Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The week had been long and full of disappointments. Rose sighed as she glanced at her watch again. Just another 20 minutes until quitting time. While most outside observers would consider her work at Torchwood to be exciting, for Rose it was just one big disappointment. At least it had as of late. Sure, when they went on field calls concerning alien activity, she always felt a rush from it. She felt good when she could help avoid hostile situations and welcome visitors to Earth. And she was a whiz at negotiations. (She felt she had to credit the Doctor with some of that.) But when it came down to it, it was all a distraction at best. What mattered to her most was her personal project, the Dimension Cannon.

The Dimension Cannon was meant to propel her across the voice and through the vortex, back into her home dimension. She had attempted several jumps this week, each time falling just short of making a connection to the other universe. So many times she had felt the spark, the start of a transfer, but then it all stopped. She was stuck. Despite the repeated failed attempts, she refused to give up. In the beginning everyone told her to be patient, that it would happen, but five years had already passed. They had been separated by that blasted white wall in 2007, and here it was now 2013. She had waited long enough.

Yesterday had been particularly frustrating. She had actually disappeared for all of 4.24 seconds and got a brief glance of another world. When that happened, she was overjoyed. Finally! Some progress! But that had been the end of it. She wanted to keep working, long after everyone else had been ready to quit. Rose knew they were missing something, but it felt like they were so close. Her team kept urging her to stop, to rest for the night and try again tomorrow, but she wouldn’t hear anything of it. It was almost to the point of obsession. It had taken Pete pleading with her to get her to stop. As Director of Torchwood, he deemed the project grounded for the next 3 days. He wanted Rose to take some time to rest, and that put her on office duty for the remainder of the week.

Thankfully today was Friday, which meant she was forced to spend just one day in the office. And maybe Pete was right.. She needed a bit of time to clear her head, revive herself. Rose knew that a lot of his insistence came at the nagging of her worried mother. Jackie meant well, and Rose knew that. Rose just couldn’t stop working until she reached her goal. That was getting back to The Doctor.

Some of her colleagues didn't take her work seriously The cannon itself was thought to be a vanity project for the Director’s daughter, or at least that was the way that some higher ups felt about it. Rose had a few friends at work, but she only really trusted Mickey and Jake. No one outside of the project team really knew the purpose of the cannon. Rose wasn't keen on the idea of too many people knowing. It consumed her thoughts night and day to this point, but with the project temporarily grounded, she had something else on her mind.

She had actually made plans to hang out with her flatmates for the weekend. Friends were few and far between these days, but both Hikari and Kema had become her closest confidants. Jackie thought them to be a bit odd, but Rose didn't mind that at all. Frankly, after the way life had been for the last seven years or so, normal was always far too boring for Rose Tyler. And if she was being perfectly honest, it made her all the more comfortable around them. She definitely had a thing for odd. Hell, after the Doctor, nothing could be too odd, really. Ood maybe, but not odd. Having others in the flat helped her not feel so lonely. Rose chuckled to herself as she thought about the conversation she had with Kema the previous evening.

“You’re too stiff, Tyler. You should take some time to chillllll man,” she had said, in her best California hippy voice.

That got a laugh out of Rose and she relented to her friend’s insistence that they all hang out over the weekend. It wasn’t that she didn’t enjoy their company. Far from it. They were her best mates, after all. But Rose had counted on some alone time, maybe reading a book or going to the cinema. However, she knew Kema was right and agreed to enjoy the weekend with them.

They were all meeting up at their West End flat after they finished their respective work days. They would attend a play that evening. Hikari often got them tickets when all three of them were in town. She always had a penchant for the theater and anything creative really. Hikari had been studying the arts since a young age. Her family originally came from Japan. Their background was steeped in ancient traditions, but Hikari was anything but traditional. She was intelligent, cultured, worldly, and quite the talented artist. She spent most of her time in her studio, surrounded by painting supplies, tons of books, and an old record player (complete with an extensive vinyl collection). She often traveled to show her artwork or for meetings with clients. While she wasn’t a commercial artist, she was still often commissioned by both companies and independent clients.

Kema was a different story. She was a wanderer, a traveler. It was hard to pin someone like her down. She always hated the idea of maintaining a permanent residence, and had often rented out rooms for a few weeks and then would be on her way again. It just so happened that London was a favourite spot of hers, and that was how Rose had met her.. She frequented the same coffee shop that Rose often stopped at on her way to work. Kema had noticed Rose’s book on quantum mechanics, and sparked up a conversation on the subject. It turned out that Kema was fairly knowledgeable on the subject and they had a great discussion on it. She even shed some light on areas that Rose had yet to really touch on and it led to some progress on the cannon. They became fast friends and it was as if they had known each other for years. There was something comforting and familiar about Kema. She reminded Rose of someone, but she could never put her finger on it.

It had been Kema that introduced Rose and Hikari. Rose and Kema had exchanged numbers after their third encounter at the coffee shop. One weekend Hikari had an extra ticket to a show on the West End, and Kema thought of Rose. It happened to be a show that Rose had been dying to see, so she jumped at the chance. Plus, it had been a long time since she had ventured out with someone that wasn’t her family or from work. The prospect of having friends was appealing, so she figured she’d give it a go. It also didn’t hurt that Rose lived in the neighbourhood, so if everything went belly up, she’d be able to get home easily. But what a wonderful time it turned out to be. They were both fabulous, and brilliant in their own ways.

That first night they ended up back at Rose’s flt after getting some take away from a local Chinese place. They drank some fancy wine while they ate kung pao chicken. They talked about everything under the sun and Rose came to remember how great it was like to have mates. She realized how much she had missed it. Again, Rose thought of the Doctor. He had been her best mate. The closest one she had ever had. But then again, he was so much more than that, wasn’t he? It was just like she had told Mickey once, oh so many years ago, he was more important than just some ordinary relationship. He was her universe.

Soon after that Hikari was looking for a place to live because her current situation just wasn’t working out. The house she was renting was being put up for sale, and her roommate decided to go back to India instead of remaining in London. Rose took a chance and offered Hikari one of the empty rooms in her own flat. Lord knows the place was big enough as Jackie had insisted that she have some space for guests. While the apartment wasn’t particularly posh, it was nice enough, and a decent place to live. Hikari was happy to take her up on the offer and moved in right away. Soon the largest bedroom served as Hikari’s studio/sleeping quarters. Within weeks, Kema was renting out the second guest bedroom and used it as her home base between all of her travels. It didn’t take long for the trio to become thick as thieves and a stalwart union.

Kema would come and go, regaling them with tales of her travels during her stays at home. They were always glad when she returned, as she would travel to some rather exotic locations. Though sometimes, they didn’t have to worry much at all, as she had a secondary homestead in California, where an old friend of hers grew a plant that served as a life altering medication for Kema.

Rose winced as she thought about it. Her poor friend, constantly suffering. She had a rare nerve disorder that caused painful muscle spasms that would sometimes go on for hours. It would seize up her entire body, leaving her writhing in agony, sometimes screaming if she move even a millimeter. Along with the spasms, she experienced what she referred to as “zaps” in her brain, causing her to stumble, often fall and become extremely disoriented. It had been on a trip to California some years before that she came across the herb cannabis that not only relieved the painful spasms, but when administered at a semi regular basis, made life not only livable, but improved her quality a thousand fold.

There was some social stigma against using cannabis, but neither Rose or Hikari had any issue with her using it in the house. Rose had been around it before, amongst the circle of “friends” she knew while she was dating Jimmy Stone. But they had used it to just get high and while they drank cheap booze. They did it for fun, for amusement. But Kema, it was more than that. Sure she enjoyed a leisurely toke, but it was because it made her feel better. It took away the anxiety that plagued her and the horrible pain she regularly endured. Rose had learned from her that if the right kind was used in the right way, you weren’t left dazed and confused like many of its habitual users. So Kema didn’t fit the stereotype of a “stoner” in habits, but she did rather like the whole California vibe. Sometimes it was funny to hear her say dude frequently with her distinctly South London accent. And to be honest, Rose and Hikari both joined Kema in partaking at times. There was nothing wrong with using it for recreation if you did so wisely.

Both of her flatmates were complete knock outs. Hikari was on the petite side, with long ebony hair that was streaked with bits of turquoise and purple. She wore long, flowy dresses and often attached feathers and beads to the braids in her hair. Her almond shaped eyes were dark and filled with wonder. She saw the beauty in nearly all things, and never broke eye contact when she spoke to you. She was afraid of nothing, yet she was so gentle you would be hard pressed to find anything threatening about her. Rose thought she was breathtaking.

Kema was different. She was tall, 5’10 at least, and lean. She had a sort of strut and exuded a quiet confidence. She wasn’t obnoxious at all, though. Not a hint of arrogance about her. But she knew she beyond clever, and no one could fault her for that. She had miles of raven coloured curls that she would often wear loose, but sometimes pulled it all up, piled on her head. Her eyes. Oh they were gorgeous. A brilliant, piercing blue so light that sometimes they almost looked silver. And right toward the middle there was a ring of pale gray, highlighting the pupil. When she looked at you, it was almost like she could see right inside you, tell your every thought without a word being uttered. When she first met her, Rose found this to be a bit intimidating, but after one conversation, that wariness dissipated. Kema was a free spirit, a fantastically charismatic and clever anomaly unto the Earth. She could wax philosophic for hours, and Rose couldn’t help but listen. There was something rather amazing about her. And that touch of familiarity left Rose drawn to her friend.

Rose snapped out of her daze and looked at the clock. 5:47. Damn, she had already stayed 17 minutes over. Having been lost in thought, she quickly lose track of time. Quickly sorting through the paperwork on her desk, returning things to their proper trays and files, she tied up the loose ends for the week. It didn’t take long to get things in order, and she was out the door, calling goodbyes to a few others that had stayed behind. For once, she wasn’t one of them. As she exited the Canary Wharf building, she thought about the night ahead and smiled. It was bound to be a good night with those two. She hurried to her car and made her way through London Friday evening traffic.

She arrived home a short while later and was greeted by her friends with a great amount of warmth and cheer. The three of them got dressed in a flurry, borrowing from one another’s closets and doing their makeup and bits and ends together in one bathroom. After declaring one another to be absolutely fabulous, they headed out to catch a production of the critically acclaimed show, Old Times. It was supposed to be an interesting show that wasn’t typical of most productions found on the West End. As they walked down the theater row toward their destination, Rose couldn’t help but notice Kema.

Her tall, lean frame was pair perfectly with a black handkerchief dress and black platform heels. Adorned in a few spiked bracelets and Moroccan style chandelier earrings, her long dark tresses flowed like black water floating in the air. Rose herself had worn a simple burgundy shift dress with a high, ornate choker style collar paired with matte black heels and a black clutch bag. Hikari had chosen a kimono style top that was decorated with beautiful floral patterns and paired it with a long, flowing aubergine skirt. Kema was laughing, talking with Hikari as they made their way along. Rose was always glad to see her friend not in pain. The blonde smiled to herself, shaking her head a little. She really was very lucky to have both of them. They made this damn life livable.

They enjoyed the show immensely, regaling the quality of the acting as they came out of the theater. They hoofed it down to a corner pub that was a bit quirky and a bit posh. It was an “after the theater” sort of joint that the younger set tended to frequent. Rose didn’t mind it, but sometimes it was a bit too much on the airs and graces. However, they decided to stop in for a drink and hang out for a little while. Given that they were three quite good looking young women, it didn’t take long for them to get in amongst the crowd and find a table to park themselves at. Kema took their order to the bar. Her being the tallest made it easier to fight her way through the crowd.

As she settled on her tall stool,Rose glanced around the place. She recognized a couple people that worked at Torchwood. One was Eileen Stanton, who worked in accounting. Typical office Betty. Friendly enough, but definitely thirsty for gossip. Rose didn’t know her exceedingly well, but apparently word of her reputation for it traveled throughout the company. She had only had contact with the woman a handful of times, usually when dropping off budget documents for the Dimension Cannon project. They were always sealed with a high security clearance level required to view them. Eileen was to deliver them to her head supervisor when he wasn’t at his desk during the time of delivery. She always poked around for a bit of information, trying to pass it off as casual conversation. Rose had quickly been warned by one of the secretaries in her own department that Eileen had a hell of gob when it came to potentially “juicy” information, so Rose knew better than let there be any manner of loose lips around the woman. Glancing over to the left, she noticed a man called Jamie Parsons, who worked on one of the special ops teams that investigated incident reports of possible alien activity. She had worked with him a bit when she first started at Torchwood, before the work on the Dimension Cannon had begun. But she hadn’t really talked to him in the last couple of years, as they worked in separate departments now.

“All right there, Rose?” came Hikari’s voice from her right, and she turned to look at her smiling friend. Rose shook herself from her silent daze and smiled back, waving her hand a bit.

“Ah yeah, M’alright. Just thinking, long day and all,” she explained. She cringed a bit inwardly when she thought of her work and what her friends knew of it. As far as they knew, she did work with foreign dignitaries and out of country visitors. They just didn’t know that rather than simply being from out of country, they were from other worlds all together. She hadn’t exactly lied to them, but she hadn’t been honest either. It came up one day when Hikari bluntly asked what she did and she tried to explain without giving away too much.

“It’s sort of...foreign policy work. Like, I help to sort out conflicts and arrange meetings between… out of town visitors...and proper officials. That sort of thing,” she explained in a rush, trying to distract from the fact that she wasn’t being completely honest.

“Oh.. so with foreign dignitaries and such?” Hikari asked simply, her head tilted to one side as she watched Rose carefully. Rose nodded quickly and gave an “uh huh”, and with that her friends seemed satisfied. She breathed a heavy sigh of relief when they let the subject drop after that.

The sound of loud music and an all too familiar “OI!” calling out not far from them, Kema nodded to the crowded bar top. “So help with these, yeah?” she called loudly. Rose laughed and rushed to help her, grabbing Hikari’s whiskey sour and her own Rum and Coke from Kema’s grasp. The taller woman winked at her and nodded, then slipping into her seat.

“Bastard at the bar tried to short me change! I told him I’d come round and show him how to count proper if he didn’t fork it over. Claimed some “rush hour” charge. Pah! Bloody posh establishment and their sense of entitlement!” Kema went off, scoffing and rolling her eyes whilst shaking her head.

Rose laughed and nodded in agreement, glancing around the place again, her mind wandering, unsurprisingly, to The Doctor. He had always made sure they didn’t get ripped off while shopping for TARDIS parts or even just trinkets and gifts she bought for her mother. He was nearly driven to a round of fistycuffs with one Aldagorian bloke who tried to overcharge Rose by 40% on a necklace she was trying to buy. He was was severely put out by those who tried to run scams on innocent bystanders. That day, after they had left the marketplace, he had presented her with a little box. As a gift, he had bought her another pendant that she had marveled over, but had decided was too expensive. He admitted that he had bought it right after she looked at it, when she turned away to look at the wares in the next stall. She had been wearing it that day, the Battle of Canary Wharf. The day she had “died”. And here she was wearing it today. Wonders never ceased.

The trio of young women enjoyed a couple drinks before decided that they had had enough of the socialites for one night and left the pub. Once outside, Kema hailed a cab, and thankfully they were able to flag one down fairly quick. Just as they got into the cab, it started to rain a little and Hikari laughed, noting their luck. The three of them made conversation on the way home. Well, Hikari and Kema were anyway. Rose mostly stared out the window at the passing lights of the theater row, crowds thinning out as they approached the residential district.

Kema asked the cabbie to drop they near a small grocery shop near their flat. For refreshments, she said. They others agreed, and off they went, fancy dress and all, to pick up some wine, a few nibbles and some delicious smelling Indian takeaway. It wasn’t before long that they made it back to the flat, all laughter and smiles, the three of them equally glad to be home.

What followed was the three of them vacating to their respective bedrooms to change into their jim jams. Rose welcomed this part of the night. This was when they would put on a movie that they would only half pay attention to while drinking copious amounts of wine while gabbing away about anything and everything. She laughed to herself as she quickly got out of her going out duds and slipped into some pink plaid jimjam bottoms and a loose white vest top. She went to her ensuite to wash the makeup off her face and freshen up before returning to the others. She took a quick glance of herself in the mirror when her makeup was washed away and sighed a little. While she was by no means showing her age, there were still dark circles under her eyes, a stark contrast to her pale skin. Maybe her mother was right. She had been working too hard. As she stared, a faint glimmer of amber glowed around her irises. Sighing and then shaking her head, she pushed thoughts of work and her nagging mother out of her head and went back toward the kitchen.

When she got to the door, she hesitated, hearing her flatmates talk amongst themselves in hushed tones. The conversation sounded as though she weren’t meant to hear it. She felt a little guilty for listening in at all until she heard her name.

“Rose has been acting weird tonight,” said a worried sounding Hikari. “Do you think she knows something?” She was met with a long silence before Kema spoke.

“I’m not sure what she could know. But at any rate, she’ll know plenty soon enough,” said Kema.

Chapter Text

“But what if she’s angry?? I hate to think she would believe that we would lie to her,” Hikari said, her tone distressed.

Rose could hear Kema audibly sigh. “I’m worried about that too, but we haven’t exactly lied. More like omitted certain facts. Though that’s damn near like lying.”

Hikari groaned out loud. “Ohhh, I hate this! We need to tell her soon! I don’t like all this secretive stuff. It’s too stressful. Besides! She would understand!”

Rose could almost see Kema nodding in her sage-like way. “Ultimately, yes she would, especially considering the work she does. But she still thinks we have no idea about that, and we can’t force her to tell us. All in good time, mate.”

“Ugh! But that’s my point! If she knew that we knew, then we could tell her about our stuff, and we wouldn’t have any secrets anymore!” Hikari argued in a loud whisper.

“I know, I know. I hate this too, Hika. I really do. I just want to spill everything to her, but it’s going to take the right timing. We have to be sure she’s ready to hear it from us,” said Kema, a tad exasperated.

Just then, Rose accidently knocked into a nearby table, jostling the lamp a little. She cursed under her breath when the conversation stopped abruptly. Grumbling to herself, she took a deep breath and then pushed the kitchen door open, finding them both standing behind the counter. Hikari smiled nervously, and Kema looked as cool as a cucumber. Obviously one had a better poker face than the other. Rose had quite the poker face herself and did her best to hide her suspicions and curiosities.

The conversation she had heard had her mind whirling. They knew about her work? Why hadn’t they said anything? And what were they hiding?? They couldn’t possibly be involved with something...extraterrestrial… could they? Nah...there was no way. She would know. Yeah… she would definitely know. There’s no way something like that could get past her. Relaxing a little, she smiled brightly at her friends.

“So ladies, what’s first on the menu? I’m starving!” she said, her tone chipper. The other two looked at each other and a sense of relief seemed to wash over them. Hika returned her smile and Kema was smirking as she opened a bottle of syrah. They all proceeded to dig in to some delicious chicken tandoori and samosas.

They were two bottles in when things got silly. The lot of them were laughing hysterically at a story Kema told about some bloke trying to pick her up in Thailand with promises of a fruitful life of helping him with his fishing business and bearing him many sons. She had told him no right off, of course, being who she was. Kema never led anyone on. She could quite a smooth talker if the situation called for it, but she was a very up front sort of person. She wasn’t afraid of saying what she thought, that was for sure.

Rose giggled uncontrollably as she sipped her fourth glass of wine, hiccupping a little in the process. This sent Hikari into a fit of giggles, doubling over and nearly falling off her own stool. Kema looked on, smirking at their antics.

“Mind if we move to the balcony, loves? I’m a tetch overheated,” Kema asked, looking a bit pale. The other two nodded and they all got up from their seats to make their way to the balcony.

The cool air hit her face and Rose took a deep breath. It felt good against her flushed skin. The wine was really doing a number on her. Not that she minded. She felt more relaxed and at ease than she had in weeks. Still, the conversation from earlier lingered in the back of her mind. She couldn’t help but wonder what they had been talking about. Part of her wanted to confront them, but at the same time, she trusted them, and hoped they would come to her with it in time.

“So Rose, are you doing okay? You seem a bit detached tonight,” Hikari said, squinting a little as she looked at her blonde friend. Rose could tell that Hikari was just concerned about her. Rose then glanced at Kema, who was watching them both.

“Ah, I’m okay. Just a bit tired, yeah? No big deal,” she said, shrugging it off as she took another healthy sip of her wine. “Just sort of...had someone on my mind I guess. Someone from the past.”

“Ahhhh, so there we have it. Something stirred up feelings from an old relationship, hm? Always comes down to love and loss,” Kema interjected, nodding knowingly before sipping her own wine.

Rose sighed and shrugged. “Well not exactly, but it was a bit like that. Just someone...someone I traveled with for a couple of years.”

Hikari leaned on her elbows, propping her chin on her hands, eyes shining a bit as she eyed Rose curiously, a frown crossing her face. “Was it a good time or was it something horrible? Did he hurt you somehow?”

Rose laughed, shaking her head. “No, no, nothing like that. It was great, more than great. He showed me everything. Different lands, different people. Exposure to so many different cultures I lost count. He was brilliant and amazing. I adored every moment of my time with him. I loved going to all those places, seeing so many things, learning so much. It was perfection.”

Kema smirked and shook her head. “Sounds like you loved more than the traveling.”

“Oh shut it!” Rose exclaimed, throwing a nearby dish towel at her friend. Kema dodged it and snicked mischievously.

“So this the same bloke you’ve told us stories about your crazy adventures with?” Kema asked, more seriously this time, sincerely curious. It was rare that Rose opened up about her past at all.

Rose smiled at her fond memories and then sighed a bit. “Yeah...yeah that’s him. Same bloke.”

Hikari looked a bit confused, cocking her head the other way, eyebrow quirked up. “It sounds like you two went really well together. Why did you end it?”

Rose’s heart sunk. How could she explain without sounding completely daft? Perhaps she could bend the truth, ever so slightly. She had to be careful, as it seemed they already suspected something funny about her job. “W-well… well, we were sort of pulled apart by force. He’s gone...somewhere else now, and I have no way of getting to him.”

When she said that, they saw the look of deep, desolate sadness in her eyes, and a grimace that twisted her mouth. Both women seemed to know to let the subject drop before Rose grew anymore upset. Clearly she still needed time to heal from the ordeal, even if it had been several years ago.

The conversation moved to other subjects, and Rose found herself smiling again. She certainly didn’t want to ruin the evening with talk of how much she missed a man she likely had no prayer of seeing again. But she could tell they were curious to learn more about her past beyond her immediate family.

“So...um.. More wine?” Hikari said with a giggle, holding up the near empty bottle to Rose nodded and uttered a thank you as her mate poured the remaining content into her glass.

After a sip, Rose noticed that Kema was pulling an odd face. She looked a bit distressed, eyes bulging a little as she curled inwardly, her hands and fingers clenching tight. She had gone pale and looked close to passing out. No amount of wine could keep Rose from knowing what was going on. It was that moment that they saw their dear friend turn inward and fall to the floor, twitching as she stifled a scream.

Rose jumped into action. She knew what to do by now, and so did Hikari.

“I’m going to go grab her vape pen!” she called as she rushed toward Kema’s bedroom.

She quickly found it on top of the vanity, but noticed it was empty. Reaching for the drawer that Kema called her “stash spot”, Rose found a box with a new cartridge in it. She made quick work of loading the cartridge into the vaporizer, just like Kema had showed her on a few occasions. Rose absentmindedly stuffed the box in her jimjam pocket, and hurried back out to the kitchen. She went to Kema’s side and took her hand gently. Hikari had already gotten a small pillow to elevate Kema’s head and covered her with the blanket.

“I brought the one that said Mendocino Purps, I remember how great you said it worked for your pain. I hope this does something for you!” she said, handing the gadget over to Kema. Kema took a few deep breaths and then proceeded to take a couple of hits off the pen. Both Rose and Hikari watched with great worry, their bodies tensed and alert, waiting to see any improvement. They tried talking calmly, all three of them on the floor together. The last thing Rose wanted was for there to be any conflict.

“I’ll be alright,” Kema said quietly, her voice shaking a little. She laughed. “You idiots think you can get on without me? Please. You’re complete rubbish at emergencies.”

Rose scoffed, pretending to offended. “I’ll have you know that I’m quite good at emergencies. In fact, I could tell you EXACTLY how I deal with dire emergencies. And believe me, they can be quite a pain in the arse,” Rose retorted, turning her nose up slightly.

Both of them laughed. Kema sat up a little, groaning. Not even ten minutes and the medication was already working. She continued to intake a bit more of it, growing more relaxed and less in pain with every inhalation. Rose smiled at her friend. It was always good to see her feeling beter. They helped her up on to a nearby chair to let her lounge and rest. Hikari asked if she rather move inside, given the cool breeze that was blowing, but Kema declined, wanting to stay just where she was. Rose excused herself for a moment to grab some water.

As she walked she pulled the little package from the cartridge out from the recesses of her pants pocket. Looking it over, it seemed to be like any of the other cartridges Kema had acquired over time. They all looked the same to Rose. Curious, she read the back of the box, noting the best known effects of the strain, and it had a cute little alien on the cover below the logo. Copyright 2019. Well that was strange. That was still years off. Strange that a company would do something like that. Must have been a misprint.

Awhile later they all moved back inside and Kema was resting on the couch, covered with a blanket. She insisted she was fine, but Hikari would hear nothing of it. The tall raven haired woman was a slave to her sometimes motherly mate’s insistance that Kema be looked after.

It was a while later when Kema suddenly passed out. Hikari called to Rose in a frantic panic.

