Miss Rose Tyler, daughter and heiress to the Powell Estate, knew her life would never be what it once was. Something inside her was stirred, awoken. The young girl of nineteen was looked at and smiled upon. Destiny had taken its course and a new stage was set.

A man had entered her life, a strange and wonderful man. Unknown to the Earth, legend of the universe. One whispered word could overthrow civilisations, one sentence could alter life. It has done so for Rose.

She opened her eyes, blissfully unaware of how much time had passed. His eyes were there before her.

"Rose," he whispered.

"Doctor," she returned.

His hand that had covered hers on the console, left its place and now cupped her cheek. She took her hand away also, feeling the instant miss of the beating hum, yet somehow it was still discernible in her heart.

"What was that?" She gestured towards the place beneath the hexagonal with all the strange attributes.

"Her heart."

"Her heart?" Rose repeated his softly spoken words in reverence.

"She is bound to me, she feels what I feel. Therefore I will not add to that bond if she does not consent."

"And does she?" Rose felt aquake, waiting for this, as it seemed, final judgement.

The Doctor smiled and reassured her fluttered constitution: "She brought me here did she not? All my steps were directed towards you, from the very moment I set foot here. Do not alarm yourself any further, my dearest, loveliest Rose, she gave her consent. And now, all that is left, is for us to obtain that very same consent from your parents."

Rose smiled shyly. "So that really was a proposal? I did not imagine it?"

"Did you not understand the words? Your reply was absolute."

"I did not understand the words as such, however I understood their meaning. It is simply that-"

She averted her eyes and feeling but a little affected, she added: "I still cannot quite believe this is happening, to me. I feels like inside a dream. The words: they were so beautiful. It is as if they would break should they be uttered in any other language. Yet I long to hear them, a thousand times over, where it possible."

The Doctor's hand shifted and brought her chin up to focus her eyes back on his. "Look at me Rose."

She did as he bad.

"Will you do me the honour, of accepting my hand in marriage?"

The utter glee that appeared in her eyes, the joy that shone from her face, the tears, falling down once more, they all added up to her unmistakable and unequivocal acceptance and this time she cried: "Yes, oh yes I will."

He then scooped her up in his arms and spun her around, laughing and proclaiming: "You have made me the happiest of man."

Setting her down finally, the Doctor reached in to one of his pockets.

"I believe it is custom in some circles to present the bride with a thimble, however, since you have proclaimed your dislike of handiworks, I will not bother you with such a household gift."

He opened his hand and showed a ring, a thin band of silvery metal, containing a seal with an infinity-shaped figure, made of curls.

"This is the Prydonian Seal, it is the seal of my Chapter House. It did not mean so much to me when I was amongst many others of that Chapter, but being left the last, this is one of the few claims I have that remain of my lineage."

Rose took the ring from his hand and studied it with eager concentration.

"It is beautiful, is it silver?"

"It is rhodium, very rare, very expensive, native to this world. It has a very high melting point and is poorly malleable. I choose it due to the lovely rose colour of one of its chlorine compounds, produced after reacting with the powerful acid mixture aqua regia- What?"

Rose burst out laughing. "I think very highly of you, my dear Doctor. Your ability to ramble is rather impressive. I can not pretend to have the faintest notion of what it is you speak off, however I think you to be the wisest man I have ever known."

The Doctor smiled, "Have you lived as long as I have, you will not be any different."

"Now that will never happen, will it? Me just being a mere human, my lifespan will have seized to be, long before yours is at its end."

The Doctor did not reply to this. His mouth opened as if to object, only to close again, leaving an indefinable look on his face.

With the endeavour to surpass the issue, the Doctor turned back to the subject at hand. "The ring is not old. I had it made after first I laid eyes on you."

"You had it made especially for me?" Rose was stunned.

Taking the ring back from her, the Doctor took her left hand also and put the small band on her ring finger.

"It is not yet a custom, howbeit near the end of this century, many people will come to consider the exchange of one or two rings, part of the marriage ceremony."

"Oh, I like that. Much better than giving the girl a thimble, implying her to become seamstress for her new husband."

They shared a heartily laugh, until the Doctor kissed the ring on her finger and thus made Rose blush fervently.

Next thing, the Doctor jumped away and glancing at a screen, announced: "The rain has passed, come let's away and meet the folks."

"Folks?"

"Forgive me, speech alters over time. Much of its allure and refinement gets forgotten, surrendered to ease and convenience. I will take you to the early twenty first century and you will not know what is meant halve the time. Do not trouble yourself however, you will learn very quickly and blend in like you have always belonged there."

