Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

364 days, 23 hours, 57 minutes, and 12 seconds. That’s how long it had been since Rose Tyler had been stranded on Darlig Ulv Stranden a second time. The Doctor, her proper Doctor, pinstripes and all, had left her on that beach again, this time with his Metacrisis. He promised them forever and forever turned out to be 364 days, 23 hours, 57 minutes, and 12 seconds. Rose had never wanted to be left in Pete’s World. She had fought nonstop since she’d been trapped the first time to get back to her home universe, the only universe in which the Doctor existed. She’d finally been reunited, only to be left on that dreaded beach hours later with a confused half-doctor and a broken heart.

The Metacrisis, it turned out, was not the Doctor. It was more complicated than that. He had the Doctor’s memories, but he was still his own person, a very human person. It didn’t take Rose long to figure this out.

“That’s not my name,” he said shortly. Rose paused, looking at him oddly. They were seated in the kitchen in Pete’s mansion home. Rose didn’t plan to stay forever, but they’d only been back in this universe for a few days and they were still trying to figure out what to do.

“I’m sorry?”

“My name’s not the Doctor. I think he thought we were the same person, that’s just like him, he can have quite a bit of an ego sometimes. We look the same and we’ve got the same memories, but I’m not a Time Lord and I’m just not him. I don’t think I’d like to continue to be called the Doctor,” the Metacrisis rambled on. Rose took a deep breath, feeling her heart break just a little more. She had seen it coming, but she didn’t think he would be so outright about it. Still rude and not ginger, she thought fondly.

“Alright. What would you like to be called then?” Rose asked gently. The Metacrisis looked thoughtful for a moment, dressed in the powder blue jimjams just like her Doctor had been dressed in those years ago at Christmas.

“John,” he said decisively.

“Not John Smith?” Rose teased with a light laugh. The Metacrisis, John, twisted up his nose in disgust.

“Of course not. John Noble. I am part Donna, afterall,” he said proudly. Rose smiled genuinely this time and nodded.

“Alright then, John Noble. What shall we do next?”

“Rose Tyler, let’s see the world!” he jumped up, grabbed her hand, and ran.

And that’s exactly what they did, for about 6 months. They traveled the Earth they’d been stranded on. Technology was not yet ready to reach out to the stars, but they saw all the Earthly treasures they hadn’t seen before. They went to Paris, New York, Rome, Moscow, and strangely they both loved Iceland. On their trip to Barcelona when John was telling Rose all about his adventures on the planet Barcelona with the nose-less dogs, he was overcome with an intense migraine and had to end their trip early. It went away after a few days and they continued to travel, though less extensively. It didn’t take more than a week before other symptoms started showing. Signs of organ failure. Rose had a sneaking suspicion she knew what it meant, and one day when John was resting in the bed they had come to share in their cozy flat, that suspicion was confirmed.

“You know what this means,” John said softly, taking Rose’s hand gently in his and stroking the back of it with his thumb. Rose looked away, furiously blinking back the tears that were beginning to form.

“Rose, please,” John pleaded softly. She turned her gaze back to him and broke down as soon as her eyes met his. They were still the Doctor’s eyes, aged with worry and wisdom beyond his physical years, but they were different because in John’s eyes there was hope and pure joy.

“You knew from the beginning, didn’t you?” she whispered.

“I had a feeling. I’m sure Donna didn’t last long in her current state. I’m sure he had to get the Time Lord mind out of her. I don’t think he ever even considered that my single heart meant that my mind, as well, wouldn’t be able to handle the Time Lord essence inside of it for too long. I was an accident. Something that never should have been created. A Time Lord-Human Metacrisis. It’s never happened because it can’t happen and yet he stupidly thought that it would all be okay if he just dropped us here and ran away. Rose, I’m so angry at him for doing this to both of us. Somewhere in that brilliant mind of his, he had to know I wouldn’t be able to grow old with you,” John ranted.

“I don’t think he did this to us on purpose, John,” Rose said softly, though she herself was angry as well. She had finally learned to love John separately from the Doctor. She had finally accepted that while she would never see the Doctor again, she got to spend her life with the man she loved. She had finally accepted all of this and it was not being ripped away from her. How many times would her heart be broken by the man she had willingly given it to?

“Of course he didn’t do it on purpose, but he still did it. And now I’ll have to leave you,” he whispered, voice breaking.

“No, I won't let that happen,” Rose argued. “You're sick, but we have access to the best medical resources this planet can offer. We can fix this.”

John looked doubtful, but he didn't argue with Rose. He didn't have the heart to. Even though he was fully human, Time Lord abilities lingered faintly. He could sense that his timeline was coming to an end. There were a few paths he could take, some slightly longer than others, but none gave him more than 6 months.

So he did what he knew he needed to: he loved Rose with all his being. They explored and went on as many adventures as they could. In between, Rose forced John to visit Torchwood’s medical facility to get tests and treatments. Things helped, but only temporarily. They never helped for more than a week or so before his body started shutting itself down again. It was during one of their adventures within London (they had plenty of those once John started getting more sick), that John decided to blurt out the thought he’d been holding in for the past 2 months.

“Marry me!” he proclaimed suddenly. Rose sat up suddenly, looking at him strangely.

“What?”

“Marry me, Rose. I love you with everything I have. You’re my whole world and I need you to know that,” John told her passionately, placing a hand on either side of her face so that he could easily look into her eyes. Rose pulled away slightly, shaking her head a little.

“You’re insane, John. Of course I love you and of course I know you love me. But why do we need to get married? We’re not even from this universe. What does a piece of paper here mean?” she rambled as she stood up and began to pace. John sighed, relaxing back onto their picnic blanket with a knowing smile.

“You’re overthinking this,” he told her softly.

“No I’m not. Planning a wedding takes time and money and why waste that? We don’t need to be married. We don’t need a wedding. And we’re young! We could get married in another ten years if we wanted to,” she argued in vain. Her breath caught as she mentioned the future. It was something they didn’t talk about on purpose. Rose wasn’t ready to accept that she was going to lose John. They continued to work on cures for him and he didn’t seem to be getting worse, so Rose took that as a good sign.

“Rose,” he called softly. She refused to look at him.

“No.”

“Rose, stop giving me reasons not to do it. Do you love me?”

“Don’t be stupid-

“Do you love me?” he repeated.

“Of course I do,” Rose assured him softly.

“Then marry me.”

“But why-

“Because I love you and I want to marry you,” John laughed. Rose sighed again, falling to the ground beside him.

“Alright fine,” she muttered, pressing her head into his neck as he kissed her forehead.

“Great cuz I’ve already got the wedding all planned. Let’s go!” he laughed, pulling her up with a jump and running towards their car. He didn’t grimace at the ordinary vehicle like he usually did.

“What? You’ve got the wedding planned? But you didn’t even know if I’d say yes!” Rose argued as she joined him inside the car and he took off towards home.

“Oh I knew you’d say yes. I’ve had it planned for ages. It’s tomorrow! I suppose you’ll be needing this,” he grinned at her as he handed her a beautiful, simple diamond ring. She gaped at him, taking the ring and slipping it on her finger. Of course, it fit her perfectly.

“I’ll never understand you, John Noble,” she commented in astonishment.

“Nor I you, Rose Tyler.”

Rose glanced at that ring on her finger now as she twisted it around in worry. It was paired with a thin silver band. Etched into the wedding band were circular patterns filled in with the gorgeous TARDIS blue that both she and John favored so much. John told her it was High Gallifreyan, all he could remember. A side effect of his decline had been that he was losing pieces of the Doctor’s memory. Luckily, he was really only losing the oldest pieces and not the ones that contained his precious memories of Rose.

Rose closed her eyes and leaned her head onto the hospital bed she was currently sitting beside. Her husband of only 4 short months. They’d been married that next day, almost 8 months after they’d been dropped off at Bad Wolf Bay. Rose had never pictured herself the wife type, not after growing up with a single mother like Jackie, but she found that marriage suited her quite well. Of course she assumed that was because of the man she was married to. John was like the Doctor in so many ways. They had the same mannerisms, the same gob, and the same love of excitement and life. But John was his own man in many ways. Where the Doctor was closed off, John was open to love and even pain. Where the Doctor was arrogant, John was a bit awkward. He was a new being, born as a 900 year old Time Lord, but still experiencing the world on his own for the first time. He had grand memories of their home Universe, but this Universe and his life with Rose were the only tangible experiences he had. And Rose loved him for it. It was strange to be with the man who had the Doctor’s face, but to know and love him as his own person. She knew she’d never stop loving the proper Doctor, of course, but she was happy with John. And that was all coming to an end.

365 days, 23 hours, 58 minutes, and 3 seconds after they’d been left on the beach, Rose sat beside her human husband’s hospital bed. He was coming in and out of consciousness and was hanging onto life only with the help of several machines. His heart was weakening by the second and though Rose would never say it, she knew these would be her last moments with her husband. She cried softly into the hospital bed before she felt a hand brush her hair back. She looked up to see John smiling softly at her.

“Don’t cry, my darling Rose,” he whispered. Of course that only made Rose cry harder. She choked back a sob as she grabbed onto his hand and squeezed it gently.

“How long have you got?” she cried helplessly. She knew he could sense his timelines all coming to an end. She wasn’t sure if he knew how long, but figured it was worth asking. She didn’t want to waste her last few moments with him on tears.

“About 2 minutes,” he confessed with a cough. Rose nodded solemnly, the pain her heart clenching mercilessly. It reminded her of the conversation she’d had with the Doctor a few years back when he was saying goodbye with a hologram, back before the stars had gone out.

“What am I gonna do without you?”

“You’re going to do what you’ve always done, Rose. You’re going to go and live a fantastic life,” he instructed her. She laughed through her tears.

“It doesn’t sound the same coming from your mouth. You need your Northern accent,” she teased him. Neither of them wanted to face the end, but of course that didn’t stop the seconds from ticking by.

“I haven’t been honest with you, Rose,” John said softly.

“It doesn’t matter now.”

“Yes it does. I haven’t been honest because I’ve been selfish. And I need to tell you this now. When you saved his life back on the Game Station, when he regenerated...there’s something about that day that you don’t remember because he took the memories and locked them in your brain. He had to, but I should have told you,” John rattled on anxiously, his heart rate picking up. He knew he only had 1 minute and 7 seconds in which to make his confession.

“Shhh,” Rose calmed him as she watched him clamor for his breath. “None of that matters anymore. I can’t go back to him anyway,” she soothed.

“It does matter because it could make all the difference in the world for you, Rose,” he insisted. 53 seconds left.

“Doctor stop it,” Rose cried before covering her mouth. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” she cried over and over again.

“It’s alright, my darling. I know what you meant. You know he loved you too, very much. I don’t think he’ll ever stop,” he told her quietly. 32 seconds left.

“John Noble, I love you. Please, don’t leave me,” Rose tried to beg him one more time. It didn’t matter that it was futile. John sucked in a deep breath. 27 seconds left.

“I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry,” he told her, leaning down to kiss her softly once more before falling back into his pillow in a coughing fit. She rushed to help him recover.

“Stay strong, my Rose, and keep living. It may be a long life, yet for you,” he told her gently. 17 seconds left.

“Goodbye, John,” Rose said softly. 11 seconds left.

“Goodbye, Rose. And I suppose, since it’s my last chance to say it…

“Doctor please don’t,” Rose panicked. She couldn’t bare for it to end the same way again. 4 seconds left.

“Rose Tyler I love you.” The machine beeped loudly and though a swarm of doctors and nurses flew in the room and crowded around them, Rose knew that was the end. She glanced down at her phone and shook her head in resigned disbelief. Exactly 365 days, to the second, was all she had with John Noble. Rose stood and left the room quickly, running straight into the arms of her mother who had been waiting respectfully outside.

Her mother, Pete, and even little Tony had all been welcoming to John, but all of them had kept their distance for the most part. They couldn’t understand that it wasn’t the Doctor. Tony, of course, just followed the adults. Her 4 year old brother clung to her leg as Rose cried into her mother’s arms. The three of them stayed that way for a long time. Pete joined eventually and Rose let herself believe it would all be okay, just for a moment.

The funeral was the next day. Rose almost didn’t want to go, but forced herself to any way. It was a small funeral. Her parents and a few of the people from Torchwood who had met John all came to pay their respects. They hadn’t settled down long enough to make any friends so not many people cared that John was gone. Rose didn’t say anything, no one really did. Jackie and Pete both expressed their gratitude that someone had loved Rose so deeply, but after that the funeral wrapped up. Rose headed back in the direction of her flat, but someone caught her arm. Rose turned to find a distraught Jackie.

“Rose, please, don’t go hide in your flat all alone. We’re here for you. Pete took time off from Torchwood. We want to help,” she begged. Rose pulled her arm out of her grasp gently.

“Mum, don’t worry about me. I’ve got to sort through his stuff. I don’t want it laying all around the flat forever. I’ll be fine,” she said, though even she wasn’t convinced by her own lie.

“Rose, don’t do that just yet,” Pete called, catching up with the two of them. He pulled a TARDIS blue envelope out of his suit jacket. “Here, he told me to give this to you after it was all taken care of. He told me to tell you he’s sorry for not giving it to you himself.” Rose took the letter wordlessly. She opened it instantly, not waiting to be somewhere private. She recognized his handwriting instantly.

My Darling Rose,

I asked your dad to give you this after the funeral. I wanted you to have it sooner, but I didn’t think you’d open it until everything was settled anyway. I’m so sorry I didn’t just tell you this in person. I’ve had a year to figure this out and I don’t have all the details, but I need to tell you what I do know: There might be a way for you to get back to your home universe, back to him.

Please understand, my love, that all of this is just my best guesses. I’m not as clever as he was, but I don’t feel like there’s much left for you in this world. If my suspicions are true, you’ll outlive your family by a longshot and your only hope of a happy ending is to make it back to the Doctor. I could be wrong about all this, Rose, and you could just be an ordinary human who will live an ordinary human life span. If that’s the case, I want you to continue to live and be happy. I want you happy, either way, of course, but I don’t think you’re an ordinary human.

When you opened up the TARDIS to save the Doctor, you looked into the heart of the TARDIS and she looked back into you. You saw the entire Time Vortex and in that moment you became more than Rose Tyler. You became the Bad Wolf. I know you remember some of this, but I know you don’t remember how it ended. Your head couldn’t handle the Time Vortex, just like my body is rejecting the Time Lord trying to settle in. You held onto the Time Vortex for several minutes, destroying the Daleks and restoring Jack’s life in the process. You made sure the Doctor was safe and I have a feeling that’s not all you did. The Doctor tried to remove all of the Huon energy, gold stuff the Time Vortex and subsequently the heart of the TARDIS is made of, from you, but I don’t believe he could remove it all.

Look at yourself in the mirror, my Rose. You don’t look a day over 21. You were 20 years old when you absorbed the Time Vortex. I don’t think you’re aging. That tells me that there’s still a significant amount of Huons in your body. You’ve grown accustomed to it, having it be in your system for so long. I think it would be safe for you to unlock the Bad Wolf if you can figure out how. The TARDIS could help you, I’m sure of it, but you have to make it back to her first.

There are always weak points in the walls between the Universes. It’s not usually enough for anyone or anything to sneak through, of course, not without breaking the walls entirely. I think you might be able to, though. I just have a feeling it would let you through. You don’t belong in this universe and it can sense it. The universes want to correct themselves, and you are a mistake that was never supposed to happen in this universe. The Doctor put you back here, but it shouldn’t have been this way. You got through once and I think you can go through again. You’ll need to build an updated version of the dimension cannon, something more like an arrow. You’re not trying to blow a hole, you’re just trying to slip yourself through a crack. There are some potential design plans in my desk drawer in our flat. Take a look at them, try them out. Take your time, I think you’ve got plenty of it. I want you to stay safe.

If you make it back to him, make sure that you know where you are in his timeline. Going back too early could destroy the whole thing, though I’m sure you know that. I’m sorry I don’t have more information for you, Rose. As I said, these are only my suspicions. You know I’m often correct, though. Please, try for yourself to have a happy life...even if I’m wrong about everything. I could have told you this before, could have helped you with it. But I was selfish. I am a selfish man and I want to enjoy all the time with you that I have. I don’t want to share it with efforts getting you back to him.

Good luck, my Rose. I will always love you.

Yours,

John Noble

Rose sucked in a sharp breath. It was hard to keep track of how old she was between the different universes and her time with the Doctor. She’d spent about 2 years with him, by her count, before she was trapped the first time. She spent another 3 years trapped in the parallel universe before making it home to him. And then she’d ended up back in the parallel universe for a year with John. That would make her 25 now. 6 years ago she was a 19 year old shop girl who had an empty relationship, an empty bank account, and a boring life. Now she was a 25 year old widow living in a parallel universe with her dead father and having traveled time and space with a 900 year old alien.

“What does it say, Rose?” Jackie asked cautiously.

“He thinks...thought...that there’s something different about me since I saved the Doctor years ago. And he thinks that difference is gonna mean that this Universe is gonna try to kick me out since I don’t belong here. I’m not sure...it’s kinda complicated and they’re just his thoughts,” she said distractedly.

“What you mean, different?” Jackie questioned again. Rose shook her head, re-reading the letter.

“‘M not sure,” she responded. “Mum how long has it been since I first met the Doctor?”

“6 years maybe, why?” her mother responded suspiciously.

“Do I look 25?” Rose asked softly. Jackie studied her for a moment.

“Oh,” she said as she raised her hand to her mouth in shock and her eyes began to water.

“What’s going on?” Pete demanded, taking a look at Rose. “Oh. I guess I never saw it before,” he murmured.

“None of us did. Too busy worrying about John, I guess,” Rose agreed.

“You still look like you did when you were 20 years old, except that you stopped coloring your hair,” her mother said softly, running a hand gently through Rose’s dirty blonde hair.

“John thought I might not be aging. Only more time will tell, though,” Rose sighed.

And time did tell. Rose re-read John’s letter almost daily, but after looking at the designs he had stashed away, she decided she wasn’t yet ready to even think about that. She took her old job at Torchwood back and continued to help them with Alien encounters and the like. Pete’s World had a parallel version of pretty much every alien she had every encountered, with the exception of Cybermen and Daleks thank goodness. Rose was an excellent Torchwood agent, especially because she as the best at peaceful negotiations. Still when her thirtieth birthday rolled around, others started to take notice of the fact that she didn’t look a day over 21.

“Mum, I think I have to accept that he was right,” Rose sighed as she sat with her mom after the party guests had cleared from her 30th birthday bash.

“I always looked young for my age, maybe it’s that?” Jackie tried.

“Mum, you know I haven’t aged at all. There’s other things that have stopped happening as well,” Rose confessed with pink cheeks.

“Are you sure you couldn’t be pregnant?”

“MUM.”

“Just trying to be thorough!” she raised her hands in defense.

“I haven’t been with anyone since John died. You know that,” Rose spat angrily.

“I’m not sure what you want me to say Rose. There’s no going back to that universe. There’s nothing left for us there anyway,” Jackie said dismissively.

“How could you say that?” Rose asked quietly. “Mickey’s back there now. So’s the Doctor. Our home planet, our home universe, and you think there’s nothing there,” Rose scoffed.

“Rose, we’re dead there. The Doctor’s got all his friends and Mickey’s doing great I’m sure. You’ve got me and your dad and your little brother here. Why are you fighting so hard to try to leave us again?” Jackie questioned.

“Mum, you know I’m not trying to. I’m just trying to come to terms with something I don’t understand. I’m not aging, which means I’m gonna watch you all grow old and die...even Tony. I’ll be here for you. I’m not going anywhere, I promise. But one day you’ll be gone too and then who will I have?” Rose pleaded. Her mother was quiet for a few moments.

“Let’s just keep living our life and we’ll see, okay? I’m not convinced John was as brilliant as he thought he was. I think you’re just being paranoid about it. I’m sure I see a wrinkle or two,” Jackie teased. Rose gave her a half-smile, but she didn’t believe it for a moment. At night when she was home from work, she began working on the Dimension Arrow, a device that would widen a slit in the wall of her home universe just long enough for her to be launched through. It worked on the same basic principles that the dimension cannon did, but it was technically much harder to build. Rose had time, of course. She meant what she promised her mother. She had no intentions of leaving her family behind again. Not if she had an eternity to work with.

As hard as it had been, Rose had come to peace with never seeing the Doctor again. It had been 6 years since she’d last seen him, 5 since she’d lost John. Even if she did age and die like a normal person, she would be okay. John had given her more love in a year than she knew she would experience in any human lifetime. Of course, if her family aged and died and left her behind, she would furiously try everything she could to get back to her Doctor. But for now, she wanted to enjoy them for as long as she could.

It ended up that she got to enjoy her mother for another 43 years. Her mother lived to the ripe old age of 89 and died peacefully in her sleep. Pete only lived another 2 years after her passing. Tony lived to 97 and Rose was with him throughout his entire life. When Rose turned 40 and looked half her age, she had to fake her own death and retire from Torchwood. She still helped behind the scenes as she could, without most of the people at Torchwood knowing she was still alive. She did a lot of anonymous traveling after that, investigating on her own and finding danger and adventure around every corner. It was thrilling, but not the same without the Doctor beside her and his sonic screwdriver to get them out of a jam. Once she realized she would have to find a way back to him, Rose began to once again ache for the TARDIS and her pinstriped Doctor. She had no clue what would happen when she made her way back. How would she find him? When would it be? She didn’t know, but by the time Tony passed away she was 119 years old and her Dimension Arrow was ready.

“Well, here goes nothing,” she murmured to herself as she pressed the button on her machine and felt the oh-so-familiar tug of herself being pulled into the void.

Chapter Text

He couldn’t believe she’d said no. Of course, people had said no to the Doctor before. It wasn’t like no one had ever refused to join him on his travels, but it didn’t happen often. And it had definitely never happened with someone who had shown so much promise and excitement during an adventure. Even in the face of death and the destruction of her planet, Rose Tyler had quite literally jumped into the action. The Doctor spent a long time in the void, it was impossible to tell just how long, pondering just why Rose Tyler thought she was so special. What made her life back on Earth so important and worthwhile that seeing the stars with an incredibly clever Time Lord was refusable?

Then there were the darker thoughts that crossed the Doctor’s mind... While he had been able to save Earth this time, he hadn’t been able to save his beloved Gallifrey. Of course, he wasn’t sure why he kept calling it his “beloved” Gallifrey anyway. He’d hardly loved the planet he grew up on. Still...all those people. It made sense that Rose wouldn’t want to travel with him. He was just a tired, washed up old man who endangered everyone he met. She was honestly better off without him. With that in mind, the Doctor decided to find some trouble to keep busy. What else could he do with no companions and no home planet? As he set the destination to random, a sudden flash of golden light brightened the console room. The Doctor turned away, unable to stare at the light because of its full power. It reminded him strangely of the regeneration energy he had so recently had a run in with. Once the light cleared, the TARDIS’ lights brightened and the old girl hummed happily. The Doctor whipped around to face the area of the strange occurrence and was shocked to see Rose Tyler getting up off the ground.

Immediately, he began to catalogue the differences in this girl than the one he had just left on Earth in 2005. She looked a bit older, not more than a few years, but still older. Her hair was a darker, more natural shade of blonde than the bleached color he had seen. Her clothing was completely different. Gone was the pink sweatshirt and in its place was a simple black shirt covered with a leather jacket, not unlike his own, but in the exact shade of TARDIS blue. This Rose had lost the soft, childish look he had come to know over the past day or so. She appeared lean and toned, something he knew from experience came from a lifetime of running and adventures. This Rose was completely preoccupied as she struggled to steady herself. When her eyes finally lifted and fell on him, she inhaled a sharp breath. For his part, the Doctor could only stand, completely flabbergasted.

“What are you doing here?” he demanded harshly. Never once in his entire existence had anyone ever appeared on the TARDIS. It should be impossible, especially while he was simply floating around the void. There was nothing alive out there, no way anything could survive, even if transporting into the TARDIS was possible. The Rose standing before him, he refused to simply refer to her as Rose, only looked offended for a moment before her eyes began to water. She brought her hands up to her face, covering her mouth as her soft, muted cries began. She made a step towards him, but the Doctor moved backward, pointing his sonic screwdriver and doing a general biological scan immediately.

“What are you pointing that like that, for? It’s a screwdriver,” Rose managed to laugh. She had a feeling that she had been pulled into the Doctor’s timeline way too early. He had either not met her yet, or she was somewhere aboard the TARDIS and there were now two versions of her. Still, despite the never ending worries that were circling around her brain at an alarming pace, she was over the moon to see her first Doctor. The warm hum of the TARDIS in her head helped to calm her as well. It was not something she realized she had experienced before, but now that she was hearing the gentle hum and subtle song of the TARDIS, she realized she had heard it a hundred times before. And it was unbelievably amazing to hear it again.

“How did you get on my TARDIS? And what did you do with Rose Tyler?” The Doctor once again made his demands, refusing to drop his screwdriver. It was still running a basic biological scan, which concerned him, because it should have been done in half a second for primitive 20th century human biology.

“I know this may seem very strange and unsettling for you, but I don’t know how to explain,” Rose said calmly. She inched a step towards him and this time, he did not immediately back off.

“It can’t be that strange. You must have lied to me. I thought you were just an ordinary human and you refused to travel with me because you obviously have some superior technology. You played the part well, though. I honestly that you were some stupid ape. You had me going,” the Doctor seethed.

“Oi! Watch your mouth. I am a human and proud to be. For someone who thinks all humans are stupid apes, you sure do spend a lot of time in 21st century Earth,” she spat in return, her arms crossing over her body in defiance. It didn’t matter if she was over 100 years old. Being around the stubborn, leather-clad Doctor made her feel like a 19 year old shop girl all over again. John, during his short time with her, had explained why his first regeneration with her was so short-tempered. He had filled in the gaps for, told her the details that the Doctor had never shared. This Doctor was newly regenerated and fresh from ending the Time War. He was riddled with guilt and struggling to accept that he was the only survivor of two great (however terrible) species. Still, she had a hard time remembering all that while he stood in front of her, insulting her entire species. In that moment the sonic finished its scan and the Doctor read the results with a frown.

“Another lie, you're no human. I'm going to ask you again: what did you do with Rose Tyler? Why have you taken her form?”

“That's a new one. Never been asked why I took my own form before,” Rose replied as she rolled her eyes. Her initial joy at seeing the Doctor was quickly overpowered by her irritation with him. She was wrong to assume anything would be easy with the Doctor. The man was the most stubborn being she had ever met, aside from maybe herself.

“I just left Rose Tyler, an innocent and very human girl, on Earth in 2005. You can't be her, so don't expect me to believe that. When I find out what you've done to her, you'll wish you’d never laid eyes on me,” the Doctor threatened darkly. He was unsettled by his unexpected visitor and her inconclusive biological scan, but he was also greatly alarmed at just how much he seemed to care about Rose Tyler. He’d only just met the girl and she had refused to travel with him, yet he couldn't help but have this fierce protective tone when he spoke about her.

“Ah.” Rose nodded in understanding. She had never really thought about what her Northern Doctor had done in between the time he left her and Mickey to the time he returned and she ran into his TARDIS. It was one thing she’d never talked about with John and she supposed it was because any memory of her being there before her previous self would have to be blocked for the Doctor. Whatever time she spent in the TARDIS before her precious self returned, he wouldn’t remember until their timelines matched up again.

“I am Rose Tyler, Doctor. I'm just a future version of her,” Rose explained quietly.

“If you're Rose Tyler, why is your body scan coming back inconclusive instead of human?”

“Yes, well, I don't quite have an answer to that. It's a little complicated, bit of a long story and I'm not really sure how much of it I'm supposed to tell you,” Rose admitted with a wince.

“If you're really from my future, I'm going to have to forget all of this. I'll have to block the memory. So tell me, ‘Rose Tyler’, what happened between the living plastic invasion in 2005 and this moment for you that could possibly make you inconclusive. And spare me no details,” the Doctor instructed calmly, though she knew the anger was still brewing right under the surface. Rose took a deep breath and watched as her impatient Doctor tapped his foot likely.

“It’s a very long story,” she warned him.

“I’ve got forever,” the Doctor countered. Rose winced a little, clearly he didn’t know just how much that word would mean to the two of them one day. The Doctor definitely took notice of her reaction, but he simply catalogued it along with all the other odd things he was noting about Rose Tyler.

“We traveled together, you and I,” Rose started.

“Your story is already false! Rose Tyler said no,” the Doctor interrupted. Rose cleared her throat angrily.

“Shut it, you. If you want me to tell the story, you need to quiet down and let me finish,” she said with a huff. The Doctor raised his arms in defeat, bowing slightly as he sat down on the jumpseat.

“You came back, ‘bout 20 seconds after you’d left and said By the way, did I mention it also travels in time? I didn’t hesitate for another mo’. I ran into the TARDIS with you and I didn’t look back. Doctor, I always regretted not saying yes the first time. I’m just lucky you came back and asked again,” Rose added softly. The Doctor’s gaze hardened.

“I never ask twice.”

“You did back then. I might be changing the course of the future so I have no idea what’s going to happen,” Rose admitted with a nod. The Doctor huffed in response.

“I’ve already told you, I’m going to have to forget this whole thing if what you say is true and you really are from my future. Now get on with it!”

“Alright, alright,” Rose chirped. “We traveled for roughly a year and we saw so much!” Rose smiled at the memories. “You took me to Earth’s death because you thought I was being cheeky when I said there was no way it could travel far into the future. I learned, then, how dangerous traveling with you could be. You offered to take me back, but I didn’t want to go back. We got chips instead and of course, I paid cuz you never carry any money on you. You gotta change that, you know?” Rose laughed.

“I don’t need to hear about every adventure. Anyone who’s ever heard my name knows I go on adventures that end up involving danger. None of that is news to me and it doesn’t prove anything,” the Doctor insisted. Rose took another deep breath, leaning against the console for support. It had been 100 years since she’d last seen any regeneration of the Doctor, and over 90 years since she’d seen John. She hadn’t been able to fully rest for almost 100 years. She was exhausted and she had no idea how she was going to prove to this war-torn man with a hardened heart, that she was actually Rose Tyler. It would have been so much easier if she had been dropped into his Timeline right where she’d left him, but no she had to be taken here. A gentle mental nudge from the TARDIS and a soft hum jolted Rose into the present again, out of her reverie. She had never felt such a distinct movement in her mind from the TARDIS, but it urged her to continue. She thought of things the Doctor would only tell those he trusted, or that would only lie in his future.

“We faced Daleks. You thought they were all gone, all destroyed in the Time War, but you were wrong. There was one left and we stumbled upon it. I didn’t understand at the time, I tried to show it mercy. But it ended up dying anyway. That was the first time you told me about the Time War,” Rose confessed. The Doctor didn’t respond, didn’t even acknowledge her, but she knew she’d hit a soft spot.

“We ended up on a spaceship called the Game Station and that’s where we discovered that an entire fleet of Daleks had survived, led by the Dalek Emperor. We tried to fight them, but it was hopeless and you knew that...so you sent me away in the TARDIS and had a holograph say goodbye. I’ve never really forgiven you for that,” Rose paused, half-waiting for the Doctor to interrupt. When he didn’t, Rose continued.

“I didn’t let you send me away that easily, though. I forcefully ripped open the TARDIS and looked into her heart.”

“YOU DID WHAT TO MY TARDIS? NO ONE IS MEANT TO SEE THAT,” the Doctor roared, standing from his chair and advancing quickly towards her. Rose had expected this reaction and only took a single step away to maintain the distance between them. If she allowed the distance to close, she didn’t think she’d be able to stop herself from hugging him and clinging on for dear life.

“That’s what you said then too. There’s more to that story, but that’s not the point-

“Not the point? ROSE TYLER, even some of the most promising Time Lords could not handle looking into the Time Vortex. That is what is inside the heart of the TARDIS: the Time Vortex and you’re trying to tell me that a human being looked into it, absorbed the Time Vortex and survived? That’s IMPOSSIBLE,” he raged on. He wasn’t sure why he was so concerned. The girl was obviously lying.

“You really like to overuse that word, Doctor,” Rose murmured with a small smile.

“No, I use it just enough. I wouldn’t need to say it so often if stupid humans didn’t stop trying to do the impossible,” he grumbled, seemingly embarrassed. Rose had to fight back her laugh. His pouty moods were her favorite part about the younger Doctor. Of course he still wasn’t young by any standard, but he was the youngest Doctor she’d known.

“Let’s just say you found a solution to the problem. Either way, the TARDIS and I worked together and we came back for you. We destroyed the Daleks and you brought me home safe. Unfortunately, this particular you didn’t make it home as safe. You regenerated.” Rose bit her lip and watched the Doctor carefully. He had been awfully quiet about the Daleks returning and quiet about the mentions of the Time War as well.

The Doctor, for his part, was watching Rose carefully out of the corner of his eye. It appeared as though he was looking away, occupied by something else, but he had been watching Rose the entire time. She wasn’t nervous or jittery and she told her story with calm earnesty. He couldn’t find reason to suspect she was lying. All of the things she said, though insane, were relatively believable for him. He wasn’t sure how to process her news of the Daleks surviving the Time War. The Time War itself was almost considered a myth in many parts of the Universe, and lower level planets like Earth would have no idea such a thing existed. It also wasn’t the kind of thing anyone would make up. She’d mentioned trying to show a Dalek mercy: that was definitely something only a clueless human would do. All the details of her story certainly seemed to match up and that terrified him more than anything. If all she was saying was actually true, his future was infinitely more terrifying. The Daleks had survived the Time War, which meant one simple fact: Gallifrey burned for nothing. All of the Gallifreyans, all of the Time Lords, all of the innocent children...they had all been destroyed in vain. The Doctor’s hearts both dropped to his stomach as he realized that he ruthlessly murdered his entire race for absolutely no reason. And now a being stood before him who had thrown away her life, become some unknown creature, just for him. That made the Doctor a monster.

“Doctor?” Rose asked softly. The Doctor finally turned his head to glare right at her.

“Did you leave then? After I regenerated?” he questioned in an accusing tone.

“I was scared,” Rose admitted. “But I never left, and I never thought of leaving. I stayed with you and I grew close with your next regeneration as well. I always missed you, but the next you...he was magnificent in his own ways.” She left out the part of promising him forever and falling hopelessly in love with him. That was something she couldn’t even think of mentioning to this particular Doctor. The Doctor was quiet still, choosing to save his questions for the end of her tale.

“And then?” he prompted impatiently.

“I traveled with you more, for another year or so...maybe more. We always lost track of time when we were adventuring. We ran into trouble when we ended up in a parallel universe by accident. You managed to get us out, but not before we met the Cybermen.”

The Doctor once again catalogued that as a reason Rose had to be telling the truth. There weren’t many races out in the universe that had encountered the Cybermen, at least not the ones he had come across years ago.

“We managed to get out of that Universe, but things kept going downhill for us. The Cybermen managed to make their way into our home universe, and so did the Daleks who had been hiding in a void ship. They were infiltrating Earth at the same time, fighting with each other and killing humans and stealing them for conversion...it was a mess. You had the brilliant idea on sending them back into the void since they were covered in void stuff. Unfortunately for us, anyone who-

“Travels through the void also gets covered in void stuff,” the Doctor interrupted, rolling his eyes. “Yes I know that, Rose, it was me that taught you after all.” Rose smiled slightly. He wouldn’t admit it, but he believed that she was who she said she was now.

“Right well you and I held onto these mega clamp things, but I had to readjust the lever that was holding the portal open and I slipped and fell,” Rose stated.

“Into the void? How are you alive?”

“Calm down, Doctor. Right before I fell into the void, the version of my dad from the parallel world the Cybermen had come from caught me and brought me to his universe with his dimension hopper. He and a group of other people from his universe had been using them to get to us, but since the walls between the universes were healing we couldn’t get back to you. My mum made it over with us, so did Mickey.”

“You mean Ricky,” the Doctor corrected. Rose rolled her eyes. Some things never change.

“Sure, whatever. Anyway I lived over there for a good year before I found a way back to you. I built a Dimension Cannon and I jumped over and over again...hoping to land in the correct universe to warn you that something was wrong, something was coming. I finally made it back to you, just in time for the Daleks to destroy all of time and space. I was thrilled to be back together with you, but when it was all over and we managed to save everything...you dropped me back off in the parallel world. I was mad at you for ages,” Rose said, clenching her teeth. Now that she was standing in front of the actual Doctor, she could feel the pain of being left behind fresh. She had been left by him again and again and again, and yet she continued to come back to him. What else could she do?

“Why did I do that?” the Doctor questioned.

“I think you were afraid,” Rose answered softly. “I can’t say for sure, but we had gotten so close...I think you were afraid that it would hurt if I ever left you, even involuntarily again, so you tucked me away safely where you could be in control of your own pain,” Rose hypothesized. The Doctor studied her carefully once more. The pain was clearly etched into her every movement. Whatever he had done, he had ruined this girl. He knew there was more to the story, but he couldn’t figure out what she was hiding.

“And then, what? You kept trying to rebuild your little Dimension Canon?”

“Not quite,” she replied. “It took me time, but with the help of a special friend of mine, I was able to come to peace with the fact that we would never see each other again. I accepted that I would live a normal human life, even if it was in a different universe than where I had been born. I at least had my mum and my dad, even if he was a parallel version of my dad.”

The Doctor couldn’t recall seeing a man at the small flat her and her mum lived in. He wondered what had happened to the version of her father that resided in her home universe, in his universe.

“So how did you end up here?”

“A lot of time passed and we all figured out that I had stopped aging, probably around the time I looked into the heart of the TARDIS and absorbed the Time Vortex,” Rose stated simply. She didn’t see any point in sugarcoating it. The man was a 900 year old Time Lord, he could handle it.

“What?” he asked, his jaw dropping.

“I guess you thought you had taken all of the Vortex energy, all the Huon particles, out of me, but you missed some. John thought I might still have some connection to the TARDIS and that if I built a new version of the Dimension Canon, something smaller and more precise, the TARDIS would help me get back to you. He was right.”

“John?” the Doctor questioned, narrowing his eyes. Rose held her breath. She hadn’t meant to let it slip.

“He was my…husband,” she finally admitted.

“Oh?”

“He was...a human/Time Lord metacrisis that was created during the second Dalek invasion. You dumped us both in the parallel world because you thought you were giving us the chance to live a long, normal human life together,” Rose explained carefully.

“What do you mean I thought?” the Doctor pressed on.

“Please, Doctor, I don’t want to talk about it. Frankly, I’m still angry and I don’t want to be angry at you for something you haven’t even done yet.”

…

“Alright,” the Doctor conceded after a few moments of silence.

“Anyway that’s basically the story, the short version any way. It took me a long time to build the machine to get back to you and I had no idea where I’d end up. I was a little shocked to see you, to be honest. I was assuming I’d see your next self since that’s the one I last saw,” Rose was quick to change the pace of the conversation.

“Exactly how long is a long time, Rose Tyler? How long have you lived and have you aged at all? Maybe you assumed wrong and you just have a youthful glow. Maybe my sonic is broken and you really are just a human,” the Doctor looked hopeful.

“I don’t think that’s possible, Doctor. Not anymore,” Rose sighed.

“How long?”

“I’m 119 years old.”

“I think you look good for your age,” the Doctor smiled. His greatest fear was confirmed: he had destroyed this girl. If he went back and asked Rose to travel with him and she followed, this is where it would lead her. But if he didn’t ask Rose, then Rose would never come back to warn him and he would end up asking Rose. She’d created a paradox and it was all a jumbled mess. His panic was rising, but he kept the goofy grin on his face for her. She had clearly fought hard to get back to him, even if he barely had any idea who she was. Rose, for her part, was laughing and looking fully relaxed for the first time since she’d showed up in his TARDIS. When her laughter died down, the Doctor took a sudden interest in the smudge on the toe of his right shoe. He let the silence sit awkwardly for a bit before finally, Rose let out a very delicate cough. His head snapped up and she grimaced a little at disturbing the quiet moment.

“I know it may seem strange since I’ve just told you my life story, in not so much detail, and claimed to be someone very important to you when you barely know me at all...but do you think it would be alright if I just cleaned up a bit and maybe popped into a spare room for a kip? You wouldn’t believe the past century I’ve had,” she said with a wink. The Doctor let her easy teasing roll off his back, though it made him uneasy. He simply nodded in a very business-like manner.

“Yes, of course, the TARDIS should take you to an appropriate room. Just...meet me back out here when you feel well rested, I guess,” he gestured for the hallway and Rose took that as her cue to leave. She nodded in thanks and quickly headed down the hallway, rushing out of his sight only to pause. As she took a deep breath, she tried to take it all in. She was once again inside the TARDIS. Not only that, she was back with her first Doctor and he barely had any idea who she was. He still saw her as a 19 year old, bleach blonde shop girl who had a knack for asking the right questions and providing none of the answers. She couldn’t figure out why the TARDIS had brought her to this spot in his timeline, but she assumed that she herself had had something to do with it, back during those few moments when she was in complete control of time and space. She had manipulated the time lines so that she could save the Doctor, and maybe this was just one of those moments. The TARDIS gave a happy hum in response and Rose smiled.

It’s so very nice to be back, Old Girl. Rose wasn’t sure if she would be able to communicate with the ship in words, but she assumed the ship could at least understand her. The TARDIS once again sent her a happy hum and a gentle nudge before opening a door just down the hall. Rose rushed towards it and was thrilled to find her old room. It wasn’t quite as she’d left it. Changes had been made. Instead of the bright pink walls and sweatshirts strewn all over the place, the room was painted in a lovely rose pink. It was a more mature version of the color she had so loved as a teenager. The dresser was the same, but it had been tidied and now the clothing she had favored in the parallel world was found in her wardrobe. The pictures of her and the Doctor and Captain Jack on their adventures were still strewn around her room and tears sprung to her eyes as she grabbed one of her favorites from one of their visits to Cardiff. She silently thanked the ship for bringing her room home, and for making some more age appropriate upgrades.

As much as she wanted to continue her tour down memory lane, Rose really was aching for a hot shower and some much deserved rest. She dashed into the en suite bathroom, once again marveling at the rows of spa-like products the TARDIS provided. Most of it was alien, but since it was all translated Rose had no problem finding her favorite scents as she turned on the faucet. After a hot and relaxing shower, Rose couldn’t even say how long it was, she wrapped herself in the softest, fluffiest towel she had ever touched and found a comfortable pair of jimjams waiting for her in the bathroom. She dressed slowly, taking her time picking out a nice lotion and drying her hair. Once she felt clean and refreshed, Rose made her way to the large bed. Her bedding had changed, but she was sure that the comfort level of the mattress would be no different than it was 100 years ago. As she laid down and rested her head on the soft, yet completely supportive pillow, she let out a small sigh of contentment.

Her eyes were closed and her mind drifted to sleep the minute her head hit the pillow. She didn’t stay in the darkness for long, though. Almost immediately a soft golden light began to fill her mental vision. Rose found herself suddenly in a beautiful garden, with water falling from nowhere into little stone pools. She looked around curiously and found a woman sitting on a bench. The woman was thin and dressed in a beautiful flowing gown, of course in royal TARDIS blue. Her hair was a mess of black curls, piled atop her head. She waved a few fingers at Rose eagerly.

“Hello, my wolf!” she exclaimed. Rose was confused, but since it was a dream, she approached the woman anyway.

“I’m sorry?”

“Oh silly wolf, don’t you know who I am?” the strange woman giggled, bouncing in her seat as she patted the spot on the bench next to her. Rose sat down carefully, worried the woman might explode with pure excitement.

“I’m sorry, I can’t say I do. Should I?” Rose asked politely.

“Darn this form. I thought I’d chosen it from your past, but it seems I’ve gotten the past and the future all mixed up again! I’m your heart, little one,” the woman smiled brightly, but Rose still shook her head.

“I’m really not following,” she admitted almost regretfully. The woman who sat beside her screwed up her face in concentration.

“You know I sing you that lovely song,” she said before opening her mouth wide and letting lose the most beautiful, haunting melody Rose had ever heard. A shiver ran down her spine as she recognized it instantly.

“Are you the...the TARDIS?” she stuttered.

“Yes that’s right! Time And Relative Dimension In Space. That’s me! I’m a type 40, you know, and the very last of my kind, just like my thief and just like you, dear! We’re all very lonesome creatures and that’s why we have each other, the three of us,” the TARDIS rambled on. Rose looked at her oddly. She knew the ship was alive, had experienced it for herself at one point, but she had a hard time accepting that this strange woman was the TARDIS.

“Alright, well if you’re the TARDIS...how are you human?”

“Oh, I’m not. Of course I’m not! I just thought it might be easier for you to speak with me if I looked like this. Would you prefer something else, my sweet?” the TARDIS asked kindly. It didn’t surprise Rose that she would be the nurturing type.

“No, that’s alright. It’s just a bit strange. After 100 years of life, I didn’t think much else could surprise me is all,” Rose admitted.

“You’re back traveling with me now! Nothing but surprises. The good, and the bad as well I’m afraid. Nothing stops my thief from getting into trouble. Of course I sometimes have a hand in that. We both love a good adventure. And so do you, my wolf, that’s why you began traveling with us in the first place!”

“You’re not wrong about that. I don’t mean to be rude, TARDIS, but why exactly are you visiting me in my dream?” Rose asked cautiously.

“How silly of me! Of course I should explain. Of course you’re very confused and probably very tired. I’ll try not to take too much of your time. Well, your John Noble was correct in assuming that the Bad Wolf has never truly left you. You are the Bad Wolf and she is Rose Tyler, there is no separating the two. The Doctor took most of the huon particles out and put them back inside of my heart, but all that did was lock the Bad Wolf into a certain part of your mind. For the past hundred years, your mind has been stretching to accommodate her and you’re almost ready to have full access to the Bad Wolf again. I had to reach out to you when you were asleep because when you are awake, your mind is too occupied and too focused on your very human tasks to allow me to slip in like this. The little piece of me that’s still hidden in your mind is what allowed me to help pull you through the void. My Thief is lost without you, though he’ll never admit it. Bad Wolf made it so. Bad Wolf ensured that you would have your forever with him and he would have his forever with you. Bad Wolf-”

“Please, TARDIS, slow down. I’m very tired and I’m afraid I’m not quite understanding you,” Rose begged. The TARDIS smiled softly.

“I’m very sorry, little Wolf. I won’t be able to tell you everything I know right away. I’ll have to keep visiting you. I’ll help you unlock the Bad Wolf and we’ll figure out a way for you to cope with both she and yourself in your mind at the same time. While you are the same, you’re also very different. It’s all quite wibbly wobbly, you see and it’s going to take us time to sort through it. I’ll visit you each time you rest, but for now I will leave you to sleep,” the TARDIS answered her gently as she stood to leave. The vibrant colors of the garden began to fade.

“Wait!”

“What is it, dear?”

“Am I alright to stay here with the Doctor before I’ve properly traveled with him? Won’t I mess up the timelines? What if he never goes back to pick me up? Isn’t that some sort of paradox?” Rose worried.

“Do not worry, my wolf. Enjoy your time with this Doctor. You never got a proper goodbye last time and this is Bad Wolf’s gift to you. When it is time, he will block his memories of this time with you and he will return for your younger selves. I promise it shall be so,” the beautiful woman replied before she and the serene garden faded from existence and left Rose with only the darkness. Rose allowed her consciousness to slip back into blissful, dreamless sleep as the TARDIS hummed her a lullaby.

Chapter Text

After the mysterious young woman left the console room, the Doctor did what he always did when he was trying to work out a particularly difficult problem, he tinkered under the console. The second he picked up a wrench, though, he felt a static jolt of electricity shoot him. I

“What?” he snapped, directing his comment at the ship. He felt a wave of annoyance brush his consciousness in response.

“I don’t know what you could possibly be upset about,” he responded to his sentient ship. “If all she’s saying is true, she’s just another companion. You’ve never gotten this worked up over my companions before. In fact, you’ve been downright rude to most of them,” he pointed out. He was met with a nudge of insistence and a clearly chastising hum. She let him tinker for a few hours as Rose rested, but after about 8 hours the TARDIS had had enough. She began to send him frequent jolts of electricity. Every time he picked up a tool or touched a piece of the console, he was shocked instantly.

“FINE! I won’t try to do any more work, you moody thing. What is it you think I should be doing?” he huffed at the ship. There was a moment of silence and then suddenly, she was landing somewhere...the very familiar wheezing sound echoing through the console room. The Doctor rolled his eyes, but headed towards the door anyway. Maybe a good adventure was exactly what he needed to get his mind off things.

Rose awoke when she heard the familiar sound of the TARDIS landing. She was unable to stop herself from almost flying out of the bed in a panic, throwing on the clothes she had worn the day before as she went. She felt a wave of calming reassurance from the TARDIS, but ignored it and ran into the console room. The Doctor was nowhere to be seen, and a quick look at the outside monitor showed her massive crowds of people, though she couldn't pinpoint where or when. Despite her 119 years of life, she hadn't time traveled in over 90 years. She was completely out of practice identifying where and when she might be. The TARDIS once again caressed her mind soothingly and this time, Rose listened. At least she hadn't been left behind without the TARDIS this time, plus she couldn't really blame this particular doctor from running away from her. He didn't even really know her yet. Now that the initial fear had settled, Rose wandered back down the hallway in hopes of finding the kitchen. The kitchen had always been one of those rooms that was never in the same place. Of course, the only room that was ever in the same place was the console room (and that was only if you were entering from outside). Still, the kitchen was always particularly difficult to find if Rose was being honest with herself. She found that after 90 some odd years, this had not changed.

Rose stumbled upon several different storage closets, spare rooms, the library, the wardrobe room (which she looked in on longingly, but decided to ignore), 4 swimming pools, and the cinema room before she finally found the kitchen. With a breath of relief, she set about making herself a simple breakfast of beans on toast. When she had first traveled with the Doctor, she hadn’t exactly been much of a cook. They mostly ate out, though she found her second doctor, all donned in pin stripes, was quite the cook himself. Still, after 100 years of living, Rose had picked up a few things and beans on toast was simple enough. She ate in silence, allowing the quiet melody of the TARDIS to play in her head. Once she finished eating, she moved to quickly wash the dishes she had used. While the TARDIS would clean up anything left behind, Rose had often admonished the Doctor for ignoring simple chores and did them herself. The ship was downright magical, but she was a like a maid to the Doctor...and Rose didn’t want her to feel forced to clean up after everyone.

As she scrubbed at the pan she began to hum the melody quietly under her breath. The TARDIS responded happily by singing louder to Rose. The two went on in their lovely duet as Rose tidied the kitchen mindlessly. When she was finished with the kitchen, she moved on to the library and eventually found herself sweeping up the console room. She was so occupied by her their melodic duet that she missed the sound of the doors opening quietly. The Doctor stood near the entrance and watched the young human move around his console room, dancing to a melody that sounded foreign and yet so familiar. It took him only a moment to figure it out: the song of the TARDIS...but it was different than he had heard it before. He patted a strut of coral softly and his ship filled his mind with the same song she was singing for Rose. The Doctor had a hard time fighting the tears that suddenly wanted to flow from his eyes. He coughed loudly to interrupt the song and Rose stopped, turning around. Instead of being startled like he had expected, the blonde sent him an easy, if cautious, smile.

“Good Morning,” she greeted him happily. The Doctor grunted.

“Not much of a morning if you sleep through it. I expect you’ve just now woken up. Humans and their sleep,” he leaned easily against the console, arms crossed. Rose shook her head, refusing to let the smile slip off her face. Now that she had rested and been reassured by the TARDIS that she wasn’t destroying any timelines, she was determined to enjoy whatever time she got with her first doctor. He was hurting and she knew he would never show that, but she was determined to help him until he went back and her past self could give him the healing he needed.

“Nope,” she popped her ‘p’. “I only slept for maybe 8 hours. When I heard the TARDIS landing, I ventured out here, but since you were already gone I decided to eat and tidy up. You know, you really should try and clean up after yourself more. I think the old girl would appreciate it,” Rose told him, setting the duster she had been holding back on the hook the TARDIS had provided for her.

“She’s not dirty,” the Doctor insisted simply. Rose shrugged and joined him near the console, sitting on the jumpseat. It had always been her go to place when traveling with the Doctor.

“I suppose she just put the dirt there for me to clean up then?” Rose raised an eyebrow, taunting the Doctor. She was aching for that easy banter she knew they had once perfected, but he didn’t take the bait.

“That song you were humming...where did you hear it?” he asked. It was phrased as a question, but Rose could tell he meant it as a command. He stood there in all his hardened, leather glory. His arms crossed tightly across himself while his legs stood in a straight, stiff pose.

“The TARDIS sings to me, mostly to comfort me,” Rose told him honestly. She saw no point in lying to the man. It would only make him angry and he would keep asking until he got the truth. The Doctor was thoughtful for a moment. She had expected him to question her immediately, but perhaps the TARDIS had been doing some convincing of her own.

“And has that been happening since you looked into the Vortex?”

“I’m not sure. I think it was very faint back then since my mind was completely human and wouldn’t have been able to understand much of it anyway. Since I’ve been back, I recognized her song so I think I’ve heard it before, but I don’t know when. She started singing to me when I realized you had left this morning,” Rose confessed.

“What had you all panicked? It wasn’t like I was going to leave you with my TARDIS and never come back,” the Doctor questioned. He was treading on careful ground. No one had ever formed a bond with his ship before, least of all a human girl. He hadn’t even traveled with humans for so long...they were such fleeting creatures.

“It wouldn’t be the first time it had happened to me,” was her quiet reply. The Doctor thought this over for a few minutes. Rose waited patiently as the Doctor digested the thought. The Doctor noted her patience silently. The 19 year old he had left behind would never have waited more than a second for an answer. He knew that at this point he believed this Rose Tyler was a future version of the young girl who had said no, but he continued to catalogue evidence that supported this conclusion. It was a habit of his.

“Well I’m sure if a future version of myself did that, it was in a completely hopeless situation and in every attempt to keep someone safe,” he stated with complete confidence. Rose couldn’t disagree, but she didn’t necessarily agree either.

“Agree to disagree,” she said simply, crossing her own arms as she looked away. The Doctor thankfully took the hint. Unlike her next Doctor, this Doctor was happy to leave uncomfortable social situations alone.

“I didn’t pop off to go anywhere spectacular...it’s just that the TARDIS brought me somewhere and I couldn’t exactly ignore her. Not sure why she wanted me to be there, I’ve already tried to examine that event and it’s a fixed point in time,” the Doctor said, clearly trying to ease the tension that had built in the room. Rose tilted her head to the side.

“And what fixed point where you visiting?” she questioned, fighting the smile on her face. The Doctor had never respected the whole “fixed point” idea. Even with her father and the paradox, he had let her be there for her dad’s death.

“JFK’s assassination,” the Doctor answered grimly. Rose nodded in understanding.

“I know why,” she said simply.

“Why what? Why he was assassinated?” the Doctor scoffed. “That’s not very difficult to figure out.”

“I know why the TARDIS brought you there,” Rose replied with an eye roll. “When I was 19 and after I’d just met you, but before we fought the Nestene Consciousness, I tried to figure out who you were by searching on the internet. I found some guy who’d apparently been trying to track you. He showed me photos of you, this current regeneration, in the crowd at the JFK assassination and...somewhere else.”

“Where else?”

“I don’t think it’s important. You’ll get there eventually,” Rose shrugged. She hated to mention that he would end up meeting a family destined to board the Titanic. John had told her about his and Donna’s visit to Pompeii and she knew that it killed him to walk away and leave innocent people to die when he had no choice. She knew from the photo that he would save one small family, just like at Pompeii, but that was something the Doctor would come to on his own terms. He seemed to accept her answer, thank goodness.

“Well enough of that,” he said, clapping his hands together. “Where should we go off to?”

Rose bit her lip. She didn’t really want to go off on an adventure with him. Things were still very weird and she didn’t want him to go somewhere that he was supposed to go with her younger self in his future. She rubbed her temples, it was all getting to be a bit much. The TARDIS hummed soothingly and she found the Doctor suddenly very close to her face, sonic screwdriver whirring in her eyes.

“Headache?” he asked. Rose shook her head.

“No,” she mumbled as she half-heartedly brushed his hand away. “It’s just a bit much, that’s all.”

“Trying to avoid points in the future?” he asked knowingly.

“Yes, because while you may block the memory, there’s no guarantee us being there before we’re supposed to be there wouldn’t have an effect on us going there later and if we don’t go there later then everything could change. Everything has to happen exactly as it already happened and that’s just…”

“It’s nutty,” the Doctor grinned. “Time isn’t linear, Rose, so stop your worrying. It’ll be fine. I can sense your timeline and trust me, there haven’t been any changes so far in your past. How about I pick a place and if we ever visited there, you let me know and we’ll go somewhere else,” he suggested gently. Rose was a bit taken aback. She’d almost forgotten that this Doctor had a sensitive side. Of course, each Doctor did, but she always remembered this one as being particularly rough around the edges.

“How about Barcelona? The planet, of course, and not the country. They’ve got dogs with no noses!” the Doctor grinned widely and Rose couldn’t stop the smile that spread over her face instantly.

“You always say that. I’m beginning to think Barcelona doesn’t exist,” she teased in return. The Doctor huffed and just like all those years before, she saw the look on his face as he rushed toward the console and started tinkering with buttons before pulling the lever that would send them to Barcelona. He thought her cheeky. He was going to show her wrong. Barcelona did exist and there absolutely was dogs with no noses. Rose held back her laughter as the TARDIS wheezed to life. They were off on an adventure just like old times and for the first time in years Rose let herself forgive the Doctor. He wasn’t really her Doctor after all, she couldn’t be angry at him for decisions he had yet to make and she couldn’t change his future actions anyway. So she decided to just enjoy her big-eared, leather-clad, Northern Doctor for who he was: an uncomplicated piece of her very complicated history with the Time Lord.

“Rose Tyler, welcome to Barcelona,” the Doctor grinned as the TARDIS landed suddenly. He flung the door open with a flourish of his arms. Rose raised her eyebrow and felt the familiar movement of her arms folding across her chest, hip sticking out with a particular sass she didn’t exactly feel was appropriate for a woman her age.

“Are you quite sure this is the planet Barcelona, Doctor? Cuz it looks an awful lot like the city of Barcelona to me, maybe around 1999 based on the platform shoes and crop tops. I did get the chance to visit Barcelona in the other universe and this is pretty much what it looked like,” Rose said. The Doctor frowned and went back to the console, fiddling with the buttons and glancing at the screen in frustration.

“What’d you do that for?” he called up at the ship. The TARDIS, for her part, kept quiet.

“Maybe there’s a mystery to solve or an adventure to be had,” Rose called back to him from the doorway. “She always seems to take us where we’ll do the most running. Then again, maybe you are just a big fat liar and there is no planet Barcelona. I mean honestly...dogs with no noses?”

“I’ll show you Rose Tyler!” the Doctor humphed. Rose closed the door quickly as the TARDIS began de-materializing, but before it had left fully the TARDIS began to rumble, but they quickly realized that the ground outside was rumbling as well. The Doctor halted the TARDIS’s departure and looked at Rose curiously. Rose responded with a raised eyebrow and an excited smile. For the first time in at least four decades, she felt the stirring in her stomach that indicated an adventure was about to begin. She flung the door open and took a few steps outside, the Doctor not far behind her. On the horizon they saw a cloud of dust rising from the cobblestone that made up the streets. The rumbling sounded like hundreds of feet pounding the pavement.

“That sure sounds an awful lot like the running of the bulls,” the Doctor commented. He was watching Rose carefully, testing her. Rose rolled her eyes. After living with 2.5 Doctors she knew a snide little test when she saw one, but she opted not to mention it.

“Yeah, except the running of the bulls doesn’t happen in Barcelona. It happens in Pamplona. So either this is Pamplona, Spain or….” she trailed off as the cloud of dust became more transparent.

“Or that’s definitely not a bull chasing that very large group of terrified people,” the Doctor finished her sentence with a grin as they took off running toward imminent danger. The giant creature had horns like a bull and hooves like a bull, but it also had a long spiked tail, terrifying bat-like wings, and razor sharp teeth. It was chasing a group of maybe 50 people, though with what end goal it wasn’t clear. Many of the people it caught up with jumped out if it’s path and it did not pursue them, simply continued to run. There were only 1-2 people who seemed injured thus far.

“What do you reckon it is, Doctor?” Rose asked as she struggled to keep up with him. It had been several years since she’d been on the run and even though Rose hadn’t aged, some days she really did feel like she was 100 years old.

“Dunno. Could be anything really. It’s probably alien, though I guess it could be robotic too,” he rambled on a bit, more distracted by Rose’s shortness of breath than he was by the giant creature that was now directly in their path. Of course, it was more correct to say that they had put themselves directly in its path, but the Doctor couldn’t be bothered with formalities. He slowed his pace ever so slightly and watched as Rose’s struggle lessened significantly. He’d have to remember that she wasn’t used to the same type of adventure that he was. He was so used to being alone since the war.

“That’s not very helpful,” Rose scoffed, not noticing their slower pace or any of the Doctor’s distraction. He fought the urge to roll his eyes and mutter apes.

“Well we’re going to find out, aren’t we?” he shrugged as he came to a sudden halt. Rose skidded to a stop next to him, glancing nervously at the rapidly approaching creature. The Doctor stood postured, his eyes fierce with determination as he settled in his stance. He struggled to make eye contact with the creature, though, because the creature’s eyes were completely black and the Doctor couldn't quite tell if the being, which was still about 100 meters away, was even a living creature or some kind of alien tech. It definitely was far past Earth’s technology for the time. The Doctor stole a quick glance at Rose, but she still stood by his side faithfully. Her body was postured to run if need be, but he couldn't blame her for that. It was a normal reaction that he simply planned to ignore. The Bull creature was only about 20 meters away, and the Doctor caught Rose waiver slightly beside him as the Doctor began to give a silent, telepathic order for the creature to stop he felt himself being violently tackled from the side. As both he and the man who was now laying on top of him hit the wall roughly, he shoved the man off.

“What do you think you’re doing?” He demanded, standing as he patted the dust off his favorite leather jacket.

“Saving your life! Do you have a death wish? A thank you would be nice, though I don't suppose I'll ever get one from you,” the young man responded, shaking himself off. The Doctor was automatically queasy around him for some unknown reason. He focused in on the man’s timelines and found, to his great distrust and discomfort, that they were all WRONG. He couldn't even say why exactly. It just felt completely wrong and the Doctor was in a hurry to leave the human who gave off such a wrong time sense. The man was standing expectantly, arms crossed his chest. He was wearing a light blue button down shirt, with the sleeves rolled up. His brown pants matched his suspenders and his hair was spiked in all the wrong places. “It's good to see you, and you're welcome by the way. It's been a while,” the man said slowly, watching the Doctor carefully. The Doctor huffed in response.