“Okay, Hikari, you’ll have to calm down first. Let me have a look at her, and we’ll see if we need to get help,” Rose said calmly, stroking her worried friend’s arm. Hikari nodded, shrinking back a little and letting Rose examine Kema. Armed with all the gear she needed, she checked her pulse. It was unbelievably strong, and kept an odd rhythm. Rose moved a hand to the top of Kema’s heaving chest, feeling her heartbeat, but then suddenly she gasped. There wasn’t just one heartbeat..but two. Pulling away slightly, she was left with even more uncertainty.

“I’m not sure what’s going on, but we’ll just keep her comfortable,” Rose said reasonably, motioning to Hikari to have to the other woman help her lift Kema up. They managed to half carry, half drag her to her bedroom and get her into the bed. Once she was laying peacefully in bed, Rose couldn’t help but think back to what had happened.

Her friend had two hearts. She only knew of one species in the two known universes that had two hearts...but that was impossible! Time Lords didn’t exist in this dimension! Unless… unless she had gotten here from the other dimension. Even still, that didn’t really add up. All of the Time Lords had been destroyed in the Time War. The Doctor was the last of his kind. Though, apparently, he wasn’t! It woudl certainly make him happy to know that. But Rose still didn’t understand how she ended up here, and how, of all the people in the world, did she end up connected with Rose?

It was like she was some sort of Time Lord magnet. Did she have her own TARDIS? Did she travel about the universe, saving everyone and everything she could in the galaxy? Perhaps she wasn’t a Time Lord at all. The Doctor had said that they were required to go through an academy to gain the title of Time Lord. Perhaps she was simply a Gallifreyan that had migrated away from their home world. Or maybe there was some other species in this universe that had a bi-cardiovascular system. She paced the floor back and forth the internal dialogue continued.

“Um...Rose?” Hikari said quietly, interrupting her frantic stream of thoughts. So many questions, so little answers. Rose’s head snapped up and looked wild eyed at her friend.

“Yeah?”

“You’re acting kind of...weird,” Hikari said with a grimace, her weight shifting from one leg to the other as she hugged her arms around her middle. “Is something wrong?”

Rose stared at her friend. Did she know about this already? Her mind went back to the conversation she had overheard earlier that evening. Maybe she did know… Was Hikari an alien, too?? Rose felt dizzy all of the sudden. Everything was spinning out of control in her head and she needed to maintain herself before she lost it completely.

“Nah, M’fine. Really,” she said with a tight smile trying to sound convincing. Hikari was still eyeing her suspiciously. So much for a poker face. Rose turned away quickly.

“You felt it, didn’t you?” Hikari asked suddenly. Rose stiffened. “Her double heartbeat, you felt it.”

Rose turned back around slowly, her eyes falling on the face of her friend. She was smiling a little. “I figured you had felt it when you were checking on her. It was only a matter of time before you found out. I told her we should tell you this weekend, that we had put it off long enough. She thought maybe it was too soon, but guess you found out anyway.”

Rose stared at her, uncertain as to what she should say. It was several moments before she found her voice, taking a deep breath before she spoke. “So...uh… I’m guessing Kema is an alien, then?”

Hikari smiled again in that sage way of hers, shaking her head a little. “I want to explain everything to you Rose, but only with Kema present.”

Rose nodded, understanding. Of course, it was only right. This was for them to all discuss together, just like they did everything. Were this any other situation with any other people, Rose might be demanding answers, her temper flaring, but she couldn’t find it in herself to be the slightest bit cross. Afterall, there were a few pretty big secrets she had been keeping from them as well.

Just then, Kema appeared in the doorway of her bedroom, still looking a little pale, but smirking, seeming rather amused. “Well Tyler, about time it came out, yeah?”

Rose turned to look at her and nodded a little. Kema slowly moved out of the doorway to her bedroom and made her way to the living area, slumping down onto the couch. She looked at Hikari and then Rose. “Well c’mon then, we have some talking to do.”

Then both of the other women joined her, taking their usual places in the living room. They were definitely in for a long discussion, so it was best that everyone get comfortable. Kema had brought a glass pipe filled with herb flower in it. That was her more “social” method of partaking. Rose didn’t mind. She kind of liked the smell. Sometimes Hikari would partake as well. Rose had on a few occasions, and she wouldn’t deny that it did feel nice after a long day.

“Well then,” Kema began after taking a couple of hits. “First of all, to answer your question, yes, I’m an alien, guilty as charged. Now what sort of alien am I? Well, I come from a planet called Gallifrey in the constellation of Kastaberos, and I’m what is known as a -”

“Time Lord...you’re a Time Lord… I knew it the moment I felt that second heartbeat. And plus, Time Lords look like humans. Well rather humans look Time Lord, since they came first,” Rose blurted out, interrupting Kema. Both women looked surprised by her outburst.

Kema laughed a little and shook her head, “Guess I shouldn’t be all too surprised, considering your line of work.”

Rose’s eyes widened. They already knew? But how could that possibly be?! They looked at each other and then back at Rose.

“Sorry Rose, it was just...well, after you came home covered in Baldatheon goo and mumble things about ‘damned potato headed Sontarans’, we start to notice,” Hikari said, smiling sheepishly. “We figured you’d tell us when you felt comfortable.”

Rose had to laugh at that. Perhaps she hadn’t hidden things quite as well as she had previously thought. “Yeah, you got me. I work for Torchwood, and the ‘out of towners’ I deal with are actually off worlders,” she admitted openly for the first time. It felt really good to say that in the open. Then she did a double take, staring at Hikari.

“Wait a minute… how the hell do you know what a Baldatheon is? Or a Sontaran for that matter?” Rose exclaimed, now doubly taken aback. Hikari grimaced and squinted a little, shifting uncomfortably. “Are you an alien, too?!”

Then Hikari and Kema both laughed. “No, no! I’m human, just plain ol’ human. Well, mostly. There’s some alien heritage from Septon 4 some generations back,” Hikari said cheerfully. “Although…”

Rose looked at her expectantly. “Although?”

“I’m from the 52nd century.”

Rose sat back in her seat, taking it all in. “Wow…”

They were all quiet for a moment before Kema spoke again.

“Hey, wait a minute… there aren’t any Time Lords in this dimension. How did you even know?” she said, just realizing it. She was looking right at Rose, eyebrows raised in question. Rose grinned.

“Well I could come up with an easy answer for that, but not before I point out that you’re a Time Lord in a dimension with no Time Lords,” she said cheekily, flashing her tongue in teeth grin that she had often flashed the Doctor.

Kema laughed heartily. “Touche Tyler. Fair enough. And I shall be happy to explain that once you’ve filled us in a bit more on your part.”

Rose chuckled and nodded, raising her hands up and conceding. “Alright, alright, I’ll go first. First of all, I know about Time Lords because I’m not from this dimension. I’m actually from an alternate dimension and from a parallel Earth. Most things about it are the same, with some slight difference here and there. Remember that day I kept saying Prime Minister instead of President? And there are no Zeppelins there. Not in the 21st century anyway. Anyway, things like that. But then again, Kema I suspect you already know about some of those differences if you’re not from here either. Anway, I know about Time Lords because I used to travel with a Time Lord back home. That was the bloke I told you about. Only he wasn’t just any ol’ bloke. He was an amazing, wonderful, fantastic man called The Doctor.”

All was silent as Rose grinned at them, but soon her smile fell when she realized they were staring back at her as in in complete shock. She laughed nervously. “S’wrong? Did I say something weird?”

Kema was staring at her hard, her expression unreadable, but she looked to be shaking. “Did..did you say… The Doctor?”

Rose nodded slowly, carefully eyeing her friend. “Yeah… I did. You know him?”

“He’s my brother.”

Now it was Rose’s turn to be speechless.

Chapter Text

Their conversation went on for hours, and there was so very much for them to tell. Rose told them about her travels with the Doctor, and the weight he carried on his hearts after the Time War. She told them about his ears and leather, and how he regenerated without having told her anything about it previously. (Kema scoffed and shook her head at that one.) Rose went on and on for what felt like hours, telling them anything and everything she could. It had been so long since she could talk about the Doctor so openly, and it warmed her heart to be able to remember him properly for once. She went on to tell them about her current project with Torchwood, the Dimension Cannon, and explained how her ultimate goal was to reunite with the Doctor. Rose shared her frustrations and disappointments with her two closest friends, something she had never been able to do before. At least not concerning work, and her desperate desire to return to her home universe.

It turned out that Kema had ended up on Earth because her father sent her away at the start of the Time War. The last time she had seen the Doctor was on his last trip to Gallifrey before the war broke out to its fullest extent. Because of her condition, her parents were afraid that she would not be able to survive during war times, and wished to keep her safe. Kema explained how her relationship with her parents was not typical of most Gallifreyan families. It was tradition that children were taken from their families at the age of 8 in order to attend the Time Lord academy. Because of her condition, living away from home had not been an option for Kema. Initially it was thought that she would not attend the academy because of this. However, when The Visionary foretold great things for Kema, that her timeline showed that she would be the next great leader of the Time Lords and would usher them into a new world of prosperity. Her rule would mean the dawn of a new age, and bring forth things never before witnessed by the Time Lord race.

It was because of this prophecy that special arrangements were made for Kema to travel between the academy and the home of her parents. When she looked into the Untempered Schism, she not only saw the whole of eternity, but the whole of every time line, of everything that ever was and ever would be, yet she was not driven to madness and she did not run away. This was a rare and coveted “gift” among Time Lords, as Kema described it with a hint of sarcasm. It seemed that she didn’t think much of this prophecy.

From that moment on, it was deemed that Kema’s entire life would be decided by the High Council until she was to come of age. Her family behaved as though they were proud that their DNA had turned out fine stock indeed. Kema described how miserable she was as a child, how she didn’t want to become a great leader or be the Time Lords’ path to prosperity. But they controlled every aspect of her life. It included her studies, her social interactions, the clothes she wore.. She was limited to a very closed set of individuals, and thankfully, she said, that included members of her family.

Kema was the youngest child in the family and there was a large age gap between she and the rest of her siblings. However, the Doctor frequently visited the family home to see meet with their father regarding the familial political obligations. Over time, Kema had heard rumors about her brother being rebellious and unorthodox for a Time Lord. Naturally, this made her all the more curious about him. She would engage him every chance she got, and by the age of ten she had quite the repore with The Doctor. And by the time she was in the equivalent of her teens, they were thick as thieves. The one thing that he told her before he left Gallifrey was to “run if you get the chance”. And boy did he mean it.

After the Time War had started, there was a great political uprising that led to the social climate on Gallifrey to become hostile. Given their family’s political position and the prophecy regarding Kema, their planet had become an unsafe place for the young Kema. Their father made a decision and found a way to sneak her off of Gallifrey and to the one place they thought she might be safe; it was on the planet her brother was known to have made his second home: Earth. Only things had gone a bit wrong, and they ended up in the parallel dimension. But before their father knew this, he had already dematerialized in the TARDIS they had traveled in. So Kema was left on her own for the next couple hundred years, traveling about the Earth, never really having a place to call home.

Hikari’s story was a bit different. She came from a long line of time travelers, her ancestors being some of the founders of the Time Agency in the 51st century. She grew up knowing about time and space travel, and was naturally curious about going to other worlds, witnessing different points of history. Her family was actually from Japan, but she grew up in a much more modern version than the time they were living in now. By the time she was born, intergalactic travel had been part of Earth’s history for hundreds of years. How she ended up in the the 21st century was another story all-together. Sometimes the two would travel together to different points in time in order to obtain certain goods. For Kema, that meant going to California in the early 20th century to procure her medical herbs, oil cartridges and tinctures.

“That explains the 2019 copyright on that package!” Rose exclaimed, recalling how she had thought it odd when she noticed it earlier in the evening.

“You caught me,” Kema laughed. “It’s legal there then, so very easy to get a hold of. Legal in Canada and some other places in the States, but California has the best of everything. And great prices. Really easy to get ahold of my meds.”

“But how were you time traveling?” Rose asked, looking between the two.

Hikari launched into her explanation. She had always had a penchant for antiques, old kitsch, so she had nabbed things from the family collection over time. One of those things had been an old box of non-functioning Vortex Manipulators. Given that basic technology engineering classes was a standard part of 52nd century education, with a little research, Hikari had been able to repair the lot of them. She had held on to them for awhile, figuring that one day she might be able to sell them off for a pretty chunk to an antiquities dealer.

But then she came across some old manuals that had been textbooks for the cadet training program for the Time Agency, and among them was a Vortex Manipulator manual. In the manual there were a bunch of extra notes and tips written in the margins and in the inside covers of the book. She read it back and front, fascinated by the extra notes and information. They seemed to have been written by someone that wasn’t afraid to test boundaries and find out things for themselves. It was then that Hikari worked up the courage to use one of the manipulators herself and take a jump through time.

It didn’t take her long to decide where to go first. She was completely in love with the 20th century. Everything from Andy Warhol to Zeppelins (they had gone to the wayside by the 52nd century, even in this universe), she couldn’t get enough. Hikari traveled to multiple time periods in different parts of the world, adding to her ever growing collection of antiques. And then there was once that she misprogrammed her manipulator and landed in the 21st century. She figured it would just be a new adventure and ended up staying for a little while. Before long she made friends, started renting a studio, and found an apartment. For the first time in her life, she felt comfortable, at home. She would still take trips back to the 52nd century to see her family, but always returned to the 21st.

Hikari and Kema had met in a fairly ordinary way, in a bookstore on the West End. Kema was working there at the time, and the two became fast friends. It had been during one of their weekend hangout smoking sessions that Hikari let it slip that she was from the future. All that had done was send Kema into a fit of giggles, knowing full well that the bomb she was about to drop on her friend was far more shocking. It had left Hikari speechless for awhile, but that was very likely largely due to their mass consumption of “special” brownies. After awhile, Hikari offered Kema a vortex manipulator of her own, and sometimes the two would travel together. Hikari was quick to tell Rose that she was more than welcome to the third one she had, and got excited at the prospect of her joining them on a jaunt to her own time.

“Now we can all travel together!” she had exclaimed, clapping her hands together. The thought of it was rather nice, Rose thought. Traveling through time with her two best mates. Hell, one of them was even a Time Lord. Cheap and dirty time travel, the Doctor had said in regard to vortex manipulators. Rose had usually taken his opinions to heart, but in this circumstance, they really had no other option. Not that he’s here to say anything about it, she thought sadly.

Through the course of the night they all shared stories, Rose answering any questions she could that Kema had about her brother. The younger Time Lord was certainly curious about her big brother and all of the antics that he had gotten up to over time.

“Trainers and pinstripes...really? Like, seriously? Bloody sandshoes!” she asked incredulously. Rose laughed, wiping the tears from her eyes as she doubled over.

“I know, I know! But honestly, it worked for him! No one but that man could pull off an outfit like that,” Rose said, her voice filled with happiness when she talked about him.

Kema scoffed and shook her head. “Oh blimey Rose, you should have seen some of his other incarnations! His original was a pretty dapper gent, and his Fourth go around was pretty well dressed, but his Sixth. Heaven help us all. Looked like a right clown, he did! But bless, had to love the cheeky bastard anyway.” Both Rose and Hikari laughed again as Kema poured them all another round of wine.

They all fell asleep in the living room, and then in the wee hours of the morning they retired to their respective bedrooms. As Rose washed her face and then climbed into bed, she thought about the events of the night. In some odd way, she felt closer to the Doctor tonight than she had in five long years. Right here with her was his own sister, a piece of him. And blimey were they alike! She had always known that Kema reminded her of someone, that there was a striking familiarity about her, and now Rose knew why. Yes, Kema certainly took after her brother. Laying her head on her pillow and pulling the duvet up to her chin, Rose smiled a little, thinking of the Doctor. But just as always, her heart ached for him.

Chapter Text

The time rotor jumped to life, pumping and grinding as the beloved old ship was launched into the vortex. The Doctor circled around the console like an overly energetic puppy, rambling on and on about some scientific thing or another as Donna Noble sat parked on the jump seat, arms crossed over her chest.

“Oi! Would ya stop hopping around like some hyper kid?” Donna snapped, shaking her head.

“Oh, now Donna. You’re just sore because Errol Flynn preferred me,” he said with a cheeky grin. “Nice bloke, but not my type.”

“Yeah well, bully for you Doctor. What is it with you attracting all the good ones? I mean, it was bloody Errol Flynn! And damn did he look good in those tights,” she balked, shaking her head.

“Well, don’t be too disappointed Donna. You did make a good mate in Olivia de Havilland,” the Doctor pointed out, raising his eyebrows.

Donna rolled her eyes again and shrugged, nodding. “Alright, you got me there. She was a very nice lady. Not one of those uppity, lookin’ down their nose atcha celebrity types. But you were still supposed to be taking us to see The Police in 1983, not the middle of Hollywood in bloody 1938!”

The Doctor cringed a little, tugging at his earlobe. “Yeah, did miss that one by a bit. Well at least I landed us in the middle of a Hollywood movie premier! That was fun. Always wanted to go to one of those. And the psychic paper got us into that lovely after party!”

Donna laughed then. “That was one HELL of a party! Clark Gable sure could dance! Even with those ears!”

“Wellll now he was brilliant as Rhett Butler a couple years later, you know. Fantastic performance!” the Doctor defended.

“Oi, I wasn’t knockin’ him,” Donna retorted, waving off the Doctor dismissively.

Where they were off to next, he wasn’t quite sure. Donna needed time to sleep, so they would be floating in the vortex for at least 8 to 10 hours. He hated the idle time, always filling it with the busy work of tinkering and inventing. Sometimes he came up with things that were of no actual practical use, but were a fun idea anyway. Sometimes he would try to upgrade parts of the TARDIS, but she would zap him to put a stop to it. She already zapped him during Donna’s last sleep cycle. Perhaps he would spend his time in the library.

Soon Donna was off to bed, and the Doctor was left to his own devices. He made himself a nice pot of tea and a plate of jammy dodgers, and retired to the library. He would fill the “night” with reading. Setting down his treats on the table beside his favourite couch, he approached a nearby shelf. Scanning its contents, his eyes fell on Oliver Twist. That had been one of Rose’s favourites. He couldn’t think of Dickens without thinking of Rose. They had met him together, after all. They wouldn’t have defeated the Gelth without his help. Gas lamps. Brilliant.

All the same, it was hard to read Dickens on his own now. They had always read it out loud together, in this very library, on that very couch. It had been years since then. Five long, sad, empty years. Not to slight Donna, who had been his traveling companion during most of that time. Then there was Martha. Good old Martha Jones. Both women were brilliant. Though it wasn’t fair to compare them to her. No one compared to his pink and yellow girl. But, she was lost to him now. Sealed away on another world, behind the invisible, cold walls of the blasted universe. Crossing dimensions without destroying the fabric of spacetime was virtually impossible. He knew. He had tried. Looked for so long and so hard. So many sleep cycles missed looking for some way to get to her. But alas, he had failed to do so.

Most of the time, he tried to forget, to push it out of his mind. He felt he had failed her, failed them. An outside observer might think he was being cold and unfeeling with the way he avoided it. But they would be wrong. He felt it so much, all the time, that he could barely contain it. He knew Rose wouldn’t blame him, that she would tell him he did his best. She was always supportive, so reassuring. She would hug him tight, murmur comforting words into his ear, and everything would seem better, his faith restored. Rose had always been the one thing he really believed in. Before he met her on that fateful night in Henrick’s basement, he had nearly abandoned all hope. She breathed life into him again, showed him how wonderful and amazing the universe could be. Plain and simply, she made him a better man.

Something was pulling at him, drawing him toward the book in front of him. Grabbing the well-worn novel from the shelf, he moved to settle down on “their” couch. The Doctor spent the next few hours reading aloud to himself, imagining that Rose was there with him. He thought of the little sighs and smiles she would have in reaction to what he was reading.

At some points, his imagination was so good that he could almost feel her nestled close beside him, the warmth of her body cradling his own. Yes, tonight he remembered his beloved Rose, and with that came the ache in his hearts. As he finished the book, a solitary tear ran down his cheek. Was it silly to still shed tears over her? Maybe to some, but to him, it felt rather natural. The wound left from losing her had never quite healed. It happened more often than he would ever be willing to openly admit. He was lonely without her.

It wasn’t that Donna wasn’t good company, or that he didn’t appreciate his other friends. It was different with Rose. He remembered when Reinette saw into his memories and noted how lonely he had been most of his life. What she hadn’t seen was that Rose alone quelled some of that loneliness. That had been buried deep in his mind behind doors bolted and locked shut. It wasn’t out of shame or avoidance, but rather for Rose’s protection. If any potential enemy were to telepathically access that information they would have been sure to use Rose against him. Many species outside of earth had telepathic abilities, so it hadn’t been a mere paranoia. But yes, Rose had been his whole world, the one thing he really believed in. She was gone now, but that didn’t mean he would forget her. No. He could never forget his Rose Tyler.

***
Rose was surprisingly the first up the next morning. Usually Hikari was the early riser, but then again she had drank quite a bite more wine than usual. Rose chuckled to herself as she filled the kettle at the tap. She wondered if either of them had any of that wonderful hangover cure that the Doctor used to provide. It had been invented in the 43rd century, so she suspected it was of standard use in Hikari’s time. She set the tea to boil and moved about the kitchen, pulling out different bits for a morning nosh. While she didn’t know whether or not her flatmates were up for breakfast, Rose herself was feeling more than a bit peckish.

“Look at you, all bright eyed and bushy tailed,” Kema mumbled, ambling into the room a short while later and taking a seat on a stool at the counter. The kettle began to let loose a shrill whistle.

Rose laughed a bit and shrugged as she fetched the now boiled kettle, and pouring it into the pot. “Maybe not all that, but m’awake at least. What about that superior Time Lord biology your brother always boasted about?” Kema grumbled in response and Rose stifled a chuckle. “Fancy a cuppa?”

“Mmm, yes m’am,” murmured her dark haired friend, accepting the cup that Rose handed her. Kema brought it to her lips and took a long swig before making a noise of appreciation.

Smiling, Rose took her own cup and took a seat at the dinette, settling back in one of the chairs. She sipped her tea slowly, enjoying the warmth of the liquid as it slid down her throat. Kema wandered over from her counter seat and slid into the seat opposite Rose at the table.

“So, Rose, I was thinking about this project of yours,” Kema said, her expression serious. “The Dimension Cannon, you called it? I going over some calculations, based on what you told me last night, and I might know where your issue is.”

Rose coughed a little, choking on a bit of the tea she had just sipped. “What?! Are you serious??”

Kema nodded. “Yeah, thing is, I’m going to have to see some of your schematics and research data. I don’t want to get your hopes up, but if my hunch is correct, we just might be able to get that thing working.”

Rose squealed then, jumping up from her seat and practically diving to hug her friend soundly. Kema laughed, nearly falling backward in her chair.

Within the hour Rose was dressed and heading down to the office to collect the documents and information she needed. Thankfully no one was in the office, so she was able to slip in and out of the Torchwood building without much fuss. Traffic was fairly light for a Saturday, and Rose was grateful for that. She was so anxious she could barely stand it. The mere idea that Kema might be able to help her advance in the project had her beyond excited. When she finally pulled into the parking area for their building, Rose could nearly feel her heart in her throat. Her hands were shaking as she grabbed the files and documents up off the passenger seat of her car.

Once Rose returned to the flat, she saw that Hikari was up and nursing a cup of tea. It turned out they did in fact have that miraculous hangover cure and Hikari had taken a dose first thing. Unlike her friends, she had fully felt the after effects of last night’s wine, and hadn’t slept very well to boot. When Rose joined them in the kitchen, Hika had greeted her with a weak smile and Rose reached out to pat her arms sympathetically. But before long, their normally cheerful friend was back to her old self, and all three of them were looking over the documents that Rose had brought home.

Kema scrutinized the figures, poured over the data print outs, and did several of her own calculations. Rose watched nervously as her friend worked, anxious to hear what Kema had to say. She was quiet for a long time, muttering to herself as she worked. Some of what she wrote down were in what Rose recognized as Gallifreyan writing. Hikari was also looking over some of the schematics, hoping that her background in time travel technologies might give her some insight that would help them along the way. Kema asked questions and Rose answered them the best that she could. After what seemed like hours (though really it wasn’t more than an hour), Kema looked up at Rose, smiling.

“Well first of all, it looks like you have all of your ducks in a row when it comes to the composition of the cannon. Theoretically, it should work, but,” she began.

Rose looked at her expectantly, eyebrows arched upward. “ But it’s not.”

Kema raised a brow, smirking a little. “Well Tyler, if you let me bloody well finish,” she said, shaking her head. Rose muttered a sorry, crossing her arms over her chest and slumping down into a chair.

The female Time Lord laughed. “S’alright. Anyway, as I was saying, theoretically it should work, but what you’re lacking is a proper hole in the fabric of reality that would allow you to pass through. Thing is, they change locations all the time. There will be microscopic holes in the fabric of the space-time continuum at any given time, and more often than not they’ll seal themselves up. Like most things, it lays in a constant state of flux. What you need is a nice sizeable hole. The day you managed to complete that short jump, you must have been near a big enough hole that it let you partially through. But what we need is a gape-y hole, but not a complete fissure.”

Rose frowned, brow furrowed deep. “But isn't a hole that big a problem either way? The Doctor told me that it should be impossible to travel between dimensions without causing both to collapse. That’s why he couldn’t come through properly in the first place.”

