The kiss lasted but a moment, there the Doctor perceived the sound of footsteps and gentle conversation approaching. Rose could not hear a single thing, she was still in a state of utter light-headedness. Her eyes fluttered open when the Doctor quickly rose and pulled her along, unwilling to forgo the privilege of privacy just yet.

Taking a detour, swiftly crossing a patch of grass, leading to a path into more dense groves, the Doctor did not take his arm from around her waist, until he was sure she could once again stand on her own feet.

"Propriety bids me to apologize right now, but that would suggest I did something to be sorry about and that is not the case. However if I have offended you, I do beg your pardon."

"No need," Rose had found her composure and feeling a little giddy, she added: "Feel free to 'offend' me, any time you please."

Mesmerized by the tip of her tongue peeking out the corner of her mouth, the Doctor momentarily failed to register her words, nevertheless the result was quite the same.

His long, lean fingers rose to caress her soft cheek and tilting his head a little, he moved in to comply wholeheartedly.

This time the kiss began chaste, a simple press of one's lips to the other's. When the Doctor stepped forward, making their body's connect, Rose gasped and seizing the opportunity of her lips parting, the Doctor deepened the kiss.

Rose had known the Doctor would show her the stars, taking her along in his beautiful ship. However seeing stars so soon had not entered her mind, and there was simply no other explanation for the state she was presently in. Her hands moved on their own accord, one to rest on his back, the other drifted further up and came to a halt when she reached his hair.

Her fingers started curling themselves around the soft strands in his neck and she was shocked when a low growl emerged from the back of his throat and he pressed her more firmly against him.

When the thought entered her mind that she became in dire need of oxygen, the Doctor abruptly released her and took a shaky step back.

He looked at her, with open admiration and clear desire, he did not make an apology and Rose did not seek one. They were both breathing a bit heavy, struggling to regain some balance.

Finally Rose found enough composure to steady her voice and she said: "I think it best-"

She swallowed and continued, a tad more shy: "That you should marry me as soon as possible."

The Doctor, not knowing what kind of reprimand was to be expected, certainly had not suspected this and relief visible in all his features, he burst out laughing.

Taking both her hands in his he said: "My amazing, brilliant Rose. I will, as soon as humanly possible. Having unfortunately not a clue what needs to be done before the blessed event can take place, you may settle the date to your liking. Do not trouble yourself, believing me anxious to leave here. I will be as happy as you are, simply being near you."

Rose felt there was an emotion following that statement, and imagining she understood his unspoken words, she agreed to herself to set the date at the earliest opportunity.

"I think one week from now will give ample time to secure all the necessary preparations."

Her guess proofed correct, when she saw his eyebrows rise in happy surprise and the kiss he placed on her hand made her smile affectionately.

"Are you sure though?" He questioned, brow wrinkled. "I would just as well wait a month, should you need one. I know women usually have great expectations for their wedding day, nothing less than perfection and all. To have you regret your wedding day the rest of your life, due to rushing on my account, would be mortifying."

"To make you wait a month, simply to pride myself on a slightly bigger cake, a few more distant relatives and some centimetres extra lace, no, I will not torment you thus. The state of perfection I desire of my wedding day only depends on your presence and affection. My mother will be disappointed to be sure, but she and my father will both understand the urgency of a travelling man, having business elsewhere."

"That is not the case, Rose."

"They need not know, and it is a more appropriate reason than my wish to be intimate."

Her cheeks were on fire after those last words and she bit her lip when a satisfied smirk appeared on the Doctor's face.

"Well it's all your fault," she exclaimed and then put a hand against her lips in shock.

The Doctor merely laughed and taking her arm, he ventured back to the house.

"I think a week will be excellent. Giving precisely enough room for a comfortable honeymoon, before business desires my presence elsewhere."

It was settled, then. They returned to the house to bid farewell to Mr. and Mrs. Jones, unable to satisfy their curiosity as to the whereabouts of their daughter, but quite sure of her having a very fulfilling walk. Mrs. Tyler had left them just a few minutes ago, probably to pay another congratulatory visit.

They walked towards Powell Estate in a comfortable silence, Rose clinging to the Doctor's arm, his other hand in return resting on hers, fingers entwined.

Taking the long route, as to enjoy each others sole company for as long as possible, Rose led the Doctor past all the detours she could come up with.

After a quarter of an hour or so, she finally dared to ask: "How did they perform marriage ceremonies on your world?"

"Very long." The Doctor immediately replied, as if his thoughts had been reflecting a similar topic. "Very pompous. Encasing lots of tedious rituals and traditions, nothing private or personal about those. Relations were formed more as a result of political station than out of love."

"That seems so contradictory, when considering the beauty of the landscape."

"You think it to be beautiful?"

Upon seeing his surprised look, Rose stopped and looked at him incredulous.

"Yes I do, do you not think so? The mountains were absolutely astonishing and the colours so warm and vivid. I loved the red planes. Maybe you deemed them quite boring, having seen them so often. They must seem as dull to you as green grass is to us. But I think it must have been a real gratification to be able to stroll trough it."