“That's hardly an appropriate greeting for a stranger you just met who you proceeded to tackle to the ground, ruining a perfectly good plan,” he responded. It wasn't the first time something like this had happened, a future friend or acquaintance would recognize him and expect him to demand answers for his future self's deeds. “It's funny you did though,” he continued, “because I thought Rose might end up shoving me out of the street...wait. Rose? ROSE!” The Doctor called frantically, turning around just to spot her on the other side of the street. She was standing, thankfully and hadn't become roadkill to the bull who had simply trampled past. She was standing, yes, but she was standing completely and utterly still. The stranger followed the Doctor’s gaze across the road and was met with a sight for sore eyes, though by the look on her face Rose didn't feel the same way.

“Rose!” He called, running over to her. The Doctor glared immediately, again taking alarmed note of the jealousy that was coursing through his veins. He barely knew Rose, especially this strange not-quite-human Rose from the future. He had no right to be jealous, and yet, he doubted the strange man who was oozing charm was anything but trouble so he quickly followed behind, preparing to protect Rose. He was shocked, however, when Rose shook herself out of her stupor and flashed a wide smile, wider than any he had seen or certainly any she had flashed him. The Doctor skidded to a halt as the two others collided in a hug. The man lifted Rose off the ground and twirled her gleefully. She responded with a youthful giggle that sounded more like it should come from the 19 year old shop girl than the 119 year old time traveler.

Rose wasn't sure how to feel about seeing Captain Jack Harkness. She wasn't sure where in his personal timeline he was. Clearly it was some point after Game Station as he had never left their company between meeting them and dying on Game Station. She didn't know if he knew that he was immortal, or that she’d caused it. But despite all the worry and questions left unanswered, seeing her old friend brought her so much joy. Rose hadn't remembered how much Jack lit up her world. She supposed he had that effect on everyone. He was a clever, delightful con-man turned good guy and while she knew he had left his days of lying and cheating behind, he carried on that charming persona that has made him a successful baby model. While they embraced Rose also pondered the tidbit that John had shared with her...that Jack would somehow turn into the Face of Boe. It didn't surprise Rose somehow, though she added it to the list of things to investigate once she got back to her proper Doctor.

“Oh Rosie! It's been too long,” Jack said into her hair as he finally released her from his firm embrace.

“I know, Jack.”

“Care to enlighten me on how you two lovebirds know each other?” The Doctor chirped as he carefully placed himself between the two. Jack raised an eyebrow as he looked at Rose.

“You mean you don't know me?” he asked the Doctor, crossing his arms.

“If we've met, I wouldn't remember,” the Doctor replied haughtily. “I meet a lot of people.”

“Oh you would remember this,” Jack challenged as he leaned in to give the Doctor a kiss. The Doctor ducked away, flustered as Rose laughed hysterically.

“Oi you two. We’re time travelers, the lot of us. We get mixed up sometimes. What's that you always say, Doctor? Time isn't linear...it's a wibbly wobbly, timey wimey ball of stuff,” Rose recited like a proud school girl. Both men gave her a look.

“I would never say that, that's ridiculous. It sounds like child’s play,” the Doctor scoffed.

“I kind of like it,” Jack disagreed.

“Nevermind that. Are you trying to tell me he’s from my future? Your past?” The Doctor once again directed his question only at Rose. She nodded.

“Yes. He's a good friend and if he's here, that means there's definitely something going on. He always follows trouble, just like us,” she confirmed. She didn't feel the need to elaborate further or go into any grand telling of their friendship. The Doctor would meet Jack soon enough.

“I didn't know good friends deserted other friends on empty space stations with no way to get away,” Jack said quietly. Rose felt her heart break all over again. She pulled him into a hug immediately.

“You'll get your explanation someday soon, I promise. He hasn't met you yet and I'm not the right one to tell you, but I promise we care about you. It was a terrible thing to do and I'm not saying it as right, but I need you to know it wasn't an easy decision for him,” Rose said. Jack stared at her for a few moments before nodding in silent agreement to put it aside for the time being.

“Alright. Now that that’s all out of the way, Rosie I got to say...if it’s been as long for me as it has for you...DAMN you look good,” he charmed her and Rose laughed, pressing a kiss on his cheek. The moment her lips met his face, the Doctor felt his blood boil. That was crossing a line. He intervened immediately.

“I think that’s enough of that. We did almost just get trampled by a giant bull creature which is not supposed to be here,” he said crossly, moving toward Rose. He had the ridiculous urge to wrap his arm around the young human. It had to be because of the suspicious man. That was all.

“Would you like me to remove that piece of alien junk out of your ass? It must have gotten stuck when the bull ran by,” Jack snickered.

“And who says it’s alien? Looked like a machine to be, probably the handiwork of one of your stupid apes. Humans...always messing around with things they don’t understand,” he fumed. Jack raised an eyebrow as Rose let out a frustrated sigh.

“Did you see that thing? There’s no way that was some kind of cyber-bull. Technology in this year is nowhere near able to make an animatronic bull that is that life-like,” Jack argued in return.

As Jack and the Doctor bickered, Rose glanced around the cobblestone street which was now deserted. Considering the size of the beast which had run through only minutes before, the street wasn’t in too bad of shape. Her eyes were drawn to one spot where the stone had been ripped up. She approached the spot, the Doctor and Jack not noticing as they continued to argue over whether or not the bull could be of human creation. Rose knelt down at the stone, grimacing as she saw what had caused the damage. A large spike, much like a porcupine spine, lay on the ground, one end of it dripping with a dark red liquid she could only assume was blood.

“Doctor?” she called out, turning to glance back at the men. The argument ceased immediately as the leather-clad Doctor looked over to her and approached swiftly.

“What’ve you got there?” he asked, crouching down beside her as Jack ambled over.

“Whatever it is, it’s organic...definitely not machine. Let’s take it back to the TARDIS, she can analyze it better than the sonic,” Rose commented. The Doctor paused for a moment. He knew this Rose was experienced in traveling with him, but it was odd to hear a young human girl casually refer to the TARDIS as a she and not as an it or a machine. After a moment of thought, he nodded in agreement and reached into one of his pockets for a cloth to pick the spike up with. He really didn’t know how much Rose knew or understood about him or his TARDIS, but he decided then and there that it was time to stop underestimating her.

“What did I tell ya, Doc? No machinery here,” Captain Jack clapped the Doctor on the back with a teasing smile.

“Don’t touch me,” the Time Lord growled instantly.

“Come on, Doctor, lighten up. You love me! Just ask Rosie,” he sent the blonde a wink and she made zero attempts to stifle her laughter. The Doctor only humphed in response as he finished wrapping the spike with the cloth. Without another word he took off for the TARDIS at a brisk pace. Rose and Jack followed at a more leisurely pace, Rose looping her arm with Jack.

“Rose what happened to you? How long have you two been separated?” he asked quietly, slowing his pace and allowing the Doctor to get further ahead. “He acts like he doesn’t even trust you. When I left you guys, you were thick as thieves. He was planning to send you back to your mom…”

“It’s a long story Jack.”

“You know I’ve got forever,” he said seriously. Rose sighed, pinching her nose as she watched the Doctor grow smaller ahead of them.

“He’ll explain it better than I can when you meet him again, but he did send me away on the Game Station. Didn’t even give me a choice, but I wasn’t gonna stand for that so I did something stupid and the TARDIS and I worked together to come back for him and save you both,” she said softly.

“What do you mean you worked together with the TARDIS? She’s just a ship, Rose,” Jack responded.

“There is so much you don’t know or understand about her. She’s so much more than just a ship! Didn’t the Doctor ever tell you she’s alive?”

“I just thought he was talking about her being advanced,” Jack defended himself from her accusatory tone.

“No. The TARDIS is a living being, a creature that spans across 11 dimensions and has a heart that holds the entire time vortex. She and the Doctor can communicate telepathically I’m pretty sure. I don’t think they use words, but she’s very alive and she can feel and love and she loves him more than anyone in the world. So she helped me come back and she gave me what I needed to save him and while I was at it I saved you and killed all the Daleks. I just...I didn’t know what I was doing, Jack. I’m sorry. And I couldn’t handle it...it was going to kill me, but he took it from me and it killed him instead,” she explained.

“He’s dead? Why did you come back? Wait, if he’s dead then how am I going to meet him in the future? Rose, what can even kill a Time Lord?” Jack stopped walking and put both of his hands on her shoulders gently.

“No, the Doctor is still alive. Time Lord’s aren’t immortal...anything can kill them, it’s just that as long as their bodies have time to do so...they regenerate. I didn’t know anything about it until all the sudden he burst into light and flames and then all the sudden there was a strange man standing in his place, wearing his clothes, and asking me where we should go next. It took some getting used to and he was different, but deep down they’re all him. I think the one we’re with is his 9th body...maybe 10th. I never really got the answer to that question. Anyway I stayed with him and we kept traveling, and he told me you’d survived, but that you’d wanted to stay behind to rebuild the Earth. I didn’t question it then. I was too wrapped up in it all. Don’t worry, I gave him a good smack when I found out the truth years later,” she told him earnestly. They had begun walking again and were rapidly approaching the TARDIS, which the Doctor had already entered.

“So how did you end up here, away from him?”

“We accidentally ended up in a parallel universe, which he had always said was impossible. It was a universe without Time Lords since apparently they can only exist in one universe, but it was one where my Dad was still alive and I had never been born. I wanted to meet him and even though the Doctor thought it would be a bad idea, he let me. I...I don’t think I can tell you the rest because it’s still going to happen to you and you can’t block the memories like the Doctor can. Either way, something happened and I got trapped in that parallel universe with...a version of the Doctor. Not quite him, but someone very like him. His name was John and I married him,” Rose almost whispered, her eyes beginning to water again. Jack wrapped her in a hug immediately, willing the pain away from his friend.

“I want to say that I’m glad you found someone that loved you as much as you love them, but that didn’t seem like a story with a happy ending, Rosie,” Jack commented softly. Rose sniffled once and shook her head.

“No. He died only a few months after our wedding. He was sick, destined not to survive, but I didn’t really believe it until he was gone. So then I was just trapped in an alternate universe with my alternate Dad, my mum, my new baby brother, and Mickey,” Rose explained.

“At least you had them.”

“People-

“Oi!” The Doctor shouted as he stuck his head out of the TARDIS. “If you two Chatty Cathy’s are done gossipping, we’ve got a city to save from an angry alien,” he called, giving them a pointed glance. Jack eyed Rose, clearly promising he’d demand the full story later. The two of them entered the TARDIS to find the Doctor staring intently at the monitor on the console. Rose tossed her jacket onto the railing and joined him at the consol out of habit. The Doctor stiffened and moved slightly away, so he could no longer feel the heat radiating from her small form. Rose noted his discomfort and moved back to the jumpseat, Jack standing near her.

“So? What’d you find?” Jack pressed.

“It’s definitely alien, from the planet Lepton. The tricky thing is that Lepton is about 5 galaxies away from here. So the question is where did it come from and how is it alive? Lepton’s atmosphere has almost no oxygen, it’s mostly nitrogen. That thing shouldn’t be able to survive on Earth,” the Doctor pondered aloud.

“A couple days before you guys showed up I tracked the creature to the park where the zoo is about 10 miles from here. It disappeared on me. But it’s a good enough place to start as any,” Jack commented. The Doctor hated to agree, but he couldn’t think of another place to start so he set the coordinates for the center of the park and jumped forward to just after closing. He didn’t want to snoop around while the place was crawling with humans. Rose slipped on her leather jacket and followed the men out of the TARDIS before looking around at the dark sky.

“Did you have to go forward so much? It’s bloody dark out here. How are we supposed to look for this thing when we can’t even see our own hands?” Rose asked crossly before she felt a warm rush of air tickle the hairs on the back of her neck. She froze instantly, sucking in a quick breath. Without moving anything except her mouth, she whispered:

“Doctor?” she hoped the tinge of pure panic in her voice would be enough to gain his attention and thankfully it did. He whipped around, eyes widening as the giant beast stood stock still behind Rose. The pink and yellow human slowed her breath and closed her eyes, willing her heart to slow down. The Doctor, superior biology and all, noted that she was actually effectively slowing her heartbeat and the smell of adrenaline faded. He was impressed with his future companion, though he couldn’t say where she’d learned it from.

“Rose, don’t move,” he said slowly. She rolled her eyes, clearly not appreciating his obvious statement. He gingerly stepped forward, but the second he moved the Bull reared up on it’s hind legs, stretching it’s bat-like wings, and let out an unearthly roar. It’s front feet came pounding to the ground , shaking the ground around it as Rose only flinched, refusing to let her feet move further.

“Doctor, don’t. I think I can see the problem,” Jack held a hand out. The Doctor scowled, but considered the reaction the bull had to his own movements and allowed Jack to take a step forward. Slowly, Jack bent at the waist, lower his head toward his feet in a reverent bow. The creature was still for a few painful seconds before it moved one leg backwards, placing its other front leg forward and dipping its massive head in a bow. As it did so, its wings folded back in and the spikes on its tail laid flat against the tail.

“Alright Rosie, your turn. I don’t think he likes the Doc very much, so just bow...slowly,” Jack cautioned. Thinking he was absolutely insane, but trusting him implicitly, she followed his lead and the animal repeated its bow to her.

“You should be alright to move a bit now,” Jack said. “But slowly still!”

She followed his advice and took a few steps toward the Doctor, who held a hand out to her. As soon as his hand was within her reach, she grasped it and he pulled her carefully toward her, wrapping her in an embrace almost instantly. He didn’t mean it to be emotional, he just wanted to make sure she was out of harm’s way. The beast stood still, staring at all of them as its breathing seemed to get more and more labored.

“I think we’re seeing the effect of the copious oxygen,” the Doctor commented sadly. “Whatever was given to him to help him survive this atmosphere must be wearing off.”

“Mmm,” Rose nodded as they watched the creature lay down cautiously. “Jack! How did you know that would work?”

“Honestly? I didn’t, but Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban just came out...so I re-read it cuz why not and I remembered the scene with Buckbeak. I felt like it was worth a try. Clearly the animal is hurt and confused, maybe it just needed us to not threaten it,” he reasoned.

“You risked her life on a hunch from a Harry Potter book!” The Doctor roared, though he immediately regretted it as the bull stumbled back onto his feet and roared in return.

“Doctor, please. I think it’s feeding off our emotional energy. Are their any telepathic species on Lepton?” Rose begged him to calm down and just like that, he did. Because she had asked.

“Not telepathic, but you’re right. Leptonians are empaths. They’re whole culture and society is built on emotional exchange. It would make sense that their creatures are similarly affected. But why would someone bring this poor animal 5 galaxies away and drop it here to die?” he questioned as the bull fell back down to the ground, its breathing becoming even more labored. Rose approached it cautiously, ignoring the Doctor’s protests. She just couldn’t watch it suffer alone.

“Shhhhh,” she soothed as she approached, lowering herself to her knees at the beast’s side. She lifted a hand to stroke the beast’s head, crafting her own version of the TARDIS’ song to hum to the suffering creature. The Doctor watched the odd human, listening carefully to the melody that flowed from her lips. Her presence and song had an instant calming effect on the beast. It pushed its head further into her hand and let it’s eyes fall closed. The trio waited in silence for a few minutes before the beast was still. When there was no more rising and falling of the large creature’s chest, Rose felt tears fall to her cheeks.

“He’s gone,” she confirmed. Jack and the Doctor approached, Jack placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. The Doctor held the sonic screwdriver up and the little machine whirred to life. Rose bit her tongue down to keep from scolding the Doctor. If it had been her Doctor, one that truly knew her, she would have slapped him across the face for being so insensitive about a life ending, but this Doctor didn’t know her. This Doctor was fresh from the Time War and ad very little ability to be sensitive about anything.

“So?” Jack questioned, his eyes narrowing at the Doctor.

“Definitely Leptonian, but there are other traces here. I don’t think it was actually from Lepton. I’m getting strong traces of uranium, but there isn’t any uranium on Lepton,” the Doctor answered, listening to the results of the scan as Rose continued to absently stroke the creature.

“Does Lepton export anything?” she asked quietly.

“Yes, I think they’re the largest source of several food products within their galaxy, but-

“There,” she pointed to the creature’s back flank. “It’s a brand, yeah? BW.”

“B.W. hmmm, it could be the Bad Wolf farming corporation. I didn’t know they exported this far,” the Doctor hummed in response. Rose froze and shared a glance with an equally panicked Jack.

“What did you say?” Jack stuttered a bit.

“Bad Wolf. You’ve heard of them, I’m sure. Massive company stretching across at least 2 galaxies. But they must be dabbling in something more dangerous because they won’t be around for several thousand years,” the Doctor explained. Jack opened his mouth to say something, but Rose gave a subtle shake of her head. This Doctor didn’t know anything about Bad Wolf, but if she had had something to do with this...it must have been for a reason.

“So that’s it then? Just a stray bull that got lost in an intergalactic export. That’s cruel,” Rose said, feeling the hot anger build somewhere deep in heart. She took a deep breath, trying to calm it down. With all the mentions of Bad Wolf, she just didn’t want to take any chances.

“Suppose so,” the Doctor replied, seemingly not noticing her anger.

“I mean to just leave a creature to suffer and die in a strange world? Who does something like that?” Rose said through gritted teeth. Her memories flickered to John and how his body had reacted similarly being in a strange universe. The anger in her heart began to spread and Rose continued to try to calm it down.

“They probably didn’t notice and by the time they did, the animal would have been dead anyway,”

“Well that’s probably the most anti-climactic ending to a case ever,” Jack pouted a bit in a vain attempt to change the subject.

“I wouldn’t be too sure. We have to get this animal in my ship so we can deliver it back to Lepton. So you wanna use those puny human muscles you’re always flexing and grab an end?” the Doctor scoffed as Jack looked offended.

“We should get something to put underneath it,” Rose commented, feeling the warmth move from her heart all the way down to her hands.

“Right, I’ll grab that and be back in a jiff,” the Doctor agreed before turning and dashing into the TARDIS. Rose let out the breath she had been holding as she looked down to see her hands glowing a vibrant gold.

“Jack,” she whispered fearfully. He glanced over and his eyes widened.

“Rosie-

The hum of the TARDIS echoed suddenly in her head, reassuring her and calming her nerves. Rose didn’t really understand why, but somehow she knew what she was supposed to do. She placed both hands on the creature and breathed deeply, letting the warmth from herself flow into the creature. She and Jack watched as the creature shimmered gold for a moment before completely disappearing. Rose knew better, as memories were thrown back into her mind of the Dalek’s being torn apart particle by particle and disappearing similarly in flashes of gold vortex energy. A second later the Doctor exited the TARDIS, large tarp in hand.

“Where did it go?” he asked suspiciously, eyes narrowing at Jack.

“Don’t look at me!” Jack defended, raising his hands in the air.

“It just disappeared,” Rose said blankly. The Doctor didn’t look like he believed her for a second, but he let it it go. The poor girl was clearly panicked.

“Well I guess we’d better get back on our way, Rose,” the Doctor said her name pointedly, holding his hand out.

“Wait, you guys are just gonna leave me behind?” Jack asked, his eyes staring at Rose with the added word...Again.

“M’sorry Jack. You’ve got to stay here. He’ll need you again,” Rose whispered before taking the Doctor’s hand and following him worldlessy into the TARDIS. If she had been in her right mind, she would have said a better goodbye. She would have fought harder to take Jack with them. But Rose was in full panic mode. And it was all she could to move one foot in front of the other again and again until she was finally at her room. Blessedly the Doctor didn’t stop to question her. He just let her exit gracefully. He really didn’t understand Rose Tyler.

Chapter Text

Author’s Note: I’m shifting the author’s note to the beginning, because I just want to make sure you guys see it! First off...I am SO sorry that this chapter has taken me so long to write. I’m a very slow writer, and I don’t give myself a buffer when publishing so you guys get stuff as soon as I finish it. THANK YOU for your continued support and encouragement. It honestly means the world to me! I promise that while it may take me several weeks/months to update each chapter, I am always working on this story!

Also just some notes about this chapter. I ended up taking it in a very different direction than I thought it would go originally. Both Rose and the Doctor are hurting, and it’s time for them to be vulnerable with each other. This is a side of 9 that we don’t get to see much of in the TV show. I also touch on Rose’s ex-boyfriend Jimmy Stone. There’s not a ton of canon information about Jimmy, so I did make some stuff up. But I hope you enjoy it nonetheless. Without further ado, please enjoy Chapter Four!

Rose’s eyes drifted closed before her body had even thumped heavily onto her bed. The TARDIS dimmed the lights automatically and Rose found herself once again in the beautiful garden, the human image of the TARDIS standing before her.

“What was that?” Rose demanded, feeling the panic rise in her again. The graceful woman wrapped her arms around the little human and hummed a calming noise.

“Hush now, my little Wolf. All in good time. The first thing I need you to do is to calm down and remain calm. Can you do that for me, Rose?” she asked, lifting Rose’s chin so that their eyes met. Rose nodded silently. “Good. It’s very important to always stay calm and in control, especially while you’re still learning the extent of your abilities.”

“Will you please explain to me what happened? I got so angry and then there was this white-hot burning in my hands and they were glowing...like...like Huon particles.” Rose pulled away from the human TARDIS as she paced a few steps, trying to remember exactly what had happened just a few moments ago.

“Yes, that’s what you were seeing Rose. When you took in my heart all those years ago, the Vortex merged with your DNA. Vortex energy is comprised of lots of different things, including lots of huon particles and those particles took over your DNA and made you a being of time. But beings of time, such as myself, are not meant to be trapped in human bodies. There is too much energy and too much potential energy to be held into a physical form like that. The Doctor knew that and he knew that the Bad Wolf would destroy your body so he took in the Vortex energy, and it killed him,” the beautiful lady explained.

“Right, you went over that bit last time, but what does that mean about now? Why have I never done anything like that before?” Rose pleaded.

“Well the small amount of Vortex energy that was left behind was locked away in a small portion of your mind for years. But the huon particles had still merged with your DNA and it was enough to keep you from aging and to protect your human form in order to protect the being of time trapped inside. When you traveled through the void again and I helped bring you home to me, the Vortex energy was released from where it had been trapped. But over the past hundred years, the huon particles now merged with your DNA have been slightly altering your body so that it could properly contain the Vortex energy,” the human TARDIS explained. Rose was surprised to find that she had very little trouble understanding what the TARDIS said. Even though she had spent her 100 years on Pete’s Earth as a Torchwood agent, she hadn’t learned much about the Vortex or huon particles because there just wasn’t any information available. But she supposed it was a side effect of the particles running through her that she was able to understand things easier now.

“But if the Vortex energy has been released from my mind, why am I not full on ‘Goddess of Time’ already? My memories from Game Station are still pretty fuzzy, but from what you told me I’d think I’d be breaking all the laws of time by now,” Rose asked. The TARDIS smiled and reached a hand up to stroke Rose’s cheek gently.

“My Thief took most of that energy out of you, and only a small portion remains. That small portion is enough to give you barely a glimpse of the kind of power Bad Wolf herself harnesses. It will feel powerful to you, but compared to the pure Bad Wolf...it is very minimal. When you and I merged, you could see the entire Vortex: all that ever was, all that ever will be, and all that ever could be or could have been. You will never be able to see the Vortex like that again because it is still too powerful, but you will likely begin to sense timelines and fixed points. It won’t be as strong as what the Doctor can sense as a Time Lord, but you will learn to hone in on things. What you just experienced with the bull...well that is something only Bad Wolf could do. As Bad Wolf you utilized your knowledge of the universe to break entire organisms down to the molecular level, dispersing them and wiping them from time and space altogether. Bad Wolf was able to do that on a catastrophic scale...it seems that ability remains, but on a much...much smaller scale. That is a dangerous ability, Rose, and I urge you not to use it ever again. Much like my Thief, your grief can sometimes drive you to do dangerous things. It is wrong,” the TARDIS chided gently.

“I didn’t know. I’m sorry! I didn’t want to hurt it, I just…I wanted to end its suffering,” Rose whimpered. The TARDIS pulled her small frame in for a hug and soothed her with a low hum.

“I know, my Wolf. That is why you and I shall explore your abilities together so you can learn what they are and most importantly...learn to control them. I think you will also find that you are able to manipulate the Vortex and travel through it without the assistance of a device. If we can perfect that ability… that’s how you’ll get back to your Doctor...in the proper moment in his timeline. I’m not sure what other ways the huon particles have affected you, but clearly they have altered your DNA. It might be best to run a scan on you to see exactly what it has done. We’ll do that when you wake, just sneak to the med bay while I occupy the Doctor with some repairs. He’s always meddling about anyway!” the TARDIS laughed, throwing her head back. The sound was like a dozen delicate bells chiming in the wind and Rose smiled.

“He is, isn’t he? I should hide that mallet from him so he’ll stop hitting you,” Rose murmured. The TARDIS laughed again.

“Now are you ready to get started with some practice? I want to see if you can peek into the Timelines that are already within your mind,” the TARDIS walked toward the stone bench which was somehow part of the garden in Rose’s mind. Rose couldn’t remember if it had always been there, or if one of them had unconsciously put it there. TARDIS sat down and patted the seat next to her. Rose obliged and joined her, taking the hands that were offered. TARDIS squeezed her pink and yellow human’s hands. “Close your eyes, my Wolf,” she commanded softly. Once again, Rose obliged.

“I want you to look deep within your own mind. The timelines are likely buried in the back corners of your mind. I’m going to guide you there telepathically, but you’ll need to move things yourself to get to things you’ve buried. I can’t do that for you,” the TARDIS spoke, her voice soothing Rose as a warm, yellow glow filled her mind.

“Right now, we’re seeing your mind in it’s most neutral state. It’s just waiting to act. This is very advanced, Rose. Most people cannot calm their minds to such a clear state. Is this something that you have practiced before?”

“Can’t say I’ve done this particularly, but I did learn to meditate back on Pete’s World. I needed it to stay sane,” Rose admitted and as she spoke, the yellow glow in her mind receded as memories from her life began to flood in.

“Clearly I can’t keep it that way for long,” Rose chuckled a little. The TARDIS murmured her agreement.

“That’s alright, just focus on getting back to that place and staying there until I guide you elsewhere.”

Rose did as she was told and took a deep breath. Instead of focusing on trying to accomplish something in her brain, she simply focused on how the golden warmth felt as it reached into the deepest corners of her mind. She waited patiently for instruction from the TARDIS, but the TARDIS said nothing to her. Instead she felt a gentle presence join her in her mind and visually guide her through corridors...for lack of a better word. Rose felt like they were traveling through her mind for hours, passing doorways and other passages that she pointedly ignored, until they stopped at a simple door...as blue as the TARDIS herself.

“You’ve already cleared your mind more than I assumed you would be able to on your own. All that stands between you and the remaining essence of Bad Wolf is this door. I want you to try to open it, but if it does not open easily, then I need you to stop. Like fruit on a tree, we’ll only be able to open this door when your mind is ready. If we push too quickly too soon, there could be disastrous consequences,” the TARDIS murmured to her. Rose nodded, though she knew that she didn’t need to physically acknowledge the warning. It was easy for her to imagine herself in that hallway, reaching out to the doorknob of that bright blue door. As soon as she touched the door, her hand stung as if she’d touched a hot stove. She jerked her hand away immediately, a hiss of pain escaping her lips as she did.

“That’s alright Rose. Your subconscious isn’t ready to release the Bad Wolf just yet. You may not be ready to handle the full abilities that she’ll give you. Even though it will only be a shadow of what the Bad Wolf was once capable of, it will still be much more than your human body was ever built to understand. So you will need more time,” the TARDIS explained gently. Rose stood a few feet away from the elusive door, fighting the urge to try to open it again. She trusted her TARDIS. And she trusted herself, most of the time at least. When she was ready to welcome her Bad Wolf self again, she would know.

“So what does that mean for me?” Rose murmured, wandering away from that long hallway back to the main room in her mind...a room that she now recognized as a golden version of the console room.

“It means you continue to spend time with this version of the Doctor. Help him heal. Though he will have to forget these memories for quite some time, his spirits will remain lifted even when the memories go. You’ll be able to prepare him for his adventures with your past self. I don’t think that you ever realized how important his time with you was 100 years ago. He met you when he was so broken after the Time War. I know your John Smith explained some pieces of it to you, but this particular Doctor needs someone beside him more than he would ever admit. It’s time for you to wake up and face him Rose. Be honest with him. He can help you just as much as you can help him,” the TARDIS caressed her mind.

“Thank you. I wish we could speak like this when I’m awake. It would be such a help,” Rose laughed lightly as she once again sat on the stone bench in her private mind garden.

“Perhaps that is something Bad Wolf will grant us. But for now, you’ll have to rely on our Doctor for companionship. Don’t forget to sneak to the medbay at some point soon, and I’ll assist you through a scan. Until next time you rest, my little wolf,” the human TARDIS pressed a gentle kiss on Rose’s forehead and a moment later Rose woke up in her bed, feeling rested and significantly more calm. She stretched her muscles for a moment before wandering off to her en suite, determined to at least take a shower before facing the Doctor. The TARDIS had assured her that she could be honest with the Doctor, so she no longer felt panicked about messing up the timelines.

After a painfully quick shower, Rose dressed in the simple jeans and blouse waiting for her in her room. She’d surrendered all of her wardrobe choices to the TARDIS and didn’t regret it. Rose never knew what her day was going to become, but the TARDIS always had something sensible for her. Quietly, she departed her room and wandered to the library, where the Doctor was searching a shelf intently.

“Doctor?” she called. His head snapped up in immediate response. He set down the book he was holding and joined her near the comfy chairs in the reading nook.

“Did you sleep well then? Humans always rushing off to sleep! You weren’t gone for quite as long this time,” the Doctor commented, settling into his favorite arm chair. Rose smiled fondly as she sat in the other chair, tucking her legs under her and wishing desperately she’d thought to make a cuppa before finding him.

“Yes, I was exhausted, but all rested now! I was wondering, though, before we go zipping off to the next planet...could we chat for a bit?” she pulled her lower lip between her teeth nervously, unable to make eye contact with him.

“A whole universe to explore and you’d like to waste time chatting. Typical!” he scoffed. Rose raised her eyes and fixed him with a look.

“We’re in the Vortex, yeah? There’s nothing but time!”

“Time and voidstuff!” the Doctor replied.

“Stop being cheeky, I’m trying to have a serious talk with you,” Rose admonished. The Doctor sobered up quickly, his grin fading. Rose felt her heart break a little as she watched his face harden. Even though she knew he was hiding behind a mask even when he was smiling, it hurt to see him so somber.

“Something happened, with the creature. It didn’t just disappear…” she started.

“I didn’t think it would. And it didn’t come back to life and walk away, now did it?” the Doctor raised an eyebrow at her. He wasn’t being snappy, but she could tell he expected an honest answer.

“I’m still not very sure what happened, but it’s not the first time I’ve seen something like that happen. I just didn’t remember before,” Rose said vaguely. The Doctor didn’t respond, but motioned with his hands for her to continue.

“I was upset...angry about what someone had done to that poor animal. Just dropped it and left it to die in an unfamiliar world, scared and alone. I know what that feels like and I suppose I have a lot more unresolved anger about it than I originally thought,” she admitted. The Doctor opened his mouth to defend himself, but she cut him off.

“I’m not blaming you. Like I said, I can’t be angry at you for things you haven’t even done yet. I’m just angry still. And I let that anger get out of control and next thing I knew my hands were glowing gold...and the bull was sort of evaporating. And it was gone, in just a few moments,” Rose explained.

“Evaporating?” the Doctor’s eyebrows clenched together in confusion.

“No I don’t suppose that’s the right word. Disintegrated is a better term. Molecule by molecule, atom by atom. Dispersed out of existence entirely,” Rose admitted quietly. After her dream-meeting with the TARDIS she knew exactly what she had done to the strange animal.

“And you say you’ve seen this before?” the Doctor prompted.

“Well when I told you about how I got here a few days ago, I sort of glossed over that bit when I looked into the heart of the TARDIS, yeah?” Rose glanced down again, staring at her hands.

“Yeah, you did. And I still can’t believe you ripped open my TARDIS like that and I still don’t understand how you didn’t die,” the Doctor replied forcefully. Rose a deep breath and forced herself to look at him. His blue eyes bore into hers unforgivingly. While the Doctor was happy to mask his own grief in layers of sarcasm and pompousness, he didn’t waste a chance to tear down Rose’s emotional barriers.

“When I looked into the heart of the TARDIS, I absorbed quite a bit of Vortex energy. She and I sort of merged and became one...we created a being called the Bad Wolf. We’re still not quite sure what Bad Wolf was, but I suppose you could call her a Goddess of Time. I had unimaginable powers to manipulate space, time, and everything in existence. To save Earth and protect you, I disintegrated the entire Dalek fleet...including the Emperor. But I couldn’t stop there, and you knew the Vortex energy would kill me quickly so you absorbed and that’s what killed you,” Rose explained. The Doctor was quiet.

“And like I said before, I later found out that some of the Vortex energy stayed behind...the TARDIS thinks that when I’m ready, I’ll be able to access a tiny bit of Bad Wolf’s power again. Nothing like before, but after today...I think I can safely agree that Bad Wolf is still very much a part of Rose Tyler.”

“What do you mean the TARDIS thinks you’ll be ready? How are you communicating with her? You’re not telepathic. I would be able to sense that, because I’m telepathic,” the Doctor reached out with his mind, but just like always he was unable to sense any other telepathic signatures besides the TARDIS.

“I think we have a special connection. I’ve never had any other inkling that I might be telepathic with other beings. Just the TARDIS because she and I...and Bad Wolf I suppose, are all mixed up. When I go to sleep the TARDIS joins me in my dreams...in a human form so that she can speak to me. She’s been explaining things, trying to make it easier,” Rose told him honestly. She watched the Doctor sit in silence for exactly 2 minutes and 27 seconds. Mentally, Rose added acute time sense to her list of things she could now do that she could never do before. Sense time passing even without consciously counting.

“I’ve...well I’ve never heard of anything like that with any TARDIS before. She’s alive and all, but she’s not human or Time Lord or anything like that...I didn’t even realize she was this complex,” the Doctor finally admitted. The room jolted for a moment. The TARDIS was offended.

“Alright, alright Old Girl. I’m sorry, but it’s true! I know she’s a multi-dimensional being, but this is beyond anything I’ve ever…” he trailed off suddenly.

“What is it Doctor?” Rose asked, feeling concern rise.

“Maybe I have heard of something like this before. I was looking for an old book before you came in here...a children’s book from Galifrey. The Time Lords were often considered gods by different species and being as pompous as they were, they didn’t worship many gods themselves. But there was a children’s story...a fairytale about a Goddess of Time. I’d forgotten it centuries ago. Afterall, it was taught as make believe to children on Galifrey. I thought it was nonsense, but maybe…” he trailed off again as he got up from his chair, darting in and out of the shelves in search of the book he mentioned. Rose watched him casually, but her eyes were drawn to a shelf on the opposite end of the room.

Wordlessly she got up and approached the TARDIS blue book, whose spine was rimmed with gold. She pulled it off the shelf to find that the cover had an old Galifreyan title etched in gold, and beneath that a beautifully delicate etched rose.

“Doctor?” she called. His head popped around the shelf, and his eyes caught sight of the book in her hands.

“That’s it! I never remembered the name of it, but there it is…. Bad Wolf. It’s...it’s got to be about you,” he concluded as he approached, taking the book gently from her hands. He opened the book and began to read the first page.

“It is said that at the beginning of time itself, there was a Goddess who harnessed the very power of time and space. It was laced through her very being, coursing through each strand of her DNA. A being made purely of time. The Bad Wolf, she is called, for she creates herself in every universe,” the Doctor read.

“What did you say?” Rose startled.

“The Bad Wolf, she is called, for she creates herself in every universe,” the Doctor repeated. A rush of memories flooded back to Rose all in a moment. It startled her and she stumbled back a few steps.

“Rose! Are you alright?” the Doctor questioned in alarm, reaching out to steady her. Rose shook her head lightly and opened her eyes. The Doctor’s mouth fell open in surprise. Her eyes were glowing gold. It wasn’t that subtle gold that always flickered in her irises, but a pure, glowing light. She blinked and the gold was reduced again to the occasional flicker.

“I am the Bad Wolf. I create myself. I take these words; I scatter them in time and space. A message to lead myself here,” Rose quoted the memory. “That’s what I said when I came to save you from the Daleks. I guess this book...this story...is just another place I deposited those words. Bad Wolf really weaved herself into every moment of your life, Doctor,” Rose gave a half-hearted laugh. The Doctor didn’t find it so amusing, but he tried to quiet the panic that he felt.

What had this poor human girl gone through? He let the doubt and worries consume him. Perhaps he should just try to get this version of Rose home and not allow her to continue searching for him. Perhaps he should refuse to look these memories away and break the paradox, save Rose Tyler from ever becoming the Bad Wolf. He knew that breaking paradoxes was supposed to be impossible, but after meeting Rose Tyler...did he even know how to define that word anymore? The Doctor was, after all, a very clever Time Lord and if anyone could figure out how to break a paradox without the entire multiverse collapsing, it would be him.

Even if there were disastrous consequences for him, he would take that risk. He would risk anything for Rose Tyler. And that almost troubled him more than the whole Goddess of Time business. How could he allow himself to form such an intense connection with a human? He had only ever known Rose Tyler as a young, human girl...even his future self...and yet somehow every fiber of his being recognized a profound connection to her. He imagined that had something to do with Bad Wolf as well. Curse it all. He was going around in circles and so trapped in his own worry that he didn’t even notice Rose guiding him to his chair and gently pushing him into it. She snapped her fingers in his face sharply and he jolted out of his thoughts.

“Doctor!” she snapped again.

“What? Sorry, just...a bit preoccupied,” he murmured.

“What has you so worried?” Rose questioned quietly.

“Worried? Who said I was worried? I’m not a worrier, not me. I try to worry as little as possible. It’s really a waste of time,” he rambled a bit.

“You ramble when you’re trying to distract me, Doctor. I’ve known some version of you for a very long time now. I know I’m still a perfect stranger to you, but please don’t hide from me,” Rose begged.

“You’re not a stranger.”

“What?”

“That’s just it. You, Rose Tyler, are not a stranger to me. I’ve known you for less than the equivalent of one Earth week. And yet, I know you. I feel as though I know you almost better than I know myself. I suppose that’s not saying a lot considering I’ve been feeling a bit lost since...well, since everything recently. I had companions, many companions, before I met you. Humans, Galifreyans, even Cybermen...I’ve known so many people, Rose Tyler. And yet even those who I’ve known for essentially my entire life...I never knew them as deeply as I know you. But we’ve only just met. How can that be possible?” the Doctor fumbled through his words. For once, he didn’t know exactly how to say what he was trying to say.

“I suppose it’s not,” Rose agreed.

“And yet it’s true.”

“I suppose it is.”

“Rose Tyler, you are utterly impossible,” the Doctor grinned for a moment, and Rose returned his genuine smile eagerly.

“I’ve been told that many times before. Now tell me, Doctor, since we’re clearly not strangers. What has you so worried?” Rose tried to gently pry into the Doctor’s mind. She never would have attempted this kind of conversation with her big-eared Doctor in her first timeline with him, but the TARDIS had assured her that this Doctor needed her. So she was going to do everything she could to help him. Rose was more than a bit surprised to see the Doctor think for a moment, and not immediately shut down.

“I’m thinking I should drop you off somewhere and run...and never stop running,” the Doctor finally admitted. Rose fought against the sting in her heart. She knew he didn’t intend to hurt her.

“Why?” she asked simply.

“Because all of this...Bad Wolf, you changing, being tethered to me forever… that’s all because I blew up your job and invited you to travel with me. I should have let you be when you said no. Why would I ever go back and ask again? I never ask again.”

“Probably because I make you. Doctor, it’s all a big, tangled mess. I know that. But I don’t think there's any universe where you and I don’t meet. And no possible future where our timelines don’t become intertwined,” Rose spoke softly, encouraging the Doctor to continue the dialogue.

“Well Time Lords only exist in this universe. This is the original Universe, Universe Prime if you’d like. The Time Lords are the ones who created alternate universes. Really they were just timelines that diverged and the Time Lords sealed them into their own little worlds to keep this universe simple. So an alternate version of you could never meet an alternate version of me, because I only exist in this Universe,” the Doctor explained. Rose had a feeling that she only existed in this universe too, but she didn’t want to open up that conversation just yet.

“Well I exist here, and now. And Bad Wolf can’t be undone, so please stop thinking you can try to abandon me at every turn. I can’t live like that and I won’t. I need you to understand something, Doctor. I need you to get it through your thick head, okay?” Rose’s tone grew firm as she sat up straighter in her chair. The Doctor nodded silently.

“I have lived 119 years.  I have experienced unimaginable pain, both physical and emotional. I have many regrets, but I have never...not even for the slightest moment...regretted meeting you. I have never once regretted taking your hand and running for the stars. Do you know how many opportunities you gave me to leave? Long before the Daleks invaded, and long before I ever became Bad Wolf. Before I tied our timelines together. You wanted me to leave even before then. You never pushed me out, but you were constantly asking me if I wanted to leave. You always said it was for my safety. I think you had yourself convinced I’d be better off living a normal life,” Rose spoke. She saw the Doctor begin to interrupt, but she held her hand up.

“But what I never told you...is that a lot of the pain I had experienced came in my first 19 years of life, before I met you. I didn’t just run away with you to explore the universe. I ran away from a life I wanted to forget and never go back to,” Rose told him. She paused, taking a deep breath. She hoped he wouldn’t ask more, but she knew that he would.

“What do you mean, Rose?” the Doctor questioned gently.

“Well you know it’s just me and Mum back on Earth, when you met me. I eventually told you about my dad and how he died when I was a baby. Mum never made much money, so we lived in trash neighborhoods my whole life. It was hard,” Rose started.

“Rose Tyler, I’m sure growing up in poverty was tough, but it’s a far cry from the kind of danger you’ve been in since absorbing the Time Vortex to save a 900 year old alien,” the Doctor pointed out. Rose shook her head.

“You haven’t...you didn’t let me finish,” she said. Her voice was suddenly very small and the Doctor wondered what she hadn’t bothered to tell him when she was re-telling her story.

“I’ve never told you about this part of my life...I’ve never really told any version of you. Not even the version I married. We had so little time together as it was… “ Rose struggled to continue, feeling a long-forgotten panic rise in her chest. The Doctor leaned forward in his chair, placing a gentle hand on her back to comfort her.

“It’s alright, Rose. If you don’t want to talk about it, I’m not here to force you,” the Doctor reminded her.

“No. I need you to understand once and for all. If I explain this to you now, when you re-access your memories at some point in the future...I won’t have to go over this conversation again,” she said firmly.

“Alright, but I feel like you could use a cuppa and maybe somewhere more comforting to sit? I’ll grab us some tea and why don’t you meet me in the media room? There’s a couch in there that’s much better than this old armchair,” the Doctor offered. Rose nodded and he dashed off quickly. It only took him exactly 4 minutes and 13 seconds to join her in the media room. The TARDIS had provided several plush pillows and a cozy throw blanket on the couch, which Rose had already snuggled herself into. The Doctor offered her a steaming mug, which she gratefully accepted. He settled onto the couch next to her, closer than she imagined he might. She clutched the warm mug between both hands and the Doctor waited patiently for her to resume her story.

“Like I said...it was before I met you. I had a tough time growing up and because of that, I didn’t have a lot of self worth. My mum, bless her, did her best, but she’s always been pretty critical and we didn’t have a great relationship. We fought pretty harshly, especially when I was a teenager,” Rose began, pausing to take a sip of tea.

“When I turned 16, I went to this club with my friend Shireen and a band was playing. The guitarist was cute and he kept making eye contact with me during his whole performance. After they finished, he came up to me and introduced himself. Jimmy Stone. He was 19 at the time and told me I was the most beautiful girl he’d ever seen. I’m sure you can imagine that for a girl with no self-worth and a lot of anger, those were the magic words. We started dating even though everyone in my life warned me to cut it out. He was charming and talented, and older, ya know? That’s part of why my mom was so against me traveling with you when she met you. I think she was worried I’d fall into the same pattern.”

“The pattern of dating older men?” the Doctor teased, trying to lighten the conversation a little. It didn’t work.

“Not exactly. Anyway after a few months Jimmy asked me to go on the road with him and his band. I wasn’t done with school...almost, but not yet. I still had to sit for my A-levels, but I had never done well and I didn’t think I was smart enough to pass them anyway. So I told my mom that I was gonna quit and start travelling with Jimmy and that we were probably gonna get married one day,” Rose laughed bitterly, shaking her head.

“I’m sure it seemed sensible at the time,” the Doctor tried, in vain, to comfort her.

“Well my mum didn’t take to that very kindly. We had a huge fight and she told me if I left, I better never come back. So I did. I left with Jimmy that night with a backpack full of clothes and the couple hundred dollars I had saved up. We had a shabby little bedsit on the other side of town that we stayed in when he wasn’t doing gigs around London. I cut my friends out of my life and just threw myself into my relationship with Jimmy. It didn’t take more than a few weeks for my savings to dry out. Jimmy liked to drink and smoke and do...other things too. I started working as a waitress at a pub...had to lie about my age at first to get the job, but that money didn’t stretch very far either,” Rose told him, once again skating over the finer details.

“What other things Rose?” the Doctor asked gently.

“Drugs. I don't really know what kinds. I tried to stay out of it as much as I could,” Rose answered honestly.

“But Jimmy got angry when there wasn’t money for things. And because he was the talented one, I was supposed to be the money maker. He wasn’t a very nice guy when he was angry...especially when he was drunk or jonesing for drugs. He started to push me around. Nothing too bad. He’d always apologize when he woke up and felt more sensible,” Rose said, feeling the tears prick at her eyes.

“Rose,” the Doctor started in a low voice.

“No, please, let me finish. I was scared, even from the start, but I didn’t have anywhere to go. I had no money...couldn’t manage to hide anything to save either. I had nothing and I didn’t think my mother or my friends would ever let me back into their lives. So I stayed, and I tried to make the best out of it. I worked as many odd jobs as I could, tried to keep him happy. I stayed for two years. The...the abuse escalated, nothing more painful, just more frequent. He started pushing me around even when he was sober and he stopped apologizing. I couldn’t keep up with his spending. I was borrowing money from people left and right, anyone that would give me money. But eventually people started realizing I didn’t pay them back so they stopped loaning me money. I think I was 2 months behind in rent and 800 quid in debt by the end of it,” Rose took a deep breath, getting ready to finish the story.

“At one of his shows, Mickey showed up and told me my mum was sorry and wanted me to come back. I could have cried I was so happy, but Jimmy didn’t like the idea of me leaving very much. He saw me talking to Mickey and after the show, he came over and started a massive bar fight by punching Mickey in the face. Poor Mick was just trying to help me. I tried to get in between them, but ended up taking a few nasty punches to the face and the ribs...got a black eye, a bruised cheekbone, and 2 fractured ribs out of it. The police came and broke up the fight, took Jimmy in cuz he had a warrant on him for theft or something. Last I heard he was still in prison,” Rose said, wanting to ease the Doctor’s worry about Jimmy Stone right away.

“That was my chance, though. And I took it. I went back home and my mother welcomed me back. She and Mickey helped pay off my debts and get me that job at Hendricks. I started dating Mickey because I didn’t feel safe on the street. And I knew Mickey would do anything for me. Jimmy wasn’t gonna stay locked up forever and I was terrified of him,” Rose confessed.

“Oh Rose,” the Doctor murmured, taking her tea out of her hands so that he could envelope her in a hug. Rose stiffened in surprise for only a moment before she crumpled into his arms, finally letting the tears fall.

“I know it seems silly. After everything and after 100 years to be scared of an ex-boyfriend, but I’m not proud of that part of my life and that’s why when you gave me the chance to see the stars I had to hesitate first. Because I felt like I owed my mum and Mickey for saving my life, and when you asked again...I let that go because I just wanted to leave and never look back. My mum was constantly reminding me about how badly I’d screwed up my life and I felt like I had to stay with Mickey even though I was never happy with him either...you gave me a whole new life and I can’t ever thank you enough,” Rose told the Doctor earnestly once their hug had ended.

“There is nothing remotely silly about being frightened of someone who hurt you. People who pretend to have no fear are idiots, Rose. Everyone has fears, even me,” he told her honestly. Rose offered him a half smile and his hearts warmed to see her feeling even a little better.

“Do you understand now, why you can never blame yourself for everything that’s happened? You could have pushed me away a million times and I would have found a way to stow aboard the TARDIS. I needed to run more than you did, I think,” Rose laughed slightly. The Doctor nodded and the pair sat quietly for quite some time. 3 hours, 7 minutes, and 40 seconds to be exact.

“How about another adventure then?” the Doctor finally asked. Rose’s tears had long since dried up and she smiled up at him with a glimmer in her golden eyes.

“Let’s run, Doctor!”

Chapter Text

Rose held her breath with anticipation as her heart beat rapidly against her already throbbing rib cage. Despite the aches and pains that came with tumbling down the side of a mountain, she was not feeling a single ounce of regret over agreeing to go exploring on this strange new planet. She never regretted an adventure with the Doctor, even when they went sideways--and they most often did go sideways. As she and the leather-clad, big-eared Doctor pressed themselves against the rough surface of the mountain she had to stop herself from laughing out loud.

It was exactly 2 minutes and 37 seconds that they crouched against the alien mountain, waiting for the angry natives to pass by. For someone who claimed to know all about the universe and its varying cultures and politics, the Doctor often offended entire species while dragging unfortunate companions in tow. Rose pursed her lips as she pondered how very British of him that was. Even if Earth wasn’t his home planet, he had certainly picked up some human mannerisms in his 900+ years of life. 

“Alright Rose Tyler, time to get back to the TARDIS,” the Doctor breathed quietly, grabbing her hand and pulling her back in the direction of the beloved ship. 

“Are you sure you didn’t want to stick around for that festival you were so excited to bring me to?” Rose teased as they ran.

“How was I supposed to know that the Farukan word for ritual sacrifice was roughly translated to festival of lights? I thought this would be a fun trip! See a new planet, eat a banana, and pop on back to the TARDIS in time for tea,” the Doctor refuted as the TARDIS finally neared.

“When do things ever go as you planned?”

“Would you have it any other way?” the Doctor grinned. Rose rolled her eyes, but she didn’t need to answer his question. All the trouble was the most exciting part of the job. As soon as they reached the TARDIS doors, the Doctor had them open in an instant and Rose closed them behind her just in time to hear the angry Farukans call after them. She pressed her back against the doors as the Doctor ran to the console and sent them into the Vortex.

“Where to next?” he asked, rubbing his hands together with excitement. Rose stifled a yawn. She didn’t want to miss a moment with this Doctor because she knew her time was limited and once it was over, she could never revisit him. But even though this Doctor was still practically a stranger to her, he caught on. 

“I suppose it's off to bed with you then? Don’t waste too much time off in dream land. The TARDIS is feeling antsy,” he mumbled, looking down and shuffling his feet like a disappointed school child.

“I don’t need to sleep a full night, Doctor,” Rose laughed. “Maybe just a snack and some tea...and maybe something to help speed up the healing of my potentially bruised ribs and I’m good as new.”

The Doctor’s face immediately shifted with concern as he visually scanned Rose for injuries. He moved towards her, but she held her hands up.

“Calm down, Doctor. We somersaulted down a mountain and while the memory of my medal-winning gymnastics skills might be fresh in your mind...it’s been over 100 years for me and sadly I’m a bit rusty,” she explained, hoping to ease his frantic mindset. Even her later Doctor was hard to placate anytime she was injured or sick, but everything was so much worse with this Doctor. He was so fresh from war and grief leaked through every wrinkle on his young face. Regeneration hadn’t been enough to erase the scars of the Time War. 

“To the med bay,” he gestured vaguely down the hall and Rose followed obediently. She wasn’t usually a fan of the med bay, but she’d learned after years of living with some version of the Doctor that it was best to just set her pride aside and let him help. Most of the remedies, medicines, and treatments in the TARDIS medbay were so superior to anything she’d come across in Pete’s World so she had honestly missed having access to fast and effective pain killers. As they entered the stark white room Rose found herself right at home on the nearest bed. Even though the med bay looked not too off from a 21st Century Earth hospital, the beds were almost as comfortable as her own mattress in her room. She wasn’t sure how the TARDIS did it, but she knew that the wonderful sentient ship was responsible.

“You know you wouldn’t get injured so much if you weren’t so jeopardy friendly,” the Doctor murmured as he began scanning her for injuries with the sonic screwdriver. 

“Excuse you this is the first time I’ve been injured with you this time around and if you hadn’t insisted that pathway went all the way down the mountain, neither of us would have taken that tumble. Speaking of- how come you didn’t get all banged up?” Rose accused as the sonic beeped and the Doctor began moseying through the room picking up equipment along the way.

“Kept my arms out, didn’t I? My elbows took the worst of it,” he answered, waving his elbows around like a chicken.

“You look ridiculous,” Rose snorted. Though he kept his head down, she could see the Doctor smiling at that. Genuinely, truly smiling. 

Rose had spent a lot of time her first time around with this Doctor wondering why his smiles never seemed genuine...why they never reached his eyes. She knew now, of course, that even though she did a lot to help him this Doctor carried so much more weight on his shoulders than he ever let on. It was a miracle he could even muster a fake smile. Rose shook her head to rid herself of those heartbreaking thoughts and focused on helping the Doctor now, in these precious extra moments she was granted. If she started to think about all the complex timelines swirling around her, she would go crazy.

The pair stayed quiet as the Doctor buzzed around the room, reading screens and grabbing jars everywhere he went. Absentmindedly, Rose began humming the happy tune that was always in the back of her head- The TARDIS song. The Doctor stiffened as he recognized the song but forced himself to ignore the instinct to immediately question her. His peculiar human companion had already explained her strange connection with the ship and though he was burning with curiosity, he’d already been warned by the TARDIS to leave it alone.  

“Alright Rose Tyler,” he chirped as he produced two small pills.

“A fast-acting anti-inflammatory and an anti-bruising pill from the 56^th Century. Should have any soreness gone in a stitch...pun fully intended of course since you won’t be requiring any stitches,” he handed them over and Rose swallowed each dry.

“Thanks. To the galley? I’m feeling like tea and biscuits might be just the sugary snack to get me going for another so-called exploratory trip,” Rose laughed as she hopped off the bed.

“You sure you don’t want to just pop off for some sleep? I’m only teasing when I joke about you needing so much sleep. I mean- you do need an outrageous amount of sleep I’ve never understood that about humans, but I don’t mean to make you feel like you shouldn’t sleep because you’re already jeopardy friendly enough when you’re rested I can’t even imagine what you’d be like if you didn’t get enough-

“DOCTOR!”

“Mm?”

“I’m fine, I’m not even tired. But do you have a gob on you or what? I always thought your next body was the worst, but I forgot just how much of a ramble you could get yourself on too,” the blonde human scowled as she made her way to the galley, her alien companion close behind.

“That’s rude! It’s you that won’t shut up half the time,” he defended himself half-heartedly.

“Only because if I let you start it’ll be another year till, I can get a word in edgewise,” she quipped.

The TARDIS lights flashed in what Rose had come to know as laughter and agreement.

“See even the old girl agrees with me? I reckon she’s been around you long enough to know that it doesn’t matter what body you’re in... your mouth never stops!”

The Doctor scowled upwards at his ship for her betrayal as the two travelers found themselves quickly in the galley with a warm spread of tea and biscuits already laid out on the counter. Rose smiled and did her best to press grateful feelings toward the TARDIS. She wasn’t really getting the hang of the telepathic communication, but she hoped the TARDIS was advanced enough to understand her general idea.

“How do you do that?” the Doctor asked abruptly.

“Do what?”

“Talk about her so casually like that. I know you said you’ve got some sort of connection with her from looking into her heart and such, but none of my companions have ever truly acknowledged the TARDIS as a sentient being. Even when I had Galifreyans traveling with me...they understood that the TARDIS is sentient, but they didn’t act like they knew it,” the Doctor struggled for words as he delved farther into the mystery that was Rose Tyler. The girl in question shrugged.

“I mean she has started showing up in my dreams looking like a human woman- so that definitely helps. But honestly when you told me that the ship was sentient I didn’t believe you either. It was really hard to see and understand that, especially when you didn’t actively communicate with her around me. If you were like that with your other companions it’s safe to say they just didn’t know what to do.”

“Guess I never thought about it that way,” the Doctor mused as he grabbed a biscuit and began to munch. He grinned as he recognized the flavor.

“Banana shortbread!” he cheered.

“I’ll never understand your obsession with bananas,” Rose rolled her eyes as she reveled in the Doctor’s childlike glee.

“What’s it to you? Bananas are good and they’re an excellent source of potassium.”

“Yeah- okay.”

“Rose?”

“Yes Doctor?”

“How long do you think you’ll be around?”

Rose was about to open her mouth to say ‘Forever’, but she had to stop. She pursed her lips in thought and tried to formulate the right response. This Doctor always had a way of throwing her off with his questions and thoughts that came out of seemingly nowhere.

“I promised you...or in your future I will promise you...well anyway I promised you forever and I intend to keep that promise. But I have to find the right point in the timeline eventually and you need to go back for my younger self. So we can run for now, but eventually we’ll have to go back to our regularly scheduled time lines,” she said sadly. The Doctor nodded.

“Figured as much.”

“Why spoil the fun with worries about how long it will last? Running’s what we do best anyway, right?” Rose grinned, pressing her tongue up against her teeth.

“You know where would be a great place to run? Couple thousand years in the future on New New Earth they’ve got this great-

“Been there, done that. Let’s go backward! We just tried a new planet and that didn’t go spectacularly well. Let’s go see the dinosaurs or something fun like that” Rose suggested.

“Oh, I can do you one better than dinosaurs,” the Doctor said smugly as he gulped down the last of his tea and headed out to the console room. Rose followed up as she wiped the remaining biscuit crumbs off on her jeans.

She didn’t see the point in changing. As fun as it was to dress up using the wardrobe room, it was just as easy to go on an adventures in a pair of sturdy jeans and some layers on top. Not for the first time, Rose was incredibly grateful that the TARDIS was somehow able to manipulate her personal timeline enough to provide her favorite casual shoes. Like most of her favorite wardrobe items, the shoes were from the distant future so they were stylish and would blend in but were comfortable for the outrageous amount of running she found herself doing with the Doctor.

She reached the console room just as the tell-tale wheezing told her the ship was dematerializing. The Doctor was still grinning like the madman she knew he was and she hopped up on the jump seat, crossing her arms over her chest.

“So what’s better than dinosaurs?”

“How about the Hanging Gardens of Babylon?” he said with eyebrows raised up to his hairline.

“It’s been a long time since I took a history class, but were those actually a real place?” Rose challenged.

“Of course! I helped hang the first plant.”

“You’re full of it!”

“Guess we’ll find out,” he taunted as the TARDIS landed. “Outside those doors is an ancient, lost and gravity defying garden.”

Rose ran down the ramp and opened the doors and immediately stopped. With a roll of her eyes and a smug grin she turned to look at the Doctor.

“I’m not sure this is quite what you were aiming for,” she gestured vaguely to the seemingly endless expanse of desert that surrounded the TARDIS.

“I’m pretty sure you’ve landed the TARDIS in the middle of a desert. Couldn’t tell you when or where or even what universe, but I know a desert when I see one,” Rose stated, leaning against the TARDIS casually as the Doctor squatted toward the ground.

“This isn’t right. I know I got the coordinates right,” he said as he swiped a finger through the sand and brought it to his mouth. Rose flinched as he licked the sand.

“You are a toddler.”

“Superior biology, more developed taste buds. We’re definitely on Earth and it’s maybe 1852...October 3^rd? That can’t be right,” the Doctor murmured, standing up to scope the surrounding environment.

On second glance, Rose wondered if it was actually a desert at all. The surrounding terrain was dry with short brush-like plants all around but in the distance she could see large mountains. Did deserts have mountains?

“I think we’re somewhere in Utah,” the Doctor said with confidence.

“Well can you think of anything important that happened in Utah in 1852?” Rose questioned. She knew Utah was a state in the US, but she couldn’t picture where or if there was anything particularly important about Utah.

“1852...that would be right during the most popular time Americans were traveling west using the Oregon Trail and part of that did go through Utah. So it could be that something relatively important is happening here. The TARDIS always does latch onto disturbances in the timelines and pull us off course if she thinks we can help,” he groaned, taking a few steps away from the TARDIS.

Rose felt the ground beneath her feet start to vibrate before the Doctor did, which was a surprise to her since he was generally way more observant than she was.

“Um Doctor...do you feel that?” she asked as she cautiously followed him.

“Feel what?...Oh,” he said as an ox-drawn wagon began to appear on the horizon.

“Do you suppose they’re just travelers? Trying to get west?” Rose asked hopefully. The wagon was approaching them at a concerning speed, so she doubted it was anything that simple.

“If they were, what would be the fun in that?” the Doctor grinned in response as he held his arm out, sticking his thumb up in the air.

“What on Earth are you doing?”

“It’s called hitchhiking, Rose. Where’s your sense of adventure today?”

“I know what hitchhiking is, just wondering why you feel like we need to get somewhere else when the TARDIS is right here,” Rose huffed in response, moving farther away from the ship against her instincts.

“The TARDIS brought us here so there must be something to investigate. You said you were up for another round of running right?” he questioned seemingly innocently. Again, Rose recognized the testing nature of his tone. They’d been traveling together for a few weeks now as best she could tell (her time sense was getting better) and even after he seemingly accepted her presence in the TARDIS he was still issuing her little tests now and again.

“Don’t think I quite used those words, but I’m always ready to run Doctor. You should know that about me,” Rose replied with confidence. She was determined to exceed every challenge he sent her way. Maybe it was a matter of pride, but she wanted to prove that both her past self that he would later travel with and this current version of herself standing in front of him were worthy companions for his travels across the stars.

“Course you are. Look, here come our new friends now!” he announced with excitement. The wagon was slowing in pace as it neared them and the Doctor gave a friendly wave as they came to a stop in front of them. It was a standard wagon that Rose felt she recognized after years of playing the old computer game “Oregon Trail” throughout her school years. A simple wooden platform covered by billowy fabric. The wagon was being pulled by a large Ox instead of a horse, and sitting at the front of the wagon was a tall, lanky man dressed in full cowboy garb. Rose supposed this was how most people dressed when they traveled west.

“Hello!” the Doctor greeted cheerfully.

“Howdy there partner,” the stranger greeted. Rose felt a shiver travel up her spine. The stereotypical greeting sounded ingenuine and immediately set her on edge.

“My name’s the Doctor, this is my friend Rose. We seem to have gotten a little turned around. Can you tell us where the nearest stop on the trail is?” the Doctor asked with that wide grin plastered on his face as always. The stranger didn’t drop his cheery exterior either.

“Pleasure to meet you Dr.....?”

“Just the Doctor.”

“Well then Doc, it’s a pleasure to meet you. Mind if I call you Doc? Great. And this pretty lady here, you said her name was Rose? Prettiest little lady on the trail I’m sure,” the man tipped his hat. His thick accent made it mildly difficult for Rose to understand him at times.

“Yes. My name is Rose,” she forced a smile through gritted teeth. She had lived through 118 years of life across several countries, planets, and 2 universes and men still managed to call her a little girl.

