Chapter Text
“Hold on Rose!” The Doctor's voice was barely able to be heard, the space between them filled with both Daleks and Cybermen, all flying into the void. “Not much longer!”
Both Rose and the Doctor's arms were straining with the pressure of holding on, their legs dangling precariously in the air, being pulled towards the void. Rose wasn't sure how much longer she could hold on, tears streaming down her face with the exertion.
Then all of a sudden it was over, the void seeming to crumple like a balled-up piece of paper before disappearing with a soft pop leaving only silence in its wake.
“Doctor!”
“Rose!”
They both spoke at the same time, releasing their holds on the gravity clamps and running over to each other. The Doctor pulled Rose into a hug and she responded by squeezing him tight, burying her face in his neck.
They stayed like that for countless minutes, wrapped in each other's embrace knowing they had come so close to losing everything. Rose took a deep breath, inhaling his familiar smell before pulling back.
“My mum, I‘m never gonna see her again.” Her voice was filled with sadness. Once the adrenaline had faded she had come to the slow realisation that her life had changed.
“Oh, Rose…” The Doctor looked at her sadly, unable to come up with words of comfort that would hold any meaning.
“It’s okay,” She took a step back, running her hand over her tear-stained face and through her hair. “I made my choice a long time ago, I have chosen you and I will keep choosing you. Forever.” Another tear escaped her eye. “I’m just gonna miss her is all.”
The Doctor took a step towards Rose, wrapping his arm around her shoulders, gently leading her back to the Tardis.
-
Once through the doors, the Doctor piloted them into the vortex with Rose heading to her bedroom where she took a quick shower. Washing off both the grime from the day and her makeup, ruined by tears.
Stepping into her room her eye caught a framed photo of her and her mum, taken last Christmas after the mess with the Sycorax had been resolved.
“Oh, mum.” Another few tears snaked down her cheeks as she gazed at the photo, unable to look away.
Before she knew it, Rose had walked over and picked up the photo frame, touching her mum's face through the glass. Carefully placing it back down on the table she walked over, sitting on her bed suddenly exhausted by the day’s events.
The Tardis dimmed the lights as she drifted off into a restless sleep, plagued with dreams of losing her mum.
Once the Tardis was safely in the void the Doctor went to check on Rose. He opened her door quietly, unsurprised to see his precious pink and yellow girl sleeping, tears still glistening on her cheek. Reaching down he gently ran his thumb over her face, collecting the tears and smoothing them away. He leant down to press a gentle kiss on her forehead before leaving the room taking one last, long look at her before the door was shut.
The Doctor paced around the console room, trying to think, stopping every once in a while to type something on the Tardis keyboard. He was looking for something to give Rose some closure, to try and make things better, he couldn't help but feel responsible for the loss of her mum. Even if she could only say goodbye it was better than nothing.
-
Many hours later the Tardis screen bleeped, stopping his frantic mumbling and pacing. The Doctor rushed over. “The cracks are sealing faster than I can... but, oh, oh! You beauty!” He leant forward to kiss the monitor before running to find Rose.
“Rose! Get up, get dressed.” He knocked on her door, waking her.
“What.” Her voice was sleepy, tinged with sadness.
“Just c’mon!”
A few minutes later they were both standing in the console room. The Doctor pointed his sonic at the console with a buzz and a see-through projection of Jackie appeared.
“Mum!” Rose gasped.
“Rose! Oh, darling where are you?” Her mum looked at her.
“In the Tardis,” Rose spoke quickly, knowing she had little time. “The Doctor said there was one tiny gap in the universe, just about to close. We are orbiting around a supernova, burning up a sun so I can say goodbye.”
“Why are you all see-through?” Jackie's voice was heavy with tears. “You look like a ghost.”
The Doctor pointed his sonic and buzzed the console again. “Better?” Seeing Jackie move forward towards Rose the Doctor continued. “Just an image. No touch.” He could see in both of their eyes that they wished for one last hug but it wasn't possible.
“Can you just come through properly.” Jackie looked at him with anger.
“I’m afraid we can’t, the whole thing would fracture. Both universes falling into the void.”
“So? She's my daughter.” Her voice was frantic.
“Mum,” Rose spoke up before turning to the Doctor. “How long do we have?”
“About two minutes.”
She turned to look at her mum. “I can’t think of what to say. I’m never gonna see you again.” Rose teared up even further.
Jackie looked at the Doctor. “Now listen here, you great big alien. You look after my Rose, if not I’m going to find my way back through the void and slap you so hard old big ears will feel it!”
“Of course I will Jackie.”
“And you,” She turned to Rose. “I want you to know how proud I am of you, I will be telling your little brother all about his brave big sister.” She held her hand over her stomach.
“You’re not…”
“Yes, I am sweetheart, yet another Tyler.” She let out a noise that was somehow in between a sob and a laugh. “I love you so much Rose, don’t you ever forget that.”
“I love you too.” Rose gave her mum one last tearful smile as the image flickered out of existence.
Both the Doctor and Rose stood in silence for a minute before he pulled a tissue out of his pocket, handing it to Rose so she could dry her tears.
Then he noticed something behind Rose, something that wasn’t there before. He took a step towards the figure, his face screwing up in confusion.
“What?”