Kema shook her head. “Ah that is where my brother dear was wrong! As long as you pass through a gap that will eventually seal itself, no damage is done! A fissure is a break, a tear. Damage already done, but the gaps, they’re different. You see, he probably thought it would be too risky, too volatile, but of course he wouldn’t be willing to take any risks if it meant putting you in danger! That, and I’ve had some time to deal with these gaps on Earth, time to study them, so that gives me a leg up!”

Rose nodded, starting to understand Kema’s point.But there was still something missing.She wanted to hope, but was still skeptical. “Alright, I see where you’re going, but all well and good. Even if we know these things exist, you said they’re random. What good does it do us?”

Kema flashed her a thousand watt grin, one that felt all too familiar. “Well lass, seeing as you not only have a Time Lord at your disposal, but a Time Lord with a superior time sense!”

Rose’s eyes widened, her mouth forming a silent O. “Oh my...that means...that means you’ll know...that means…” Suddenly it felt as though the wind had been knocked out of her as the shock set in. She collapsed into a nearby chair. “It means we can go back...we can… we can find the Doctor.” She looked back to Kema, who was smiling, her eyes shining.

“Yeah, we can. But it’ll be a matter of knowing where to look, and that could make for a lot of traveling and guesswork. So don’t expect the results to be immediate,” Kema said, her mouth set in a firm line.

“Unless we teleport,” said Hikari suddenly. She had been rather quiet for the longest time, and immediately drew the attention of both of her friends.

“Teleport? You mean with a setting on the vortex manipulator?” Kema asked, looking incredibly curious. Rose looked from Kema to Hikari. She was equally curious.

“Well, yeah, the manipulators do have a teleport setting on them, but it’s kind of short range. BUT if we combine them with the technology of the dimension cannon, we might be able to set up a more long range option. And ultimately, it should work to get us through to the other dimension. On the right setting, of course.” Hikari said, shrugging a bit.

Kema let out a whoop and threw her hands up in the air. “That is bloody BRILLIANT! Hika, you’re a genius!”

Her excitement was contagious. Rose could feel it welling up inside her. And another feeling..a rather nice feeling: hope. For the first time in a long time there was a real chance that she was going to get back to him. And she wouldn’t have to destroy the universes to do it! The three of them could travel together back to her home universe and find the Doctor. Come to think of it, It was Kema’s home universe, too. And Rose was sure that Kema was as desperate to find the Doctor as she was. And then something dawned on her. She turned to Hikari.

“But Hika, if you go with us..and believe me I want you there...how will you get back? What if you can’t get back?” Rose asked, worry rising up in her voice.

“I’m aware that is a possibility, Rose, but I want to go with you guys. The whole time you two were talking about the technical aspects and the rates of probability, it made me think of what my life would be without you two in it. You’re my best mates! We’re all in this together. You’ve said that you understood the fact that if you made it through the void to the other universe, that you would likely never see your family again. I can only imagine how that makes you feel, but I understand to some degree. Every time I make a jump in time and return to the 21st century, I know there’s a chance my manipulator might malfunction and leave me stuck here. I know that every time I leave the 52nd century, that I may never see it again, but this is my life. This is the way I have chosen to live it, as a time traveler. And if part of my adventure means going to an alternate dimension with my two best mates, then you bloody damn well bet your arse I’m going to do it!” Hikari spoke with such passion, such conviction that Rose was immediately compelled to cross over to her friend and hug her tightly. Both young women were tearing up a little, overcome by their emotions. It was a pretty big deal, afterall.

As her two friends continued talking, one thought dominated Rose’s mind. She was going to find the Doctor again, and for good this time.

Chapter Text

The three friends unanimously agreed that their work should begin right away. But first that would mean clueing Pete in on everything. Seeing as neither Kema or Hikari were Torchwood employees, and the face that project was considered highly classified, Rose couldn’t just slip them into the building to work in the lab. This was going to take some smooth talking and perhaps a slight bit of nepotism. Rose didn’t want to take advantage of Pete’s love for her, but she hoped that, as her dad, he would understand her need to be reunited with the man she loved. Given his history with her mother, she was almost certain that he would have some level of understanding.

Just as she did every week, Jackie called Rose and asked her to come around for Sunday tea, and was more than happy to invite her flatmates along. Jackie loved to entertain, and Rose’s friends were used to her mothers antics. While Rose wasn’t exactly thrilled at the prospect of having this conversation with her parents, she knew it was bringing her one step closer to the Doctor.

As soon as they arrived at the Tyler homestead, Jackie was flitting and fussing about, just like a proper mother hen. She immediately told Rose she looked tired, and questioned her recent eating habits, noting she looked a touch thin. Rose rolled her eyes when Jackie’s back was turned and her flatmates smiled sympathetically.

“Mum, where’s Dad? There’s something I need to talk to him about. It’s important,” Rose asked, crossing her arms over her chest as she watched her mother usher her friends over to the large couch.

“Make yourselves at home girls, just as always. I’ll get us all a drink. Lunch will be ready shortly,” Jackie said, smiling and being the usual gracious host. Rose sighed.

“Mum. I asked you where Dad is,” Rose said, mildly exasperated. Jackie turned toward her daughter..

“What’s that sweetheart? Oh your Dad? He’s out back with Tony, I suspect. He had a project for Scouts. Gosh he’s getting so big!” her mother gushed, grinning widely.

“Mum, I’ll need time to talk with Dad. As I said, it’s very important and-”

“Everything alright, Rose?” came Pete’s voice suddenly. Rose turned and her eyes met the worried gaze of her father. She smiled gently, nodding her head.

“Yes Dad, everything is fine. There just something important I need to talk to you about,” she said, noticing the relief wash over his face.

“It better not been any Torchwood nonsense! This is a family meal and I won’t have it!” Jackie spouted, her hands resting on her hips and brow furrowed defiantly.

Rose groaned, exasperated. “Ugh, Mum, will you just-”

“Now don’t you start with me, young lady! You’re not too old to-”

Pete cleared his throat loudly, smiling tightly as he placed a hand on a shoulder of both his wife and daughter. “I think we should all just calm down and have a nice lunch. Rose, we’ll discuss things after lunch, alright? I promise. Now let’s everyone head to the dining room and have a jolly nice time of things, yeah?”

Both Rose and Jackie conceded, and all of them traveled to the dining table. The little bit of help for hire Jackie did allow in the house consisted of Margie the part-time cook and Betsey the housekeeper. They were wonderful women and Rose enjoyed having chats with both of them when she got the chance. Betsey had set the table beautifully. Hikari complimented the place settings and Betsey blushed a little. Once they were actually seated, the casual conversation started rolling a natural pace.

Rose did her best to be patient and polite, to just enjoy the meal with her family. The fact of the matter was, she might be saying goodbye to them very soon. If there was no way back after they made a successful jump, she would never see them again. A familiar tug of sadness played at her heart, almost causing her to well up with tears. She did love them very very much, but she needed to do this. She would never be happy knowing that she hadn’t given it everything she had.

After they had a nice lengthy meal that included second helpings and healthy helpings of pudding, plates were finally being cleared from the table. Jackie took Tony upstairs to get him cleaned up and sorted. He had managed to get whipped cream in his hair and all over his face. Pete and Rose were joined by Hikari and Kema in the study with the doors closed. Pete sat in a chair to the side of the desk, motioning for the three of them to have a seat on the couch. Rose found herself sitting on the very edge of the cushion, chewing her lower lip while pushing her hair behind her ear.

“Now I assume that you two are now familiar with what Torchwood is, seeing as you didn’t even bat an eye when Jackie was shouting about it,” Pete said, looking to Kema and Hikari.

Both of them quietly nodded. Hika looked nervous, almost guilty even. Kema, on the other hand was smiling confidently, eyebrows raised in interest. Mr. Tyler was obviously very perceptive. He must have also known that Rose had not made mention of it to them previously.

“You’re right, Mr. Tyler. We are aware of Rose’s line of work,” Kema said casually, smiling at Rose’s father. He smiled back and nodded.

“And I’m guessing that there’s a lot more to you two than meets the eye,” he replied, just as casually, chuckling a little. “Been wondering about that for some time now, actually.”

Kema laughed and Hikari looked alarmed. Rose was a little surprised, and then she laughed.

“Dad, you have no idea…” she said, chuckling.

They went on to explain the whole thing to Pete. First they explained about Hikari and how she was a time traveler from the 52nd century. That was the easier bit to explain. Pete was busy asking her a few questions about some tech they had come across recently, and wondered if she could take a look. (They had told him about her background in technology engineering). Rose looked nervously at Kema who wink and her and gave her a nod.

And then it was Kema’s turn. She began with a bit of her history and where she came from. Needless to say Pete was surprised to hear “Gallifrey” and “Time Lord” seeing as the only connections he had with that words were The Doctor. He had a million questions about how she had ended up here and how long she had been living on Earth. Then he launched into a series of questions about what she knew about Torchwood and its inner workings. It was a while later before they got around to informing him that, not only was Kema a Time Lord, but that she was the Doctor’s younger sister.

After they explained this, it was then that Rose launched into her explanation of their combined ideas about how to get the dimension cannon to work. Kema took over when it came to the technical aspects, explaining about the gaps in the fabric of spacetime and how they would need to locate one in order to make the jump. Then Hikari jumped in and explained how, with the power of the modified vortex manipulator, how it could boost the power of the cannon. She explained that, in theory, the dimension cannon was just a souped up teleporter itself. They showed Pete all of their notes from that morning and the leaps of progress they had made in just a matter of hours. Rose noticed that her father was a bit overwhelmed by the sudden influx of information, but seemed thoroughly impressed.

While Pete was rather impressed, it took some convincing and the batting of some eyelashes before he would give a go ahead for them to work together on the project. He mumbled something about having to list both Kema and Hikari as “independent agents” for the paperwork, and grumbled a little about “explaining this to the board”. Rose cheered, jumping to hug him tightly thanking him over and over again. Pete couldn’t seem to help a smile then, hugging his daughter close and kissing the top of her head.

“Now we have to explain this all to your mother,” he said, looking at Rose. She pulled a face straight away and groaned.

“Gah...do we have to?” she said with a grimace..

Pet laughed. “‘Fraid so, darlin’.”

What followed included a whole lot of yelling, some tears, and Jackie refusing to accept that Rose was going to leave. She insisted that it was too dangerous, that she couldn’t go risking her life in this way. But Rose was adamant. Just as she had explained to her mother dozens of times before, she explained to her again that she couldn’t give up on finding the Doctor. She pleaded with her mother, trying to make her understand.

“Imagine if you were separated from Dad, but he wasn’t dead. He was just somewhere else, alive and well. Wouldn’t you do everything you could to get back to him?” Rose said, tears streaming down her face as she clasped her mother’s hands.

“‘Course I would, you know that. I love your father,” Jackie admitted through her tears, knowing in her heart was coming next.

“And I love the Doctor, Mum. It doesn’t mean I don’t love you and Dad and Tony… it’s just different. I think you can understand that, at least to some degree. You were willing to give up everything to come here to be with Dad. And while I hate that it possibly involves saying goodbye to you, I have to follow my heart. I can never go on living a happy life not knowing that I didn’t try. I need him, Mum. And he needs me,” she said, half sobbing now.

“Oh sweetheart, I know… c’mere,” Jackie said, gathering her daughter up in her arms, tears still flowing freely as she held her crying daughter.

Hikari was sobbing silently along with them, intermittently blowing her nose as quietly as she could manage. Even Kema was a little misty eyed at the whole display. Pete watched them, his eyes filled with love for his beloved wife and daughter. The whole scene was a bit heartbreaking, almost something out of a television drama. However, this situation was very real, and there were certainly not going to be any commercial breaks.

After the tears were dried and they talked a bit more, things settled down in the Tyler family home. Rose and the ladies spent some more time with her family. Jackie had insisted they stay, but they had other plans. All three of them were equally eager to get to work on the project. During the car ride home, Kema drove and Rose chose to sit in the back seat. She watched the cars pass by as they drove through London. For the first time in a long time, noticed the zeppelins that were scattered over the skyline. It was possible that very soon, she may never see those zeppelins again. Very soon she might be back with the Doctor. While there was a long road ahead and a lot of work to be done, Rose couldn’t help but feel something she hadn’t felt quite so strongly in a long time- hope.

Chapter Text

Soon the dining room of their flat became a makeshift lab, various bits of equipment and tools strewn about every available surface. The re-configured plans for the dimension cannon also laid about, various notes and calculations written in the margins of the technical schematics. What normally required a team of scientists and engineers was being handled by the three of them alone. It had been the better part of a week since Rose had covertly shifted some of the contents of the lab at Torchwood to their place. Of course she had had some help from Mickey and Jake. As far as everyone on the cannon team was concerned, the project was grounded until further notice, as declared by the director himself. Talk around the shop was that Pete was putting Rose on company mandated leave. 

“Reckon they all think you’re a nutter, Rose. That’s the impression I get at least,” Mickey said with a laugh. Then his expression turned serious. “I’m worried about you, you know. Don’t you think this is all got a little out o’hand? I mean, you’ve about moved the lab into your flat!” 

Rose sighed, glancing sideways at Mickey. She hadn’t told him yet. She was definitely going to. He was friends with Kema and Hikari too, afterall. They were okay with him knowing the truth, and the three of them planned to sit him and Jake down to clue them in. Jake would likely be a bit sour about them leaving. Everyone knew he fancied Kema, but Kema didn’t return his affections beyond friendship. The three needed to let their friends know what was going on. 

“Mickey, I know it doesn’t make much sense right now, but I promise it will soon. We’ll explain everything,” Rose said, sighing again. She was so full of sighs these days. It was hard keeping things from Mickey. He was her oldest friend, in either universe. 

“I dunno, Rose. I don’t get it, ya know? You never used ta keep things from me, now you’re doing it all the time. It’s like you’ve gone right out of your head trying to get back to the Doctor!” he spouted, his voice rising a little. 

“I haven’t gone out of my head! There’s a lot more to this than you understand, and you know well enough that I’m going to keep trying, come hell or high water!” Rose spat back, exasperated by Mickey’s constant questions.

 She had already heard this speech a hundred times or more. It was always about how she should face the facts and maybe accept that she wasn’t going to ever get back to him. Rose knew he meant well, that he only had her best interests at heart, but she wasn’t going to accept it from him any more than she would from her mother. Perhaps part of her was being a little selfish. She knew they were just tired of seeing her suffer so much, that they just wanted her to be happy. What she would hope they would come to understand was that this was the only way she was going to be happy. 

Before Mickey could shoot something back at her, Kema ambled into the room. Unusually perceptive with superior hearing, Kema cleared her throat, noticing the undue tension in the room. Rose stepped back, crossing her arms over her chest. Mickey eased back a bit too, his previously squared shoulders relaxed and dropped. Kema strolled across the room, hands casually in her pockets, glancing over the dimension cannon schematics. She glanced between her two friends. Rose suddenly felt guilty. Mickey didn’t mean to anger her.

“Well Mick, guess you’re anxious to know what all the fuss is about, yeah?” Kema asked, her tone light. She glanced at Rose and then back to Mickey, who gave her a small nod. “Alright then. Might as well call Jake over so we can clue him in, too”

Within an hour the five of them were seated around the lounge. Rose shifted in her seat, having no clue where to begin. She looked to her friends for help. Hikari was chewing on her lip and messing with her hair, but Kema smiled calmly. She had to a long draw off her pen and then set it down quietly.

“Now, tell me guys, do you want the facts with explanations later? Or vice versa?” Kema asked plainly, looking between Mickey and Jake. Jake shrugged a little while Mickey squared up his shoulders again.

“Give it to me straight, K. No muss, no fuss,” he said, giving a firm nod. Kema nodded back. With a last glance at Rose, she sat up a bit straighter and threw her own shoulders back.

“Well, I’m an alien and Hika’s from the 52nd century,” she said boldly, smiling broadly. 

She was met with blank stares and dumbfounded looks. Kema chuckled while Hikari launched into a full on, slightly over the top apology. 

“Sorry for keeping it from  you, guys! It was just was just that we couldn’t tell anyone until we told Rose, and then we didn’t even know that Rose was from a parallel world! Kema suspected she was a time traveler based on a book she saw Rose carrying when they met and she told me about her. Ever since then, we became really good friends with Rose, and good friends with you guys too! We never met to lie to anyone! Please please please don’t be mad!”  By the time she was done, she collapsed back in her seat, visibly winded. 

Mickey started to laugh and Jake joined him, and clearly they were waiting for the ladies to join them. When they didn’t Mickey looked stupefied again. His head whipped back and forth between the three of them.

“Wait...you’re joking! What...what?! Are you serious then??” he asked incredulously, eyes wide with shock. Jake was left speechless.

“Nope, not a joke mate. But that’s not all,” she said. “I’m a Time Lord.”

Now the room was completely silent. 

“And I’m the Doctor’s sister.”

****

After Kema dropped the bomb and Mickey’s jaw was no longer hitting the floor, the group of friends ordered in some takeaway and the explanations began. Kema talked about her life on Gallifrey and having the Doctor for a brother. Mickey and Jake got a kick out of the some of the stories she told about the foibles of the Doctor’s youth. Rose laughed along with them, loving hearing about the Doctor in the years before she knew him. Hikari talked a little about her life in the 52nd century and how she had always felt out of place, out of her time. Before long, dinner was over and they were all sitting around, talking casually just as they might any other night. 

“By the way, K. How come you don’t got a proper title like the Doctor? Why’ve you got a name and he doesn’t?” Mickey asked curiosly, his head tilted to one side. Rose’s eyebrows shot up as she realized it hadn’t dawned on her to ask Kema heself. She looked to her friend for an answer.

“Well the answer is simple. Kema is the nickname I had as a child, what close friends called me in the academy days. Even my parents got to using the name,” she said with a shrug. “I do have a title though. It’s the Alchemist.”

“What? Seriously?! Why wouldn’t you go by it? It’s wicked!” Jake exclaimed, and Mickey nodded in agreement.

“Bah! Too flashy for me. I’m good being Kema, or K. as you two put it,” she said, waving them off with a laugh.

Soon the talk turned back to the dimension cannon, and both young men expressed the desire to help in any way they could. Rose dropped a quick text let Pete know that both Mickey and Jake were in on the plan, and they would be Rose’s active connection to Torchwood. 

Another week passed as they worked out the details, trying to make sure that every avenue was covered. Kema was concerned about their passage through the Void and coming out whole again on the other side. 

“Don’t want us to end up splinched, you know?” Kema said, quite distracted by her equations.

“Splinched? Where have I heard that before?” Hikari inquired, tilting her head to one side. 

“Like what happened to Ron, remember?” Rose replied, also distracted with looking over patterns in the readouts for their new invention. 

“Oh yeah! Book 7. In the forest,” Hikari said, nodding and smiling a little. Then her smile shifted almost instantly into a frown. “Poor Ron! That must have hurt.”

Kema and Rose both looked up from their work and exchanged a smile. Hikari, always the empath. She felt bad when a bug was squished. 

“Oh, I also installed universal translators in each of our manipulators,” Hikari went on, her down mood now vanished. Her friends smiled. Though she wasn’t a techie at heart, she certainly was handy when it came to technology alterations.

Rose’s gaze shifted back down to the readouts, adding to her notes. Suddenly something clicked. She recognized one of the patterns that Kema had told her to look for. In fact, it was one of the key patterns. It would determine the amount of time they would have to allow for between jumps. If they had a definite number, it meant that they could actually put their plan into action.

“Oh! You guys, I think I got something here!” Rose called out, unable to hide the excitement in her voice. The others jumped up from their stations and rushed to her side.

Kema looked over the readouts and over her numbers and grinned so broadly it looked as though her face might crack in two. Rose watched her carefully, practically holding her breath.

“Rose! I think you’ve nailed it!” Kema said, laughter filling her voice. Real, sincere laughter. It was the sound of relief, the sound of joy. And Rose knew exactly how she felt. Suddenly Rose was especially glad for those university classes she had taken during her time in this dimension. The analytical skills she had honed during her studies had certainly paid off!

Hikari whooped and did a little dance behind them as the other two hugged and jumped about excitedly. It took a few minutes before they settled down again and sobered. They all scanned over Rose’s notes from the past week and found the exact patterns they needed to know their time and space coordinates. Now would come the test to see if they could successfully travel through the void. That test was one that might result in them being stuck on the other side permanently. For Rose and Hikari, it meant saying goodbye to their families. For Kema, it was saying goodbye to only home she had known for the last hundred and fifty years. 

They were all well aware of the possible consequences, but their bond drove them to stick together. Rose couldn’t help but feel emotional as she thought of her dear friends and how much they had helped her. She knew it meant something for them, too, especially Kema. It meant getting her brother back, and soon enough they would be on their way.

****

A few days later the young women gathered together in a small wooded area outside of London. They had said their goodbyes to their families, had last hurrahs with their friends, and set out to seek passage through the void to a parallel world. Rose spent as much time with her famly as she could before her friends returned friend their own goodbye trips. When the time came, she was as ready as she was ever going to be.

Using a device of Kema’s own invention, they had scanned areas around London that might have gaps in the fabric of spacetime. With their dimension manipulators (That’s the name they decided on. Fitting, yeah?) strapped to their wrists, and their packs securely on their backs, they teleported around the area to find a spot. They now found themselves in woods where Kema’s device had located an opening. 

“Alright then girls, here we go. Let’s hope first time’s a charm!” Kema called out over the wind. 

“Roger that!” Hikari cried.

“Coordinates set...and...now!” Rose cried out as the three keyed in their codes and  switched on their manipulators to activate. 

****

They landed in France, same dimension. Then it was a planet called Ublicon Zerbus where it was illegal to wear shoes during The Hurliana festival, and they were almost thrown in jail. But thankfully they had some “exotic fruit” to contribute to the festival offering, and thus were forgiven by the village elders. (Apples, they had apples.)

They made several jumps to several places, sometimes getting caught up in the muck and having to do a bit of adventuring and saving the day. For Rose, that was old hat. She was quite used to getting in the mix of things, right in with the action. In fact, at this point it was almost second nature. There was a certain thrill, a rush about it, and both Kema and Hikari recognized that. However, while Rose was glad to be doing some good in the universe, she was anxious to get back to the other universe. They were still perfecting their jump settings on the dimension manipulators, and Kema was confident that they would reach the other universe very soon.

Rose knew her friends wanted to keep her spirits up, and that this was a struggle for them, too. Kema worked through her pain attacks to make alterations to the manipulators. Hikari would try to coax her out of working, at least for a little while, but the female Time Lord would hear nothing of it.  She was determined, and when Kema was determined, nothing could get in her way. The gleam in her eye was bold, so dominant. It was almost a little frightening...like an oncoming storm. Rose shivered as she remembered someone else who had bared a similar expression in the past. As time went on, the more alike she realized they were.  It was almost haunting.

They were camping in a hut on a planet called Thavma, a peaceful, tranquil place. It was sparsely populated by a people called the Aleama, their way of life similar to tribal cultures on Earth. Small village settlements were spread across the planet’s surface, and it was common for villages to host guests and travelers. There was a common belief of kinship, camaraderie, and kindness amongst all of their species. Because of these customs, the trio was welcomed with open arms. They mixed among the people, broke bread with them, and accepted their offers of shelter and fresh clothing. Rose and Kema were sitting by the small fire pit outside of the hut, Kema stoking the fire gently.

“Kema, can I ask you something? Like, really ask you something?” Rose said, looking to her friend. Kema looked back at her, pushing her dark waves out of her face and making eye contact with her friends. She looked a little confused.

“Of course, Rose. We’re best mates. You can ask me anything,” she said in that lovely lilt of hers, her eyebrows knitted together as she frowned a bit. 

“When you have the pain attacks...that has something to do with your special abilities, right?” Rose asked, watching her friend. 

Kema nodded slowly. “Oh… is that what you’re curious about? No need for eggshells Ro!” She laughed then, playfully nudging Rose’s shoulder with her own. Rose nodded sheepishly, smiling a bit.

“Well basically, as I’m sure the Doctor explained to you, Time Lords can see all of time and space in a line of sorts. Timelines for every living thing that exists everywhere. That comes along with our time sense. But see, when I looked into the Untempered Schism, the vortex chose me to be an “Enlightened One”. Basically I can see all of everything, in any manner, at any given time. Time Lords cannot see their own timelines, but I can see my own. I can see everyone’s. Every possibility for everything that has been, is, and could be. But not only that, I have the ability to manipulate time. I can change timelines at will, fix the tears, delete the mistakes. At that time, I took some of the Vortex within me, and it resides there. The pain I feel comes from holding the vortex within a semi-mortal form, but it’s not something I can undo. I’ve always believed that I could somehow use my abilities for good, and not just to bring ‘greatness to the Time Lord race.’” 

She said the last bit with a scowl on her face, her features twisted and angry. Obviously, Kema had never saw fit to be the High Council’s puppet. The Doctor had told Rose how selfish and manipulative power hungry Time Lords could be, and why he wanted to be away from it all. They believed they were to rule over all things, over all of space and time. They were Lords of Time, afterall.  From what she had heard sheer pompousness and greed, Rose thought it all sounded horrible, and couldn’t blame the Doctor or Kema for not wanting to be a part of it. Yet, she was sure there were things they both grieved for, knowing their planet was gone forever. But then Rose thought for a moment… Did Kema know that Gallifrey was gone? And that her brother had been the one to end the Time War? Rose’s question was answered before she could ask it.