“Well my name is McDoon and I’m headed West looking for property and gold like most other folks on the trail. Ain’t that right Westley?” he called out behind him and a smaller man popped his head out for the first time.

“Huh? Oh yeah. Looking for gold, kidnapping child wives, all that business,” he grumbled.

“I’m sorry what did you-

“Well hot damn Westley! How many times I gotta tell you to leave out the kidnapping child wives part? Isn’t that just he damndest thing?” McDoon growled, pulling a pistol out of his holster and aiming at the Doctor as the other man pulled a shotgun on Rose. Not for the first time, Rose wished she had brought over some form of protection when she hopped over into this universe. She knew the Doctor hated guns of any kind, but she often felt completely defenseless and she did NOT like that feeling.

The Doctor’s smile dropped immediately and he made a slight movement toward Rose, but McDoon’s gun clicked and followed him.

“Careful now Doc. One more movement and you’re losing an eye. I won’t kill ya, because I gotta tell you I sure am curious about that fancy blue box a few paces back. See there’s nothing out here but desert, mountains, and trail. And then I find you two out here with a big blue box and dressed like a couple of foreigners. And you’re both speaking with treacherous royal accents? Ya sure got a lot of explainin to do, Doc. But if you’re actually a Doctor I could use your help. My little lady here is suffering from something awful and she’s no use to me if she won’t survive the trip,” he growled out. The Doctor didn’t move a single inch, not willing to risk Rose. He could get shot and regenerate easily, but even if Rose was supposedly 100+ years old and not aging at all, he had no reason to assume she could survive being shot.

“The last thing I would do is help you, especially while you’re pointing a gun at someone that is particularly important to me. Normally I wouldn’t give you a warning, but you have no idea how stupid you’ve been so I’m going to give you one chance to put the guns down and never pick them up again,” the Doctor stated in a low voice, one that Rose recognized from his future. The Oncoming Storm didn’t surface often in this particular Doctor, but she knew that anger was brewing in any version of the Doctor that remembered the Time War and all of its tragedies. Movement from the back of the wagon caught her attention at that moment, and she watched a young girl peak around the side of the wagon covering, her eyes wide with terror.

“Doctor,” Rose called out cautiously. The Doctor glanced sideways at her and she gently nodded her head in the direction of the younger girl.

“Have you got any other passengers in there?” the Doctor questioned. McDoon narrowed his eyes and reached a hand back to grab the shoulder of the young girl. He roughly pulled her into view.

“Sure do. This here is my bride and like I said she’s suffering from something awful,” he answered with that dangerous grin once again plastered on his face. Rose could see the tobacco stains on his teeth and watched the young girl shake with terror. Something in her lit on fire and she felt that familiar warmth building in her palm. In the very back of consciousnesses a wolf howled, a long and mournful call. It was only after repeating the TARDIS’ warning in her head and listening to the cautious song of the ship that she was able to take a deep breath and calm the Bad Wolf energy. Her palms cooled, but her resolve didn’t change.

“You will let that girl go. Now.”

McDoon’s eyes shifted to Rose and he took a moment to appraise her. Westley looked between Rose, the Doctor, and McDoon with shifty eyes. His grip on his shotgun faltered for only a second and Rose took that opportunity. She darted forward, grabbed the shotgun out of his hand and took only half a second to consider her options.

Rose’s first instinct had been to utilize the shotgun and aim it at McDoon, but she knew had uneasy this particular Doctor was about violence and she knew that trying to use a weapon would ruin any of the trust she’d been working on building with him, so she made the only call she could and held firm to the gun, placing it downward so that if it did go off no one would be hurt. She had no idea how such an old gun operated and wasn’t sure if there was a safety that could be turned on or how easy it would be to accidentally shoot the gun.

McDoon hesitated for a moment before moving his gun to aim at Rose, who he now considered the more significant threat.

“Shoot her and you won’t live to see another second,” the Doctor threatened.

“I’ll call that bluff,” McDoon said confidently, the gun holding steady as he aimed directly at Rose.

“Bad call, because there is just one thing in my life right now...and that’s a very long life...that is keeping me anchored to my morals and that is the human you happen to be threatening,” the Doctor growled as he reached moved to stand in front of Rose just as McDoon fired the gun.

What happened in that moment was impossible. At least that’s the only way the Doctor could describe it. Because he had no time to physically get to Rose before the bullet would’ve struck her right in the chest. But just as it was about to pierce her skin, it dissolved into a golden dust and Rose’s eyes flared.

“McDoon. More ominously known as the Bandit King. Kidnapper of young girls, murderer of honest men, and thief of many riches. Today is the day you die,” the Bad Wolf spoke, an echoey sound as the Bad Wolf’s voice sounded over Rose’s much smaller voice. The Doctor was frozen in place. Rose had warned him what was to come, but he was horrified at what he saw. A human harnessing the power of a TARDIS. It should kill her. Apparently it would kill him. And yet here she was, somehow managing to access a power that no single being should ever have.

Rose, or rather Bad Wolf, because the Doctor wasn’t really sure where the line was drawn anymore, raised her hand toward McDoon who instantly dissolved into the same gold dust that the bullet had.

“And you,” Bad Wolf turned to Westley. “We will spare you, but you will spend your life haunted by the scenes you have seen today. You will remember the tale of the Big Bad Wolf and you will spread it through history warning all thieves and murderers that there are things that go bump in the night. Beware the Big Bad Wolf,” she spoke once more before Westley took the opportunity to jump out of the wagon and take off running in the opposite direction of the TARDIS.

Rose closed her eyes and took a deep breath as she felt the warmth of Bad Wolf recede from her mind and her body. What was once a burning sensation that she could barely tolerate had become a comforting warmth. She’d been practicing some things with the TARDIS, but that was the most she had ever tried to consciously connect with Bad Wolf and she was shocked that she had remained conscious through any of it. When she opened her eyes again, the glowing gold had disappeared and all that remained was the small blonde human with flecks in her eyes.

“Rose?” the Doctor called cautiously. She turned to look at him and he breathed in relief.

“It’s me Doctor. I...well...”

“We’ll talk later,” he said quietly as he turned to the young and terrified girl in the wagon.

“Are you alright?” Rose asked kindly.

“What? What did you just do to McDoon?” she whispered, her voice barely louder than the soft breeze flowing through the deserted terrain.

“You don’t need to worry about him again,” Rose promised with a gentle smile. She could see that the girl was now scared of her, which broke her heart as understandable as it was. She took a few steps back and allowed the Doctor to take lead on the conversation. She closed her eyes, letting the Doctor’s conversation fade into the background as she focused on the TARDIS song in her head. The TARDIS had warned her not to try connecting with Bad Wolf until she was ready and yet she had directly gone against that warning. How could she not? A young girl’s life was threatened and she had done her best not to connect with Bad Wolf out of anger. The TARDIS’s song was soothing in her head, calming her and not alerting her to any potential dangers. She smiled to herself, glad that she hadn’t made a monumental mistake. As she tuned back into the conversation happening near her, she realized the young girl had calmed significantly and was now staring at her with open curiosity.

“Rose, this is Millie. She was lured away from her family by McDoon and we’re going to help her get back to them,” the Doctor introduced.

“Nice to meet you Millie,” Rose smiled with a welcoming face.

“Shall we just leave the wagon behind then?” the Doctor asked as he turned back to the TARDIS.

“No! My family could use this wagon. It’s in much better shape than ours is. Plus how will we get to them?” Millie worried.

“See that blue box over there?” Rose gestured to the TARDIS.

“Ya,” the young girl said.

“That’s not just a box. It’s a spaceship that travels anywhere and anywhen,” the Doctor told her with a grin.

“It’s a wooden box.”

“Step inside and see,” the Doctor shrugged casually as he headed toward the TARDIS.

Millie’s reaction to entering the TARDIS was exactly what the Doctor had been hoping for. She ran inside, outside, inside again and then said his favorite bit.

“It’s bigger on the inside!”

Rose and the Doctor both laughed in response. Getting her back to her family was easy enough, they just scanned for nearby life forms and jumped a few minutes into the future to right where they were. The Doctor was able to give them directions to the other wagon, since there was no way they were going to get it onto the TARDIS. As much as she had never ending space inside, her doorways were still only so big. Millie’s family was a quirky bunch, but they were thrilled to have their daughter back and barely questioned the mysterious strangers that brought her or the small box they came out of. As they re-entered the TARDIS, Millie waved and her younger brother (a small boy in a fur trappers hat) gave a long wolf howl. Rose paused for a moment before shaking her head and closing the TARDIS doors behind her. Some things just couldn’t be explained.

The Doctor sent the ship flying into the void before pausing to look at Rose thoughtfully.

“It feels like we’ve been having a lot of these conversations. Are you ever going to start being honest with me?” he asked pointedly.

Not for the first time in that day, Rose’s heart broke all over again. She wasn’t sure if this Doctor would ever trust this particular version of her.

“I have always been fully honest with you, Doctor,” Rose stated confidently. “But I don’t fully understand Bad Wolf. The TARDIS has been helping me best she can in the weeks I’ve been here, but today was the first time I’ve actively tried to control Bad Wolf’s abilities. I don’t understand the difference between what’s Bad Wolf and what’s me or if there really is no difference anymore,” Rose confessed.

“It sounds like you’re towing a dangerous line,” the Time Lord warned.

“Maybe. But it saved us a lot of trouble and medical attention, and helped us save a young girl’s life today. And I don’t seem to be losing control and changing time lines anywhere. So I think that’s a risk I’ll take. Look, Doctor, I know I’m so very new to you and even though I’ve told you my story, I know part of you is still going to see me as a 19 year old human with no possible idea what repercussions my actions could have. But I’ve lived a long time now, maybe not as long as you, but plenty long enough to learn some basic rules about the universe. I spent quite a few years with you, but I spent most of my life without you by my side and still managed to muddle through a lot of this on my own. So I know it is difficult for me to ask you to trust me. You barely know me. But I promise that I have earned that trust, and will continue to do so for the rest of my life. Can you do that? Can you trust me?” Rose pleaded, watching the leather-clad Doctor’s cautious reaction.

“Can you trust me to help you too? I know the TARDIS is helping you, but you have to admit that I’m at least partially responsible for the whole Bad Wolf thing and you’ll need to trust me if we’re going to keep travelling together,” the Doctor held a hand out to her in a rare moment of intimacy (instead of just a hand of necessity when running).

“Of course I trust you.”

“I’m not just asking for myself. I’m asking you to trust any version of me, even if it’s one you haven’t met already yet or one you might be particularly upset with,” he clarified.

“Still trust you. Anywhere, anywhen,” Rose confirmed with a smile as she accepted his hand and gave it a light squeeze.

They opted to spend a few hours relaxing around the TARDIS and eventually retiring to their respective rooms for a full night’s sleep before attempting another adventure. 2 misadventures in a row was plenty for one day. As Rose closed her eyes that night, she looked forward to a visit and hopefully some clear answers from the TARDIS.

Chapter Text

Dream visits with the TARDIS had becomes a regular occurrence for Rose and she found herself looking forward to them more and more each night. Even though it was the Doctor she had fought so hard to return to, she found that a part of her felt empty when she was trapped in the parallel universe, and the TARDIS helped to fill that empty space. As Rose sat down in their garden in her mind, she mused those thoughts.

“It’s because of our telepathic connection you know,” the TARDIS greeted her as she sat down on the bench beside Rose.

“But I’m not telepathic,” Rose wrinkled her nose in confusion.

“You weren’t born telepathic, and generally wouldn’t be considered telepathic by most people’s standards. But you and I will always have a special connection because part of my heart lives inside you. I think the more you unlock Bad Wolf, and the more my heart integrates throughout you, the deeper our connection will be. I’m not able to communicate with the Doctor this way at all, even in his sleep and he’s fully telepathic. Bad Wolf is her very own creation, so there aren’t rules any of us are following dear,” the TARDIS mused as she placed a reassuring arm around Rose’s shoulders.

“I’m beginning to feel like Bad Wolf will always frighten me. I’m not sure I’ll ever want to fully unlock those gifts,” Rose admitted.

“It is wise to be scared of...as you put it, the ‘Big Bad Wolf’. But I promise you dear that if you continue to do as you did today and control when Bad Wolf surfaces, you will remain in full control of those gifts. You wouldn’t be able to ever utilize those powers to the same magnitude that we did together when we first became Bad Wolf. You weren’t even conscious during most of that time and the power itself took over. Even in those most uncontrolled moments, Bad Wolf’s intentions were always pure. It’s just that if they went unchecked, they could have disastrous consequences,” the TARDIS informed her.

“What happened today...I felt Bad Wolf starting to surface but I did what you recommended and held it down until I felt there was really no other option. But I thought Bad Wolf was supposed to be locked away still, only slipping out when I wasn’t in control of myself,” Rose murmured, rubbing her eyes in a show of frustration.

“Well let’s check on that door, shall we? It’s been a while,” the TARDIS replied encouragingly.

Rose followed the same pathway she had done a couple of times now as she picked through the garden that was her most peaceful state of mind. As she envisioned herself in the long hallway, she found herself walking down it. Rose would never quite get used to walking around her own mind but it was the most efficient way for her to check on Bad Wolf’s area in her mind. When she got to the door that was usually pulsing gold and locked, she was shocked to find it open.

“Well then,” came the TARDIS’s voice.

“It’s empty. The room...it’s empty,” Rose whispered as she peered into what looked like a small white closet.

“Close your eyes, Rose, and listen all around you. Do you hear my song?”

Rose did as she was instructed and focused on the now familiar song of the TARDIS that was always playing in her mind, like elevator music that you only heard when there was no one else speaking.

“Good. Now open your eyes and look...do you see my song? Do you see my heart?”

Rose opened her eyes and peered around her. She was back in the garden, no longer near the disappointingly empty room. At first glance it all looked exactly like it usually did. But when she softened her gaze, she saw the gold flecks dancing through the air like millions of microscopic dust specs. The way you see dust specs floating in a ray of light, Rose saw tiny remnants of Huon particles all throughout her garden.

“Oh,” she said softly, overwhelmed by the subtle beauty of it.

“Does this mean that’s it then? Bad Wolf is here to stay?”

“My little wolf, Bad Wolf was part of you from the moment you looked into my heart. But yes, it seems that Bad Wolf is now fully part of you. You may want this Doctor to help you run some scans to see if anything has physically changed, but from what I can tell you will always be able to access a small amount of Bad Wolf’s ability to manipulate time and space. I think if you worked on it, you could start strengthening your ability to sense timelines and fixed points and such. It would make your travels with the Doctor immeasurably easier I think,” the TARDIS explained as she began tending to some of the flowers in the garden.

“Does seem a bit anti-climactic after all that stress about the door,” Rose mused.

“Rose, this is the best option we could have hoped for. You had a seamless transition from regular old human, to human plus, to fully merged with Bad Wolf and you didn’t even notice. The last time you and Bad Wolf were one, it almost killed you. So please don’t forget to be grateful that you were given this gift,” the TARDIS scolded her like a school child. Rose did feel a bit shameful about her statement.

“I know. I am very grateful, it’s just all a bit odd,” she conceded.

“I’m afraid that things will only to continue to be odd and complicated from here on out. That’s the life of an immortal being that travels through time and space,” the TARDIS sighed with a smile on her face. Traveling with her thief and her wolf made her immortal existence exciting and fresh. Most of her sisters were lucky to travel for a few years, but even those that didn’t perish in the Time War generally found themselves parked to dry up of energy and go dormant. She had been given a second chance after being put on display at the museum, and since then she had ‘lived’, if you could call it that, a truly fantastic life. And she wouldn’t regret a single moment of it.

“If Bad Wolf is loose, and she’s me and I’m her and we’re both you and all of that complicated bit I won’t even begin to wrap my head around...does that mean I can try to travel again? Get to the correct point in the Doctor’s timeline?” Rose asked, hope building in her heart at the thought of seeing her pinstriped Doctor all over again.

“Yes, theoretically you have as much time as you want with this particular version of my thief. However, the longer you travel with him, the more time you spend away from starting your actual future with the Doctor when your timelines are actually lined up. And you’ve had some close calls recently. You must make sure this Doctor stays safe. Earlier he tried to put himself between a gun and you. If he had been shot and regenerated, it would’ve created a terrible paradox that I’m not sure even Bad Wolf could’ve undone,” the TARDIS warned.

“I hadn’t even thought about that. I was just...I always assumed...”

“I know, you wanted to enjoy your time with him and that was Bad Wolf’s gift to you both. But it cannot last forever. Figuring out how Bad Wolf will allow you to move through the Vortex is going to be a bit trial and error, and you can’t easily do that with me. It may be best to enlist the help of your charming time agent friend, see if he can’t guide you through it,” the TARDIS told her.

“Jack,” Rose sighed, thinking of how horribly she’d left him only a few weeks ago.

“If that’s what you call him,” the TARDIS nodded.

“I’ll ask the Doctor to take me back to a few moments after we left him in Pamplona, and maybe he can help me figure it out or at least let me use his vortex manipulator,” Rose decided.

Although the excitement of potentially seeing her pinstriped Doctor soon was running through her veins, a feeling of regret and sadness was settling in as well. She’d had a few extra weeks with her first Doctor, but it wasn’t anywhere near enough time.

“I know, my little wolf. It will never feel like enough time. But there are more Doctors to meet in your future and each one will have a special place in your heart. It is so difficult to see him face dangers that cost him his life, even if he can regenerate. It doesn’t get easier, but even then it is worth it to know even one version of him or rather them,” the TARDIS smiled fondly.

“Them?”

“Oops! There’s me getting all mixed up between the past and the future again. Don’t mind me, there’s an awful lot swimming around in this tiny little head,” she tapped a finger to her forehead and gently pulled Rose in for a hug.

“If I leave to go with Jack, I won’t be able to communicate with you like this will I?” Rose asked sadly.

“No, we won’t be able to communicate across the distance, but as soon as we’re reunited I will see you again,” the TARDIS promised. Rose felt tears pool in her eyes and she sniffled, trying not to turn into a complete mess.

“I’ll miss you,” she admitted.

“And I you, but it won’t be long before we see each other again. It’s just a little wibbly wobbly, my dear,” the TARDIS promised.

“Now get some rest, little wolf. You have a long journey ahead of you.”

The garden in her mind began to fade to black as Rose drifted off into an ordinary sleep. Rose enjoyed an extra long sleep that night, knowing it might be her last in the TARDIS for a while yet. When she did finally awake, the TARDIS lights came up slowly to ease her into a morning wake up.

“God how I’ll really miss you,” she stated again, and the TARDIS’s song swelled in her head. She took her time getting ready, reveling in the ship’s en suite before packing a small bag of clothes to have ready for when she did head to Jack’s for some time. She left the bag by the door before wandering out of her room to the console room. The Doctor was nowhere to be found, however, so she meandered through the ship before she stumbled upon him in the library. A large book was laid across his lap as he sat relaxing in one of the big armchairs.

“Good morning,” she called. The Doctor looked up and flashed a wide grin at her, one of his genuine smiles.

“Hello,” he greeted cheerfully, not even mentioning the amount of time she had wasted sleeping.

“What are you reading?” she asked as she headed his way.

“Just re-reading some old history books. I like to laugh at the inaccuracies,” he admitted.

“That seems just like you,” Rose laughed as she watched the Doctor move to put his book away.

“So what would you like to get up to today Rose Tyler?”

“Actually...”

“Oh I know! We could go see the singing valleys of Tanbar or photobomb the moon landing or maybe we could-

“Doctor...”

“Maybe we could visit the library of Alexandria or try in vain to stop the Titanic from sinking,” the Doctor ignored her protests and while Rose was about to stop him and ask to be taken to Jack, her ears perked up at the word ‘Titanic’. She knew the Doctor needed to end up there at some point to meet and save one family from boarding and take a photo with them so her past self could see the photo. And she just wasn’t quite ready to say goodbye, and she didn’t want him to face the Titanic alone either.

“Let’s do it! I want to see if that fancy necklace is real,” Rose told him, opening an opportunity for him to lecture about historical inaccuracies in the movie. That was one of his favorite things to do after all.

“That’s just a movie,” he rolled his eyes. Rose could’ve said the words with him. He could be so predictable.

“Sure, but that doesn’t mean it’s all fake right? The Titanic was a real ship,” Rose pointed out.

“But did it hit a real iceburg?” the Doctor challenged, raising his eyebrows with a crazed grin.

“I suppose this is the point where you run to the console room to fly us there and prove me wrong but then we actually end up in heaps of trouble thanks to you?” Rose laughed as the Doctor took off ahead of her.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about!” he denied as he hurried to the console room. He was inputting the destination when she followed through a few moments behind him.

“Are you sure you’re ready for this Rose Tyler?” he asked, holding his hand above the lever that would send them out of the Vortex and flying towards their destination.

“Fixed point in time, yeah? No messing with the Titanic sinking,” Rose clarified. The Doctor nodded, his smile faltering for just a bit.

“Well then, I guess we’ll just have to pop in for a look and scurry right out before anything tempts us,” Rose shrugged and the Doctor’s smile brightened again.

“Fantastic!”

Several  hours later Rose would definitely come to regret her choice of joining the Doctor on his trip to see the Titanic off. He’d gotten the timing wrong again, of course, and they’d ended up in London a full week before the Titanic was even supposed to set sail. And it wasn’t until several hours after they’d exited the TARDIS and began exploring, they realized that they’d parked on a cargo ship which had already set sail and wouldn’t circle back for another two weeks.

“So we’re stuck?” Rose exclaimed in a frustrated voie.

“Well we could try to get on another boat that headed for that port to catch up with her, but it’s not as if I have some remote control to bring the TARDIS back here. Wouldn’t that be convenient though?” the Doctor mused, seemingly entirely less panicked about the whole situation than Rose thought he ought to be.

“Doctor, aren’t you at all concerned that something could happen to the TARDIS?” Rose worried. Even as she spoke the words, she knew she was worrying for no reason. The TARDIS’s song still played strong in her head. Not quite as strongly as if they were onboard, but she wasn’t too far and wasn’t in any inherent danger.

“Nothing could get through her doors,” the Doctor brushed off the concern.

As they wandered the streets of London, Rose wondered if this was secretly the Doctor’s plan all along. She teased him about his poor driving often, but she knew he was an excellent driver when he wanted to be. She wondered if he hadn’t gotten them there early just to avoid the question he knew she was preparing to ask. She assumed the TARDIS must have sent him some kind of warning that she would need to leave soon, and as suspicious as he had been of her originally, he had grown to really appreciate and enjoy her company. And the thought of being alone again was likely terrifying for him. Rose heaved a sigh at the complexity of their current predicament.

The Doctor’s train of thought was all too similar to Rose’s. While the TARDIS may not have given him a specific heads up about Rose’s ever-nearing departure, he knew a shift in both of their timelines was coming. He had always known that he would need to return to the all-to-human and incredibly young Rose Tyler. Truth be told, when the future Rose Tyler showed up on his shift all he had wanted to do was dump her and run far away from any version of her and what she stood for.

Because Rose Tyler’s timeline was a jangled mess that ultimately tied to his. He made it a point to never look at his own timeline. In fact, when the Time Lords were around there were laws and against that sort of thing. But since they were all gone, no one was regulating things like that. And he tried to avoid looking at his timelines for his own sanity, but he’d been blindsided when he peeked at Rose’s only to see that somehow...in all the chaos...they tied to his. He didn’t go searching far into the future. He couldn’t. But in the tiny bit that he did glance, he could not see an end to their united timelines.

And that very notion was terrifying. How could he be so irresponsible? He was responsible for the genocide of his entire home planet and all the people living there. And after meeting the future version of his companion, he now knew that his sacrifice and all the lives lost were for nothing. The Daleks had not been defeated and would return to terrorize him and other planets again. So how could he drag a helpless human companion into the whole mess? What was so special about Rose Tyler that made him justify dragging her around the universe and allowing her to get far too attached?

After a few weeks of traveling with 100 year old Rose, the Doctor didn’t ask that question anymore. Rose was so many wonderful things. She was kind, inquisitive, fiercely loyal and protective, and underneath all of the complexities and all of the things that made his head spin, she was so incredibly human. Even if biologically she might not read human anymore, Rose Tyler was a human at her very core. Even when gifted with unimaginable powers from the Time Vortex, Rose Tyler was human at her very core. And somehow the Doctor loved that. The Doctor loved her, which was why he was terrified to return to her younger self. Even though his memories would be blocked, those deep-seeded emotions wouldn’t go away. They were wandering aimlessly though London, in somewhat tense silence when Rose finally looked at the Doctor and sighed pointedly.

“Is this all we’re going to do then?” she asked, gesturing vaguely to the marketplace they’d found themselves in.

“You don’t like shopping? I’d have guessed you were the type of person to enjoy a good shop,” the Doctor teased.

“What, because I’m blonde and human? You should no better than to judge. You’re a first-class hoarder,” Rose snorted.

“I collect valuable and interesting objects from all over the universe. All of time and space at my disposal, course I’m going to pick up some knick knacks!” the Doctor defended with a scowl, crossing his arms over his chest like a small school child.

“Just sayin, that’s exactly what a hoarder would say about their piles of newspapers from years back,” Rose pointed out. The Doctor only gave a short huff in response and Rose fought the urge to grab him by the shoulders and shake him. He was upset and she could tell, and he wouldn’t just open up and talk about it. Even with all the trust they had built, she knew this Doctor would always have a difficult time opening up. She knew him better than anyone else in the universe at that moment, but she would never be able to look at him and tell him that she understood exactly why and how he’d made the choice he had with Galifrey. So instead of pushing him into a conversation she knew would go wrong, she tried again to change the subject.

“Could be fun, I guess, just exploring through the place I grew up a hundred years before I was born. No running or mishaps, just a stroll through the past?” Rose nudged the Doctor on the elbow and she saw the corners of his mouth twitch upwards.

“Well I never promise no mishaps, but we’ll try to keep running to a minimum,” he agreed with a small smile.

“That’s fair,” Rose offered. As she wandered by a booth in the marketplace selling jewelry her eyes were drawn to a pair of simple, pearl earrings. She paused and wandered a bit closer to the booth. The Doctor’s eyes followed her as she approached the booth and he bit back the teasing remark he had.

“Do you like pearls? I haven’t seen you wear much jewelry in the last few weeks and when I first met you...you seemed more like a loopy earring kind of person,” the Doctor offered his commentary as he came to stand beside her. He occupied his hands by randomly picking up things and pretending to inspect them for...well for nothing, but at least it made him look busy.

“Ha. Yeah, I used to just wear hoops. It’s a chav thing. But these days I just don’t think about putting jewelry on. Doesn’t seem important. My mum had a pair of pearls she used to wear for special occasions. They were handed down, and they got left behind when we all got trapped in the parallel universe. Haven’t thought about them in ages,” Rose admitted as she admired the earrings. The shopkeeper, a middle-aged woman with kind eyes, finished up with another customer before directing her gaze at the earrings Rose was admiring.

“Every woman should have a set of pearls. Just that touch of class everyone needs. I’d be happy to give you a good price,” she offered. Rose shook her head quickly. While the Doctor might have managed some unlimited credit stick for shopping sprees in the future, neither of them carried the appropriate paper money. Plus, pearls really weren’t her thing.

“Oh, no thank you. They just reminded me of my mum,” Rose told her with a smile before pulling the Doctor away by the elbow.

“If you wanted them, I’m sure we could dig up some cash between the two of us,” the Doctor offered. Rose laughed.

“I didn’t tell her no just because you’re a tight wad, but you make a good point. We do need to dig up some cash, because if we’re here for a few days I don’t want to be stuck in these clothes or sleeping on the street. So reach into those never-ending pockets and grab out your psychic paper, or at least dig up a few pounds,” she instructed. The Doctor reached into his pockets and pulled out his psychic paper.

“This’ll get us wherever we need to get,” he stated confidently. Rose went with it, because he had always had an alarming way to sneak or cheat his way anywhere he wanted to go. It was a question she would ask later, maybe, but not something she’d question when she needed that particular skill set.

“Ooh look! A boarding house! That’ll work perfect. Short term housing rent a room and get to meet lots of interesting people while you’re at it. The very first hostels,” the Doctor grinned as he walked up to a large home with a wooden sign out front labeled ‘Mayberry Boarding House’.

They walked onto the porch and found a doorbell instructing them to ring for service. The Doctor impatiently pressed it three times in quick succession, which earned him a sharp elbow in the ribs from Rose. As the door opened, the Doctor smiled and prepared his psychic paper. A young girl appeared at the door and he quickly snapped the paper shut. Psychic paper rarely worked with children, since their minds were already so moldable.

“Hello there! Is your mum or dad home? We’re here to check in!” the Doctor greeted the young girl. She looked to be about 6 years old and was staring at him suspiciously.

“We’re not supposed to have any new boarders today,” she denied.

“Are you sure about that? I’m sure this is the right place,” the Doctor pushed back, keeping that friendly smile on his face. The girl placed herself firmly in the doorway, blocking the two strangers from entering the home.

“I always know when we’re going to have new guests. It’s my job to fluff the pillows,” she insisted firmly.

“What’s your name?” Rose asked kindly.

“Madeline,” the precocious girl answered confidently.

“It’s lovely to meet you Madeline! My name is Rose. If you wouldn’t mind getting your mom or dad, we’d love to get this all figured out. We’ve traveled a very long way today,” she told Madeline. The Doctor’s approach generally worked well with adults, but it was usually met with resistance from children. And Rose saw a lot of her little brother’s attitude in the small girl standing in front of them. Growing up, Tony never took any answer the first time it was offered. He always had a million follow up questions or challenges when he was given a chore.

“I’m in charge of answering the door and we’re not accepting any new-

“MADELINE?” another voice called from inside the house.

“YES MUM? I’M AT THE DOOR!”

“The door? What have I said about-

A woman appeared in the doorway behind the smaller girl and shut her mouth quickly, putting a hand on her daughter’s shoulder.

“Hello sir, miss. I’m sorry about my daughter, she tends to get a little over excited when visitors arrive,” she quickly stated, moving her daughter behind her and into the house.

“Madeline,” she instructed, “please go up to your room and start thinking about what you’d like to pack.”

“That’s alright, she was being very helpful,” Rose assured the woman who flashed her a grateful smile.

“Right, well my name is the Doctor and this is my...wife...Rose Tyler. We’re here to check in. I’m in the area for work and was told it was all set up,” he said, flashing the psychic paper. Rose gaped at him for a moment before she regained her composure. It made sense. In this time, it would be suspicious for them to be traveling together and requesting lodging together if they weren’t related somehow. She found it strange that the Doctor didn’t go with the generic ‘companion’ label or even call her a relative or associate. The Doctor was pretty surprised at his own actions too, but there was no taking the words back once they had been uttered.

“Oh, I’m so sorry Doctor and Mrs. Tyler. My name is Mrs. Mayberry,” the woman apologized and introduced herself, taking a quick glance at the paper. The Doctor’s nose twitched just slightly at being referred to as ‘Doctor Tyler’, but he hid the irritation and kept the welcoming smile plastered on his face.

“My husband must have made the arrangements, but please do come in. We’ll have your room ready in just a few minutes. Let me have my oldest show you around the common areas downstairs while I make sure everything is taken care of upstairs,” she opened the door wider and allowed them to walk into a modest entryway. As far as Rose could tell, the home was set up like it normally would be for a family living in it. It was spacious and there were maybe too many options for seating, but she supposed that made sense for a bed and breakfast type establishment.

Another girl, similar looking to Madeline, but a few years older rounded the corner at that moment and Mrs. Mayberry beckoned her over.

“Elizabeth, please show Dr. and Mrs. Tyler around the common areas. We’ll have them set up in the 3^rd room on the left upstairs once you’re finished,” she instructed. The younger girl nodded dutifully as Mrs. Mayberry rushed upstairs.

“Welcome to the Mayberry Boarding House. The common areas are available for use at all times, but there are courtesy quiet hours between 9pm and 6am for the convenience of all of the residents and guests. Breakfast is served between 6:30am and 8:00am and dinner is served at 6:30pm promptly. Residents and guests are not required to participate in mealtimes, but it is a great way to get to know other residents,” the young girl started walking them through the Great Room where a fireplace blazed and the formal dining room which were both relatively clear of people. As the young girl’s script continued she led them out to a small patio and garden.

“And this is our outdoor space, which provides a lovely breakfast nook. We also ask all residents to conduct any smoking in this outdoor space or in their personal rooms as some of our other guests are sensitive to the smoke,” Elizabeth instructed with a mildly judgmental look on her face.

“Not a smoker, me, so don’t need to worry about that,” the Doctor interjected cheerfully.

“Me either,” Rose agreed and the younger girl looked placated. She quickly composed herself and returned to her formal tour guide role and directed them back inside the house.

“There is laundry service available for an additional charge to cover the water and supplies,” she mentioned briefly as she vaguely gestured to a small room that Rose assumed contained their washing area. She knew that at this time there was certainly indoor plumbing and perhaps minimal electricity, but she assumed it was before the invention of household laundry machines. For a time traveler, Rose often felt ashamed at her knowledge of her own planet’s history. She made a mental note to read up on history more.

“Tell me, Elizabeth. That’s your name, right?” the Doctor asked as they were led back through the Great Room into a small study.

“Yes, sir.”

“Oh no need to call me sir. I’m just the Doctor!”

“Alright, Doctor, sir,” Elizabeth said unsurely. The Doctor gave a short huff of annoyance but decided not to pursue it. He genuinely enjoyed children in small doses. Had loved his own child once a very long time ago too. But this child was simply a small adult and was absolutely no fun to tease or play with.

“Anyway, have you seen or heard of any strange goings on around here? See I’m in the business of finding trouble and sorting it out and was wondering if there was any sorting out to be done around here,” the Doctor asked as he ran a finger along a shelf of books.

“Everything is normal. No trouble here, Doctor, sir. This is the study, which you are welcome to use as you see fit. The books here are for everyone to enjoy so we ask that you not take them away from the house,” she continued on, determined to finish her tour without distraction. Without any additional prompting, she turned and exited the study and headed back into the entry way that housed the large staircase where Rose presumed the rest of the living quarters and loos would be.

“Upstairs we have all of our available guest rooms and there is a loo on each side of the hallway to be shared. Your room will be this third door on the left side of the hallway. Please enjoy your stay at the Mayberry Boarding House and do let us know if there is anything we can assist with,” Elizabeth wrapped up her tour at the 3^rd door on the left before nodding slightly and quickly leaving them.

“She didn’t even stay to ask if we had any questions,” the Doctor pouted as he opened the door and found a modest bedroom with a small writing desk and chair in the corner and bedside tables with oil lamps. There was even a small bay window with a bench that Rose thought would be perfect for reading.

“It’s a pretty simple concept Doctor, I’m not sure there’s a need for extra question and answers,” Rose teased him.

“Well I have one right off the bat. I was going to ask if we could have a cot or some other type of sleep away mattress,” the Doctor looked away in an attempt to hide his flushed cheeks as he counted the one large bed.

“I think that would seem pretty odd considering you went ahead and introduced us as husband and wife,” Rose said shortly.

It wasn’t that she didn’t love the Doctor. It wasn’t that she was grieving over her actual husband. It was that this Doctor couldn’t possibly yet love her back the same deep and meaningful way she loved him. And if he did love her, he would never have the guts to admit it. Not to this version of her. Not in that version of himself.

“That’s what the psychic paper was going to tell them. It’s really the only acceptable way for a seemingly human man and woman to travel at this time,” he insisted.

“A heads up would’ve been nice is all I’m saying. It just through me for a loop is all,” Rose muttered, moving toward the bed to sit down on it.

“Plus, this bed is plenty big enough for the two of us to have our own sides and manage to get some sleep in,” she offered, patting the bed beside her. The Doctor cautiously approached and sat down on the bed next to her. Rose found herself counting the seconds of silence once more. It wasn’t particularly uncomfortable silence, but she knew the Doctor was hyper aware of time passing as well.

“I’m sorry,” he finally admitted after exactly 321 seconds.

“It’s really not a big deal.”

“Not about the marriage thing. I’m honestly not very sorry about that at all. I’m sorry for flying us here early on purpose. Though I didn’t intend for the TARDIS to get taken away on a ship. That part was really an accident,” the Doctor groaned, laying back against the bed so that only his lower legs dangled off the side of the bed. Rose mirrored him, careful to leave a few inches of space so that he didn’t move away.

“Why did you bring us here so early anyway?” she questioned genuinely. While she had her suspicions, the Time Lord was always surprising her.

“I didn’t want to go see the Titanic. It’s a fixed point in time so it’s an uncomfortable place to be in time,” the Doctor explained.

“That’s understandable. Except you’re the one that suggested in the first place,” Rose called him out on his poor excuse of a lie.

“I figured you’d want to-

“Doctor. I’ve known you for over 100 years in one way or another. Why did you bring us here?”

“I know you want to leave.”

Rose took a measured breath. His directness was surprising, but what hurt the most was the bite in his words. He was upset with her. Maybe he was just lashing out because of sadness or disappointment, but his words were tinged with unmistakable anger. She sat up slowly and faced him directly. He didn’t meet her gaze, but she knew she had his full attention.

“No. I don’t want to leave. I want to keep traveling with you forever, but I can’t and you know that. We always knew this was a temporary arrangement. You have to go back for younger me and I need to move forward and try to find the right point in your time line,” she finally spoke with a confidence in her tone that she was sure was more for herself than the Doctor.

“I can travel back to that moment in another hundred years. Why rush? Why do you have to go find some other version of me?” he continued to question.

“What if something happens to you while we’re messing around? What if you regenerate? Do you want to create that paradox?” Rose snapped.

“I know better than to mess around like that,” the Doctor defended.

“Things happen, Doctor. And I have to go find him. I have to face him. All that anger and resentment and hurt that I brought with me when I came back to this universe a few weeks ago...it’s still there and it’ll never go away until I’m able to look you in the eyes...the brown eyes...and tell you off for being a world class git,” Rose spat.

“You could tell me off now, just get it over with.”

“Why are you trying so hard to push against something you always knew was going to happen? This isn’t like you,” Rose pointed out.

“Because it’s NOT FAIR,” the Doctor stood up, shouting suddenly. Rose jumped a little, out of pure surprise and his gaze softened.

“Because nothing is fair. Rose Tyler you are terrifying and impossible and absolutely fantastic. Everything you’ve told me about my future...I don’t want any of it to happen. Because as amazing as some of those adventures are sure to be, the war and the heartbreak will never end. Going back and inviting you to travel with me means settling all of that up to happen. Haven’t I done enough? Haven’t I sacrificed enough? Why can’t I just be happy?” he cried out and sat back down on the bed. Rose saw tears building in his eyes and her heart clenched. Even in the most difficult of moments, she couldn’t remember this Doctor ever crying. Her pinstriped Doctor and John...sure they’d both shed tears in understandable situations. But this Doctor was hiding behind so many walls. She hadn’t noticed she was breaking them down every step along the way.

“Doctor,” Rose called softly. He moved to wipe away the tears quickly, but in a swift bold move she grabbed his wrists and lowered his hand. Gently she reached her own hand up to brush away his tears.

“The heartbreak does end. It will end, because after I find you again and I give you a piece of my mind...all will be forgiven and then we will truly have our forever. I promise you that,” she stated solemnly.

“But I won’t remember any of this,” he whispered.

“You will. When the time is right,” Rose promised.

“When the time is right,” he echoed.

“But since we’re stuck here for at least another week anyway,” Rose shifted her tone and offered him a playful glare.

“Time to explore?”

“Oh no Doctor. You’re not exploring through London. We’re stuck here for a bit, so you’re going to go shopping with me and help me buy some outfits. Use that psychic paper of yours to dig up some cash because I’m not wearing these clothes for two weeks straight. Up you go,” she stood up and offered him a hand and he grasped it, allowing her to help pull him up.

“I’m going to live to regret this I think,” he muttered and Rose laughed. Just like that, the tension was gone and the two were ready to tackle their next challenge. That was the amazing thing about the Doctor. He carried so much grief and worry with him every day, and even when it got to him he could put it aside and save the world (or just do a little shopping with a certain pink and yellow human).

They ended up only visiting one small dress shop where Rose picked out three sensible dressed that she could change between and she insisted that the Doctor also get pants, a jacket, and a few shirts to change between. He’d tried to argue something about superior biology and lack of perspiration, but she’d hushed him and shoved a cream-colored coat at him. It was a good color on him. He couldn’t deny that. When they made it back to the Mayberry Boarding House a few hours later, it was already dark and definitely past the assigned dinner hours. But as they entered, they saw a few other folks sitting around the fire in the Great Room. The tried to enter quietly to slip up to their room, but the woman from earlier...Mrs. Mayberry spotted them and called out.

“Dr. and Mrs. Tyler! Please come join us, we were just telling the other residents about our new arrivals. I assumed you had some business to attend to around town, so I saved you each a plate of dinner. I’m afraid it might be a bit cold, but you’ve only missed it by about 30 minutes so I’m sure it should still taste delicious,” she told them cheerfully as she stood and headed towards the kitchen.

“Oh you didn’t have to,” Rose told her, but she waved her hand as if to say it was no problem. With only a moment of hesitation, Rose found a spot on a loveseat that was currently unoccupied to sit.

“The name is Shawn Mayberry,” a man with a thick mustache reached over to offer his hand to the Doctor.

“Hello, I’m the Doctor,” the Time Lord greeted in return with a quick smile. He wasn’t particularly excited about the idea of socializing with people who were bound to want to discuss the Titanic (since it was really the exciting bit of current news happening for the week).

“Right my wife told me about your arrival. So glad you could make it. What business do you have in London this week?” Shawn asked and the Doctor opened his mouth only to find that he didn’t have a quick lie at the ready.

“My husband is conferring with the local hospital on a few of his most difficult cases,” Rose interrupted, placing a hand on the Doctor’s elbow lovingly.

“Quite right! I’m afraid I’d be quite lost trying to discuss medicine with you since I’m more of a business man myself, but of course medicine is a most noble and important profession,” the man said quite haughtily. Rose fought the urge to wrinkle her nose in disgust. She was never a fan of his type.

“Of course,” the Doctor said shortly. Another man sitting on an armchair near the fire stood to offer his hand to the Doctor first, and Rose immediately after.

“Pleasure to meet you both. I’m Henry Wells, writer for The Chronicle. I’m in town to cover all the excitement over the Titanic of course. Did you know she’s the largest luxury liner ever to exist? They call her the unsinkable ship,” he touted proudly.

“That they do,” the Doctor muttered.

“Mr. Wells, would you happen to be boarding the Titanic?” Rose asked, though she was afraid to know the answer. She remembered that the photo she’d seen of the Doctor had been of a family and not a single young man.

“Sadly I couldn’t get put on assignment aboard the ship itself, but the Mayberry family has tickets to ride in third class!” he replied cheerfully.

“Really? Who will run the boarding house when you’re all gone?” Rose directed her question at Mr. Mayberry. She assumed that this would be the family in the photograph that would turn up so many years later. And if that was the case, she could save them from an almost certainly horrifying fate.

“There’s a groundskeeper that will keep current residents all taken care of, but there will be no additional guests welcomed while we’re away. All guests at this point have prepaid so we should be well taken care of during our trip,” the mustached man replied confidently.

“Just seems like you’ve put so much hard work into this place, maybe you shouldn’t-

“Rose,” the Doctor warned in a low voice. Rose gave him a pointed glance, begging him to trust her.

“We scrimped and saved for the tickets Mrs. Tyler. We have no intention of wasting them,” the man replied with finality.

“But what if the trip doesn’t agree with your wife or one of your children?” Rose pressed on.

“May I speak to you outside, dear?” the Doctor said quickly, pulling Rose up and out of the room before anyone else could comment. As soon as they were out in the garden Rose turned to glare at the Doctor.

“I know what I’m doing.”

“Messing with fixed points in time is a terrible idea, even in small ways like this,” the Doctor argued.

“I’m trying to fulfill a paradox, Doctor. Remember how I said I found some photos of you that a man on the internet had tracked down? In the days after I met you? One of the photos was of you and the Mayberry family who watched the Titanic sail away. So somehow we need to convince them not to board the ship and take a photo with you,” Rose explained and the Doctor’s eyes flashed a look of understanding.

“Ah, that’s a bit tricky then isn’t it?” he asked.

“We’ll figure it out just like we always do,” Rose sighed.

Instead of returning to the Great Room, they headed directly for the kitchen where Mrs. Mayberry offered them each a plate of lukewarm kidney pie. It wasn’t Rose’s favorite, but they both ate while making polite conversation with Mrs. Mayberry before excusing themselves to their room for the evening. As soon as they entered the room, the Doctor began making himself comfortable in desk chair.

“Oi. Get in the bed, you. Even if all you want to do is lay at the very edge doing your best not to touch anyone, you can rest your body a bit. I promise not to thrash around while I sleep,” Rose noted. She had plans just to sleep in the clothes she was wearing since she definitely hadn’t brought pajamas and had no intentions of changing in front of the Doctor anyway. The Doctor didn’t respond to her suggestion and instead wiggled around in the chair a bit.

“I don’t need sleep-

“That wasn’t a question, Doctor. Get in the bed,” Rose demanded. The Doctor gave her an odd look before quietly doing as he was told. Rose smirked and nodded with satisfaction.

“Good. Now try to at least sleep for an hour. You get dull when you’re not well rested. And yes, by dull I do mean daft,” Rose snickered as she rolled to her side and dimmed the oil lamp down.

“You’re mean when you’re tired,” he pouted.

“Goodnight you daft alien.”

“Goodnight Rose.”

Except the Doctor didn’t sleep. He couldn’t. He was lying on a bed, less than 6 inches away from a sleeping Rose Tyler. The Doctor had seen her sleep before, of course, when she’d fallen asleep in the media room or the library but watching her sleep away from the TARDIS was an interested experience. She seemed more restless in her sleep and while she didn’t thrash about (as promised), she did screw her face up every once in a while. The Doctor assumed that after living a longer than average human life span she probably had some strange dreams. After an hour or so, she settled down into a deeper sleep and it was only then that the Doctor could drift off for a small nap himself. His last thought before he fell asleep was a prayer (of sorts) that he would come up with a solution to the Mayberry family dilemma in the morning.

Chapter Text

For the first time in several weeks, Rose slept completely uninterrupted. It was lonely, to her surprise, and she’d found that instead of dreaming she spent her sleeping hours watching memories as if they were a TV show. They were memories of her original time with the leather clad Doctor that was currently resting in the bed beside her. She remembered their brief travelling companion Adam and how he had really irked the Doctor. At the time she hadn’t seen his irritation, but watching her memories back (she assumed courtesy of Bad Wolf) she understood a whole new perspective.

The Doctor hated Adam. It wasn’t even because Adam was pretentious, reckless, and selfish (though that turned out to be impossibly more true than they could have ever realized). But in the beginning, right when Rose asked if he could join them in the TARDIS, it was mostly because the Doctor knew Adam was a handsome young human and Rose was at least mildly attracted to him in a way that she could never be attracted to the Doctor (or so he thought).

In watching the memories back of their time on Satellite 5, Rose could truly see the Doctor’s frustration and she felt bad for ever asking to invite Adam. At that point, she had barely been travelling with the Doctor for a few months and for her to assume that she ahd that right was incredibly childish. She was shocked that he’d ever agreed, but glad that at least Adam didn’t stay with them for long. Even at that point, Rose knew she was attracted to the Doctor. She just had no idea that he could ever be attracted to her in return. Mentally, Rose rolled her eyes. The two of them really had struggled to communicate properly for a while.

When the memories ended and she woke up for the day, Rose was woken by light streaming through a window and a child shrieking in what she hoped was delight. She blinked a few times, yawned, and rubbed her eyes before turning over to see the Doctor already awake and dressed in the new sport coat and pants she’d made him by. His back was turned to her as he sat fiddling with something at the desk, but she took the moment to let her eyes wander and enjoy the view...the Doctor wasn’t very flirty this time around and she missed that witty banter. He did still have a bum you could bounce a coin off of though. Before he turned around and caught her gaping, she yawned loudly and sat up in the bed.

“Good morning sleepy head,” the Doctor called without even turning around.

“Morning,” Rose greeted, her voice thick with sleep.

“Don’t know how you managed to sleep so long with all the noise. I barely caught two hours,” the Doctor complained, finally turning around to face her with a smile.

“Two hours feels like a record for you,” she teased as she stretched out her back. They’d slept in worse places before, but no bed would ever compare to her bed on the TARDIS. Maybe a bed from far in the future, but certainly not a bed from 20^th century London. The Doctor had helpfully reminded her that it was April 1912 so that she didn’t make a mistake when speaking to any of the locals. She had always been better about identifying general time in the future and not in the past. History had always been her least favorite subject.

“Shall we grab some breakfast then?” the Doctor asked as he stood up from the desk.

“You head down, I’m going to change and I’ll meet you there,” the human nodded in response.

“Right. Hurry up then, have to spend the day motivating a family to avoid their certain doom,” the Doctor instructed before quietly slipping out of the room. Rose moved over to the small wardrobe in the room where she had hung her new dresses the night before. This era was all about long and slim. Thin waists but no big bustles or hoops to worry about, so she was at least thankful for that. To make things easier for her, she’d picked up two dresses but she found that the Doctor had also picked out two blouses and skirts that could be worn together with a sash uniting them. With a smile, she selected a plain white blouse and a powder blue skirt before putting on her own regular boots underneath. They’d barely be seen anyway. She made her way downstairs without seeing any other people until she actually made it to the formal dining room where the Doctor was sitting and chatting with Mr. Wells from the night before. The two young Mayberry girls, Elizabeth and Madeline, sat on one side of the table with a young boy as well (probably a 2 years or so younger than Madeline). Rose sat across from Madeline, next to the Doctor at the end of the long table.

A breakfast spread was laid out that made her mouth water. There was hard boiled eggs, beans, toast, and sausage and of course milk and tea out that she immediately reached for. The Doctor grabbed her hand and gestured to the cuppa he had already prepared sitting on the table before her. She gave him a grateful smile and began to put some breakfast on her plate. She barely listened to what the Doctor was saying to Mr. Wells and instead focused on the three Mayberry children and their breakfast chatter.

The Doctor wasn’t really talking to Mr. Wells. If anything he was doing his best to listen, but honestly the young reporter’s stories were drab and Rose Tyler had just walked through the door in an outfit he had snuck into her new outfits for the trip. The Doctor found Rose entrancing no matter what she wore, but anytime she dressed up for the occasion he was always tempted to drop his mouth in surprise. How could she manage to pull off fashion from any time with ease? Not all types of attire were flattering on everyone. Though he often thought of himself as the exception to that rule since he’d donned outrageous patterns and even actual vegetables regularly. And yet Rose Tyler, a supposedly average human from a not especially advanced time period in Earth’s history managed to look good in anything she put on. The Time Lord watched her as she smiled and began talking to the children. The domestic approach was always her style.

“Good morning! It’s Madeline and Elizabeth, right?” Rose greeted the kids she was seated across from. Elizbeth nodded politely, but Madeline pulled her face into a confused expression.

“I’m not sure I like you very much,” she stated outright.

“Madeline!” Elizabeth hissed before flashing an apologetic glance at Rose. The little boil beside them snickered.

“That’s alright, Elizabeth. I’m a stranger and it’s perfectly normal to not know how you feel about a person you just met. My name’s Rose and my friend over here is the Doctor,” she greeted.

“I thought that was your husband,” Elizabeth asked, her head tilted to the side.

“Sure, but he’s also my best friend. That’s how a good marriage should be,” Rose lied smoothly. It was only a little half lie anyway.

“I think you’re lying,” Madeline stated matter-of-factly. Rose smiled a bit.

“Why would I lie about that?”

“Maybe you’re an undercover spy and that’s your alibi and you have to stick with it but you’re not very good at your job so you keep messing it up,” the small boy interjected. Rose looked at him with shock for a moment. He wasn’t entirely wrong, but then he tossed his head back in laughter and she smiled.

“That’s a very interesting theory,” she commended.

“This is Edward, our little brother. He’s a handful, or at least that’s what mum calls him,” Madeline recited. The Doctor snorted a bit, and Rose could tell he was listening to their conversation even as he spoke with the reporter next to him.

“Well Edward I’m afraid it’s nothing that exciting. My husband is a Doctor and he’s working with some other Doctor’s in the nearby hospital. I travel with him because I enjoy seeing new places and meeting new people,” she told the little boy and when his sisters were both looking elsewhere, she winked dramatically at him. His eyes lit up as his mouth opened in an “O” of surprise.

“If you DID happen to be an undercover spy, though, Mrs. Rose, what MIGHT you be investigating?” he asked pointedly. Rose pursed her lips in thought for a moment, tapping her chin.

“If I WERE an undercover spy, which I absolutely am NOT, then I suppose I MIGHT be investigating suspicious activity involving a very big, very new, very exciting ship,” Rose whispered. Elizabeth frowned and Madeline shook her head vehemently.

“It’s not very nice of you to scare a little boy when he’s already been very scared of going on a ship,” Madeline crossed her arms in a pout.

“Oh I’m sorry,” Rose apologized genuinely.

“I didn’t know you were feeling nervous about your trip aboard the Titanic, Edward,” she said softly.

“I can’t swim,” Edward looked down in shame.

“That’s a problem we can easily fix!” Rose assured him.

“I don’t want to swim in the ocean with the sharks and other scary fish,” Edward argued.

“There’s lots of other beautiful and harmless creatures living in the ocean. It’s not just sharks and scary fish,” she placated the young boy, but he still seemed very upset by the way he fidgeted in his chair and poked around at his food.

“Plus if you’re on a ship, you wouldn’t need to swim because ships float,” she offered.

“But what if something happens and it doesn’t float?” Edward wailed, his eyes filling up with tears.

“I promise I won’t let anything happen to you,” Rose swore solemnly. Elizabeth and Madeline exchanged a look before standing up and pulling Edward along with them.

“Excuse us,” Elizabeth murmured quietly. Rose gnawed at her bottom lip. That conversation had absolutely taken a turn for the worst without her intending it to. She was usually fairly good about talking with kids, but something in Edwards fears had scared her. If she couldn’t find a way to convince his parents not to board the ship, all of his fears would be realized. The Titanic WOULD sink, and he would end up in the ocean. Mr. Mayberry had mentioned they were in third class. Those passengers didn’t even stand a chance and it angered Rose. People from a lower social class weren’t even given the opportunity to escape on a lifeboat. Even the children. As Rose pictured the scene from the movie of the two young children being tucked into bed as the ship filled with water, she felt the warmth of Bad Wolf burning in her heart. She took a deep breath and stood quickly.

“Excuse me,” she murmured to the remaining adults at the table before slipping out into the garden. She sat on the bench out there with her eyes closed, reminding herself to breathe in and out for several minutes before she heard the door open next to her. She assumed it was the Doctor coming out to check on her, but when she turned she saw Mrs. Mayberry standing hesitantly by the door.

“Are you alright Mrs. Tyler?” she asked softly.

“Please call me Rose,” the younger...or rather significantly older...woman answered. Mrs. Mayberry nodded in agreement, but the question lingered in the air.

“Then you must call me Lenore. But you haven’t answered by question.”

“I’m alright, just needed some fresh air,” Rose lied. The temptation to meddle with the Titanic was still great, but she knew better than to mess with a fixed point in time. It was just hard to think about all the innocent lives that would be lost.

“You certainly didn’t look alright. I hope it wasn’t something my children said. Elizabeth said that Madeline was quite rude to you, and I must apologize. She’s a rather precocious child and we’ve done what we can to correct her manners but she really can’t be tamed,” Lenore apologized.

“Well to be perfectly honest with you, it wasn’t anything Madeline said. It was your youngest, Edward. He’s very afraid of your impending trip on the Titanic. I didn’t learn to swim as a child either, so I understand his fear. No matter how...irrational it may seem, it just upset me to think about how terrified he might be on a cruise,” Rose admitted. Playing on Edward’s fear was the only card she had so far.

“I assure you we’ve spoken with Edward extensively, and I’m sure you know he’ll be quite safe. I’m hoping the trip can help ease some of his fears of the ocean. He seems quite convinced that there are terrifying creatures lurking beneath the surface of the water that could gobble him up. He and Madeline both have wild imaginations,” Lenore said stiffly, feeling taken aback by Rose’s brash honesty.

“Please don’t be offended. I had no intentions of attacking your abilities as a mother,” Rose apologized quickly. 

“Of course.”

“I don’t have any children, but I love them dearly. I have a much younger brother and Edward reminds me very much of him,” Rose confessed softly. Even when Tony was a grown man, Rose often pictured her tiny baby brother and not the 80-year-old man he had lived to become. Her memories of her time on Pete’s World were all a blur. She found moments to enjoy her family, but in all her grief and confusion Tony’s life had zipped by.

“Are you and your husband newlyweds?” Lenore asked as she finally sat down on the bench beside Rose.

“Not really, and we’ve known each other for a very long time even before that,” Rose answered vaguely.

“When do you think you’ll have children?”

“Oh we won’t have any children,” Rose confessed quietly.

“I’m sorry, I just assumed-

“It’s alright. I’m not able to have children, but I came to terms with that a long time ago. My husband travels a lot for work, and I’m always very happy to travel alongside him. While we may both be sad not to have children, it is nice to be able to be together when he needs to travel,” Rose told her. She didn’t actually know if she wanted children. Even if she could have them. But since her body had stopped aging 100 years ago, she really didn’t think children would be a possibility for her. And somehow not being able to have children made it all the more tempting to think she wanted children in the first place. Rose had never really considered herself a mother type. Her mother had been so different from all the other mums, and Rose knew it was likely that she’d have ended up a young mother unable to make good money if she had never left to travel with the Doctor too.

“It’s nice that you’ve been able to find a positive in such a dark moment. I’m not sure I ever would’ve felt truly fulfilled without my children,” Lenore told her. Rose huffed an irritated breath.

“Well that’s lucky you were able to have three lovely children then,” she said stiffly.

“Oh I have four. My youngest is only a few months old. She’s down for a nap,” the young mother said, beaming with pride.

“You’ll bringing a baby aboard the Titanic as well?” Rose gaped.

“Yes, it’ll be a long journey but my husband was very proud to get tickets and earn enough money to take a holiday even if it is third class,” Lenore said, her body stiffening slightly when she mentioned the class level.

“Yeah, but the Titanic isn’t really a holiday ship for third class, is it?” Rose said gently.

“It certainly can be. There might be easier ways to travel, but this is what my husband is looking forward to. And then in about a month we’ll be back home at the boarding house where we belong,” Lenore said, her voice wavering.

“Your husband doesn’t want to come back to England, does he?” Rose asked.

“No he does not. He thinks we’ll fall in love with New York and want to emigrate to the United States permanently. He’s been making arrangements to sell the boarding house for month now,” she admitted. Rose placed a comforting hand on the younger woman’s back.

“Lenore, I know it is absolutely not my place, but you and your children seem very happy here. I know your husband supports you, but you put a lot of work into this gorgeous little boarding house and it’s been such a lovely place to stay even for only one night. I’ve been to New York, and I’m not sure it’s quite what your family would enjoy.”

“You are quite right, Mrs. Tyler,” Lenore said, standing up suddenly. Rose’s heart soared with a little bit of hope.

“It is NOT your place, and I’ll thank you to please keep your opinions on my lifestyle and family to yourself in the future,” she said quickly before going back inside the house. Rose sighed in frustration before sitting back down on the bench. She didn’t have the option of giving up, but her head was just not in the right place for a high stakes adventure.

Her mind, of course, was on her impending journey. She wanted to see Jack. She needed to apologize, even if she knew he needed to hear an explanation from the Doctor about why they’d abandoned him on the Game Station after destroying the Dalek fleet. She wanted to see her brown eyed Doctor in his brainy specs and chucks. She needed to lecture him for abandoning her. Then she needed to snog him. Because she’d been waiting to snog him for a hundred years and it wasn’t getting any easier. And she wanted her forever. Forever on the TARDIS, with the Doctor, as she’d promised him.

She didn’t particularly look forward to traveling through the Vortex without a capsule again. It wasn’t a pleasant sensation, but she was hoping that with Bad Wolf’s help instead of the Dimension Arrow or Dimension Cannon it would be at least mildly better. Jack’s Vortex Manipulator had been rough just like the other devices. But Bad Wolf was really just part of the Time Vortex. Why was it all so complicated?

After a few moments, Rose had back inside to find the Doctor had moved on and was now in the study reading a book. Rose glanced at the cover quickly to see that it was simply an encyclopedia.

“Whatya doing there, Doctor?” she asked as she entered the room.

“You’re off your game,” he answered, looking up at her with a taunting gaze.

“Not my finest moment, no. I managed to offend all three kids, terrify one of them, and insult their mother all before lunch,” Rose sighed, sitting on the arm chair next to him as if they were in the library at the TARDIS just enjoying each other’s company.

“Well I guess we can’t all be superstars like myself,” he bragged.

“Care to elaborate?”

“I talked Mr. Mayberry into fighting for an exchange. I convinced him that they didn’t belong in the Third Class. That they belonged in Second Class or not on the ship at all. It was a lot easier to spark him into action by fanning that outrageous ego of his,” the Doctor told her, closing the encyclopedia and putting it back on the shelf.

“Brava, Doctor,” Rose admitted defeat.

“Too bad we didn’t make a bet on it. Bet I coulda got at least 5 quid out of you,” the Doctor laughed.

“Definitely not. I would never have bet more than 2 on that,” Rose denied.

“So how did you insult the Mrs.?”

“Basically just told her that her dedicated mother, homemaker lifestyle was outdated and she should grow a spine and stand up to her husband. You know, real popular opinion for the 20^th century,” Rose admitted with frustration.

“Definitely not your finest hour, then,” the Doctor agreed with her earlier sentiment.

“I suppose we all have off days,” she responded, huffing down into the other armchair.

“You rarely do, is something going on?” the Doctor shifted his body and full focus on his human companion. In the enormous armchair she looked so small and he was reminded of exactly how delicate humans could be.

“You ever get all caught up being embarrassed about things you did a long time ago?”

“Never. I won’t be shamed into looking at my past,” the Doctor answered with complete seriousness.

“Besides,” he added, “Embarrassment is a waste of time. Why be embarrassed when you can just be unapologetically yourself? I can’t think of anything you should be embarrassed about.”

“Well you’ve barely met me. Trust me I’ve done a lot in my life that I Have to be embarrassed about. But specifically I was just watching some memories in my sleep instead of dreaming since that’s apparently something my brain does now and I wish I could do it differently is all,” Rose shrugged, attempting to brush it off. The Doctor continued to look at her contently, going through various possibilities in his head of what she could possibly be so ashamed about.

“I wouldn’t risk you changing anything about what you’ve done in the past because even if the road was bumpy, it’s gotten you back here,” he said honestly. Rose blinked a few times in surprise.

“Do you really mean that?”

“Rose Tyler, I’ve never meant anything more.”

“Doctor I-

“HELP!”

Someone in a different area of the house screamed. Rose couldn’t identify the voice from, but it didn’t take more than half a second before she and the Doctor were both up on their feet and sprinting towards the sound of screaming. There was at least one child crying, and though there were no other calls for help Rose knew the danger hadn’t passed. They only needed to run to the base of the stairs to see the source of the screaming. Lenore was carrying her son in her arms, while Madeline trailed behind them crying.

