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Rose's grip slipped from the lever and she fell towards the void-towards what the Doctor described as Hell. She looked at him then, fear on her face. And him, he looked pained and so, so afraid. The Doctor looked as though he wanted to let go of the clamp to get to her.
But he didn't and Rose kept falling alone-and before entering the void a white light blinded Rose. And a song filled her head that made everything burn.
The next thing she heard was the sound of an alarm.
Rose hit the alarm, shutting it up before sitting up in a panic. She looked around the room, her room. On Terra. In her old bedroom from when she still lived with her Mum. She got out of the bed and headed straight toward the vanity, taking a moment to digest what she looked like.
Rose carefully reached her hands up to her hair, it was far too long and the colour was off. But... Rose looked the same way she did when she was 19 and before the Doctor. The next thing that was noted when she looked at her room was all the pink. It further reaffirmed the thought in her head, since her bedroom on the TARDIS looked nothing like this.
Rose took a moment to breathe before looking at her closet and pulling out a random outfit- it didn't need to match. She just needed something on other than her sleepwear.
By the time Rose was grabbing her bag and kissing her Mum on the cheek (her Mum's hair hadn't been that length the last time she was here-and. Her Mum was on the other side of the void.).
Going out Rose hopped on the end of one of the busses and popped off when it got close to Henrik's. She went in because even if this wasn't her proper time the her of now had a job and she needed to do it.
The day passed slowly and so much of it was familiar. Though something felt off-there was this weird sensation that lied just under Rose's skin, and a song that reminded her of time. And before she knew it the day was over and a security guard was shaking the lottery money in her face and she went into the lift to go down.
This was familiar- this was-
"Run!"
and a hand grabbed Rose's. But that voice- it was one she never thought she'd hear again. Not since the last words of "Rose you were fantastic- and you know what? So was I." and regeneration energy.
And she was running again, with his hand in hers and they fit. Just like in the next regeneration, but for him, this was their first time meeting. The Doctor didn't know who she was but she knows who he is.
But because this is her second time doing this, she doesn't react scared or terrified and curious. She just acts numb, since Rose can't believe that this actually happening. It was just a theory but now it's concrete. Rose is back in time to before she started traveling with the Doctor.
The motions go by, she remembers this vividly. She's running as he detonates the bomb and then they meet again, then suddenly it's all over and he asks and she looks at Mickey to repeat what she said once upon a lifetime ago.
Then he leaves and Rose walks back with Mickey the Doctor doesn't come back to ask a second time-what did Rose do wrong?
Then the light envelops her again and she's repeating again. This time she goes with him when he detonates the bomb and light.
Again and again and again.
During one of the loops she just doesn't go to Henrik's but then that feeling under her skin roars and suddenly she can't breathe and Rose remembers what happened before the regeneration. Before she saw her Doctor's serious face for the last time.
And the light envelops her again.
The loops repeat and during them, Rose reads. She goes to the library and reads everything she can get her hands on.
She starts to lose track of how long she's been looping. They all blur together as Rose absorbs knowledge and figures out what she must do.
This will be the last loop. That is what repeats in Rose's head as she hits the alarm clock, hopefully for the last time. She gets dressed in what she remembers wearing that day. She does everything the way she remembers it-even allowing Mickey to become plastic, and oh- that makes her feel guilty. Wondering how she didn't notice the first time.
It repeats and the Doctor asks. Rose says no, stating someone has to take care of Mickey. He leaves and Rose and Mickey begin to as well. But then the TARDIS rematerializes and the Doctor pops his head out and asks if he mentioned it travels in time.
Rose looks at Mickey and says sorry, quickly saying that she's breaking up with him (she doesn't want him to feel hung back- waiting for someone whose heart no longer belongs to him. For someone who now belongs to the stars. Rose wants him to be free.).
She runs to the TARDIS and enters and finally-finally it's Rose Tyler in the TARDIS with the Doctor. As it should be.