“I knew it was all going to end one day, and that I would not be there to see it. And I knew it would rest on my brother’s shoulders to bring the senseless violence to an end. NO MORE he would say, and in that Moment, it would all be decided. And that is not a burden that anyone should have to bear. From what you have told me, my brother’s hearts weigh heavy with guilt, and that isn’t fair,” Kema said, looking down a little. 

Rose stayed quiet, but scoot closer to her friend, drawing an arm around her back, hugging her gently. Kema smiled and nudged the smiling blonde. 

“I always knew there was something funny about you, though. Your timeline was all squirly and out of order, line someone had just ripped it apart into pieces and then tried to put it all together again out of order. It just didn’t make any sense. Once you told me about your connection to my brother, and what happened at Canary Wharf, suddenly it all made sense,” she said, looking at Rose. 

Rose was quiet then, thinking back to that fateful day. The day her world was ripped apart and she was torn away from the Doctor. She hoped that, soon, that breach could be repaired and they would be reunited. The two friends fell into a companionable silence for awhile longer before retiring to bed. The morning would come sooner than they realized, and their next adventure would be under way.

*****

It was three jumps after Thavma when they landed on a planet called Beta 15. It was a small planet, vastly overcrowded, but by the look of things most of the inhabitants were temporary. There was a vast marketplace that stretched over the whole planet’s surface with pockets of residential sections, mostly inhabited by merchants and their families. The strange thing was that Rose felt like it was familiar. There was an odd smell wafting down the street that she undoubtedly recognized. Had she visited this planet with the Doctor in the other universe? It was very likely the case. Still, Rose couldn’t help but follow the smell. Excusing herself from her mates, she wandered down the narrow thoroughfare, following that oddly familiar smell. 

A short while later she found herself in front of a small eatery that reminded her distinctly of a chippy from back home. Just like the one that she and the Doctor had been on their first date. Surveying the shop from the outside, she saw weaved decorations hanging in the window. They reminded her of Native American dreamcatchers. Then she remembered. She had  visited a place just like this one with the Doctor. She wandered closer to the shop, stepping into the alcove of it’s front door. As she opened it, the all too familiar aroma hit her. CHIPS! Lovely, glorious greasy chips! She salivated at the very thought of how they might taste. This was exactly like the place they had gone! 

They had chips that were made from a blue potato that was a direct relative to the King Edward potato commonly cultivated in England. She remembered this because it was one of the many facts that the Doctor had rattled off as she was delving into her blue chips. The shop’s owner had spent a bit of time on Earth and learned all about making chips, as he had a particular fondness for them. After enjoying her chips, Rose had bought one of the weaved decorations from the owner’s  little daughter as a keepsake. She had been no more than 7 or 8 years old with large green eyes that stood out against her dark blue skin. Her name had been Ula, and Rose instantly became her new best friend.

Rose looked about the shop as she entered and everything looked the same. It was the exact image of the one she remembered from all those years ago. The same chipped vase sitting on a high shelf in the corner, the same brightly coloured handwoven rugs.  It puzzled her just how exact it was. 

“Hello there, can I help you?” a voice came from behind her, startling Rose. 

She jumped a little and gasp, bringing her hand to her chest as her heartbeat quickened. She turned sharply to find the source of the voice. She was met with the face of a pretty teenage girl with long dark hair pulled back from her face, and strikingly familiar large green eyes. After a moment, a spark of recognition crossed the girl’s face. Rose’s eyes widened as the girl smiled warmly and took her hands.

“Oh Rose! It’s you! You promised you would come back, and you did!” the  girl cried, grinning at her. “Do you remember me? I’m Ula!” 

Rose gasped. This was the place she had been with the Doctor...and that meant only one thing.

They had made it to the other universe.

Chapter Text

Rose was catching up with Ula and saying hello to her parents when Kema and Hikari showed up at the small eatery. She introduced Ula and her parents to her friends, and explained how she knew them. The family questioned Rose about the Doctor and she explained how they were looking for him.  She explained how they had been separated some time ago, and she was working her way back to him. By that time Ula’s mother Jania had joined them and heard Rose’s tale. 

“Please, sit, have a meal on the house,” offered Raken, Ula’s father. “You’ve all had a long journey. You look tired.” 

Rose didn’t want to take advantage of their kindness, but she looked at her worn and weary friends who were in much need of a rest. Kema especially looked like she was running ragged. She was probably due for some of her medication. They had made several jumps within the last 24 hour period and she knew it was for the best.  

“Yes, please! If not as our guests, then as our friends!” Jania insisted.

Rose smiled and nodded. “Okay, yes, thank you. We would love to join you.” 

Evening was fast approaching and the shop closed for the day. The trio joined the family at their dinner table. Remembering how much Rose had loved his chips, Raken made a large plate of them as part of the meal. Both Kema and Hikari agreed that they were indeed quite superior and the blue potatoes tasted especially delicious. Their hosts pulled out all the stops, making a large roast of meat that was similar to beef, an array of native vegetables, and plentiful jugs of mulled wine. Both Raken and Jania insisted they stay the night. By this time, none of them were going to to protest.

 Ula asked them dozens of questions, eager to hear of their adventures and travels. She wanted to travel herself one day. She spoke in hushed tones while her parents prepared and served yajuk, a drink similar to coffee. 

“They don’t want me to leave the planet,” Ula whispered to them when her parents’ backs were turned. “ It’s too dangerous my mother says. But I want to see the universe!” 

A short while later, Jania showed the young women a room they could share. There were three single cots in the spacious, warm coloured room and a connected en suite. She offered them extra blankets, pillows and towels, and then excused herself to let them settle in. 

Once they were alone, Kema turned to Rose, her eyes shining. “Speaking of universe… if you’ve been here with the Doctor...that means we’ve made it?” 

Rose couldn’t contain her emotions any longer. “Yes...yes! We’ve made it!” she said urgently, her voice barely above a whisper,  tears stinging the corners of her eyes.

Hikari rushed to them and pulled both of her friends into a hug. They all stood together in a shared embrace, silently reveling in their success.Though it had seemed impossible at points, they had managed to pass through the void unscathed and into the right dimension. Their next goal would be getting back to Earth and finding the Doctor. 

Rose knew he could be just about anywhere in the universe, during any given time period, but if one thing was for sure, he always returned to Earth. She didn’t know if he was traveling with anyone at the time, but if he was, it was very likely a human (given his history). And his companions usually required regular visits to their home planet. Kema had pointed out that it might take a bit to find him, so they might have to make plans to settle down for awhile.  As to how they were going to find the Doctor, Kema had an idea about that.

Since Rose still had her TARDIS key, Kema would use it to lock on  to the biosignature of the TARDIS by using the key. Because the key was made from within the TARDIS herself, it would have the same biosignature. She would do so by making adjustments to her “spacetime fabric hole finder”, and turning it into a “TARDIS biosignature locator thing”. Rose couldn’t help but chuckle at her tendency for giving her inventions funny little names. That was another thing she had in common with her brother. Rose and Hikari were both convinced that she came up with ninety percent of her reasoning on the fly. It did work in her favor that she was an absolute genius, but it was also because she could be a bit lackadaisical and easily distracted. Despite that, her friends loved her dearly and trusted her intuitions and calculations alike.

After a hearty breakfast of porridge, sweet breads, and fruit, they said goodbye to Ula and her family. Hikari gifted them with a sketch of all of everyone together in the family common room as a thank you for their hospitality. They were especially grateful and told them to come back and visit any time. Rose promised that they would, and that next time they would have the Doctor in tow. After they departed from the main city area, they found a clearing to do their jump. With their manipulators set to long distance teleport, they keyed in their coordinates for their next destination: London, Earth 21st Century.

When they arrived on Earth, they landed in the middle of Hyde Park in Central London. Hyde Park didn’t exist in the other London, so Rose knew they were in the right one. She led the way, urging her friends to follow her as she walked down the path toward an exit from the park. Kema and Hikari were quick to catch up to her up. They soon exited the park and found themselves on a busy London street. Kema and Hikari had been chatting a bit, but now had fallen silent. Rose walked in the direction of Harrods, noticing how the phone boxes were red and not green. And the sky...the sky was so amazingly, wonderly clear and blue. And something else was missing.

“There’s no zeppelins,” Hikari said softly, her mouth in a gentle O as she looked up at the sky, marveling at its vastness. 

“Yeah..it’s so...weird…” said Kema, looking around, equally awed. They both turned to Rose, who was grinning from ear to ear.

“We really did it...we’re really back!” Rose practically shouted with joy, whooping and jumping up and down, clapping her hands. She knew she probably looked like a right git, making a spectacle like that, but she didn’t care. She was home!

After Rose’s little celebratory dance, Hikari suggested they find a base of operations (and somewhere to finally put down their heavy packs). They ducked behind a set of phone boxes and then teleported to a different area of London where they could find a hotel. It was in Brixton that they  searched for decently priced accommodations that would suit their needs. It took them all of an hour to find a room and get settled. Hikari claimed it would’ve been faster if they had a better internet connection than 21st century wifi.  

Rose sighed and shook her head as they all settled in. She didn’t want to sit idle, but Kema needed the chance to rest and medicate. Not to mention Hika was getting a little crabby, so they best get some takeaway to tide them over. She didn’t slight her friends for having needs, they couldn’t help that. Rose was just anxious to find the Doctor. It had been a long journey and she was looking forward to it coming to an end. A happy ending, or at least she hoped. 

They took a couple hours to relax and catch a second wind before deciding to make their next move. Kema had been working on her scanner since her medication kicked in an hour before. Hikari was fed and rested, and back to her usual upbeat state. She was now helping Kema solder part of the mechanism necessary for the scanner’s new function. Not having the technical expertise for this area, Rose was mostly left to watch and pace. She stopped in front of a window and drew back the curtain, watching the movement on the street below. 

She saw a couple holding hands, talking and laughing merrily as they made their way down the street. They seemed so happy, so in love. Just living their lives without a care in the world. Rose was a touch jealous of them. But hopefully soon she would once again have a hand to hold, a hand that fit so perfectly with her own. Though she wasn’t sure the Doctor would have any part of the romance bit. He would likely think it to not be proper. Quite the brooder, him.

 Always talking about his responsibility as Last of the Time Lords. Though really, he wasn’t the last of them. He would have his sister. There was a passing thought that once he had his sister back, he wouldn’t need Rose anymore. She scolded herself fiercely as soon as she thought it. It was an absolute fact that he would be glad to have both of them back in his life, ecstatic even. And he would certainly welcome Hikari along for the ride. She was part of the team, after all. He did say that the TARDIS was really meant for a crew of six. If he had at least one companion already, that would make five. Almost a full functioning crew. They would only need one more for a complete set. Jack maybe? There was always the option of finding someone new, or even Sarah Jane! 

Rose realized her imagination was getting a little out of control. At one time she would have cringed and silently protested to inviting more people on to the ship. She always wanted the Doctor to herself with no distractions, no interruptions, but then she realized something. The Doctor was too big, to amazing, too wonderful to keep all to herself.  It had been after many hours of thinking and remembering that she realized this. As she got older, Rose realized she had often been selfish and immature. It had been her stubbornness that had led to the creation of Bad Wolf. For the longest time, she blamed herself for the Doctor dying. Well, regenerating. It’s not really dying, just moving to a new set of hardware, he would say. But by his count, she had saved him, everyone that day. 

The Doctor took the vortex out of her that day, and caused himself irreversible damage. He called it a fair trade for ridding the universe of the Daleks. At first, she hadn’t remembered any of it, but it came back over time. She remembered dividing the atoms of the Daleks, defeating the False God, and saving the Doctor. After that she had an intense connection to the TARDIS, able to sense things from it. At times she would think or say things directly to the ship and it would respond in kind with a sound or flicker of lights. And the song...she could hear the song in her dreams, calling out to her. Sometimes it almost felt like the time and space ship was reaching across dimensions just to whisper a hello. Then there was the other thing. The thing she hadn’t told anyone about. Not Kema or Hikari. Not her Mum. No one. She was still debating on how or IF she would tell the Doctor. Rose Tyler had a secret, and it was going to take more than a herd of wild horses to get it out of her.

Chapter Text

It was well after midnight. Her two counterparts were fast asleep, and she was left to her own devices. She slept for three hours, and that was more than enough for her these days. It seemed she needed less and less. Often she slept for the luxury of it, that blessedly peaceful feeling of being cradled in the arms of Morpheus. The Doctor had never understood her fascination with sleep. Back then it was a biological need for sure, and she hated when he woke her up before at least eight hours passed. The truth of it was, she loved sleep. It was a happy place for her. That was, unless there were nightmares. 

Some nights were torture. She was plagued by images of losing grip on the lever, slipping away from the Doctor as she fell toward the void. And then that white wall. That goddamn white wall. She had sat there for hours, unwilling to believe that he was gone. That they were separated and she was never going to see him again. She refused to believe it, and maintained that belief for years to come. So many sleepless nights, feeling so alone, so lost. It was different now though, wasn’t it? There was no white wall, there were no barriers to keep them apart. She had made it back, finally. 

She paced in front of the window for a good hour, but found herself tired of the repetitive motion. Rose sat on the couch in the dimly lit lounge of their makeshift home. Then it was television, but she quickly put a kibosh on that. She felt so anxious, so impatient. It had been two weeks and they still hadn’t located the Doctor. After spending the last three months searching, she was desperate to see him again. 

 Recently she had started doubting how she might be received once she did find the Doctor. At points, apprehension coursed through her and she feared the worst. What if he had moved on? What if he decided to forget about her and was having a fantastic life on his own? Or worse yet, with someone else. Maybe he had found love and was no longer the lonely soul she had left behind. Perhaps he had met another Madame de Pompadour. Scowling and wrapping her arms about herself, she leaned back against the corner of the couch. Sometimes being human carried its burdens. A heart is a heavy burden . It was a line from a lovely Japanese animated film she had seen once. Really sweet story, and the main character had doubted herself as well, and right now, Rose could relate.

“Can’t sleep?” came a familiar voice suddenly, breaking her out of her miasma of self doubt. She turned slightly and looked toward the hallway, and there stood Kema. Her tall, raven haired, Time Lord friend ambled over and sat a short distance away from her on the couch. 

Rose shrugged a little, attempting a half smile at least. “Guess no. I slept a few hours, and just couldn’t stay laying in bed.”

Kema nodded and made herself comfortable, stretching out her long legs and resting her feet crossed at the ankles, on top of the coffee table. “Yeah, me either. I got a good five hours in though. Not too shabby. That would set most Time Lords right for a week or more.”

Rose nodded, her brow furrowing. “I have noticed that you sleep quite a lot more than another certain Time Lord we know. Oh he used to drive me mad with his rise-and-shine-you’ve-been-sleeping-too-long-please-pay-attention-to-me raw energy when waking up first thing. Ugh, God, he drove me crazy sometimes!”

Her friend laughed, shaking her head a little. “Yeah, sounds like him. Few times I took any sort of trips with him, he was always go-go-go. Though sometimes, in rare moments, you could see him slow down just enough to notice the little things. But then again, this version of him sounds like he’s got energy to spare.”

The blonde laughed heartily. “Oh you have no idea! But it was worth it, to be honest. All the time I spent with him...it was… it was the best time of my life. I miss it. I...miss...I miss him…”

Her voice broke as she spoke, a tear trickling down her cheek. Kema’s expression softened, and she pulled her legs down and scooted closer to Rose. She reached and put her hand over her friend’s and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

“We’ll find him soon, yeah? Don’t worry, Rose. I promise you that we’ll find him.” Kema said softly. Rose looked up, gave her a sad smile, and nodded a little. 

Rose reached for a tissue from the box on the coffee table, then wiping her eyes. She blew her nose with a bit of a honk at the end. The two friends looked at each other before busting out in laughter. They carried on like that for several minutes until they were both gasping for breath, rolling about on the couch. Their laughter must have carried through the suite to the bedroom because Hikari surfaced a short while later. 

“What’s so bloody funny??” she asked, her voice rough from sleep. “I was having a lovely dream that was so RUDELY interrupted when I heard you two cackling in the middle of the night!” 

Both Kema and Rose stopped dead, looking Hikari, then to each other before bursting out into fits of laughter again. Their friend looked at the pair as though they had gone completely insane. She was being uncharacteristically grumpy and for some reason that was hilarious. The whole scene was a bit ridiculous, really. 

“Come on, guys! That’s not fair!” Hikari whinged, slumping down onto a nearby chair. They both looked at her, doing their best to gain composure. Hika bit her lip, realizing how she sounded, then laughing herself. 

“Sorry, Hika. I was just being emotional and Kem was trying to comfort me is all,” Rose explained, her breathing finally returning to normal. 

“It’s okay. I was just being grumpy,” Hikari said with a shrug. “By the way, Rose, your bag is making noise.”  

Rose’s brow furrowed in question. “Sorry?”

Hikari exhaled the hit she had just taken from Kema’s vape. “Your bag. It was beeping. I think that’s what actually woke me up.”

“Huh. I have no clue what that could be. Let’s have a look,” she said, getting up from the couch and heading toward the bedroom. 

She found her backpack on the floor near her chosen bed, and it was in fact beeping loudly. Crouching down, she unzipped the front pouch and reached inside. After a moment of rustling around in the contents, she pulled out her old mobile phone. It was lit up like a Christmas tree, battery showing as having a full charge. It was searching for a signal, hence the beeping. Rose got up and walked back out into the lounge, opening her phone as she went. The others looked up when she entered the room.

“So what was the mystery beep?” Kema inquired, chuckling lightly. Rose didn’t respond, still staring at her phone. “Ro?”

She lifted her head slowly to meet Kema’s gaze. “Oh, sorry. It’s my old mobile… Hasn’t worked in years. I kept it around for sentimental reasons. Battery should be dead, but seems to be working now.” 

“Ooo a 2006 Motorola L7!” Hikari said excitedly. Kema on the other hand looked unimpressed. She shrugged. 

“Well, that’s a bit odd. Maybe it sensed it was back in the right time zone. Funny like that, technology. Works best in it’s home universe,” Kema said, taking another hit. 

Rose nodded. “Yeah. Exactly. Has a full signal now.”

“So? Going to call up some old mates?” Kema asked.

“Was thinkin’ about it,” Rose said, a smile spreading to her lips. 

Kema nodded. “Alright then.”

Rose rolled her eyes. “You’re as thick as he is sometimes. Bloody Time Lords,” she mumbled. “Kem, whose number do you think I might just happen to have in my phone that happens to be from 2006, when I happened to still live in this universe?”

Kema’s mouth formed a large O, her eyes wide as she made the connection.

“Now ya gettin’ it!” Rose said, grinning.

“Well go on then!” Kema said excitedly.

Rose nodded, taking a deep breath. Her hands were shaking a little as she selected TARDIS from her contact list. Putting the phone to her ear, she waited patiently as it rang several times. She let it go on a bit longer, biting her lip nervously. Finally, someone picked up. 

“Hello? Who’s calling?” came a familiar voice. Tears pricked the corner of Rose’s eyes, her breath catching in her throat as she stifled a sob. She strained to find her voice.

“Doctor?”

Chapter Text

He stood perfectly still, completely frozen. That voice...it was… it was so familiar. So SO familiar.But it couldn’t be. There was no possible way that she could be calling. He must be having some kind of auditory hallucination. Or a delusion. Perhaps both. Yup...yes. That had to be it because there was no other plausible explanation as to why he was currently hearing the voice of Rose Tyler coming through his phone receiver. There was absolutely, positively, irrefutably no way that she could ACTUALLY be calling him. Unless...unless he was wrong which sometimes, on occasion, very seldomly did happen. And then the voice came again, more clearly this time. 

“Doctor? Hello? Are you there??” she said. His head jerked up as he saw Donna staring at him, pantomiming for him to speak.  Oh , he mouthed. Yes! Responding would be good, great, wonderful. Alright then. 

“Ah...yes, hello. This is the Doctor,” he said in a formal tone, then cringing at his own actions. 

There was a pause.

“Well blimey, if I didn’t have your voice memorized, I’d of thought you regenerated on me again. Actin’ so formal, puttin’ on airs and graces like tha,” she teased, her tone hinting at a smile. 

He felt a strong tug at his heartstrings, his stomach full of butterflies. Oh yes...oh YES! This was her! His Rose! His sweet, wonderful, cheeky magnificent Rose Tyler! Emotion started to overtake him when he realized that he still needed to respond back.

“Rose?” he croaked as he struggled to get the word out. “Rose is that you??”

“Yes Doctor! Yes it’s me! Oh God...I can’t believe it! I can’t believe I’m talkin’ to you!” she gushed, her excitement growing. 

He laughed loudly, grinning from ear to ear. “Blimey, Rose! I can’t believe it either! How are you calling across the void?? Not that I’m complaining mind you. It’s great, more than great actually. It’s STUPENDOUS! Really, seriously Rose, it is SO good to hear from you!”

“Oh Doctor,” she said softly, her voice cracking. “Doctor I’ve missed you so much.”

“Rose...Rose! I’ve missed you too...so much,” he said, his voice filled with emotion. “This is nothing short of a miracle! An actual miracle!”

“Doctor, um, I probably should tell you,”she said with a laugh. “I’m back in the home universe. I’m here...I’m in London, 2013.” 

He felt his hearts leap into this throat as they pounded fiercely, beating out a very aggressive samba. She...she was here. She was home. His Rose, right here in this universe. THIS UNIVERSE.

“Oh Rose Tyler, you’re brilliant you are! How did you manage it??” 

“Um, Doctor? Why don’t I explain when you get here? It’s a very long story,” Rose began, sounding a bit hesitant. His brow furrowed slightly. Why did she sound so strange all of a sudden? “But I will explain, I promise.” 

“Right, sure. Brilliant! I’ll just go ahead and trace your call,” he said, pressing a few buttons on the console, then grabbing ahold of the monitor and swinging it toward him. “Oookay, and...there we are! You’re in an Airbnb rental in Brixton. We should be showing up in your lounge right about…now!” 

He waited for her to respond, thoroughly impressed, but he was met with silence. 

“Rose?”

“You’re here...just inside. I can see the TARDIS,” she whispered. 

And then it hit him like a ton of bricks. He was so busy trying to be impressive that he had forgotten himself completely. Rose was outside!

Donna looked at him, smirking and shaking her head with her arms crossed over her chest. 

“Ya big dummy, go get her!” Donna urged, shooing him from the ship. 

He grinned at his best friend. Of course she had figured it out. The look on her face when he said Rose’s name had been evidence enough. Brilliant, clever Donna Noble! Nodding, he turned and sprinted down the ramp to the door and threw it open. 

She was standing just beyond the ship, maybe five feet in front of it. Their eyes locked on to one another, their gaze intense. He slowly exited the ship, moving ever so slowly, so scared that if he moved too fast he might wake up and this would be just another one of his torturous dreams. 

“Rose…” he breathed, opening his arms and stepping toward her. 

She practically lunged at him, falling into his waiting embrace. They stood there for several moments, holding one another so tightly that they almost struggled for air. He picked her up off her feet, swaying her back and forth slightly as he held her to him. 

“Oh Rose,” he whispered into her soft tresses. “Rose, Rose, ROSE!”

“Doctor,” she choked out, unable to contain her tears any longer. “Oh God, it’s you! It’s really, really you!” 

They parted slightly as he set her down, but they remained close. She leaned into him, and he into her, their foreheads touching as they laughter spilled out, watery from their mutually flowing tears. The Doctor stopped for a brief moment, gazing into Rose’s  eyes, looking for the right words. There were so many things he had to say to her, so many things he never had the chance to say. He had promised himself that if he ever got a chance that he wouldn’t waste a moment. But words...oh words failed him in this moment. There weren’t words that could encompass everything he was feeling right now. He would have to find another way.

The Doctor leaned in, pressing his lips to hers. At first she stiffened, as though surprised.  Then, just a moment later, she grabbed him up by his shirt front, and pulled him in closer to deepen the kiss. His arms looped around her waist, drawing her body flush up against his. They went on like this for several moments, both completely lost to the world around them. However, eventually a certain boisterous ginger made her presence known. 

“Oh don’t mind us then. Just little specks of nothin’, floatin’ about for our own amusement,” she chided. 

Suddenly the pair broke apart, their heads jerking in the direction of the TARDIS. Standing just outside the door was his dear friend, Donna Noble. At first, she had sounded rather cross, but they could see that she was smiling, her eyes sparkling. The Doctor broke out in a grin, sliding her arm around Rose’s shoulders and hugging her to him. Of any of his many friends and acquaintances, Donna best knew how much of a gaping hole losing Rose had left in his hearts. She also knew how much it meant to have Rose back.

“Donna! This is Rose!” he chirped, laughing a bit. “She’s here! She’s really here, Donna!”

Donna smiled wide and nodded. “I see that, Spaceman! Now, let me introduce myself proper.” She turned to Rose and stuck out a hand, her smiling remaining. “Donna Noble. Space and Time Traveller, Natural Ginger, and Part-Time Keeper of this crazy alien.” 

Rose laughed at her introduction and took her hand, shaking it in a firm yet friendly way. “Rose Tyler. Also a Space and Time Traveler, Dimension Hopper, and Natural Blonde, though you might not know it from the dark roots.” She finished with a little shrug, and then both women laughed heartily. He looked to find two young women he didn’t recognize standing behind them in the lounge. The Doctor smiled.

“Your friends, Rose?” he asked, glancing back at Rose and then nodding in their direction. 