"Will I learn many alien languages? Or is there one universal speech?"

"There are thousands of languages, one for every world at least, the TARDIS knows all and will translate for you."

"How, pray tell?"

"She is slightly telepathic, as am I."

Rose contemplated on this for a moment, after which she asked: "You refer, I presume, to a mental state, wherein you can read other peoples mind?"

"In a way, yes. There are many different forms of telepathy. This is not a way to eavesdrop or spy, it requires actual tough in my case. With the TARDIS it is simply a disclosure of a part of the brain, which allows outside input to be processed. Does it scare you?"

"No, no, it fascinates me. Of course, my trust in both of you helps it to be not a frightful affair. Were it to come from any other man, I would be very alarmed indeed."

"Very good."

"Also-" To this, Rose paused, reviewing which way was best to put the following.

"I think it might be better, not to expose all that has happened and been revealed to my parents. Or to my friends for that matter. I fear they will forbid me to go with you, should they be informed. And should we elope, I fear I will never see them again."

"You would do that? Elope with me?"

Rose smiled shyly and gave a slight nod. "I can never go back. It would hurt beyond measure, were it necessary. But I think it evident there is no greater fulfilment imaginable, then to be at your side."

"I will make it my soul purpose in life to see to your happiness. Therefore I will never position you in a situation that will force you to quit the association of those dearest to you."

"Thank you."

They began their walk to the white doors, when Rose halted one last time.

"What should I call you? Of course I comprehend and commit myself completely in calling you simply the Doctor. However my parents and friends will need a name to mention me by, after-" She continued abashed: "After the wedding."

"Ah, yes. Leaving you without a title would subjugate your parents to slander and your friends to shame, that will not do."

"You mentioned being a Sir, is there a name connected to that title?"

"Alas, my title will not be bestowed on me until 1879. I cannot give prove of my knighthood to be of any use to you. And also, that title simply names me Sir Doctor of Tardis, not a name your parents would be comfortable to announce."

Rose smiled, it would not have mattered to her. However, she knew her mothers disposition and high expectations. There simply had to be a name.

"I have an alias, namely John Smith. Though I fear of you having a friend, and dare I venture, soon two, already carrying that name, it will only cause indistinctness."

"Michael and Martha, how I long to see both of them equally blessed, well matched."

After standing in front of the doors in silence for a few minutes, the Doctor suddenly yelled: "Ha! Of course, there is a name; an ancient name. Never been useful, never needed until now. The perfect name to give honour to your family and ease to your mind."

"What is it?"

"There were houses on my world, in which children were not born, but loomed. I will tell you the story an other day. Only necessary to know the house I came from, bore the name of Lungbarrow."

"Lungbarrow, that sounds very distinguished. How come you did not use it till now?"

"I was cast out, somewhat of a renegade I am. Many of the customs and ideas of my people became unbearable. I could not abide and was banished forthwith. It has never been a name of which I could be proud. However, since there is no history known here on Earth to connect that name to evil, it will do very well."

"You know it does not matter to me which name I bare, as long as I can be called yours. Nevertheless you are correct in reckoning it will give me peace of mind, knowing my parents will not suffer obscurity."

"Very well, for all your family and friends, we shall be called Sir John and Lady Rose Lungbarrow. For the rest of the universe, we shall simply be: The Doctor and Rose, in the TARDIS."

Their journey back to the estate was one of pleasant conversation. Little details of their lives, small matters of affection or dislike, nothing very trivial.

The ground was damp after the heavy rainfall and muddy extends were carefully avoided. Teasing the Doctor by suggesting to cross the small ditch again in a jump, left Rose being lifted up in one sweep and carried across. Her face full red when he put her down again.

They entered the house when dinnertime was at an end and Mr. Tyler had already withdrawn himself to the library. The Doctor went in search of him, while Rose quickly sought out her mother to give ease and reason for joy.

The conversation the Doctor had with Mr. Tyler was of short duration. Wherein the former confirmed the suspicions the latter heretofore held and aided in giving satisfaction as to identification and settlement.

The Doctor informed Longburrow Hall, near London belonged to a too distant relation to be of acquaintance and therefore not suitable to be applied to by association. He mentioned his desire to travel, and Mr. Tyler, not wholly unbeknown to his daughters dislike for the usual female pursuits, accepted Rose's choice without much aversion. There was the simple matter of her being heiress and entitled to succeed ownership of Powell Estate once her father was gone, but that was nothing to be held against her wishes to not always remain there till that moment arrived.

Consent was given, congratulations were happily received and a pleasurable evening was spent while conversing about tidbits.

The conversation Rose had with her mother was of a slightly different kind.