Chapter Text
Prologue
He knew she loved this daft old face of his, so he didn’t want to risk regenerating into someone she wouldn’t love.
Of course, he knew there was no risk that he wouldn't love her.
He pulled out his trusty sonic screwdriver and aimed. Time still swirled in her eyes.
Pure agony.
Her knees buckled, and he caught her.
He knew her mind was melting, overwhelmed by the knowledge of infinity in her brain.
He knew what he had to do.
So he kissed her. He absorbed Time, knowing it was his death sentence.
But she collapsed in his arms. Her head lolled to the side. Her eyes were without spark.
Rose was gone, killed by Time.
She had saved the Universe, but the victory was bitter.
His physical body was failing quickly. Wouldn't be long now. His TNA strands were unravelling at an alarming rate. He could feel the smoulder, the slow burn. Soon would come the inferno — he’d burn from the inside out. But he steeled himself to fight the natural progression of his regeneration. He wasn’t ready to cheat death.
He set the coordinates and begged his ship for accuracy. “Please, please do it for her.”
The magical sound of the rotor was replaced by a groan. He could feel his TARDIS mourning the death of the Wolf, that she shared his broken heart.
He lowered his aching body to hard metal grating, feeling every indentation and divot digging into his over-sensitive, tingling flesh. He gathered her limp body into his arms and cradled her, half-blind from the burning tears streaming from his eyes.
Her last words reverberated: I bring life! ... I want you safe, my Doctor ... I create myself! ... My head. It’s killing me.
His TARDIS materialized without a bump or bounce. He opened the door and walked into Jackie Tyler’s flat. Her only child was cradled in his arms, a limp sacrifice. He stuttered an incoherent explanation, and then begged forgiveness over and over.
She gave no acknowledgement. Instead, anger, pain, hatred and grief radiated from a mother’s eyes, speaking louder than any words she could ever scream. She didn’t want to hear that her girl had saved the universe. She wanted her Rose.
Gentle. Silent. Reverent. He laid her on the sofa and placed a soft kiss on her cool lips. He smoothed her hair with his hand and caressed her cheek. As he straightened up, he forced himself to look into Jackie's eyes one last time, to sear the memory of her pain into his mind.
Penance.
He couldn’t delay the inevitable any longer, so back into the TARDIS he went, now ready and willing to accept his fate.
The magic blue box disappeared from Jackie Tyler’s life with a groan and a sigh.
But... as it is in the way of these things, had he stayed one minute longer, just one measly minute more, he would have witnessed one of those miracles in which he firmly did not believe.
Because what he didn’t know was that his TARDIS had tried to tell him. Don't go. Don't go. Don't go! But he had deafened himself to her silent shouts.
Her Time Lord needed the Wolf, so she’d decided to take matters into her own hands.