“Oh...uh...yeah. They...they came with me across the void. It’s been a really long, complicated trip, and we will explain it all to you. But first, I’d like a cuppa and to say hello to my girl,” she said, looking in that way that always made him melt. He found it a bit odd and unlike Rose to not introduce her friends, but who was he to refuse her?

He smiled and nodded. “Right. Of course, a cuppa it is then. I’m sure the TARDIS would like to say hello to you as well.”  He took her hand in his, lacing their fingers together and she smiled at him.

They entered the ship together and Rose rushed to the console, looking up at the time rotor in awe. She chirped and cooed affectionately as she spoke to the ship, stroking her lovingly. He chuckled a bit as he remembered when she made fun of him once for doing the very same. The ship hummed happily as the rotor glowed vibrantly. Rose laughed, jumping up and down a bit.  His girls were happy to be together again, that was for certain. 

“Well she sure likes you! Never hummed and glowed for me like that,” Donna teased, giving Rose a playful wink as she walked up the ramp. 

“Now Donna, you know she thinks you’re brilliant,” he said, chuckling.  Donna waved him off and Rose laughed again.

The Doctor turned to Rose’s friends, smiling warmly. “Given you’re here, I expect Rose has told you a bit about us, me and the TARDIS.” The two young women smiled. 

“ ‘Course I have, Doctor,” Rose said, approaching from behind. “Let me introduce Hikari and...Kay.”

The Doctor eyed Rose questioningly, but then turned on a smile as he looked back to her friends. Her pause on the second name did not go unoticed. He wasn’t quite sure what was going on and he was anxious to hear this long awaited story of theirs. 

“Lovely to meet you, Hikari and Kay,” he said, smiling and stepping to shake their respective hands. Hikari took his hand warmly, smiling as she said hello, but Kay hesitated and opted not to shake his hand. Maybe she had some thing about germs. Some humans were like that, after all. Odd little beings they were. 

“So, your ship is sentient, right? That’s amazing. I love technology! I’ve never seen anything like THIS before. She’s AMAZING! And Rose was right. It’s so much bigger on the inside!” the young woman gushed excitedly. 

The Doctor smiled, sticking his hands in his pockets and bouncing on the balls of his feet a bit. It always made him happy when someone got excited about the TARDIS. She was quite the marvel, after all. 

“Oh yes! Completely sentient. TARDIS are alive, you know. They’re grown, not built. That’s a common misconception. Our girl here is an older model, Type 40, but she’s the seasoned traveler, that’s for certain! She can-” he said, starting to ramble until he caught Rose’s expression. She was smiling at him, but she looked worn.

 “Ah, anyway, more about that later. How about that cuppa?” he said, holding his hand out to Rose and wiggling his fingers. She grinned at him and took his hand. 

“That sounds fanTAStic,” Rose said, giving his hand a little squeeze. 

Approximately fifteen minutes later, they were all sitting around the table in the galley, talking and laughing. The table was slightly larger than it had been previously, and it seemed the TARDIS had accounted for the increased number of guests and expanded the galley accordingly. Everyone was having a grand time.  Well most of them, anyway. 

The Doctor noticed that Rose’s friend Kay wasn’t much for sharing in the merriment. She was oddly quiet, just as she had been since his arrival. Perhaps she was the shy sort. Though she didn’t really give off the shy vibe. There was something about her that didn’t sit right with him. Like something was off, something missing. She avoided eye contact with him, hadn’t spoken a word. It was more than odd...it was downright eerie. She seemed nervous, uncomfortable.  He knew he still needed to hear their story, so he tried to put his suspicions to rest, for Rose’s sake.Though he found it very hard to ignore.

A short while later, Donna was talking to Hikari and Kay about life on the TARDIS with the Doctor when Rose got up and headed to the galley doorway. Standing outside the room in the corridor, she motioned for him to follow. The Doctor quietly got up from the table and slipped out of the room to join Rose. She lifted a finger to her lips and he nodded. Rose took his hand and started back down toward the console room. They walked along silently, and for the first time that day he had a moment to think about how perfectly her hand fit into his. Smiling a little, he continued to follow behind her. Once they reached the console room, she headed straight for the jumpseat. She sat and pulled him down with her, then taking both of his hands into her own.

“Why is it that in these really important moments, I never know what to say?” she asked, laughing a little. “I’ve waited for this for so long. Just to be with you, to be back on the TARDIS...to be home .”

The Doctor couldn’t help but smile. “Rose...I can’t even begin to tell you how happy I am that you’re back. It means so, so much. It means...well...everything. Even if you did punch a hole in the universe in the process.” He winked at her and grinned.

Her expression softened, her eyes welling up again. “Doctor, I am sooo happy to be back with you. It’s everything to me, too.”  

Her voice cracked a little as twin tears slid down her cheeks, but she was smiling. He reached up a hand to cup her cheek, brushing his thumb over the rounded surface. Rassilon, she was beautiful! He couldn’t think of a sight more precious, more wonderful, more exquisite than Rose Tyler’s smile. They gazed at one another for a long, quiet moment before leaning in for light, but sweet kiss. 

“Doctor, there’s something I need to talk to you about. Something you need to know before I can tell you anymore about how we got here,” Rose said then, her expression sobering. 

His brow furrowed, lower lip curving into a frown. “What is it, Rose?” he said gently. “You know you can tell me anything.” 

She nodded. “You trust me, yeah?”

He nodded slowly in response. “Of course, Rose. Always.” 

“This is going to be a bit of a shock, so I wanted to prepare you for it. I noticed you watching Kay, and I can tell you’re suspicious. The thing is...you already know her. You met her a long time before I ever did,” Rose began, holding his gaze.

“Rose? What are you talking about? Who is she?” he asked, genuinely confused now. Rose didn’t say a word, but instead squeezed his hands gently. 

And then he felt it. It hit him like a ton of bricks. It was like being roused from a thousand year sleep by being tipped into icy water. As he breached the surface again, inhaling deep, gasping for air, he realized, he had never been drowning at all. And it wasn’t cold...no. It was warm. So, so warm. The shock of it all had confused him. 

This sensation… it wasn’t new. It was oh so familiar, but it had been silent for far too long. It was like a long, comforting hug from a long lost friend.  His mind was full of this welcoming entity, tears stinging his eyes as he came to realize just how familiar it was. Rose was looking over his shoulder, causing him to whip around. Kay was standing in the doorway, tears streaming down her face. He stood up and crossed the console room until he was standing in front of her. They locked eyes. 

“There was a reason I wouldn’t look at you before,” she said quietly. “My eyes would have given me away, and I wanted to ease you into it. Funny old things, these eyes. They’re the one thing that never changed with my regenerations. I liked them too much to let them go, I guess,” she said, cracking a smile and stepping forward. “Hello there, Thete.”

The Doctor gaped at her, unable to fully process what was happening. The fact that she used his old school nickname was enough to make him wonder, but then he noticed. This young woman had the very same eyes as his little sister. The sister he had left behind on Gallifrey. The same sister that died along with the rest of his family and friends, his people. Or so he had thought… Yet here was this woman claiming to be her. Obviously she was telepathic, but-

Suddenly she stepped toward him and extended an arm until her hand could reach his temple. THen his mind was flooded with images of his earlier years, before he left Gallifrey. He saw himself, dressed in his Time Lord finery, speaking in High Gallifreyan with his father, and a little girl peeking from just beyond the doorway. He picked her up and swung her around, her giggles filled the air. He could feel her happiness and the awe she felt when she looked at him. She whispered a word in his ear, their secret password that was a very special greeting between just them. He tickled the girl and a rush of affection washed over him. And then he realized… he wasn’t seeing his own memories. He was seeing hers. 

The tears were flowing freely now. It really was her, his little sister! She was here, she was alive! And he...he wasn’t the last one. He wasn’t the Last of the Time Lords. Kema. His darling little sister. She was nodding at him as they both stumbled forward, embracing fully. They were sobbing, the pair of them, clinging to one another. The Doctor couldn’t believe it. Rose and his sister all in one day.  For once, the universe had been kind.

Chapter Text

Rose had excused herself quietly in order to give the Doctor and Kema some time alone together. After all, it had been more than a hundred years since they had last seen each other. She wasn’t sure exactly how old Kema was when her father took her away from Gallifrey, but she knew that Kema had been rather young. As she walked back toward the galley, she thought about what this meant for the Doctor. He was no longer the last of his kind. Not only was there another Time Lord, but it was his sister! Imagine that kind of coincidence. Or maybe it wasn’t a coincidence at all. Maybe for once the universe saw fit to let things work out, and all of this was meant to be in the great cosmic scheme of things. Whatever it was, she was happy for it.

As she drew closer to the galley, Rose noticed that it was suspiciously quiet. While she wasn’t expecting a ruckus, she figured she would hear Donna and Hikari talking as she approached. After all, Donna wasn’t what you would call soft spoken. She seemed to have one of those larger than life personalities, and was clearly full of sass. Rose chuckled to herself thinking of the Doctor going head to head with her. Finally, someone that could stand up to him without bending. Rose often had butted heads with him in the past, but she imagined that Donna could put up a hell of a fight. Finally she reached the galley, she stopped and leaned in the doorway, peering around the room. She found it to be completely empty and stone silent. 

“I wonder where they got off to,” Rose murmured to herself.

And then she thought about it. Donna had probably decided to give Hikari a little tour, and Rose had a sneaking suspicion as to where they were headed.  Rose had a hunch that the ship had used it’s telepathic capabilities to sense what might impress Hika the most. There was one room on all of the TARDIS that her dear friend would go absolutely gaga over, and that was the library. Not that Rose could blame her. She always loved spending time in that room, especially with the Doctor. It had been their quiet little sanctuary after particularly harrowing adventures. They had spent hours there together reading aloud. They read everything from Dickens to Shakespeare to J.K. Rowling. Some of their best times were spent doing that.  Smiling to herself, she turned and headed back up the corridor.

When she finally reached the library, she could hear muffled voices coming from within. Taking a deep breath, Rose entered into the familiar place that had once been her refuge. The smell of books hit her at once, the scent sparking a sense of nostalgia. She wandered further in toward the main seating area near the fireplace, looking about as she went. Smiling, her eyes fell on Hikari talking animatedly and Donna listening and nodding while sipping tea. Hika was talking about growing up in the 52nd and her love of history, literature, and art. 

“You’ll fit right in here,” Donna said with a chuckle. “But careful telling the Doctor that! He’ll talk your ear off on any subject you can think of.”

Rose laughed audibly, surprising both of them. Their heads jerked upward as they heard her, and she smiled sheepishly, waving at them. 

“Sorry about that, girls,” she said. “Didn’t mean to give you start. I left the Doctor and Kema to talk and figured I’d come join you two.” 

They both smiled at her. Hikari patted the seat on the sofa next to her. 

“Oh, it’s okay! Come join us, Rose. There’s tea!” she chirped, pointing at the full service tea cat to the left of the couch. It did look rather tempting. 

“Yeah Rose, please do! And no worries about all that. I’d love to have a chat,” Donna said, grinning and waving her over. Rose laughed again.

“Thanks guys, I will,” she said pleasantly, crossing the floor to the cart. She poured herself a cup of tea and put a blueberry scone on a small plate. Rose sat down on the couch next to Hikari, setting her plate on the coffee table. “So where were you?”

“Well Hikari here was telling me about the 52nd century in the other universe and-,” Donna began, but then came to a stop. She looked at the two of them, brow furrowed.  “Wait a minute.. Why would the Doctor need to talk to your friend? You said her name this time. Kema was it?”

Rose and Hikari glanced at each other with a measure of uncertainty, and then Rose nodded. She would let Donna in on their little secret. She was going to find out in due time anyway.

“The thing is Donna, Kema isn’t just one of my mates,” Rose said. “She’s the Doctor’s sister.”

Donna gaped at them, mouth slack and eyes wide. She looked absolutely dumbfounded. Rose couldn’t blame her. She had been pretty taken aback herself when she found out a few months prior. Rose smiled warmly and looked at Donna, head tilted to the right. 

“ARE YOU JOKING?!” the ginger exclaimed, still gaping at them. Rose laughed and Hikari shook her head. 

“Nope! She really is!” Hikari said, smiling brightly.

“Oh. My. God! That is BRILLIANT!” Donna said, grinning broadly. “He must be over the moon! Got you and his sister back in one day!”

“Yeah, I expect he was once the shock wore off,” Rose said, smiling. “I left them alone just after dropping the bomb. Wanted to give them some private time.”

Donna nodded. “Yeah, of course! Wow, this is just bloody brilliant! I know I already said that, but it just plain well is! I’m so happy for him, for all of you!”

“Thanks Donna, that means a lot. I’m really, really happy to be back,” Rose said warmly.

“Hey Rose...would it be okay if I looked around?” Hikari asked timidly, her eyes wide and hopeful. 

“Sure Hika! Just let the TARDIS guide you. Like I said, she’s telepathic, so she’ll steer you right,” Rose said, smiling at her friend. Hikari nodded enthusiastically and took off like a shot.

“Another book nerd, I take it?” Donna said, jerking her thumb in the direction Hikari had gone. 

Rose laughed and nodded. “Yep. Especially old books. Old things in general, really.”

“Well then she’ll get on with the Doctor just fine,” Donna said, smirking.

Rose chuckled and shook her head. “Donna, you are fabulous. Can’t wait to see you go round and round with old himself!”

Donna sighed dramatically, rolling her eyes a little. “That daft old alien is such a pill sometimes! I swear.”

“Well, I’m glad he has someone to set him straight and narrow when he needs it. He doesn’t do well on his own,” Rose said seriously. 

Donna glanced at her with an eyebrow quirked up. “Yeah, well, I’m good and bossy, so it works out.” 

Rose looked at Donna, her expression sobered considerably. “I mean it, Donna. I’m really glad he has had  you. I worried about him being alone. Thank you for looking after him.” She reached out and took the other woman’s hand, squeezing it a little as she smiled at her, tears pricking the corners of her eyes.

“Really, I’m happy to do it. He’s my best mate. Made my life so much better. There’s something about traveling like this...it changes a person, you know?” Donna said, squeezing Rose’s hand in return. 

“Yeah...yeah I do know. It’s odd hearing it from someone else, but it’s nice to know someone else understands. Traveling with the Doctor changed my life too,” Rose said, smiling again.

“ I wouldn’t give it up for anything in the world! That is…” Donna began, her voice then dropping off. Her eyes lowered to the floor.

Rose looked at her new friend, her brows knitted together. “Donna? That is what…? What’s wrong?”

Donna looked up at her again, and seemed almost frightened. “If you don’t mind my staying,” she said quietly. 

Rose’s eyes widened, a hand coming to cover her mouth. “Oh! Donna...of course! I wouldn’t dream of asking you to leave!”

Donna let out a laugh then and suddenly pulled Rose into a tight hug. “Oh, good! I’m really glad to hear that! Can’t say I wouldn’t have been cross if you said no!”

Rose laughed, hugging her back. “Oh Donna, you’re a riot. I can tell we’re going to get along great!”

They both sat back down to enjoy their tea while they talked about everything under the sun. Donna regaled Rose with stories about her adventures with the Doctor. She told the hilarious details of their stint in a Namorian prison cell, and had Rose doubled over in laughter. They were becoming fast friends, and Rose was loving every minute of it. Hearing about the Doctor from another companion’s perspective was refreshing and intrigued her to no end. They were both laughing loudly as Donna finished the story, Rose hanging on her every word.

“Sounds like things are going well in here,” came a familiar voice. 

Both women looked up toward the door and were greeted by the sight of the Doctor and his Kema. Rose smiled at them both. The Doctor made eye contact and beamed back at her. He looked so happy, so vibrant. It did her heart good to see him this way. While she was certainly glad to be back with him, she was ecstatic that he was reunited with Kema. 

“Oh yeah, going great,” Donna said, grinning. “We’re thick as thieves, us. Just you watch out, spaceman.”

“Oi! No ganging up on me now!” he said indignantly. 

“Well there’s no fun in that,” Kema said, smirking, arms crossed over her chest.

“Not you, too!”

All three women laughed and the Doctor looked wounded. “Oh calm down you crazy alien. We won’t eat you alive...just yet,” Donna chided, rolling her eyes. 

They all settled down then, the Doctor taking a seat next to Rose on the couch. He sank back into the corner and slung an arm across the back, behind Rose. As if upon instinct, she scooted a little closer to him and his arms slid down and around her.  Donna exchanged a knowing glance with Kema, both smirking. Rose felt her face go flush, but she stayed close to the Doctor. It wasn’t a secret, after all. Both women were aware of their history. A short while later, Hikari joined them again, and it came time to fill the Doctor in with the details he so desperately wanted. She knew he must hate not being in on the secret. 

Kema began the tale of how she ended up on Earth in the first place, and how their father’s bad driving had landed them in the wrong universe. The Doctor was thoroughly engrossed, taking in every detail. Rose nestled back against him, listening to Kema’s words. The Doctor slightly tightened his hold around her middle, nuzzling the top of her head. They listened together until it came time for Rose and Hikari to take their turns speaking. 

It’s going to be a long night, Rose thought to herself, smiling a little. A long night indeed.

Chapter Text

After they recounted the entire story, from how they all met to how they ended up in London, the Doctor was full of questions.  He was especially curious about their invention. A good solid 20 minutes of the conversation was spent with he and Kema talking shop about the technical components. Some of what they talked about was a bit beyond the rest of the crowd, but Rose couldn’t help but smile. It was nice seeing them talk like that. For once, the Doctor had someone that could truly keep up with him. 

Rose observed them for awhile, noticing little similarities they had. She couldn’t believe she had never noticed how much Kema was like the Doctor. Though, honestly, Kema was a lot more laid back, but they had the same thirst for knowledge, the same quirky sense of humor, and gobs that didn’t quit. They just talked and talked, laughed and laughed some more.  It was pretty amazing to see two of the most important people in her life so happy. 

After they had finished the long tale of their journey, the Doctor insisted on scanning all of them to make sure they weren’t holding excess amounts of radiation or voids stuffs  in their systems. He claimed that jumping through the void so many time was bound to build up a store of huon particles, and high levels were dangerous. When he had finally finished his desired scans and tests, they ordered in pizza and ate together in the galley. Once appetites were sated, Donna offered to show the girls to a couple of spare rooms. Rose, of course, already had her own room aboard the TARDIS. It was the Doctor that offered to escort her there. 

Taking her hand, he smiled warmly at her and started down the corridor. As they walked, Rose noticed that they were taking a different path than she remembered. Usually she would take a right at the galley and keep going past the library, but this area of the TARDIS was new to her. She noticed that there were no other doors in along the walls. Finally when they came to the end of the long hall, she recognized her bedroom door. It was still a brilliant shade of white with her name written in both English and Gallifreyan in a delicate shade of pink. Rose noticed there was one other door at the end of the hall, and it took only a moment for her to recognize it. It was the Doctor’s bedroom door..

She turned to him, her head tilted slightly, eyebrows raised. “This is new?”

It was a question rather than a statement. Granted, the Doctor’s room had never been all too far from Rose’s, but they were never neighboring at the end of their own hallway. She was interested to see that the TARDIS had managed, once again, to be all too accommodating.

“Ah, yes, it is. Well, sort of. Well...not really,” he said, stammering out the words as he pulled at his ear. She had to smile. He always fidgeted when he was nervous or caught on the spot.

“Not complaining though,” she said quickly, flashing her signature tongue in teeth grin. He grinned back at her, shoulders relaxing just slightly, taking her hand again. “How long has it been like this?”

“Since...well..since  you, you know...since you’ve been gone,” he managed to get out, running a hand through his hair and shuffling his feet. “Anyway, so uh, you want to have a peek then?”

Rose took his cue and nodded, smiling at him. “Yeah, sure. Great. Been so long!” 

She turned and approached her bedroom door, stopping to run her fingers over the raised letters of her name, sucking in a breath as she reached for the doorknob. The door opened with a soft creak, and she pushed her way inside. The lights came up automatically as she entered the room. Looking around, she saw it was practically exactly the same as the way she had left it. Clothes still slung over the arm of a chair, makeup scattered across the vanity top, bed half unmade. Seeing the room just as it was all those years ago almost had an eerie quality to it. It looked as though she had never left, other than the thin layer of dust that seemed to have gathered. It was then that she noticed a large book on the nightstand and a familiar pair of reading glasses. 

Her heart sank. Those couple of items were evidence that the Doctor had spent time alone in this room since she had been gone. He had been in here God knows how many times, careful to leave everything just as she had left it, as if preserving her memory. She hated the idea of him mourning her like that. The Doctor she knew was vibrant, energetic, and full of life. It broke her heart to think of him alone in there, feeling the emptiness that went with losing her. 

She turned sharply and looked at him, tears in her eyes. He smiled, trying to put on a brave front, but she could see beneath his jovial exterior. It only took a moment before she was in his arms again and holding on to him for dear life. He hugged her so tightly her ribs ached, but she didn’t care. She was finally back where she belonged, and that was all that mattered. 

“Well, guess I’ll let you get ready for bed and all,” he said, clearing his throat as they pulled apart. “I’m sure you could use a good kip.”

Rose wanted to protest, but she had expected this. Though she knew he was happy to see her, and that he reciprocated her feelings, he was still the Doctor. It would take him time to adjust to the changes in their relationship, and she had to give him whatever space he needed.

“Sure. Right,” she said, nodding and stepping back from him. “I guess I’ll get ready for bed then.”

He paused and looked at her for a moment, but then nodded and made to step toward the door. “Right. Alright, good. Yes. Ready for bed. I’ll let you get to it!”

“Oh Doctor,” Rose said. “Before you go…”

 The Doctor stopped and turned back around, hands in pockets as he rocked on the balls of his feet.  “Yeah?”

She stepped toward him and kissed him gently. He was quick to return the kiss, pulling her into an embrace.They lingered for a moment and then parted again, the Doctor then making a quick exit. Rose turned around and looked at the room. The memories of being trapped in Pete’s World came rushing back. She remembered what a hurry she had been in that day. 

She and the Doctor had stayed up late watching films, which resulted in a late start to the day.  She had hurried to get ready while the Doctor whinged for her to hurry. They had planned a trip home to visit with Jackie and stock up on some groceries. She had given Jackie the Bazoolium as a gift. The memories of Canary Wharf, the Daleks and Cybermen, of all the lives lost that day made her feel strangely empty. 

After showering and dressing in one of her favourite sets of jim jams, Rose ended up leaving the room quickly. She wandered her way through the TARDIS and ended up in the galley. There she found the Doctor engrossed in a rather large, very old looking text as he dunked Jammy Dodgers in his tea. 

Rose smiled at the sight of him reading so studiously, his glasses halfway down his nose. She always loved those glasses. (His ‘sexy specs’ as she had called them once while a bit tipsy. Copious amounts of red wine had often made her a bit more brave with her flirtations. Boy oh boy did he grin and strut around like a peacock when she pronounced him “sexy”.) She stood in the doorway, leaning against the jam, looking at him.

“Kettle still hot?” she asked gingerly, waiting to see if  he had heard her. (He was very good at not noticing others when they entered a room, especially while he was reading.)

He jumped, startled. “Oh! Um...should be. If not, I can use the sonic to heat it up in a jiff. Jiff... Jiff ,” he said, considering his words. “Nope, don’t like that. Don’t let me say that again. Anyway, tea! Have a seat. I’ll get you a cuppa.”

Rose chuckled, shaking her head as the Doctor scrambled to reheat the kettle with his sonic. She found it absolutely adorable when he fumbled about. Normally, he was rather suave, debonair even, when in the prime of the action.  Especially in this incarnation. Then there were quiet moments like this when the more low-key aspects of his personality took over. He was rather foxy. Moments later, he handed her a freshly brewed cup of tea, complete with milk and two sugars. She immediately took a deep sip. Aside from Jackie, the Doctor was the only person in all of creation that could make her tea just right.

“Mmm, thank you. It’s perfect,” she hummed appreciatively, taking another sip. 

“So, I thought you went to bed. Everything alright?” he asked as he joined her at the table. 

“Yeah, fine. Just...well, it might sound silly, but being in my old room freaked me out a bit,” she admitted, frowning. “Memories of everything that happened… haunting me like old ghosts.” 

The Doctor smiled gently and reached across the table to take her hand. “I’m sorry, Rose. I never wanted the TARDIS to be a place of bad memories for you.”

Rose frowned again, eyebrows knitted together as she shook her head. “Doctor, it’s not. I could never think that about the TARDIS. She’s our home, part of my family.”

The Doctor looked relieved. “I’m glad to hear that. I would hate for you to be uncomfortable or unhappy here.” 

Rose gave his hand a little squeeze and smiled. “I’m right where I belong. The Doctor and Rose Tyler on the TARDIS, just as it should be, remember? Of course we’ve got the other girls along now.

He grinned at her and nodded. “Quite right, too.” They sat  for awhile longer, talking and reminiscing before Rose began to yawn. 

“Looks like you’re ready for some sleep, Rose Tyler. Been a long day, after all,” he said gently, reaching across the table to cup her cheek, gently caressing his thumb over it.

Rose frowned again. “I’m not sure I can go back in thee tonight,” she admitted, shifting in her seat. 

“I’ve got a better idea,” the Doctor said as he stood up.

He held out his hand, wiggling his fingers a bit. She smiled at him, taking his hand as she stood up. The Doctor led them back down the corridor, toward where their bedrooms were located. He turned to Rose before entering the room

“This alright? I thought maybe you could sleep in here tonight, and I’ll stay with you...if you want,” he asked, looking a touch hopeful. 