"I am glad you feel that way. Do not think that I abhor everything my world had to offer. Or disliked the people who lived there. It has been my home, my world. I cannot but feel sorry never to be able to set foot there again. Yet I have never been at ease with all the rules and high blown ideas. My banishment did not fall out of thin air, mind you."

"So, is there nothing you wish to change or add to make this wedding more real to you?"

"More real?"

"Forgive the choice of words, I could not think of a better one. I merely meant that getting married under someone else's custom, might not have the same depth as one done according to your own."

"I have seen a great many different forms of ceremonial bonding, a marriage on Earth being amongst the best of them. In some worlds, simply holding hands gives the beholder reason to believe the couple are married. However none of the forms, how simple or elaborate, subtracts any profoundness from the deed itself, if only the persons involved find meaning enough in the ceremony."

They picked up the pace again and the Doctor continued: "To you, this marriage here on earth, performed by a clergyman, attended by guests; witnesses, is binding enough for you to feel yourself married to me according to whatever law. That this form of marriage means nothing to a being from, say Darp, I believe it was, where you are not legally wed until you have eaten each others pinky finger, will not make it any less real for you. Therefore, when I accept you as my wife, and I say when, not if, I will do so under the full subjugation of this world and time's law and am therefore as much bound to you in thought and heart as you will be to me."

Rose sighed in relief. "Thank you, that really means a lot to me. I must confess I had some worries, you being alien and all. But is there really nothing you would like to add?"

The Doctor smiled. "There is nothing I can add, without raising a few eyebrows and I do not wish to embarrass you. Even when I take you away that same day, so you would not be around to hear the gossip. If you have a real desire to become acquainted with our ways, I will be more than happy to share with you a Gallifreyan marriage ceremony once I have carried you over the threshold."

He winked at her.

"The TARDIS can be our attester."

"I would like that."

Cheerfully they walked on.

The Doctor stayed for lunch. After that Rose was obliged to accompany her mother on a necessary visit. She could not elude those visits, how tedious she would consider them at first. However understanding that there was need of indulgence, after informing her mother she had only one week left with her daughter, Rose gave in, resigned and bid the Doctor a short goodbye.

A letter was send out to the tailor's for an appointment the next day and invitations were sent to all the houses in the neighbourhood. Inviting them to the wedding a week from that day.

Between the visits Rose paid with her mother, there was a cake to be ordered, a garden to be decorated, a vicar to be spoken with and many other odds and ends. Rose was quite happy that she only had to endure one week of this excitement. Her mother was in flutters and nerves almost the entire period. And she hardly saw the Doctor.

Many questions were prompted as to the nature of the Doctor's business, the whereabouts of his estate or the extent of his travels. Many concerns were also voiced about the form of comfort, or lack thereof, Rose would have to endure and the unavoidable grief it must provide her and her parents to be separated for so long and without knowing when they would see one another again.

Answering the questions as elusive as possible, Rose declared everywhere that she was greatly dedicated to her fiancée and quite determined to enjoy herself, travelling with him to where ever he needed to go. Her mother provided all the other answers in professing enough thoughts and guesses to keep the neighbourhood satisfied.

His alleged wealth, never contradicted by Rose, so therefore taken to be substantial, his title and looks were all spoken of and discussed a dozen times, giving Rose the satisfaction that he would be well liked, even if none actually knew him.

The evening of the third day, since they parted on the first, was the earliest opportunity the happy couple could meet again in a more private setting.

Rose was taking a turn about the park in the direction the TARDIS stood, in the hope that she would be the first to encounter her Doctor. As if it was agreed upon, the Doctor almost immediately emerged from the woods and strode towards her with eager steps.

Forgetting all forms of proper conduct and decorum, Rose flew towards him and flinging her arms around his neck, she let him catch her. He swung her once round, before setting her on her feet again for a tight embrace.

"I have missed you. Feels though as we've been apart for a century. I am so glad to be seeing you again."

The Doctor nuzzled her hair and gave a muffled reply.

On Rose's questioning remark, he withdrew and said: "I've missed you too."

They shared a heartily and relieved laugh and arm in arm they continued on the path before them.

"When I did not see you at all yesterday, I thought about skipping a few days and coming again the day of the wedding, never to be parted from you again. However, since the TARDIS is quite old and in a bit of a bad shape, I did not trust her systems enough to take the risk. I might have missed it all together."

"Does she not pilot herself?"

"She needs someone to set coordinates. Although I am convinced she has less use for me than she lets on. She often enough gets me to slightly different times or places than where I had planned to go."

"But you said she always takes you to where you need to go. Are you not confident enough she would have brought you back to me at the right time?"

Adopting a look of remorse, the Doctor admitted: "True. It would probably be me messing up coordinates that would have me return a year later instead of a few days."

"Heaven forbid!" Rose exclaimed horrified, but laughing almost instantaneously at the look of pure guilt on the Doctor's face.

Cupping her cheeks and regaining a serious expression, he softly spoke: "She probably would not even let me leave, should I ever get the inclination of running ahead of myself, away from you. You, my dearest Rose, now hold both my hearts. Were I to be parted from you, I would not survive."