“Oh Doctor! Please, you’ve got to help me! He’s not breathing,” she cried out, clutching the young Edward to her chest tightly. Rose’s heart quickened as the Doctor gestured for them to set the boy down on the table. He was drenched and fully clothed, and his lips were blue from lack of oxygen. Rose had a sneaking suspicion she knew exactly what had happened to the little boy, but she hoped it had nothing to do with her.

“Set him down here,” the Doctor instructed as the table was cleared off by Rose and a few other adults standing nearby. The Doctor may not actually have a degree in human medicine (or at least she wasn’t sure if he did or not), but he had enough medical knowledge to basically act as one when needed.

“Rose start CPR,” he told her quickly as he glanced around the room. He wanted to be able to use some of the equipment he had in his pockets but didn’t want to cause a panic with the residents. Rose quickly began rescue breaths, glad that she’d stayed trained on CPR throughout her time on Pete’s World.

“Please give us some space to work,” the Doctor instructed, gently shooing everyone out of the room. Most of the other people, including the children, quickly fluttered out of the room. Lenore, however, didn’t budge.

“I’m not leaving Edward. Help him!” she insisted urgently. The Doctor didn’t have time to argue so he nodded and quickly moved to Rose’s side as she began compressions since the breaths themselves hadn’t revived the small child. In his temporary suit he didn’t have his extended pockets, but he had packed the sonic screwdriver, so he pulled that out and began to run a quick scan.

“Few more compressions,” the Doctor murmured as he fiddled with the settings on the sonic. Once he got the small electric shock he was going for, he nodded at Rose to back off and quickly administered a small shock (like AED paddles might, but on a much smaller scale since he was such a young boy). The child coughed out immediately, spraying water over both of them. The Doctor grinned and Rose breathed a sigh of relief.

“Oh thank you!” Lenore shouted, pushing towards them to envelope her son in a tight hug. The young boy wasn’t making a noise, but tears ran down his face.

“What were you doing Edward?” Lenore questioned, releasing him from a hug only to wipe the tears and water off his face.

“I was trying to swim because Daddy said we were going to go on the boat no matter how scared I was and I didn’t want to fall in the ocean and drown,” Edward cried out. Although Rose was grateful that he didn’t mention her name, she knew that her bringing up the Titanic and his fear of swimming in the ocean at breakfast that morning couldn’t have helped.

“Oh darling, Mummy would never let you fall,” Lenore said, clutching the boy once more.

“He should be alright, but you should get him out of those wet clothes and just set him up in bed for the day,” the Doctor advised.

“Of course, thank you Doctor. Thank you for saving my son’s life,” Lenore praised, lifting Edward into her arms.

“Rose did most of the work while I got my tools ready,” the Doctor stated pointedly. Lenore flashed an apologetic look at Rose.

“Thank you Mrs. Tyler,” she said before ushering Edward up the stairs, followed by his sisters close behind.

“I say, my good man, that was some swift work you did there!” an older man called out as they exited to dining room and entered the Great Room.

“Just trying to do what I can,” the Doctor said, squirming under all the attention.

“Unfortunately we really must be off,” Rose interrupted before the older man could get another word in.

“Right, duty calls. More lives to save,” the Doctor agreed, offering an elbow to Rose as they made a swift exit from the Mayberry house. Staying in one place for too long without the TARDIS was hard enough but being locked into just the boarding house certainly wouldn’t be an option for either of them. The Doctor was always opposed to domestics, but Rose found that even she craved a life on the run these days.  

As soon as they were cleared from the house, the Doctor burst into peals of laughter and Rose looked at him like he was crazy.

“What’s the matter with you?”

“It’s all just a bit ridiculous isn’t it? You’re trying to convince the wife not to go, I’m trying to convince the husband, and in the end, we should’ve just let the little boy do all the convincing and photo bombed a photo of them before popping off,” he said.

“I hardly think a little boy drowning is funny,” Rose said harshly.

“I’m sorry. You’re right. But you can’t tell me that you don’t find the whole situation a bit ridiculous as well?”

“Maybe a bit. You were running away from me leaving, and I was trying to fulfill a paradox remember? That’s the only reason we really ended up here. But god I wish we’d never come,” Rose groaned. The Titanic had never been one of her favorite movies, but after this trip she doubted she would ever watch it again.

“Lucky us, it seems like we may not have to be here that long after all,” the Doctor said, pointing at something down the street from them. Rose looked up and followed his gaze only to see the TARDIS standing there.

“But that’s not possible!” she said, though the TARDIS singing strong her head told her otherwise.

“I don’t really understand it, but that’s definitely the TARDIS,” the Doctor said. Both their paces quickened, but just as they approached the ship the door opened and someone stepped out. They both froze completely in their places and Rose was sure her jaw dropped as well as the Doctor’s as the person gave them a small wave. Rose wasn’t surprised by too much anymore, but as she looked at the smiling version of herself, she really didn’t know what to do. The other version of herself gestured for them to approach and the Doctor followed cautiously.

“I thought you two might like to jump ahead a week or so,” the other blonde stated with a smug smile.

“What...how....I don’t understand-

“There’s a lot you won’t understand about me Doctor,” the other Rose stated. Though as the Doctor started to think about it he realized this Rose in front of him was really the other OTHER Rose, since the first Rose was still somewhere in the Powell Estate in 2005 and the second Rose stood next to him.

“Are you...?”

“From both of your futures, yes,” the other Rose answered.

“So you’re fulfilling a second paradox in this spot, I assume,” Rose said.

“See, I’m not too dull even as a young one. I’ve always remembered myself coming back to deliver to TARDIS to you in this moment. She was just sitting on a ship all by her lonesome, and there’s no reason for you two to be stuck here with nothing to do except find trouble,” the older Rose replied.

“How old are-

“Nope. No questions, no answers. Just get in the TARDIS, skip forward a few days, grab your photo with the Mayberry’s and go off on your merry way. Don’t worry Doctor...you’ll see me again soon,” the older woman promised as she gestured to the TARDIS.

“But how will you get back to wherever you need to be?” the Doctor asked, his head spinning.

“Let’s just say I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve,” she winked and with a wave she shimmered out of existence. Rose and the Doctor exchanged looks before shaking their heads and entering the TARDIS.

Wibbly wobbly timey wimey indeed.

“I’ve got a feeling the TARDIS will take us exactly where we need to go this time. Coordinates set, I’ll pop out and take the photo I need to take. And then...I suppose, you’ll want to pack your things up and be off,” the Doctor said quietly.

“I should,” Rose agreed sadly. The Doctor sent them towards their destination as Rose turned down the hallway to grab her bag from her bedroom. She heard the TARDIS land as she reached her bedroom door. She took a moment to just commit the view of her bedroom, and the TARDIS song in her head to memory before making her way back out to the console room. The Doctor was gone for no more than 15 minutes, which gave her enough time to say a few parting words to the TARDIS, though they had said their goodbyes in her dreams the day before anyway. When the Doctor entered the TARDIS again, he didn’t have that signature spring in his step and Rose didn’t even know where to start. She wasn’t ready to say goodbye to him, but then again she didn’t think she would ever be ready.

“Where to?” he asked, hands hovering over the controls.

“Doctor.”

“I suppose it has to be sometime after when you ended up in the parallel world, don’t want you dropped off with another version of yourself running around still.”

“Doctor, please just stop for a moment,” Rose requested quietly and to her surprise he did. He paused and looked up at her, the heartbreak written plain on his face.

“Don’t go yet,” he begged.

“It’s only gonna get harder,” she warned.

“We could keep running,” he argued.

“Time would catch up eventually.”

“I’m very fast,” he insisted.

“I know you are.”

“I didn’t think it was possible for me to ever be happy again, after the Time War. I didn’t think I deserved it. Honestly I’m still not sure that I do, but I know I am happy,” the Doctor told her, closing the space between them as he held her face gently in both hands. Rose felt the tears that had been building in her eyes spill down her cheeks.

“I don’t want you to ever think like that. Of course you deserve to be happy and to love and to be loved. I will never be able to say that I know what you went through during the Time War. I’ve seen horrible things and I’ve been through horrible things, but nothing will ever compare to that. No one can understand the choice you had to make, but it doesn’t make you less of the amazing Time Lord you are. You are still the Doctor. You are still a wonderful person. You still go around the universe saving lives and not just people whose lives you physically save. Every friend you make, every companion you invite aboard the TARDIS is touched and inspired to live a great life. You spread a message of hope and courage and curiosity throughout the entire universe and eventually other universes will follow in your footsteps,” Rose told him, staring into his eyes the entire time and pleading for him to truly hear her words.

“So don’t ever, for a single moment, think you’re unworthy of a lifetime of happiness. One terrible act born of war and desperation does not negate a century of amazing acts of kindness. You’re not perfect, Doctor, and no one is expecting you to be. But I can tell you with more certainty that you could possibly imagine that the worlds would be lost without you. There would be so much more darkness and destruction and death without you hear to protect the universe. And I’m just so glad that one day I’ll get to be by your side forever, helping save worlds. My Doctor. I love you,” Rose confessed. She didn’t mean to overwhelm him or scare him off, but she needed him to know. She needed each of her Doctors to know how much she loved them.

“You don’t love me,” the Doctor shook his head, letting go of her face and moving away.

“I do. I have for almost my entire life. I think I’ve loved you since the first day I met you,” Rose argued, following him to the jump seat.

“How?”

“How could I not? You’re so much more than you see in yourself, Doctor. You were everything I was looking for in life and you saved my life in so many ways. I was bound to fall in love. Maybe I fell in love with your life, your spirit, your ship first...but deep down it was you that I always wanted more of. I could live any life with you and be happy. I think you always thought that the next regeneration was the one I fell in love with because he seemed to look more ‘my type’. But I already loved you, long before your face changed. And I’ll love any face or body you’ll ever have,” Rose swore.

“Even if I get old again?”

“Even if you get old again.”

“Good, because I love you too Rose Tyler. I know I won’t remember this for a long time, but I’ll never forget you. And I promise I’ll go right back to the Powell Estate 2005 and remind you that the TARDIS travels in time,” he promised and just for a moment he stared at her and closed his eyes, glimpsing at their timelines only to confirm that they were still intertwined.

“Good,” Rose smiled in return. She was terribly sad and her heart ached, but at least she knew that this Doctor would feel her love for him somewhere deep in his mind. And maybe, just maybe, he would be a little less lonely.

“What did I ever do to deserve someone like you in my life?” the Doctor asked quietly, marveling at the impossible girl beside him.

“You’ve done so many wonderful things. But you took my hand and you ran, just like you took the TARDIS and ran. And just like the TARDIS, I was happy to run with you. And now I have to keep running, until I find you again. Properly,” Rose told him, intertwining her fingers in his and leaning a head on his shoulder.

“Where to?” he asked again, and this time she felt ready to answer.

“Take me to Barcelona, Spain. Just a few minutes after we left last time. I have some explaining to do to our friend Jack and I know he can help me get back to you.”

The Doctor stood up, nodding, as he put some coordinates into the controls and flipped the lever to take off. Only a few moments later they were landing and Rose didn’t want to confuse Jack so she hurried to grab her bag and head toward the door, the Doctor following her. Just before she opened the doors she turned around and was met by the Doctor’s lips on hers.

The kiss was deep and passionate and all too short. The Doctor pulled back with a grin that said everything she needed to hear.

“See you soon, Rose Tyler,” he promised and Rose nodded, offering one quick kiss more before she ducked out of the TARDIS. He would see her again very soon, but that would likely be the last time she saw that particular face. The TARDIS began to dematerialize quickly and as her song faded to the very background of Rose’s mind, her knees buckled and she collapsed into a heap of sobs. Moments later she felt strong arms wrap around her.

“I’m here, Rosie,” Jack’s voice comforted hers.

“Whatever happened, I’m here,” he promised. And Rose knew that eventually, everything would be okay again.

Chapter Text

As soon as Rose shut the TARDIS door behind her, the Doctor pulled the lever to send himself into the Vortex. He didn’t want to waste a moment of his time thinking about how much he would miss the strange human. He was going right back to 2005, only a few moments after he’d first asked Rose Tyler to join him in the TARDIS. Locking his memories away would only take a few moments, and he wrote a quick note for himself on the console so he would remember.

Tell her that it travels in time.

A minute later the Doctor opened his eyes to that note. He couldn’t remember what sort of trouble he’d gotten into, but something told him to follow the advice in his own handwriting. He was usually pretty good at advising himself. As he went to set the coordinates, he realized the TARDIS was already landing back in London in 2005. The Doctor smiled as he ran back to the door.

“By the way...did I also mention it travels in time?” he asked with a grin, sticking his head out the window. The pink and yellow human grinned widely and turned around to press a quick kiss on Ricky’s cheek before running into the open TARDIS doors. The Doctor had been alone for too long, and somehow he knew that Rose was going to be a particularly special companion.

In 1999, Rose couldn’t recall how long she sat crying in Captain Jack’s arms sitting on the ground in a park in Barcelona. It might’ve only been a few minutes, but it felt like it was a few years. Jack whispered soothing words and held her tight, promising her that it would be okay. He didn’t even know what she was upset about, but he knew she needed a friend to just be there. But as Jack cradled his crying friend, he felt anger start to build from deep inside him. Rose had been unceremoniously dropped off only 2 minutes after they’d left, in completely different clothing, with a bag and the Doctor hadn’t even waved her off or said hello.

When her crying had finally quieted down a bit, Jack shifted so that they were both sitting on the ground. It was still dark outside, but the light from nearby street lamps was enough to at least cast an eerie glow over their conversation.

“Do I need to go kick his ass?” he asked firmly, and Rose chuckled despite the tears still flowing.

“No, this wasn’t the Doctor’s fault,” Rose denied with a shake of her head.

“Then what happened, Rosie? He just drops you off here minutes after you left, you’re sobbing, and he doesn’t even wait half a second before taking off again. I trust you, but honestly it seems like it’s pretty much his fault,” Jack said pointedly. Rose shook her head again.

“It’s not what it looks like. I’ll tell you the whole story, and I know you deserve more of an explanation than you’ve gotten. But can we maybe get somewhere warmer and now that I’m back in my own time...maybe even some chips?” Rose pleaded quietly.

“Chips it is! Though...do you want to maybe change first? Seems like you were in the early 20^th century maybe,” Jack teased, eyeing her up and down. Rose was one of his best friends in the entire world and he knew that she was strictly off limits, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t appreciate a view and enjoy a good flirt.

“You’re trouble,” Rose grinned, but she agreed with him.

He led her to a nearby motel where he had been staying while he worked on identifying the alien creature where she was able to shower and change into a pair of yoga pants and a sweatshirt. It was very reminiscent of what she might have worn when she was actually 19 years old still, but she was comfortable and no longer dressed for 1912. When she emerged from the bathroom her senses were filled with the smell of warm, fresh...

“Chips!” she exclaimed in delight, rushing over to the large bed where Jack was splayed out, already enjoying the delicious golden bits of heaven.

“I figured I’d just run out and grab them while you were in the shower,” he answered, pushing a takeout box full of them over to her.

Unlike when she shared a bed with the Doctor, Rose snuggled up close to Jack. He was a comfort to her, and she found that even if she didn’t fit perfectly curled up by his side, it was a lot better than sitting alone. The TV was playing re-runs of East Enders and Rose found herself engrossed for at least two episodes as she and Jack laughed at the ridiculousness on the screen and finished their chips. When the show switched to late night news Jack reached for the remote and turned the TV off.

“Fess up,” he demanded softly.

“It was time to say goodbye and it sucked and I wasn’t ready, but it was only going to get harder,” Rose said simply.

“Goodbye to the Doctor? You’re not making any sense. Okay first question: how long has it been for you since the space bull disappeared in a golden mist?” he asked. Rose paused as she tried to think.

“I haven’t been keeping track too well, but it’s definitely been a few months. Not too many, maybe 3 or 4?” she answered.

“Okay second question: how long has it been since the Dalek takeover on Game Station?” Jack asked more pointedly.

“A lot longer.”

“Rose.”

“Give or take? 100 years,” Rose told him.

“Okay I think you need to take it back to that point, please and thank you,” Jack said with a roll of his eyes.

“How long has it been for you, Jack?” the blonde asked him, almost afraid to hear the answer.

“Not that much longer...maybe 130 years? Yeah actually, 130 years. When I realized you guys had left me behind I tried to use my Vortex Manipulator to follow you, but it burned out after one jump and I ended up stuck in Cardiff in 1869,” Jack said. His tone was light, but the pain in his eyes ran deep and Rose knew there was more to his story than the quick recap he offered.

“Jack I’m so, so-

“Don’t apologize. You didn’t know, right? Anyway I didn’t realize I couldn’t die until I got into a fight on Ellis Island a decade or so later and a man shot me. And I woke up. I haven’t stopped searching for the Doctor but a psychic once told me two centuries would turn before I found who I was looking for. So I thought running into you two in 1999 was a little too early,” he sighed.

“What have you done this whole time?” Rose questioned. She knew Jack had already lived a fairly interesting life before he met them, but she was still worried about he’d handled his newfound immortality without his best friends.

“Stuff,” he said, stiffening slightly.

“I’m afraid you’ll have to be a little more elaborate than that,” Rose huffed.

“You first.”

“Fine, I told you about absorbing the Time Vortex, right?” Rose asked and Jack nodded, urging her to continue.

“Right well at that time I became the Bad Wolf and I harnessed the power of the Time Vortex to destroy the Daleks, bring you back to life, and save the Doctor. I hadn’t even known that you were dead, but subconsciously Bad Wolf knew, and I couldn’t control the power. When I woke up after the Doctor took the vortex out of me, I asked about you and he told me that you’d stayed behind to ‘re-build the Earth’. I should’ve been able to tell that was a flat out lie,” Rose sighed.

“I wasn’t thinking logically and I’m so ashamed to say that I just accepted what he said without a second thought. It was only a few moments later that he regenerated and completely changed face on me. I was terrified, and I didn’t know how to handle it,” she admitted.

“Okay now that word...regeneration. You mentioned it before and I’ve gotta say that I really don’t know a ton about Time Lords. What is regeneration?” Jack asked, leaning in closer to his companion.

“The Doctor does a piss job of explaining it, if he even tries to explain it. But basically Time Lords are able to re-write every cell in their body as a way to escape death. Neat little magic trick. They’ll look completely different, talk different, have mildly different mannerisms, but underneath it’s always the same person. And when that happens, they explode with regeneration energy...which honestly looks a lot like the huon particles that the Vortex is made of...but anyway all I saw was my best friend exploding and then a strange man trying to take his place,” Rose attempted to explain, though she knew there was a more scientific approach.

“Of course they can just change their face. Tell me Rosie, was the new him just as good looking?” Jack waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

“He was fit. Bit thin, but proper fit with hair like a god,” Rose closed her eyes as she tried to recall that particular face of the Doctor...which just so happened to also be the face of her husband.

“I bet he gets hotter every time. Wait...does he even stay a HE every time?” Jack’s eyes widened as he thought about an extremely attractive lady Doctor.

“Honestly I don’t know,” Rose admitted. The thought hadn’t occurred to her, but she knew that she would love the Doctor regardless. Even though in her early human life she had considered herself straight...she was fairly certain that labels of sexuality went out the door when aliens were involved.

“Just an interesting thought. Lots of possibilities. But don’t let me distract you...you have a lot more explaining to do young lady,” Jack sobered up as he made a mental note to interrogate her at a later time regarding the Doctor’s potential regenerations.

“Anyway after he regenerated, we just continued to travel together. Got into all sorts of trouble, saw new places, saved several worlds along the way...you know the usual drill,” Rose continued.

“I assume there was lots of running,” he interjected.

“Absolutely. At some point my friend Mickey joined in and we ended up being pulled into a parallel world that was almost exactly like this universe, but not quite...there were these humans turning themselves into robots called Cybermen and they were trying to take over that world. So we stopped them and we were able to come back to this Universe. But Mickey stayed behind because the parallel version of him had died and the parallel version of his gran was still alive over there and all alone,” Rose explained, trying not to remember Pete’s World as much as possible.

“Parallel versions of people? Was I there?”

“I dunno. No Time Lords in that universe, so really no time travel. If there was a parallel Jack running around, it would’ve happened too far in the future for me to meet you. And there was no parallel version of me. My mum and Dad were married still and rich, and they had a little dog named Rose. But no kids,” Rose laughed, remembering the better moments on Pete’s World.

“I guess the parallel world really missed out then,” Jack whistled.

“Short two of its finest inhabitants I’m sure,” Rose agreed with a smile.

“So back from a parallel world and then....” Jack prompted.

“And then more adventures. And it was all wonderful until we realized that the Cybermen were trying to break into our universe. Of course it wasn’t just them, a small fleet of Daleks had also been hiding in the Void from the Time War and decided to ride on the Cybermen’s coattails into our universe. Jack...” Rose’s voice broke.

“Hey, it’s okay...you don’t have to go into details. It sounds like I’ll probably have to live through this anyway,” he soothed as he pulled her into another hug. Rose took a few deep breaths before continuing.

“You’re right. You can’t erase your memories like the Doctor can...so I should be careful what I tell you. The shorter version of the rest of the story is that the Doctor tried to send me away, I didn’t let him, but then I ended up trapped in the parallel world anyway. I was there for a year or so before we started seeing problems in that universe that we needed the Doctor’s help with. So I worked with their version of Torchwood...which my parallel dad ran and it’s nothing like the Torchwood here I swear...and then I jumped through several dimensions and worlds trying to find this universe and get back to the Doctor,” Rose stumbled through her words, trying to summarize one of the most complex parts of her life into just the highlights.

“And that’s how you ended up back here with this version of him?”

“God I wish. But no. You’re definitely involved in a lot of the events that happened so I really don’t want to get into specifics because I can’t risk the time lines like that. The world got saved and somehow, I ended up back in the parallel world with a version of the Doctor that looked like him but wasn’t actually him. I fell in love with him, we got married, he died a year later and soon after I realized I wasn’t aging, and I needed to get back to this universe to find the Doctor. When you saw us earlier today...that was the first adventure we decided to take together,” Rose told him.

“How long were you in the parallel world for?”

“Almost all of those 100 years. I had a whole life there, but I outlived everyone and I had nothing left,” Rose said.

“I can imagine what that felt like and I’m sure it wasn’t fun,” Jack offered softly, rubbing a hand on Rose’s knee.

“I can’t imagine what you’ve been through and I know you’ve said not to apologize, but I wish I could take it all back. I really do,” Rose said earnestly.

“Could you?”

“What?”

“Could you take it all back?” he asked again.

“No...at least I don’t think I could. I’ll never have the full powers Bad Wolf had, not on that scale. I could dissolve you atom by atom if you wanted that,” Rose half-joked with a weak laugh.

“I mean-

“JACK,” Rose admonished, looking at him in shock.

“I’m not suicidal, I’m just saying it’s nice to know that there could be an end in sight if I ever felt like I really needed it. If the world was in danger or something like that,” he dismissed.

Rose was about to argue with him on how valuable his life was and how many people cared about him, but she stopped and realized that Jack had already lived way more than his fair share of lifetimes. At this rate he must be at least 160 years old, which is more than any ordinary human would ever see. And he had done wonderful things during those years. It wasn’t her place to tell him how to feel or how to value his life. She was the one that cursed him to a long life of watching his friends die around him.

“Don’t be sad,” he interrupted her musings softly.

“I’m not going to lie and tell you that it hasn’t majorly sucked to be alone without you guys, but I got over that anger a long time ago. Who I am...what I am...it has opened so many doors for me. And now that you’re back I’ve got you and maybe the Doctor to spend time with eventually again. It won’t be all lonely all the time,” Jack said optimistically.

Rose didn’t correct him to tell him she was still searching for the Doctor. She didn’t want to ruin the moment. Instead she smiled and nodded and flicked the TV back on, changing the station to some late night cartoons. Then she snuggled up against her best friend and just enjoyed his company. They talked briefly too, about all sorts of random facts and tidbits from the previous 100 years. They both were able to share in the experience of living extraordinarily long lives with very few other people to understand their unique struggles.

“Your turn then,” she told him.

“Well a man can get into a lot of fights in 130 years so I guess I did my fair share of dying for a bit there. I was confused and angry for a while, went through a bit of a rebellious phase where I tried to see if there was a number I could hit and it would all go away,” Jack admitted. He was never afraid of being honest with his best friend and even though he didn’t truly blame her, some petty part of him got enjoyment over knowing she’d feel a little guilty about it.

“Jack-

“I’m sorry. I’m not trying to make you feel guilty...at least I’m mostly not trying,” he placated Rose. She huffed a sigh but gestured for him to continue.

“My story isn’t nearly as exciting as yours aside from being the man who can’t be killed. I set up camp in Cardiff eventually because I figured the rift energy there would be a good place to eventually cross paths with the Doctor again. But I’ve spent most of the past century searching for him. I seek out trouble in the hopes that it might be alien and he might show up too,” Jack explained. Rose had to admit, it was a fair method. It had certainly worked and would likely work again if someone was trying to find the Doctor.

“Anyway because I was hunting down potential alien trouble, I ended up running into Torchwood a lot,” he said timidly, watching Rose stiffen. While she had worked for the parallel Torchwood run by her parallel father, she was still very upset with the Torchwood in this universe and how they chose to approach alien contact. Not only were they incredibly violent and reckless, but they had torn her apart from a life and a man she loved.

“Before you say anything,” Jack started, “I know that Torchwood is awful. I don’t know how much about them you know but based on how stiff you just got and how you mentioned the parallel version of them, it seems like you’ve had run ins with them. They offered me a job a while back and after I saw their...methods...I declined. But I’ve been working on and off for them as a contractor. I’ve done worse and I needed the resources, so I won’t apologize for it.”

“I’m not judging you, Jack. Just...just be careful,” Rose warned. She couldn’t go into detail without disclosing too much information about his personal future, but she wanted to at least give her friends a forewarning to keep his guard up around the dubious agency.

“Can’t die remember?” the charming man teased.

“Ha, very funny. Just watch your back.”

“I will. Plus I’ve got you now, right?” Jack smiled, nudging her gently with his elbow. Rose bit her lip and sighed.

“About that....” she started.

“You’re not staying.”

“I can for a bit. I’ve got unlimited time apparently,” Rose offered.

“But you don’t want to,” Jack said pointedly, looking down at his hands.

“Jack, it’s not like that. You’re my best friend across literally several dimensions. But I haven’t properly seen the Doctor in a hundred years and now that the TARDIS and I are sort of bonded...there’s a gaping hole in my head whenever I’m really far away from her. It’s not as bad as it was when I was on the parallel world, but I can’t hear her song that’s always playing in my head. So I need to get back to them,” Rose said definitively.

“Hey, I get it. I’m your best friend, but he’s your...well whatever label you want to deny putting on it. He’s your everything. I just wish it could be the three amigos again,” Jack murmured.

“Well I need to practice travelling through the vortex without the TARDIS. Because I think that’s something, I’m supposed to be able to do now. I’m not sure if I can take you with me, but I could try,” she offered somewhat half-heartedly. She knew she needed to take the journey on her own, but she was riddled with guilt every time she looked at her best friend and his sad, puppy-dog face.

“So do you have a vortex manipulator now or...?” Jack asked, eyeing her up and down to look for whatever kind of tech she had.

“Theoretically I am the vortex manipulator now,” Rose sighed. She wasn’t really sure how any of it was going to play out, but she had to give it a try.

“That’s not something you hear every day,” Jack laughed a bit.

“Tell me about it,” Rose agreed with a smile.

“I think that maybe we don’t start messing with all of space and time until after a good night’s sleep? I don’t know about you, but being immortal hasn’t affected my need for a full eight hours,” Jack teased and Rose shook her head.

“Nope, my either. Still need all the sleep I can get,” she confirmed with a yawn.

The two of them fell back onto the bed and snuggled up, tossing the cheap motel blanket over them. Rose stayed snuggled into Jack’s side, focusing on the rise and fall of his chest as she tried to fall asleep without the hum of the TARDIS or her song running through Rose’s mind. Being mildly telepathic but only sharing the connection with one peculiar ship made things pretty strange and lonely.

Jack was asleep within minutes, likely exhausted from an insane day. For Rose, it had been months since she’d seen Jack. But for Jack he had only been chasing down a bull and unexpectedly reunited with Rose hours ago. Plus, he had always been able to shut his brain off a little easier at the end of the day. With 119 years of memories running around in her head, Rose didn’t have such an easy time with it. She was riddled with guilt over leaving the Doctor and preparing to leave Jack; plus every time she closed her eyes all she could see was darkness. She wasn’t sure why she was having such a hard time visualizing anything. She doubted she would be able to dream.

A part of her wondered if this was her new state of mind without the TARDIS nearby. Because her mind was fully merged with the TARDIS, was part of her mind always going to be empty if she traveled without the TARDIS? She hoped that it was just a temporary side effect and that she wouldn’t be essentially handicapped without the TARDIS nearby. Rose laid awake for at least two hours before she carefully slipped out of Jack’s grasp with a frustrated sigh. She slipped on a sweatshirt and some trainers before quietly padding her way over to the door. Jack flipped onto his other side but didn’t wake as she exited the motel room.

Outside Rose let herself take a full, deep breath as she looked at her surroundings. It was dark outside, except for a few street lights and neon lights on storefronts. As she took a stroll down the mostly deserted block Rose glanced up at the stars. They were still there, burning bright. Millions on millions of burning balls of gas and past what she could see were thousands of other galaxies and planets with all sorts of different civilizations...some were ancient and some just barely starting out (not like her own planet).

The stars were there. The Earth moved beneath her feet just like that first day when the Doctor tried to explain to her how he saw the world. She may not be able to feel it all the time but when she stopped and paid attention she noticed three things: 1) She did feel the Earth moving beneath her feet and it was exhilarating. 2) Somewhere in the very back of her mind she could sense the passing of time. She knew, for example, that it had been exactly 4 minutes and 39 seconds that she’d been walking around. And 3) She could still hear the TARDIS song playing very quietly in the back of her head. She might be thousands of years and several galaxies away, but she and the TARDIS were in the same universe and their bond stretched through the Vortex. The song was calling out to her, calling her back home. It wasn’t a demand, but Rose knew it would guide her back. And wherever the TARDIS was, that’s where the Doctor would be too.

Rose smiled to herself as she turned around and headed back to the motel room. It might be difficult, and it was bound to be incredibly confusing, but she trusted that somehow, she would make it back. Hopefully it wouldn’t take as many tries as when she was using the Dimension Cannon to hop around universes, but even if it did she would eventually make her way back to the Doctor. With a new sense of calm she didn’t know was possible, she made her way back into the bed and slipped into next to Jack again to sleep for as long as possible.

Jack woke up about 7 hours later to see Rose fast asleep next to him. As tempting as it was to wake her up, he decided to let her sleep off as much exhaustion as possible and instead slipped out of the room to go get himself some coffee. He couldn’t remember if Rose drank coffee, but he grabbed her a cup and a donut from the sad excuse for a free breakfast before making his way back to the room. Rose was already awake when he got back, coming out of the bathroom with a toothbrush in her mouth.

“Good morning sleepy head,” he greeted her, holding up the coffee and donut.

“Mornin’,” she struggled to say with the toothbrush in her mouth.

“Sorry what was that?” Jack laughed. Rose rolled her eyes and popped back into the bathroom to finish brushing her teeth before she finally emerged with a smile.

“What’d you bring?” she asked, sniffing the air greedily as she eyed the goodies he brought.

“Powdered sugar donut, and coffee with cream. I know you’re a tea person, but that’s all they had,” he handed her the cup and she smelled it with a smile.

“I like coffee too. My mum loved coffee, so I started drinking tea as a teenager to rebel and ended up really loving it more than coffee. But coffee has its time...especially when you’re as old as us and need that little boost,” she laughed. The ridiculousness of both of them looking young and being older than any human on the planet was eternally entertaining to her.

“Amen to that!” Jack chimed.

“Thank you,” Rose said earnestly as she sipped the coffee.

“I mean all I did was walk down to the lobby-

“Shut up,” Rose laughed, giving him a playful shove.

“You know what I mean. Thank you for everything and for last night,” Rose clarified.

“Oh last night was nothing, if you want a night with Captain Jack all you have to do is ask,” he winked.

“I’m gonna tell the Doctor you said that,” Rose warned.

“He can take me up on that offer anytime sweetheart,” Jack raised an eyebrow at Rose and she groaned in second hand shame. Jack was completely shameless, so she often took the brunt of all the embarrassment for both of them. Honestly the Doctor was shameless too, so she was usually the only one conscious of social limits between the three of them.

“I don’t have to pop off right away, if you wanted to hang out for a bit longer,” Rose told Jack with a smile. While she did want to get back to the Doctor sooner rather than later, an extra day with her friend wasn’t going to make a difference in the long run.

“I’m always happy to spend time with a beautiful lady, especially when she happens to be my best friend. I was supposed to head back to Cardiff today so honestly it would just be a day of traveling around,” Jack warned her.

“I like travelling,” Rose shrugged. Jack offered her a wide smile.

“Even just plain Earth travel?”

“When you have the right companions, it doesn’t matter where you go,” Rose said wisely.

“I definitely think the Doctor has never said that literally ever,” Jack laughed.

“Well he should,” Rose defended.

“Maybe. But I’m not sure what he would say about airplanes and unfortunately, we have to take a plane back to Cardiff,” Jack wrinkled his nose.

“Airplane travel in 1999? Can’t be that bad,” Rose offered optimistically.

“You forget that originally I’m from the 51^st Century. This decade is practically primitive!” he complained as they finished packing up their bags and made their way down to the lobby to check out.

“Oi, watch it!” Rose snapped.

“I’m from this decade,” she added.

“Oh I know...believe me I know,” Jack flashed a mischievous grin.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I needed something to keep me occupied so I’ve been popping in on you from time to time. Nothing that you would remember, I usually just act as a standby. I watched that gymnastics meet you always went on about. Gotta say, LOVED the outfit,” he wiggled his eyebrows once more and Rose fought the urge to shove him as he whistled down a taxi to take them to the airport.

“I’d find that disturbing if it was anyone else,” Rose sighed.

“Yeah, but you know you love me,” Jack pressed a quick kiss to her cheek as they climbed into a car.

“Barcelona International,” Jack instructed the driver who nodded and took off speeding down the road.

The rest of their travels were filled with nonsense chatter. They’d gotten the heavy stuff out of the way, and for Jack that was enough. As much as he wanted Rose to stay and not abandon him again, he knew being friends with time travelers meant that things were complicated. Unless you were actively traveling through time with them, you couldn’t travel linearly. He’d learned that lesson when he first joined the Time Agency all those years ago, but it was even more true when it came to the Doctor and Rose Tyler.

The Doctor and Rose Tyler. Because they were a unit as far as he was concerned. Sure, the Doctor had had several hundred years of life before he ever knew Rose Tyler. But Jack had only ever known them together and he wouldn’t ever be able to see it otherwise. Most people didn’t meet their life partners until their adult life. It just took the Doctor a lot longer to grow up than the average human.

True to her word, Rose enjoyed every moment of traveling with Jack even if it meant crowded airports and a 5 hour flight with layover just to end up back in Cardiff. Jack paid for her ticket (since true to form, she had no money on her as usual) and flirted the entire time. Rose had missed many things about her best friend, even his incessant flirting. It made her feel like a school girl all over again and she knew that as soon as she made it back to the Doctor things wouldn’t be so light hearted. So she took full advantage of it while she had the chance.

Rose wasn’t particularly excited about the concept of travel through the vortex without the TARDIS. Even when the sentient ship was in charge, you never ended up quite where you expected to be. Without the TARDIS helping her, Rose had no idea where she would end up. Would she materialize inside the TARDIS again or was that only because she was crossing parallel worlds the first time? Or would she end up somewhere completely remote with no way of contacting the Doctor. She had made sure that during the months she spent with her leather-clad, big-eared Doctor that he’d updated her current phone using his signature jiggery pokery, but she wasn’t confident that calling him would be a good idea. If she was at the wrong point in his time stream, she might confuse him or cause a massive ripple in time effect that she couldn’t change. It was all enough to drive any person insane. But she wasn’t just any person. She was Rose Tyler. She was Bad Wolf. And Bad Wolf would do anything to get back to her Doctor.

“Whatever it is you’re thinking about, stop thinking so hard,” Jack interrupted her musings from the seat beside her. They were still on the plane to Cardiff and Rose had lapsed into silence.

“Sorry, just a lot to think about,” Rose murmured.

“Nah. Thinking and pre-planning is overrated. I prefer to live in the moment,” Jack grinned, nudging her with an elbow. They were luckily the only two people in their particular row of the airplane and they spoke low enough that they weren’t worried about nosy neighbors. Of course, most people would just think they were insane or acting if they went on and on about parallel worlds and time travel in a magic box.

“Yeah, you and the Doctor both go about life that way. One of us has to be thinking ahead,” Rose rolled her eyes but did crack a smile.

“I don’t know, I think it would pretty fun if we all just floated through life doing what we wanted whenever we wanted to do it,” he shrugged in return.

“You’ve spent too much time thinking like a Time Lord,” Rose laughed.

“Only one particular Time Lord. The rest of them apparently went around with sticks up their asses.”

“How would you know that?”

“Legends from the Time Agency. We didn’t have a lot of solid information about Time Lords, but an organization built on time travel? Of course, we gossiped about the old legends. And from the tiny bit that the Doctor let slip about Galifrey...I feel like it’s pretty accurate information,” Jack said nonchalantly.

Rose didn’t respond right away, but she knew from what John had told her about Galifrey that he was absolutely right. The Time Lords had been a strict and righteous people. They took it upon themselves to uphold rules about fixed points, timelines, and everything in between. Of course, they only needed those rules because other Time Lords would meddle around in things. No other society had the ability to jump through time in the beginning. And by the time other planets started discovering that, the Time Lords were long gone...or mostly gone.

“Well, there’s a black sheep in every family,” Rose acknowledged.

“I think we’re an entire family of black sheep,” Jack pointed out.

“Mmm, very true,” Rose agreed with a yawn. She hadn’t slept much the night before and Rose could see sleep pulling heavy on her eyes.

“Take a nap,” he encouraged gently.

“I’ll wake you up when we’re ready to land,” he promised and she nodded, laying her head on his shoulder.

Rose was surprised that during her 2-hour nap she definitely did dream. She couldn’t remember her dream when she woke up, of course, but she remembered that she definitely had been dreaming. It put a smile on her face even as Jack gently shook her away. She hadn’t lost the ability to dream and that was a wonderful thing.

“Time to buckle up sleeping beauty,” Jack told her as she woke up. She nodded and clipped the airplane seatbelt into place. After the bumps and jolts of flying in the TARDIS, airplane travel was a breeze so she really didn’t bat an eye when the plane shook a bit. As soon as they landed, Jack stood up and grabbed their luggage from the shelves above their seats. He was ready to get back to his small flat even if it meant saying goodbye to Rose.

They continued exchanging friendly conversation as they made their way off the plane, through the airport, and into another taxi that took them to a small flat in Cardiff. Jack’s flat was about as closed to the rift in Cardiff as you could get, which would likely be helpful for attempted travel through the Vortex. But being back in Cardiff with a version of Torchwood that was largely responsible for her separation from the Doctor made Rose uneasy. So as much as she wanted to continue hanging out with Jack, she knew she wouldn’t plan to stay long at all.

After Jack had settled back into his flat and set his stuff away, he returned to the main living area to see Rose sitting on the couch in quiet thought. He sat down next to her and wrapped his arms around her in a bone-crushing hug.

“Thanks for being my travel buddy today. It’s always nicer to have a friend on an airplane,” he said.

“I’m sorry I can’t stay longer. This place...it brings up a lot of-

“Hey, you really don’t need to explain. I get it. Just promise that you won’t wait another 130 years to visit,” he said with a pout.

“Absolutely not,” Rose promised.

“Good. Then. How do you... I mean do you just click your heels three times and you’re home?” Jack laughed.

“Not a clue. But I guess we’re going to find out, and close to a rift in Cardiff is as good a place as any to give it a try, right?” Rose heaved a sigh as she stood up off the comfortable couch and closed her eyes. She had no idea how she was going to work this out. So far, the only Bad Wolf powers she had really been able to intentionally exercise were the ability to manipulate atoms. But that’s all space travel was, wasn’t it? She just needed to manipulate the space and time around her to bring her where she wanted to be.

Rose searched for that warm glow deep in the back of her mind that she knew was tied to Bad Wolf. She felt it growing from her mind and spreading to every inch of her body, all the way down the tips of her fingers and ends of her toes. Once she was certain that she and Bad Wolf were operating in unison she opened her eyes and flashed Jack a grin. Jack was startled at the bright gold that swirled in his best friend’s eyes and the golden shimmer that seemed to envelope her entire body.

“There’s no place like home, Rosie,” Jack called softly, but already his voice was sounding further away.

Rose pictured the TARDIS, and she heard the TARDIS song grow loudly from the back of her head. If she needed to connect to the TARDIS in order to get back home that’s what she would do. She tried her best to picture the TARDIS as it last was in her time line. Not the incredibly natural coral struts and greenish hues, but the brighter orange hues with the cleaner looking coral struts. With the time rotor grinding as her pinstripe Doctor ran around the console with a manic smile. The mad man in the box and she felt that pull from abdomen as the Vortex sucked her in. It was uncomfortable, but nowhere near as jarring as it had been when she was using the dimension canon or the dimension arrow, or even the vortex manipulator.

Jack watched his friend fade from existence in that golden shimmer and he fought the urge to cry. It wasn’t that he felt crying was the weak thing to do, he just knew he would see her again and hopefully soon. So he took a deep breath, shook off the sadness, and went to report his findings to his boss at Torchwood. He had just recently started truly working for the organization even though he knew it had problems. But he had plans for Torchwood and it was time to put them to action.

Once Rose was in the Vortex, she found that she wasn’t quickly zipping to a destination. With the other tools, they essentially slingshot her towards her destination for a quick and rough trip. But now that she had focused on becoming one with the Vortex, she wasn’t immediately moving anywhere. She was just sort of floating in the warm embrace that was the Time Vortex. Except that it wasn’t actually warm. It was hot. The void that was the gap between time and space was ice cold. She remembered that from when the Daleks were trying to invade. By the Time Vortex itself was the opposite. It was all of time and space all at the same time. It was hot and the longer she stayed there, the hotter it got. Panic rose within her and Rose tried to cling to the song of the TARDIS which was quickly fading away. She chased it through the Vortex as a sense of urgency in the song rang. And just before she was afraid, she would lose it forever, she felt the heat of the vortex dying down and felt herself drifting out of consciousness for a brief moment.

When she regained consciousness, she heard the TARDIS singing joyfully and loudly in her head. She was home.

Chapter Text

When Rose opened her eyes, she expected to see the orange hues and the coral struts that she loved. But what she actually saw was completely unfamiliar. She knew it was the TARDIS, but the shiny metal grates through her for a loop. This wasn’t where she was trying to end up. She didn’t know if she was in the Doctor’s future or his past, but it definitely wasn’t going to be the pinstripe Doctor that she was hoping to see. 

“Hello darling! Back so soon? I thought you’d be gone longer,” an unfamiliar voice called from behind her. Rose whipped around to come face to face with a tall, thin, and young man. He wore a white button up shirt, burgundy suspenders, and... a bowtie. His hair was long and flopped around as he trotted up to her.  

“Doctor,” she said quietly in recognition. It was a logical conclusion, but as she said the name she could see within his eyes and she knew she was right. This may not have been the time she was aiming for, but she had definitely made it to the Doctor and to the TARDIS.

“Oh...well hello there! You’re not my Rose now are you?” he said gently as he took a few steps forward and closed the distance between them.

“I suppose that depends on how you define Rose Tyler. Because really there’s just one me,” she smiled cheekily. Time lines be damned. She was meeting another version of the Doctor and she couldn’t be happier. 

“So very true you beautiful thing,” the Doctor smiled as he pulled Rose into his arms and pressed a deep kiss to her lips. Rose didn’t hesitate to kiss him back. He was new to her, but he was no stranger. 

“Now that that’s taken care of,” the Doctor said as soon as he pulled away, “I’m very glad to see you.”

“You can’t imagine how glad I am to see you too,” Rose sighed happily as the Doctor cradled her face in his hands and pressed another kiss to her forehead. 

“Seems like you weren’t really expecting ME, me though,” Rose said softly. The Doctor smiled.

“Wibbly wobbly timey wimey. I’m always glad to see you at any age Rose Tyler.”

“But you were expecting an older me, yeah?”

“You’re so very sharp as always. Yes, you just left a few minutes ago to take care of something. I assumed you were fulfilling some sort of circle in your very complicated time line. I just thought it would take a bit longer. Now I see why you may be staying away. How you keep it all straight in your head is confusing even for me. And I’m incredibly bright,” the Doctor laughed before grabbing Rose by the hand and pulling her away from the console. 

“I see you haven’t lost a drip of confidence with the new face,” Rose quipped.

“Why should I? I’m brilliant!” 

“You’re mad.”

“Yes, a mad man in a box. I was just telling a new friend all about that not that long ago,” the Doctor said as he led her through the halls of the TARDIS. Rose pushed some loving and grateful feelings to the TARDIS who embraced her in a warm mental hug.

“Stop snogging my TARDIS,” the Doctor pouted and Rose looked at him with shock.

“First of all I wasn’t snogging anyone except you and you started that. Second of all, how did you know what I was doing?” Rose asked with narrowed eyes. 

“Ah, spoilers,” the Doctor replied simply.

“Fine don’t tell me,” Rose pouted. 

“At least tell me where you’re taking me,” she begged as he made another turn through the TARDIS.

“To meet some new friends! Or old friends? Ah well, some friends!” 

They finally rounded the corner to find the swimming pool in its very own room. Rose had never spent much time at the pool in the TARDIS, though she had known that it existed. There were two other people lounging by the pool that Rose didn’t recognize, but she assumed that they were future companions or friends somehow. At least she assumed they were just companions though they could be future relatives or aliens or really anything. 

“Ponds!” the Doctor called and both people turned to look at him. 

“I’d like you to meet Rose Tyler,” he grinned as he pulled Rose further into the room. 

“Doctor did you fall and hit your head?” the woman asked. She had a thick Scottish accent and legs for days, not to mention her long red hair. She was strewn out on a lounge chair with a book on her lap while the other human was a man with short blonde hair and he looked like he’d been swimming in the pol since he was currently dripping and reaching for a towel. 

“Yeah we know who Rose is obviously,” he added. Rose smiled coyly.

“He’s rubbish at introductions clearly. I assume you know some version of me, but I just arrived here and I’ve never met you. Ponds? I’m hoping you each have your own names as well.”

“Yes, yes, yes,” the Doctor said as he flapped his hands wildly. Rose ducked her head to avoid being hit in the face. The hand flapping was a new quirk.

“Rose Tyler from somewhere in her own past, this is Amelia and Rory Pond. The Ponds. Good friends indeed,” he introduced them with a grin.

“That’s not my name,” Rory groaned and Rose gave him a curious look.

“So you’re not related?”

“Oh we’re together. But Pond is Amy’s last name and-

“Rory it’s a losing battle. It doesn’t matter what your name might be. We’ll always be the Ponds on this ship,” Amy lectured him before she stood up to pull Rose into a strong hug. Rose stiffened a bit. A snog from a future version of the Doctor didn’t through her, but a hug from an actual stranger was mildly more alarming. 

“So from where in the past are you?” Rory asked.

“You mean WHEN,” the Doctor corrected pompously.

“I suppose that’s a bit more complicated. I’m on the search for the Doctor in the right point in his time line and it looks like I’ve overshot it a bit. I was aiming for a whole different face,” Rose sighed.

“Excuse me different face?” Rory gaped.

“Right. Hadn’t gotten to the bit about regeneration just yet,” the Doctor winced.

“You really need to get better about that,” Rose glared at him. He waved his hands dismissively and earned a pointed eye roll from the pink and yellow human who really wasn’t so pink or so yellow or so human anymore. 

“Regeneration? Doctor. Explain,” Amy demanded harshly. 

“I’m a Time Lord. If I die instead of actually dying I can re-write every cell in my body. New face, most of the time new TARDIS, and new Doctor. Same me, just different...well everything about me,” he tried to explain.

“And you’ve seen this?” Rory asked, this time directing his question to Rose.

“Yeah I’ve seen it happen twice now, though this is the third version of the Doctor I’ve met so far,” she answered, turning her gaze to full appraise the Doctor. The outrageous wardrobe choices were nothing new though she did feel like the bowtie gave off a more childish look than she was used to.

“Oh right! Speaking of, darling, what do you think? New new face, new new TARDIS?” the Doctor grinned, practically bouncing on his heels as he waited for her answer.

“Bit floppy,” Rose teased.

“And the bowtie is just-

“Don’t knock it! Bowties are cool,” the Doctor interrupted his redheaded companion with a half-hearted glare. 

“I do like the bowtie actually. It’s different, but I love it. Now all the hand flapping...I’m not sure I’m gonna love that,” Rose pursed her lips as the Doctor stopped himself from waving his arms in a frustrated response.

“Is that all you’re gonna say then?” he asked impatiently. 

“Are you fishing for compliments now?”
“Don’t I always?” 

“Yes, Doctor, you’re very handsome still,” Rose confirmed, giving in to his pleading. She could never deny an opportunity to show the Doctor her love even when it meant fanning his already massive ego. It seemed like ego was going to continue to be an issue with each new face. She’d take him down a peg or two when the time was right. 

“You’re really no fun. I never got a proper reaction out of you when I first got this body and now I know it’s only because you’d already seen it,” the Doctor pouted. Rose threw her head back in laughter as Amy and Rory rolled their eyes.

“Tell me now: is he always like this?” Rose asked the two other humans who nodded instantly.

“As long as I’ve known him, he’s been like this. I just assumed that was part of being a Time Lord,” Amy told her with a shrug.

“His ego isn’t always quite this bad, but it’s a struggle,” Rose agreed.

“Hello I am right here!” the Doctor waved.

“But don’t you think he could also tone it down on all the technical talk? He makes things so complicated just so he can seem like the most clever one in the room,” Rory added, intentionally ignoring the frustrated Time Lord.

“Definitely. I think he makes up half the stuff he says just so he has a reason to explain it to everyone around him,” Amy chimed in.

“He does love to hear himself talk,” Rose laughed, watching the Doctor sputter quietly out of the corner of her eye.

“What’s the use in having any of you around if I can’t show off how clever I am?” he interjected with a huff and all three of the human (or in Rose’s case humanish) companions laughed at his expense.

“Come on Doctor, you know we’re only teasing you,” Rose said, locking arms with the Doctor and he smiled, looking down at her.

“I could never stay mad at you Rose Tyler,” he said quietly.

“Get a room!” Amy groaned.

“This is our ship Amelia Pond and if you don’t like it, you’re free to pop off,” the Doctor snubbed. Rose blinked in shock, but Rory and Amy just shrugged and smiled.

“That’s not a half bad idea. Feels like ages since we’ve been home anyway and you’re not as fun without Rose around...well our proper Rose,” Amy said as she began to make her way out of the room and towards the console room.

“That was incredibly rude you know,” Rose said quietly as the four of them took the twists and turns through the TARDIS. She felt the TARDIS sing in agreement.

“Still rude and not ginger as you like to remind me regularly,” the Doctor quipped lightly. 

“I would’ve been heartbroken if you’d just flippantly told me to sod off,” Rose pointed out.

“Well first of all, I never would have. And second of all, this is how the Ponds travel with us. They were full time residents for a bit, but everything got very complicated and they like to live their boring slow life in between trips in the TARDIS,” the Doctor sighed, and Rose didn’t hear the sadness or loneliness that she would have expected from him. 

She took a moment to wonder why the Doctor seemed so content without a full-time companion in the TARDIS and then she realized he didn’t need one. Because finally he had her, and she was living her forever with him. Rose began to grin widely like a school girl with her first crush and she didn’t think she would ever stop. She gave his arm a squeeze and he placed a quick kiss on her head absently in return. This was normal for him even if it was all brand new to her. Before long they had all made it back to the console room and the Doctor made his way over to the main console. 

“Home just a few hours after you last left then?” he asked the humans and they nodded their confirmation.

“Make sure it’s not the next morning, would you? I’d like to get some sleep before work,” Rory groaned and the Doctor shrugged playfully before flipping the lever to materialize the TARDIS at the programmed destination. The TARDIS landed moments later with a thud and Rory and Amy headed towards the door. Amy stopped in front of Rose and wrapped her in another big hug.

“I know you won’t see us again for a long time. But thank you...for everything,” she whispered in the older woman’s ear before grabbing Rory by the hand and darting out the TARDIS doors. When the two truly human companions were gone Rose turned to really and properly look at this new Doctor.

“Hello,” he greeted again.

“Hello,” she smiled.

“Where would you like to go?” he turned back towards the console with a flair.

“I think I should probably move along, trying to find a past version of you and all,” Rose sighed, though the sense of longing in her tone was hard to fight off.

“One adventure couldn’t hurt,” the Doctor told her with a wink.

“Alright fine, you’ve got me. Let’s do it!” Rose said. The Doctor rubbed his hands together with excitement and flipped the lever to send them off to a surprise destination. Amidst the grinding of the gears, the warning lights started to go off and Rose raised an eyebrow at the Doctor. 

“Oh it’s the warning lights. I’m getting rid of those. They never stop,” he huffed, moving to press a button on the console.

“Don’t you think if there are warning lights, we should maybe pay attention to them?” Rose asked as the TARDIS hummed in agreement in her head.

“The two of you are always ganging up on me. I’m being impressive, honestly,” he scoffed in return.

A quiet knocking at the TARDIS door drew both their attention away from the trivial argument.

“Doctor, what was that?”

“The door. It knocked.”

“Right, but we’re mid-flight probably somewhere in the void,” Rose said slowly, a tinge of concern seeping into her voice.

“We’re actually just in deep space at the moment. Very, very deep space. And someone’s knocking,” the Doctor answered making his way toward the doors. 

“Do you really think we should be answering that?” Rose asked.

“When did you become so cautious?” the Doctor laughed and Rose flashed a grin. 

“Who says I am?”

“Well then open the door darling,” the Doctor directed and Rose obliged. 

A small glowing box was floating right outside the TARDIS doors and Rose realized she had never seen anything quite like it, but somehow it felt incredibly familiar. The TARDIS was humming an anxious song in her head, but nothing that warned Rose to stay away so she reached forward to grab the box, but the Doctor beat her to it.

“Oh come here you scrumptious little beauty,” he cooed as the box flew towards him and smacked him in the chest, knocking him back a foot or so.

“I’m not sure whether or not I should be offended that you usually only use pet names for bits of technology,” Rose laughed a little as she recalled all the various names he had ever used on the TARDIS or the sonic. 

“Rose! I’ve got mail! Time Lord emergency messaging system. In an emergency, we’d wrap up thoughts in psychic containers and send them through time and space. Anyway, there’s a living Time Lord still out there, and it’s one of the good ones,” the Doctor explained as he took the box and ran with it up to the console immediately connecting with some wires. The TARDIS song grew more urgent in Rose’s head and she approached the Doctor gently.

“Doctor...there are no Time Lords left,” she said firmly.

“There are no Time Lords left anywhere in this universe. But we’re going somewhere outside the universe. See that snake?” he gestured to the drawing on the box of a snake swallowing its own tail.

“Yes, but Doctor-

“That’s the mark of the Corsair. Fantastic bloke! He had that snake as a tattoo in every regeneration. Didn’t feel like himself unless he had the tattoo. Or herself, a couple of times. Ooo she was a bad girl,” the Doctor laughed a bit manically right before there was a loud boom that shook the TARDIS violently. 

“Doctor what is happening?” Rose asked, panic rising in her voice. 

“Oh it’s alright Rose. We’re just leaving the universe,” he said matter-of-factly.

“Excuse me?”

The Doctor was about to launch into a mini lecture about how travel outside of the universe was possible but that it would take massive amounts of energy, but then he realized exactly who he was talking to. He wasn’t talking to Amy or Rory and often times he went on long explanations of what he was doing just for their benefit. No, he was talking to Rose. Rose Tyler, who had been to not one but several parallel universes. Rose Tyler who had been trapped in a parallel universe and then later locked away there by himself. And this particular Rose Tyler was still fairly fresh from being locked away. 

“Doctor, what sun are you burning up this time just to follow some little box outside the universe? What’s so important to you that you’d endanger the TARDIS to follow it? It’s gotta be more important than me then,” Rose said stiffly.

The Doctor didn’t respond right away. How could he? Rose Tyler was the most important person in all his lives. She had picked him up when nothing else mattered and she had inspired him to continue being the Doctor. She had fought countless obstacles to stay by his side even when he was convinced she couldn’t. His incredibly impossible, absolutely brilliant pink and yellow human. How could he explain to her that the blind hope he felt coursing through him at the thought of finding another Time Lord was more than he could even begin to wrap his head around?

He took her face gently in his hands and pressed his forehead against hers. This version of Rose Tyler was barely telepathic, and she was definitely not bonded with him, and time made things all fuzzy. But Rose Tyler was his bondmate and he knew if he could offer some comfort to her, he had to try. So he focused all of that hope and optimism into their bond, even if she couldn’t quite bridge that gap. A soft surprised noise passed through Rose’s lips. She didn’t quite understand what was happening, but she knew that somehow the Doctor’s mind was brushing against her own and the emotions that were held in those caresses were so overwhelming. It had been just the Doctor for so long, she forgot that he still yearned for his people and his planet. And of course, that was understandable. Of course, she knew his loneliness. And who was she to stop him from having a little hope? She opened her eyes and gave him a small smile and a nod. 

“I’m burning up TARDIS rooms we don’t use often to give us some welly,” he admitted with a little bit of guilt. He knew that Rose and the TARDIS had a special bond that he never fully understood, and he hated that he was destroying any part of the TARDIS. But she had thousands of rooms, many of they never went in and some of which even held painful memories that he was happy to get rid of. 

The shaking in the TARDIS stopped and the song in Rose’s head reached a screeching panic as Rose fell to the ground, clasping her ears. It didn’t help, but she felt like she had to do something. 

“Rose! What’s happening?” he asked urgently, dropping down to hold her.

“The TARDIS is screaming, Doctor. Can’t you hear her?” Rose cried as the lights in the TARDIS started to go out.

“No, no, no, no, no! The power is draining. Everything’s draining. It’s impossible,” he mumbled.

Rose gasped as the song in her head disappeared. For the first time in over a hundred years, her mind was silent except for her own thoughts. And. it. hurt. The silence was defeaning.

“The TARDIS is gone,” she whispered. 

“The Matrix,” the Doctor clarified. “Her soul. It’s vanished.” 

“It hasn’t vanished. Something has ripped her out of her body,” Rose said angrily as she stood up. 

“I told you not to follow that little box. I know you’re desperate to find another Time Lord. I get it Doctor, truly I do. But the TARDIS is our home. She’s our family. And she’s all either of us has left, and now we’ve gone somewhere that somehow...someone was able to rip her out of her body. I can’t feel her. I Can’t hear her. I don’t know what’s happened to her,” Rose panicked as she began pacing the empty, dark room. 

“I know, I know. I’m sorry Rose,” the Doctor apologized, pulling her into a hug. Rose took a deep breath and led the Doctor down the ramp to the doors. 

“Well there’s no point in waiting in here. We have to go find out where she’s been taken and get her back. Might as well search for your friend while we’re at it,” she sighed. When she opened the doors she had to blink a few times to adjust to the darkness outside. There was an eerie green light that was all over the area they were in. Rose wasn’t sure if it was a planet, but it was definitely a junkyard of some sort. There was a large crashed spaceship in front of them and piles of discarded objects everywhere they turned to look.

“So what kind of trouble is the Corsair in? Did the message tell you that?” Rose asked.

“He was in a bind. A bit of a pickle. Sort of distressed,” the Doctor answered quickly as he inspected a piece of machinery near them.

“So that’s just Doctor speak for you have absolutely no idea?” 

“Well he somehow ended up in a junkyard outside of the universe. Actually outside of any universe. We’re in between universes,” the Doctor said with a frown.

“That’s impossible. In between universes is the Void. Nothing can survive there. There’s no atmosphere or time or space. It’s the absence of everything,” Rose argued. She had been in the Void. She had been in the Vortex. She knew.

“Right you are, Rose Tyler. So what is this asteroid doing here?” he asked as he spun around quickly to investigate the outside of the TARDIS. He pulled out a stethoscope and pressed it against the wooden box. 

“Completely drained. Just look at her,” he tutted, stroking the TARDIS a bit. 

“So maybe this is just a smaller universe outside of other universes. We can’t be in the space between universes,” Rose groaned. 

“It could be something like that,” the Doctor agreed. “Whatever it is, this place is full of rift energy and the TARDIS can refuel just by being here. What do we think, eh? Gravity’s almost Earth normal. Maybe a bit less. Air’s breathable for both of us, but it smells like...

“Trash, Doctor. It smells like trash,” Rose wrinkled her nose with a frustrated sigh. While she had often found herself hoping that the Doctor would loosen up and let himself enjoy life, she felt like this particular version of the Doctor was regressing to childhood and she didn’t know how much she enjoyed it. Of course she still loved him, but it was tiring to follow a giant toddler around.

“I was going to say armpits,” he mused.

“Are you 4 years old?” Rose exclaimed in frustration.

“Future you would’ve agreed,” he grumbled.

“Maybe future me finds you more endearing, but current me is a little bit more panicked about what’s happening with the TARDIS. If something happens to her, I will never get back to you and a giant paradox will probably tear the world apart,” she told him with an angry glare.

“Everything will work out Rose. It always does. We’ve been in tighter spots before,” the Time Lord soothed as he pressed a kiss to her forehead.

“I wish I had your optimism.”

“You will one day,” he promised. It was difficult for him to remember how tightly wound Rose was when she returned into his life. 

“What about all this stuff?” Rose changed the subject, gesturing to the piles of trash around them. 

“Where did all of it come from?” she continued.

“Well there’s a rift, now and then stuff gets sucked through it. So maybe this is just a plughole to the universe. At the bottom of the universe, catching things before they fall into the Void,” he guessed as they wandered a bit farther from the TARDIS shell. 

A woman appeared from behind a larger pile of trash and ran towards the Doctor. 

“Thief! THIEF! You’re my thief!” she exclaimed as she approached him. Two more people followed behind her, an older man and an older woman. They were all dressed in tattered clothing that looked mildly Victorian, but definitely Earth fashion. The older woman was close behind the young woman.

“She’s dangerous. Guard yourselves,” she warned. The Doctor gave them all a strange look as Rose stood frozen in complete shock.

“Look at you. Goodbye! No, not goodbye, what’s the other one?” the younger woman said as she kissed the Doctor long and hard on the mouth. The Doctor struggled to pull away, but the strange woman was a lot stronger than he expected. He wasn’t sure how Rose would react as she tended to be a jealous little thing. 

“Watch out. Careful. Keep back from her,” the older man warned, trying to pull the stranger away.

