Summary: After Bad Wolf Bay, Rose took the long way home thanks to the new attributes given to her by the TARDIS after it fiddled with her DNA at the Game Station 5. ONESHOT, AU/AR
Hearts, Bodies and Souls
"I'm so sorry," Came a voice that I didn't know, I wasn't sure I hadn't just been day dreaming again until the owner of that touch out of the best and worst of my now distant memories took me by my mostly bare left shoulder and shook me gently. "Are you all right, miss? I think I brought my TARDIS in a bit closer to you than intended. Couldn't figure how there was anyone here, you see...uninhabited this world is, curious, me." Combined with the unknown voice, though the words...and the speech pattern, were achingly familiar, the touch shook me to my bones as the partly formed soul-bond I'd thought had died when I'd lost Tenth proved it was still present.
I felt a shudder ripple through my body and I quickly put one hand over his, knowing he'd take it entirely the wrong way if I didn't, because the Doctor was like that...and tightened my fingers on that cool hand. I shuddered again as I turned toward him, reaching for him blindly because I was already sobbing, nearly falling off my rock as I over extended, frantic to get to him, felt him catch me, support me, steady me. "Doctor. Can't be. You're gone...can't be. Too late, too damned late."
It was all I said and all I needed to say. Whispering his name gave him pause, the rest silenced him and I could hear the roughness of my voice as my tone and delivery expressed my joy at his presence, caressed him, told him he was something precious to me, greeted him and told him he was loved as I tumbled into his arms. The rest, that part that spoke of pain and loss...that just made him get to me faster. He's like that too, just because he didn't know what is wrong doesn't mean he'll hesitate...not him.
Fortunately, no Doctor is stupid: The sound of his name, the way I'd said it, the fact I knew him before I turned, at the light touch of his hand, without looking at him...just from the coolness of his fingers and he had already squatted down next to where I sat on a low, flat rock near a river I didn't know the name of, and had already gotten in close to provide the physical support I so desperately needed. His strong arms wrapped around me in an embrace I had ached for as the centuries passed and my search for him grew long. He cradled me like no one else in this or any other universe ever had or ever could. My shudders had turned to shaking, those quickening into constant shivering...and all of it was fueled by emotion.
"Found me, dear God, you found me. HERE, of all places." I said again, a bit louder this time, burying my face in what appeared to be silk. "Erm...that's odd...silk, I haven't had a silk one before have I? No, polyester was the closest." I felt myself go red, but I refused to let go, if anything, I tightened my grip.
"I'm Eight...and by that remark I'm assuming you were expecting...?"
"Tenth, possibly Ninth...maybe a hint of a bare glimmer of a chance of Eleventh on the outside, but I don't really care, actually. You're here and that is all that I care about. Give me a few minutes, I love you dearly, but first, I wasn't expecting to hear the TARDIS, thought I was daydreaming, actually...and then when voice and touch didn't match up, it was a bit of a shock." I raised my eyes to his face and studied him. "Oh, you did well with this one. Beautiful. Let me get back on my feet and I'll be ready to follow you into anything. Anything at all. I need you like I do oxygen."
"I understand." Her accent is Earth, 21st Century, South London. What the devil was she doing here alone?
"No, you don't...but I promise...you will. I never thought I'd see you again. Any you."
I had gotten that impression.
Her tone wasn't particularly reassuring with that assertion that while I didn't know what was going on, I would.. In fact, she sounded like someone facing a rather unpleasant duty...like giving nasty news to someone you care for.
"How so?"
"I've kept journals...so I didn't forget anything...most of my brain is forebrain, intended for learning, not memory, yeah? This universe doesn't have any Doctors, you see. Nor any Time Lords at all...you just didn't develop here. So I knew...or thought I did, that there wasn't any chance in hell I'd be found. I did know that the next one over had you and I was just here to get the rest of my stuff. Mostly, I've already moved."
"How is that even possible for human?"
"I'm the Carrier of Bad Wolf, Time's Avatar." Every universe I've ever been in that still had a Gallifrey, every Time Lord knew what Bad Wolf was...knew of the Avatar's creation in a far off universe and understood the power of it.
He stared at me, "She allows you to step between one and the next?"