Rose smiled again, nodding. “I’d love to, thank you. Don't want to be alone, anyway. But only if you’re sure. I don’t want to keep you from anything.”

“Rose Tyler, the only thing you’re keeping me from is having a good cuddle with my favourite person,” he said, smiling coyly as a blush spread over her cheeks.

They entered his room and it was just as she remembered it. It still smelled of old books, tea, and parchment. She saw his various gadgets and tinkering projects spread about the different surfaces in the room, and his long brown coat hanging from a coat rack in the corner. There in the middle was his ridiculously large bed with its ancient, dark wood frame. It had been carved by hand by Neohaleran craftsman on Doptraposy Prime. One of a kind, he said. The familiar dark blue duvet and cream coloured sheets were a welcome sight. 

“Go ahead and climb in. I’ll just be a mo’,” he said, motioning toward the bed. He stopped to pulled his jim jams out of a drawer and then headed into the en suite.

Rose climbed up into the large bed, smoothing the duvet as she sat waiting patiently. Soon the Doctor was next to her in bed, one arm cradled around her as she snuggled up close to him. He pulled a book out of his nightstand drawer. “Thought, we could go for an old favourite,” he said, holding up the book. Clearing his throat, he then began to read Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone aloud. 

Rose had no qualms with this as she was a huge Harry Potter fan, and she loved hearing the Doctor read aloud to her. It wasn’t long before she fell asleep, nestled close to the Doctor. She had expected to wake up alone the next morning, but was pleasantly surprised to find the Doctor fast asleep next to her. During the night he spooned her from behind and had an arm around her waist, pulling her close to him. She woke only long enough to snuggled back against him, and soon was back in the arms of sleep.

Chapter Text

The Doctor woke before Rose, but stayed with her in bed while she slept. He didn’t want to take a single moment with her for granted. As they laid together, he watched her sleeping face, gently caressing small circles on her back. It wasn’t all that long before she stirred. She raised her head, looking at him through one squinting eye, the other squeezed shut. 

“Were you watching me sleep?” she asked, her voice cracking a little. 

He nodded, a bit sheepish. “Couldn’t help it. You look at peace, so beautiful,” he admitted, shrugging his shoulders and then bringing his hand up to stroke her cheek.

She smiled, nuzzling his hand. “Well, I’m finally home. And if you’re going to sweet talk me like that every morning, you might get away with staring at me while I’m snoring and drooling.”

He laughed then. “You didn’t snore. Well, maybe a little. But you didn’t drool...much.” 

She swatted him playfully on the chest. “You best watch it Mister. I haven’t had my first cuppa yet.” 

They got out of bed then, Rose calling first dibs on the shower. After she disappeared into the en suite, he opened his closet to pull out a fresh suit. Looking over his selection of ties, he decided on the navy blue one with little red swirls. Rose had bought him that tie during a shopping trip with her mother. They had stopped over so she could have a visit with Jackie. He wondered if she remembered. It was then that he noticed that his closet had doubled in size, and half the contents did not belong to him. He raised his eyebrows, but then shrugged. Apparently the TARDIS was making decisions for them. 

A short while later, Rose emerged, freshly showered. The Doctor noted that half of the huge closet was filled with her things. She grinned, rushing to it and looking at what the TARDIS had provided for her. The Doctor smiled and shook his head as she gushed over new clothing items. He quietly excused himself to take a quick shower. Once finished, he spent a few extra moments on his hair, making sure it was all sticky uppy in all the right places. Often his preening was lost on others, but he was sure Rose would notice. She always had liked his hair. He knew that much. Smirking at his reflection, he nodded to himself once he was satisfied, and exited the en suite to join Rose again.

They set off hand in hand down the hallway toward the galley, talking happily along the way. Feeling her hand in his again felt so perfect, so right. He couldn’t believe she was really back, and for good this time. And they were together . At last! While he had previously told himself that he accepted her being gone, it was never really true. In his heart of hearts, he had always wished, hoped, even prayed that he would see her again. And now, by some miracle, he was back with her. Well, not a miracle exactly. Well, technically not. But sort of. A wonderful little miracle called the Dimension Hopper. He still needed to check out this amazing bit of tech. 

When they got to the galley, Donna had brewed a full pot of tea and was enjoying a cup with Hikari at the table. Rose joined them, taking the cup that Donna handed her. She immediately took a long sip.

“Oh Donna, you’re the best. This is gorgeous,” Rose said with an appreciative groan. 

“Don’t spend 15 years temping and not learn how to brew a good cuppa,” Donna said with a smirk. Rose laughed. 

The Doctor smiled as Rose joined in on the conversation with Donna and Hikari. Then he stopped suddenly, noticing someone was missing.

“Say, where’s Kema?” he asked, looking around.

Donna looked up. “Oh, she wandered off a while ago. Said something about ‘finding a piece of home’, whatever that means.” 

The Doctor’s brow furrowed at his sister’s cryptic phrasing. How could she find a bit of home on the TARDIS? Well, technically, the TARDIS had served as her home from time to time when he would steal her away for adventures in the old days. But what could she have been referring to? And then he realized, smiling sadly to himself and nodding. 

“It’s alright. I know where I might findher,” he said. He looked to Rose. “I’ll be back in mo’. That alright?”

Rose smiled and nodded. “Of course!”

The Doctor excused himself then, heading down the corridor. He went past the library, and several bedrooms, taking all the various twists and turns until he came to a familiar door. Few had stepped foot through that door. It was a private, sacred sort of place that he rarely shared with others. Kema had been there before, and another had been Rose. He reached for the handle and opened it slowly. 

The deep red grass was flush up to edge of the doorway. Stepping inside, the Doctor took in the shimmering silver leaved trees that glinted under the two suns, and the shadow of a vast snow capped mountain range painted the horizon. They stood like craggy monoliths against the burnt orange sky. The shadow of the twin moons could been seen just beginning to emerge. This garden was what remained of his and Kema’s home planet. The TARDIS  had modeled this garden after one of his favourite secret spots, away from the main center of the city. It was his little home away from home during his early years of traveling, and now it was all they had left. He noticed Kema sitting on a bench with her back to the door.

“Those mountains almost look real, don’t they? Like we could hike right up them and look down upon the Citadel as the suns set,” she said quietly. “I can’t believe it’s all gone now.”

The Doctor approached the bench and stood there, looking down at her. “Mind if I sit?”

Kema just nodded, not looking at him. She looked very, very sad, and he couldn’t help but feel guilty. Her home was gone because of him. He had made the choice to end the Time War, wiping out all of their people and their home planet along with it. 

“Kema, I’m sorry. So, so sorry. It’s my fault that it’s gone,” he said, his voice cracking. Kema looked at him then, her brow furrowed.

“Theta, I don’t blame you,” she said, shaking her head. “Yes, I know. You’re the one that made the choice, but someone had to make it. It had to be ended, and the Daleks had to be stopped. I just...I just miss it sometimes, you know? The feel of the warm breeze while laying in a field of grass, watching the suns dip down on the horizon as the moons rise higher. It’s nostalgia, I guess. Honestly, I’d feel the same way about the Earth if it were gone.

He relaxed a little, then nodding to the view ahead of them. “Really does look real. The TARDIS does a pretty good simulation.”

Kema smiled and looked back to the horizon. They fell into a companionable silence for a while, admiring the view of their home world. It was Kema who spoke again first.

“So I stopped by the med bay before I came here,” she said, looking at him.

“Oh? What for?” he asked, cocking his head to one side.

“I was just curious about the readouts on the scans you insisted on yesterday,” Kema replied, frowning a little.

“Find anything interesting?” he asked casually, wondering if she had noticed what he had. 

She looked at him again, her expression serious. “Yeah, Rose’s info. I assume that you caught that the TARDIS species classification system identified her as “Uncategorized humanoid” ? Bit odd,” she said.  So she had noticed.

“Yu-p. Odd indeed,” he said grimacing a little. “Not quite sure what that means.”

“More tests are in order, I’d say,” Kema replied, crossing her arms over her chest. “Something tells me our favourite human isn’t quite so human anymore.”

The Doctor nodded. “Now to get her to agree to those tests without alarming her.” 

Rose never liked tests or doctors and they both knew that, She had always waved the Doctor off when he wanted to check her over in the medbay after every adventure. He always worried that she’d pick up some excess radiation or be holding too much artron energy in her system. Though usually she would relent and let him check for peace of mind. She trusted him, after all. This wasn’t going to be an easy task, but they had to manage it somehow. Rose’s health and safety were top priority to him.

“Yeah well, I think convincing her is going to be your job, Romeo,” Kema said with a teasing grin. “Finally after all those years and all those companions, you fell for one them.”

“Oh now, don’t you start,” he said, shaking his head and waving his hands about.

“Ah, I’m just taking the piss, mate. But seriously, I think you might be the only one that can convince her,” Kema said, her expression sobering. “But maybe just try being up front. She’s tough. She can take it.”

The Doctor nodded. “You’re right. She hates tricks and games. I’ll just be upfront with her.”

“Alright then, that’s settled,” Kema said. “And seriously, I’m really happy for you and Rose. Seeing her without you was heartbreaking. Of course, didn’t know it was you until much later, but you get my meaning.” 

The Doctor smiled gently. “Thanks Kema. I’m so, so glad she’s back. Rose is very special to me.”

Kema smiled and nodded. “I can see that. I’m glad you found someone. Speaking of someones, we should get back to the group. They’re going to wonder where we got off to.”

The two siblings made their way back to the galley to join the others. The Doctor decided to make pancakes for everyone, knowing that his banana pancakes were ones of Rose’s favourites. They all talked, joked, and laughed. It was a very pleasant time, and the Doctor found it refreshing. Normally domestics weren’t his thing, but this felt a bit different. 

Having Rose back made him feel whole again. He had tried to move on, always running to the next place, but it just dulled things for a little while. Somewhere, in his heart of hearts, he always hoped he would see her again. Yet, here she was. His amazing, impossible, precious pink and yellow human. 

He flashed Rose several smiles as he worked his magic at the stove, and she beamed back at him. It was the best he had felt in a very long time. The whole group enjoyed the Doctor’s specialty pancakes and the meal was raving success. They must have been holed up in the kitchen for nearly three hours before anyone got up from the table. It was nice having a group to interact with again. Many years had passed since he had a whole group aboard the TARDIS. He knew the ship was loving it, too. She had two of her favourite people aboard again. Regardless of the domestic nature of it all, the Doctor was happy.

The only thing that concerned him were Rose’s test results. Now he would have to pluck up the courage to be straightforward and tell her what was going on. He wanted to see to those tests as soon as possible. His head was swimming with the countless possibilities of what it all could mean. Ultimately, he just wanted her to be okay. He had just gotten her back, and was in no way prepared to ever let her go again. Soon, they would know the truth and he would do whatever was necessary to help Rose.

Chapter Text

Rose panted for breath, her heart pounding in her chest as she peeked around the corner of the cave wall. She just had to get the third key in the lock and she would be able to rescue the Doctor. The four women had already opened the first door together, and then split up.The others had managed to get their keys in place, but Rose had run into some very unpleasant guards. She had spent the better part of twenty minutes ducking in and out of caverns trying to lose them. Finally, she had reached the cavern she had been looking for all along. The map Kema had given her had been lost when she had to cross over that incredibly deep ravine. She looked up, surveying the walls of the cave. They were jutty and full of crags, so she knew she shouldn’t have too hard a time finding places to get her feet into. It was going to be a challenging climb, but she knew she could do it. And at least she would have some help. 

Taking off the grappling hook that was slung over her shoulder, she letting the rope drop to the ground.  She looped the cord into her hand, twisting it slightly and then holding it in place. After making several loops, she held it tightly in her fingers. She then took the rope at the end of the hook into her hand. After stepping on the end of the rope, she began to whip the hook around in circles, putting her shoulder into it. When she had a good enough momentum going, she released the hook and sent it flying into the air. It landed near a small ledge high up the wall. It successfully gripped the edge and stayed put when she gave it a strong tug. She braced a foot against the wall and pulled herself upward as she began to climb the wall. 

Rose timed her movements so that she was never carrying her own dead weight. Thankfully those years of Torchwood training had provided her with plenty of strong muscles and increased physical stamina. It wasn’t long before she had scaled half the wall, but then found her foot stuck in a narrow crevice. She wrenched her ankle in order to pry her boot loose, cursing under her breath as a stabbing pain shot up her leg. Despite the wave of pain, she continued on until she reached the landing at the top. Rose oofed softly as she pulled herself up onto the landing. There at the top was exactly what she was looking for.  She grinned and pumped her fist at the sight of the fifth and final door. Rushing to it, she pulled out the triple headed key and promptly stuck it into the lock. With some effort she was able to turn it, disengaging the lock. 

Throwing the heavy door open with all her might, Rose stormed into the high security cellblock. There were rows upon rows of cells, but all of them were empty. Where was he? The security footage showed him in this area. (Not that she had long to look. The small explosion she had caused only provided a few minutes diversion.)  Grumbling to herself, she turned around and headed back for the door. All the time they had spent opening those bloody doors! Who hid prisoners in a super secret mountainside prison, anyway? Apparently this lot did. 

Ever since they had landed here this morning, things had been going all pear shaped. At first, the inhabitants welcomed them with open arms. They were treated with kindness and even a bit of reverence. That was until The Doctor wielded the sonic to re-light their sacred flame, and they deemed him a sorcerer. Magic was not held in a positive regard on this planet, so he was seen as an immediate threat. Several hulking Androgonians had tackled him and wrestled him to the ground. Rose and the others made a plea to the council of elders to have him released, promising they would leave immediately. (Well, Donna more or less demanded they release him.) After a great deal of discussion and pleas of desperation, they finally convinced the elders to let them run their gauntlet trial.  If they succeeded in opening the five hidden doors, they would find the Doctor.

They provided them with one tool each, and let them choose from an assortment. Donna chose a bright lamp, Kema a map, Hikari a compass, and Rose chose the grappling hook. The catch was that they would be hunted, and if they were caught by the guards, they too would be imprisoned indefinitely. Were they to succeed, the lot of them would be allowed to make a run for the TARDIS. Mind you, they were still going to be hunted as they made a run through the jungle. But they would worry about that when the time came. Right now, she needed to find the Doctor. Something was telling her that the Androgonians weren’t  going to play fair. 

Rose stood looking around the cellblock. Something seemed funny. Why was this entire block empty? From what the council had said, releasing prisoners was almost unheard of. They had seemed like fair people, even if a bit primitive in their beliefs systems. But things were not always as they seemed. She had definitely learned that from both her life with the Doctor and working for Torchwood. 

“Think Tyler, think! What am I not seeing?” Rose coached herself, looking around again. She was scanning for any detail that she might have missed. What was escaping her attention? Had the images of the Doctor in a cell been a ruse? Had something altered her perception of things? And then it hit her. Perception filter. “That’s it!”

She whirled around frantically, looking for some insignificant little detail that looked slightly out of place. Then it came into her line of vision- a tiny light that was lit up in front itty bitty panel. Rose rushed to the panel and pulled a small knife out of her pocket. Wedging the tip of the knife at the edge of the raised surface, Rose pried off the front of the panel. Inside was a circuit board and a mess of  wires. She stared at it for a moment, uncertain as to which wire to cut. Green..green wires were usually for disengaging locks. Or was it blue? No...no, definitely green. Using the blade of the knife, she cut the offending wire and suddenly the lighting in the room completely changed. There were people in the cells, but they were imprisoned behind what looked like thick sheets of glass. She turned around and was met with the sight of the Doctor grinning brilliantly. He waved at her from behind the clear wall and pointed to a small keypad on the border of the door. 

Rose approached and leaned in to get a closer look at the keypad. There were tiny buttons with strange symbols on them. She frowned a little, wondering why the TARDIS translation circuit wasn’t working. It had worked fine on auto-translating the spoken language and bits of writing Rose had seen during her time here. The Doctor was gesturing wildly, trying to convey a message to Rose. She frowned, unable to decipher what he was trying to say. He was pointing to the keypad and started using BSL. It was a good thing she had taken that sign language course for extra credit! 

She held up her hands, motioning for him to slow down. He smiled sheepishly and mouthed a “sorry”. Then he began to spell again, but slower this time. She followed his movements, piecing together the words. It a couple of minutes, but the Doctor got out what he was trying to say and stopped signing.

“Pictures...Okay? Directions.  What in the bloody hell does that mean?” she mumbled. She sighed audibly, arms crossed over her chest. Leaning in close again, she peered at the keypad. There were sixteen total buttons, but there was no rhyme or reason to them. Suddenly she noticed that four of them had arrows on them. 

“Ohhh, directions! North, East, South, West,” she murmured. And then she noticed that four of the buttons looked like a flower, a sun, a leaf, and a snowflake. “Seasons!” She looked up at the Doctor again and saw he was holding the little display screen of the sonic up to the glass. “West, Winter, Up, Apple.” She saw that there were buttons corresponding for each and pressed them in that order. There was a loud whirring noise and the glass began to move. It lifted slowly, revealing the Doctor behind it. 

“Ah Rose Tyler, you’re brilliant! You figured it all out!” he cried, beaming at her as he pulled her into an embrace.

“I thought you didn’t have the sonic,” she said with a laugh as she hugged him back. “Why didn’t you just let yourself out?”

“Ah, wellll, I may have shorted it out. Well, not completely. The display still works, as you saw,” he said, pulling back a little to look at her face. He stared down at her for a moment and caressed his thumb over the apple of her cheek. 

She smiled as she nuzzled his hand. “I’m glad you’re okay,” she said softly, her eyes shining with unshed tears. Then she laughed.  “This is lark, innit? Me saving you. Of course the ladies deserve their fair share of the credit.” She flashed him that classic Rose Tyler tongue touched grin, and he shook his head at her. 

“I think it’s fair to say that you’re a hero today, Rose Tyler,” he said with a chuckle, tucking a stray lock behind her ear. “But I think right now-” He was interrupted mid sentence by the sound of blaring alarms. They both looked toward the door and then back at each other.

“Donna!” they said in unison. Just then he offered her a hand, grinning at her. 

“Should be easy to get out of here. We’re pretty good at running.” She grinned at him and winked. 

“I don’t know, Rose,” he whispered back, his brows knitted together. “I have a bad feeling about this.”

“Since when are you the timid sort?” Rose chided, smirking at him. “S’ gonna be okay, Doctor. We just need to find Donna and the others and get out of here.” She smiled and squeezed his hand. 

“You’re right. I’m worrying,” he said quietly, nodding.Then his countenance changed as he flashed her a bright grin.  “Allons-y Rose Tyler!” Their hands clasped together and made their way out of the cellblock and to the outer door. The Doctor looked down at the drop, eyebrows raised. “Just how did you get up here?”

Rose grinned. “Had to use a grappling hook to climb  the wall. Good thing I’m in pretty good shape.” She laughed then and nudged the Doctor playfully. He grinned back at her and then nodded.

“Okay, why don't I go down first? That way if you run into any trouble, I’ll be right there,” he said, motioning to the rope.

“Alright, that’s fine. Go on then,” Rose said with a nod. 

The Doctor proceeded to easily rappel down the steep wall until he reached the ground safely. He looked up at Rose, grinning like an idiot. He had a bit of fun with that. Now he was waiting down below and motioned for her to start down. Rose eased herself down and began to propel down the side of the wall. Suddenly there was a raucous down below and she could hear the Doctor shouting. 

“Prisoner escaping! Prisoner escaping!” a guard cried. 

She could hear the woosh of arrows being shot in her direction. Three landed near her, the sharp steel tips wedged into the tight crevices of the rock face. She was trying to descend as quickly as possible when something struck her in the back. Red-hot searing pain shot through her lower half, reaching every nerve ending in her body, radiating from her back. 

“Rose! No!” she heard the Doctor scream.

Rose was only slightly aware of the spreading warmth of blood seeping into her clothes as her head began to spin. Unable to remain fully conscious any longer, her arms gave out and the rope slipped from her fingertips. And then suddenly, the whole world went black. 

Chapter Text

He watched as her body plummeted at breakneck speed. She hit the floor with a sickening thud, her body in a crumpled heap. He could tell from the sound that several bones were broken, and likely a punctured lung.  His hearts were pounding in his ears as instinct kicked in. He twisted his body against the hold of the guards.

“Rose!” the Doctor cried as he struggled against the guards holding him. “Let go of me, goddammit!” 

The Doctor wrenched himself free from their grasp, throwing himself down beside Rose. He scooped her up, gently leaning her forward to assess the damage. Frantically he pulled at the fabric of her shirt, tearing the cloth in order to expose the wound. The arrowhead had penetrated deep into her back and blood was pooled around the puncture wound. 

“Prisoner, you will stand down!” cried a guard. The Doctor raised his eyes for just a moment and looked toward the guards. They gasped audibly at the sight of his face. 

“YOU will stand down!” he growled, his lip curled over his bared teeth. The guards lowered their weapons, stepping back away from him. He quickly returned his eyes to Rose. 

“It’s alright, Rose,” he whispered softly, pulling his sonic from his pocket. “This is going to smart a bit, but I promise to make it all better.” 

“Doctor! We finally bloody found you two!” cried a familiar voice. “Oi, you two, they’re in here!”  The Doctor glanced up and saw the horrified look on Donna’s face. “Oh God! What’s happened to Rose?!”

“The guards, they shot her,” he muttered, leaning Rose’s body against his and then pulling a towel from the depths of his pockets.  “Now Donna, I’m going to need your help. Rose is depending on us.”

Just then Kema and Hikari appeared, Kema gasping for breath. She bent over a bit, head lowered. Hikari was the first to notice.

“Rose! What’s wrong with Rose??” Hikari cried, her voice cracking. Kema’s head shot up, eyes searching for her friend. When they fell on Rose’s unconscious body in the Doctor’s arms she gasped.

“Oh my goddess, what happened!?” Kema screamed, stumbling over and falling to her knees. She looked absolutely mortified. Her best friend was severely wounded.

Donna scowled. “ This bloody lot happened! Them with their flying arrows! Doctor, we’re here. Just tell me what to do.”

“I want you to hold on to Rose, keep her steady for me. I’m going to pull the arrow out. Hikari, maybe you can help Donna keep Rose still. When I get it free, I want you to take this towel and apply as much pressure as  you can to the wound. I’m going to stop the bleeding. Can you do that for me?” he said carefully, looking at Donna. 

“Yes, got it. Lots of pressure,” Donna confirmed, her eyes glued on Rose. 

The Doctor looked at Kema. “My sonic, it’s got a short. There’s a set of mini tools in my jacket pocket. Could you give it a quick fix so I can cauterize the wound?”

Kema promptly reached into his pocket, pulling out the sonic and then rummaged until she located the tool set. She set to work in complete silence, her eyes fixed on the tiny circuitry of the sonic screwdriver. The crowd of Androgonians watched in equal silence, seeming both intrigued and petrified by what they were seeing.

Donna took hold of Rose, bracing her friend’s body against her own. The Doctor took a hold of the arrow and began to pull it out slowly. Rose let out a muffled groan as it came free and copious amounts of blood with it. Donna immediately added pressure to the wound as Hikari continued to hold her steady. Kema was quickly done with her repairs and returned the sonic to the Doctor. He promptly put it to the appropriate setting, and the sonic heated up. The head allowed him to close the wound successfully. Soon the bleeding had ceased and the Doctor was cradling Rose in his arms.

“We’ve got to get her back to the TARDIS. I don’t know if that arrow punctured any of her vital organs,” the Doctor said quickly, kneeling next to Rose and taking her into his arms. He heaved her upward and with one swift movement was on his feet. “We’ve got to act quickly. I don’t know how much blood she’s lost.”

“You’re not going anywhere! You are still a prisoner in this facility!” said one of the guards. The Doctor was about to turn and tell him off, but Donna beat him to it.

“You listen here, dumbo! You’re going to get out of our way right bloody now!” she bellowed, her voice permeated the cavernous room. “The object of this stupid game of yours was for us to find the Doctor, and we already did that! So GAME OVER! Now MOVE it!”

“You won’t be leaving,” said a voice. Just then the prison warden appeared with two members of the Elders Council. They saw the Doctor holding Rose and Donna red faced and angry. The warden was smirking confidently as the two elders looked upon them. “The condition was that if you were all caught  by the guards, then you would all become prisoners!”

“Rubbish! You said caught , not bloody SHOT! That’s not playing fair!” Donna shouted, throwing up her hands in exasperation. Both Hikari and Kema stood by Donna, the three women squaring their shoulders defiantly.

“You listen to me,” the Doctor said through clenched teeth. “We are leaving NOW. And if anything, ANYTHING happens to Rose, you will have ME to answer to! Now MOVE IT!” With that he held up his sonic, pointing at the Androgonians. They all gasped, practically diving out of the path of what they believed to be a magic wand. 

“Seize him!” one of the elders yelled, frantically motioning toward the Doctor. Half the guards made to step toward him and the other half hesitated, still afraid. One guard grabbed a torch from the wall and rushed at him with it, swinging it wildly. The Doctor dodged him artfully, still holding Rose tight to him. 

The Doctor looked down at her face, noticing that she had gone very pale. His hearts pounded in his chest as he quickly scanned the room, looking for an escape. Before he could properly locate an exit route, Rose’s body began to shake. Dizzy with panic, he held her tighter.