“Welcome, strangers. Lovely. Sorry about the mad person,” he apologized.

“Why am I thief? What have I stolen?” the Doctor asked.

“Me,” the younger woman answered. “You’re going to steal me. No, you have stolen me. You are stealing me? Oh tenses are difficult, aren’t they?” 

“Oh. Oh, we are sorry, my dove. She’s off her head. Just call my Auntie,” the older woman said kindly, thought the Doctor didn’t feel all that welcome at all. 

“Yes and I’m Uncle. I’m everybody’s Uncle,” the older man introduced himself, finally pulling the young woman away from them a bit.

“Just stay away from this one. She bites!” he warned.

“Do I? Excellent!” the young woman exclaimed as she approached the Doctor once more and bit him firmly on the ear.

“Ow! Ow!” the Doctor said and his squeal of pain finally woke Rose from her shocked state. She took a step forward, wrapping her arm around the Doctor protectively. 

“Oh! I like that. Biting’s excellent. It’s like kissing, only there’s a winner,” the young woman grinned and clapped her hands before her eyes landed on Rose.

“Goodbye! No...not goodbye. Ah well! My dog...not not dog...oh what is that other word? Never mind. Come here!” she rambled strangely before pulling Rose close to her and pressing a long kiss to her mouth as well. Rose tried to pull away but found herself also no match for the strange woman’s strength. 

“So sorry. She’s a doolally,” Uncle apologized again.

“No,” the younger woman shook her head. “I’m not a doolally. I’m, I’m...agh it’s on the tip of my tongue. I’ve just had a new idea about kissing. Come here, you,” she grinned at Rose, but Auntie pulled her back.

“No Idris! No!” she shouted firmly. Rose wrinkled her nose, unhappy with the way Auntie and Uncle treated the young woman who was apparently named Idris even though Rose recognized her immediately. Rose knew she was looking at the TARDIS. Even if she hadn’t instantly recognized her human form from her dreams, Rose liked to think she would have recognized the TARDIS’ energy and mixed up words. She was going to say something, but she thought it would be more fun to watch the Doctor figure it out on his own. He was completely helpless, and Rose found it utterly entertaining. She felt more at ease knowing that the TARDIS was relatively safe. 

“Oh, but now you’re angry. No you’re not. You will be angry. The little boxes will make you angry,” Idris said sadly as she reached for the Doctor to try to comfort him.

“And you are so sad. Or were sad. Or will be sad. When the Doctor is angry you are sad,” she said looking at Rose this time.

“Sorry? The little what? Boxes?” the Doctor’s ears perked up as he racked his brain for what this strange woman could possibly be talking about. 

“Oh, ho, no. Your chin is hilarious! It means the smell of dust after rain,” Idris stated. Rose blinked. She didn’t have this much trouble understanding the TARDIS in her dreams, but she assumed being shoved into a human form could scramble a multidimensional being. 

“What does?”

“Petrichor,” Idris answered.

“But I didn’t ask,” Rose frowned.

“Not yet. But you will.”

“No, no, Idris. I think you should have a rest,” Auntie said, guiding her over to a pile that was formed into some sort of chair.

“Hey!” Rose shouted. 

“That’s alright, flower,” Idris said with a smile. “I think rest is a good idea. I’ll just see if there’s an off switch...”

She stood for a moment before collapsing to the ground. Rose rushed over to her immediately, searching for signs of life.

“Is that it? She’s dead now. So sad,” Uncle said with click of his tongue. 

“Of course she’s not dead. She’s still breathing,” Rose snapped as she cradled Idris protectively. The Doctor looked over his companion with curiosity. She was always fiercely compassionate and protective when she felt like someone was being taken advantage of, but this seemed extra intense even for her. 

“Nephew, take Idris somewhere she cannot bite people,” Uncle called out and an Ood rounded the corner and nodded respectfully. 

“Oh hello!” the Doctor called out with a smile.

“It has been a while since I’ve seen an Ood,” Rose said with an edge to her voice. The last Ood she’d met had been on Krop Tor and she preferred not to look back to that particular adventure with the Doctor.

“Oh, no, it’s all right,” the Doctor soothed. 

“Oods are good. Love an Ood. Hello, Ood! Can’t you talk?” he asked, examining the Ood’s translator ball which was unfortunately cracked and not glowing they normally would.

“Oh I see. It’s damaged. May I? It might just be on the wrong frequency,” he said, taking the translator ball and using the sonic on it. 

“Nephew was broken when he came here. Why, he was half dead! House repaired him. House repaired all of us,” Auntie stated with an air of righteousness that Rose didn’t believe was fully earned. The translator ball sparked to life and a voice played out into the quiet air. 

“If you are receiving this message, please help me. Send a signal to the High Council of the Time Lords on Gallifrey. Tell them that I am still alive. I don't know where I am. I'm on some rock-like planet,” the voice said. There were several other voices underneath that were all overlapping so much that Rose couldn’t distinguish what any of them were saying. 

“What was that? Was that the Ood, Doctor?” Rose asked from her spot on the ground where she still held onto Idris protectively. 

“No, no. It’s picking up something else. But that’s, that’s not possible. That’s...that’s...Who else is here? Tell me,” the Doctor demanded. Both Auntie and Uncle shrugged dismissively.

“Show me,” the Doctor repeated firmly, an air of the Oncoming Storm layered in his tone that made Rose hold back a shiver. She wasn’t scared of her Doctor. Never. But she knew that he could be a very dangerous madman when he was upset. Reluctantly, she lowered Idris’ head to the ground and stood to join the Doctor. She interlaced a hand with his and gave it a reassuring squeeze. 

“Just what you see,” Auntie insisted.

“Just the four of us and the House. Nephew, will you take Idris somewhere safe where she can’t hurt nobody?” the older woman directed and the Ood moved to pick Idris up. Rose was torn between supporting the Doctor and staying with the TARDIS. She didn’t trust any of these people for half a second, and she didn’t want either of them alone with the strangers. She almost wished that the other human companions had stayed with them for this adventure. But she would make do and in the end, she decided that the TARDIS could protect herself more than the Doctor could control himself in that moment. She knew his anger and righteousness was flying high. 

“The House? What’s the House?” the Doctor questioned. 

“House is all around you, my sweets. You are standing on him. This is the House. This world! Would you like to meet him?” she asked with a toothy grin that again made Rose’s hair stand on end. 

“Meet him?” Rose asked with narrowed eyes. 

“Yes. Let’s meet House,” the Doctor said tightly. 

“This way. Come, please! Come,” Uncle said, leading them deeper into the piles of junk.

“Doctor, what’s wrong? Who were those voices?” Rose asked quietly as they followed behind the two humans.

“Time Lords. It’s not just the Corsair. Somewhere close by there are lots and lots of Time Lords,” the Doctor answered darkly. Gripping Rose’s hand to remind him that he was not alone as he faced this. He had been incredibly hopeful that one wily Time Lord had managed to escape the destruction of the Time War. But dozens of them? Something else was going on.

Somewhere deeper in the junkyard Idris paced quietly in a large cage. Nephew stood guard silently as she thought about the floppy Thief and the quiet flower. 

“I’m...I’m...ooh it’s a big, sad word. Why is that word so sad? No. Will be sad. Will be sad,” she murmured. A million thoughts were flying through her mind and all of time and space felt like it was swirling around, trying to find order in an incredibly cramped space. She wacked herself on the forehead a few times, trying to force it all to make sense. But none of it did. So she waited for the past, or the present to catch up with the future. She waited for it to all make sense again.

As Rose and the Doctor followed the two patchwork humans towards a room where machinery lay about the floor was covered in intricate grating. Rose felt a tingle run down her spine. The TARDIS had been here. Something significant had happened in this room.

“I see. This asteroid is sentient and apparently it likes to be called House,” the Doctor murmured as he inspected the grating on the floor. Everything seemed to make a bit more sense now, and he felt a little less nervous of the whole situation. 

“We walk on his back, breathe his air, eat his food,” Auntie stated proudly.

“And do my will. You are most welcome, travelers,” a deep, refined voice stated. Auntie and Uncle’s mouths were moving, almost as if they were puppets to whatever creature was controlling everything around them. Rose frowned and tightened her grip on the Doctor’s hand.

“That voice,” she said. “That’s the asteroid talking?”

“Yes,” the Doctor confirmed. “So you’re like a sea urchin. Hard outer surface, that’s the planet we’re walking on. Big, squashy, oogly thing inside, that’s you.”

“That is correct, Time Lord,” the voice spoke again.

“So you’ve met Time Lords before?”

“Many travelers have come through the rift, like Auntie and Uncle and Nephew. I repair them when they break,” the House answered kindly.

“So there are Time Lords here, then?” the Doctor asked urgently.

“Not anymore, but there have been many TARDISes on my back in days gone by,” the voice answered somewhat fondly. While the Doctor found the words comforting, Rose couldn’t stop the suspicious feeling that continued to build in her stomach.

“There won’t be any more after us. Last Time Lord. Last TARDIS,” the Doctor stated sadly. There was a brief pause before the House replied.

“A pity. Your people were so kind. Be here in safety, Doctor. Rest, feed, if you will,” the voice said before Auntie and Uncle seemed to snap back into their own consciousness.

“Doctor. We’re not going to stay here. We have to find the TARDIS and get out of here,” Rose whispered.

“Well, this seems like a friendly planet. Literally. Let’s poke around a bit. That’s alright isn’t it?” the Doctor turned to the other humans.

“You can look all you want. Go. Look. House loves you,” Auntie smiled that same toothy grin as she locked eyes with Rose specifically. 

“Come on then, Rose. We’re just going to, er, see the sights,” the Doctor said with a quick smile as he pulled Rose away from Auntie and Uncle.

“THIEF!” Idris’ voice carried through the halls. The Doctor winced at the panic in her tone and Rose held back a soft sob as she followed him down the hall.

“Doctor,” she stated, planting her feet firmly. He stopped and looked at her with an impatient look.

“We need to fix the TARDIS matrix and then she’ll refuel and we can go, yeah?”

“No. There are Time Lords here. I heard them and they need me,” he insisted.

“The Time Lords are gone Doctor. They’re all gone,” Rose stated almost harshly. 

“No,” he argued. 

“You don’t get it Rose. I heard them. They’re here and they’re the good ones. I can save them!”

“Even if they are here, Doctor. What are you going to tell them? Are you going to wake them up just to tell them that Galifrey is gone with all the Time Lords? And that the Daleks aren’t gone after all?” she accused. The Doctor’s hearts beat hard in his chest as he glared at Rose.

“I can explain,” he defended. 

“I can tell them why I had to do it,” he continued.

“I know you want to be forgiven, Doctor,” Rose whispered, her tone softening.

“Don’t we all? Don’t I deserve that much?” his voice broke as his eyes watered.

“Of course you do. But think about this. Take a step back. A distress call brought the TARDIS to a strange plughole at the bottom of the universe, and all you heard was several overlapping distress calls from other Time Lords that originated here. And the TARDIS matrix has been pulled out of her shell and we don’t know where she is. We’re in more than a tight spot. This is dangerous, Doctor. And I need you to stop and just think,” she pleaded. The Doctor looked into her eyes for a moment. 

“I am thinking Rose. And I’m thinking I need my sonic, but I left it in the TARDIS. Will you go get it?” he asked, mind whirring.

“Don’t lie to me,” Rose snapped.

“What?”

“You used your screwdriver a few minutes ago on the Ood’s translator. Don’t lie to me to send me away. Don’t you DARE,” Rose seethed. She had no patience for this toddler version of the Doctor who seemed to forget all about who Rose Tyler was.

“I didn’t...I wasn’t-

“Stop it,” she slapped his face abruptly.

“Hey!” he shouted out, cradling his red cheek. 

“I don’t know what kind of stuff future version of me will tolerate from you, but I’m very over it. If you insist on investigating this, we’re going to do it together. Because that’s what we do,” Rose huffed. 

“You’re a star, Rose,” the Doctor smiled despite the stinging in his cheek. 

“Yeah, yeah. I’m a star. Whatever. Just don’t forget in your quest to ease your ridiculous guilt that the TARDIS is in trouble and we’re going to help her first,” Rose said firmly.

“I know. We can help them all, Rose. I just knew we can. The Doctor and Rose Tyler saving the world as usual!” he cheered as he continued through the halls. 

They wandered through the halls for several minutes, the Doctor using the sonic to scan for any traces of other Time Lord technology and Rose concentrated on the silence in her head, hoping that if she focused enough she might be able to sense the TARDIS nearby. Things were feeling fairly hopeless for a while until the Doctor pulled back a curtain that led into a small alcove.

“Well they certainly can’t all be in here,” he huffed, but didn’t move as several indistinct voices sounded from nearby. He opened a small cupboard to find almost a dozen more small cubes like the one that had knocked on the TARDIS door. They were all chattering away simultaneously.

“Please do you read me.”

“Structural integrity failure. Damage to dimensional stabilizer.”

“If you can hear, come and help.” 

“Galifrey High Council, do you read?” 

Rose almost jumped out of her skin as Uncle and Auntie approached them silently from behind. 

“Just admiring your Time Lord distress signal collection. Nice job. Brilliant job, actually. I really thought I had some friends here, but this is what the Ood translator picked up. Cries for help from the long dead. How many Time Lords have you lured here the way you lured m, and what happened to them all?” the Doctor questioned furiously. Even though Rose hadn’t believed there were Time Lords here for a moment, her heart broke for the hope that drained from the Doctor’s eyes as all the pieces fit together in his head. 

“House is kind and wise,” Auntie said calmly.

“House repairs you when you break. Yes, I know. But how does he mend you? You’ve got the eyes of a twenty-year-old,” he accused.

“Thank you,” Uncle said proudly.

“No. NO. I mean literally. Your eyes are thirty years younger than the rest of you. Your ears don’t match, your right arm is two inches longer than you're left, and how's your dancing? Because you've got two left feet. Patchwork people. You've been repaired and patched up so often, I doubt there's anything left of what used to be you. I had an umbrella like you once,” the Doctor ranted as he took a close look at both humans for the first time. He eyed a very familiar looking tattoo on Auntie’s arm and fought back a burning rage that threatened to overflow.

“Oh, now, it’s been a great arm for me, this,” Auntie touted, holding up her mismatched arm.

“Corsair,” The Doctor murmured towards Rose and her eyes widened in realization. Literal patchwork people, pieced together from dead travelers. She fought the bile that rose up in her throat. 

“He was a strapping big bloke, wasn’t he, Uncle?” 

“Big fellow,” the older man agreed.

“I got the arm and then Uncle got the spine...and what was it again?” 

“Kidneys. I got the kidneys,” he finished her thought as he crossed his arms over his chest daringly. 

“You gave me hope, and then you ripped it away,” the Doctor said in a low voice.

“Rose tried to warn me and I knew I should listen, but I couldn’t. I wanted so badly for this all to be true, for me to be given a second chance to save the Time Lords. But you took that hope away and that’s enough to make anyone dangerous. God knows what it will do to me. Basically....run!” he instructed and Auntie and Uncle exchanged looks for a moment.

“Poor old Time Lord. Too late. House is too clever,” Uncle stated.

“I would listen to him. Because you’ve brought the Oncoming Storm on yourself and I can tell you without a doubt that between the Oncoming Storm and the Bad Wolf, you don’t stand a chance,” Rose seethed, her eyes flashing gold for a moment. She saw just a flicker of fear in both of their eyes as they turned and fled. When she turned back to face the Doctor she noticed his hardened expression and sighed. She had tried to protect him from this, but sometimes he was too stubborn for his own good. 

“The boxes will make you angry. How could she know?” he asked as he darted down the corridor, in search of Idris. Rose didn’t answer. She knew exactly how Idris had known, but she also knew that the Doctor wouldn’t believe her until he saw it for himself. It only took them a minute or so to come upon the room with the large cage where Idris was impatiently pacing. Her smile lit up as the Doctor ran up to the cage.

“How did you know about the boxes? You said they’d make me angry. How did you know?” he questioned. Idris smiled.

“My thief! And my wolf,” she welcomed them both and Rose genuinely smiled at her, but hung back waiting for the Doctor to work it out.

“Who are you?” he asked again.

“It’s about time,” Idris scoffed.

“I don’t understand. Who are you?” the Doctor repeated, pulling at his hair as he tried to get his brain to catch up with everything else.

“Do you not know me? Just because they put me in here?” 

“They said you were dangerous,” the Doctor insisted and Rose stifled a laugh.

“Not the cage, stupid. In here,” Idris framed her face and ran her hands down her very human body.

“They put me in here. I’m the...Oh, what do you call me? We travel. I go...”

She opened her mouth and the wheezing of the TARDIS emitted from her. 

“The TARDIS?” the Doctor asked incredulously.

“Time And Relative Dimension In Space. Yes, that’s it! Names are funny. It’s me. I’m the TARDIS,” she smiled proudly as she clung to the cage. Rose approached the Doctor and placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Doctor-

“No. No she’s not, no you’re not!” he told them both.

“You’re a bitey, mad lady. The TARDIS is up and downy stuff in a big blue box,” he insisted. Rose rolled her eyes at his gross oversimplification of the beautiful ship.

“Yes, that’s me. A Type 40 TARDIS. I was already a museum piece when you were young, and the first time you touched my console you said-

“I said you were the most beautiful thing I had ever known,” the Doctor finished quietly as the truth finally started to hit him.

“And then you stole me. And I stole you. And a few hundred years later, we stole our Wolf too.” 

“No, no. I borrowed you. And we never had a wolf on board,” the Doctor argued.

“Borrowing implies the intention to return the thing that was taken. What makes you think I would ever give you or my wolf back? You’re both mine now,” Idris danced about the cage for a bit with glee. It might be all mixed up and incredibly confusing, but she was walking and talking and oh so....the word eluded her but she was with her Thief and her Wolf and nothing was better.

“You’re the TARDIS?” the Doctor finally asked.

“Yes.”

“My TARDIS?” he clarified.

“My Doctor,” Idris smiled.

“Oh! We have no reached the point in the conversation when you open the lock,” she took a step away from the door as the Doctor quickly sonicked the cage open. 

“Are all people like this?” Idris asked Rose directly.

“Like what?” the Doctor asked with a tilt of his head.

“Bigger on the inside,” Rose answered. The Doctor finally turned his attention to Rose, as if he had almost forgotten she was there.

“You knew,” he accused.

“From the moment I saw her,” Rose agreed with a nod. 

“But you didn’t say anything!”

“Would you have believed me? You know that the TARDIS and I are able to speak when I’m asleep, and she’s always taken this form. When I first met her she thought I would recognize it, but she’s not always the best with tenses are you?” Rose smiled fondly at Idris who shook her head.

“But I’m so much bigger on the inside now! I’m, oh, what is that word? It’s so big, so complicated. It’s so sad,” Idris’ smile dropped for a moment.

“But why? Why pull a living soul from a TARDIS and pop it into a tiny human head? What does it want you for?” the Doctor asked, examining Idris closely.

“Oh it doesn’t want me,” Idris denied.

“How do you know?” Rose asked.

“House eats TARDISes,” she stated simply. Rose’s gut dropped. 

“House what? What do you mean?” the Doctor asked urgently.

“I don’t know. It’s something I heard you say,” Idris shrugged.

“When?”

“In the future.”

“House eats TARDISes?” the Doctor scratched his head. 

“There you go!” 

Rose groaned at the complexity of the conversation. One of them was trying to sort out all of time and space and put it into linear order, while the other was just trying to wrap his brain around a human TARDIS. And Rose was wondering if she should be worried about a living asteroid finding her appetizing. She may not be a TARDIS, but she had absorbed the heart of the TARDIS and now had some of it flooded through her every cell. It might not be exactly what House ate, but she was sure it would be enough to send anyone for a loop with complete confusion. Why was everything about her life so incredibly complicated? 

“What are fish fingers?” Idris asked and Rose blinked in shock. 

“When do I say that?” the Doctor asked, putting a finger on his chin thoughtfully.

“Any second now...”

“Of course. House feeds on rift energy and TARDISes are bursting with it. And not raw, all lovely and cooked. Processed food. Mmm, fish fingers,” the Doctor licked his lips before shaking off the thought and returning to the incredibly serious dilemma at hand.

“But a TARDIS... it’s so much. Nothing could possibly eat a TARDIS,” Rose argued. 

“No, of course not. It would destroy you. That’s why it practically killed you when you tried to absorb the heart alone,” the Doctor ranted. 

“Unless...” he trailed.

“Unless you delete the TARDIS matrix first. So House deleted me, except you can’t just delete a TARDIS consciousness. It would blow a hole in the universe. So he pulls out the Matrix, sticks it into a living receptacle, and then it feeds off the remaining Artron energy. Oh. You were about to say all that. I don’t suppose you have to now,” the TARDIS said proudly.

“We can’t just let the TARDIS get eaten! Even if her soul is safe in this human body, it can’t last forever,” Rose said urgently and the Doctor nodded. 

“I wonder...” Rose started.

“What? Rose, what are you up to?” the Doctor questioned suspiciously. 

“I just wonder if I could help put her back in the console. Let’s head back to the TARDIS and see,” Rose said and the three of them raced down the hallway, out of the empty crashed spaceship and towards the TARDIS. When they arrived though, the doors were firmly locked.

“Doctor why are the doors locked?” Rose panicked as her key refused to turn in the lock. 

“I don’t know. I didn’t lock them!” he shouted as he snapped his fingers. 

“OPEN!” 

“Doctor,” Rose called as she began to feel the heat of Bad Wolf rising in her once more. She took a deep breath, trying to press it down. But this was different. She wasn’t calling Bad Wolf up, not even subconsciously. Something else was forcing it to surface. The heat burned in her chest as the now familiar golden glow began to encompass her body.

“Rose, stop that,” the Doctor called in a quivering voice.

“This isn’t Bad Wolf’s doing,” Idris said softly. 

“Doctor!” Rose called in a panic as she felt herself fading from existence. A moment later she opened her eyes and found herself in the TARDIS, but the TARDIS was cold and filled with a hazy green gas.

“They’re gone!” the Doctor shouted, staring at the empty space where the TARDIS had just been a moment before.

“Eaten?” Idris asked.

“No, it left. It was hi-jacked. But why? And where has Rose gone?”

“It’s time for both of us to go, and keep together,” Auntie said as she and Uncle stood up from a pile of junk, almost an extension of the trash themselves. 

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Go? What do you mean, go? Where are you going?” the Doctor asked.

“Well we’re dying, my love. It’s time for Auntie and Uncle to pop off,” she answered roughly.

“I’m against it,” Uncle chimed in.

“It’s your fault, isn’t it sweets? Because you told House it was the last TARDIS. House can’t feed on them if there’s none more coming, can he?” Auntie continued. The Doctor groaned as his owned stupidity. 

“So now he’s off to your universe to find more TARDISes,” Uncle continued.

“There aren’t any more to find,” the Doctor insisted.

“Oh, it’ll think of something,” Auntie said before collapsing suddenly.

“Actually, I feel quite fine,” Uncle stated just before he also collapsed. 

“No, no! You can’t just die,” the Doctor shouted in frustration.

“We need to go where I landed, Doctor, quickly,” Idris interrupted his frustrated pacing.

“Why?”

“Because we are there in three minutes. We need to go now. My Wolf is there and she’s in trouble. Ow,” Idris paused, pressing a hand to her abdomen. 

“Roughly how long do these bodies last?” she asked the Doctor.

“You’re dying,” he stated sadly.

“Yes, of course I’m dying. I don’t belong in this fleshy body. I could blow the casing in no time. No, stop it. Don’t get emotional. Isn’t that what the Wolf said? You’re the Doctor. Focus,” she instructed firmly.

“On what? How? I’m a madman with a box, without a box. I’m stuck down the plughole at the end of the universe on a stupid old junkyard....oh,” he exclaimed.

“What oh?”

“I’m not in a junkyard. Don’t you see? It’s not a junkyard,” he said with a childish grin.

“Well, what is it then?” Idris asked, a smile playing at the corner of her mouth.

“It’s a TARDIS junkyard. Come along...oh, sorry. Do you have a name?”

“Seven hundred years and finally he asks!” Idris exclaimed.

“But what do I call you?” the Doctor asked.

“I think you call me....Sexy,” Idris wiggled a little, getting a feel for the name. She liked it.

“Only when we’re alone!” the Doctor whispered.

“We are alone.”

“Oh. Right. Come on then, Sexy,” he grinned as he held a hand out for his TARDIS and they began to explore the junkyard for parts to build at least a partial console to fly. 

Chapter Text

Rose looked around the TARDIS frantically, but there was no familiar song in the back of her head. Of course there wasn’t. The TARDIS was currently trapped in a human body and as lovely as it was to communicate using words it was incredibly unhelpful that she was alone in an eerie console room that was slowly filling with strange green smoke.

“Now you, I am dying to figure out,” the strange voice that Rose recognized as the House sounded through the console room.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Rose said stiffly.

“Don’t play dumb with me little human. You smell absolutely delectable which is strange because I don’t eat humans. I eat TARDISes. So tell me: how is it that you smell like the most delectable TARDIS ever?” House questioned.

Rose refused to answer and kept her lips pressed tightly shut.

“Alright fine. We’re in the TARDIS or at least in her shell and we’re going to have a great adventure. I really should have done this half a million years ago. So, Rose Tyler, why shouldn’t I just kill you right now?”

“Because you don’t want to see what’ll happen if you try,” Rose growled dangerously as she felt the Bad Wolf fighting to surface. She fought it down because she knew that would only make it more obvious to the sentient asteroid that she did indeed have TARDIS essence in her.

“Oh I’m sure I would like to see it very much,” House insisted.

Rose fought Bad Wolf down and took a deep, calming breath. She wouldn’t give into the desire to protect herself. Not in this particular situation.

“I have so many corridors now in my new home. So much to learn! But you haven’t answered my question properly, child. Why shouldn’t I kill you right now?” House pushed on.

“That wouldn’t be any fun now,” Rose murmured, trying to switch angles to by herself some time.

“You need fun, don’t you? That’s what Uncle and Auntie were for...Someone to make suffer. I used to have a PE teacher just like you. You need to be entertained and killing me right now wouldn’t be any fun. Plus then you’d never find out my secret,” Rose teased.

“So entertain me. Run,” the House shouted and a jolt ran through the room. Rose never needed to be told twice. She took off down the main hallway.

Back on the now empty asteroid the Doctor was swiftly moving through various piles of junk looking for very specific objects. If he wasn’t panicked over saving Rose, he might enjoy it a little bit more.

“A valley of half eaten TARDISes. Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” he asked Idris.

“I’m thinking that all of my sisters are dead. That they were devoured, and that we are looking at their corpses,” Idris said matter-of-factly, though it made the Doctor pause.

“Ah, sorry. No, I wasn’t thinking that,” he admitted sheepishly.

“No. You were thinking you could build a working TARDIS console out of broken remnants of a hundred different models. And you don’t care that it’s impossible,” Idris snipped.

“It’s not impossible as long as we’re alive. Rose needs us. So yeah, we’re going to build a TARDIS,” the Doctor said through gritted teeth.

Back in the empty TARDIS Rose was starting to lose her breath as she ran through the halls, trying to avoid any important rooms or corridors as House’s dark laughter echoed around. She wasn’t even sure how the disembodied entity would kill her, but she figured if she kept it occupied until the Doctor and Idris could figure out a solution, that would keep her safe.

“So are we having fun yet? I’m rather enjoying the sensation of having you running around inside me,” House sneered.

“That’s disgusting,” Rose choked back a gag. She stumbled as she nearly fell down a corridor that was going up and down instead of the side to side.

“I’ve turned off the corridor anti-gravs, so do be careful,” House chuckled again. Rose groaned and inched carefully around the hole as she continued running.

The Doctor tossed a piece of junk aside with a frustrated sigh back on the asteroid.

“Bond the tube directly into the Tachyon Diverter,” Idris directed.

“Yes, yes. I have actually rebuilt a TARDIS before, you know. I know what I’m doing!” the Doctor insisted, flapping his hands around.

“You’re like a nine year old trying to rebuild a motorbike in his bedroom. And you never read the instructions,” Idris huffed.

“I always read the instructions.”

“There’s a sign on my front door. You have been walking past it for seven hundred years. What does it say?” Idris asked.

“That’s not instructions,” the Doctor denied with a huff.

“There’s an instruction on the bottom. What does it say?” she asked again.

“Pull to open,” the Doctor muttered begrudgingly.

“Yes. Pull. And what do you do?” she snapped.

“I push.”

“Every single time. Seven hundred years. Police Box doors open out the way,” Idris groaned.

“I think I have earned the right to open my front doors any way I want,” the Doctor snipped as he tried to force a piece where it didn’t belong.

“Your doors? Do you have any idea how childish that sounds? Rose would never speak about me that way,” Idris sniffed a little indignantly.

“You are not my mother,” the Doctor retorted quickly.

“And you are not my child,” Idris agreed.

“You know, since we’re talking with mouths, not really an opportunity that comes along very often, I just want to say, you, know you have never been very reliable,” the Doctor complained as he tried to pull a large piece towards his partially built console.

“And you have?”

“You didn’t always take me where I wanted to go,” he argued.

“No, but I always took you where you needed to go,” she pointed out and the Doctor couldn’t argue.

“You did,” the Doctor agreed with a smile. He admired his TARDIS in her strangely human form for a second.

“Look at us,” he continued, ”talking properly. Wouldn’t it be amazing if we could always talk, even when you’re stuck inside the box?”

“You know I’m not constructed that way,” the TARDIS answered sadly. “I exist across all space and time, and you run and around and bring home strays.”

“But you do talk to Rose somehow,” the Doctor pointed out.

“I do,” the TARDIS agreed.

“So how come you can’t do that to me?” the Doctor pouted.

“Rose is my sister almost like all these discarded corpses were my sisters. She might have been created instead of grown like the rest of us but is part TARDIS all the same. We have a different connection than that of a bond between TARDIS and Time Lord,” Idris answered before she buckled at her knees. The Doctor rushed forward to catch her.

“You okay?” he asked with genuine concern.

“One of the kidneys has already failed. It doesn’t matter. We need to finish assembling the console,” Idris straightened herself up and looked back at their partially finished console.

“Using a console without a proper shell. It’s not going to be safe,” the Doctor worried.

“This body has about eight minutes left to live. The universe we’re in will reach Absolute Zero in three hours. Safe is relative.”

“Then we need to get a move on. Eh, old girl?” the Doctor grinned and Idris gave him a small, exhausted smile as they got back to work.

They worked in relative silence for the next few minutes, the Doctor doing all the heavy lifting as Idris offered the occasional tip or correction. The Doctor couldn’t stop worrying about what was going on with Rose but having his hands busy helped keep him from going absolutely insane. He was in dangerous territory whenever Rose was in danger, but especially because this was a younger version of the Rose he was accustomed to he wasn’t sure if she’d be able to handle the House on her own.

Back in the TARDIS Rose rounded another hallway only to jolt to an abrupt stop. The Doctor stood at the end of the hallway and Rose smiled widely as she dashed toward him.

“Doctor! You found me!” she shouted, but as she neared she slowed down. The Doctor wasn’t smiling at her. In fact he staring at her, eyes full of anger.

“Rose you should never have come back,” he stated harshly.

“What are you talking about Doctor?” she whimpered.

“It’s desperate. How many times do I have to send you away before you take the hint,” he sneered. Something in the back of her head tingled and Rose knew that it wasn’t real. It didn’t stop the words from stinging deep, but she turned and ran away from the strange apparition all the same. Back on the asteroid, the Doctor was hard at work trying to find Rose.

“You’ll need to install the time rotor,” Idris instructed and the Doctor obliged. The console was almost finished.

“How is this going to make it through the rift? We’re almost done. Thrift diffuser? Er, retroscope...blue...thingy,” he listed off items as he checked their scrap console for all the parts he recognized. Idris examined a wire coat hanger.

“Do you ever wonder why I chose you all those years ago?” she asked.

“I chose you. You were unlocked,” the Doctor insisted.

“Of course I was. I wanted to see the universe, so I stole a Time Lord and I ran away. And you were the only one mad enough,” Idris stated fondly.

“Right. Perfect.”

“And do you ever wonder why I chose Rose?” Idris asked again.

“She forced the console open and looked into your heart,” the Doctor corrected again.

“I let her open the console. Of course I couldn’t make it easy, but she passed all my tests. You always pick up the strays and you never asked me. But I always liked her and she was kind to me, and she was even kinder to you. So for once I decided I would adopt one of the strays for myself. You’re lucky I share her,” Idris stated simply.

“That’s just...I mean that makes...It just-

“Face it, Doctor. I adopted Rose when I shared a bit of my heart with her. And you tried to take it away, but you couldn’t take it all and now she’s mine forever,” Idris laughed maniacally. 

“Right. Well. Look at that! What could possibly go wrong?” the Doctor asked with a forced laugh as he patted the now completed console. A piece fell off and he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

“That’s fine. That always happens. No, hang on. Wait,” he murmured as he grabbed a couple pieces of rope with hooks on the end. Safety lines. A few pieces of rope with hooks would be enough to stabilize them to the console even without a shell. At least he convinced himself it was going to be safe enough. He didn’t have the luxury to worry further.

In the TARDIS, Rose had run into several more versions of the Doctor in various unpleasant situations. She had seen a number of different bodies, including her pinstripe Doctor that made her heart ache with longing and grief all at the same time. When she’d run across that face, he was strewn across the floor unmoving and it took all of Rose’s willpower to walk away from him and reinforce that all of the things she was seeing were illusions meant to distract her. She found herself skidding to a thought as a foreign sensation started to push against her mind. She concentrated on that feeling and felt the warm caress of the TARDIS in her mind.

“Hello my wolf,” Idris whispered and Rose breathed a massive sigh of relief.

“TARDIS,” she answered quietly.

“Telepathic messaging, I expect it’s an odd sensation. You need to go to the old control room that’s all coral and grunge. I’m putting the route in your head. When you get there use the purple slider on the nearest panel to lower the shields,” the TARDIS instructed, and Rose immediately began to follow the map that was being projected in her mind.

“You’ll have about twelve seconds before the room goes into phase with the invading Matrix. I’ll send you the pass key when you get there. Good luck, my Wolf,” the TARDIS finished before going quiet in her head once more.

“How’s she going to be able to take down the shields anyway? The House is in the control room,” the Doctor asked as they barreled through the rift.

“I directed her to one of the old control rooms,” Idris said simply.

“There aren’t any old control rooms. They were all deleted or remodeled,” the Doctor insisted, but Idris rolled her eyes.

“I archive them, for neatness. I’ve got about thirty now.”

“But I’ve only changed the desktop, what, a dozen times?” the Doctor asked with wide eyes.

“So far, yes,” Idris responded with a sly smile. Tenses were becoming a bit easier to understand the longer she was in the human body. Even as that human body faded away with each second.

“You can’t archive something that hasn’t happened yet!” the Doctor scoffed.

“You can’t,” Idris stated smugly before the makeshift console shook violently and both of them needed to cling on.

“Keep going. You’re doing it, you sexy thing!” the Doctor cheered.

“See! You do call me that. Is it my name?” Idris smiled.

“You bet it’s your name!”

“Whoo!” Idris whooped as she sensed Rose asking for the pass key to the old console room.

“Crimson. Eleven. Delight. Petrichor,” she sent telepathically and hoped that Rose would understand the pass keys were all telepathic and not just verbal.

Rose heard the words come across in her head: Crimson. Eleven. Delight. Petrichor.

She recalled their conversations earlier that day...petrichor meant the smell of dust after rain. The only reason that she would need to know the definition was if the pass key meant more than just the words themselves. She thought about what each of those words meant to her and brought the pictures to the front of her mind.

Crimson. She thought of her mother’s crimson red dress that she always wore for fancy parties before they ended up on Pete’s World.

Eleven. She thought of this current Doctor’s face. The best she could remember was that this face was his eleventh face and that was her strongest recollection for that particular word.

Delight. She remembered perfectly crisp chips and sweet apple grass under a gorgeously sunny sky with a certain someone.

Petrichor. She imagined raindrops falling on a dusty landscape.

The door opened and she smiled as she recognized the previous Doctor’s console room. She fought the urge to stroke the coral struts and headed straight for the console, flipping the purple lever to lower the shields.

“How did you find this place? It’s not on my internal schematics. I had hoped you could become my servant. But you are nothing but trouble. I shall kill you now,” House called through the air and Rose felt an increase in the air pressure of the room as it physically weighed on her and forced her to her knees. She couldn’t stop as she felt the TARDIS warning her that they were materializing into the room but Rose was unable to do more than hope they wouldn’t materialize right where she was currently. As pain echoed deep in her bones she felt Bad Wolf flare up and push back at the House. Air pressure in the room normalized and she sucked in a breath greedily as she darted to the edge of the room just in time for the Doctor and Idris to materialize near the old console.

“Rose!” The Doctor called as he dashed forward, gathering her in his arms quickly.

“Doctor,” she greeted softly as she accepted his hug and then directed her attention to Idris who collapsed into the old jump seat.

“Not good,” Idris murmured. “Not good at all. How do you walk around in these things?”

“We’re not quite there yet. Just hold on,” the Doctor urged.

“Hello, I’m Sexy,” the woman greeted and Rose rolled her eyes with a smile.

“Oh,” the Doctor sputtered but he knew Rose would understand.

“The environment has been breached,” House called through the walls.

“Doctor. I did not expect you,” the voice said stiffly.

“Well, that’s me all over, isn’t it? Lovely old unexpected me.”

“The big question is, now you’re here, how to dispose of you? I could play with gravity,” the voice started.

The three bodies in the room lifted off the ground for a few moments before they slammed back down to the floor roughly.

“Or I could evacuate the air from this room and watch you choke,” the House continued angrily.

“You really don’t want to do that,” the Doctor interjected.

“And why shouldn’t I just kill you now?”

“Because then I won’t be able to help you. Listen to your engines. Just listen to them. You don’t have the thrust and you know it. Right now I’m your only hope for getting out of your little bubble through the rift, and into my universe. And mine’s the one with the food in it,” the Doctor rambled. Usually words distracted the bad guys enough so that he could come up with something clever.

“Water,” Idris croaked softly and Rose moved to place a soothing hand on her head. Idris leaned into Rose for comfort and Rose felt her temperature rising dangerously.

“You just have to promise not to kill us. That’s all, just a promise,” the Doctor continued lecturing the House.

“You can’t be serious,” Rose gaped.

“I’m very serious. I’m sure it’s an entity of its word,” the Doctor replied.

“Doctor, she’s burning up. She’s asking for water,” Rose cried softly. The Doctor turned his focus to the girls and his gaze softened.

“Hey. Hang in there, old girl. Not long now. It’ll be over soon,” he promised, his gaze pleading her told hold on for just a few more minutes.

“I always liked it when you call me old girl,” she smiled and closed her eyes as she leaned her head on Rose’s shoulder.

“You want me to give my word? Easy. I promise,” House told the Doctor.

“Fine. Okay. I trust you. Just delete, oh, thirty percent of the TARDIS rooms, you’ll free up thrust enough to make it through. Activate subroutine Sigma nine,” he instructed.

“Why would you tell me this?” the entity questioned.

“Because we want to go back to our universe as badly as you do,” the Doctor answered.

“And I’m nice,” he tagged on.

“Yes. I can delete rooms. And I can also rid myself of vermin if I delete this room first. Thank you, Doctor. Very helpful. Goodbye, Time Lord. Goodbye, little human. Goodbye, Idris,” he said. A bright light flashed through the room and the TARDIS console room surrounding them was the less familiar metallic view.

“Yes. I mean, you could do that, but it just won't work. Hardwired fail safe. Living things from rooms that are deleted are automatically deposited in the main control room. But thanks for the lift,” the Doctor chattered as he whirled around the console room.

“We are in your universe now, Doctor. Why should it matter to me in which room you die? I can kill you just as easily here as anywhere. Fear me. I've killed hundreds of Time Lords,” House almost purred.

“Fear me. I've killed all of them,” the Time Lord responded, a flash of the true Oncoming Storm coming to the surface.

“But, you're right. You've completely won. Oh, you can kill us in oodles of really inventive ways, but before you do kill us allow us to congratulate you on being an absolutely worthy opponent,” the Doctor continued, giving Rose a very specific look that Rose recognized as one when he finally had a plan in mind.

“Congratulations,” she interjected.

“Yep, you've defeated us. Me and my lovely friend here, and last but definitely not least, the Tardis Matrix herself, a living consciousness you ripped out of this very control room and locked up into a human body. And look at her,” the Doctor gestured to Idris and Rose realized that she had gone still in her arms. A panic grew in her chest, but somehow she knew she would feel the TARDIS was truly gone and she didn’t feel that way.

“Doctor, she's stopped breathing,” she called urgently and the Doctor gave a quick nod as he continued to whir around the console, flipping levers and pressing buttons as he went.

“Enough. That is enough!” House shouted.

“No. It's never enough. You forced the Tardis into a body so she'd burn out safely a very long way away from this control room. A flesh body can't hold the Tardis Matrix and live. Look at her body, House,” the angry Time Lord demanded, gesturing to now still Idris.

“And you think I should mourn her?” House scoffed with overwhelming condescension.

“No,” the Doctor snapped. “I think you should be very, very careful about what you let back into this control room. You took her from her home. But now she's back in the box again, and she's free.”

Golden energy streamed from Idris into the console then out again and through the Tardis. Rose noticed the light shimmer of her own body as the TARDIS energy flew through the console, but she was grateful to realize that no energy was draining from her.

“No. Doctor, stop this. Argh! Stop this now,” House demanded.

“Oh, look at my girl. Look at her go. Bigger on the inside. You see, House?” the Doctor asked proudly as he admired his TARDIS full at work.

“Make her stop!” House pleaded.

“That's your problem. You’re the size of a planet, but inside you are just so small,” Rose said, gently letting Idris’ body lay down as she joined the Doctor standing near the console which was now fully lit up like she usually was.

“Make it stop.”

“Finish him off, girl,” the Doctor cheered.

“Don’t do this! ARGH!” House shouted as he wailed in pain. Rose flinched. Even though she knew there was likely no other way to do what needed to be done, she hated seeing the Doctor have to end another life, even an evil one. When the screaming stopped, the TARDIS appeared like her normal self and a golden apparition of Idris appeared on the steps.

“Doctor...Rose...are you there? It’s so very dark in here,” she called, searching for someone but it was clear she couldn’t quite see.

“I’m here. We’re both here,” the Doctor called, moving to stand in front of her with his hand clasped in Rose’s.

“I’ve been looking for a big word. A big, complicated word, but so sad. I’ve found it now,” Idris smiled with tears in her eyes.

“What word?” Rose asked.

“Alive. I’m alive!”

“Alive isn’t sad,” the Doctor argued, but Rose squeezed his hand tightly. As essential immortals, they both knew that alive could sometimes be the saddest of all.

“It’s sad when it’s over. I’ll always be here, but this is when we talked and now even that has come to an end. There’s something I didn’t get to say to you,” Idris said, though her voice sounded far away.

“Goodbye?” Rose prompted.

“No. I just wanted to say hello. Hello, Doctor. Hello, Rose. It’s so very, very nice to meet you.”

“Please. I don’t want you to...” the Doctor started but Rose pulled him into a hug as the TARDIS began to fade away.

“It’s alright Doctor. She’s still here,” Rose cooed. In fact, as the golden Idris fully faded from existence, the TARDIS song roared to life in Rose’s mind and she felt the warm embrace of the TARDIS.

“I know she is, but it’s just not the same,” he sighed and just leaned into her embrace. Rose gave him a soothing pat on the back as if she were soothing a small child. Honestly this particular Doctor seemed to be the most childlike of all. Maybe it was only because he pushed away so much of his grief and maybe it was because he was truly starting to heal from the Time War. But all Rose knew was in that moment he needed comfort.

“It might not be the same for you and when I’m awake it’s not the same for me...at least not right now. But I can still talk to her in my dreams and I can tell her anything you want me to,” she promised him. The Doctor blinked in surprise.

“Sometimes I forget about that. You don’t mention it much these days so I wondered if you even still communicated with the TARDIS that way anymore. I guess I’ll have to ask you when you get back,” he murmured. Rose tilted her head in thought.

“It’s a puzzle,” she sighed.

“All the best things in life are puzzles! How boring would life be if things were simple and linear?” the Doctor grinned, finally brightening up a bit.

“I don’t think I even know what simple is anymore!” Rose laughed as the Doctor stood up and bounded back to the console.

“Now Rose Tyler that was not exactly an adventure worth your visit was it?”

“It was definitely an experience,” Rose started.

“But I promised an adventure and not a traumatizing experience!” he argued.

“I know Doctor, but I’m not really sure about another adventure right now. It’s been a long few months for me and I feel like the time I spend with you is stealing away from future me. It was so difficult to leave you last time and now I feel like I shouldn’t stay,” Rose admitted quietly.

“My Rose,” the Doctor started, coming back over to her and gently taking her face in his hands.

“You are always my Rose in any time, with any of my faces. The time we spend together in any combination is precious and I wouldn’t give up a single moment of any of it,” he continued.

“Except when you sent me away multiple times,” Rose snapped bitterly. She hadn’t meant to let it slip out. She knew that again, this particular Doctor was not to blame for his previous self’s actions. But he flashed her a guilty look anyway.

“I know that pain is still very fresh for you. And believe me when I say I will spend the rest of our lives trying to make it up to you. I’m ashamed of how long it took me to understand and fully accept that you really loved me enough to give up your normal human life and spend forever chasing the stars with me. I have had so many friends and many of them were human and I lost so many....some to disaster and others to my own stupidity. By the time I met you I didn’t think I deserved love in any form, but I was especially convinced that I was a danger to anyone that befriended me. A part of me was always inclined to lower my walls for you, and I got in too deep too fast which then made me turn and run so far the opposite direction. I was a coward, Rose. And I’m so incredibly sorry for that. You’ve always deserved much better,” he told her earnestly.

“But I chose you,” Rose insisted.

“Yes, and I’m ever so lucky that you did, my pink and yellow human,” the Doctor smiled.

“Do you ever stop calling me pink and yellow?” Rose groaned.

“It fades away, but I always see you as all pink and yellow in my head. Just like I think you’ll always see me with big ears and leather deep down,” he shrugged in response and Rose couldn’t argue. He was absolutely right. Deep down she knew that she would always first see the Doctor in his leather jacket with his not-actually-that-big ears. 

“Well I’ll be glad if you stop calling me that to my face at least,” she said pointedly.

“I promise to do my best to try,” the Doctor said, but the smile on his face told her that he wasn’t all that serious about his promise.

“So if you don’t want an adventure, where would you like to go my darling?” he changed the subject smoothly and Rose sighed.

“Can we go to Woman Wept? I haven’t been there in ages,” she asked suddenly. It was a quiet, uninhabited planet. It had been frozen in an instant and there was a large land mass that from above looked like a woman weeping. But there was a massive beach that stretched thousands of miles wide and it was still and cool and peaceful. They hadn’t gotten into any trouble and it was rather cold, but it was one of her favorite places and she had visited it with her first Doctor and again the pinstriped Doctor after that. It only seemed right to visit it with this floppy Doctor too. The Doctor grinned at her with a face that told her she would be back again.

“Absolutely!” he cheered and he ran over to the console, punched a few buttons and off they flew. He immediately began to chatter about some random fact about Woman Wept, but Rose had tuned him out and was instead focused on the TARDIS song in her head.

She was singing a quiet, joyful song. While she was always happy to have her Thief and her Wolf onboard, she was still feeling quite sad about not being able to be truly alive anymore. She was quite used to her existence as a multidimensional space ship, but the brief time she spent in a human body was completely fascinating. She was glad that at the very least she had Rose to speak with in her dreams and to ask her more questions about what it meant to be a human.

When the TARDIS landed, the Doctor quietly offered a hand to Rose and she took it gladly as they made their way out the doors and onto the silent beach of Woman Wept. The Doctor swiped a large coat from a hook right by the doors as he went out and as soon as Rose shivered he slipped it on her. He’d taken to hanging it there decades before when he knew she was quick to run out without a coat on. He pressed a quick kiss to her forehead and wrapped an arm around her. They didn’t need to speak (even though he had a thousand things to tell her at any given time). Woman Wept was their quiet place of peace. Not time for chatter. 

Rose looked out on the empty beach and remembered her previous visits with her first and second Doctors. They had each appreciated the beach for a different reason. For her first Doctor, clad in leather with his slightly larger than average ears, Woman Wept was a pace he brought her out of pure fascination. He had never expected Rose to enjoy it so much. When Rose was 19 years old, she couldn’t understand why she enjoyed the uninhabited planet so much either. Something about the quiet solitude of the planet that was so exactly opposite of her home planet really clicked with her.  

With her second Doctor, donned in pinstripes and his billowy Janis Joplin coat, Woman Wept became a very special place. It was a place that they would often visit after the hardest adventures. The ones where they couldn’t save everyone, or the times when they accidentally stumbled on a fixed point or when one of the Doctor’s sadder memories were triggered. It became a place of comfort for both the Doctor and Rose and she could remember every quiet moment they spent just breathing in the cool air and bright white fog of the atmosphere.

Now with this Doctor she didn’t know what Woman Wept would become, but she knew it would include plenty of snogging just based on the distracting way he kept glancing at her. Every once in a while he would bounce on his heels and Rose did her best to ignore it, but after a few minutes she let out a frustrated groan. 

“Are you always like this?” she asked, fighting the urge to smile. As irritating as this new Doctor might be, he was always endearing.

“Like what?” he asked, completely surprised.

“Absolutely buzzing to move every second,” Rose clarified.

“No!” the Doctor denied with a pout.

“Honestly?”

“Maybe sometimes,” he conceded. “But there’s just so much I want to show you!”

“Doctor...you know that it’s not yours to show me. You have me and I’m sure we’ll see lots of things together. But I have a Doctor to slap and you have a future Rose to run around the universe with,” Rose told him with a smile, though she had no problems leaning into his hand as he gently stroked her cheek.

“Right you are, as usual, my darling. Though selfishly I wish I could keep you forever I know you have things you need to do. And I’m sure future you is anxious to come home,” he sighed in defeat.

“Shall I drop you off somewhere or-

“I think I can manage it,” Rose flashed him a cheeky grin. He pressed one long, deep kiss to her lips before touching his forehead to hers. He passed a warm feeling through their strange bond. Though it wasn’t a full bond since it was a version of Rose that hadn’t yet made the bond, he knew she would feel something. 

“I love you,” she admitted quietly.

“And I love you more than you’ll ever realize,” he told her earnestly before pressing one more quick kiss to her forehead and dashing back into the TARDIS. He could have gone all day whispering sweet nothings into her ear, but he knew that there was so much more she had to do before their timelines lined up again. As soon as he set the TARDIS into the Vortex he felt a hand on his shoulder. He didn’t need to spin around to know that his Rose, from the correct time, was back.

“Hello darling,” he greeted.

“Ready to get into some real trouble?” she asked as he turned to face her.

“Always!”

Chapter Text

The journey through the Vortex was quicker this time, Rose felt it was getting easier to zero in on the TARDIS, even if she couldn’t yet navigate to a specific point in time. The landing however, was not quite as smooth. Instead of being dropped into the console room, Rose found herself locked in one of the many storage closets the TARDIS had to spare and her mind, instead of being filled with the beautiful and welcoming song of the TARDIS, was filled with an almost painful, constant rhythm: Di di di dum di di di dum. It pulsed through the entire TARDIS and her mind so much so that she couldn’t focus on anything else. And over that rhythm was the ominous sound of bells ringing. A warning. 

Rose closed her eyes and tried to focus on reaching out to the TARDIS in that special place that only they could communicate in, but there was no answer. No song, no words, not even a flood of emotion to comfort Rose. The frown on her face deepened as she looked around the closet for a way to get out of the locked room. It seemed to be just a closet full of assorted bits and pieces. Rose had found that learning more about technology was an important way to keep up with the Doctor. When she’d first met him a lifetime ago she thought a lot of what he did was almost magical, but it was all rooted in technology...just very advanced technology from the distant future.

So she set to work, identifying little bits and pieces that would help her build a simple sonic device. It wouldn’t be as powerful as the Doctor’s sonic screwdriver and it certainly wouldn’t have as many settings, but it should be able to open a door. As Rose worked, she made a mental note to ask the next Doctor she encountered to fix it for her. Usually, there was no way to tell how quickly or slowly time was passing from within the TARDIS, but for some reason Rose could almost feel the seconds and minutes ticking away as she worked. She tried to speed it up, confident that she could piece something together from the odds and ends she found. While most people had a junk drawer, the Doctor had junk closets. Several of them. And almost all of them still had useful bits. 

After what felt like hours, but really was perhaps 30 minutes, Rose paused to hold the sonic...well she wasn’t sure what she would call it. It was long and narrow and she tried to mimic the design of the screwdriver, but she felt she was missing much of the technology that gave the Doctor’s sonic screwdriver all its features. She hoped at best, it would open the door. With a silent prayer to the TARDIS, she pointed the device at the doorknob and pressed the button. A quiet whirring allowed her to know that if nothing else, the device made noise. And a few moments later the door clicked and Rose quickly exited the closet. 

The halls of the TARDIS didn’t seem drastically changed, though the atmosphere felt empty. It wasn’t like when the TARDIS’ soul had been ripped out, but more like the TARDIS was being overpowered by something else entirely. As Rose neared the console room, the drumming created an ache in her mind that just wouldn’t go away. No matter what was going on, she wouldn’t be able to wait it out in the TARDIS. The drumming was going to overwhelm her just like it was the TARDIS. It was a pain from the inside out, and while Rose couldn’t exactly figure out what was going on she knew it was nothing good. She wasn’t sure exactly when she was, or where the TARDIS might be, but as she entered the TARDIS room she instantly recognized the coral struts. She was getting closer to home. 

But the console, and the heart of the TARDIS, were not as she remembered. Rose fought back a sob as she rushed to her sister’s heart. She had always struggled to understand her relationship with the TARDIS, but in that moment seeing her sister in such distress, she knew exactly that their souls were one. The TARDIS was being made to eat herself over and over, in a never ending loop. The console itself was gone, leaving only the matrix behind. But instead of the living, almost breathing soul that she was used to seeing, the matrix glowed red and was hooked up to wires that were all encased in glass. Rose touched the glass softly and for a brief moment she heard the TARDIS in her mind. 

Stay back, Rose. You cannot help here.

Rose pulled her hand away as if it had been burned. She searched through her memories, trying to remember what John had told her of the Doctor’s time after she was trapped on Pete’s World. Could this be something he had experienced? Or was she now at the correct point in his timeline and everything was going wrong? It had been years since she’d thought about the stories John had told her. The pain of her sister’s matrix, the chiming of the warning bells, and the constant drumming made it difficult to sift through the memories. Rose closed her eyes and tried to see herself in the tranquil garden in her mind. There was no TARDIS to greet her, though the garden still shimmered gold when she looked closely. Bad Wolf was there, but staying dormant which made Rose hopeful that things weren’t immintently terrible just yet. Just as she was about to navigate to some of her older memories, she heard a key turn in the TARDIS lock and she quickly darted back down the main hallway, out of sight of the console room. If this was the Doctor, but too soon in his timeline, she couldn’t be seen. And if it wasn’t the Doctor...well Rose figured it was best to stay hidden either way. 

“What the hell’s he done?” 

Rose knew that voice. It was Jack. If he was here, this was likely some time after she had last seen him, but that still didn’t tell her exactly where in the Doctor’s timeline she was. She fought the urge to run to him and pressed herself closer to the wall, ensuring that she remained out of sight.

“Don’t touch it.”

Rose sucked in a silent breath as tears came to her eyes. She didn’t need to see him to know that was her Doctor, probably donning pinstripes and his Janis Joplin coat. She again, fought the urge to run out to them both and waited tensely for a clue as to what was happening.

“I’m not going to,” Jack replied.

“What’s he done though? Sounds like it’s sick.” This question came from a female voice that sounded familiar, but Rose just couldn’t place. It wasn’t herself, which at least took some of the pressure off Rose’s mind. Whoever she was, she was obviously very bright. She’d caught on to the TARDIS’ distress quickly.

“It can’t be. No, no, no, no, no, no, it can’t be!” the Doctor growled, his frustration almost palpable.

“Doctor, what is it?” the woman asked again. Rose gathered it was just the three of them then. Jack, the Doctor, and a female companion. It sounded like she knew and trusted the Doctor, she was likely more than just a one time acquaintance. Rose thought about the other companions John had told her about. She had met many other companions briefly on her return to Earth, before John, and she’d met Donna a few times when trying to get back to Earth. She was confident the voice she was hearing was not Donna, so that left only...Martha Jones.

“He’s cannibalised the TARDIS,” the Doctor answered gruffly and Rose felt that ache in her mind intensify. Yes. The TARDIS was confirming the pain. 

“Is this what I think it is?” Jack asked.

“It’s a paradox machine,” the Doctor confirmed and she heard him tapping on things. Typical Doctor, always fiddling even in a time of crisis. Memories briefly flooded back to Rose and she realized exactly where in the Doctor’s timeline she was. Too early to return. This must be the Master’s brief stint as Prime Minister. 

“As soon as this hits red, it activates. At this speed, it’ll trigger at two minutes past eight,” the Doctor continued.

“First contact is at eight, then two minutes later,” Jack spoke.

“What’s it for? What does a paradox machine do?” Martha demanded. 

“More important, can you stop it?” Jack added. 

Rose felt a pang of pity for Martha. While she felt more confident keeping up with the Doctor now, when she was first traveling with him she constantly felt like she was falling behind and never quite understanding things the same way. And Jack was a time traveler from the future, so he was more on the Doctor’s level than she had ever hoped to be. With Bad Wolf’s help, though, and a lifetime of studying Rose easily understood their concern. 

“Not till I know what it's doing. Touch the wrong bit, blow up the solar system,” the Doctor murmured and Rose shook her head. He would never learn to just be straight forward. 

“Then we’ve got to get to the Master,” Martha stated firmly, confirming Rose’s suspicion about where in the timeline she was.

“Yeah,” Jack agreed. “How are we going to stop him?”

“Oh, I’ve got a way. Sorry, didn’t I mention it?” the Doctor said cheekily and Rose heard as the three of them headed back towards the front doors. She stole a peak around the hallway but all she saw were their forms walking away. She knew the TARDIS wouldn’t be able to communicate with her in this state so she made her way quickly down the walkway and toward the door to follow them. As she glanced out the doorway she was shocked to realize that although she knew they were there, she couldn’t really see them and no one else seemed to see them plainly walking around. She realized they must have some sort of perception filter on them to keep them hiding. While she didn’t have the technology to make herself invisible, she did have Bad Wolf on her side. 

Rose wasn’t exactly sure what Bad Wolf was and wasn’t capable of, but she could wield the fabric of reality at one point so hopefully affecting just her perception wouldn't be impossible. She found that warmth somewhere in her mind and brought it forward, willing the Bad Wolf to take partial control. She felt a slight zap and as she glanced down at her hands, she found that even she had a difficult time focusing on them. That must mean that others would ignore her as well. She weaved through the people that darted around wherever she was as she tried to stick near her friends without getting too close and tipping them off. Though she assumed that her perception filter would work on them too. 

John had never given her much detail about what had happened when the Master returned, only that in the end things all went according to his plan even though he told her in confidence that he wasn’t very sure his plan would work. Rose had a sneaking feeling it was because she was helping in the background all along. Wibbly wobbly, timey wimey as the Doctor would say. 

She followed them as they slipped onto what looked like the main cabin area on the vessel they were on. If Rose remembered correctly, it was some sort of aircraft. She watched as a man she did not recognize spoke to a television camera. The Doctor whispered something to Martha and Jack that Rose was not close enough to hear. Very suddenly, 4 small spheres shimmered into existence and Rose rubbed her eyes briefly. Had they been there the whole time? 

“My name is Arthur Coleman Winters, President Elect of the United States of America, and designated representative of the United Nations. I welcome you to the planet Earth and its associated moon,” the man Rose didn’t recognize spoke. 

“You’re not the Master,” one of them stated. Rose’s heart dropped. 

“We like Mister Master,” another chimed in.

“We don’t like you,” a third stated shortly.

“I can be master, if you so wish. I will accept mastery over you, if that is God’s will,” the man said confidently. Rose huffed in frustration. So like Americans to meet an alien and just assume mastery because it seems less advanced. 

“Man is stupid,” one of the spheres taunted. 

“Master is our friend,” another replied. 

“Where is Master, pretty please?” one asked, in an almost childish voice. 

“Oh, all right then. It’s me!” the Prime Minister stood forward, clapping his hands twice. 

“Ta da! Sorry, sorry. I have this effect. People just get obsessed. Is it the smile? Is it the aftershave? Is it the capacity to laugh at myself? I don’t know. It’s crazy!” the Master continued to ramble as the other delegates in the room gaped at him. 

“Saxon, what are you talking about?” the President demanded.

“I'm taking control, Uncle Sam, starting with you,” the Master smiled a chilling smile as he pointed towards the President and said simply:

“Kill him.”

The sphere suddenly revealed a weapon and fired it at the President. The room erupted into chaos as some people screamed it fear, while others moved toward the Master and the spheres. 

“Guards,” the Master gestured calmly. A group of his own men pulled their guns up.

“Nobody move! Nobody move!” they shouted repeatedly. Rose froze her body purposefully. She felt the heat of Bad Wolf intensify, but she calmed the beast that almost howled in her head. This was not the time. They did not have the power they once did, and she didn’t even know how she would begin to help but she knew it wasn’t by going full “Goddess of Time”. John wasn’t able to hide his memories the same way a full Time Lord could, so he would’ve told her if she appeared at any point in his past that she didn’t recall. 

“Now then, peoples of the Earth. Please attend carefully,” the Master began, but he was interrupted as the Doctor pulled something off his neck and rushed forward, now visible to everyone in the room.

“STOP HIM!” ordered one of the guards. 

“We meet at last, Doctor. Oh, ho. I do love saying that,” the Master approached the Doctor, almost buzzing with excitement which sent a shiver down Rose’s spine. She fought the Bad Wolf’s power rising once more. Because Bad Wolf was created to protect the Doctor, she realized that the being tended to try to surface particularly when he was in danger. 

“Stop it! Stop it!” the Doctor cried, a tinge of panic that Rose almost didn’t recognize in his voice. She knew the Doctor had some sort of plan, but she also knew he wanted nothing more than another Time Lord to share the universe with once more. Of all the Time Lords, it had to be the Master. 

“As if a perception filter’s going to work on me. And look, it’s the girlie and the freak. Although I’m not sure which one’s which,” the Master sneered, his eyes scanning the room as they landed on Martha and Jack, who both removed items from around their necks too. Rose didn’t risk moving or even breathing, but the Master’s eyes passed right over her. She sent a silent thank you whatever god there might be because her perception filter seemed stronger than theirs and offered her vital protection. 

Jack, who clearly did not have the same impulse control as her, rushed forward but was quickly struck down by the Master who was holding a device that almost looked like a sonic screwdriver. If it weren’t for the fact that Rose knew Jack would be fine, she may have broken her cover and rushed forward to help him right then.