"Yeah. A few other places too. Bad Wolf's purpose is to keep you safe. Eventually, I'll explain the convoluted snake of a Timeline that was needed to preserve my first Doctor...I've kept track of the passage of Time compared to home. Three hundred years, linear I've Universe Hopping, looking for you equals about eight hundred forty two at home."
She has finally stopped trembling, her body is beginning to relax against me, in fact, she's given me most of her slight weight. She's... trusting herself to my greater strength with the assurance of a seasoned companion. Wait...Okay, that doesn't sound good. In fact, that sounds like someone who, given where she is and the way she's been talking, is quite lost.
"And seriously, other than Master Jackass, who else would bother...and no one sane wants him finding them anyway."
"Master Jackass...oh I rather like that one." I chuckled. "So, you kept journals because of the rather small hind-brain you have...and?"
"Grab my pack, take me home, read them and then we'll do...whatever you want."
"That's a companion's answer...but only if that companion is stretched utterly beyond normal limits."
"Yeah, it is, isn't it? All I really want right now, is to wrap myself around a bit of TARDIS coral for however long I can. There's a very good reason for that...also in the journals."
"Need anything else?"
"A B-complex hypo and a level three grounding sounds good. And I'd really appreciate it if you'd just take over my life altogether for a few days. I, I'm done in and my judgment is shot all to hell. I could keep going because you weren't there, but now you are and I don't know where all of my energy went: My get up and go, got up and left. And I've never been so close to getting hysterical in your presence before. I'd like to avoid that embarrassment, please."
Okay, she is one of mine, all right or she wouldn't know to ask for a grounding, let alone which level or make those particular requests. Companions take a while before they know when they need to just let me take care of them.
"Let's get you up, then...Miss?"
"Rose. Rose Marion Tyler, Time-Lost Companion to the Tenth Doctor but first to the Ninth...of my home universe...and your's ain't it, Doctor."
"Oh dear...that complicates the matter doesn't it? Okay, I've got this and I've got you. All right, Rose? Sounds like you've several good ideas, actually...you do not look at all well. Rather ashen really."
"Thank you...for just being you. I've missed you so much."
Uncomfortable for a moment, he cleared his throat. "Yes...well...let's get on with it, then, shall we?"
And then he stood, holding me securely in his arms and I let my head drop to a spot just below his chin where I could hear both of his hearts beating calmly under my ear. I sighed in utter contentment and felt more than saw his downward glance and knew the exact moment he raised a brow, realizing what had drawn that happy sound from me.
She really is as weak as a day old Earth domestic housecat kitten: The hypo gave her some energy but she's acting like I'll vanish on her. Right now she's on the floor, wrapped around a very odd protuberance made of the TARDIS' organic coral, right in the middle of the library...an extended 'finger' of my timeship. My TARDIS is doing more to stabilize Rose than I'd've ever believed possible.
And while she's doing that, I'm reading Rose's journals. The first one explained things about Rose that cleared up who she was...and who I had become when she met me. There are bits that make me smile, so detailed are the accounts. I found a few nasty shocks in them though. For instance, about half way through I read an entry written of horror and a unlooked for rescue of her version of my Ninth, and then more adventures that had gone utterly pear shaped. Like finding out that poor Rose was a girl that had barely escaped dropping into the void itself on my Tenth's watch. What was wrong with that me, that I had not tied us both off properly to those clamps? What cost a simple bit of rope, after all?
A girl that had to leave the new universe because she had no timeline there and there were no Time Lords or Time Agents to get her home...or at least out of that universe...and worse, one of the rules in that particular universe required each resident to have a timeline...the reapers were eating the stars because of her presence. She had tried to step through to her home universe at that white wall, but was too new in her power, too unsure of herself and so had failed. Two months later she'd made it through to another universe...but it was the wrong one. She refused to endanger the one she'd just left to try again and the new one had no shared wall with her first...so she had begun a Search for one that did...
This still mostly human girl had moved, at great personal cost, from universe to universe until she found one where a previous her was dead and she could remain safely...and which had a Doctor in the house, so to speak. As she had said, she'd been retrieving her last few personal items from that world for the move into my territory. She knew she wasn't in her home universe, but she just couldn't bear to move on...not with me here. I ached for her...she'd been through so very much.
