The Last Royal (editing)

*Mouse Joins the Crew*

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.