“Laser screwdriver,” the Master smiled fondly at the device in his hand. “Who’d have sonic? And the good thing is, he’s not dead for long. I get to kill him again!”

“Master, just calm down. Just look at what you're doing. Just stop. If you could see yourself-

“Oh, do excuse me. Little bit of personal business. Back in a minute. Let him go,” the Master directed the guards who obeyed.

“It’s that sound. The sound in your head. What if I could help?” the Doctor asked desperately. 

“Oh, how to shut him up?” the Master snapped.

“I know,” he continued. “Memory Lane. Professor Lazarus. Remember him and his genetic manipulation device? What, did you think that little Tish got that job merely by coincidence? I've been laying traps for you all this time. And if I can concentrate all that Lazarus technology into one little screwdriver? But, ooo, if I only had the Doctor's biological code. Oh, wait a minute, I do,” he chuckled darkly as he reached for an opened a large metal briefcase. Sitting in there, Rose realized with despair, was the hand the Doctor had lost in the battle with the Sycorax. That was the hand that would later create John. It would be the hand she held in joy, the hand she held in marriage, and the hand she held as she became widowed mere months after being married.

“I've got his hand. And if Lazarus made himself younger, what if I reverse it? Another hundred years?” the Master rambled before he aimed his screwdriver at the Doctor who began rapidly convulsing. Rose couldn’t stop herself from moving forward toward the Doctor, careful not to bump into anyone and cause a disruption in her perception. Even if she couldn’t allow him to see her, she couldn’t let him suffer alone. For a brief moment she thought she saw a hint of recognition in the Doctor’s eyes as she came into his view, but another jerk sent him sprawling to the floor. 

A few feet away, Jack gasped awake and found Martha kneeling at his side. Though it pained him to ignore the Doctor, he took Martha’s hand.

“Teleport,” he ordered.

“I can’t!” Martha denied.

“We can’t stop him. Get out of here. Get out!” Jack repeated.

Finally, the Master ceased the screwdriver and Rose felt tears  stream down her face as she looked at her Doctor, whose skin was now wrinkled and bones bent with age. She knew the Time Lord was easily 950 years old at this point, but Time Lords did not age as humans did. She hated to see him so fragile. She felt a rush of gratitude as Martha left Jack’s side to cradle the Doctor. 

“Doctor? I’ve got you,” she comforted.

“Ah, she’s a would-be doctor. But tonight, Martha Jones, we’ve flown them in all the way from prison!” the Master announced as if he were hosting a daytime game show instead of destroying the world. Three more people were shoved into the room, wrists fastened behind their backs.

“Come on, move,” a guard ordered them, poking at their backs with his gun.

“Mum,” Martha whimpered. 

“I’m sorry,” the older woman said softly, though Rose knew that nothing any of them could have done would’ve prevented this.

“The Toclafane. What are they? Who are they?” the Doctor finally spoke, his voice creaky with sudden age.

“Doctor, if I told you the truth, your hearts would break,” the Master surprised Rose with the earnesty in his voice, but it was quickly countered by the devious smirk he flaunted effortlessly. 

“Is it time? Is it ready?” one of the spheres asked with excitement.

“Is the machine singing?” another chimed in.

“Two minutes past!” the Master called out. He turned his attention to the cameras, which were still rolling for whatever reason that Rose couldn’t fathom. 

“So, Earthlings. Basically, er, end of the world. Here come the drums!” he called out as the grinding from the TARDIS intensified and Rose realized the paradox machine was activating. Outside the windows of the ship, Rose saw hundreds, no thousands of spheres whizzing past.

“How many do you think?” the Master asked a petite blonde woman beside him. While Rose didn’t know who she was, she wasn’t sure the woman was as safe as she appeared.

“I, I don’t know,” she answered.

“Six billion. Down you go, kids!” the Master cheered and Rose fought the urge to throw up. 6 billion Toclafane, all capable of murdering thousands of people. 

“Shall we decimate them? That sounds good. A nice word, decimate. Remove one tenth of the population!” he ordered like the madman he was. Rose watched as the Doctor again whispered something into Martha’s ear that she was too far to hear. Martha moved back, now clutching Jack’s Vortex Manipulator. 

Rose glanced between Jack, the Doctor, and Martha. She knew she couldn’t reveal herself to the Master. If he had a way to weaponize the TARDIS, he would certainly have a way to weaponize her too. She couldn’t give him that no matter how desperately she wanted to stay with her Doctor. She wanted, no she needed to protect him. But if he was sending Martha away onto an Earth filled with murderous spheres, it meant he had given her some kind of mission. And Rose could help with that. So as she made her decision, she heard calls for help come over the radios on the ship.

“Valiant, this is Geneva. We're getting slaughtered down here. Valiant, report. Help us. For God's sake, help us! They're everywhere!”

“This is London, Valiant. This is London calling. What do we do? They're killing us! The Toclafane are all around. They're killing us.”

More and more messages overlapped, in so many languages Rose lost count. She moved closer to Martha and read the coordinates on the Vortex Manipulator just before Martha teleported away. Quickly, she moved out of the room before attempting to follow Martha. She hadn’t yet tried a simple space teleport that didn’t travel through time, but she hoped she could get it right. And she had a feeling that her perception filter would fade as she teleported and she didn’t want to get spotted doing that. So she waited until no one was around and then she closed her eyes and allowed the Bad Wolf to take the reigns, willing it to follow the coordinates Martha had set. 

Rose opened her eyes once more and saw Martha standing about 10 paces away, clutching what Rose now realized was a TARDIS key around her neck.

“I'm coming back,” she heard the woman swear before she turned around and froze when she made eye contact with Rose. Both woman eyed each other for a moment, not quite knowing what to do. They were both standing in the middle of the road on the outskirts of London, watching as their home burned. Martha’s family was safe on the Valiant...relatively. Rose’s family, well they were living in a parallel world around this time. But London was still both of their homes.

“You,” Martha finally broke the silence. 

Rose blinked. Martha should not recognize her. They hadn’t met yet. 

“Where did you come from?” Martha asked cautiously.

“I was just on the Valiant, with you,” Rose answered slowly but Martha’s face widened in a grin.

“Of course you were! I knew you wouldn’t leave us hanging,” she exclaimed, crossing the distance and enveloping Rose into a strong hug. Despite not knowing what was happening, Rose found herself embracing the other woman in return. After everything they’d just witnessed on the Valiant, it felt so comforting to touch another person.

“While I’m glad you’re not afraid of me, I’m a bit confused,” Rose admitted.

“Why would I be afraid of you? Don’t be daft, Rose,” Martha scoffed but Rose did not respond, only continuing to stare at her in confusion.

“You mean you don’t know me?” Martha asked.

“I know of you,” Rose conceded. “Martha Jones, companion of the Doctor. I’ve been told you’re a star,” Rose smiled fondly, remembering back to John’s musing about his previous companion.

“But Rose, we’ve met. We were just in-

“Please!” Rose interrupted and Martha looked startled.

“I can’t block my memories like the Doctor can, so when I meet people out of order...it makes things a little complicated. If you’ve met me, I haven’t gotten there yet. I met you once very briefly, but I know that is in your future and I am struggling now to figure out how we didn’t remember each other then,” Rose groaned, rubbing her temples as she began to spot the complicated timelines connected her to Martha. 

“Oh, well. I can’t say I begin to understand what you’re trying to say, but I’ll keep my mouth shut. No time for a trip down memory lane anyway. We’ve got a lot of work to do, and not a lot of time to do it,” Martha huffed as she began moving toward a road nearby, gesturing for Rose to follow.

“About that- what did the Doctor whisper to you?” Rose asked as she fell into step beside the other woman.

“I’ll tell you the plan once we get to our first safehouse. The Toclafane are on a killing spree and they’ll make it out here soon enough. We need to get somewhere with protection to stock up. I’ve got a perception filter attached to the TARDIS key. I’m guessing if you were on the Valiant and none of us noticed, that you’ve got some kind of perception filter too?” Martha asked. 

“Of sorts,’ Rose answered cryptically. She wasn’t sure how much about her Martha knew, and she wasn’t willing to risk any timelines when the fabric of time itself was in such a delicate state.

“Good, well use it. Because we can’t afford to be spotted,” Martha directed.

Under most circumstances, Rose would’ve protested being ordered around. But Martha was from this time, and she knew exactly what was going on. Rose was just trying to remember what little John had told her while also struggling not to panic about the Doctor aboard the Valiant. 

So the two women traveled, which was just the start of a very long journey. 

Chapter Text

They didn’t speak as they traveled, for fear of being spotted by the small handful of people that were scuttering about. The Toclafane hadn’t traveled this far out of London yet, but Rose knew that they would eventually. The Master was set on attacking all of Earth, not just London. It was quiet in Rose’s mind without the TARDIS song. They were in the same universe, and relatively close to each other so she should have been able to hear her sister’s song faintly in her head. But the paradox machine was keeping the TARDIS in a perilous state, at the edge of destruction and she was unable to reach out to Rose. Still, Rose had hope that everything would work out. The Doctor had a plan, and technically these events were all in her past. So as long as she didn’t try to stir anything up, events should play out as they were meant to. 

“Not much farther now,” Martha murmured quietly and Rose nodded silently. 

It was only a few miles to the safehouse that Martha pointed out, and to Rose’s relief it was a nondescript home that didn’t seem to be occupied. She wasn’t sure how much Martha knew about her, but if they were going to work on the Doctor’s instructions together then she knew they would need to have some kind of conversation and without prying ears was the best way to do it. As they neared the entrance, Martha dug a key up from under a fake rock in the yard and she used that to enter the home. Once they were inside, Martha locked the door and paused for a moment, looking around.

“How did you have time to plan a safehouse? The Doctor doesn’t usually plan ahead much,” Rose asked.

“It’s not exactly an official safehouse. I have some friends that live here, but I know they’re actually on vacation right now. I hope they’ll be okay…” Martha trailed off, her voice filled with uncertainty. Even though Rose didn’t know Martha well, she placed a comforting hand on her new companion’s shoulder. 

“We’re going to make it better, Martha. I’m not sure how, but if the Doctor gave you a clue then we’re going to make it happen. He trusts you with the fate of the world. M’sure I don’t need to tell you how much of a compliment that is,” Rose told the other woman gently.

“Yeah, not that I asked to save the world. But it looks like we’re all the world’s got. Still, could be a worse team,” Martha smiled weakly and Rose returned the smile. 

“So what did the Doctor whisper to you then?” Rose asked. 

“There wasn’t time for him to say much, but he told me to travel and tell his story. To use the countdown,” Martha sat down at the dining table in the eat-in kitchen and frowned as she puzzled over the words the Doctor had passed on to her. 

“What countdown?” 

“The Master is planning something else, there was a clock on the wall on the ship. It was counting a year exactly from the moment he powered up the Paradox device. The Doctor mentioned using the Archangel network against him,” Martha explained. Rose sat down beside her at the table and rubbed her head in frustration.

“And the Archangel network is?”

“Oh,” Martha blinked. 

“M’sorry, it’s just that I’ve been hopping around time for the last few months and before that I was in a parallel world so I’m not exactly caught up on current events,” Rose explained. 

“It’s a service network, everyone has it. The Doctor figures there’s satellites all over the planet that the Master used to influence people to vote for him. But we’re going to hack the network. It’s connected people all over the world and we’re going to give them one thought to think. We’re going to give them the Doctor,” Martha explained. 

“And the Doctor just sent you down to make you figure out how to do it all on your own. No safe place to go, no people to connect with?” Rose sought clarification.

“Well when you say it like that-

“It’s exactly what it is. Look, Martha, I’m not sure how much you know about me or my history with the Doctor,” Rose started.

“I know that you’re both crazy about the other, and even before I met you I knew the Doctor was thinking about you most of the time. To be honest, I was a little jealous and felt like if he’d just look at me he’d see how smart and worthy I was,” Martha admitted.

“First of all: he would never have invited you to travel with him if he didn’t admire your skill. I hope you know that. But honestly Martha I love the Doctor with every ounce of my being. We’ve got...well let’s just say we have a long and complicated history together. But he’s not perfect and don’t you ever let yourself think he is. He’s put the weight of saving the world almost completely on your shoulders and he won’t be there to help you through it. And when it’s done, he’ll say a quick thanks and then zip off without a moment to really stop and realize what you’ve been through. It’s just who he is, and it’s how he copes with all the loss he’s experienced. But it’s not an excuse. He’s a 900 year old Time Lord, but he’s still a complete arse sometimes,” Rose spat. Her frustration for this particular incarnation of the Doctor was still pretty fresh. Though she loved him with all her heart, she hated that she once would’ve followed him blindly without a second thought. 

She’d still follow him into any battle, no matter what the risks. But she wouldn’t do so blindly anymore. The Doctor was constantly flipping back and forth between making decisions for his companion’s “for their own good” and burdening them with outrageous responsibilities “because they could handle it” and Rose had spent years fighting him on it. Every time he sent her away and she came crawling back, fighting impossible odds to get there and he would dismiss her actions. And she knew he had done similar things to his other companions and when she eventually was reunited with him, and there wasn’t a global threat, she was going to set him straight. 

“I didn’t realize you felt that way about the Doctor,” Martha murmured.

“I mean I’d still die for him without a moment's hesitation,” Rose confessed earnestly. 

“But I’m not a 19 year old shop girl anymore and I’ve learned a few things along the way.”

Both women sat in silence for a while, not quite sure how to move forward after Rose’s derailing rant about the man they were both so hopelessly devoted to. While Martha may have been able to let go of her romantic crush on the Doctor, she would forever remain obsessed with the Time Lord. She did take Rose’s words to heart though. 

“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to make you think any less of him. I’d just hate to see you put him on a pedestal and not recognize your own brilliance,” Rose finally spoke up. 

“Thank you, Rose, though I don’t think any of it will matter if we can’t follow this crazy plan of his to save the world,” Martha sighed. 

“We’ll figure it out. You’re not alone; the Doctor has other allies all over the world. If we can figure out how to get in touch with any of them, I know they would help. But even if we can’t risk seeking them out, you’ve got me,” Rose promised and Martha smiled.

“Two is always better than one,” she chimed in. 

“Let’s hope you’re right, Martha Jones.”

Two women poured over maps for the next several hours, trying to figure out the most effective way to spread the Doctor’s story throughout the world. While travelling separately seemed like the best way to spread the message as quickly as possible, Rose doubted that it was the safest option. She still wasn’t sure what Bad Wolf’s impact on her lifespan meant for her ability to die, but she knew that Martha was fully human and being caught by the Toclafane would almost certainly mean death. So they opted to travel together.

“We need a cover story,” Rose announced decidedly.

“What do you mean? We’re only meant to tell the Doctor’s story, and I don’t think that’ll seem suspicious to the Master,” Martha argued. 

“Maybe not, but people are going to be terrified and they’re going to need hope,” Rose insisted.

“The Doctor-

“Is a prisoner of the Master, and his capture was broadcasted on global television. You and I both know what he is capable of, and we have faith in him. But he’s traveled around Earth and beyond for centuries staying as invisible as he could. His story alone isn’t going to bring people hope. They need to know there is a plan to save them, but they can’t know the real plan,” Rose groaned. 

“What if we tell them we’re traveling to find something that will defeat the Master?” Martha proposed. Rose mulled the thought over in her head.

“That could work. People don’t know the Master is a Time Lord, but they’re bound to realize he’s more than an ordinary human,” Rose added. 

“We can tell people that we’re looking for pieces hidden all over the world of a special weapon that is powerful enough to kill the Master,” Martha suggested. Rose cringed.

“Does violence seem like something we should even be associated with the Doctor’s story?”

“Look, Rose, I know how the Doctor feels about violence but you and I both know that he doesn’t always practice what he preaches,” Martha said with a slight edge in her voice. Rose was about to disagree, when Martha continued with a softer tone.

“Plus, humans aren’t like the Doctor. They’re scared and they’re angry and they want to see justice,” Martha concluded.

“Yeah, you’re right. Not much other choice,” Rose conceded. 

“A year to travel the world on foot doesn’t seem like much time. And I don’t know about you, but I’m certainly not dressed to save the world,” Martha sighed as she stood up from the table, heading down the hall to find a bedroom with a change of clothes.

“We won’t be able to carry much with us, if anything. Maybe two backpacks at any given time, so we’ll have to rely on the kindness of others,” Rose groaned as she followed.

“Yeah or looting.”

“Martha.”

“Desperate times and all that,” the younger woman flashed a cheeky grin and Rose fought the urge to smile. She felt less hopeless with Martha Jones by her side. 

“Do you think they’ll be alright?” Martha asked as she opened up the wardrobe in one of the bedrooms, searching for some practical clothing and a bag or two. 

“The Doctor is always alright.”

“And Jack?” Martha pressed on.

“Ah.”

“You know that he’s…

“Immortal? Yeah, unfortunately I sort of caused that,” Rose winced. Martha stopped rifling through a drawer and gaped at her.

“You what?” 

“Martha what do the words Bad Wolf mean to you?” Rose asked, putting down the items she had been investigating to make full eye contact with the younger woman.

“Nothing….except,” Martha’s eyes glazed over for a moment. 

“Have you heard them before?” 

“I hadn’t… I didn’t know. Except when you said the words just now, it’s like I’m remembering things from the last time I saw you that I wasn’t remembering before. You told me everything about being trapped in a parallel world and that I’d see you again soon. But then when you were gone I think I forgot you. A few days ago when I met Jack at the end of the universe he asked about you and I couldn’t remember that I’d just seen you not long ago. The Doctor said you were safe in a parallel world and I didn’t think about how that was wrong,” Martha rambled. 

“I don’t know much about memory alteration, but I know it’s something the Doctor can do and the TARDIS has helped him with it. If your memories were altered, either you agreed to it or it was done solely to prevent a devastating paradox,” Rose tried to explain. She was in over her head when it came to preserving time streams, but she knew she was clearly going to need to learn more the next time she could connect with the TARDIS properly. 

“Fat lot of good it does, when now we’ve got a paradox machine spewing Toclafane all over the world,” Martha humphed but she went back to packing, all thoughts of Bad Wolf gone as quickly as they came.

As they packed up what they could from the abandoned home, Rose wondered how safe it would be to continue using Bad Wolf’s powers to travel around the world. Would the Master be able to sense the disturbance in the vortex? Or would he be too preoccupied? Because Bad Wolf was somehow tied to the TARDIS would she be able to utilize the abilities? The questions swirled in Rose’s head for hours as she and Martha made preparations and settled down for one night of rest before they headed out. They both knew it would likely be a very long time before they saw a real bed for a while and they took advantage of the empty home. 

An hour after Martha had said goodnight and gone off to sleep, Rose was still tossing and turning. She wished that she could reach out to the TARDIS for reassurance, but try as she might her mind stayed quiet and all her attempts remained futile. Rose wandered out into the small garden off the kitchen. She wasn’t sure how safe it was to be outside, but she just needed to see the sky, and to feel the Earth move again. Somehow, it helped calm her. She heard a zap and froze, blurring her image again like she had done before to hide from the Master and the Toclafane but as she carefully turned her head to the right, she realized it wasn’t a Toclafane afterall. 

“I’m afraid that won’t work on me, Rose,” a young woman wearing a Vortex Manipulator smiled at her. She was petite, with pale blond hair in a sleek ponytail. She wore a dark green shirt and black pants with combat boots. Something about her was incredibly familiar, but Rose was sure that she’d never met the girl.

“How do you know my name?”

“Do you really need to ask? You travel in time and you meet people out of order regularly. Not sure what it is about you, and why you can’t ever just meet someone when they meet you,” the girl flashed a grin and Rose huffed in frustration.

“If all of you would quit popping in on me, maybe I could meet you when I’m supposed to meet you,” she responded.

“Still got that sharp tongue. You never change,” the girl laughed as she took a few steps closer to Rose. 

“What’s your name then?”

“Just call me a friend from the future. No more questions, please,” she answered quickly and Rose bit back the question that was already forming on her tongue.

“I can’t stay long, but I need to warn you. If this crazy plan works and you get Martha reunited with the Doctor, you can’t see him yet. Without the TARDIS’ help, you wouldn’t be able to filter his perception enough and it will cause a paradox. To him, you’re still trapped in the parallel world and it has to stay that way until after he’s sent past you there again. I’m sorry,” the younger woman apologized sincerely and Rose shook her head.

“How do you know this?”

“You told me.”

“Future me?”

“Who else?”

The woman stared at each other for a few more moments before something clicked in Rose’s mind.

“You said IF this crazy plan works. But if future me told you that-

“The future can change, don’t ever forget that. When you travel with the Doctor, he doesn’t explain this stuff. But he’s got centuries of Time Lord culture and rules floating around in his head. He makes it seem like everything will always work out. But Rose- time travel is dangerous. Why do you think the TIme Lords had so many rules anyway?” the younger woman said, a sobering expression plastered on her face. 

Rose could feel a headache pulsing in her mind. It was like the more she learned about how time travel worked, the less she understood. 

“I suppose I should just say thank you,” she sighed.

“Don’t thank me, I’m only doing what you told me to do,” the other girl grinned, tongue pressed against her teeth. 

“Well then thank you for doing as I asked,” Rose corrected crossly. 

“See you when you see me I guess,” the woman smirked and activated her Vortex Manipulaor once more, quickly winking out of existence. 

Rose tried her best not to think about all the worries of creating paradoxes left and right. She had to take things just one day at a time. There was no point in worrying about the future if the world was about to end anyway. She had to keep herself and Martha alive, and make it as far across the Earth as she could. She had debated trying to reach out to some of the Doctor’s other contacts like Sarah Jane, but she woefully realized she had no way of contacting them. The phone she’d had Sarah Jane’s number stored on had been retired back during her time on Pete’s World and Jack was her only other contact. She tried to make a note to remember to seek out some more helpful contacts when the whole fiasco was over...if she survived it. With those troubling thoughts spinning through her head, Rose made her way back into the house for a night of fitful rest. 

Some weeks later. Midwest, USA, undisclosed resistance camp. 

Rose couldn’t help the small smile that lifted the corners of her lips as she stood at the back of the small room, listening to Martha tell the story of how she and the Doctor had rescued people in the future city of New New York. This was at least the 10th group of people they had come across that had offered them shelter for the night and been willing to hear their stories. She had decided early on that it was best for Martha to be the voice of their cause. The Master and the Doctor were both well aware that she had escaped and she knew the Master would expect Martha to be working against him. Neither of them had any clue she existed and though she chose a false name, she didn’t want to raise any suspicion around her. But she did tell Martha her own stories of the Doctor to be shared with others. 

They had decided to find a way across the ocean first, assuming it would only get harder as time went on. The Toclafane had descended worldwide, but their impact seemed to be most severe in the UK and nearby European nations initially so traveling through the Americas first made the most sense for avoiding capture. 

“And the Doctor shut them all down, all the dealers, all the stalls. He freed the people trapped on the expressway and then he shut down all of the patch sellers,” Martha concluded her story. The people were quiet, many of them unbelieving. 

“So how is this Doctor going to defeat the Master anyway?” one of the more vocal skeptics shouted. Martha glanced at Rose who subtly nodded, giving her the go ahead. 

“There is...a weapon that is capable of destroying the Master. But it’s scattered throughout the world. My friend and I are seeking out the pieces to deliver back to the Doctor.”

It seemed to silence the skeptics for the most part. The two of them had found that while people weren’t necessarily inclined to believe them, they wanted to cling to any hope that somehow the horror would end. And already rumors of the two of them were starting to spread. Three stops in a row now, they had felt almost expected. Martha fielded a few more questions before the small crowd began to disperse. This particular camp of people was holed up in what she assumed was an apartment building, full of flats that reminded her much like her home in the projects. It seemed like as more and more people were killed or captured by the Toclafane, survivors began to morph into hardened war refugees. And Rose supposed that was basically what people all over the world were feeling. There was no scrap of normal life leftover. Especially with all the world leaders dead or captured by the Master. All that was left was individual groups of people, fighting and hiding as best they could. 

“That was a good story. I think it really connected with some people,” Rose complimented Martha as they settled into a small room for the night. 

“Yeah I suppose. It seems like the stories are starting to have at least some effect. I honestly was starting to lose faith in the plan back in Detroit,” Martha confessed. Rose frowned.

“We can’t lose faith. It’s all we’ve got. I know what you mean, though. Starting from scratch...it made me wish that the Doctor would take credit for all the world saving he does at least some of the time,” Rose tried to joke a little, but Martha didn’t even laugh. 

“Hey,” Rose called out, moving to sit next to Martha on the bed, “Have I told you about when the Doctor and I visited New New York yet?” 

“I don’t think so, he mentioned you’d been there with him but he didn’t tell me any details,” Martha smiled a little. Rose excitedly launched into her own story of New New York, complete with cat-nuns and being possessed by the bitchy trampoline herself. By the end of it, Martha was asking questions and laughing and poking fun at the Doctor all over again.

“Thanks for that,” she said quietly as they both settled into bed.

“Anytime, Martha Jones.”

And so they continued their journey. Each place they stopped, they found a little more anticipation of their arrival. Some days were harder than others as survivors told them of the lives lost or argued with them about the Doctor’s ability to defeat the Master. Just the traveling alone became more and more difficult. Most days they traveled extreme distances on foot since traveling in a vehicle was far more conspicuous. When they could hitch rides, they did in order to make it farther but their progress was slower than they’d hoped. On days when their hope was drained or their faith in the doctor weakened, they did their best to lift each other up with stories and memories. It was all they had, and they could only hope that their steadfast belief in the Time Lord would be contagious to others.

3 months later, somewhere in Western Canada. 

Martha had just begun sharing Rose’s story of meeting Queen Victoria when panicked shouting from somewhere near the front of the home they were interrupted. WIthin moments, the house erupted into chaos as the unmistakable sounds of Toclafane outside sent everyone into a panic. In a flash, Rose was at Martha’s side, pulling her towards the back of the house. 

“Rose, we have to help them.”

“Martha, you and I both know we have to keep moving. We’re not going to be able to save every person. We have to focus on saving the whole world. We’re going to undo it all,” Rose whispered urgently as she continued to guide Martha to the back entrance.

“NO.” Martha suddenly stopped walking, jerking Rose backwards with her.

“Martha-

“Rose, we can’t just run away and abandon these people. I didn’t even get to tell them about the Doctor. Even if some of them survive, we won’t have spread the message here,” she tried to argue. Rose stared at her for a few moments, then glanced back toward the people who she could now hear being rounded up out front. Most likely they would be shipped off to labor camps, if they weren’t killed onsite. 

“Please Rose,” Martha begged. 

“You go. Head to the next town off that main road we were traveling, buckle down somewhere and leave a sign out for me so I know where to find you. I’ll catch up,” she said hastily, shoving Martha away.

“What? That’s not-

“MARTHA GO,” Rose ordered and gave her one more push out the back door before closing and locking it behind her. She wasn’t 100% confident Martha would listen, but it was the best she could do. With one quick breath she headed back out to the front of the home. Sure enough, the Toclafane and a few of the Master’s human soldiers had the group of people lined up in front of the home. With her image still blurred, Rose was able to sneak into the lineup without being noticed by anyone. 

“All women, children, and able bodied men will be taken to the nearest labor camp and put to work for the Master,” one of the Toclafane proclaimed. There was a scattered outcry.

“SILENCE,” a human soldier shouted, aiming his gun at one of the more vocal survivors. A child clinging to his leg cried out and one of the Toclafane came whirring down, triggering the child to bury his head into the older man’s pant leg. 

“This one will not serve the Master. Your life shall end,” it announced. 

“It absolutely will not,” Rose stated, stepping forward and allowing herself to be focused on. 

“STEP BACK AND IDENTIFY YOURSELF,” the soldier ordered but Rose glared, walking purposefully to shield the child with her own body. 

“I will not.”

“Then you choose death,” the Toclafane responded ominously, shooting a beam at her. As if it were the most natural reflex in the world, Rose raised her hand and disintegrated the beam as it made its way to her. The soldier sputtered, but Rose turned a glare on him. She felt the power of Bad Wolf swirl within her as she easily outstretched both hands and dissolved the soldiers and the Toclafane. She was met only with stunned silence, the remaining survivors filled with confusion as well as fear. 

“Who are you?” the man behind her asked, as he picked up his son and cradled him close.

“Speak not of me. Just stay safe, and share news of Martha Jones and the Doctor. They will save us,” Rose said sternly before quickly turning to run, forcing her image to blur out as she went. She didn’t like revealing Bad Wolf. She knew they would not be able to save everyone and still make it back to the Doctor in time. This was not a battle she could fight all on her own and risking word of Bad Wolf getting to the Master or the Doctor was far too dangerous. But she also wasn’t going to let a child be killed right in front of her. So some days, she made an exception. 

9 month later, somewhere in England. 

Rose couldn’t tell exactly where they were anymore, but she knew they had made it much closer to home somehow. And she knew it had been almost exactly 1 year since the paradox machine had been activated and time was running short. The world was in full apocalypse-mode and stories of Martha Jones and the Doctor had been successfully spread all over the world. On numerous occasions throughout their year of travel, Rose had used some amount of Bad Wolf to keep herself and Martha safe as they traveled. While she had no doubt that Martha would’ve survived even without her, she wasn’t sure how Martha’s friendship with the Doctor could’ve survived without Rose’s reminders of how much he cared.

Martha looked out into the night, knowing that they were near the shore. The small rowing boat was cramped with herself, Rose, and 2 other men that had agreed to take them to the coast. But she was not about to complain to anyone that was willing to help a known fugitive. As they neared he dock, they saw a man with an oil lamp signalling them over. Quietly, they exited the boat and made their way to him. 

“What's your name, then?” Martha asked.

“Tom Milligan. No need to ask who you are. The famous Martha Jones, though I’m sorry I don’t know your name,” he answered though directed his gaze towards Rose in confusion. 

“Catherine Davies,” she stated simply. She’d long since picked a false name that the Doctor would have no way of recognizing. 

“Well it’s good to see you two. How long has it been since either one of you was in Britain?”

“Three hundred and sixty five days. It's been a long year,” Martha answered. 

“So what's the plan?” Tom asked as he led them more inland. 

“We need to see Professor Docherty. Can you get us there?” Rose directed and Tom thought for a moment before responding. 

“She works in a repair shed, Nuclear Plant Seven. I can get you inside. What's all this for? What's so important about her?”

“Sorry, the more you know, the more you're at risk,” Martha answered. They had both decided the closer to the end of the year mark they got, the more they needed to amp up the whole ‘killing the master’ alibi they had. But since they obviously had no details, they just pretending it was classified. 

“There's a lot of people depending on you, Martha. You're a bit of a legend,” Tom murmured.

“What does the legend say?” Martha questioned, partially out of curiosity and partially to find out how effective their travels had been.

“That you sailed the Atlantic, walked across America. That you were the only person to get out of Japan alive. Martha Jones, they say, she's going to save the world. Bit late for that,” Tom commented the last bit hastily as they approached a vehicle.

“I didn’t do it alone. I had help,” Martha started, but Rose flashed her a look. She had worked diligently to fade into the background so the stories that spread were focused exclusively on Martha. She had slipped into some here and there, but she knew that the overwhelming majority of reports would omit her. 

“How come you can drive? Don't you get stopped?” Marhta continued, not letting Tom dwell on her comment.

“Medical staff,” he responded gruffly. “Used to be in pediatrics back in the old days. But that gives me a license to travel so I can help out other the labour camps.”

“Great. We’re traveling with a Doctor,” Rose grinned cheekily as they climbed into the van. 

“Story goes that you're the only person on Earth who can kill him. That you, and you alone, can kill the Master stone dead,” Tom said once they were settled. Martha twisted her face in disgust. She hated that part of their plan.

“Let's just drive,” Rose instructed. 

Up in the air, the Master was still aboard the Valiant. He hadn’t left it since he’d boarded 365 days before, not wanting to risk the Doctor having an opportunity to sneak away. The Doctor was kept in a sort of tent in the most dehumanizing way possible, tossed food daily but given no semblance of dignity. Martha’s family who had been brought aboard were being forced to act as servants, much to the Doctor’s dismay. 

“Citizens rejoice. Your lord and master stands on high, playing track three!” the Doctor’s voice bellowed from another room before music started and he danced into the room, grabbing his wife as he went. The two danced around the flight deck for a few minutes while Francine Jones served his afternoon tea. The Master danced over to the ships bell, ringing it with giddiness as he watched a withered, shrunken Doctor crawl out of the tent. With ease, he picked the Doctor up and forced him into a wheelchair before pushing him around the flight deck. 

“It's ready to rise, Doctor. The new Time Lord Empire. It's good, isn't it? Isn't it good? Anything? No? Anything? Oh, but they broke your hearts, didn't they, those Toclafane, ever since you worked out what they really are. They say Martha Jones has come back home. Now why would she do that?”

“Leave her alone,” the Doctor croaked as fiercely as he could muster.

“But you said something to her, didn't you? On the day I took control. What did you tell her?” the Master tapped his chin almost playfully, though the Doctor knew there was nothing playful about it. 

“I have one thing to say to you. You know what it is,” he replied solemnly. 

“Oh no, you don't!” the Master all but shouted before shoving the Doctor’s wheelchair far away from him, allowing the withering Time Lord to roll across the flight deck. 

“Valiant now entering Zone One airspace. Citizens rejoice,” the voice over the speaker sounded and the Master smiled gleefully, clapping his hands together in celebration.

“Come on, people!” he cheered.

“What are we doing? Launch Day in twenty four hour!” 

The Doctor made use of his distraction and quickly pressed three fingers against his thigh when Francine was near him. As planned, she repeated the signal to Clive who then passed it on to Tish. She quickly made her way to the brig, where Captain Jack Harkness was being held captive. Though none of them had had a great year, Jack had endured the worst. The Master found it hilariously fun to kill him in interesting ways, and when he wasn’t being killed he was forced to stand, wrists chained to polls to keep him upright. Despite his appearance, he flashed a big smile at the nervous young woman as she entered the room.

“Morning, Tish. Ah, smell that sea air. Makes me long for good old British fish and chips. Yeah. What do I get? Cold mashed swede. Some hotel. Last time I book over the Internet,” he rambled on as Tish spooned some food into a bowl and pressed three fingers against the container. Jack gave her a not-at-all-stealthy wink and she fought the urge to roll her eyes. She didn’t find his antics entertaining, on such an important day especially. 

Back on the ground, Martha, Rose, and Tom were making their way threw a quarry when Martha stopped, glaring at a large statue of the Master.

“All over the Earth, those things. He's even carved himself into Mount Rushmore,” she huffed.

“S’not like Mount Rushmore had that great of a history anyway,” Rose tried to reason, but the other two just gave her a strange look.

“Best to keep down,” Tom advised. “Here we go. The entire south coast of England, converted into shipyards. They bring in slave labour every morning. Break up cars, houses, anything, just for the metal. Building a fleet out of scrap.”

“You should see Russia. That's Shipyard Number One. All the way from the Black Sea to the Bering Strait, there's a hundred thousand rockets getting ready for war,” Rose sighed, thinking back to some of their more difficult days in Russia. With the weather there, it was hard enough for any resistance groups but being so close to the biggest labor camps made it virtually impossible to find anyone to listen to their story. 

“War? With who?” Tom asked. 

“The rest of the universe. I've been out there, Tom, in space, before all this happened, and there's a thousand different civilizations all around us with no idea of what's happening here. The Master can build weapons big enough to devastate them all,” Martha responded trying to keep herself from getting too worked up.

“You’ve been to space?” he asked incredulously. 

“Problem with that?” Martha retorted and Rose bit back a smile. The...tension was tangible between the two. It had been a long year and while the focus was on saving the world, Martha was only human.

“No!” Tom replied quickly. “Not at all, just, er, wow! Anything else I should know?”

“I’ve met Shakespeare,” the younger woman gloated, but before Tom could react two spheres appeared from behind the statue. Rose remained absolutely still, shifting her focus to her perception filter. It had become easier and easier to maintain it at a distance but allowing Tom to see her while keeping herself hidden from the Toclafane in close range was a little trickier. 

“Identify yourself,” the Toclafane instructed. 

“I've got a licence. Thomas Milligan, Peripatetic Medical Squad. I'm allowed to travel. I was just checking for-

“Soon the rockets will fly, and everyone will need medicine. You'll be so busy,” the other sphere giggled before flying off across the quarry once more. Tom glanced at both Martha and Rose, almost doing a comical double take. 

“But they didn’t see you!”

“How do you think we’ve traveled the world?” Martha smirked. She flashed him the TARDIS key worn on her necklace as the trio made their way back to the van. 

“Because the Master set up Archangel, that mobile network, fifteen satellites around the planet, but really it's transmitting this low level psychic field. That's how everyone got hypnotised into thinking he was Harold Saxon,” Rose explained. She hadn’t quite understood at first, but after hearing Martha explain it enough she had a good grasp on what the Doctor was trying to do by hijacking the Archangel network. 

“Saxon. Feels like ages ago,” Tom murmured.

“See the key’s tuned into the same frequency. Makes me...us,” Martha corrected, glancing quickly at Rose who smiled and revealed her own TARDIS key. “Makes us sort of...not invisible, just unnoticeable.”

Rose knew it was Bad Wolf that allowed her a more elaborate perception filter, but she kept that secret close.

“Well, I can see you,” Tom stated, though it was definitely more of a question than an outright statement.

“That's because you wanted to,” Martha smiled and though Rose wasn’t exactly sure that’s how the whole thing worked, she left the two lovebirds to flirt in peace. 

“Yeah, I suppose I did.”

After a few moments of somewhat uncomfortable silence Rose flashed a cheeky grin before asking: 

“So Tom, Is there a Mrs Milligan?” Martha elbowed her hard in the ribs, but she laughed it off. Tom’s cheeks flashed a crimson red but he shook his head almost immediately. 

“No. No. What about you ladies? A Mr. Jones or Mr. Davies?” he looked at Martha hopefully first.

“None for me. Before all this started I was finishing up my clinical rotations as well,” Martha confessed, which made Tom’s smile grow but politely he directed his gaze to Rose, silently asking for her answer as well. 

“It’s complicated,” Rose sighed. Memories of her Doctor standing on that beach with his unfinished sentence flashed before her eyes, then of John lying in a hospital bed, and then of her more recent memories with the Doctor. 

“Come on,” Martha softly called her out of her memories. “We've got to find this Docherty woman.”

“We'll have to wait until the next work shift. What time is it now?” Tom looked down at his long-broken watch. 

“It's nearly three o'clock,” Rose answered quickly, very aware of each second of time passing. 

They waited quietly in the car, Rose sitting in thought while Martha and Tom chatted (and flirted) for about 25 minutes until Tom announced the next work shift should have started and they could easily make their way to the woman they were seeking out.

He led them through the yard, cutting a gap in the chain link fence before running into a building where an older woman sat hunched over a work table, thumping a long tube in visible frustration.

“Professor Docherty?” Tom called. 

“Busy,” she replied gruffly, not even looking up at the three strangers.

“They, er, they sent word ahead. I'm Tom Milligan. This is Martha Jones. And-

“She can be the Queen of Sheba for all I care. I'm still busy,” the woman grumbled, fiddling now with a small television atop the table.

“Televisions don't work anymore,” Martha pointed out. The woman still refused to look up, but a wistful look took over her expression.

“Oh God, I miss Countdown. Never been the same since Des took over. Both Deses. What's the plural for Des? Desi? Deseen? But we've been told there's going to be a transmission from the man himself….There!”\

A black and white image appeared on the screen and Rose felt all the hairs on her body tingle in complete and utter disgust as she immediately recognized the blurry picture. 

“My people. Salutations on this, the eve of war. Lovely woman. But I know there's all sorts of whispers down there. Stories of a child, walking the Earth, giving you hope!” 

He paused momentarily and Rose silently said a thank you to any deity that might be listening that only stories of Martha had made their way to him. 

“But I ask you...How much hope has this man got? Say hello, Gandalf. Except he's not that old, but he's an alien with a much greater lifespan than you stunted little apes. But what if it showed?” the Master’s grandstanding continued as the camera shifted to the Doctor sitting in a wheelchair beside him. Rose’s heart tightened and she felt Martha’s body tense beside her as well.

“What if I suspend your capacity to regenerate? All nine hundred years of your life, Doctor. What if we could see them?” he mused as he adjusted the sonic screwdriver and aimed it at the Doctor. Rose bit back the cry that threatened to fall from her lips but Martha kept cool and collected, showing no outward sign of her worry. The Doctor’s already frail body began convulsing as the Master continued to point the sonic in his direction. His body shrank and shrank until Rose feared he would literally turn to dust before her very eyes. 

“Older and older and older. Down you go, Doctor. Down, down, down the years...Doctor,” the Master called out, almost softly. 

From within the heap of empty clothes, a small creature with large eyes peered out. He was completely unrecognizable as the Doctor, even to Rose who thought she would always know him no matter his face. The Master directed his gaze straight into the camera, straight into Martha’s soul. 

“Received and understood, Miss Jones?” he asked sharply before the broadcast abruptly ended. 

“ I'm sorry,” Tom said sadly. 

“The Doctor's still alive,” Martha insisted and Rose squeezed her hand, nodding slightly. 

“Obviously the Archangel Network would seem to be the Master's greatest weakness. Fifteen satellites all around the Earth, still transmitting. That's why there's so little resistance. It's broadcasting a telepathic signal that keeps people scared,” Professor Docherty stated, finally turning to actually face the trio. 

“We could just take them out,” Tom suggested.

“Oh sure. We could. Fifteen ground to air missiles ought to do it. You got any on you?” she glared, causing Tom to fall silent.

“Besides, any military action, the Toclafane descend.”

“They’re not called Toclafane,” Rose interrupted. “That’s just a name the Master made up.”

“Then what are they?” the professor narrowed her eyes.

“We were hoping you could help us figure that out,” Martha answered, pulling a charred Toclafane out of her bag and placing it on the table. 

“How did you…?” Professor Docherty trailed off, poking gently at the sphere in apprehension.

“We stumbled upon it. It was struck by lightning in South Africa...the only thing we’ve ever heard that even damaged one,” Rose lied easily. In truth, a sphere had been taken down by a lightning strike but they hadn’t been there for that. They’d learned of it, and Rose had tapped into Bad Wolf to recreate a similar phenomena in order to capture it. She had tried to keep most of her abilities hidden from Martha. Being open about her history with the Doctor and what she had once done as Bad Wolf was one thing, but openly admitting that she had since regained many of those abilities was not something she wanted to risk the Doctor finding out. Even if she was somehow able to wipe Martha’s memory of her. So she hadn’t used any further abilities to try to open the sphere. 

“Can you help us open it?” Martha asked. 

“It’s been inactive for several weeks now. It can’t hurt you,” Rose assured her and the woman set to work on attempting to open it. 

“There's some sort of magnetic clamp. Hold on, I'll just trip the-

Suddenly, the four quarters of the top of the sphere open up to reveal a tiny, shriveled head. It opened its eyes and all four humans jumped back in surprise. 

“Oh my God!” Professor Docherty exclaimed. 

“It’s alive,” Rose whispered in horror.

“Martha. Martha Jones,” the head spoke, it’s voice only a notch above a whisper.

“It knows you,” Tom murmured.

“Sweet, kind Martha Jones. You helped us fly,” the head continued.

“What do you mean?” Martha shouted. 

“You led us to salvation.”

“WHO ARE YOU?” she demanded again.

“The skies are made of diamonds,” the head seemed to smile fondly. Martha froze, tears springing to her eyes as she clamped a hand over her mouth. Rose looked back and forth between her head and the strange creature with confusion. 

“No, you can’t be him,” Martha shook her head adamantly. 

“We share each other’s memories. You sent him to Utopia,” it answered.

“Oh my god,” Martha felt her stomach drop and quiver in horror. 

“What's it talking about? What's it mean?” Tom questioned. Martha didn’t answer at first and Rose stayed quiet. Martha had shared some theories with her over the last several weeks, none of which were particularly pleasant but by Martha’s reaction she assumed it was a worst case scenario sort of situation.

“What are they?” the professor asked again and Rose prodded Martha gently, waking her up from her stupor. 

“They're us. They're humans. The human race from the future,” Martha confessed with horror. 

“I'd sort of worked it out with the paradox machine, because the Doctor said, on the day before the Master came to power, he said that the TARDIS was locked onto just the two coordinates, so the only other place the Doctor could go was the end of the universe,” she explained. 

“Utopia,” Rose sighed. Professor Docherty and Tom gave them both questioning looks and Rose left it to Martha to explain. 

“The Utopia Project was the last hope. Trying to find a way to escape the end of everything.”

“There was no solution, no diamonds. Just the dark and the cold. So we made ourselves pretty and then the Master came with his wonderful time machine to bring us back home,” the sphere chimed in.

“But that's a paradox. If you're the future of the human race, and you've come back to murder your ancestors, you should cancel yourselves out. You shouldn't exist,” Professor Docherty argued.

“And that's why the Master needed a paradox machine. He took the TARDIS, a living being and manipulated her...changed her so that she would hold the paradox in place. It’s the TARDIS that allows the past and future to exist simultaneously,” Rose explained, her heart breaking for the TARDIS. 

“But what about us? We’re the same species. Why do you kill so many of us?” Tom turned his focus back towards the sphere.

“Because it’s fun!” the future human giggled in response. WIth no warning, Tom raised his firearm and shot the head, killing it instantly. 

“HEY!” Rose shouted angrily. 

“We got what we needed. They’ll all be gone soon enough anyway,” the professor scowled at her.

“What’s it all for? What was his plan?” Tom continued, pushing the opened sphere with head a bit further away.

“My best guess is he’s trying to rebuild an empire that fell a long time ago. The Master is from a planet called Galifrey, which once produced a race of people called the Time Lords. The Master and the Doctor are the only Time Lords left. They’re planet burned in a great war. The Doctor moved on. The Master…” Rose trailed off.

“He only just found out the planet was gone. He was in hiding. When he found out the planet burned, that’s when he ran and came here to our time. That’s when he began planning the paradox machine,” Martha filled in the pieces. 

“I think it's time we had the truth, Miss Jones. The legend says you've travelled the world to find a way of killing the Master. Tell us, is it true?” Professor Docherty asked, focusing her question at Martha. 

“Just before I escaped, the Doctor told me. The Doctor and the Master, they've been coming to Earth for years. And they've been watched. There's UNIT and Torchwood, all studying Time Lords in secret. And they made this, the ultimate defence,” she answered, pulling out a case to reveal a gun-like device with a squeeze trigger and four small cylinders along the top. Carefully laying in the case lay three vials of coloured liquid. Rose sighed and quietly backed away from the conversation as Martha explained the fake weapon to the other two. It seemed ridiculous afterall, but she knew the Doctor and the terrified survivors they’d spoken to needed to hope for an end. They couldn’t have the unquestioning faith in the Doctor that both she and Martha had. 

After a few minutes, Rose could hear Tom agreeing to take them to an old UNIT base to find the last of the vials. Rose knew full well they would never make it there. Martha would be captured and brought to the Valiant as they planned, and she...she would leave. It broke her heart to come so close but run away. Really, she should’ve left when she first realized something was wrong. It wasn’t her business to meddle in his past, but she had to do what she could to help see his plan through. And her peace was done. As soon as Martha was back with the Doctor, Rose would have accomplished her goal. When they left Professor Docherty’s workspace, they made their way to the slave quarters. It wasn’t unlike the resistance groups they sometimes found. Overcrowded, starving people being worked to the bone and desperate for hope. The perfect crowd for one more story. A small boy started the conversation, asking Martha if she was really going to kill the Master. She didn’t answer, and instead launched into her story.

“I travelled across the world, from the ruins of New York to the fusion mills of China, right across the radiation pits of Europe. And everywhere I went, I saw people just like you, living as slaves. But if Martha Jones became a legend, then that's wrong, because my name isn't important. There's someone else. The man who sent me out there. The man who told me to walk the Earth. And his name is the Doctor. He has saved your lives so many times, and you never even knew he was there. He never stops. He never stays. He never asks to be thanked. But I've seen him. I know him. I…” she paused for a moment, looking right at Rose who stood once more at the back of the crowd. “I love him. And I know what he can do.”

A commotion outside interrupted her and they all looked up, Rose’s heart rate speeding up. 

“It's him! It's him! Oh my God, it's him! It's the Master. He's here,” a woman shouted.

“But he never comes to Earth. He never walks upon the ground!” the young boy insisted.

“Hide her!” the woman called urgently and Tom shoved an old sack towards Martha. Rose hung back, watching cautiously and allowing herself to blend into the background. In all the chaos, Tom wouldn’t even remember she had been there. 

“Martha. Martha Jones. I can see you! Out you come, little girl. Come and meet your master,” a voice called from outside that sent chills up Rose’s spine. Everyone inside froze, staring at the corner where Martha sat hidden.

“Anybody? Nobody? No? Nothing? Positions,” he directed and the sound of boots thudding as soldiers moved around, and then guns clicking set them all on edge. 

“I'll give the order unless you surrender. Ask yourself. What would the Doctor do?”

Without another moment of hesitation, Martha looked towards Rose, gave her a subtle nod, took off her TARDIS key and walked out of the building. Rose quickly navigated to the front of the room, keeping an eye on Martha through the window. 

“Oh, yes. Oh, very well done. Good girl. He trained you well. Bag. Give me the bag. No, stay there. Just throw it,” the Master grinned at Martha who complied silently, tossing her backpack towards the Master. In moments it was destroyed by his screwdriver. 

“And now, good companion, your work is done,” the Master continued as he pointed his screwdriver at Martha. Rose watched as Tom made a move to run out of the house. Swiftly, she put a hand across his chest. He looked over in shock but she just shook her head and placed a finger to her lips. The Master laughed before pocketing his screwdriver.

“Can’t kill you yet! When you die, the Doctor should be witness, hmm? Almost dawn, Martha, and planet Earth marches to war,” he laughed maniacally once more before grabbing Martha roughly by the arm and retreating towards a teleport mat. Rose desperately wished she could say goodbye, wipe Martha’s memory of her, do anything. But she hadn’t been able to figure out how to tap into any of that. And she just hoped that Martha would know to keep quiet about her help. As soon as the Master left, the Toclafane following him, Tom turned angrily towards her.

“How could you just let her go like that? I thought she was your friend! You traveled the world together!”

“She is my friend. This was all the plan, Tom. Professor Docherty turned us in, and we knew she would. I’m shocked she didn’t mention me to the Master, but let’s just be glad she didn’t,” Rose answered.

“Your PLAN was to let Martha get captured and neither of you thought to tell me?” he asked, glaring down at Rose.

“We didn’t know who we could and couldn’t trust. But believe me, in a few hours you won’t even remember being upset,” Rose murmured, walking away from him.

“Where are you going?” he called.

“Home, I hope,” she replied vaguely before exiting the home and walking down the deserted street a bit. She took a centering deep breath and focused on the TARDIS once more, allowing Bad Wolf to take the wheel and teleport her back to her beloved ship. Though she still had very little control over WHEN she would end up, she desperately hoped she would be able to see Martha Jones safe before moving more towards the proper moment in the Doctor’s timeline. 

When the warmth faded from her body once more, she opened her eyes to see the familiar glow of the TARDIS console, and the joyous song filled her head once more, bringing tears to her eyes.

“Hello,” Rose whispered, stroking a hand against one of the coral struts lovingly. The TARDIS responded by wrapping her mind in a gentle embrace and turning on the monitor to show her Martha, Jack, and the Doctor all standing outside, leaning against a railing. It looked like they were in Cardiff, which wouldn’t surprise Rose as the TARDIS would need to refuel after a year of being forced to act as a paradox machine. 

She couldn’t hear their discussion, but somehow she could just sense that it hadn’t been very long since the paradox had been repaired. After a few minutes, Jack walked off (towards Torchwood’s entrance if she was remembering correctly) and the Doctor and Martha laughed a moment before turning to head back towards the TARDIS. Quickly, Rose dashed down the hallway to avoid being seen. She stayed onboard as the TARDIS took off and landed only a few moments later. She listened as Martha and the Doctor both exited before quickly making her exit as well. She hid around the corner as the Doctor watched Martha enter the home before returning to the TARDIS...to meddle and pass the time most likely. A few minutes later Martha re-emerged from the home, phone pressed to her head. 

“Yeah. Could you put me through? Hi, I'm looking for a Doctor Thomas Milligan,” she spoke into the phone. Rose smirked a bit. She’d called that one. After a few moments, Martha hung up, a blush rising in her cheeks. Before she had a chance to head back towards the TARDIS, Rose approached her, flashing her a wave. Martha’s eyes widened as she smiled, almost running up to the blonde woman and enveloping her in a hug.

“Oh my god, Rose! You’re okay!” she exclaimed.

“Yeah, I’m okay and I remember everything...and it seems like you do too?” Rose responded carefully.

“Yeah, when the Doctor broke the Master’s control over everything and the paradox machine failed, it was like the clock reset on the whole year. And only the people on board the Valiant, closest to it remembered. Except you somehow remembered-

“Right. About that, Martha. You can’t tell anyone I was here...especially not the Doctor. He still thinks I’m trapped in a parallel world and I think you know we don’t want to deal with anymore paradoxes,” Rose advised.

“I sort of figured that bit,” Martha rolled her eyes.

“You’re a star, Martha Jones,” Rose told her earnestly.

“Yeah, yeah. I saved the world and all that,” the younger woman replied cheekily. 

“Oh and one more thing? In a few years, you’re going to meet me...well, past me and it’s supposed to be the first time we meet each other. So brush up on your acting skills, yeah?” Rose flashed her a teasing smile and Martha just laughed before hugging her friend one more time. 

They parted ways, Martha entering the TARDIS and Rose turning to walk away from her home. The song of the TARDIS still played through her mind and the gaping hole that she’d learned to get used to over the last year was once again filled. She walked to a nearby park, finding a quiet spot before closing her eyes and allowing Bad Wolf to once more take her where she needed to go, hoping desperately that this would be her last solo trip through the Vortex and that when she opened her eyes, she would see her pinstripe Doctor once more. 

Chapter Text

Rose stood up, shaking her head lightly. The landings got easier every time, and this time she could even sense that she was further in the past than she had been moments ago. She added that skill to the list of things she needed to eventually speak to the TARDIS about the next time she slept aboard the ship. That thought triggered Rose to look around the console room where she had landed and frown. It was easy to see from the interface that she was still in the TARDIS that her pinstripe Doctor traveled in. But the lights were dimmed once more and everything was covered in a thick layer of dust. 

“Poor thing,” she tutted. “The Doctor’s been neglecting you hasn’t he?” she asked aloud. Concern wrenched her gut as only silence answered her. The point in her mind where the TARDIS song usually sang loud and clear wasn’t empty like it had been during the year that never was, but it was almost as though someone had hit mute. She couldn’t hear the song and the TARDIS wasn’t reaching out in her mind, but she could feel that the TARDIS was alive and well...just dormant. Rose made her way swiftly to the controls, but without guidance from the TARDIS herself or the Doctor, she wasn’t sure what to press to activate the controls. She added another mental note to force the Doctor or the TARDIS to teach her some basics when she figured out what was going on. As usual, the circular Galifreyan that served as a sort of desktop background was not translated. 

With a huff of frustration, Rose made her way out of the console room and began wandering the halls of the TARDIS. She popped her head into some of the Doctor’s favorite rooms: the galley, the library, the media room...she even brushed a hand along the door for the room she knew to be the Doctor’s private bedroom. But she didn’t open it. She’d only been in that room once when she’d first wandered in on accident. The Doctor had been so flustered she never dared again. Her room, however, was nowhere to be found. She assumed that the TARDIS had moved it when she was sent to the parallel world and in whatever dormant state she was in, she couldn’t bring it back. 

“Think, Rose, what would cause the Doctor to leave the TARDIS like this?” she wondered aloud as she made her way back to the console room. She planned to take a look outside to see if it would give her any context, but as she neared the room she heard the Doctor’s voice. 

“... Two, don't worry about the Tardis. I'll put it on emergency power so they can't detect it. Just let it hide away. Four. No, wait a minute, three. No getting involved in big historical events. Four, you. Don't let me abandon you. And fi-

His voice sped up suddenly, and Rose realized that someone was listening to a recording. She didn’t dare peer around the corner until she heard a very familiar voice.

“But there was a meteor, a shooting star. What am I supposed to do then?” exclaimed Martha Jones. Rose broke into a smile before she realized that this was probably the adventure Martha was referring to before their year of traveling the world. So she found herself once more meeting a dear friend in the wrong order. She took a deep calming breath as the Doctor’s voice resumed normal speed. 

“And twenty three. If anything goes wrong, if they find us, Martha, then you know what to do. Open the watch. Everything I am is kept safe in there. Now, I've put a perception filter on it so the human me won't think anything of it. To him, it's just a watch. But don't open it unless you have to. Because once it's open, then the Family will be able to find me. It's all down to you, Martha. Your choice. Oh, and thank you,” the Doctor’s voice finished and Rose rolled her eyes. Yet again, he was putting enormous pressure on the young human with likely no preparation and at the end of it, there was unlikely to be any thanks or praise. The Doctor was brilliant and he chose brilliant companions, but he had a way of making them feel very unqualified. 

“I wish you'd come back,” Martha sighed and Rose stepped around the corner, determined to comfort her friend.

“He will,” she said calmly. Martha jumped and whirled around, her eyes narrowing as her entire body stiffened.

“Who are you?” she demanded, glancing around the room in a veiled attempt to seek out some form of protection.

“A friend,” Rose answered. She didn’t move towards Martha, but also made no move to step down or back off. 

“A friend of the Doctor’s? How did you get here?” Martha questioned.

“A friend of yours and the Doctors...you just haven’t met me yet. I have my own way of travel, but that’s not important right now. I’m here to help,” Rose promised her. Martha seemed to relax a bit as her shoulders drooped. 

“I guess there’s no way you could’ve gotten in here if you weren’t a friend. What’s your name then?” the younger woman crossed her arms in an attempt to feign more confidence than she was feeling at the moment.

“Rose,” the older woman answered honestly. Martha felt every hair on her body stand on end. She knew the woman’s face had seemed familiar and now it was clear why. Her face was sketched out in John Smith’s journal. Even in human form, Rose was the woman he thought about. Not Martha. Rose. Against her will, she felt her shoulders drop in defeat. She had fought so hard for the Doctor’s attention. She was the one there, not Rose. Rose had left him and yet here the woman stood as if nothing had ever happened.

“I see,” Martha finally responded curtly. Rose tilted her head to the side slightly, trying to get a read on Martha. She could tell the younger woman was standing defensively, and whether that was because of the apparently imminent danger or because of Rose’s sudden appearance she couldn’t say for sure. But she was not surprised by the younger companion’s reaction. She very much doubted the Doctor had told Martha much about his previous companions. Briefly, she remembered her first encounter with Sarah Jane. She had been in Martha’s shoes before, except that Sarah Jane hadn’t had the advantage of already being friends with Rose when Rose first met her. The blonde sighed as she felt a headache beginning to form. Time travel was becoming exceedingly complicated.

“I’m not sure what the Doctor has told you about me,” Rose started.

“Just that you were brilliant and you’ll always know the answer in any situation. But you haven’t been here with him, have you?” Martha sneered, unable to help the petty remarks from falling from her lips. Rose gazed at her with a calm, gentle look…one of pity that made Martha fume even more.

“You’re right. I haven’t been here. And I am so glad he has had such a wonderful friend to travel with him. I would never want the Doctor to be alone. But let me make one thing perfectly clear, Martha Jones,” Rose firmed her tone a little bit. Even though she wanted to be gentle with her friend, the Bad Wolf within her roared at the jealousy that so clearly oozed from Martha’s tone.

My Doctor, the Bad Wolf snarled and Rose fought to calm herself before continuing.

“I did not leave the Doctor by choice. We were separated by forces outside either of our control and I fought many impossible challenges to get back to him. Unfortunately…I’ve arrived a little too early in his timeline. This is not my adventure to live through,” she explained.

“What’s that supposed to mean? What have you got your own TARDIS or something?” Martha questioned. Rose smiled a little. There was absolutely no slipping anything past the observant young woman.

“No. I travel through the Time Vortex on my own with the help of an entity called Bad Wolf,” Rose answered. Martha may not be able to fully understand the science behind time travel, but she was an incredibly intelligent and accomplished woman. There was no point in speaking down to her. Martha didn’t respond for a minute, but allowed her posture to relax a little. Rose had made her feelings for the Doctor abundantly clear and while it stung, Martha was almost glad to know that whatever feelings the Doctor had for his former companion were reciprocated.

“I suppose I’ve seen stranger things traveling with him,” Martha admitted quietly.

“And I’m sure you’ll see even stranger things in the future.”

“If you’re here too early, why did you stay? Why even introduce yourself to me?” Martha questioned.

“It’s a little complicated. I’m still getting the hang of time traveling on my own, and I keep meeting people out of order. I just came from the future where I met you for the first time, but you seemed to know me already. So then when I came here and saw you, I figured I should properly introduce myself. But I don’t have to stay, Martha. The Doctor trusts you with keeping him safe,” Rose promised.

“But you said you’re too early in his timeline. How do you know that? This isn’t before he’s met you.”

“I can’t tell you about what’s going to happen in the future, but there are other events in his personal timeline that I’ve already been part of. If I am going to reunite with him properly, I need to find a point in his timeline after those events. I can’t risk him seeing me now…it would create a terribly paradox,” Rose tried to explain it in the simplest terms that she could and watched as Martha seemed to really mull over her words before sighing heavily.

“Well if there is a way for you to avoid being seen by him, it couldn’t hurt to have a second set of hands on this. It’s…not as straight forward as the Doctor was hoping it would be,” Martha admitted. Even though she didn’t fully trust Rose, the woman was clearly trusted by the Doctor and Martha felt completely in over her head with the recent developments.

“Then I am here to help. Just tell me what you need,” Rose offered.

“How much do you know about the situation?” Martha asked.

“Not much. In the future, the Doctor told me about some of the trouble he got into when I wasn’t there, but he didn’t always go into much detail. Why don’t we pop into the galley for a cuppa and you can catch me up?”

“I shouldn’t be gone from the school too long. People will notice,” Martha sighed.

“Let me worry about that,” Rose told her gently. She was well aware by the servants uniform Martha donned that they were likely somewhere in the past where the color of Martha’s skin was probably making things that much harder. Rose’s eastern accent was sure to turn heads depending on where they were located and it wouldn’t have been the first time that traveling in the past made things more challenging for a woman of lower class.

“Alright I guess,” Martha shrugged, still keeping her guard up but aching to accept the metaphorical hand Rose was offering. It felt like she finally saw land after being lost at sea for weeks. She went to lead the way to the galley but startled as Rose walked confidently down the hall and straight for the familiar room.

“How did you know how to find the galley? I feel like every time I go to find it, it’s in a different spot accept since we landed here. The Doctor said he put the ship on low power mode, so I assume that’s why things aren’t changing like they normally are,” Martha asked as the pair of them walked along the short journey to the warm galley. Even in low power mode, there was power to the appliances in the galley. It just wasn’t automated like it normally was since the TARDIS was essentially in a deep sleep.

“The Doctor does a shite job at explaining the TARDIS,” Rose bit back a frustrated groan.

