out," Rose replied.

The bowtie Doctor looked at her skeptically.

"We'll be right out," Rose assured him. The Doctor nodded and left.

Rose blushed as she looked up at the Doctor in the leather jacket. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get carried away like that. Really, I just intended a goodbye kiss."

The Doctor just nodded, looking a bit uncertain again.

"Don't go silent now. This is my goodbye," she said anxiously. "I'm sorry. I guess it really wasn't fair of me, but please don't be upset with me. I-"

Rose was cut off when the Doctor pulled her to him again and kissed her passionately. Again, they were frantic for more and hands roamed quickly an intimately, but both pulled back before they got any more carried away.

"You're really mine forever?" he asked hopefully.

"You know that we get separated, but even in that time, my heart's all yours. When I find my way back to you… all yours. Always." Rose caressed his cheek and gave him one last quick kiss. "Thank you for this."

"I only wish I could remember," he said mournfully.

"Since you won't, I guess I could get away with this, too…" Rose smiled mischievously as she rubbed him over his trousers.

"Stop, I'm trying to fix that," he grumbled.

"I wish I could help you fix it. You weren't the only one entertaining those kinds of thoughts. Back then or now."

Rose's grin didn't fade as they walked back toward the console room. The Doctor had to adjust his trousers a couple times and each time, Rose giggled. The second time she did, the Doctor smirked and pinched her bum.

"If I knew you could be so passionate and playful, I would have done that a lot, lot sooner," she told him.

"Same."

They must have looked like grinning idiots when they stepped into the control room because the bowtie Doctor sighed and rolled his eyes.

Young Rose looked at them curiously. "I thought something was wrong… but you're smiling…"

"Just reminiscing on the way back out here." Older Rose tried not to laugh. They'd been reminiscing about the last ten minutes or so. "No problems anymore though. He's a good Doctor. Makes everything better."

The bowtie Doctor huffed in frustration. "Can we go now?"

"Yes," Rose answered, looking and sounding harassed.

"Alright. Good. Farewell, younger us." The bowtie Doctor waved and stepped out of the TARDIS.

"Guess this it," said older Rose. "You're stuck with me, so you're definitely going to be seeing me around. If there was only one thing you could remember from this meeting, I wish it'd be this: You're perfect. Just as you are now. This you - you beat yourself up a lot. You shouldn't. You're fantastic."

Rose waved to her younger self and turned to go. Before she could take her second step, the Doctor turned her back and gave her one last deep kiss to savor. Rose stepped back blushing.

"You weren't supposed to do that out here," she said bashfully.

"She's going to forget anyway," the Doctor smirked.

"In that case," Rose stepped forward and gave him one last peck.

"Rose Tyler!" the bowtie Doctor scolded. "Did you not hear me before? I said no seducing younger me! And you're doing it in front of younger Rose! You're going to scare the hell out of her. Step away from Mr. Leather Jacket and get back in the right TARDIS!"

"You're just jealous," she told him.

"Yes, in fact, I am. He had his chance. You're supposed to be with this me now. So go home," he said sternly.

"You might not remember this, Doctor, but I will. Always." Rose turned and started walking away, but the younger Doctor still reached out and pinched her bum again.

"I said that's enough!" the bowtie Doctor scolded him, too. The bowtie Doctor watched his Rose walk out the door then looked up at young Rose. "I'm sorry about them. It doesn't matter how old you get, you never get any better at listening… but I guess I should admit, I'm not much better."

Young Rose appeared utterly bewildered and looked from one Doctor to the other.

"Take care of her," the younger Doctor ordered.

"You, too. She never stops attracting trouble."

"Good to know."

The Doctors waved to one another and each flew off with their Rose.

The End

I have no idea where this chapter came from! It doesn't fit the tone of the rest of the story at all. It must be the serious Nine/Rose shipper in me (I love Nine!). This wasn't really the ending I intended, but once I wrote it, I couldn't imagine anything else. If you liked it, I'm so glad! If it felt out of place and wasn't the ending you were hoping for, I'm sorry.

I've got another story written that I'm going to start posting in a day or two. It's called "Pupils in the Pliocene."