She hadn't wanted to impose, hadn't tried to make contact or anything, though, given her state now, she bloody well should have. Knowing that I was out here somewhere was enough for her...at least for a while, poor girl. I was pretty sure she would have sought me out eventually...but upon inquiry with my ship, I found, as suspected, that the TARDIS had apparently located the spot where she'd crossed back to retrieve her belongings...and had followed her. As always, she'd taken me right where I was needed.
I've never been needed more by a single individual and definitely not like this.
When I closed the final book, I got down on the floor with her and curled around her, pressing in from behind. I am a fully functional empath in this regeneration and it can be a painful thing...but at times like this...she needs that ability. It's the best way to monitor her, too, really.
"You're safe, Rose. I've got you. It's all right." I murmured softly to her, flooding her mind with reassurances and soothing her. With my head propped up on one hand and the other carding fingers through the girl's hair, I thought about what I had learned while I listened to my timeship sing soothingly to the shivering girl that clung to her.
"I know. Always safe with you." Rose answered, her voice was low, barely even there, really...but she answered.
Satellite Five...where she took the heart of a TARDIS and the Vortex with it, into herself to save a universe, her original Doctor and a friend...without caring what happened to herself...allowing her first TARDIS TO alter her DNA into something utterly non-human, never before seen and immortal...in the way the vortex is so that filling herself with it didn't kill her outright and immediately...which was how she moved through Time, Space and between the layers of the Wall that separates Universe from Universe without damaging it. This was amazing in and of itself.
Canary Wharf...where she started a journey that had taken her three hundred years to find what she so diligently sought...me. Indeed, she didn't care which regeneration her Doctor was in, not in the least. She just wanted her life back and to her, that meant me and the TARDIS.
I completely understood her reaction to our landing now, though. The sound of our arrival had put her into a state of partial shock, mixed well with disbelieving hope. The unexpectedness of an unknown voice had already shot her hope to shreds...and then when I touched her. Poor girl.
She was steadying now, though I think she was correct to ask for a level three. Since her separation from my other self had been a tragic accident, she still considered herself to belong to me. And really, so do I.
It doesn't matter that a Ten had lost her and I am an Eighth...she certainly doesn't care and neither do I. She's incredible in her determination to get back to where she belongs...but surely she knows that after so many centuries in his home universe, her Doctor has likely met the Ghods by now...and has found his last death...or if not, was quite close to it.
Oh, there...her right foot just moved back to catch and hook one of my ankles, anchoring herself physically. Better.
"Are you going to get upset if I insist you bunk with me for a while?"
"No. I'm not the one that needs to wonder if I can keep my hands to myself, Doctor. Keep in mind, I'm majorly Doctor deprived and that Ten and I were...both romantically and physically...involved."
"Oh."
"I had a partially formed soulbond to Ninth...and then Sat 5 happened before he had a chance to decide how to deal with it. As Ten he still hadn't decided whether he wanted it or not. So I held it off as best I could. I thought it'd died until you touched me. That is what set off the emotion-storm."
"Oh my, well, yes. It would. A bond of that kind, suddenly coming out of dormancy after several centuries...no wonder. An emotion-storm would be the very least of it."
"I'm not particularly able to assist in attempting to resist it. I just don't have the mental strength just now, that it takes to hold up my end in trying hold it in check long enough to let you make that call..."
"I see." Okay, that was new, a bit shocking to me, really. I nipped in to look at her timeline...and it stretched out beside mine into my forever...dancing, twining, and spiraling one about the other, her's glittering gold and mine had changed to a shimmering red-gold...the colors of regeneration, and as I realized this, I relaxed. My lifespan would match to her's, which was, as I've mentioned, Immortal. I didn't know if that meant unending regenerations or if I'd keep this body forevermore, now. It didn't really matter, actually, since I'd find out in due course, so I dismissed it.
So be it.
I am not all that great of a reward for anyone, but she will not die on me as other humans would have, she has proven herself to be loyal, steadfast and she loves me already. This me, any me...she doesn't care which me. She gets it. How many humans got it? One. Her.
"That's okay, Rose, don't try: You really are quite weak, just now. Part of that is the fact that you trust me, utterly. You dropped every last personal defense and barrier, even the mental ones that you have, the instant I touched you on your rock by the Viatea River on Paitiat 5. You'll be fine, but it will take some time."
