A/N: you guys must be seeing things! Two chapters from me in one day? Ha, when does that ever happen? Anyway, this is just a small little interlude filled with cuteness and feelings and brother-sister love all around the TARDIS! Enjoy! :)

Mouse had wandered off a few hours ago to try and find his room and now I was looking for it as well, wanting to talk with him. I finally find it - with a little help from the TARDIS - and walk in to see that it was just like his room back home but without all the clutter, much bigger, and with a whole gaming setup in the corner. Mouse was lying back on his bed, watching the ceiling that was playing a football match. I roll my eyes with a smile and flop down on the bed beside him, smiling widely, "hey," I turn on my side, holding myself up with my elbow, my head in my hand. "How do you like it?"

"It's great, yeah," Mouse nods distractedly, not looking at me.

I sigh, scooting closer and poking his chest, making him look at me. "... this is about Rose, isn't it?" I ask carefully.

"No, not at all," Mouse scoffs, sitting up and the ceiling goes back to being a ceiling as the TARDIS hums sympathetically. "I thought that... she'd want me here, that maybe we could try and fix us if I travel with you guys," he shakes his head, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. "She tried to get me to come along, back in Cardiff, but I... I yelled at her," he sighs, rubbing at his eyes. "I felt like nothing... nothing when you two left and then you came back and it wasn't anytime for you, but it was a whole year for me and-"

"... Mouse," I whisper, tears prickling in my eyes as I move forward and wrap my arms around his shoulders from behind. "I- I had no idea that you were still hurting from that... I'm so sorry that you were left behind. I never meant for us to be gone so long and I know that Rose didn't either and that she... she does want you here," I squeeze him tighter when scoffs and tries to get up. "It's just an adjustment, you being here; she just needs time."

"Yeah, and what if I don't have time for her to get used to it?" Mouse retorts, making me frown. "I barely recognize us anymore and there's nothing I can do about it! She's slipping through my fingers!" he gets out of my hold, standing up and running a hand over his head. "I love her, I do... but I'm tired of being her standby," he shakes his head. "That's not fair to me and it's not fair to her for me to be waiting..."

"What are you saying?" I ask carefully.

"... I'm not saying anything for now," Mouse shakes his head, sitting back down and wrapping an arm around my shoulders. "But I can't keep doing this: running when she calls and acting like her being gone doesn't hurt," he sighs. "I don't want you in the middle, though."

"You've always been there for me, so if you..." I trail off, trying to find how best to put this. "If you and Rose don't make it, I won't hold it against you or love you any less," I wrap my arms around his waist. "You deserve to be happy just as much as she does," I tell him firmly. "... there is something else I wanted to talk to you about," I pull away from him, chewing on my bottom lip.

"Well, must be serious if you're making that face," Mouse comments, giving me an apprehensive look.

"It is," I nod, moving my legs underneath me and laying my hands on my thighs. "Mouse... do you really think that you're just the 'tin dog'?" I ask and he goes quiet, looking away. "Cause you're not; you're brave and brilliant and caring and you're the best person I know," I tell him, twisting my hands.

"Yeah? Not the Doctor?" he jokes, rubbing the back of his neck.

I smile, rolling my eyes, "he doesn't count in this," I wrap my arms around my waist. "You were the first person to really see me and... and still love me anyway," I mutter. "If it hadn't been for you, I would've given up a long time ago... locked myself up in my room and wasted away," I try to make myself smaller. "But you always made sure that I didn't shut down and that I knew I could count on you... you're not a tin dog," I shake my head. "You're my Mouse," I smile shyly.

Chuckling quietly, Mouse pulls me to sit in his lap and wraps me up in his arms tightly, "you always know just what to say, don't you?" he leans his chin on my shoulder.

"I meant it, every word," I poke his stomach. "You're the only reason I made it through school, you and Rose," I smile, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "Now! I'd say that we both deserve a proper 'Mouse and Bird' night," I hop up and fix up the bed so it was just a mass of pillows and blankets. "Hm... we need snacks!" I decide and there's a hum; popcorn, candy, and drinks - alcoholic and non-alcoholic - appearing on a trolley. "Nice, girl!" I beam up at the ceiling and she trills a few times as if she's laughing.

