Rose and the Doctor's guilt

Chapter 1

"What if I need you?" a tearful Rose had asked.

"You don't, it's just you and him," Mickey had replied.

Those were some of the last words Rose Tyler and Mickey Smith had said to each other as she got back into the Tardis, a few minutes of power remaining for the Doctor to get them back home and into their own universe or be left there forever.

Rose knew the reason why Mickey had chosen to stay, her and the Doctor. Mickey had hit the final nail on the head and hammered it home to her, she had been resentful when Mickey had talked his way on board after the school had been blown up and the Krillitains had been defeated. She had tried to pretend that she wasn't in love with the Doctor but she was, she knew it and every second they had spent together had proved it, even flirting with him in front of Mickey, not intentionally at first but eventually enough to drive him away.

Even back on Pete's world, she had shown Mickey less affection than she had the Doctor, the final hug as they'd wished each other good luck had finally proved it, if there had been no-one there she would have kissed him right there and even might have done if she had thought there wasn't a chance Mickey would turn around and see them. Now he was gone, forever apparently, no way back. She hadn't intended for him to stay there but she realised he really wasn't an idiot and that she hadn't fooled him, she'd been fooling herself into thinking she could control the fine balance between him and the Doctor but the Doctor was tipping the balance in his favour.

Now she had what she wanted but at what cost? She finally had the Doctor to herself and she was not proud of how she had achieved it, driving Mickey away slowly but surely, enough to put him out of the picture and she wasn't sure now how the Doctor would take it. Was he holding back because he wasn't sure where he stood? Didn't want to be caught in the middle? Didn't want to be the cause of a break-up? But it was her that was caught in the middle and at first she had been undecided which way to turn but after his regeneration, she knew and couldn't do anything about it because she was afraid the Doctor wouldn't want her, not when he thought she was still with Mickey, which she wasn't.

Now it had been resolved for her. Mickey had chosen to remove himself from the picture and all she had to do now is see if the Doctor wanted to pursue their relationship.

ooooooooo{silversurfer60}ooooooooo

The Doctor had watched Rose saying goodbye to Mickey, leaving them in favour of preparing the Tardis to leave before the power faded again. He'd told her five minutes but that was to be on the safe side. He had an idea Mickey wasn't going to be leaving with them but it still came as a shock to actually hear him say it. Rose had said they could go back and visit but they couldn't, the walls would be sealed as soon as they got away, he couldn't allow anything to fall through the gap again, not even them. Rose had been upset or was she? He didn't know if it was the fact Mickey was finally 'getting out' after being tired of being the tin dog or being played for a fool or the fact she could now give him her full attention and would be confronting him sooner or later. Did he want a deeper relationship with her though? Who in their right mind wouldn't? He was male, warm blooded, not quite human but close enough and very attracted to her, how could he not be attracted to her?

He hadn't wanted to come between her and Mickey even though it was clear there was no romance left between them but they had remained friends and he'd even agreed eventually to give in and let him travel with them which had resulted in him staying on 'Pete's World' in the first place. Now they had flown off and Rose would never see him again but seeing Mickey's face before they had landed there as they were leaving him out of their jokes and sitting together, laughing just moments before they had crash landed, then making sure Rose was ok before he asked Mickey, how could Mickey ever want to return with them?