“But she’s much more than just a ship. She’s a multidimensional being that’s actually alive in her own way. She can communicate with the Doctor because he is somewhat telepathic. Humans can’t generally communicate with her, but she and I have…an understanding. And the galley is always not too far off the console room,” Rose explained as she got busy putting a kettle on.

“That’s just…that’s insane!” Martha exclaimed.

“It’s hard to show you when she’s like this…but when she’s awake…on full power, just press your hand to one of those coral struts some time. Feel the vibrations, watch the console. That’s where her heart is. She’s not human or Time Lord, just her own very special being,” Rose smiled fondly as the kettle whistled. Future and alien technology was the best part of being back on the TARDIS. Never have to wait more than a few minutes for a hot cuppa ever again.

“I guess,” Martha pursed her lips, rifling through the cupboards to find the box of her favorite tea. The two woman finished preparing their tea in silence, adding sugar and powdered creamer since there was no fresh food aboard the ship. Rose presumed it had all gone bad or they hadn’t bothered to shop in a while. One thing the TARDIS couldn’t really do was materialize food from nothing. She could move objects around from even deep within her archives, but she couldn’t make things exist that didn’t exist.

“So what’s going on here?” Rose asked as they sat down in the little booth that still decorated the almost 1950s style galley.

“We were just traveling on another planet when we ran into these creatures called The Family. They’re naturally short lived, only a few months, but they kill others to take their life force to live longer and when they spotted the Doctor, they were enticed by the idea of living forever. So the Doctor decided we should go into hiding and just try to outlast them,” Martha started and paused, looking at Rose to make sure she was keeping up. Rose nodded for her to continue. It made sense that the Doctor’s first inclination would be to avoid conflict. Though he had some dark moments and could fight when he needed, he strove to be peaceful at every opportunity.

“The Doctor said that the Family would follow us wherever or whenever we went and the only way to really hide from them was to hide himself away in a pocket watch,” Martha continued and Rose frowned.

“I’m afraid that’s where you’re losing me,” she interrupted and Martha bit her lip.

“I can’t explain it that well. He was in such a rush when he was trying to tell me, but basically he put this thing on his head…I think he called it the Chameleon Arch and supposedly it rewrote his biology to turn him human. One heart, a false identity implanted in his brain, and the very essence of himself hidden in a pocket watch that he put some kind of filter on so his human self wouldn’t try to open it or anything,” Martha explained.

“I…didn’t know that was possible. But I’m sure I’ll have my opportunity to find out more about it eventually,” Rose murmured, her head spinning. She thought that her John was the only human version of the Doctor. And he was supposed to have been impossible. But the Doctor had been through something like this before? And he hadn’t mentioned it to her? She thoughts she remembered John briefly saying something about the Family, but she couldn’t remember any details. Whether that was from her age, or because he just hadn’t offered any details up she couldn’t say for sure.

“Well anyway, the TARDIS dropped us off here in 1913 in Farringham. The Doctor thinks he’s a Professor named John Smith and I’m his maid that’s worked for him for a few years,” Martha rolled her eyes. Typical for her to end up as the help while the Doctor paraded around as upper class despite not even really being a human and definitely not having a strong understanding of human customs…at least not the real Doctor.

“And how long have you been here?” Rose pressed.

“About two months. The Doctor said we should be safe after three. But I’ve run into a few problems, and I’m worried they might be closing in,” Martha confessed, sipping her tea and almost melting into the comfort.

“What problems?”

“Well first last night I saw a meteor come down and I swear it came down in a field nearby. I went to check it out because I thought it might’ve been a ship, but I didn’t see anything there. Still. I’m worried about it,” Martha stated.

“We should check it out again. It might have some kind perception filter or camouflage technology like the TARDIS,” Rose nodded.

“The TARDIS doesn’t have camouflage technology. I think people just ignore it because it’s too odd,” Martha chuckled a little.

“Oh she has the technology. It’s just that a long, long time ago it broke down when she was disguised as a Police Box and the Doctor liked it so much he has never repaired her. I don’t think she’d let him even if he tried though,” Rose rolled her eyes, fondling thinking of the TARDIS shocking the Doctor as he tried to tinker with things that didn’t need fixing.

“Oh,” Martha responded in surprise. Silence from Rose aside from quiet sipping of her tea urged her to continue.

“The second problem is that the Doctor seems to be…getting rather attached to one of the other faculty members at the school we’re working at. There’s a nurse that’s taken a fancy to him and he seems to reciprocate. He even confessed to her that he has dreams of being a time traveling alien with a blue box,” Martha admitted awkwardly, avoiding Rose’s intense gaze as she spoke of the nurse and the Doctor’s feelings for her.

Things were already tense enough when it was clear that his two companions both had feelings for him. Now another human woman was added to the mix? What did they all even see in him anyway? Sure he was brilliant and proper fit, but he was also arrogant and condescending and at times, extremely immature. The more Martha thought about it, in fact, the more she realized that if she had met a human version of the Doctor like John Smith…she would not have fallen for him. But he wasn’t human. He was the Doctor and he was wonderful. Martha shook her head lightly to remove herself from those spiraling thoughts. It wasn’t the time to worry about how she felt about the Doctor. At the moment she needed to be focused on John Smith.

“Alright…do you worry that his dreams of his real life are starting to disrupt whatever disguise he put on himself?” Rose asked, trying to focus on the most imminent problem even though her heart stung with heartache and jealousy at the thought of any version of the Doctor falling in love with someone else. Meeting his next self and her future self had confirmed that the two of them had a future together as more than just traveling companions, but as the Doctor had always reminded her…time was always in flux. Very few things were actually fixed points in time.

“Not really. He’s been having those dreams almost the whole time, and the watch has remained closed. He’s got a journal where he writes down these dreams,” Martha answered. She did not add that he also had drawings of Rose in there.

“Okay, so let’s not worry about that just yet. The Family being here is potentially a problem, but if we can keep the Doctor hidden and the watch safe…they shouldn’t be able to figure out who he is and if I can help this false story last for another two weeks you should be able to go back to normal,” Rose concluded.

“But what about the nurse?”

“What about her?” Rose asked stiffly.

“What if he falls in love with her? What if he won’t be willing to give that up to take his life back?” Martha questioned.

“Of course he’ll want his life back. He’s the Doctor! He can’t stand domestic life. He’d get bored instantly,” Rose answered confidently.

“Look, Rose. I’m sure you know the Doctor really well and all, but this isn’t the Doctor we’re talking about. He thinks his real memories are crazy dreams. He calls them his Journal of Impossible things. He’s boring, dismisses me as a regular servant, and is nowhere near as close to the Doctor as you might be thinking. This is John Smith. And if he falls in love with the nurse, I’m not sure we’ll get the Doctor back,” Martha admitted painfully.

“I…”

“I know the Doctor cares about you. A lot. But he doesn’t know that you’re here. He acts like you’re gone forever and he’ll never see you again. Now that you’ve told me you were forcibly separated, it makes a lot more sense. You haven’t seen what I have. He can be downright dangerous when I’m not there to tell him to stop,” Martha explained and Rose thought back to some of her moments with the Doctor. The two of them had kept things light and upbeat, even when they were getting into serious danger. But she knew from the first time she met him with the Nestene Consciousness, that the Doctor was capable of terrible actions. He was far from perfect and having lived through a war that forced him to make an impossible choice, Rose thought there was very little he wouldn’t do to protect something he felt was important…or someone.

“I get that. He’s always been like that,” Rose acknowledged.

“And what I mean is…he was really quick to disguise himself as a human. Almost like he didn’t want to be the Doctor anymore,” Martha confessed. It was a thought that had been circling around her head for the last two months, pestering at her and refusing to leave her mind. The Doctor knew there was a chance he would have to face the Family no matter what, he had warned Martha that there was a chance she’d need to open the watch. But he chose not to face them initially. He chose to run and hide instead.

“He’ll make the right decision in the end, Martha,” Rose assured the younger woman, though part of her was doubtful. Her own husband had confessed to her that the Doctor had some pretty dark moments after they were separated. He felt guilty for not being open about his feelings for Rose, but also angry at himself for even experiencing those feelings. He was torn apart that she was gone, but also tried to argue that it was better for her to be locked away where he couldn’t be tempted to act on his irrational feelings. He was extremely conflicted and Rose knew that running away from his problems or feelings was always what the Doctor did best.

“I’d feel a lot better of we could have some assurance that he won’t fall in love with a human here. But the backstory the TARDIS gave for me puts me in a very limited position,” Martha stated sharply, the pain evident in her voice.

“Yeah. I’m not sure why she did that. I’ll have to have a chat with her about that when she’s more awake,” Rose responded, adding it to the never ending list of things she needed to speak to the TARDIS about when they were eventually reunited properly.

“Speak…to the ship? Are you telepathic like the Doctor?”

“No, not generally telepathic. Like I said, the TARDIS and I have a special relationship. It’s a bit much to explain right now, but I’m sure I’ll be able to show you in time. I can communicate with her very directly, even more so than the Doctor but not when she’s shut down like this. It’s like she’s in a coma…the bare essentials are functioning but she’s not aware and alert,” Rose explained.

“Oh. Well if you can speak to her then, tell her to piss off for sending us here of all places. Couldn’t have been the future? Or even a time less in the past?” Martha grumbled.

“I’m not sure why she or the Doctor chose this time, but I won’t let him walk all over you Martha. I’m here to help, so let me help,” Rose assured her friend.

Even though Martha did not yet know the older woman, she could hear the genuine tone in her voice. Rose meant her no harm. The mysterious woman in front of her was not at all what Martha had expected Rose to be like from the Doctor’s descriptions of her. He had never been specific, but she certainly wasn’t expecting such a young face or a girl that was clearly grounded in a never-ending faith in the Doctor. Martha wasn’t completely sure how old she was, she didn’t look a day over 21 but she carried herself like a much, much older person. And her eyes were the strangest color with flecks of hazel…even gold in some lights. Martha’s heart broke once more at the thought of a possible solution, but she knew that whatever relationship Rose and the Doctor had was clearly much deeper and complex than the feelings she herself had developed for the Time Lord. So against every inclination, she offered up a suggestion.

“You could come back to the school with me. We could fit you into the town, into his life. With you there, there’s no way he’d fall for Matron Redfern. He remembers you. He’s even sketched you in his journal,” Martha finally admitted. Rose paused, her heart thumping painfully.

“I don’t know that we should risk him recognizing me. Even my name could be enough to trigger more memories and threaten the integrity of whatever illusion is making him believe he is John Smith,” Rose stated. Even though all she wanted was to run into the Doctor’s arms…she knew that trying to return to him before her past self returned and John Noble was created would create a paradox that would likely rip both universes apart.

“The TARDIS may not have her full abilities, but she’s still got a full wardrobe. Bet there’s some wigs in there,” Martha suggested with a shrug. Rose took a long sip of her tea, mulling the idea over.

“I bet there is,” she agreed.

“Let’s go check it out then!” Martha chimed in, quickly abandoning her empty cup in the sink before darting off to find the wardrobe room. Rose smiled fondly, as she followed the younger girl who now bounced a little with excitement. It was nice to see some of the weight come off her shoulders and see that new thrill of adventuring on someone else. Rose hadn’t seen it on herself in a while.

The two of them found their way to the wardrobe room which Rose reveled in. I hadn’t changed much, just an excessively large room filled with never-ending outfits and accessories. Sure enough tucked into a back corner was a whole wall of wigs and hats that Rose mused through. Getting rid of her blonde hair would probably be the most important, but she’d need to be careful about the way she spoke and carried herself, maybe even try to do her makeup in a way that slightly altered her facial features.

“How do you think you’d look as a redhead?” Martha teased, pulling a short, curly red wig off the wall and throwing it at Rose. The blonde wrinkled her nose in disgust.

“Been there. Not a good look,” she shook her head, setting the wig down on a nearby vanity before selecting a long brown wig. It was a very plain, mousy color but shouldn’t contrast her features too much. The wigs were better quality than anything she’d seen in her own time on Earth, so she didn’t worry about it seeming too fake.

“Just plain I think,” she mused, stroking the wig as she stared at it.

“If you’re sure, put it on. Let’s have a look,” Martha shrugged, waiting as Rose opened the drawer of the vanity to conveniently find some pins and a mesh cap to keep her own hair tucked away. She had never put on a wig, though, so she stared at the items helplessly for a few moments before Martha laughed.

“Here, let me help,” she offered and Rose grabbed the supplies and brought them to the younger woman.

“I’ve never worn a wig, just not my style, but my younger sister Tish used to do dance when she was younger so I learned how to help her with some of this stuff,” Martha explained as she plaited Rose’s smooth hair to make it easier to pin under the cap. She worked quietly for a few minutes as both of them contemplated the situations they found themselves in. It didn’t take too long since Rose’s hair was only just past her shoulders soon Martha was placing the wig on her. It was significantly longer than her own hair and had a slight wave to it. Rose gazed at herself in the mirror. She had had blonde hair for so long that even just the color of it made her do a double take.

“This may actually work,” she mused as she turned her head back and forth, making sure there were no places that looked fake.

“We should definitely not call you Rose, just to be safe,” Martha suggested.

“Definitely not. I won’t go by my middle name either, since he knows that and it might remind him. What’s a common name for the time? Mary? That’s always popular,” Rose mused. She thought her name was a pretty old fashioned English name too, but tried to think of other examples from history.

“We have to be a little more creative than that. How about Alice? Definitely feels like we’re in Wonderland,” Martha offered up and Rose pursed her lips in thought for a moment before nodding.

“Works for me. Alice Prentice. Rhymes a bit, but that’s fine,” Rose rolled the name on the tongue. It felt foreign, but then again any name would.

“Why Prentice?”

“It was my mother’s maiden name, just the first name I thought of,” Rose shrugged.

“That’ll do it. Now the next question is how to we insert you into his life? You can’t just show up out of nowhere and even if you were younger, it’s an all boys school,” Martha muttered, trying to remember if there were any open positions at the school.

“Can you fake a proper accent?” The younger woman added thoughtfully.

“I can do my best, though I never change my accent when I’m traveling,” Rose huffed.

“Yeah well unless you want to end up a servant like me, where John wouldn’t even give you a second glance, we’re going to need to come up with an alternative plan. You need to be at his class or higher. Otherwise he’ll purposely ignore you, even if he likes you,” Martha explained and Rose couldn’t deny she was correct.

“There aren’t many jobs women can hold these days that they wouldn’t prefer to give to a man,” Rose groaned.

“Tell me about it. I’m finishing up medical school and instead of being able to help people, I’m scrubbing chamberpots,” Martha complained.

“I’m not qualified to pose as a nurse, and anyway you said there is a nurse at the school already, right?” Rose asked and Martha nodded in response.

“Yeah, but I think there may be a position open for a librarian. We had a librarian when we arrived last month, but I think she moved away once she became engaged. Since married women shouldn’t work. Will you be unmarried? You look young enough that people could assume you haven’t been married off yet?” Martha asked. She wasn’t sure just how old Rose was and she didn’t want to make assumptions, but Rose chortled a bit in response.

“If only they knew…but no. Most woman are married off before 21 at this time. I’ll just tell them the truth. I’m widowed,” Rose shrugged and Martha blinked in surprise.

“You’re widowed? But I thought you and the Doctor-

“We do. But it wasn’t always clear to me that he did love me and at one point there was someone else very special in my life. We were only married for a year before he passed away, but it’s been a long time since then,” Rose admitted. She didn’t want to get into the whole thing with Martha, but she would never deny talking about her husband. Even though it had been a century since she’d been married, she would honor their relationship for the rest of her life…however long it may end up being.

“Oh, well I’m sorry for your loss,” Martha said.

“I appreciate that, but like I said. It was a very long time ago, so don’t worry too much,” Rose smiled softly as she moved over to one of the closets that held gowns from around this time period.

“I thought you were human,” Martha blurted.

“I am…was…it’s complicated. I was born a human and in many ways I am still a human. But there’s a reason that I can travel through time and that I’m much older than I look,” Rose stated carefully. She didn’t want to overwhelm Martha with too much information, but she didn’t intend to be dishonest with her friend. Plus at some point in the near future, Martha would go through the worst year of her life with Rose by her side and at that point she was already very comfortable with Rose’s added gifts…so Rose knew it was okay to be open.

“That sounds complicated,” Martha acknowledged, trying her best to avoid asking the question she was obviously dying to ask.

“It’s okay to be curious. There’s a lot to my story and we have other tasks to focus on,” Rose spoke as she rifled through dresses, pulling out a few that were modest but definitely higher class.

“But if you have questions I will always do my best to answer them honestly,” she finished as she held five dresses on her arm before making her way over to the luggage area of the wardrobe room and selecting a simple case that was appropriate for the general time. She hoped no one would notice if it was off by just a few years.

“Alright. How old are you exactly?”

“At this point? I’ve lost track of my exact age because traveling in time means I don’t experience time linearly. But I do believe I’m about 120 years old,” Rose answered.

“Excuse me?” Martha gaped at the other woman.

“Like I said, I could be off by several months or even a few years. But it’s definitely near there,” Rose tried to shrug it off, although she knew that the information would be difficult for Martha to process completely given that Rose had just told her she was a human.

“How is that even possible?” Martha asked.

“You’ll find that traveling with the Doctor, very little is impossible,” Rose smiled slyly.

“Okay that’s fine and all, but you don’t look anywhere near 100 years old,” Martha insisted.

“The Doctor doesn’t look 1000 years old either,” Rose smirked. Martha paused.

“I knew he was not human, and I think at some point he mentioned he was older than I thought…but I don’t think he’s ever said just how old he actually is,” Martha gaped.

“He does tend to leave that out sometimes. But yes, he absolutely doesn’t track his age closely but he’s easily a century old at this point,” Rose confirmed and Martha just sat in stunned silence for a bit as Rose carefully folded some of the gowns she’d chosen into the case.

“It won’t be too odd to claim that I heard about the open position from the former librarian, right? Do you happen to know what her name was?” Rose asked, shifting the subject.

“No but I’ll find out before we send you in to speak to the Headmaster. Just a warning Rose, this school is a real Boys Club and the Headmaster is the worst of them all.”

“I’m sure. It is 1913 after all. I was in this time period not too long ago,” she said, thinking back to the boarding house they’d stayed in for just a night before the Titanic was supposed to set sail.

“Oh?”

“We went to see the Titanic off,” Rose mentioned.

“And you didn’t save it?” Martha gasped.

“The Doctor’s told you about fixed points in time, yeah?”

“Yeah,” the younger woman nodded.

“Unfortunately the Titanic is a fixed point in time. He usually avoids them, but there was one family in particular we knew we could save. So we did,” Rose explained as she clipped the case shut and stood, holding the remaining dress.

“I guess one family is better than nothing. It’s nighttime outside right now since I came here right after I saw the meteor or ship. I should be heading back, but tomorrow is Monday morning. If you come to the main school building and request an audience with the Headmaster, he should be able to see you. I’m not sure if they’re already in talks to fill the position or not but at least it’s something,” Martha said, moving to exit the room.

“Is it pretty simple to get to school?” Rose asked as they walked through the hallway back to the console room.

“Yeah, we’re just inside the forest edge right now. If you walk a few yards straight ahead from the doors you’ll get to a small field. You’ll be able to see a road. Make a right and that road will lead you to town or a left and it’ll take you up to the school. It shouldn’t be more than a 20 minute walk.  I usually bike, but I’m not sure if there is another one available. If you find one though, it’ll make the trip quick. Will you be alright here for the night? I would stay, but I’ll get in trouble if I’m not on time to start the morning chores,” Martha explained, gathering her coat. Rose smiled, wanting so badly to hug her friend. She knew they weren’t at that point yet, but it didn’t lessen the urge to comfort Martha.

“Yeah, I’ll be fine. I’ll head out in the morning once it’s light. Do you usually answer the doors? That way you can give me the name of the former librarian before I go in to see the Headmaster?”

“I can keep an ear out tomorrow,” Martha agreed.

“Good luck Martha,” Rose called out as the younger woman exited the TARDIS.

“Same to you,” she agreed with a grim smile before leaving. Rose heaved a sigh once the doors were closed. Once more it was just her and the TARDIS, but with the ship in her dormant state Rose felt pretty alone. Her head was not empty, just quiet and Rose moved backwards towards her room to grab a few hours of sleep before the day truly started. The clock in her room was set to automatically tune to local time so she would be able to know when it was time to leave again. She wasn’t sure how much rest she would get, but she was determined to try for at least a few hours of quiet. Her room was unchanged from when she had last seen it, although it was tucked away into a back hallway where she assumed Martha never wandered.

Recognizing that it was much the same, she realized the TARDIS had probably known she would end up here and chose this time for her…regardless of how tricky of a situation it might put Martha in. Rose tutted disapprovingly at the ship. She wasn’t sure how much the TARDIS would understand while on reduced power, but it was habit to reach out to her. She quickly changed into her pajamas and removed the wig, undoing the plaits in her hair as she went before slipping under the covers and turning off the lamp on her bedside table. Although she laid awake for probably at least two hours, she did eventually drift off into a light, uneventful sleep. She couldn’t remember whether or not she dreamed, but she knew that when she awoke all she could think of was the tight knot in her stomach. The clock on her bedside table read 5:30, a little too early to head out but definitely not worth trying to go back to sleep.

She groaned as she got out of the bed and made her way to the ensuite for a shower. It was strange to move about her normal routine in complete silence. The TARDIS was usually very active in the morning with her mental musings, and her singing would be enough to brighten any day. But without that, Rose rushed through getting ready in a hurry to see Martha again and just interact with another person. She didn’t realize how lonely it could be when it was really just her. She dressed easily and did her best to put on a modest amount of makeup. She didn’t really have the skills to disguise her face more than just putting on the wig, but she had chosen dresses and a makeup style that were very unlike her usual taste. She hoped that would be enough to throw him off. The makeup she was using didn’t even exist in 1913, but it appeared natural enough that no one should be able to tell. She didn’t bother with breakfast before grabbing a coat from the wardrobe room and skipping out the doors. The display on the console showed that the time was now 6:30 and by now people should be up and active. If she arrived at the school by 7:00, that should be bright and early to land a quick audience with the Headmaster.

Meanwhile in the school, Martha was heading up to John Smith’s quarters with his breakfast in hand. She had spent the entire night tossing and turning, worrying if their plan was the right move. Was she overreacting about John falling in love with the nurse? Was she overreacting about the meteor? Should she have gotten Rose involved in any of it? Part of her desperately wanted to be able to tell Rose to just leave and let Martha have her time with the Doctor, but she worried that things were out of hand in 1913. And she was desperate for someone else that understood and saw her as an equal. So even if things went south, at least she had Rose for that. It had been a long two months without a real friend. Martha knocked on the door quickly and heard the Doctor’s voice call out.

“Come on in Martha!” She entered quietly, smiling at him as he finished tying his tie and buttoning up his jacket.

“Good morning sir,” she greeted, placing the tray down on the small table near the fireplace.

“Thank you,” he answered, picking up the daily paper that was on the tray.

“Another beautiful day outside. Any news from the village?” He asked as he browsed the paper.

“Actually, yes. Word is it that someone may be on the way to fill the vacant librarian position,” Martha took the opportunity to slip in the idea of someone new coming into the school.

“Oh really? I hadn’t realized the headmaster was looking to fill the position before the end of the semester. But alls well, I’m afraid the place has fallen into quite a disarray after Miss Barlow’s departure,” John responded absently, glancing at the large pile of books piled on his own night table. He had several more in his classroom and he knew he was probably more guilty than any other faculty member of hoarding library property.

“Yes, well that’s just the rumor going around among staff,” Martha responded.

“Well perhaps we will find out today,” the very ordinary professor smiled before picking up a slice of the toast from the tray and munching on it.

“Anything else sir?”

“No, that’ll be all Martha. Thank you,” he answered, not even making eye contact as he dismissed her. Martha fought the urge to huff. She was going to give the real Doctor so much shite when he came back for how he treated her. Even with his dismissive attitude, he was one of the kindest people at the school which Martha found absolutely despicable. Still, she bowed her head graciously and exited his room quietly, shutting the door behind her. A glance at the grandfather clock in the hall told her that it was almost 7am and Rose would be due to arrive soon so she made her way down to the front entryway to begin dusting there, ensuring she would be the one to answer the door when Rose arrived.

After several minutes of general housework, the loud bell rang at the door and Martha straightened herself, patting down her apron as she made her way to the door. Sure enough when she opened it, she was greeted with the welcome site of Rose holding her case and smiling.

“Hello,” the older woman, donned in her brunette wig and large overcoat, greeted simply.

“Hello miss. How can I help you?” Martha asked, keeping up pretenses as a few other servants and even some students were wandering the halls by now.

“My name is Miss Alice Prentice, and I’m here to inquire about a meeting with your Headmaster. A former schoolmate of mine indicated a potentially open position and I was wondering if I might offer my services,” Rose stated in a believably proper accent. Martha nodded and opened the door wider, inviting her friend inside.

“If you’ll just wait here a moment miss, I will see if someone can fetch the Headmaster. The departure of our most recent librarian, Miss Barlow,” she gave a direct glance at Rose who subtly nodded, “was unexpected.”

Martha scurried off to find her supervisor, the head of staff and a rather cross woman to explain the visitor at the door. One glance at Rose, well dressed and sitting quietly in the foyer was enough to convince the woman to allow Rose to follow her to the Headmaster’s office. Martha flashed her a discreet thumbs up as their plan launched into action.

“Please wait here,” the head of staff asked Rose, directing her to a bench across the hall from the Headmaster’s office. Rose nodded, sitting down and resisting the urge to bounce her leg like a nervous child waiting to be told off. She wasn’t worried at all about the lying or pretending. She was worried about seeing the Doctor, when he wasn’t the Doctor after all. He had the Doctor’s face, but he also had her husband’s face and name. The Rose knew the Doctor in many forms and she had long since come to understand that though each version of her Doctor was unique, they were all her Doctor deep down. Human or otherwise, she knew John Smith would tug at her heartstrings and she hoped that she would tug on his. How she would slip away before the real Doctor was woken up and the watch was opened…she hadn’t yet thought of. After only a few minutes the door to the Headmaster’s office opened and an older man with a bushy mustache showed his face.

“Miss…”

“Prentice. Alice Prentice,” Rose stood, offering her hand. The older man shook it with a somewhat stern smile.

“Miss Prentice, pleasure to make your acquaintance. If you wouldn’t mind taking a step inside my office so we can discuss your potential employment,” he opened the door wide, allowing her to step inside and take yet another seat in a chair on the opposite side of his oversized desk.

“So you were schoolmates with our former librarian then?” He asked as he also took a seat.

“Yes, sir. Miss Barlow and I were schoolmates for many years. When she vacated her position here in preparation of her marriage, she suggested I inquire after it. Before my own marriage I worked as a librarian at a small primary school in London,” Rose lied through her teeth.

“Forgive me for assuming, but if you are married should you not be at home supervising your own household?” The Headmaster asked with a judgmental gaze.

“Unfortunately I was widowed only a few months ago. I lost my husband to tragic illness,” she replied, allowing her genuine sadness to peak through and make the lie more believable.

“I am sorry to hear that Ms. Prentice. It is true, we currently have a vacancy for a librarian. I really had not intended on filling the position before the new semester…”

“If I may, sir,” Rose interrupted. “I would be more than happy to work on a trial basis. If you’re not pleased with my level of work, I would not at all be offended if you chose to leave the position vacant until a more suitable match could be found.”

“Well…since you have traveled all the way here. I suppose we could use someone to help us tidy up since the library has been left in a bit of a disarray. Some of our students, and even some of the professors have really neglected it,” he sighed.

“I would be happy to assist in getting it cleaned up and organized at the very least. It’s a few days journey from where I was staying before, so I’d like to make it worth it.”

“Alright, let’s give it a trial run then. You may stay in the librarian’s quarters if that is convenient for you until such time we determine your official employment status with our school. I can have my head of staff take your belongings while I walk you through the grounds to introduce you to some of our other faculty,” he stated, standing up and gesturing for the woman who had been standing quietly in the corner to take Rose’s bag. Rose offered it to her before falling in step behind the Headmaster as he walked down the hallway and down the stairs to foyer where Rose spotted Martha, half-heartedly cleaning the floors near the stairs. Rose flashed her a very subtle thumbs up and Martha grinned.

“I’m not sure if Miss Barlow mentioned it, but my name is Headmaster Rocastle and I have been the Headmaster of this fine institution for the last 37 years. We pride ourselves on creating well rounded boys educating in maths, science, English, history, and of course the basic art of war,” he began as they exited the building and were greeted by the loud sound of gunshots. Rose flinched as a bang sounded off. She was no stranger to war or violence, and had become quite adept with a weapon during her time with Torchwood in the parallel world, but that didn’t mean that she enjoyed war and seeing young boys training to be soldiers in a place that was supposed to foster learning upset her. She knew it was best to keep her opinions to herself, but when she caught the back of a very familiar head her heart stopped. This would be the moment. Would he recognize her? Would he not? Rose fought to control her heartbeat as the Bad Wolf inside her almost howled in delight. The Doctor was nearby.

“Concentrate,” she heard his voice say to one of the boys. “Hutchinson, excellent work.”

“Cease fire!” Commanded the Headmaster, walking up to the Doctor, or rather John Smith. While the man’s gaze didn’t immediately flutter to Rose her eyes were locked on his. There was something different about him, something lighter. This was a closer look than she’d gotten aboard the Valiant before the Master had initially released the Toclafane and while physically he looked much the same she could tell that this man walked around without the weight and century of life experience that the Doctor did. Still, her heart almost burst with joy.

“Good day to you, Headmaster,” he greeted, again not quite seeing Rose who stood a bit behind the tall, older gentleman.

“Your crew’s in fine form today, Mister Smith. I’m just showing our new librarian the grounds. Ms. Prentice, may I introduce Mister Smith, one of our professors in History and War,” the Headmaster finally gestured to Rose who took a step forward and offered a hand to her Doctor, almost worried that their touch might spark actual electricity.

John Smith’s face lit up in delight, though he couldn’t explain why if you asked. The woman looked mildly familiar, but not enough to spark instant recognition. She was a delicate, beautiful young woman with a smile that brightened his day.

“Excuse me Headmaster, but we could do a lot better. Lattimer’s being deliberately shoddy,” an older boy with a sharp jawline called out and Rose turned to gaze at him with annoyance.

“It’s rude to disrupt your Headmaster when he is speaking with your Professor,” she chimed in, chancing an interruption. While she wouldn’t dare over-speak to men in power, the school boys were technically below her since they were not yet adults.

“She’s correct. Apologize to Ms. Prentice,” John backed her up and the by glared a bit but muttered an apology before shoving at a much smaller boy seated near the butt of the machine gun.

“I apologize on his behalf Ms. Prentice. I’m Mister John Smith,” the Doctor greeted her properly, finally taking her outstretched hand and shaking it once or twice. He released her hands after only a few moments without issue, but Rose ached for his touch as her hand had slipped so easily into his.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” she managed to squeeze out the words relatively normally.

“Ms. Prentice will be serving as our librarian on a trial basis given that Miss Barlow’s departure left us with an unexpected vacancy,” the Headmaster explained and John nodded enthusiastically.

“I daresay I have half the library’s collection in my classroom and quarters,” he admitted sheepishly.

“Then I suppose I shall be needing to come around to collect them,” Rose smiled easily. Of course the Doctor was hoarding books.

“No need, I’m sure Mister Smith will have no problem whatsoever delivering them to you within the day,” the Headmaster added and John nodded.

“Of course, Headmaster. I’ll have them to you by the end of the school day,” he promised before turning back to his class.

“Carry on,” the Headmaster instructed before moving away more quickly than Rose wanted to follow. She overheard the same distasteful boy from before chiming in about the laziness of what she assumed was the smaller boy on the ground, but their conversation quickly faded into the background before she could eavesdrop more.

The Headmaster took her on a tour of the school, which was really just one large building with classrooms on the bottom floor, quarters for the students as well as the library and infirmary on the second floor, and quarters for the other faculty on the third floor. The tour ended, of course, with the library which had apparently only been vacant for a month but you couldn’t tell. It was dark, covered in a thick layer of dirt, and the tables were strewn with piles of books. Neglected was a poor choice of words. Mistreated might be a better one. Rose heaved a heavy sigh as she got to work. It would be a long day, but looking forward to a certain someone stopping by made things go along a bit easier. After only about 20 minutes of work just righting the chairs and organizing the books that were already strewn about onto the tables, Rose heard a knock at the door. She opened it, expecting to see either Martha or John but was surprised to see the small boy from earlier…Latimer, she thought.

“Hello Miss. I was…well I was just coming by to use the library. It’s been empty, but I overheard in wars class earlier that you would be taking over Miss Barlow’s position,” he greeted quietly, his eyes planted firmly near his feet. Rose felt a wave of pity wash over her. Something about the small, frightened child really touched her. He reminded her of a much younger version of her brother Tony. Even though Tony grew to be a charming and confident man, he was a shy child overshadowed by Rose’s own personality.

“Of course. I’m afraid several of the tables are occupied by books as I’m trying to organize, but students are always welcome in my library,” Rose beamed, opening the door wider for the young student to enter. He walked through the door, one hand clutching a small pile of books while the other was shoved in his pocket. He chose a table in the far corner and sat down, immediately opening one of the books.

“I’m sorry, not sure I caught your name,” Rose called out softly and the boy looked up, burning red.

“Oh yes. I’m Tim Latimer,” he introduced himself and Rose offered him a welcoming smile.

“Lovely to meet you Tim. I’m Miss Prentice,” Rose informed him. While she would feel uncomfortable with people referring to her by a surname all the time, she knew it would get the boy into trouble if he was overheard referring to her by her first name so she didn’t dare offer it. Tim simply nodded in response and went back to reading his school book while Rose resumed her work, now pulling books off the shelves to organize into her piles. She couldn’t even tell what system had been in place before, but she knew it needed a revamp so she busied herself with the task. It kept her from obsessively waiting for the Doctor to show up. About an hour later, bells rang which signaled the young boy to look up from his books in surprise.

“That’s the end of my free period, but if you don’t mind I’d like to come back at the end of the day to work some more,” Tim said standing up a little more tall. Rose offered him another easy smile.

“Of course. I’ll just be here, waiting for Mister Smith to return some of the books he’s taken from the library so I can sort them and make sure they get back to their proper place,” Rose answered.

“I have him for my next class again. Would you like me to remind him?”

“Oh yes please, Tim. If you wouldn’t mind!” She responded cheerfully and Tim nodded before dashing out the door. Rose watched him run down the hall and was about to close the library door when she saw another person approaching. She was a middle aged woman, maybe no more than 35 years old, in a nurse’s uniform so Rose guessed this must be the matron that John Smith was developing feelings for.

“Hello!” The woman called out with a warm smile and Rose held the door open.

“I’m Matron Redfern, though I prefer the more informal Nurse Redfern. I wanted to come and introduce myself since we’ll be working nearby each other. I was out on a walk into town when the Headmaster showed you around earlier but I heard word we had gotten a new librarian,” she continued as she paused in the hallway at the library door. She was carrying her own handful of books that Rose glanced at with interest. One of them was a very familiar tone of blue.

“Lovely to meet you Nurse Redfern. My name is Alice Prentice, but please feel free to call me just by my name Alice. No titles for me,” Rose offered a hand and Nurse Redfern shifted the stack of books in her arms to take it and give it a firm shake.

“I see you’ve spotted another reason I stopped by. I’m afraid that many of us have borrowed some books over the last few months that we’ve forgotten to return. We usually try to keep the books in the library but with it being mostly unattended, I think we’ve all gotten just a bit slack about it,” she apologized sheepishly, offering the pile of books to Rose who accepted them with ease, moving to set them on a nearby table. Nurse Redfern followed her into the library, peering around.

“I’m afraid we’ve made quite the mess for you,” she apologized again.

“Not to worry. I’ve certainly organized worse before! Oh…I’m not sure this book belongs to the library,” Rose stated as her hand lingered on the TARDIS blue journal which she knew immediately must be the Doctor’s that Martha had mentioned.

“Oh dear, you’re correct. That is…part of Mister Smith’s personal collection. It was on my desk and I must’ve grabbed it with the rest of them by accident,” Nurse Redfern reached for the book but Rose held onto it.

“Mister Smith is due to return a large quantity of books to the library this afternoon. I can pass it along to him,” she stated firmly. The other woman looked conflicted, not wanting to be rude and insist but also not wanting to leave the man’s personal journal in the hands of a perfect stranger.

“I’m afraid it is quite important to him,” she attempted to explain but Rose offered a tight smile.

“I assure you it is in very good hands. I met Mister Smith earlier this morning and he guaranteed me he will be making a visit to the library very shortly,” Rose insisted and the Nurse seemed resigned to accept the answer.

“Do be sure to tell him to stop by my office if he’d like to…discuss it further. Just between you and I, Mister Smith and I have been seeing a lot of each other lately,” Nurse Redfern confessed. There were no other woman of her status on staff, and she hoped that Miss Barlow’s replacement could be a friend to her the same way Miss Barlow was, but the stiff look that she got from the younger woman was not promising. Rose, for her part, bit her tongue to refrain from saying something completely unladylike. On the surface level she knew that this poor woman had no idea that Mister Smith and herself had history, but it didn’t stop the twang of jealousy that flared within her. Somehow being around the Doctor and so close to being truly reunited had left her feeling particularly emotional about the entire thing.

“Nurse Redfern, I’m sure that your private affairs are none of my business. But I will pass along the message,” she finally stated. It wouldn’t do her any good to befriend the woman she was trying to keep away from the Doctor anyhow.

“Of course. Thank you Miss Prentice,” the Nurse stated calmly before turning to leave very quickly. Rose recognized the use of her surname as a sign that the other woman was no longer feeling particularly cordial, and she couldn’t bring herself to be too broken up about it. She didn’t want the nurse to become collateral damage. If the Family did track them down, and they did make the connection that John Smith was the Doctor before they had time to open the watch…anyone close to him would become a target. That was always how it went with enemies of the Doctor. And while Rose was confident that she or Martha could both handle themselves if a situation went awry, she did not feel the same about Nurse Redfern. At least those were the excuses she told herself as she was downright cold to the woman in front of her. Somewhere deep inside she recognized that she was also just pushing the woman away so that she could establish her own relationship with the human parading around in the Doctor’s body.

Any version of the Doctor is ours to love

That thought had come not from her own consciousness, but from the Bad Wolf who was becoming more and more present in Rose’s mind. The more she utilized the gifts that Bad Wolf had left her with, the more she felt the entity making itself known. It was more part of her than even the TARDIS had theorized. But this time, Rose did not particularly disagree with the Bad Wolf’s sentiment. Plus, it was all part of the plan she and Martha had formulated. The Doctor would be guilt ridden if he realized, once he’d returned, that an innocent human had become involved with him only to have her heart broken. Because Rose did fully believe that the John Smith would soon disappear as the Doctor returned and that would leave poor Nurse Redfern heartbroken and confused like Sarah Jane, Martha or even a much younger Rose a century ago.

Before returning to work, Rose picked up the journal that she had convinced Nurse Redfern to leave behind. She held it tightly to her chest, the familiar feeling of tears stinging her eyes. As she sat down, she opened it gingerly and flicked through a few pages. She knew she wouldn’t have time to read the entire journal, but just seeing the stories that stuck out enough to remain even in his human memory made her giddy. She paused suddenly as she landed on a sketch of herself along with frantically scrawled words:

I find myself wanting to draw a perfect Rose, over and over although I cannot find a Rose anywhere!

I remember this girl I have drawn her although I know her well in my dream

I know her well I know.

I know her

In my dream she keeps walking away

I see her in my dreams

In my dream I keep asking a girl where to find one and she is dressed in the most immodest way

She will not answer me, & and she keeps walking away.

In my dreams I keep asking a girl where to find one and she is dressed in the most immodest and extraordinary way

She will not answer me, and she keeps walking away.

Rose ran a finger over the pages. She may not have been defined in John Smith’s memory, but she was there. Her image almost perfect and her name so plainly displayed, even if he could not decipher it for himself. Her heart swelled as she stared, almost mesmerized by the chicken scrawl. It was not recognizable as the Doctor’s handwriting, but she supposed that was something that probably changed with each body anyway. She thumbed through a few more pages with sketches of Daleks, the Ood, New York City, and more. The smile that graced her features didn’t leave her face even as she put the journal aside and continued to work on the menial task of organizing the library. Her Doctor remembered her.

Chapter Text

Chapter 14: Family of Blood

Rose only needed to work quietly on her own for another 2 hours before another knock was heard at the door, and she set down the books she was organizing to go answer it. She smiled wide as she saw the person she was most hoping to see, precariously balancing a large stack of books.

“Hello Miss Prentice,” he greeted, a bit sheepishly but with a cheery smile nonetheless. 

“Hello,” she said back, moving to automatically take several books from the top of his pile even as she walked backwards into the library. 

“Thank you. I’m afraid the collection was much larger than I even realized,” he admitted as they both set their stacks down on the closest empty table. 

“I’m always happy to meet another avid reader,” Rose responded, her eyes not leaving his form. She was soaking up every second she got. John Smith reminded her even more of her own husband than of the Doctor. Something about the liveliness in his eyes, a weightless look of someone not bared down by the guilt of the Time War. 

“I am guilty of that, most definitely,” John agreed as he finally looked up to make eye contact with Rose. His head tilted to the side just slightly as his smile grew.

“You must forgive me for being forward, but have we met before? I am usually very good with faces and yet I find myself not being able to place yours,” he asked and Rose took a subtle breath.

“No, I don’t think we have Mister Smith. But I have been told that I have one of those easily recognizable faces,” she lied easily.

“Mister Smith is really far too formal. Please, call my John,” the man requested and Rose nodded, perhaps a little too eagerly. 

“Only if you call me Alice,” she added. 

“Alice it is then. If you need any help sorting through all these, you need only ask. Classes are done for the day and my only other plan for this evening was to sit in my study and read. Although it may look like I’ve brought you all my books I actually have a rather large collection of my own.”

“Ah yes, now that you mention that…Nurse Redfern left a book for you that she mentioned was part of your personal collection,” Rose admitted, grabbing the aforementioned journal and offering it to him. He seemed flustered, cheeks burning bright red which Rose found absolutely adorable. She had never seen the Doctor flustered by something so simple. She had rarely seen the Doctor flustered at all. He was impossibly confident and self assured, but this John Smith was not a 1000 year old Time Lord. He was likely only in his late twenties and very subject to human norms of what was and wasn’t proper. Though Rose could tell he was still a little forward for the times, not something that was ever likely to change in this particular body. 

“Thank you. It’s really less of a book and more of a collection of doodles and scribbles,” he bluffed and Rose smiled cheekily.

“I hope you don’t find me too forward,” she repeated his earlier line, resisting the urge to add a flirtatious wink in.

“But I took the liberty of browsing it as it looked so enticing. You’re wildly creative! Have you ever considered a career in writing?” she continued, choosing to lean fully into the idea that his dreams were wild fantasies.

“Not really. It’s not a very practical job, but I do enjoy it as a hobby,” John replied, clearly more at ease that the woman didn’t automatically judge him for his wildly unrealistic and highly fanciful stories. 

“I suppose not, but neither is being a librarian and I find I quite enjoy it,” Rose shrugged lightly. 

“On the contrary, I think the world would be lost without dedicated custodians of our most precious resource,” John disagreed with a slight frown.

“What kind words,” Rose remarked and John beamed with pride.

“I speak only the truth. Miss Barlow, your predecessor, was well organized but lacked a passion for the work that I can sense you have,” he gushed and Rose felt herself blushing. Damn his charming language. 

“It’s certainly clear to me that you have a passion for your work as well, since you strive to remain educated in all your fields of study,” Rose gestured to his books. In reality she had no clue how passionate John Smith was. But if he was anything like the Doctor and anything like her John, than passion was part of his very core.

“I confess that most of my reading is to satisfy my own curiosity, and the students rarely get to touch on these topics. We spend so much of our time in the basics,” he spoke earnestly and Rose fought the urge to take a step closer to him. He could be reading the ingredients off the back of a box of cereal and Rose would still hang on his every word. This was the most time she had been allowed to spend near any version of this particular Doctor in quite a long time and she found brain refusing to focus on the conversation without a concentrated effort. 

“Yes…the basics…” she trailed off. A look of understanding dawned John’s face.

“From your expression earlier I gathered that seeing boys on a mock battlefield made you…a bit uneasy,” he guessed. Rose thought about it and nodded slowly.

“It’s certainly not what you expect to see in a place of learning. I’m not sure why the Headmaster is so set on teaching the boys warcraft when we are living in a time of peace,” Rose answered carefully. She was well aware that Great Britain was on the brink of World War I, along with many other nations across the world. But most of the recent wars up until this point in history were fought on foreign grounds and war was still heavily romanticized. The country had no idea what they were in for. 

“Yes well he believes, as do I, in preserving the glory and victory of the British Empire. To fight for one’s country is an honor and privilege,” the man stated dutifully and Rose looked at him in pity. This was where he differed so greatly from her Doctor or John Noble, both of whom had known what it was like to live on a planet torn apart by war and how horrid it was to be duty-bound to war. The Doctor ran from it, John Noble mourned it, and John Smith looked forward to it. 

“I’m sorry but I cannot agree. I feel that boys in school should focus on learning and expanding their minds. They should learn not only about our great history, but about other cultures and customs. It is very important that we view the world as a place to learn from not just to conquer and control,” Rose tacked on the last bit, well aware that her opinions may be considered radical in the early 20th century but she was pleasantly surprised when John did not immediately respond with criticism. 

“Pardon my asking, Ms. Prentice-

“Alice, please.”

“Alice….Pardon my asking but are you not married? It is quite unusual to find a woman of your stature not already married or at the least engaged to be married. But I find your opinions on our curriculum to be…”

“Impertinent?” Rose supplied and John laughed lightly.

“No, not exactly. Just definitely not typical,” he finally finished.

“In answer to your original question, I am unfortunately a widow. My husband was very eccentric, though, and while he was a soldier as a younger man he did not share your feelings towards war,” Rose answered honestly. 

“Did he die in battle?”

“No, actually. He became very ill,” she admitted quietly.

“I am very sorry to hear about that Mi…I mean Alice,” John told her kindly and she reciprocated his gaze with a grateful smile. 

“I am lucky that it did not come quickly, so we had time to prepare and say our goodbyes. While it has not made moving forward with my life that much easier I know we made the most of our time together. And you John? Are you not yet married?” She pressed.

“Me? Oh no. Not yet at least. I would like to settle down and marry, but I have not been able to find a suitable match with all the traveling I’ve been doing. I thought perhaps once there was someone…” he trailed off, brow furrowed in thought and Rose worried that he might stare too quickly past her brown hair so she interrupted his train of thought.

“Nurse Redfern seems rather taken with you,” she stated.

“I mean I’ve only just come here, but when I met her earlier and she left your book with me she seemed very flustered at the thought of running into you,” Rose added. 

“Yes, well we have spent a bit of time together over the last few weeks after I accidentally tripped and fell down the stairs and she checked me over. It was not my most graceful of moments. Of course I happened to be carrying a pile of about 20 books at the time that I had just finished borrowing from the library,” John laughed and Rose smiled, reveling in the familiar sound of his chuckle. Even though it was becoming more clear that John Smith had less in common with the Doctor than she originally thought, nothing could change that laugh.

“I see. Well I can’t patch you up after a fall, but if you’d ever like to borrow any of these books again please feel free to drop by any time. I think we should just recommend sticking to a limit of 5 books at a time. Want to avoid any future spills,” she grinned cheekily and he nodded.

“I think I can agree to that. Tell me, Alice, have you been to the village yet? There’s a particularly lovely little tea shop that I frequent when I need a change of scenery when grading papers,” John asked and Rose’s heart fluttered like a school girl. 

“Not yet.” 

“I would be happy to accompany you tomorrow after classes get out, if you’d like. I know that Headmaster Rocastle has given you a tour of the school and grounds already, but you should know your way into town in case you need anything,” he stated dutifully.

“Yes, that is definitely practical. I would appreciate the assistance John,” Rose agreed with a slide nod of her head.

“Most excellent. I will stop by here after classes tomorrow so I can accompany you,” he replied cheerfully.

“Wonderful. Thank you so much for bringing these books back. I best get back to work organizing them,” Rose waved him off and he nodded his understanding before tucking out the door, closing it behind him. 

Rose only waited a few minutes before slumping into a nearby chair. She was exhausted, not only because she had not gotten a full nights sleep, but because pretending to be someone else was utterly exhausting. She was incredibly lucky she was not in Martha’s shoes, but seeing a man with the Doctor’s face and not being able to shout out him and run to him and song him senseless was much more of a challenge than she had initially thought it might be. Rose took a look around the library at the now overwhelming piles of books covering almost every table and sighed. It looked much worse than when she had started somehow, but that was often how most organizing projects went so she tried to ignore all the work that was left to be done as she exited out the library and locked it for the day. On her way up to the third floor to pop into her temporary chambers she ran into the older boy with the sharp jawline from earlier. He paused stiffly and turned his head slightly before sniffing her loudly. Rose fought the urge to jump back and instead eyed the boy up and down. Something about his mechanical movements did not sit well with her.

“Didn’t I meet you in Mister Smith’s class earlier this morning?” She questioned, narrowing her eyes at the boy. He seemed to loosen a little and made a small bowing movement as a formality.

“Yes miss. I’m Baines. Pardon my interruption. I was just on my way to my room for the evening,” the boy stated calmly with an air of arrogance that made Rose want to lecture him right then and there. 

“Right, well off you go. Don’t linger in the halls,” she said simply and stood her ground to make sure he walked off towards the boys dormitories and did not make any other turns on his way there. As soon as he was out of her line of sight Rose released a shudder she had been desperately holding in. The boy gave her the creeps and as soon as she found Martha, he was going to be first on the list of things she needed to discuss with her friend. She made her way quickly up the stairs to the staff housing area and slipped into her temporary room to rifle through her luggage for a sleeping gown and robe. Even though there was likely still a few more hours before most students would be going to bed, Rose was dying to get out of the stiff early 20th century clothing. While she may not be stuck in a full corset, it was still much less comfortable than anything she ordinarily wore. She knew she wouldn’t be able to wander the school in her dressing gown, but she had no plans to leave her room other than to keep an eye out for Martha who would likely be popping by at some point anyway. 

Instead, sat at the small table near the window in her room and pulled open a book that she had grabbed from the library. It was a random book of fables, something she always found comforting. She had no other technology on her and didn’t fancy herself much of a writer herself so she took to reading to pass the time. It didn’t take long before she was fully engaged in the book and it must’ve been at least two hours past when a knock at her door startled her.

“Dinner service, ma’am!” a voice called through the door that she easily recognized as Martha’s. Rose hurried over and opened the door just enough to allow the younger woman in.

“Thank god it’s you Martha!” She exclaimed, shutting the door tightly behind her.

“There’s only a few of us, and since I had to bring the Doctor his evening tea anyway I thought I’d pop by with dinner. Just so you know, most staff members meet in the dining room downstairs for lunch and dinner. When Headmaster Rocastle asked where you were, it was actually the Doctor that covered for you and said you were probably elbow deep in books, hard at work. And yet…here you are,” Martha lectured her, an eyebrow raised at Rose’s outfit.

“Well I didn’t know that,” Rose responded crossly.

“You need to pay more attention. If the Headmaster finds you at all lacking, he’ll kick you out and then this whole plan will have been for nothing,” Martha admonished and Rose rolled her eyes.

“Yeah, I know. It’s just…this was a bit harder than I thought. I needed to get out of that dress and just be somewhere where I wasn’t keeping up a fake accent and a fake persona for just an evening,” Rose complained.

“What do you think I’ve been doing for two months?”

“I know!” Rose snapped, but then took a deep breath.

“I know,” she repeated, but in a much softer tone. “And I’m sorry Martha, I really am. Good on you for putting up with it for this long. I just need a day to adjust. I think it’ll get a bit easier tomorrow now that I know what to expect,” Rose apologized and Martha nodded.

“Good. You know I saw Nurse Redfern at dinner today and for the first time in a while, she didn’t try to sit next to the Doctor and he didn’t seem to notice,” Martha continued, her tone lightening as she took a seat in the chair across from Rose. 

“Yes, well, about that…I may or may not have been pretty harsh with her earlier,” Rose admitted sheepishly, offering some bread with butter to Martha who took it with a laugh.

“What did you do? Yell at her?” 

“No! I just assured her that John’s journal was safe with me and that I would pass it along to him. And then she tried to tell me they were spending a lot of time together and I told her to keep her business to herself,” Rose shrugged, in a wasted attempt to pretend she didn’t feel fairly guilty about the whole situation.

“I’m sure you did,” Martha snickered.

“Honestly I didn’t mean to be as rude as I was. I just…wanted to make it clear that I don’t want to be her friend. That would only make things even more complicated than they already are.”

“We can agree on that for sure. So did he stop by the library then?” Martha pressed for answers and Rose felt an involuntary blush rising to her cheeks.

“He did. And we talked for a bit about his creative stories, his love for reading, and my dislike of war,” Rose nodded and Martha waited impatiently.

“And???” She finally asked.

“And he asked me if I would let him accompany me into town tomorrow after classes. He asked really suddenly actually, so I hope that is a good sign that he’s maybe a little interested,” Rose smiled a small smile. 

“Just a little interested? Rose. I can’t believe I’m saying this because you really need to realize it’s the last thing I want to be saying,” Martha took a deep breath and paused slightly before continuing. “But anyone would be blind not to see that the Doctor is absolutely mad about you. And while John Smith may not have all the Doctor’s memories, he will be head over heels for you in no time flat. All you had to do was say hello.”

“I don’t think we should be so certain-

“Why is it that you are completely confident that the Doctor will make the right choice? And that he’ll come back from being John Smith? And you seem so confident about him in so many ways. But when it comes to how he feels about you, which is insanely obviously to everyone, by the way, you act like it couldn’t possibly be true?” Martha interrogated her and Rose shrugged, trying to slip away from the pressure.

“Because I have always been pretty clear about the way I feel about him. And he has never clearly reciprocated those feelings,” she insisted.

“Then either you’re blind, or he just waited until after you were gone to make it clear. Because your name was one of the first words out of his mouth when he took me on my first trip. Rose would know what to do, he said,” Martha rolled her eyes with a small noise of frustration. 

“All I know is when I told him I loved him he said ‘quite right’,” Rose snapped, feeling the anger she hadn’t felt in over a hundred years really come right back. She hadn’t been that angry at the Doctor for quite some time, especially because when he abandoned her in the parallel world again she was too busy being angry about him abandoning John too. John couldn’t, or wouldn’t ever tell her whether or not the Doctor intended to finish his sentence that day. On his death bed he swore to her that the Doctor loved her, and of course she believed that to be true. She just stood firm in her belief that if the Doctor truly felt it and was ready to act on it, he would’ve expressed it more directly instead of tallying about until their connection broke. 

“That’s harsh,” Martha winced. 

“To be fair,” Rose sighed, calming herself. “I do think he intended to finish the next sentence and I have to believe it would’ve ended in ‘I love you’. But it didn’t and I lived with that for a very, very long time,” she muttered.

“I think…I understand a bit better now. But I also need to remind you that John Smith is not the Doctor. And right now, he doesn’t believe you to be Rose Tyler. He’s just an ordinary human completely infatuated with a pretty young woman named Alice. So just…embrace it. That’s the plan. Keep him away from Nurse Redfern,” Martha instructed and Rose nodded.

“I know. And I know I’m really drawing the long end of the stick here compared to what you’re stuck doing,” Rose acknowledged and Martha sighed. 

“Cleaning and being looked down on and treated like garbage is not a cake walk,” she agreed.

“But honestly, I wouldn’t ask to be in your shoes either,” the younger woman tagged on. 

“Let’s not compare our miseries. It will all be over in not too long,” Rose attempted to comfort her friend. 

“Feels like forever though,” Martha grumbled and Rose nodded. 

“When this is all over, don’t let him just brush it off. Give him a good lecture for me okay?” Rose told Martha sternly and the woman blinked in surprise.

“Oh.”

“What?”

“I just sort of assumed that you’d be sticking around…and I would take that as a cue to head back home for a while,” Martha confessed quietly.

“Martha-

“I know you said you’re part of future events and stuff, but the Doctor’s always saying that time isn’t set in stone. And he’d be so happy to see you again Rose,” the younger woman pleaded.

“Time travel is so insanely complicated. He’s not wrong. The future is always changing, but circling back on your own personal timeline is really dangerous business. If I were to try and see him again now I would be completely changing the future, which is actually my past. It’s a paradox and those rip holes in universes. I made that mistake once and the Doctor was barely able to help me fix it,” Rose explained, thinking back to all those years ago when she had tried to help her father. It had become clear to her since then that it wasn’t always so black and white. She had been dabbling around in her own personal timeline for months now, but she had a better awareness of what could and couldn’t affect the future and therefore her present. 

“That gives me a headache,” Martha groaned.

“Tell me about it. But all that aside…just because I hope to make it back to him doesn’t mean you’ll be unwelcome on the TARDIS. There will always be a place for you. Always,” Rose vowed. The Doctor’s friendships had come to have expiration dates and that was something Rose wanted to change. She knew that he tended to distance himself to save from the heartbreak of losing his friends because so many were humans or other beings with shorter lifespans. But Rose didn’t agree with his tendency to abandon them. She thought back to poor Sarah Jane, living life on Earth wondering what happened to the Doctor and not knowing that he was blissfully traveling and having adventures and carefully ignoring her. 

“I appreciate that, I do. But I think if I’m still traveling with him when you do reunite properly, I’ll at least went to go back to my real life for a while. If anything just to get away from the two of you. The TARDIS is big, but I don’t know I could get enough space from you two if the Doctor is half as wild about you as his human alter ego,” Martha laughed and Rose found herself blushing violently. 

“Well just know the key is yours for keeps. I’ll make sure it stays that way.”

“Thanks Rose. I should probably get down to the servants quarters. It turned a few heads when I came back so late last night. I didn’t officially get written up for it, but I know they weren’t pleased,” Martha sighed, standing up from her seat.

“If they do give you any trouble, just tell them I needed extra assistance. I’ll always verify your story,” Rose said and Martha nodded before slipping out the door quietly. 

A few floors down, Timothy Latimer clutched a pocket watch tightly, shielding it with his body.

Rose….

It whispered as it flashed images of the new librarian in his mind. He shook his head, trying to clear the strange pictures. The Doctor must be confused. The new librarian’s name was Alice. And yet the watch, and subsequently the Doctor’s voice inside the watch, kept whispering the name over and over again. It showed images of a blonde woman who was remarkably similar to Ms. Prentice, though not identical. Timothy wondered if perhaps Ms. Prentice was somehow a distance relative of the Rose that the Doctor seemed to be calling for. He intended to make another trip to the library the next day to investigate further. 

When he’s first heard…or felt the watch speak to him all he wanted to do was run far away. He didn’t know what was happening and he was already enough of a freak without hearing voices. But as the Doctor spoke to him and showed him memories, pictures of his life…and then glimpses of Timothy’s own future, he knew he wasn’t imagining any of it. The Doctor was real and the Doctor was terrifying, but somehow clutching to the watch brought Timothy hope. He had never been particularly happy with his life, but knowing that there was something greater out there to find out and explore just made it all worth living. He wasn’t excited about the terrible future he’d caught glimpses of. Maybe it had been a warning or maybe an inevitable future, but he could prepare at the very least.

The next morning, the school awoke with the normal flurry of morning activity, and Rose found herself being woken by a quiet knock at the door. Not Martha, but one of the other servants left a small breakfast tray at her door and Rose gratefully accepted as she readied herself for another day of pretending to be someone else. It was a fairly easy task around the students and other faculty. It only became difficult not to slip into her own accent and mannerisms around John. She was going to make a conscious effort to be more diligent about early twentieth centuries manners and customs to keep a line firmly drawn between Alice Prentice and the Rose from his dreams. Once she had gotten ready, Rose did not delay before heading to the library for another day of organizing and cleaning.

For the first hour or so of the day, she was able to work in quiet and once a section of the shelves were emptied she got to work dusting them. What she wouldn’t give for a can of Pledge to really clean them with. She wasn’t really aware of people having more than just basic soap and water to clean with in the twentieth century, so she focused instead on just removing the surface layer of dust and grime before re-shelving the books. She didn’t plan to rework the entire system but did some adjusting as she put the books away by topic and by author. After the bells rang for a change of classes, Rose heard a flurry of students in the halls moving one way or another. She kept the door open today as she wanted students to feel welcome now that there were at least a few tables cleared of books and dust for working on. Some students popped their heads in to peek at her, but only one student actually entered the library, head kept down.

“Hello Timothy,” she greeted with a smile as she eyed the smaller boy.

“Hello Ms. Prentice,” he greeted politely before sitting down at a table and opening a book once more. Rose didn’t want to bother him, but noticed after a few minutes that he seemed to have been staring at a single page for several minutes. He didn’t seem like the type of student who struggled with reading, though Rose knew all too well that school just didn’t come naturally to everyone. 

“What are you working on?” She finally asked from a nearby table where she was alphabetizing books in the sciences.

“An assignment for Mister Smith,” he answered. 

“Ah, an essay perhaps?” Rose answered knowingly and the young boy looked up nodding.

“Yes, on the destruction of the Library of Alexandria.”

“Such a tragedy. So many great works lost forever,” Rose mused and Timothy nodded. He was quiet for a moment before looking up at her once more.

“Ms. Prentice, may I ask you something?” 

“Of course,” Rose confirmed, approaching his table.

“Do you have any relatives that go by the name of Rose?”

Rose almost dropped the book she was holding, but recovered quickly. She plastered a smile onto her lips before looking down at the boy.

“Not that I’ve had the pleasure of meeting,” she denied.

“Oh…it’s just. Well Mister Smith mentioned knowing someone named Rose once and the way he described her, she looked a bit like you,” Timothy lied, unable to make eye contact with the librarian. 

“Did he mention that now?” Rose asked suspiciously. There was clearly something he wasn’t fessing up to. Rose didn’t believe he meant any harm and she didn’t think he could be connected to the Family in some way, but she was definitely suspicious of his knowledge. She knew for a fact that John had only shown his journal to Nurse Redfern and herself. Martha had seen it in passing, but he would never have spoken aloud about the things in his journal to any of his other colleagues or students. There was just no way. He was too aware of how outrageous the stories were. 

“Er, one time in passing I think,” the student lied again.

“Timothy, I don’t think he did,” Rose said sternly. She didn’t want to scare the kid, but she did want to find out how much he knew and how.

“It’s just-

“You’re not in trouble. And I won’t judge. But I am curious to know how you know something so private about Mr. Smith,” Rose continued and Timothy finally made eye contact with her, appearing helpless.

“It’s very strange,” he whispered.

“I can handle strange,” Rose smiled softly in response. 

“I stole something from Mister Smith, but I swear I only did it to keep it safe. Because…it told me to,” he confessed.

“What did you take?” 

