He was far from surprised by the Marian question. He'd known to expect it and it was a good question to ask. He'd thought about it a lot lately, losing her to Hood. Knowing they could never have what he'd once hoped they could. Knowing they never could have had because she had never loved him. Not in that way anyway. Perhaps she could have, if things had been different, and he had been a better man. But that hadn't happened, and in rage, in anger. He'd taken her life.
But there was also this Doctor to consider. Rose had loved him after all. "For a while I thought I was that to her too. A consolation. Not her Doctor. Not the man she'd meant to marry. We came together in many ways because of him, because of Marian. Because we've both loved before. And I don't know what this is yet. I don't know that she does, but its something. And no, she's not second to Marian, she's different. Oh there are similarities" he added with a smile, "But she's not some replacement for her, don't worry about that."
It was as true an answer as he could give. He knew now though why they were friends. Why the Doctor had chosen Martha Jones. Strong willed and independent was right. And there for her friends. That much was decidedly obvious. He knew well if he hurt Rose even once she would be right there.
"I'm not here to deny my past, the choices I've made, the deeds I've done. Those are fairly public record and besides they make up who you see before you. Would I deny any of that or would that just be hiding from it. I tried to make some amends, tried to be a better man, and maybe that's what I'm doing here. We're here to fight and I'm doing that. Who knows, might even be doing some good." He shrugged and took another gulp of his beer as he considered his place in this strange world. "That and the fact I haven't tried to kill Hood and reclaim my once betrothed should work in my favour."