“It’s alright, Rose. You’re going to be alright. Just stay with me,” he said with soothing tones, kissing her forehead. Before he could say anything else, her body began to emit a soft golden light. Confused, he lost his grip on her slightly, and was forced to ease her to the ground. Moving to quickly pick her back up again, he saw the wound on her back surrounded by the light. Right before his eyes, the wound began to heal, her skin stitching itself back together. After a mere few moments all evidence of the injury was gone, leaving her perfectly smooth skin unmarred. The Rose’s eyes jolted open, now aglow with the same light.  He recognized this light. But...it couldn’t be...

She sat upright, leaving the Doctor utterly stunned. Slowly getting to her feet, she turned to the Androgonians. “Stand aside or your reckoning shall come to pass,” boomed a familiarly ethereal voice. 

“Rose, it’s alright. We’ll just go,” the Doctor said, stepping toward her and resting his hand on her arm. She turned her gaze on him, raising her hand to cup his cheek.

“My Doctor, I want you safe,” she said softly, the warmth of her aura radiating through her touch. He looked at her with utter amazement. 

“Wh-what are you?!” cried one of the elders. They all looked positively horror stricken now. Rose turned to them again, her face set like stone.

“I am the Bad Wolf. I create myself,” she droned, raising her hand as she spoke. “And if you threaten them again, I will destroy you.”

“Go! Begone foul demons! Take your dark dealings away from our world!” cried the second elder. The Androgonians had shrunk back in fear, amazed by the power Rose exhibited. 

“I think that’s our cue,” Donna muttered, looking at the Doctor. Both Kema and Hikari were nodding in agreement, clearly stunned.

“Ah, yep. Time to go,” the Doctor said quickly, casting a sidelong glance at his ginger friend. “Uh, Rose? Love, let’s just go.” He laced his fingers with her and gave her hand a gentle squeeze. She looked at him again and suddenly her eyes rolled back into her head and she fell into a crumpled heap on the floor.

“Rose!” the Doctor cried, quickly pulling her up again. He stroked her cheek, his brows knitted together. “We need to get her to the TARDIS.” The Doctor scooped her up bridal style and held her close to him. He jerked his head toward the exit and Donna nodded. They made their wavy out of the caverns and headed to exit the mountainside prison. 

It wasn’t long before they made it back to the gardens where the TARDIS was resting. Once inside, the Doctor rushed Rose to the medbay with Donna and the others in tow. He gently eased her onto one of the exam tables and Kema stood on the opposite side, taking Rose’s hand in her own. They looked at each other, and the Doctor could see the worry etched in his sister’s face. He worked quickly, running several diagnostic scans on Rose. He looked and then looked again, but found no signs of damage.

“Doctor, is Rose gonna be okay?” Donna asked, glancing at her unconscious friend,  absently stroking the back of her hand. 

“Don’t worry, Donna. I’ll take care of her. I promise,” he said, smiling a little in an effort to reassure his companion. 

“What was that? What did Rose mean she’s ‘the bad wolf’?” Donna asked, looking a bit lost. 

“Yeah, what was that all about?” Kema asked, looking equally confused. Hikari looked at the Doctor as well, her eyes wide.

“Well, about seven odd years go, while I was in my previous body, I sent Rose away in the TARDIS because we were under the threat of the Daleks,” the Doctor began, reaching to stroke Rose’s cheek. “But Rose refused to accept that. She looked into the heart of the TARDIS and took the time vortex into herself. It temporarily gave her god-like powers. She returned to the space station we were on and saved me, saved us all from the Daleks. But the time vortex was burning up her insides, slowly killing her. So I took the vortex out of her, and it caused me to regenerate into the man I am now.”

“Took the- she...what? She could have died! And you went and got yourself killed to save her! You’re both bloody bonkers!” Donna said, completely baffled. “But I will say, it’s beautiful. Never seen a love like that before!”

Kema was quiet, frowning thoughtfully. Hikari nudged her a little. “You okay, Kem?”

The younger Time Lord shook her head. “Oh, yeah. I’m fine. Just a bit worn out I guess. Worried about Rose, too.”

Hikari nodded. “Me too. Doctor, what’s going to happen to her?”

“Oh, she’ll be alright I think. She just needs some rest is all,” he said, letting out a sigh. 

“She really took in the time vortex?” Kema asked, her eyes studying Rose’s face. 

“Yu-p,” the Doctor said, nodding. 

Kema grinned then. “Wicked. Rose sure knows how to party. You’re a lucky S.O.B., you know.”

He would never deny that. The Doctor just smiled gently, brushing the fringe off Rose’s forehead. It really was no secret how he felt about this woman. This amazing, impossible, ridiculously brilliant woman. She had crossed the void, traveled through parallel worlds just to find him again. And he was so, so glad she had. Though now, he wasn’t quite sure what was happening with her. He had been certain that he had completely removed the vortex from within her, but obviously that couldn’t be the case. 

A short while later, after he had run several more tests, Donna helped the Doctor get Rose settled into one of the medbay cots. He wanted to keep her under observation until she regained consciousness. Fearing dehydration from her cellular regeneration, he hooked her up to an IV fluid drip and a digital monitor to track her vitals. He knew from experience how tired regeneration could make a person.  The three women excused themselves to turn in for the night and the Doctor opted to wait by Rose’s bedside. 

She hadn’t stirred for hours, and he had no idea how long it would take her to wake up. He fretted endlessly over her. He adjusted the lighting so that it wouldn’t be too bright when she woke up, and put an extra blanket over her so that she wouldn’t get cold. After several hours of pacing and running over all the plausible outcomes in his head for the umpteenth time, Rose made a sound. Jumping to his feet, he looked her over frantically. 

“Rose?” he said tentatively, taking her hand. She groaned again, but louder this time.  Her eyes fluttered open slowly as she began to shift in the bed. Squinting at him despite the low level of light, she blinked several times. 

“Doctor? W’as goin’ on?” she asked, trying to sit up. “Whoa, not good.” She wavered in her seat, eye crossing just slightly. “Ugh, Doctor. Why did you let me drink so much? M’head is killin’ me!”

The Doctor looked at her, brows knitted together. “Rose? What are you talking about?” Had she suffered some sort of memory loss? Did the fall do irreparable damage to her brain? The scans hadn’t shown evidence of anything of the sort, but he was still worried.

Rose blinked again several times, looking around the room. “Hold on. We’re in the medbay. Why are we in the medbay?” She returned her gaze to him, utterly confused. Then suddenly her mouth formed a small O and her eyes went wide as the realization hit her. “I got shot. By the arrow in the Androgonian prison.”

“Yes, you did,” the Doctor said quietly, his thumb rubbing small circles on the back of her hand. He looked at her and wondered if she’d remember anything else.

“And...and I...she came...Bad Wolf,” Rose said softly, her voice but a whisper. She looked at the Doctor. “She saved me.” 

The Doctor smiled a little and nodded. “She did. Well, you did. Since you’re Bad Wolf. Well, you both did.” She didn’t return his smile. Rather she looked concerned, maybe even frightened. “Rose? Are you alright?” 

“I knew something wasnt right...that I was...different somehow,” Rose muttered, her brow now furrowed.

This has happened before?” the Doctor asked, watching her. “Since the first time?”

“No, not really. Well, a bit. It’s blurry,” she said, shaking her head. “But that’s not what I meant.”

“Were you afraid to tell me?” the Doctor asked, his tone serious. 

She looked at him them, staring hard, her mouth set in a pout.  “Well, I was going to tell you, eventually. I just...I didn’t know how to tell you..” 

The Doctor frowned, tilting his head to one side. “Rose, stop being vague. What is it?”

Rose inhaled deeply and sat there for a moment, closing her eyes as she slowly exhaled. When she opened them again, she looked at the Doctor. “Thing is, I was worried you’d be mad an’ all. A few years back, some British troops encountered some activity in Georgia. UNIT and Torchwood are sister operations in the other universe. Because I was a specialist,  I was sent as part of a small team to run negotiations with the aliens. The part of the country we were in was war-ridden, and I ended up in the middle of a battlefield. Was working on locating the signal from the alien transmission. when we got stuck in the middle of rapid gunfire. Got separated from my team, and I took cover in this broken down hovel where a family with small children were hiding.  Turned out, they were the aliens I was looking for in the first place. I did my best to keep them safe while I was there. How could I not? They needed help!” she said, looking a bit sad. “They had come to Earth as refugees, after losing their two oldest children to the war, and were afraid of losing their younger two. Doctor, they were so small and helpless. Reminded me of my little brother, Tony. Their ship had crashed in a rural area in the Ca u casus Mountains , and that was how they ended up in Georgia. Anyway, a bomb dropped near the house, and the ceiling came down full force. I threw myself on one of the kids to cover him, and the main beam of the house came down on my back, effectively crushing me. I tried to squirm out, but could barely move. My back was broken. Busted in a million pieces, it felt like. The pain was so bad...Doctor it was horrible! I started to cough up blood and before I knew I was growing dizzier by the moment. I knew I was going to die. But then this funny thing happened. My whole body started glowing and I got these warm fuzzy sort of feeling, ya know? Anyway, Bad Wolf emerged and healed me right up. Then she used her power to get the family to safety and out of harm’s way. Next I knew, I woke up in my bed back at the Tyler Estate.”

The Doctor was quiet for a long while as he listened to Rose talk. What she was telling him didn’t make any sense. If she still possessed any essence of Bad Wolf, why wasn’t her mind burning up? How was she even still alive? So many questions raced through his mind as he tried to make heads or tails of things. It was impossible. But then again, this was Rose they were talking about. Was it possible that while still in her body, the Bad Wolf altered Rose’s DNA?  He got up and crossed the room to a bank of cabinets, opening each of them in search of a particular device. Rose called after him, but he didn’t answer. He rooted feverishly through the cupboards until he finally found what he was looking for. He pulled the device out and returned to Rose. 

“Doctor, what’s going on? You’re scaring me,” she said, her voice shaking. He caught a glimpse of himself sidelong in a nearby mirror and realized how grave he looked. HIs expression softened and he reached for Rose’s hand.

“Rose, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to frighten you. I think what’s happening is that Bad Wolf altered your DNA. Your body seems to have the ability to regenerate cells and mend you if you’re ill or injured. This is a DNA classification scanner,” he said, holding up the device. “It will give me a better idea of what’s going on with your biological structure.” 

Rose nodded, biting her lip. “Okay. I trust you. Scan away,” she said with a little smile on her lips. She comically spread her arms wide and threw her head back for effect. The Doctor laughed and proceeded to run a quick scan on her. 

“Alright, there we go. Should be about fifteen minutes and we’ll have a complete diagnostic report on your DNA structure,” he said with a grin, and giving her hand a squeeze. “Budge up, I’ll join you.” He nodded to the bed and Rose scooted over a bit. The Doctor hoisted himself up and sat close to Rose. He was very aware of their legs touching and felt her warmth as she leaned against him. He put an arm around her and pulled her in a bit tighter. They talked a bit, waiting for the scan results. Soon the scanner let off a high pitch tone, signaling that it had complete its computations.

The Doctor slid down off the bed and crossed to the table where he had set the scanner. He hooked it into the TARDIS main computer and brought up the results of Rose’s scan on the screen. Peering at it closely, he tried to make sense of what he was seeing. “Triple helix DNA strand...complex hybrid bio-unit..unclassified humanoid… Planets of origin Earth and….Gallifrey,” he murmured aloud. The last word had him frozen in place. How was  this even possible? 

“Doctor? What is it?” Rose asked urgently, sliding down off the bed and then crossing the room to join him. “What does the report say?” She leaned in closer and gazed at the screen. “What’s ‘complex hybrid bio-unit’ ?” She looked to him for answers and he just stared at her for a moment.

“Oh, um..well it’s a bit complicated, but you’re sort of...mixed. Well, not mixed, more like fused. Weellll, mixed and fused,” he rambled nervously. He was still looking at the readout, and he spotted another interesting detail. It was an estimation of her life expectancy. It read Indefinite . Did that mean…? Before he could say anything, Rose’s eyes fell on the same line of data. 

“Indefinite?” she said in a whisper. “Does...does that mean I’ll live as long as you?”

The Doctor raised his eyes slowly to meet her gaze. “Could be,” he said, swallowing thickly. “ It seems..that your DNA is a combination of bio-imprinting from the TARDIS molecular structure and sort of super human genotypes. That’s why your cells can regenerate and you can harness the power of Bad Wolf.”

She was quiet for a moment and then a grin spread across her lips. “So...that means...now you can spend the rest of your life with me...if you want.” She batted her eyelashes coyly and he chuckled.

“Yes, Rose Tyler. It means exactly that,” he said, reaching up to cup and caress her cheek. “And I do want. Very much.” 

She nuzzles his hand and kissed his palm, then looking back to him. Her eyes were shining with tears to be shed. “Forever,” she said in a whisper, a tear now trailing down her cheek. His hearts clenched at her choice of words. 

Could it be, after all this time, that the universe was going to be kind to him? Was it really to be that he would get to spend his forever with the love of his lives? And there it was, in black and white, she was going to live as long as he. They really would be together.

He nodded, his own eyes feeling a bit misty. “Forever,” he agreed, smiling gently. “Rose, there’s something I need to say. I didn’t get to finish telling you something years ago.”

She sucked in her breath, her eyes boring into him. “Yeah? You never did tell me how that sentence was going to end.” She grinned nervously at him, biting her lower lip. 

The Doctor smiled. “Rose Tyler,” he said while still cupping her cheek. He brought his other hand to her hip and pulled her closer to him. He leaned in close, his lips brushing the outer edge of her ear. “I love you.” His voice was but a whisper. She pulled back and looked at him, smiling through her tears.

“I love you, my Doctor,” she said softly. 

Before she could say another word, he bent his head down and captured her lips with his own. His kiss was soft, yet urgent as he attempted to express what he had been holding inside for so long. For years he had pined for her, felt a gaping hole in his hearts when she was gone. The fact that he got her back was a miracle in and of itself, but now they would get to spend their forever together. 

“Well, good to see you’re up and about,” came a voice from behind them. They pulled apart and whipped around to see Donna standing hands on hips, staring them down. She was smirking and shaking her head. “Don’t mind us here. Just little ol’ specks of nothing over here.” 

Kema stepped out from behind Donna, smiling. “So, you just had to go and one up me, didn’t you Tyler? Couldn’t let ol’ Kema be a Time Lord. Nope. You had to go and take the bloody time vortex into your head and become some badass goddess to defeat the Daleks and save my brother.”

“Well, I can’t let you think you’re top dog, Kem. You Time Lords, you lot need to be knocked down a peg or two now and then,” Rose laughed and winked at her best mate. Rose turned to her ginger friend. “Sorry, Donna. Got a bit carried away I guess.” 

Donna waved off with a laugh and crossed the room toward them, her arms open. “Oh forget it, about time you two got up to something. Now give us a squinch!” Rose moved to hug Donna, patting her friend’s back. 

“You gave us an awful fright Rose!” Hikari exclaimed, circling her arms around her friend.  As they pulled apart, Hikari was grinning. “Or should I just called you ‘Wolf’?” 

Rose grimaced a little and laughed. “No, that’s okay. I guess I am the Bad Wolf, but only when it serves as necessary. I think. Or...well, honestly, I have no idea how it all works.” She looked to the Doctor. “Will I be able to control it?”

“Yeah, Doctor. Is Rose going to be okay?” Donna asked, looking rather worried. 

The Doctor smiled and nodded. “Yu-p! She’ll be just fine. Probably get a bit long in the tooth eventually, but well  you know, she’ll be more than okay. And yes, you should be able to control it, Rose. You’ll need a bit of training, but we’ll take care of that.”

Donna beamed and slung her arms around them both. “Right. That’s fantastic! Or as you say, molto bene!”

Rose and the Doctor laughed. “Molto bene!” they exclaimed together. Hikari and Kema looked at each other and shrugged. This only invited more laughter, all of them joining in now.

“Now I say it’s time for a nice meal and a bit of scenery. Why don’t we visit that moon of Jupiter, Calisto? The restaurant, in the 45th century? That was a blast!” Donna suggested, grinning at them.

“Ooo yeah, that sounds great! I could use a night out. Maybe a little dancing,” Rose said excitedly, looking at the Doctor.

“Yeah, dinner sounds nice. I could use a cocktail or three,” Kema said with a grin.

“Ooo the 45th century?? That sounds AMAZING! And on Jupiter’s moon!” Hikari exclaimed, eyes shining with wonder. 

The Doctor laughed, knowing he was outnumbered. “A night out does sound nice. Why don’t you ladies go and put on your best, and get ready to paint Calisto red!” 

With that, all four women rushed off to the wardrobe room to find proper attire for the evening, and the Doctor headed to the console room. As he walked he thought about all that had just transpired. He ran his hand along the rough coral surface of the walls as he passed them. Once in the console room, he admired the coral struts of his ship. She really was a marvel. And it was partially thanks to her that Rose would now be with him forever. He ran a hand affectionately over the edge of the console and looked up at the time rotor.

“Thank you,” he whispered, his voice catching a little. The ship sent a telepathic brush against his mind and emitted a warm hum in response. 

The Doctor pulled the monitor toward him and proceeded to set the coordinates for Calisto in the 45th century. Tonight they would wine and dine and dance to their hearts’ content.And then they would be on to their next adventure. 

Chapter Text

A week or more passed and the lot of them had managed to find some semblance of normalcy. Rose now shared a room with the Doctor, and it was proving to be an interesting experience. Sometimes it seemed that he forgot she was there and would let out a little yelp of surprise when she suddenly spoke. If it were anyone else, she might be a bit offended, but with the Doctor it was just amusing. Then there was the flipside of things when she would wake up and find him staring at her as she slept. She woke up one morning and was startled by him staring down at her.

“Doctoorrrrr, what did I say about staring at me when I’m asleep?” she groused, pulling the duvet up over her head.

He chuckled. “Sorry..it's just… I’m still getting used to your being here. I keep thinking I’ve entered some ridiculously potent dream state that my mind refuses to wake up from.”

She lowered the duvet and looked at him. “I’m still getting used to it, too,” she admitted, smiling at him. She reached up cupped his cheek. The Doctor smiled, leaning to kiss her gently. She smiled against his kiss, running her fingers through his hair. He shivered ever so slightly. She liked having that effect on him. “So what are we in for today?”

“Are you getting up? It’s what still what you would call early, even though there really is no sense of time on the TARDIS. But you humans need your systems of organization to understand things beyond your immediate grasp,” he said, looking at her.

“Are you calling me simple? Rude as ever,” she chided, nudging him a little. “But to answer your question, yes. I’m up now, and I need a cuppa.”

“Well, it’s off to the galley then. And there’s something I wanted to talk to you all about anyway,” he said, standing up and holding out his hand.

She slid out of the bed and put on her dressing gown, then took his hand. They promptly headed for the galley and were met with the rest of the crew already having tea and scones. Rose promptly joined them, taking the cup of tea Donna offered her. Once she was seated, she looked back to the Doctor.

“What was it you wanted to talk to us about, Doctor?” Rose asked, head tilted to one side. The others stopped talking and looked up. With all eyes on him, the Doctor cleared his throat and shifted his weight.

“Oh, um.. Right. SO, I was tinkering with your, er, dimension hopper, trying to work something out.” He looked to his sister. “Kema, I was looking over the notes you made me, and I noticed that for hole detection, you used a biosignature recognition combined with a telepathic sensor. Is that how you harnessed your time sense?”

She grinned and nodded. “That’s exactly what I did. Could have told you if you asked, ya git. Didn’t have to take a week to figure that out.”

He smirked and shook his head. “No, the thing is, I was trying to figure out how to convey that sense to the TARDIS. I figured out how to connect one of your devices into the TARDIS hardware, but I couldn’t nail down how to enable the telepathic sensor.”

Kema looked puzzled and then shrugged a bit. “Aside from my connecting directly into the ship’s telepathic circuits, I’m not sure how.”

Rose thought for a moment. The ship was sentient, and had the ability to communicate with them, albeit in subtle ways. She always provided them with things they needed, just by reading their thoughts. She seemed to pay mind to all of the little quirks and preferences each of them had. If the ship could learn by observing them, perhaps…

“Could you teach her how?” Rose blurted out. Everyone stopped to look at her. “I mean, you’re telepathic, she’s telepathic. Couldn’t you show her how you see the time holes? Maybe if you did, she could manage it herself.” She finished with a shrug, feeling a little foolish. What did she know, anyway? The Doctor and Kema looked at each other and then back to Rose. They both broke out in a grin.

“Rose! You’re brilliant!” the Doctor exclaimed.

“Seriously! I didn’t even consider that!” Kema said.

Rose blushed a little and shifted in her seat. “Just common sense, really. She’s learned from us before. Why not now? Anyway, so, if you can teach her how, what will that mean?”

“Well, it means that the TARDIS could navigate herself through a hole big enough, and we could travel back to the other universe. With the hybrid technology installed, it would allow safe transport between the two,” the Doctor said triumphantly, grinning at Rose.

Rose gasped audibly. “Wait...so I could stay with you, AND go back to see my family?”

“That’s exactly what it means, Rose!” the Doctor said excitedly.

“And the same goes for Hikari!” Kema added, smiling at her friend. Rose grinned and turned to Hikari, expecting to see her usual smiles and excitement, but instead was met with stone faced silence.

“Hikari, isn’t that great?” Rose said cheerfully. Hikari looked up, her eyes glassy with tears. “Hika, what’s wrong?”

“Oh, yeah, it’s great. I’m really happy that you’ll see your family again, Rose,” Hikari said with an obviously forced smile. “But, I don’t think I want to go back. Ever.”

“What? Not even to visit?” Rose asked, confused. “Is something wrong?” Hikari shrugged, but didn’t answer.

Rose looked at Kema, who seemed equally surprised by Hikari’s admission. Kema crossed the room and went to stand by her friend, placing a hand on her shoulder. “What’s going on? There’s something you’re not telling us.”

Hikari looked at Kema and then at Rose. “The thing is...every time that I said I was going to see my family...I was lying.” Her breath hitched as she took in a deep breath before going on. “The truth is..they’re gone. My whole family is gone. I’m the only one left” Now tears were streaming down her cheeks in a steady flow. Rose got up out of her seat and moved to hug her friend.

“What happened Hika?” Kema asked, crouching down beside her.

“Well...there was a fire. A huge massive electrical fire that took out ten miles of land area. Every building in its path went up like tinder,” Hikari went on. “It happened while I was gone, and I had no way of reversing or stopping it. I...I didn’t tell you guys because it was like if I said it out loud, that it was real. I only got to go back one more time, to say goodbye. Now the only home I have is with you guys.”

“Oh Hika, that’s terrible!” Rose said as she began to tear up.

Kema and Rose both hugged her then, all three of them in tears. When they pulled apart, Rose looked to the Doctor and he nodded his head. She smiled a little and looked back to Hikari. “Hika, you’re our family, too. You’re welcome to stay with us as long as you like,” Rose said gently, squeezing her friend’s hand.

Hikari smiled through her tears. “Thanks Rose. I wouldn’t want to just invade on the Doctor and Donna like that. You and Kema, you really are his family. But me, I’m just some random person.”

“Now I will have none of that! If you’re important to Rose and Kema, you’re important to me,” the Doctor said promptly, flashing her a wide grin. “You’re more than welcome to stay. That alright with you Donna?”

“Of course it is, dumbo! That goes without saying!” Donna exclaimed, now smiling herself. “Well looks like we finally got a proper crew. And four girls! This should be a blast. You’re outnumbered now, Spaceman!”

With that everyone started to laugh and they carried on with breakfast. The Doctor and Kema talked about adjustments they would have to make to the TARDIS while Rose and the others talked about what sort of planet they might visit next. It was a pleasant, relaxing meal and Rose felt right at home. The fact that she would see her parents and brother again made her so happy she could burst. She was back with the Doctor, and he knew about Bad Wolf. She had a wonderful new friend in Donna, and had her two best mates by her side. Things couldn’t get much better. For the first time in a long time, it felt like things were finally falling into place.

Chapter Text

After a few days in the vortex, the Doctor and Kema had managed to install the new additions to the TARDIS hardware. The ship seemed to accept the new technology, even though most of it originated in another universe. She was being rather accommodating, considering she usually zapped him when he tried to make major changes. The Doctor explained how it would allow them to travel into the other universe without the TARDIS crashing and burning. He didn’t want a repeat of his last trip into Pete’s World. No, he much rather his ship and his new crew of companions were traveling safely.

His new crew. Well, they were more than that. It was like having a little family on board all at once. He hadn’t had this much company on the TARDIS in a very long time.They each had their place in the scheme of things and it made for an interesting dynamic. He was glad to see that Hikari seemed to feel at home on the TARDIS, especially after revealing what happened to her family. It seemed every chance she got, she was rifling off questions to the Doctor as fast as he could answer them. He was all too happy to accommodate her, and she became especially excited when they visited somewhere new. That was the best part of having someone new aboard.

Being with Rose again, and them being properly together still blew his mind. Every time he closed his eyes, he almost expected her to be gone when they opened again. It would take time for him to adjust, and he knew that. But it didn’t stop him from marveling over how wonderful she was, and how happy she made him. He only hoped he could make her equally as happy in return. That meant everything to him. One way he could do that was to get her back to see her family again. Giving her the best of both worlds was a dream come true not only for her, but for him as well.

The Doctor looked down at Rose as she lay sleeping. She looked so peaceful, so perfect. His breath hitched as he thought about how many times he came so close to losing her, only to end up here. But today was not the time for sad thoughts. Today was time for happiness and reunions.