“A pocket watch. It was just sitting on the mantle in his study. I don’t even think it works, but it…” he trailed off, unable to admit the truth. Even though the watch was urging him to find Rose and talk to her, he couldn’t bring himself to.

“It’s alright Timothy. You can tell me,” Rose urged softly and Timothy nodded slightly. 

“It speaks to me. Not out loud, but I can just hear a voice when I’m near it or when I’m holding it. And it shows me images…in my mind,” he finally admitted and Rose sucked in a breath. Her best guess was that Timothy had some sort of mild telepathic tendencies, heightened by the Doctor’s full telepathic abilities concealed in the pocket watch. But she didn’t think telepathy was very common in humans. 

“I believe you,” Rose started. She wanted to calm the boy who was clearly panicking, though she did have some questions.

“He said you would.”

“Who said?”

“The Doctor…that’s who’s connected to the watch. He says he’s inside the watch, but I don’t see how that’s possible. He tried to show me, but none of it made any sense,” Timothy whispered, his voice wavering with clear panic.

“Well he’s right,” Rose confirmed.

“I do believe you and I want you to know I am here to help. If you need,” Rose offered and Timothy’s lip quivered a bit.

“Even if you just need a friend right now,” she continued. 

“Thank you Ms. Prentice,” he responded graciously. Rose was tempted to tell him the whole truth, since he already knew so much already, but she didn’t. If Timothy was around after the Doctor returned, he may not be able to keep the secret from the Doctor. He wouldn’t understand the importance of it. So she kept her mouth shut, but offered him a comforting squeeze of the shoulder. 

“As I said yesterday, you’re welcome here anytime. But you should probably get to work on that essay for Mister Smith. Don’t want to delay your studies,” Rose reminded him and he nodded, re-engaging in the book he had been staring at. Rose quietly resumed her own work, but her mind was running in circles. 

She would need to inform Martha of the new information. She wasn’t sure if the TARDIS had selected 1913 because of Timothy, or her, or something else entirely. But that wasn’t really the most important goal at the moment. Still Rose had an ever growing list of questions for both the TARDIS and the Doctor and she didn’t know how she was going to remember all of them. She and Timothy both worked in silence for a bit longer before she saw the boy look up at her curiously.

“Ms. Prentice?” He called.

“Yes,” she answered, acknowledging him. 

“The Doctor…he said the Family is nearby. He wants me to keep the watch safe and says you’ll know when it’s time to open it,” he informed her and Rose felt a shiver run down her back. Martha’s hunch about the meteor she saw a few nights before was probably correct. She hadn’t made it back out to the field to investigate, but clearly the family was nearby.

“Thank you for letting me know. I trust that the Doctor is safe with you. When the time is right you can give it to myself or Martha. Do you know who Martha is?” Rose asked.

“She came with Mister Smith, right?”

“That’s correct,” she confirmed with a nod.

“Yes I know who she is. She’s always very kind to me,” Timothy stated softly and Rose smiled.

“I hope you show her kindness in return,” she advised. 

“Yes Ms. Prentice,” Timothy nodded before the bells rang again, interrupting them. Timothy gathered his books and waved a quick goodbye before hastening off to his next class. This left Rose once again in quiet to resume her busy work. Throughout the day a few other students came by to read or work quietly, some even in small groups. Rose found the distractions welcoming and during lunch she did head down to the dining room on the main floor as Martha had suggested. The only other woman on faculty was Nurse Redfern, and since Rose had drawn a line in the sand with that friendship she found herself wondering where to sit at the table. There were professors she had only briefly met already sitting by the Headmaster, and Rose scanned the room before hearing a small cough behind her. She turned around and smiled at Mister Smith.

“I wondered if you’d like to have a seat beside me, Ms. Prentice?” He asked politely, gesturing to a pair of empty seats at the end of the long table. Nurse Redfern sat opposite the seats and Rose bit her lip nervously, but responded anyway.

“Of course, thank you for your offer Mister Smith,” she accepted, sitting next to him. The servants brought a simple lunch spread out almost immediately and Martha paused near the two of them with a tray of tea cups.

“Tea?” She asked and John nodded while taking one cup off the tray and then gesturing for a second while looking at Rose who nodded graciously.

“Thank you so much Martha,” Rose stated loudly enough for others around her to hear. She wanted to make it clear that even servants would be treated with respect and dignity in her presence. She’d seen the way some of the boys talked to the wait staff, and she assumed those were learned behaviors from at least some of the faculty members. It caught Nurse Redfern’s attention and she seemed flustered, smoothing a napkin over her lap to distract from staring. 

“Ah so you’ve met Martha? She’s worked for me for the last few years, very loyal,” John commented and Rose fought the urge to frown.

“Yes she was so kind to help me out last evening by bringing me dinner. I didn’t realize it was normally a shared meal and was so exhausted after my first day. I really appreciated the gesture and extra effort,” Rose told him and that seemed to satisfy him as he smiled and thanked Martha himself. Martha bowed out gracefully along with the rest of the servants as the teachers began to serve themselves. 

“I hope you find yourself adjusting well,” John commented.

“Very well, thank you Mister Smith. I’m proud to say the library is really not half as sorry of a state as I was made to believe. Just needed a good dusting and a little bit of reorganizing, that’s all,” Rose answered.

“That’s good to hear. I was feeling particularly guilty about that,” he admitted sheepishly.

“Don’t be foolish. Borrowing a few extra books wasn’t going to hurt anyone. And now that I’m here, I’ll be able to manage it and keep it properly organized so it won’t fall into a mess again.”

“Yes that is very good news for us indeed. We all felt Miss Barlow’s departure, did we not Matron?” John looked towards Nurse Redfern who seemed a bit taken aback by being called into the conversation.

“Yes of course. And Mister Smith I did tell you to please call me Nurse Redfern. I much prefer it among colleagues,” she responded and Rose swore she saw John blush a bit.

“Yes of course, I am sorry about that Nurse Redfern. Going to take some getting used to I’m afraid!” 

“It’s no trouble at all. I hope you got your book back alright?” She asked, gaze flicking at Rose who felt herself almost puff up in response.

“Yes, Ms. Prentice made sure it made it safely to me,” John replied hastily. He felt extremely uncomfortable with his private journal being brought up in such a public setting. 

“Speaking of books,” Rose interjected, sensing his discomfort. “I was just reading the most fascinating collection of fables last night. I highly recommend it for either of you, if you’re looking for something more fanciful.”

“I’m afraid I prefer to stick to nonfiction and journals in science,” Nurse Redfern replied instantly, though a moment later she regretted it as she saw John’s crestfallen face.

“Of course, the occasional fantasy can be quite enjoyable as well,” she added on hastily but she could see that the damage had been done. She knew better than to be petty with the new librarian. It was so very immature of her, but she couldn’t help herself as she watched John shift his focus completely from herself to Ms. Prentice. It had been so long since Joan had even allowed herself to consider taking on another suitor after her husband’s death and she could really see a future with Mister Smith. But that was all gone now. If it hadn’t been destroyed by the arrival of Ms. Prentice, it would be destroyed by her own insensitive words about his journal. She had not intended them that way, but that was clearly how he had seen it.

“Yes, well, fantasy can all be a bit impractical,” John stated quietly.

“Personally it’s my favorite genre. I especially love fairy tales. And I know that might make some folks consider me naive, but there is so much to learn from those types of stories. Although I do wish they ended more pleasantly sometimes,” Rose stated, tagging on those last words because she knew that fairytales had not yet evolved from their original Grimms brothers into the modernized version with happily ever after just yet. 

“Seeing the world through a different gaze just helps widen our perspectives,” John agreed eagerly and Rose smiled at his enthusiasm. She loved to see it. Every smile or ramble on about something he enjoyed reminded her more and more of the Doctor she missed so much. 

“I suppose it is my own failing that I cannot let go of our reality more,” Nurse Redfern interjected and Rose felt a pang of pity. She hadn’t needed to be so harsh with the woman. None of the situation was her fault. All she had done was show interest in a perfectly eligible coworker. 

“There is a lot of value in that too, though. I’m sure your interest in science and critical thinking is what allows you to be such a wonderful Matron for the school. The students are in such good hands,” Rose said warmly. Nurse Redfern softened a bit, but seemed to squirm at the compliment. The shift in the other woman’s tone had her a bit confused.

“And the faculty too at times! I think I told you that Nurse Redfern helped patch me up after a tumble down the stairs not long ago,” John added with a laugh at his own expense. 

“Yes, you had mentioned that,” Rose nodded in acknowledgment.

“You are not the first to need some minor first aid, Mister Smith, and I’m certain you won’t be the last,” Nurse Redfern smiled before someone sitting next to her, another professor Rose assumed, caught her attention. 

The rest of the meal passed relatively quickly and with just surface chatter that Rose mostly stayed out of. While she was able to fake it fairly well after just a few years of time traveling with the Doctor, she wasn’t super familiar with the current events and costumes of the time, and she didn’t want to cause any slip ups. After lunch she excused herself back to the library for the rest of the school day to supervise students and quietly finish up the final details of organizing and cleaning. The rest of her work would really just be the maintain the library and assist students, and without busy work she found the time passing by so much slower. With the TARDIS in dormant mode, she realized that her ability to sense time passing was not as strong. She wondered how many of her abilities were tied directly to the TARDIS. Her ability to travel through the Vortex so far was very tied to the ship, as she could only travel right into the TARDIS at any moment in time. Her ability to manipulate particles (including her own appearance) seemed a little more independent, since she’d been able to utilize it even when the TARDIS had been turned into a paradox machine. 

“Bloody hell!” She cursed under her breath as several books fell, crashing into her legs and feet as they went. She had been startled out of her deep thoughts and it took her a moment to realize the shelf she’d just placed a book on had collapsed under the added weight. 

“Oh no! Let me help with that,” she heard John Smith’s voice call from the library door and she turned, a smile quickly replacing her flustered expression.

“Thank you, Mr. Smith. I’m afraid I asked a little too much of this shelf,” she explained sheepishly as he joined her, picking up a few books and placing them on a nearby table. 

“Please, just John when we’re not in the company of other faculty,” he corrected her and she nodded in acknowledgement.

“And anyway, these shelves are quite old. I’m not surprised some of them are collapsing. I should be able to fix this for you,” he rambled, poking at the shelf in a way that almost triggered a flashback for Rose. 

“It might need to be replaced,” Rose suggested and John shook his head, digging into his pockets for something. 

“I’m sure it’s nothing a little tightening can’t fix,” he announced triumphantly removing a small screwdriver from his pocket with a grin. Rose choked back a laugh as her heart swelled. The sonic would never have worked on wood anyway and even if it had, Rose had lost her crudely assembled sonic device shortly after she’d created it.

“You are extremely handy. It’s extraordinary,” she commented fondly.

“Well a man should never be without the tools he needs to fix a shelf,” John muttered as he inspected the ends of the shelf. He stayed quiet, but his tongue peaked out of the corner of his mouth slightly as he worked and Rose watched in fascination. He was so similar to the Doctor, but so different at the same time. More like her husband John, but even different from him. Her head hurt from trying to see three different people in just one face. 

“That should do it,” he said decidedly after a few minutes. Rose hadn’t really been paying attention but she nodded with a grateful smile.

“I think I’ll let it settle overnight before trying to reshelve any of these books,” she told him.

“It should be alright, but that’s not a bad idea. If it gives you any more trouble, just let me know.”

“Of course, thank you John. I appreciate all your assistance! You’ve done almost as much as I have at this point!” She laughed.

“Nonsense! Though, if you’re going to be closing the doors for the night anyway…might it be time for me to escort you through town?” He asked, his tone quieter as he glanced down at his shoes. Rose’s cheeks burned and she was sure she was visually blushing. She wasn’t sure why she would be blushing when she had loved this man for over 100 years, but it all felt new with this John.

“Yes of course, I’ll just need to stop by my room to grab my coat. I’m sure it’s bound to get chilly,” she smiled and he nodded, stepping backward to make room for her to lead the way.

“I’ll wait in the foyer for you then, Ms….Alice,” he caught himself and smiled as he said her fake first name. It reminded Rose that this man had no idea who she was and she had to remember that. She couldn’t let her guard down just because she felt so comfortable around him. He was smart and observant. Any tiny slip up could make him suspicious, and therefore uninterested, and more likely to turn back to Nurse Redfern. As Rose closed up the library she heard a small cough behind her. She spun around in shock before breathing a sigh of relief as Martha stood, arms crossed over her chest impatiently. 

“Oh Martha, you scared me!” Rose hissed and the younger woman rolled her eyes.

“I’ve hardly seen you all day other than lunch and now you’re about to dash off with the Doctor before checking in with me? We have a problem,” she whispered and Rose huffed a frustrated sigh. 

“I need to grab my coat, come to my chambers with me for a mo,” she directed quietly, glancing around to make sure no one was listening in. The last thing she wanted was for Martha to get in trouble for speaking out of turn. As soon as the door was shut, though she sagged a little, letting her body relax.

“I know the plan was for you to get close to the Doctor, but he seems pretty taken with you already. Since you’re not planning on staying I don’t want this to be harder for either of you,” Martha started, her body posture oozing annoyance.

“We’re only going to the village, which you already knew about. Martha. I’m not going to let him get hurt and if it stings a little for me…I’ll survive,” Rose said gently. Martha seemed to relax a little as she watched Rose cautiously.

“I know…I don’t mean to snap. I’m just getting nervous. I went back out to the field to check the site and I couldn’t see anything, but it still feels off. I think like you guessed there might be something camouflaged there. I’ve been keeping an eye out for any suspicious activity, but when I went to go double check nothing was wrong with the watch…it was gone. Rose the watch is gone!” Martha panicked.

“It’s safe…one of the students, Timothy Latimer, has it. He confessed to me that he can hear the Doctor speaking to him through the watch. I think he might have some telepathic tendencies, but if the Doctor is reaching out to him I think we should trust that the watch is safe,” Rose answered, watching as Martha relaxed a little more.

“But how can the Doctor be communicating with him?”

“Remember how I said the Doctor is regularly telepathic. I assume because it’s his essence he can reach out to anyone else telepathic still,” Rose tried to explain, though in truth she barely understood it herself. She thought briefly back to her time with a future version of the Doctor and how they did at some point seem able to communicate telepathically and wondered why the watch wasn’t reaching out to her. 

“How do you know so much about him?” Martha groaned.

“Not because he told me, Martha. Because trust me, he was just as terrible about telling me things when I traveled with him originally. But my husband was…very close to him, and he was much more open with me,” Rose answered honestly, but carefully. She had promised to be open with the younger companion, but didn’t want to risk giving any information about future events that she knew Martha would be part of. 

“Well it would be so much easier if he was just honest with his friends.”

“I agree. Timothy said one other thing…he said the Family is nearby. He didn’t know anything else, but we need to be on alert,” Rose warned. 

“I didn’t want to be right about that,” Martha mourned.

“Well your instinct was spot on, but the Doctor’s waiting in the foyer so I really should get going. Keep an eye on Timothy, and for anything else suspicious. I’ll watch out for the Doctor while we’re out and report back this evening,” Rose instructed and Martha nodded, lost in her thoughts. Her head was spinning with all the tidbits Rose had dropped over the last few days. Nothing about Rose Tyler made any sense, and as she watched the mysterious woman leave the room in a rush, she tried to just trust that Rose could handle herself. 

Rose buttoned her coat as she darted down the stairs at a brisk pace. It hadn’t been more than a few minutes, and John stood patiently in the foyer, looking up as soon as he heard her on the steps. He offered an elbow and she placed her hand delicately around it with a smile, her stomach fluttering at the small gesture.

“It’s a quick walk into town for anything you need. There’s not much, but all the essentials and a lovely tea shop I frequent whenever I just need a break from the school grounds,” John mentioned as they began their walk on the gravel path away from the school.

“I’m sure it can get exhausting to be cooped up in the school so much of your time. Do you spend holidays away from the school grounds?” Rose asked, making polite conversation and John didn’t answer right away, his face screwed up in concentration.

“I’m fairly new to the school, so I haven’t had the opportunity to leave for a break yet. But I think I definitely will take advantage of the student’s absence. I traveled a lot before I came here and would hope to do so again in the future,” he finally answered, and Rose realized she was in the danger zone, poking at his false memories.

“That would be lovely! I also traveled quite a bit as a private tutor for a particularly wealthy family. There is so much to see out there,” Rose commented lightly, shifting the conversation more towards herself and John seemed to walk with a lighter step. 

“I wondered, Alice, if you might share your thoughts on my…journal,” he asked sheepishly and Rose fought the urge to chuckle.

“I did not read through it in its entirety, as I felt it would’ve been improper. I just couldn’t help glancing through it a bit. It’s really quite fantastical…though some of the bits seemed darker than others,” she replied, careful not to reveal too many details. 

“Yes, sometimes my dreams do take a darker turn. Lucky they are only dreams though-

He started, but was cut off as a bicycle bell caught his attention. Rose looked over to wear a large piano was being hoisted up the side of a building as they entered the edge of town. A young woman was pushing a pram around the corner and Rose could see what was happening. Before she made a move to call out to the woman, John snagged a cricket ball from a nearby child and threw it at the scaffolding on the side of the building. That in turn sent a brick flying to knock over a container of milk which stopped the woman and her tram in their tracks just moments before the rope snapped and the piano came crashing down. While she had seen the Doctor perform similar calculations, it amazed her still to see a fully human John Smith casually stop catastrophe. 

“That was rather…lucky,” he murmured.

“Was it really? You are…extraordinary John Smith,” Rose laughed.

“I wondered if you might accompany to the village dance this weekend? I realize it is rather short notice, but I would be so grateful to spend the evening getting to know you better,” he asked, pausing outside a small tea shop and looking directly into her eyes. Rose couldn’t stop her face from warming as she glanced away.

“Oh, I hope that isn’t too forward-

“No, no. It really isn’t. I’m just surprised. I’ve only just arrived here yesterday, but I would be glad to spend an evening with you this weekend,” she answered and John beamed, gesturing for her to follow him into the tea shop. 

Their evening was thankfully quiet and uneventful, and the rest of the week passed much the same. Both Martha and Rose stayed on high alert, but they didn’t have the ability to find the Family’s ship while it was camouflaged and they didn’t want to go to the TARDIS, worrying that it would attract attention to themselves. So they kept their heads down and Rose kept tabs on Tim. She was surprised by how well the young boy had adapted to finding out there were aliens and he could communicate with one through a watch. While she wasn’t sure how the Doctor would choose to handle the knowledge when he did return, she hoped he would help the boy adjust at the very least. She knew the Doctor had had children at one point in his life, but he wasn’t particularly nurturing or patient with young humans. It wasn’t the Time Lord way. On Saturday, Martha was helping Rose get ready for the village dance when a thought occurred to her.
 
“What if the Family does track him down and we have to open the watch?” Martha asked. Rose thought for a moment before answering.

“It’s frustrating that all of this would’ve been for naught, but I’m sure the Doctor can handle them,” she shrugged it off and Martha shook her head.

“But if he has to open the watch and he comes back…he’ll want to talk to you. The wig and different name might have the human fooled…but I’m not sure it’s going to fool the Time Lord,” Martha pointed out. 

“Ah.”

“Yeah. I hadn’t thought about it before…or else I might’ve suggested a different plan. But honestly even if the Family doesn’t find us and I have to convince him to open the watch, we’re going to run into the same problem,” Martha continued.

“You’re absolutely right. If the time runs out and the Family is no longer a problem, I’ll have to find a way to leave without him wanting to follow. I’ll…think on it,” Rose mused.

“And if the Family finds us first?” 

“Let’s just hope we’ve done enough to keep him hidden. If we haven’t, we’ll have to deal with it when the time comes. Just let me take the lead if it comes to that, okay?” Rose asked, a somewhat crazy plan coming into her head even as she thought of the worst case scenario.

“Well I’m definitely not going to take charge,” Martha huffed as she finished buttoning Rose up. 

“Thanks for the help, I should probably go meet him.”

“Yeah have fun. I’m gonna pour a cuppa and enjoy so many of the faculty being gone for the night,” Martha rolled her eyes, a tinge of jealousy spiking inside her again. She was less and less jealous of Rose’s relationship with the Doctor, but she still found herself upset that while Rose got to play human with the Doctor she was being treated as a second class citizen. She made her way to the kitchen where a small table was set up for servants and prepared a cup of tea, finding a note from the cook with some leftover cakes that one of the teachers didn’t want. She was setting up a tray when her friend Jenny wandered in.

“There you are. Come and look what I've got. Mister Poole didn't want his afternoon tea cakes so Cook left a note that we could have them. And there's enough for two. What are you standing there for?” Martha questioned as her friend stood waiting in the doorway and took a deep breath in through her knows, almost as if she were trying to identify a smell.

“Are you all right?” Martha asked cautiously. Jenny offered a calculated smile.

“I must have a cold coming on,” the other woman answered but a chill ran down Martha’s spine. Something was definitely not right and she had a worrisome feeling she knew exactly what was going on. 

“Right well, would you like some tea?” Martha offered, changing the subject.

“Yes, thanks. Martha…you know Mister Smith well. What of this new woman he’s taking to the dance today?” 

“Ms. Prentice? I don’t really know her, and anyway I don’t think it’ll last,” Martha lied trying to shift focus away from Rose. Even if the Doctor was well disguised as a human, Rose was bound to be able to be spotted as an outsider if the Family were closing in.

“Why?” Jenny pushed and Martha panicked, realizing her plan had backfired.

“It’s just Ms. Prentice is here temporarily and Mister Smith also has plans to… travel more,” Martha explained vaguely.

“Travel where?”

“Just places. I don’t know where specifically he plans to go,” Martha brushed off the question and shifted focus.

“I could put a nice bit of gravy in the pot. And some mutton. Or sardines and jam. How about that?” She offered and Jenny smiled, sitting back in her chair.

“I like the sound of that,” she nodded.

“Right. Hold on a tick!” Martha called out, already standing up to make a hasty exit from the room. Instead of heading further into the kitchen area, she high tailed it out the back exit of the school grounds used for servants and started making her way round the front, narrowly missing some sort of energy ray being shot at her. She spared a quick glance backward to see Jenny standing at the window from the kitchen. Martha rushed to the road that led into the village, keeping a keen ear out in case Jenny decided to follow her. 

She didn’t know how the Family had taken control of her friend, but she had to assume that other people could look totally normal but also be taken over by the Family somehow. She needed to warn the Doctor and she needed to warn him fast. They’d have to track the watch down with the young boy after. She ran almost the entire way to the village hall, wondering why the Family was not following her, but not slowing down to check. 

Inside the village hall, Rose and the Doctor were seated at one of the tables and chatting mindlessly about each of their made up pasts. Of course the Doctor didn’t know his past was made up, but Rose was well aware that many of his memories were completely false. She tried to keep her story as close to the truth as possible, so he wouldn’t later poke a hole in her logic, but she had a bad feeling none of it would matter if the Family were to find them.

“Ladies and gentleman, please bring your partner to the floor for a waltz!” The dance master announced, and John raised an eyebrow at Rose, offering his hand. 

“Join me, Alice?” He smiled.

“Of course,” she obliged as she stood, thinking back to the last time the two of them had danced. She was shocked to realize they hadn’t truly danced together since after they’d first met Jack. There had been a few moments here and there, like on New Earth but at the time at least one of them had been possessed by that flappy skin Cassandra. So she relished the moment as John guided her in a waltz.

“I have to say I’m kind of surprised that you waltz so well. You just seem the type to…”

“Have to left feet?” He finished with a laugh.

“I suppose so! And I don’t mean that in an offensive way, please don’t mistake me,” Rose tried to apologize but John Smith simply laughed.

“I take no offense. I am honestly quite shocked at myself. I don’t remember the last time I danced,” he confessed and Rose wondered if the last time he danced was also the last time she danced. That thought made her sad for him. Though she had missed the Doctor terribly every moment she was separated from him, she’d found little pockets of joy. She never wished for him to be unhappy without her.

They didn’t speak much during the dance, but as soon as it ended John excused himself to go grab them refreshments and Rose sat back down at their small table just as Martha rushed up, sitting down.

“What’s going on?” Rose hissed immediately, very aware of all the stares the two of them were getting from other party goers. 

“They’ve found us. They got to my friend Jenny somehow. She tried to shoot me with some laser beam when I slipped away,” Martha answered with urgency. Rose’s heart dropped. This was too public of a place to try and tell John Smith the truth. And she needed to be long gone when the watch was opened. She couldn’t risk him figuring out her real identity. Neither woman noticed a young girl in the corner smile and dart away as she overheard their conversation.

“Have you found Timothy with the watch yet?” 

“No, I came straight here to warn you. I figured the last thing we’d want was any kind of confrontation in such a public place. You need to get the Doctor out of here,” Martha explained her reasoning and Rose hesitated only for a moment before nodding just as the Doctor rejoined them.

“Martha! This is really not appropriate, I must insist that you leave,” he scolded her with a frown and Rose stood, grabbing the drinks from his hand.

“John, you should show more compassion. Martha came all this way to tell me something very important. Just because she is a servant doesn’t give you the right to treat her like a lesser human being,” Rose insisted, a hint of her natural accent slipping out. John seemed to blink for a moment before nodding his agreement. He did not go as far as to apologize. 

“What have you come to tell Ms. Prentice?” He asked and Martha bit her lip, looking at Rose for confirmation before they were interrupted by an older man bursting into the room.

“There will be silence! All of you!” He shouted as several scarecrows stumbled in behind him. Rose’s eyes widened and she looked at Martha, whose eyes flickered toward the kitchen door. She assumed there was some kind of servants exit through there. Panicked shouts continued before the man repeated himself.

“I said, SILENCE!”

“Mister Clarke, what is going on?” One of the local men who was hosting the dance asked. The first man pulled out a gun and shot a green beam at him, vaporizing him instantly. Rose sucked in a breath as she felt the heat of Bad Wolf swell within her. It had been several weeks since Bad Wolf had tried to make an appearance without her consciously choosing to tap into it. She didn’t know whether she should be relieved that she would be able to protect herself or worried that her inner…self was sensing grave danger.

“Mister Smith, don’t say anything,” Martha begged and the human man looked at her in utter confusion.

“We asked for silence!” A younger man, Rose recognized him from the school, spoke up and Rose realized that there were 3 of them plus the scarecrows. She assumed the scarecrows were likely animated by some sort of technology while the three that appeared human were likely being inhabited by the Family. She hoped the humans weren’t a lost cause, but somehow she didn’t feel great about the likelihood they would be savable.

“Now then,” the three of them turned their attention to the Doctor. “We have a few questions for Mister Smith.”

“No, better than that,” a young girl, who now moved to stand with the other three, interrupted.

“The teacher. He’s the Doctor. I heard them talking,” she chirped and Rose’s heart dropped. She and Martha had given it away. 

“You took human form,” the younger man quirked his head to the side in an unnatural way.

“Of course I’m human. I was born human, as were you, Baines. And Jenn, and you Mister Clark. What is going on? This is complete madness!” John exclaimed and Rose found herself at a loss for words. If she tried to say anything, she would give them both away. 

“Ooo, and a human brain, too. Simple, thick and dull,” Baines hissed.

“But he’s no good like this,” Jenny whined.

“We need a Time Lord,” Clark agreed.

“Easily done,” Baines spoke as he lifted his own gun and aimed it at John. 

“Change back!” He demanded. John instinctively adjusted his body so that he stood in front of Rose, and Rose squeezed his arm in return.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” 

“Change back,” the man repeated angrily, cocking the gun.

“I literally do not know,” John argued. Too quick for Rose to realize what was happening, Jenny grabbed Martha and pulled her into their group.

“Get off me!” Martha struggled, but Jenny put a gun to her head.

“She’s your friend, isn’t she? Doesn’t this scare you enough to change back?” The maid taunted. Rose could feel John tense up, but his rhetoric didn’t change.

“I don’t know what you mean! Please, there’s no reason for anyone to be hurt tonight,” he tried to reason.

“Wait a minute…that woman there, the maid has mentioned that he’s fond of her!” Jenny jerked her heads towards Rose and before John could push her away, the oldest man grabbed her and placed a gun to her temple. Rose felt Bad Wolf rise and focused all her efforts on controlling the energy that was threaten to spill out.

“Have you enjoyed it, Doctor, being human? Has it taught you wonderful things? Are you better, richer, wiser? Then let’s see you answer this,” Baines took a few steps toward the Doctor, who stood defiantly his gaze flicking back and forth between his two companions. His human heart beat wildly. 

“Which one of them do you want us to kill? Your friend or your lover? Your choice, Doctor,” Baines smiled an evil, unnatural smile.

“Make your decision, Mister Smith,” Jenny prodded, tightening her grip on Martha who grunted in annoyance.

“Perhaps if that human heart breaks, the Time Lord will emerge,” Baines mused. 

In the corner of the room, young Tim Latimer opened the watch just the slightest amount. A small amount of golden energy wafted into the room. It wasn’t visible to any of the humans, but the Family zeroed in on it, all of their heads turning in that direction. Rose saw it too and her eyes sought the small boy cowering in a corner. She made eye contact with him and made a concentrated effort to send a thought his way.

Stay Hidden

The boy nodded and Rose breathed a small sigh of relief, knowing that he’d gotten the message. 

“It’s him!” Baines shouted. The moment of distraction was enough for Martha to wriggle loose from Jenny’s grasp and grab her gun, using Jenny as a shield as she aimed the gun at Baines. Rose had also tried to wriggle free, but Mr. Clark had kept too firm of a hold on her. 

“All right! One more move and I shoot,” Martha exclaimed. 

“Oh, the maid is full of fire,” Baines teased, though he stood still in his spot, not making a move for her. Rose’s eyes flickered briefly to John who was staring hard at her. The Doctor would’ve intervened, but John Smith was completely out of his league.

“And you can shut up!” Martha retorted, firing her gun into the ceiling for affect. 

“Careful, Son of Mine. This is all for you so that you can live forever,” the man holding Rose, Mr. Clark, warned.

“I’ll shoot you down,” Baines warned.

“Try it. We’ll die together,” Martha seethed. Rose knew how things were about to go and she quickly formulated a plan in her head. It was extreme and she wasn’t 100% sure she could even make it worth. But she couldn’t risk a paradox if Tim decided to open the watch and she wasn’t going to let Martha get hurt. 

“Would you really pull the trigger? Looks too scared,” Baines tutted.

“Scared and holding a gun’s a good combination. Do you want to risk it?” Martha responded. 

“Shoot the librarian,” Baines snapped. The next few moments seemed to happen in slow motion. Martha began to shout no and push Jenny away from her as John took a step towards Rose. Neither of them could possibly reach her before Mr. Clark pulled the trigger though. And exactly as he did, Rose released the Bad Wolf energy that was simmering and ready to explode. A bright golden energy burst from her, knocking everyone around her down and unconscious. The room shook and tables and chairs fell over as if there had been an earthquake or nearby explosion. She had reigned it in, not allowing it to vaporize anyone…even the Family. But as she looked around, she first knelt to make sure both Martha and the Doctor were breathing. Once she confirmed they were all safe she turned her attention to the Family. The first thing she did was remove their weapons from them, allowing Bad Wolf to disintegrate them into nothing. Baines stirred and as he awoke Rose blinked, eyes glowing gold as she allowed Bad Wolf to surface. 

“Are you the Time Lord?” He asked with narrow eyes as the other members of the Family also began to wake, looking around to find their weapons missing.

“No. I am the Bad Wolf. And you have chosen the wrong target. I will ask you one question only before I decide your fate. The humans you wear: what became of them?” Rose spoke, but it was no longer just Rose. Bad Wolf had taken a front seat.

“Then who are you?” Mr. Clark asked, standing. The Bad Wolf held out her hand, and a shimmering energy wrapped around each of the Family, holding them in place.

“Answer my question,” the begin repeated.

“They’re long dead,” Jenny smeared and Bad Wolf took a breath.

“Then let your lives end as you have ended theirs,” Bad Wolf spoke before draining the time energy from all of them, allowing it to dissipate into the air. After a few seconds the human bodies dropped, void of all life and remainder of time energy. Rose closed her eyes and mentally shook off the Bad Wolf, once again taking full control of her own body. It was a physical experience she couldn’t quite describe. It wasn’t painful, but it certainly wasn’t pleasant and she did not intend to do it again in the near future. Playing with Bad Wolf’s abilities was playing with fire. She may be able to control them to some extent, but unchecked Bad Wolf’s abilities could decimate the universe. 

“Timothy,” Rose called, hoping that since he was in another room, he wouldn’t have been hit by her blast. The small boy poked his head out and she gestured for him to come.

“I was so frightened, Ms. Prentice. But he told me it was okay,” he whimpered.

“The Doctor did not steer you wrong, Tim. I know that was scary, but it’s over now,” Rose reassured him before walking over to Martha and tapping her gently, using a little of Bad Wolf’s energy to wake her friend. Martha groaned, but began to sit up as she looked at Rose.

“What the bloody hell was that?” She demanded and Rose frowned.

“I can’t explain everything now. He’ll wake up soon and I need to be gone before he does. Timothy has the watch and the Family is handled,” Rose spoke, feeling exhaustion start to creep in her bones. Utilizing that much energy, whether it was hers or Bad Wolfs was certainly taking a toll. Nothing hurt, but her whole body egged and she longed to sit down. 

“And Jenny and the others?” Martha asked cautiously.

“Already gone, as soon as the Family took them,” Rose confirmed quietly, unable to look her friend in the eyes. 

“What will we tell everyone?” Timothy wondered aloud. 

“This place looks like it was hit by some kind of bomb. We’ll say that. They’ll reason away everything before that on their own,” Martha suggested and Rose nodded.

“And you’ll tell John that I died in the blast…or that Alice died. It will break his heart, but he should listen then about opening the watch and you’ll be on your way. One day I’ll be able to tell him the truth and hopefully he’ll forgive me,” Rose instructed. Martha looked conflicted while Timothy looked confused, but both simply nodded.

“Is that it then?” Martha asked.

“I need to be gone before ehe wakes up,” Rose confirmed with a nod. Suddenly Martha pulled her into a strong hug and Rose froze for a moment before wrapping her arms around her friend as well.

“Thank you. I don’t know how I would’ve gotten through this last week without you,” Martha whispered. 

“You would’ve figured it out, just like you always do. You are capable of so much more than you give yourself credit for,” Rose told her.

“Oh I know I’m brilliant,” Martha grinned before they heard movement as a few of the people began to stir. Rose tossed her head back with a laugh before moving towards the side door.

“I’ll see you very soon, Martha,” she promised as she darted out the door. She didn’t worry about the Doctor eventually waking back up and dealing with the aftermath. Martha would have that handled.  She didn’t bother going very far before she chose to travel through the Vortex once more, keeping her mind focused not the TARDIS the Doctor she was trying to locate. Her landing was smooth this time, and she found herself materialized in her own bedroom instead of the console room. The lights brightened as the TARDIS song swelled happily in her head.

“Hello!” She greeted warmly out of habit, even though she knew the ship would understand her even if she didn’t say it out loud. She felt a warm embrace around her mind as the tap in the bathroom turned on. The message was clear the TARDIS wanted her to clean up and rest. She would figure out when she was after but the TARDIS would make sure no one interrupted her in the meantime. Rose did not argue with the ship and after a quick shower, she crawled into her bed and was instantly asleep. 

Chapter Text

Rose wasn’t sure when her peaceful sleep started shifting into the clean garden that she and the TARDIS often visited in during her dream, but at some point it did and Rose smiled as she looked around, realizing that the shimmering golden energy of Bad Wolf was now glimmering off every surface vibrantly. Not only was Bad Wolf completely intertwined, but it shone now and Rose took that as a sign that she was about as close to fully being Bad Wolf as she was ever going to get. 

“My wolf!” Exclaimed the human appearance of the TARDIS and Rose spun around, finding herself immediately enveloped in a hug. 

“It’s such a relief to see you,” Rose murmured to the being who hummed lightly in response. 

“I’m always here,” she comforted.

“You know it’s not the same. The last time I saw you-

“I was asleep. I can see your timeline Rose. I can see all the timelines all the time. You can sense timelines, and with practice you may eventually become more in tune with them than even the Doctor. But I will always see things more clearly than either of you,” the TARDIS laughed and Rose rolled her eyes.

“It’s not exactly a fair competition between the three of us. Time Lord, TARDIS, and whatever I am.”

“Rose Tyler. Bad Wolf. Both or either depending on the day. Uniquely you, my dear,” the TARDIS chattered aimlessly. Rose sat down on the bench they often frequented, heaving a sigh.

“I’ve had so many questions I want to ask you since the last time we were able to properly speak,” Rose confessed as the TARDIS joined her.

“And now you’re having a hard time remembering them? Or they don’t seem all that important anymore? You can sense you’re nearing the end of something but you can’t sense what?” The TARDIS guessed and Rose nodded.

“That’s exactly it. Should I be worried?”

“The opposite. What you’re sensing is the end of the divergence in your timeline. All those burning questions you had…you know you have the answers somewhere here in your mind. Things are a bit disorganized still and I’m afraid they’ll stay that way for a while. You are so young still, my wolf,” the TARDIS spoke Kindly.

“I hardly find over a century to be young,” Rose scoffed.

“For a human, no. But as we’ve already discussed, when you and I became one, you ceased to be just a human. Bad Wolf is limitless really,” the TARDIS explained.

“So I’m immortal?”

“No. No being is immortal. You may live virtually forever and still not be immortal. Everything comes to an end eventually. If time itself can come to an end, so shall all things in it,” the TARDIS answered solemnly. 

“But will I live long enough to give him forever?” Rose asked, unable to grasp her mind around the TARDIS’ cryptic words.

“I can’t make those guarantees Rose, no one can. You may cease to age as humans would, but that doesn’t make you invisible to death or destruction. And despite how he acts, the Doctor does not have unlimited regenerations either,” the ancient being tutted with disapproval. 

“And you’re saying that everything I’ve been wondering…I know it all already. Somewhere deep in my mind, but I just can’t find the information?” 

“You’re a being of time, Rose. And you travel through time. Your mind has to figure out how to sort through memories in a logical way. Humans can only grasp time as a linear concept, but you are no longer restricted to thinking that way. However it is the only way you’ve learned time up till now, so you will need to re-learn and as you do, your mind will find ways to organize all your memories and all your senses. This is something that will take practice, but the Doctor can help you! Time Lords are taught from the time they are young that time is complex and even they still struggle. The two of you will learn together. I will help,” the TARDIS promised and Rose nodded.

“At least this sort of discussion is no longer making my head ache. I don’t really think I understand it, but it’s getting better,” Rose admitted.

“Exactly. You’re quite in tune with Bad Wolf these days. That display with the Family…”

“I know, I should be careful,” Rose interrupted.

“I don’t need to warn you anymore, little sister. You understand the limits to Bad Wolf are self imposed for a reason. A being of pure time would become a vengeful god, hungry for power and unstoppable. But your human nature runs deep, even as you leave the restrictions of a human life behind. This is why I chose you, Rose. This is why we created Bad Wolf together,” the TARDIS told her sincerely.

“You called me sister.”

“Just a new term I’m throwing around. Do you like it? There isn’t yet a word to describe our relationship,” the TARDIS chirped happily and Rose smiled.

“I think it fits, but I’ll probably just keep calling you TARDIS,” she grinned cheekily.

“And I shall always call you my Wolf.”

“You said the divergence in my timeline is coming to an end. Does that mean I’ve made it? Can I finally see him?” Rose felt her heart swell.

“Almost, I promise. You are so very close to your goal. Yours and the Doctor’s timelines are forever intertwined. They always have been, though he hasn’t been able to sense it. This time you’ve spent apart…think of it as a bubble or a wrinkle. At the end your timelines were always meant to come back together,” the TARDIS answered.

“Please, please tell me there are no more adventures I have to endure watching him, but not being able to reach out,” Rose begged.

“That’s entirely up to you. You know that. You could’ve jumped forward at any point. You chose to stay, to help,” the TARDIS spoke, a raised eyebrow at Rose who shrugged.

“I know you’re right. But I just didn’t feel right seeing Martha alone. Knowing how he treats his companions…is there anything I can do to change that?” 

“I know a great many things about the universe, but I still haven’t figured out how to make the Doctor change his mind. You see how hard I have to work to get him where he needs to go!” The TARDIS exclaimed in frustration.

“I suppose that’ll just take time. Tell me, though, the ones he’s said goodbye to. Is there a possibility of bringing any of them back into his life?”

“If they’re still alive, there is always hope. The ones that have passed on are gone, we cannot undo that.”

“Yes, I’ve learned that lesson,” Rose agreed, thinking once more about her father’s death. 

“But if they live on, between you and the Doctor, I’m sure you’ll find some solution,” the TARDIS flashed a mysterious smile.

“You know, don’t you?” Rose accused.

“I know a great many things, some of them will come to pass and some will not. That’s how the whole free choice thing works,” the TARDIS laughed. 

“Right, right. So if I want to get back to the Doctor now…you’ll help make sure I get to the right point in his timeline?” 

“Well first of all, there are many ‘right points’. You are free to see him again anytime after your timelines diverged. You could see him again seconds after or centuries after. That is completely up to you.”

“I won’t be making him wait centuries and you know that,” Rose scowled.

“But before you see him again, there’s one more thing you may want to do. Some time after you were initially trapped in the parallel world but before your timelines diverged completely, the Doctor had a daughter,” the TARDIS explained and Rose balked.

“M’sorry?” 

“Daughter is a…loose term. His DNA was extracted by a prick on the hand and then split and grown into a new being through progenation. It’s technology from the future, simple in concept but shocking in practice. A human colony in the far future was using it to produce adult humans, ready to fight in an endless civil war. Donna Noble was traveling with the Doctor at the time, and helped name the girl Jenny,” the TARDIS continued and Rose let out an exasperated sigh as she shook her head.

“Yes, I’ve met her. It should’ve clicked the second I saw her.”

“Unfortunately shortly after her creation, Jenny was gunned down. The Doctor waited, hoping she would regenerate but the process didn’t start right away like it normally would so there once existed a timeline in which Jenny woke up alone and stole a spaceship to explore the universe. But she was never able to track the Doctor down and I had a feeling you might like to change that,” the TARDIS prompted.

“I assume the Doctor was reluctant to get attached, but in the end he did? And then his hearts broke yet again thinking she had died,” Rose mused, answering her own question as the TARDIS nodded in confirmation.

“So once again it’ll have to be Rose to the rescue. How will I get there if the Doctor isn’t there to help pinpoint my search through the Vortex?” She asked. 

“Oh didn’t I mention, I’m parked there right now! Just slip outside and wait for the Doctor, Martha, and Donna to get back into the TARDIS. Then you’ll be able to seek out Jenny freely. I think you’ll find you’re quite drawn to her,” the TARDIS winked.

“Oh you are a cheeky thing.”

“Just making sure you both get where you need to go,” the TARDIS smiled warmly as the world around them started to shimmer.

“Time to wake now, my Wolf,” she called gently, her voice fading as Rose felt herself being pulled back into reality.

As Rose woke in her room on the TARDIS, she wasted no time. Knowing that she was so very close to properly seeing her Doctor again made everything else (like showering, eating, and even changing clothes) seem completely irrelevant. There would be time for that later. She darted through the corridors and into the console room, doing a quick check on the monitor to make sure the Doctor and his companions weren’t directly outside the door. The TARDIS seemed to be parked in some sort of underground tunnel which Rose found it easy to find a hiding spot. She only needed to wait a few moments before she heard the Doctor’s voice.

“…bringing us here. It just got here too soon, which then created Jenny in the first place. Paradox. An endless paradox. Time to go home?”

Rose had to fight her chuckle when he mentioned the endless paradox. At this point her whole life was one endless paradox after the other, although she hoped reuniting their timelines would help calm that down for at least a bit. She heard Martha respond as the three of them entered the TARDIS. Rose didn’t risk sparing a glance and waited until she heard the familiar sound of the TARDIS departing. Using the same tricks she had used to stay hidden during her year traveling the Earth with Martha, she wandered the complex tunnel system hoping to find Jenny quickly. Finally she came to a small, clean room where a very familiar blonde lay on a table. Rose’s eyes softened as she looked down at Jenny. The young woman was not moving and didn’t appear to be regenerating, but Rose brushed a stray hair aside lovingly and felt a small spark. She moved her hand back in surprise as a glimmer of gold energy seemed to seep into Jenny’s forehead. Moments later the woman gasped and opened her eyes.

“Hello!” She greeted and Rose felt jaw pop open.

“I’m Jenny and I’m not sure why but I feel like I know you! Then again I’ve met an awful lot of people in a very short amount of time today,” she laughed.

“It’s…complicated. But I’m Rose. I’m a….friend of your dad,” Rose tried to explain lamely.

“Oh, so has he gone then?” There was a slight tinge of disappointment in Jenny’s voice and Rose put a comforting hand on hers, noting the lack of a spark this time around.

“He waited, hoping you would regenerate like him…but you didn’t so yes he left. But I can help you find him again! I’m headed that direction,” Rose offered. Jenny paused for a moment in thought.

“I think…I’d rather like to do some adventuring on my own first. He seemed very disappointed that I was born a soldier. If I could just save some more civilizations first, I think he might be happier to see me,” she said decisively.

“Jenny I hope you know that your dad loves you just as you are. He’s just a stubborn old git. And I truly do mean that, in the nicest way. He would be thrilled to see you,” Rose tried to assure the young girl.

“All the same, every girl has to grow up sometime. And I was born grown! But I will want to see him again soon…how will I find him?” 

Rose smiled, digging into her pockets to find her trusty old cell phone. She had thought to grab it from her room that morning. She hadn’t used that thing in ages, but trusted that the technology still worked.

“His number is plugged in here. I won’t need it anymore. Give him a call, we’ll come find you,” Rose promised and Jenny took it gleefully and bounced up off the table. 

“Thanks Rose! I guess I’ll be seeing you,” she called as she darted from the room. Rose chuckled slightly at the childlike energy she exuded. Last errand done. It was time to go home. Before anyone else wandered into the room she closed her eyes and allowed herself to be pulled into the Vortex, hopefully for the last time in a while.

...

The Doctor dematerialized the TARDIS in a panic, the sound of the Cloister bells still ringing in his ears. Did a bell count as a knock? The Doctor hadn’t waited to count 4. He could clearly see the face of Ood Sigma, staring at him in judgment as the Doctor watched the light of a deathly laser beam flash in Adelaide’s window. He wanted to be angry at Adelaide, wanted to blame her for being stupid. He was the last of the Time Lords and there were no rules of time for him to obey. Of course, he couldn’t be angry at Adelaide. He had told her she was destined to die on Mars and then he had broken his own rules in anger and arrogance. Adelaide was stubborn, but she wasn’t wrong about him. 

“Time Lord Victorious is WRONG!” she had shouted, and the Doctor agreed. He was horrified at his own words. He needed someone to distract him, to keep him grounded. He needed Rose or Donna or even Martha. But after all that had happened with her, he refused to make the same mistake again. With Martha, he’d gotten off easy. She’d left him unharmed and on mostly-friendly terms, but he was tired of having his hearts broken again and again. He had lost Rose, and then gotten her back, and then lost her again only to lose Donna. It was too much.

The Doctor knew it wasn’t fair to place that blame on his companions. Rose had never wanted to leave, and neither had many of the others. Some he had left behind for their own safety, others he had lost to tragedy. He was never going to stop chasing danger, and danger was never going to stop following him. So it was time to stop inviting people along on his adventures. They did more harm than good. So what if he blurred the lines of what was right or wrong? It was all subjective in the end. The Time Lords were gone and nobody was there to slap his wrist or punish him for bending the rules a bit. He’d been told that he would die after 4 knocks. So if he just kept running every time he heard a single knock, he would never have to die. 

With renewed determination the Doctor set the destination to random, but as he spun around with a flourish to flip the break he tripped over his own foot. Glaring down, he eyed the offending object which showed at broken shoelace that had come undone. He threw his shoes off in frustration and set off to the wardrobe to find a new pair before his next adventure. As he turned to go, a bright light behind him caused him to stop and wheel back around.

“Not again!” He almost growled. Donna appearing on his ship had been a fluke. Things didn’t just appear on his TARDIS! As the light faded, a very familiar form appeared and the Doctor stood completely still, unable to move or breathe even a word. What he was seeing could not possibly be real. 

As Rose felt herself fully actualize once more in the console room, she couldn’t pinpoint exactly why but she knew it was right. Something in the back of her mind felt complete, like it had finally clicked into place. She wondered if what she was feeling was her timeline shifting back as it intertwined with the Doctor’s again. Whatever it was, she was grateful and she smiled as she spun around looking for the Time Lord himself. Her heart skipped a beat as she gazed at her pinstripe Doctor. He seemed frozen in fear, like a deer in headlights so she avoided stepping towards him even though every instinct told her to run into his arms. But his arms weren’t open and waiting for her like she always imagined they would be. The look on his face was almost horrified. So instead she opened her mouth and said the first thing that came to her mind.

“You left me.” 

The anger came rushing back as she realized that she hadn’t forgiven this particular Doctor, not yet. Her ability to compartmentalize her relationship with the Doctor at different points in their respective timelines was stunning to her, but as she stared at him and the fear and horror in his expression, she knew he was fairly fresh from abandoning her. And those feelings of heartbreak, anger, confusion, and betrayal just hit her like a tidal wave.

“What?” The Doctor stuttered. His pink and yellow human stood before him once more. How, he hadn’t figured out yet. But there she stood, and she was angry.

“You heard what I said, Doctor,” she snapped. 

“How…why…what…how are you here?” He floundered over his words again and Rose shook her head in disbelief. Always needed an answer. 

“It’s a long story that I don’t particularly feel like telling you at the moment, Doctor.” 

“I took you home,” the Doctor shifted gears, taking a few steps towards her cautiously. “The walls were closing for good, Rose. If we could have kept traveling back and forth, of course I would have kept you with me. You and other me.”

“You didn’t take me home, you didn’t take us home! You took us to a parallel world and left us stranded,” Rose fought to keep her tone calm.

“That world became your home when you got stuck there the first time. You have your family and your life. You have...well, me,” the Doctor insisted. His mind couldn’t fully engage in the argument since it was too busy re-living every memory of Rose he had. And re-memorizing her every feature. 

“You never stopped to even ask what I wanted. You never stopped to ask if I had a good life there before bringing me back. I spent that whole first year looking for a way home and then when I finally found it, you sent me away. AGAIN. The TARDIS is home, you are my home. I’m home now, Doctor,” Rose pleaded, trying to catch the Time Lord’s gaze as she continued to close the gap between them until he was only an arm length’s away. The man in question kept his eyes anywhere except for the brown eyes seeking his own. Her eyes would break him. He had to stand firm in his decision. 

“And what about the Metacrisis me? He was the best version of me I could have given you, Rose,” The Doctor replied seriously. “I’m a thousand year old Time Lord. Rose, you’re a human with an amazing life ahead of you. There is so much you can do with your human life, but it’s just a blink of an eye for me. You need to spend your time with your family. I made that call because I felt it was best. I’m just a crazy old man with a box,” the Doctor stated firmly.

“You’re a grade-A prick is what you are,” Rose muttered.

“I don’t know how you ended up here, but I promise I’ll find a way to help you get back to your family-

“Doctor-

“Because I’m sure they miss you-

“Doctor.”

“And your mum will slap me once she gets the chance-

“DOCTOR,” Rose shouted, putting her hands on his arms. They both paused as the tall man immediately stiffened. It was the first time they’d touched since she’d appeared on his ship. A million thoughts flew through his massive brain. He should pull himself away, leave the room, take her home. But he didn’t want to do any of that. He wanted to wrap her in his arms and squeeze. He wanted to take her hand and run across the stars and never stop. He wanted to welcome her home and never say goodbye again. Before he could do anything, though, her arms were wrapping around his body...the body that had been made for her. Rose’s head was buried into his neck and he felt her hot tears trickle down her cheeks, landing on his shoulder. The tears melted his defenses and he let his body bend to match her shape, tightening his own arms around her. He burrowed his nose into her golden blonde locks. Several minutes passed without a change before Rose finally shifted and allowed her eyes to drift to his feet.

“Doctor, why aren’t you wearing any shoes?” she wondered aloud. 

“I was right in the middle of changing them,” he answered, allowing a grin to spread across his face. Maybe everything would be okay.

“Right,” she responded, an eyebrow raised as her tongue slipped in her teeth. That famous tongue-in-teeth smile showing him the Rose Tyler he knew was still in there.

“Rose, what happened? Why did you leave them all?” the Doctor asked softly, thankful he could still feel her heart beating against his.

“I….I just couldn’t stay there,” she whispered. She’d already told his other self her story, but she wasn’t sure why those memories weren’t opened to him yet.

“But you would have been fine there,” the Doctor insisted helplessly. Rose rolled her eyes with a huff.

“Regardless of whether I would be your definition of ‘fine’ or not, you left me. I fought to get back to you, fought with everything I had and I succeeded against all odds. You said it was impossible and yet I made it back to you. I made it back to you on Game Station and I made it back to you from a parallel universe. But you were so determined to get rid of me that you traveled to a parallel universe to stick me there forever. You made sure the walls of the universes were sealed and you left me stranded. You gave me a taste of forever with you, a taste of an eternity chasing the stars, and then you dumped me in a world without even space travel. And I was so angry with you, Doctor. I had John to keep me company and we helped each other, but we were both so angry with you. You were scared of the thought of losing both of us to time one day, so instead of manning up and enjoying the time you got, you sent us away before you could get hurt. How well did that work out for you, hmmm Doctor? Because from what I can tell, it hurt you even more because not only were you lonely, you felt guilty for leaving us behind.”

“There was no place for the Metacrisis in our universe-

“JOHN. His name. Was. John,” Rose shouted.

“Fine, John then. There was no place for John in this universe,” the Doctor insisted.

“There was no place for John in any universe, that didn’t make it right to dump us in a parallel world.”

The Doctor was quiet. He had turned so that only his back was facing her now. Rose heaved a sigh, trying to bring her tone down. She was getting nowhere with him at this rate. 

“Doctor, did you ever wonder why we never stumbled upon a parallel version of me?” she questioned. The Doctor shrugged, waving his hands wordlessly.

“Didn’t you question it? You question everything!” Rose continued to push, walking around so that she was facing him again.

“There was a parallel version of you, it’s just that it was a dog,” the Doctor tried to tease her. Rose’s gaze hardened into an icy glare.

“You know that’s not what I’m talking about. Everyone else had a parallel version of themselves in Pete’s World. I’m not talking same name. I mean exactly identical version, just with different circumstances. My mum and dad, Mickey and his gran, even your former companions Sarah Jane and Donna. I met them all in Pete’s World. They all existed. All of them, except me and you,” Rose said forcefully, closing the gap between she and the Doctor. The Doctor took 3 steps back in panic, halting when he felt the console seat behind him.

“Time lords only exist in one universe, in one reality. It’s because we’re beings of time. We couldn’t exist in two forms. We already have regenerations. The multi-verse would collapse. Imagine parallel versions of me? Each with several regenerations running around and crossing worlds?” he rambled. Rose slapped her hand across his mouth.

“God I forgot how much of a gob you really have. Shut it, Doctor. I know why you only exist as one being. But what about me?” she questioned again, removing her hand.

“I don’t know!” The Doctor exploded. “Okay?” he snapped. “You’re right. I questioned it the second we didn’t find a parallel version of you on our first visit to Pete’s World. I’ve been questioning it ever since. It doesn’t make any sense. You’ve never made any sense! You traveled from a parallel world to get to me by slipping through cracks you never should have known were there. I don’t know why you are that way, you just are!” Rose grinned victoriously, her tongue just barely slipping in between her teeth. It made the Doctor’s hearts race against his will to see that little pink tongue peeking between her pearly white teeth.

“For someone who claims to be so brilliant and amazing, you really do overlook the simplest things,” she teased. The Doctor clamped his mouth shut, refusing to justify her merciless teasing with his questions. 

“Come on Doctor! Ask me what I know you’re dying to ask me. How do I know what you could never figure out?” Rose continued to taunt him, dancing around the console, humming her own little tune. The TARDIS gave the Doctor a jolt of electricity through the floor.

“OW!” he exclaimed, bringing his foot up to rub it.

“Serves you right for not wearing your shoes,” Rose rolled her eyes.

“I told you I was taking them off to put on a new pair!” he whined childishly which made Rose giggle. Again, both the Doctor’s hearts fluttered against his strict instructions not to. It didn’t matter whether Rose was back for good or not, she was still a human. She was a human who defied all odds, that’s true, but human nonetheless and she would fade and die and leave him alone. And chances were that she would leave him before then. She would find a life outside of the TARDIS.

“Of course you were,” Rose nodded in sarcastic agreement. “Come on Doctor, aren’t you the littlest bit curious?”

“FINE,” he huffed. “What brilliant reply do you have to your own question?”

“Bad Wolf,” Rose answered, her tone suddenly very serious. 

“What?”

“I am the Bad Wolf.  I create myself. I took the words and scattered them throughout time and space, including in other universes. I controlled time for those brief moments and I made sure that Rose Tyler was born in one universe only: the Universe in which you existed and the Universe in which she was destined to become the Bad Wolf. I am the Bad Wolf and I created myself within a circular paradox. Rose Tyler exists because of Bad Wolf and Bad Wolf would never exist without Rose Tyler. I am this way because I had to be... to save you,” she explained. 

“That’s….that’s not how time works, Rose!” he sputtered.

“For exactly 13 minutes and 22 seconds I held the entire time vortex in my tiny human head and I became the Bad Wolf. Do you know how much an all-powerful being can do to manipulate time lines during 13 minutes and 22 seconds? Enough to ensure that no matter what happened in the multi-verse, Rose Tyler would be born and she would meet the Doctor and save him. You are not meant to wander through this world alone forever, Doctor,” Rose said gently, finally catching his gaze. She stared into his deep, brown eyes and he found himself completely entranced, unable to look away.

“I took all of the time vortex energy out of you,” the Doctor whispered.

“Something so powerful will always leave a trace behind. It was locked away, but she helped me find it,” Rose answered honestly.

“The Bad Wolf?”

“No...her,” Rose smiled mischievously, patting the ship’s console. 

“My TARDIS? That’s impossible. You’re not telepathic, and even I can’t actually communicate with her. She’s far too complex,” the Doctor insisted.

“So’s Bad Wolf,” Rose said as she shrugged her shoulders.

“Rose this makes absolutely no sense. I took all of the vortex energy out of you, it killed me! I’ve never liked these teeth as much as the last ones,” the Time Lord grabbed his hair in frustration. 

“We’ll talk about your distinct lack of self-love later. But yes, the amount of vortex energy you took from me saved my life and it killed you. But it wasn’t 100% of it. Enough remained to permanently alter my very essence. These days I can even access a certain level of Bad Wolf like back on the Game Station. At least that’s what I’ve come to understand,” Rose sighed. 

“But that’s-

“Impossible, so you’ve said…many times. In fact, we’ve had almost this exact conversation before,” Rose told him, her tone almost bored.

“What do you mean?”

“Well…I’ve been trying to find the right point in your timeline for a while now and the first place I landed was a few years back. When you still had big ears and wore that tattered leather jacket.”

“How have you been traveling? And what happened to meta- I mean John?” The Doctor decided to ask more pointed questions in the hopes that she might actually answer them. Rose felt a familiar pain sting her heart at the mention of John. 

“I travel through the Vortex without a capsule…it’s not exactly comfortable but I’ve done it half a dozen times now. But Doctor…I’ve told you all this before. Why aren’t you remembering?” She groaned. She did not feel like rehashing her entire history with the Doctor. 

“If I’ve blocked the memory I usually use a specific phrase to trigger the memories coming back. Did I tell you what?” 

“Have you ever told me anything useful?” Rose narrowed her eyes at him and the Doctor huffed.

“Bad Wolf was probably too common…Rose Tyler obviously didn’t do it either. I don’t suppose the TARDIS is being very helpful if you two can communicate so well,” the Doctor hinted and felt another jolt of annoyed electricity through his feet. 

“Ow! Alright alright,” he exclaimed.

“We can’t speak plainly when I’m awake, Doctor,” Rose explained although she mentally turned the volume of the TARDIS song up in her mind. The TARDIS didn’t send any words to her, but her song swelled with love…it was a romantic tune. In a spur of the moment decision, Rose pulled the Doctor close to her and planted her lips onto his.

There was exactly one quarter of a second of surprise shock on the Doctor’s end before his mind switched off and he found himself responding to her kiss automatically. For 3 blissful seconds he kissed her back enthusiastically and then he felt a wall he had no realized was there in his mind break down and memories came flooding back.

A confused and disoriented Rose appearing on his TARDIS moments after he had left her the first time in London…seeing Captain Jack swing Rose up into the air as an unfamiliar feeling of jealousy swelled in him...Rose smiling and laughing as they ran down a hill somewhere…the terror he felt as a man pointed a gun at his Rose somewhere in a desert terrain…kissing her in this very console room before she disappeared before his eyes. 

Even as these memories played on fast forward in his mind, he did not pull away from her kiss. More memories played of a very familiar human…Alice…no it was Rose. It had been Rose all along, how had he not recognized her? He suspected that the TARDIS had something to do with that one. Suddenly he felt her pull away, gasping lightly for breath.

“Oh Doctor,” she murmured sorrowfully.

“I love you, Rose Tyler.”

“What?”

“I remember everything Rose, you magnificent human! Well I suppose human isn’t quite the right word anymore, but you magnificent YOU!” He cheered, picking her up and spinning her around as she laughed gleefully. 

"I love you too," she said, the joy radiating from her heart as the TARDIS sung gleefully in both their minds.

“You have been through so much, my Rose. I have been a fool. I’m not sure how to make it up to you,” the Doctor admitted when her laughter quieted. 

“An apology would be a good start.”

“You’re right, of course you’re right. Rose Tyler: I am sorry. I am so very sorry. I sent you away so many times, convinced that I was no good for you. And that last time…I truly did believe you could be happy with…John. And I couldn’t bare the thought of watching you die whether because of me or because of time…”

“I understand…sort of. But what I was always most upset about was you never listening to me when I said I wanted to stay. I said forever and I meant it,” Rose insisted.

“I know, but forever for a human and forever for a Time Lord are so vastly different,” the Doctor defended. Rose paused before arguing back. A part of her acknowledged that she couldn’t blame the Doctor for needing to protect his heart. His life was so long and he was aged even beyond those physical years because of the responsibilities he’d had to face. When she had first fallen in love with him, she could never have understood what he’d been through. 

“I’m not 17 anymore Doctor. I know what forever means for both of us and I’ve waited so long to find you again,” Rose whispered as he pulled her into a tight embrace.

“You certainly have been busy. Would you like to tell me about it?” He offered.

“Eventually, but not just now,” she confessed. There was so much to tell him still, but she didn’t feel rushed. They had forever, after all. 

“Then what shall we do, Rose Tyler? The whole universe waiting for us out there,” he said, an eyebrow raised.

“Well Doctor…I think there’s only one option,” she responded, her tongue peeking through her teeth as she grinned. 

“Well then Rose Tyler,” he said, extending a hand as he flipped the brake off and allowed to TARDIS to head to a random destination.

“RUN!”