"Yes, well...I know I was out cold for a while...and if I know you, and thank God that I do, I'm guessing you used a few moments of that to put us into the Vortex. So, being as we're not actually using any, we've got a gracious plenty of it."
I found myself laughing quietly. "Yes, you do, I did...and so we do."
"Your present regeneration has the sweetest smile...and it feels so good to be near you, Doctor...so good to hear and feel the TARDIS again. I feel like a place that has suffered a hundred year drought combined with daily solar flares, when once the flares are done and sufficient rain finally comes. I feel like the parched earth in such a location...and to me, you feel like the way the water pools at first, until the land remembers what it is and how to absorb it. So good."
My breath caught for a moment, that was easily the best thing anyone had ever said to me.
"Rose, I would like to reassure you on one particular front...which is that the Daleks did not evolve here...obviously I do go into other universes...as a direct result of one such foray I do know what Daleks are...I had to fight them...but I thought I'd tell you that bit."
"Thank you." She shuddered, though in memory this time. "I've had quite enough of dealing with them."
"Yes, I'd say you have too: Far too many dealings." I got a good hold on her, then...just to make sure she knew, "After three hundred years of real time, your original Doctor has likely met the Ghods by now...and has found his last death...no regeneration from that one. Or if not, he'd be very, very close to it. So, if you don't mind, I'll just keep you with this me."
"Thank you." And her voice was full of far too many kinds of tears. I'd have to see what I could do about reducing the number of those sources, though one was sheer relief that I'd accepted her. How could I not?
I turned my mind to the TARDIS to inquire how she was progressing and was told that her inner Wolf, that bit of vortex energy that still lived in her, had been fully recalibrated. It now matched properly to our universe's vortex, was recharging and the girl herself needed to be fed and put to bed.
As I moved to pull her toward me, the finger of coral receded and vanished. "She's reset your 'wolf' so that she matches our vortex's energy pattern and power...and has attached it to herself to recharge. Time for dinner and then bed." I got to my feet then bent over and gathered the girl up. Her arms went round my neck and back so she could press herself in as tightly as possible. With an unanchored, partial soulbond she instinctively sought as much contact as she could get.
"Gonna need to know that you're there, and I mean arm's reach, for a bit. Tired of waking up cryin' or screamin'...dependin' on tha dream. Bein' able to just roll over and have you there...that'll stop a lot of it." She warned me as I laid her down in my own bed a bit later.
"All right, good to know that bit. And anything rolling over doesn't stop, I'll deal with more directly. You can sleep and I'll get you grounded properly while you do. If I have to, do you mind if I wrap my mind around your's? It can be a haven for a particularly stretched, stressed human."
"Doctor, you can do any ol' damned thing you want." She told me firmly, truth and trust ringing loud in her voice. "Told you that already. Was a time my mind lived full time at the eye of your Storm. Tis a peaceful place, for me. And I've missed it so."
"Okay." I was still petting her and she sounded drowsy. She keeps surprising me. Never have I been given unconditional trust on this level. Full time? No wonder a lifebond had formed. How could it not?
"And attach the light line." Her voice was nearly gone, so close she was to drifting off.
The light line was a miniscule mental link between myself and anyone I'd invited on board, that allowed me to know when my companions were 'off' or in danger. I'd need it to monitor her anyway...but it was something I always did.
"Yes...and attach the light line." I agreed, affirming and confirming that she was one of mine.
"Needn't make it all that light: Matter of fact, 'light' could be a rather bad idea. Once I'm myself again, you will find that I get into at least as much trouble as you do and possibly more." She thought about that and smiled, "Probably more, as I do tend wander off as often, frequently when you're doing the same and usually in a completely different direction... I'm so looking forward to running with you again. So much so that I may not wait for you to start something with someone." She told me quite honestly, "More than likely, I'll get something on the boil myself before you even have the chance. Have before, when you let me get bored."
And that had me laughing.