“Roseeeee,” he said softly, gently prodding her side. She groaned in response, shifting on to her side, but didn’t open her eyes. “Rose, wake up. I have a surprise for you”

“Is it a good surprise?” she said groggily, peeking one eye open. “It better be a good surprise because I was having a perfectly lovely dream about what we get up to under these sheets.”

“More lovely than the real thing?” the Doctor said with a grin, leaning in to kiss the exposed area of her neck.

“Mmm, I’ll let you know,” she said, grinning and then shutting her eyes again.

“Oi! C’mon now! Rose Tyler that’s just mean!” he retorted as he began tickling her sides. She quickly reduced to a pile of squirms and giggles.

“Okay, okay! I was just kidding!” she gasped, and the Doctor finally stopped. “So what’s this surprise?”

“How would you like to see your mum today?” he asked, grinning again.

“What?! Doctor! Really??” Rose exclaimed, now wide awake. “Is the TARDIS really ready?”

“Yes, she’s all ready to go. We can set course as soon as you’re ready,” he said, smiling. She beamed back at him and launched herself forward. She tackled him into a tight hug and kissed all over his face.

“You wonderful, brilliant man! Just let me shower. Oh! And I should tell the girls we’re making a trip back! I can’t wait to see Mum. And Dad, of course. And Tony! Oh Doctor you’ll meet my little brother! He’s going to ADORE you. You’re like a storybook hero to him, you know? I’ve told him so many stories about you. Oh! And it will be Donna’s first trip to the other universe! I can’t wait to introduce her to mum. I think they’ll get on really well I think. Mum will be delighted to have a full house! Oh...but how long will we stay? I guess we’ll figure that out,” Rose rambled off, going on and on. The Doctor started to laugh.

“Blimey Rose, you’ve been around me long enough to have picked up my gob,” he said, chuckling merrily. She stopped and looked at him for a moment, considering his words.

“I guess I did ramble a bit there, didn’t I?” she said with a laugh. “Anyway, I’m going to run and tell the girls and then have a shower!” With that she slid out of the bed, slipped on her dressing gown and hurried out of the room.

The Doctor shook his head, still chuckling. He was glad that she was excited. Of course, he had to be prepared to see Jackie. And now she would learn about the developments in Rose and the Doctor’s relationship. He grimaced as he remembered the lasting sting of a Tyler Slap. Rubbing his cheek at the memory, he frowned. Hopefully she wouldn’t be swinging at him today. Either way, he was ready for it.

After a quick shower and dressing in his usual pinstriped duds, he headed toward the galley. There he found Rose with Kema and Hikari. They were all sipping tea and talking excitedly.

“Mum will throw a wobbly if we don’t stay at least a few days,” Rose said. She turned to the Doctor. “That alright? If we stay for a bit? I know you get antsy being in one place too long.”

He smiled and nodded. “Of course, Rose. I wouldn’t expect anything less.”

It was true that he often got itchy feet if they stayed put for an extended period, but this wasn’t about him. This was about Rose getting to see her family. If he wanted her to be in his life, he knew he needed to accept a thing or two. Even if that meant having to put up with domestics for awhile. Truth be told, domestics with Rose wasn’t a bad thing. She was the one living creature in all of existence that had ever made him feel so at home.

After a nice cuppa, Rose and the others excused themselves to get ready and the Doctor headed for the console room. When he arrived, he found Donna standing near the console, looking up at the time rotor. He crossed the room, watching her. She didn’t seem to notice he was there.

“Donna? You alright?” he asked, his brow furrowed. She seemed to snap out of her trance and looked at him. She smiled.

“Yeah, I’m alright. Just thinkin’ is all. I actually came here to see if I left my good coat on the jump seat, and I got drawn in by this ol’ beauty here,” Donna said wistfully, looking up at the time rotor again. “Listen to me talking about this ship. I’m starting to sound as barmy as you lot.”

The Doctor chuckled and nodded to the rotor. “Well this is your home, and she welcomes you as much as I do.”

Donna smiled and nodded. “That’s good to know. I love being here, traveling about in her through time and space. I feel like this life really suits me, you know?”

He nodded. “I do. And I agree. You fit right in. Speaking of which,” he began, grimacing a little. “Donna, how are you with all of this? I know it’s been a big change that’s happened rather quickly.”

She chuckled and waved him off. “Oh come off it, Spaceman. Of course I’m fine with it. More than fine with it! It’s nice to see you so happy. Rose is brilliant. We’ve become fast friends. Better watch out or she might take your place as my best mate.” She pointed at him and winked. “And your sister, she’s a laugh and half. Had me in stitches with stories about you. I like Hikari too. Bit shy, that one, but she’s coming out of her shell.”

The Doctor grinned. “I’m glad you’re happy with things. That’s important to me, your happiness. Like I said, the TARDIS is your home, too.”

“So long as you lot don’t mind me hitching along for the ride, I’m staying put,” Donna said with a grin.

“Well that’s good to know,” came Rose’s voice. They both turned to see that the others had joined them. “I’m glad you’re okay with things, Donna. That’s important to me too. Just because we came along doesn’t mean anything changes for you. You’re part of our family now, whether you like it or not.” She finished with a wink and grin, and Donna matched her tit for tat.

“So, you have the telepathic sensors ready and open?” Kema asked, stepping up to the time rotor.

“Yu-p! Right over here, Kem. See these?” the Doctor said, rounding the side of the console and pointing to a crystalline surface with grooves carved into it. “This is the telepathic circuit that connects directly to the TARDIS mainframe. You transfer your thought process to the TARDIS and she can lock on the biosignal. Once she can copy your biosignal, she’ll be able to sense the time holes and find a way through to the other dimension. And because you have such a strong connection to that world, it should form a permanent path link.”

“Right, makes sense. Actually, that’s bloody brilliant, brother dear,” Kema said with a grin. She approached the surface and placed her hands along the grooves. The surface sprang to life, lighting up with the same warm greenish glow of the time rotor. “Whoa...tingly!” Kema laughed as the groves started to move beneath her hands, rolling in waves. After a few moments, Kema closed her eyes, taking deep breaths. The Doctor watched closed, concerned for his sister’s health. If she did too much at once, it could tax her system.

“Alright there, Kema?” the Doctor said, stepping closer to Kema. She nodded and gave him a little smile before returning to her concentrated efforts. The longer she was connected to the TARDIS, the brighter the grooved surface became. Before long it was brightly aglow, almost blinding them. Just then the tone of the TARDIS hum changed slightly. The ship sent a brush against his mind, and he heard Kema gasp. “Kema? What is it?”

“She spoke to me,” Kema whispered, opening her eyes. “I could hear her voice in my head. She told me she understood.”

The Doctor opened his mouth to speak, but then immediately closed it again. Truth be told, he was just a wee bit jealous. The TARDIS had never actually spoken to him, telepathically or otherwise. He always did wonder what it would be like having a conversation with her. He considered that for a moment before the sound of Rose’s voice broke into his thoughts.

“Doctor? What do we do now?” she asked nervously, looking between him, Kema and the time rotor. “Does she need anything else?”

The Doctor smiled gently. “Actually, yes. Rose, I’d like you to connect to the TARDIS telepathic circuits as well. Give her a clear picture of where to go, a place to land.”

Rose stopped, her eyes wide. “But..I’m not...I mean, its meant for telepaths, isn't it? I’m not a telepath. You said humans can’t...do that,” she stammered in disbelief.

“Rose, when you looked into the heart of the TARDIS you took part of her into you. You and the TARDIS are linked through your connection to Bad Wolf. This will likely trigger your latent telepathic abilities,” he said gently, stepping closer to her and gently caressing small circles on her back. “You can do this.”

Rose looked at him,her brow furrowed and mouth turned downward. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other, arms crossed over her front. She eyed the crystalline surface, studying it. After some coaxing from the Doctor, she reached out and touched a hand to it. The TARDIS instantly changed the tone of her hum. When Rose made contact with the telepathic circuits, the TARDIS practically sang. Even the Doctor seemed a bit taken aback by the ship’s response.

“Go ahead, Rose. She’s welcoming you to connect with her,” the Doctor said, giving Rose a gentle nudge forward.

Rose met his gaze and nodded. She stopped for a moment to draw in a deep breath before placing her hands along the grooves. Suddenly, she felt a warm, tingling sensation traveling up her arms and traveling through her entire body, enveloping her completely. She giggled a little and glanced at Kema, who gave her a wink. Rose then glanced at the Doctor and he flashed her an encouraging smile. He leaned in close and whispered in her ear.

“Just open your mind, trust her. She’ll guide you through it,” he said gently, as Rose slid her fingers between the grooves. Closing her eyes, she tried to blank her mind. She tried to feel rather than think and soon a warm, glowing presence entered her. A golden shimmering wolf sat beside a beautiful dark haired woman.

Show me the way, my Wolf. Her voice was less than a whisper, but more than a ghost. She reached out to Rose and offered her hand. Almost immediately, Rose took the woman’s hand and felt the power of the TARDIS surge through her. A crisp, clear image of the Tyler mansion appeared before them, and the TARDIS smiled gently, nodding. Rose knew that she understood. Soon the image of the woman and the wolf faded, and she found herself back in the console room. Slowly pulling her hands away from the telepathic circuits. After a moment, she wiped away the tears trailing down her cheeks.

“Rose? Are you alright?” the Doctor asked tentatively, stepping toward Rose and resting a hand on her shoulder. She turned to look at him and nodded, smiling a little.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Great. Fantastic even,” she said with a laugh. “She knows the way now. The TARDIS. We connected.”

The Doctor watched her for a moment and then nodded. “Okay, good. I’ll set the coordinates.” He flashed Rose one of his million watt grins and she couldn’t help but giggle a little. His excitement was contagious. She realized then that she had been holding back because of the doubts lurking in the recesses of her subconscious. It had been eating away at her for months now, since they left. On some level she had accepted that she would never see her family again. Now she could finally feel the giddy excitement that she had been suppressing. They were really doing this!

The Doctor skipped around the console as he pulled levers, pushing buttons, and toggling switches. It was like the strange mating dance of a hyperactive bird. He and the TARDIS spoke to each other with lights and movements and hums. Having connected with the TARDIS on a telepathic level had left Rose with a stronger connection to the ship. She always loved her, always expressed her gratitude and appreciation, but now she understood her. It was an amazing feeling. He stopped in front of the dematerialization switch and looked at Rose.

“You want to?” he asked, eyebrows raised. She grinned and nodded, hurrying over to where he stood. She took hold of the switch and threw it upward, launching the TARDIS into the vortex. It wasn’t the first time he had let her throw the switch, but it was still a rush. Within seconds the ship landed with it’s usual thump. The Doctor turned and looked at Rose. “I think we’re here.”

Rose nodded, her entire body shaking. Had they landed in the right place? The right time? There was only one way of finding out. The Doctor stood next to Rose and took her hand, squeezing it gently. He nodded toward the door. She stepped toward it, still holding his hand. She reached the door and pulled it open slowly. Just outside the TARDIS door was Tony’s little swing set that was in the back garden. They had made it!

Chapter Text

Jackie stood at the sink, rinsing out their cups from their morning tea. It didn’t matter that she had hired help that would wait on her hand and foot is she so desired. For someone who grew up with next to nothing, it felt odd having people doing everything for you. It was good for people to keep some sense of normalcy, even if they did suddenly become ridiculously wealthy. She appreciated Hilda and Clarence, and the rest of her staff. They were wonderful. But these little things, doing a bit of dish washing, sorting out the pantry, cooking a meal for her family; Jackie liked to do these every day things to remind her of who she was and where she came from.

She stood there, gazing out the window, half in a daze. She thought of Pete and how she loved all of his quirks and his cleverness. And Tony, her precious little darling. Then Rose entered her mind and an overwhelming sadness come over her. It was quite possible that she would never see her daughter again. But she still held out hope that one day, she would see that bloody blue box appear in her garden. Somewhere deep down inside, she had faith in the Doctor and his promise to always bring Rose home.

Then, before another thought could enter her head, she heard a familiar sound. It was a sort of wheezing groan of old gears grinding in an ancient machine. Tears welled up in Jackie’s eyes as her heart raced. She dropped what she was doing and dashed toward the back door. Throwing it open, she saw the TARDIS standing tall in proud next to Tony’s playset. The door creaked open and she saw a familiar blonde head pop out. Jackie gasped as they made eye contact. Her Rose, Her beautiful, brilliant, wonderful daughter Rose. She bolted out the door and toward her smiling child.

Rose beamed at her mother as they rushed toward each other, colliding midway through the garden. Jackie was squeezing Rose, holding on to her for dear life, and Rose let out a chuckle.

“Told you we’d make it back,” she murmured, holding on to her crying mother. Jackie pulled back, smiling through her tears.

“About bloody time! I thought you’d never be home!” Jackie quipped, grinning at her daughter.

“Sorry it took a bit. Had a little trouble with merging the tech,” came a voice from behind them. Both women turned and saw the Doctor standing just beyond them.

Jackie pulled away from Rose, her hands going to her hips. “There you are, you barmy alien! Wondered when you’d turn up again! Good thing you brought my Rose back, or I’dve come after you m’self!” Jackie spat, eyes narrowed.

The Doctor smiled tightly, hands in his pockets as he rocked on the balls of his feet. “Hello Jackie! Good to see you, too.”

“Oh come off it ya daft plum! C’mere!” the elder Tyler woman said with a laugh, reaching for the Doctor and pulling him into a tight hug.

Rose laughed as she watched the awkward embrace, the Doctor flailing a bit as Jackie squeezed him. It was a welcome sight that warmed her heart. Just then, Rose felt a tug at her pant leg. She looked down and saw a smiling little boy with a mess of blonde curls. Rose scooped him up and hugged him tight.

“Hey there Tone! I told you I’d be back!” she said as she hugged her brother. The little boy hugged her back, clinging onto her tightly. He whispered in her ear and pointed to the Doctor. Rose grinned and nodded her head. “Yup, that’s him. Wanna meet him proper?” Tony nodded enthusiastically. He had been hearing stories about the Doctor his entire life and had to come to view him as a superhero of sorts. Rose set him down and took his hand.

“Doctor, there’s someone I’d like you to meet,” Rose said in an official sounding voice. The Doctor looked to her and then to Tony. He grinned brilliantly.

“Is that so? Who do we have here?” said the Doctor, crouching down and bringing himself to the little boy’s level.

“Doctor, this is my brother Anthony Peter Tyler. We call him Tony,” Rose said, gently tugging on Tony’s hand to bring him out from behind her.

“Well hello there, Tony. I’ve heard a lot about you. It’s an honor to finally meet you,” the Doctor said warmly, holding out a hand.

Tony’s eyes went wide and his mouth formed a small O. “You heard of me?? Whoa!” Both Rose and the Doctor chuckled as Tony took his hand, shaking it with enthusiasm.

“I sure have! I hear you’re quite brilliant!” the Doctor said brightly, grinning at the boy.

“I heard a lot about you too!” Tony exclaimed, still shaking the Doctor’s hand. Both the Doctor and Rose chuckled. It seemed that Tony approved, and that meant the world to Rose.

A short while later after introductions were made, everyone had settled down in the Tyler’s lounge. Hilda had brought in a full tea service, and fussed over Rose when she saw her. The older woman insisted that she looked overworked and vowed then and there to get some nutrients into the lot of them. Jackie agreed wholeheartedly. She had already done a fair amount of fussing over all of them since they landed. The only one she felt might be competent enough to have taken care of themselves was Donna.

“Finally! Someone who isn’t barmy! You best keep this one around,” Jackie said, nodding her head toward Donna. “Maybe then I won’t worry about you so much!”

Donna leaned over to Rose and whispered. “I love your Mum! She’s such a character!”

Rose smiled and winked at Donna. “Seems she thinks you’re pretty great, too.”

“Well, she had taste, I’ll give her that,” Donna said with a wink back at Rose.

The whole lot of them were getting along quite famously. Rose looked over at the Doctor, who was in deep conversation with her dad. She caught his eye and he glanced her way, flashing a smile. She smiled warmly and then looked back to her mother, who was talking about some affair the neighbors had thrown recently. The whole scene was rather odd, when she thought about it.

On one hand there was her family just being their usual, typical selves. Dad talking shop, Mum going on about people and places and things, Tony playing with a couple of his action figures on the carpet while munching on a biscuit. Nothing odd or out of the ordinary. But then you add in the Doctor, a time and space travelling alien from another world. Then there were her two best friends, both time travelers themselves, one also an alien and the other from the 52nd century. Even Donna was an oddity, given she was from another universe and a time traveler (not to mention the best temp in Chiswick). They were an interesting bunch, that was for sure. This was her family, and she felt like she was the luckiest being in both dimensions put together.

It was decided that they would all have a nice big dinner right there at home, prepared specially by Jackie and Hilda. Donna insisted on helping in the kitchen, as she and Jackie were neck deep in a conversation about the differences between the celebrity scene of Pete’s World vs the prime universe. Kema opted to take a kip, and Hikari was helping Pete with some PC issues his desktop was having. Rose had volunteered to help Hilda’s assistant Molly with preparing rooms for the crew. While fluffing a pillow, she peered out a window and saw the Doctor entering the TARDIS. Likely he was off to tinker with something until dinner was ready. He never was one to just stand around idly. Though, he was taking this all like a champ.

Normally asking the Doctor to stick around and play domestics for more than a few hours was a stretch, and this time he had agreed to stay on at the Tylers’ for a long weekend. They had landed on a Thursday afternoon, and Monday was a bank holiday. As she and Molly finished off preparing the rooms, something dawned on Rose. She hadn’t let Mickey and Jake know they had made it! Scrambling for her phone, she pulled it out and promptly chose Mickey’s name from her contacts list.

After a couple of rings, someone picked up, but no greeting came. She could hear some shuffling and indistinct chatter. Then came a sort of thunk sound followed by a clearly audible swear. Rose, covered her mouth to stifle a laugh. Then, finally, someone answered.

“Rose?! That you??” Mickey’s excited voice came blaring through the phone. She could hear what sounded like Jake in the background, prodding Mickey for confirmation.

“Yeah! Yeah, it’s me,” she said with a laugh, pulling her mobile away from her ear. “Jeez Mick, you don’t need to shout!”

“Sorry about that. Just got excited, ya know?” he said, chuckling. “So, what happened?? Did you find him??”

“Yes! We found him!” Rose said, grinning from ear to ear. “And we made it back here, in the TARDIS!”

“What? You’re joking! But I thought she couldn’t fly here without burning up!” Mickey cried.

“Well you see-- oh you know what, I’ll just tell you when you get here. We’ll tell you the whole story! Mum and Hilda are cooking a big supper. You and Jake should come round about 6.”

“Okay, great! See ya then!” Mickey said. “Oh and Rose?”

“Yeah Mick?”

“It’s really good to hear your voice,” he said honestly. Rose smiled.

“Good to hear yours too Mickey.”

That evening they all gathered around the Tyler family table, the ladies telling a shorter version of their travel tale to Mickey and Jake, followed by the Doctor explaining the merger of the new tech into the TARDIS. Both of the guys were especially interested in the Doctor’s bit, given they both had a background in technology systems. Rose watched the Doctor explaining in great detail how he managed to rig Kema’s invention into the TARDIS matrix. He was quite excited to explain the technical aspects of his work to anyone willing to listen, and the two young men were eating it up.

Several hours later, well after desert was finished and evening tea had been served, Rose helped her mother put little Tony down for the night. As Jackie closed the bedroom door, leaving it open just a crack, Rose realized that she hadn’t told her mother about she and the Doctor. Quite obviously, her parents knew how she felt about it, and it had always been assumed that the Doctor felt the same. It wouldn’t come as a surprise to them, for certain, but all the same, she felt the need to share the news directly.

“Um, Mum, before we go back downstairs,” she said quietly, hanging back a bit. Jackie turned and looked at her, slightly alarmed. “Don’t worry, nothing’s wrong. I just wanted to talk to you about something.”

“Of course sweetheart! Let’s go to my lounge,” Jackie said, taking her daughter’s hand and leading the way toward the master bedroom.

It was quite a large room, taking up a sizable portion of the upper west wing of the house. There was the bedroom itself, with adjoining en suite, lounge, and walk-in closets. Rose had spent many nights on that couch with her mother, crying over the Doctor. As they sat down, Jackie took Rose’s hands.

“Now what is it, Rose? You can tell me anything, you know that right?” Jackie soothed, rubbing the pads of her thumbs over Rose’s knuckles. Rose looked at her mother and realized that she was close to tears. The whole scene was quite dramatic, and she couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Mum, everything is fine, I promise,” Rose said, smiling and giving her mother’s hand a squeeze. “I just wanted to tell you about me and the Doctor. We’re official now.”

Jackie’s eyes narrowed as her mouth twisted into a grimace. “Are you sure that’s all you have to tell me?”

“Yes, Mum, I promise. That’s all. Though I’d think you’d be a bit happier for me, considering,” Rose quipped, raising an eyebrow.

Jackie shook her head. “And here I was thinking you were going to tell me I was about to be a grandmother!”

Rose choked out a laugh, half in shock. “Oh, God, Mum! Don’t jinx me! I mean, maybe one day?” she sputtered, stumbling over her words. “But ANYWAY, no. Just, that we’re in a relationship now. That’s all.”

“So you and that barmy alien do get up to no good in that bloody blue box of yours! I knew it! I oughta smack him one” Jackie exclaimed, pointing a finger at daughter. Rose stared at her for a moment, and they both sat stone silent. Then they both erupted in laughter, and Jackie leaned in to hug Rose. They embraced for a long moment, Jackie rubbing small circles on Rose’s back.

“I’m happy for you sweetheart, I really am,” Jackie said as they pulled apart. “About bloody time, after al!”

Rose laughed again and nodded. “You’re telling me!”

After their little talk, the two Tyler women returned to the others downstairs. Jackie started to make a fuss about all of them staying over at the mansion. Rose insisted that they would be fine on the TARDIS, but promised that they would be in for breakfast in the morning. With a great deal of nagging, Jackie managed to coax the ladies off the TARDIS with promises of hot toddies and biscuits in the kitchen, while Rose and the Doctor retired to their bedroom on the ship.

After a quick shower Rose got dressed in the ensuite. As she pulled a vest top over her head, she thought about the events of the day. Seeing her family again meant so much to her, and she got to share that joy with the Doctor. She truly did have the best of both worlds. She got to keep all of the people she cared about in her life. No one had to be cut out or left behind. It was almost too good to be true. Though the Doctor had explained that there were some stipulations to their cross-dimensional travels.

Because of the huge amount of energy for the TARDIS to both locate and travel through the gaps in the universe, they wouldn’t be able to make frequent trips. Just one trip could wipe out nearly half of the ships energy stores, leaving her in need of a serious recharge. She was also limited to the trips she could take in-universe as well. While the introduction of the foreign tech had allowed her to operate in Pete’s World without crashing, it didn’t enable her for interstellar travel in that universe. Luckily enough though, there was a time rift in the Pete’s World Cardiff, just as there was in the prime universe. This would allow them to fully recharge the TARDIS power cells, and be fueled up for the trip home.

She emerged from the ensuite to find the Doctor already changed and lounging on the bed. When she entered he looked up from his book and gave her a smile. He got up out of the bed and began to pull the duvet down. As the both slid into the bed, Rose glanced over at him.

“So, I had a little talk with Mum,” Rose mentioned casually, smoothing out the bed sheets. She looked at the Doctor. He was looking back at her.

“Oh? What about?” he asked, smiling.

“I told her about us,” Rose admitted, biting her lower lip. His smile fell.

“Oh. Should I be expecting a slap then?” he deadpanned.

“No,” Rose laughed, shaking her head. “Though she did mention it.”

“No surprise there,” he said dryly, shaking his head. “I think I still have a mark from the last one she gave me.”

“Oh come on now, that wasn’t even in this body!” Rose chuckled.

“Doesn’t matter! A Jackie Tyler slap leaves an impression that will span over many regenerations to come!” he said indignantly, crossing his arms over his chest.

“You have a point there,” Rose admitted. Her mum’s slap was a powerful one indeed. She had learned that one as a smart-mouthed teen. “But anyway, she’s happy for me. For us.”

The Doctor smiled then. “She said that?”

Rose nodded. “She certainly did. And she said it was about time, too. Have to say that I agree with her.” She flashed him her signature tongue touched grin. His eyebrows shot up in question.

“Is that so, Rose Tyler?”

“Yes indeed, my dear Doctor,” she said, scooting closer to him. “You know, Mum thought I was going to announce I was pregnant.”

“Oh ho! Leave it to Jackie to cut to the chase,” the Doctor said with a laugh.

“Yeah, no kidding. She said she knew we got up something in here,” Rose said, grinning

“Well, I propose we stop talking about your mother, and get up to something right now,” the Doctor whispered in her ear as he slipped an arm around her and pulled her body flushed to his.

“Ooo, I like the way you think,” Rose cooed, turning and pressing herself to him.

“Oh you have no idea what I have in store for you, Rose Tyler,” he said huskily, his voice deepening.

“Well, you have plenty of time to show me,” she said with a grin. He smirked at her and then captured her lips with his own.

That night they did indeed get up to something that most certainly did not involve talking about Jackie. And the Doctor did indeed show Rose quite a number of things that he had planned for her. However, there was one very important thing that he wasn’t telling her just yet. It was something concerning a pretty little TARDIS blue, velvet lined box in his coat pocket. But she would find out soon enough.

The End
(For now....)