"What sort of movies do you have?" Mouse asks before frowning. "I'm talking to a machine," he shakes his head, jumping with a yelp when he gets shocked. "Oi!" he glares at the ceiling.

"Don't insult her," I snicker. "I want to watch..." I tilt my head back and forth before smiling widely. "Labyrinth!"

"Come on, haven't we watched that enough times?" Mouse groans, grabbing a box of chocolates and flopping down into the pile of blankets, wiggling to get comfortable.

"But we haven't in forever," I point out, smiling when the TARDIS gets it set up with a huge telly on the wall.

"Cause you've been away," Mouse retorts, wrapping his arm around me when I lay beside him.

"Please, Mouse? Pretty, pretty please?" I give him my best puppy-eyes with a pout.

"You're the worst," he rolls his eyes, a smile forming when I cheer and snuggle against him. "Oi, these are mine!" he protests when I steal a chocolate.

"Not this one," I laugh, popping it in my mouth and squealing excitedly when the opening of the movie comes on. "Quiet, it's starting!" I cover Mouse's mouth when he goes to complain more.

3rd Person POV:

Rose had gone to see if Mickey wanted to have a sort of 'date' before they went somewhere. Maybe spending a night together in the TARDIS would help her get used to the idea of having him along. Finally finding his room, she peaks in; there was a massive pile of blankets and pillows on the bed - some of them on the ground now - and the TV was playing the end credits for Labyrinth. Rose shakes her head with a small smile. Lizzie always managed to talk Mickey into watching it with her, no matter how many times he tried to get out of it. Said duo was in the blankets, curled up together and asleep. Rose goes over and looks down at Mickey, running a hand over his hair and smiling when he mumbles in his sleep, tightening his hold on the small brunette - he'd always been a cuddler.

With a sigh, Rose heads out of the room to let the two sleep and she finds herself in the kitchen. The Doctor was already there, nursing a cup of tea with a slight scowl. "Oh, I bet I know what that look's about," Rose smirks, moving to make her own cup and grabbing an apple as well. "You found Lizzie and Mickey," she snorts.

"What? Her and Ricky practically suffocating each other?" the Doctor grumbles. "Yeah, I found them," he rolls his eyes.

"Don't know why you're so upset about it," Rose rolls her eyes right back, her lips twitching.

"Why aren't you?" the Doctor frowns.

"Don't be stupid, it's not like they'll go and have sex," Rose scoffs and the Doctor groans miserably, not wanting to have that thought anywhere near his mind. "They've been having sleepovers since before Lizzie could walk and it's not gonna change now, two of 'em are inseparable," she shakes her head. "You're just mad that you're not the one getting to have her all snuggled up against you," she smirks, watching as the Doctor splutters and his face burns a bright red.

"I... well, that's not-" the Doctor folds his arms, looking away from Rose's extremely smug smirk. "Ok, it is true," he admits quietly. "Doesn't change the fact that it can't happen," he shakes his head.

"Why not?"

"You know why," the Doctor shoots her a look, knowing full well that she'd eavesdropped on his and Lizzie's conversation outside the cafe.

"Oh, that?" Rose snorts loudly. "Yeah, that bullshit answer doesn't work with me like it did Lizzie," she rolls her eyes. "What does it matter if you don't age and she does? How the hell is the two of you being miserable better than you being happy, even if it's only for a short time?" she raises an eyebrow.

"I'm nine hundred years old, Rose," the Doctor sighs. "... I've been with people, lost them, and I don't think I can take losing another person I-" he cuts himself off, his face contorting as he clenches his fists - his traitor mind conjuring up a Dalek firing.

Rose's heart aches at the sight of the man across from her and she moves to stand beside his chair, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. "Do you really think that losing her would hurt any less if you two aren't together? If you don't admit how you feel about her?" she asks, running a hand through his hair and he wraps his arms around her waist, taking the comfort gladly. "That'll hurt you worse in the end, wondering 'what if' forever instead of just letting yourself be happy," she sighs when he stays silent. "You deserve to be happy, Doctor... just think about it, ok?" she asks gently, smiling when the Doctor nods against her after a moment.

A/N: thanks for reading and let me know what you think by dropping a comment or vote or whatever! :*