Oh. Dear. God. He feels so good. He's in jimjams, so am I...but it's his bed and he's curled in so tightly around me. Full body contact and I can feel the grounding he took care of before laying me down, at work in me. He did anchor the soulbond to himself...no need for a light line now. The sheer power of my attachment to and positive emotions for him has knocked him clean out for a good bit and it finished on it's own utterly without controls. I don't have the mental strength just yet and he's out cold...so it's a completely natural bonding. It's very strong though, it's ever so strong: It's welcome though, it feels so good and with that thought on my part I can feel it strengthening even more. He's going to have a bit of a startle when he comes out of his faint.
Not that I'll ever let him live that down. I'm a lot weaker than he is, a lot weaker than normal even for me and I didn't faint when his much more powerful brain was brought fully into the bond to match the power of my emotions. There must be a balance, after all, and this Doctor doesn't have the personal history I had with my original Doctor. So some other powerful connection had to be made to balance the bond. Our minds are wide open to each other and I can 'hear' other voices...distant, muffled, but there in the background.
There were a few startled mental shouts of welcome and surprise when the bond attached, flaring in the minds of distant Time Lords without warning like that...a few moments after he fainted. And to those minds I sent a single sentence. "I have become Soulbound to the Doctor."
This was followed by the sort of vibrating silence that I thought was disbelief and then, when we continued to vibrate with the developing bond...and while he was still in his faint...I told them, "The emotion surge was so powerful, my mate has fainted in joy. You are invited to tease him." I got laughter in return then someone asked, "Who are you?"
"Who are you?" Asked an imperious blend of many voices. "We are the Lawgivers!"
"Not mine, you aren't, I am Rose Marion Tyler of 21st Century Earth, of an entirely different...and quite distant, universe, former human." I replied. "And now, I am Immortal and I am the Avatar of the Bad Wolf." In every universe where I had found Time Lords, they had known that name, what it was, what it meant. "And having learned more than a few uncomplimentary things about you council people, I should warn you that I will defend the Doctor from any threat...if you wish to continue to enjoy your lives, let him be. Elsewise, I will ensure that each of your regenerations are both lengthy and miserable...do you understand me?"
"We understand."
"Leave him alone unless he tells you to do something...or I do. Then you need only obey."
Whoever those assholes were, they cut off contact then, but I felt movement at my back and heard a chuckle. "That was the collective mindsend of the High Council. Thank you, Rose. Oh my, what a flea in the ear you gave them!"
"I had you too short a time, searched too long and too hard to allow anyone, anyone to..." I told him fiercely, choking off when I felt him pull me close, soothing me.
"I know you did. I still can't believe anyone could count me that important."
"I do...but I know better than to let your ego get out of hand ...so I 'll also tell you, that I let those other echoes know they were free to tease you about your faint."
"Oi!"
"The impact of the contents your big ol' brain didn't make me faint...and you were already out cold, so...it developed without any controls on it...at all."
"That's embarrassing."
"Yep. But strong, very strong."
"True...naturally set soulbonds are tremendously strong."
"And every time I thought about how good it felt, it got stronger."
"Did it?"
"Better warn Ninth and Tenth that when you get to that point, I'll already know them back to front. Speaking of which...sweeting?" She turned her head to look up. "I'm going to buy one of the better pinstripes to use instead of the one HE used. It was a bit too...too small for him. Needs a better cut...there's better ones. Better trainers, too."
"Trainers...with a suit?"
"Yep, sort of...sandshoes, anyway. Tenth." We're getting you some different suits, loungers, too. From casual to formals, all in renaissance wear...I want to show you off to all the women that can't have you."
"Clothes shopping." I asked to confirm, in disgust.
"Yes. And no fussing from you."
I just groaned.
"I'm getting some things from the same period...not always gowns. That period has the most delightful lacy underthings for women...we are a matched set...best look like it."
"Well, I rather do like that."
"Did you find the gold coin in the sky blue trunk?"
"Ah...yes."
"Good. That will be the when to do the shopping. Bow Street shops, please. Use the coin to open an account in the Bank of England. No, don't ask. Suffice to say there's lots of times in later regens when we needed coin and didn't have any."
"Okay."
"Still working for UNIT?"
"Sometimes."
"Best introduce us...as an 'us'. They knew I knew you...just not this universe's you. Told me I made their heads hurt."
He chuckled and I turned over to face him. "God, I love you Doctor."
"And I you. What knocked me out was gaining your original Doctor's memories from an extreme distance and in full...without warning. We merged...he was dying for the final time and as an old, old man...and he is now in me. We are one. I think he's rather pleased to be back on Eighth...but your original Nine and Ten tell me that they also know you back to front. The original TARDIS you knew is coming to us...for our firstborn to bond to."
She latched onto me with the speed of a bolt of lightening...and she could feel it as they finished the merge. "Timey-Wimey. Spacy wacy, round and through and upside down, inside out, spins and twirls, races and swirls over and under and back again." She whispered to us in a little sing-song voice full of joy and pain and tears and acceptance.
"That's how she is...nothing throws our Rose." Her Ninth told me in the echoing voice of a future self. "Not even a full fleet of thirty million Daleks. Amazing, our Rose. But very Jeopardy Friendly."
"Intimidated the council, did she?" Third grinned. "Good for her."
"Completed the Soulbond, then? Good." Tenth told me. "Beats me why she needs us, but she does. Down to her bones she does."
"I know." I told them and gathered her to me, hugging her tightly.
"Wait...did she say clothes shopping? Roooose!"
Two. Sets of two of every Doctor, every regeneration. Twenty-six of us. And she's pregnant again, with a set of twins, little girls this time. No looms for Rose, oh no. Told the council what biological alterations we needed, our people went back to physical unions...though with addictive pleasure included this time.
Our oldest boy was named after a man that our other selves identified as 'Jack'. He's not immortal, only nearly so. Not fixed, but missed being made one by a hair. He will outlive many stars. He was so pleased at Rose naming him Godfather to most of our children. We've got eight of them so far...it'll be ten with the girls when they're born. First daughters we've had.
She says she wants at least 27 kids...one for every Doctor plus an extra for Jack's bride. She swears he'll wed one of our daughters...the one she told both Ninths that whether they have the body or not, they're jointly godfathering. She didn't give them the option to say no, either. It was very much a feminine "Because I said so." moment as far as I could tell, though Ten said she was acting like her mum.
We all understand why, of course, Rose said that daughter was going to be so much like Jackie as to be frightening. Nine and Ten had not been reassured by that statement. One of a Godfather's jobs was allowing mischief...so yes, having Nine as Godfather limited the mischief and would ensure the girl was properly trained. Of course, that meant that mutl-mes were going to be working quite closely together...
This regeneration is middle-aged...she has made carefully sure that I do not regenerate early. The other Eighth is grateful. He went through hell and then died too soon, too young in his regeneration. She never knew him, that other Eighth, but he is a Doctor and so her's and she loves him regardless.
She is amazing: She worked out a way so that when I am mentally weakened or in severe mental shock, the other Eighth...the one that died young, takes over...until the next time...and then I take the body back. She also closed the loop between Twelfth and First. When Twelfth dies, he will regenerate back into First...both Firsts...won't they be shocked? I can almost hear the complaints already.
Because of the tie to the vortex through Bad Wolf, Rose is immortal...and because she is and because she is tied to both TARDIS's, they are also, their bonds to us provided the link she needed to share her lifespan with us...and she refuses to lose any of us. She's already been through that and she's having none of it.
Six hundred and ten years, I've lived with and loved the Eighth Doctor, but now that body's time is done.
As he begins to regenerate, I wait and watch for the familiar face of the Ninth Doctor to reappear. He lies in clothes that he doesn't care for and which are much too big, very much the wrong size altogether and smiles. "At least he'll be properly clothed."
"Yes." I sat next to him and for now, until he begins to glow, I hold his wrinkled old hand. "Black woolen jumper over a undershirt...I made it a muscle shirt so I can enjoy the eye-candy." She smiled at my chuckle. "Black, tight fitting knit boxer briefs, black jeans You'll look like you were poured into, tube socks, black boots...battered, black leather jacket...butter smooth and as soft as satin. I love this regeneration...Eighth, but I had Ninth for too short a time and I have not seen him in over a thousand years, truth be told. There are differences enough between thee and he...I wonder, will you still want me when you're Nine? I never knew then, you know. You never said. And sometimes you'd look at me and I'd think I had a chance...and then other times...and then with Ten...you kept shoving me away though I shared a bed with you...you'd only let me so close before shoving at me." She paused, "I never really knew you loved me, really loved me the way I love you, until this you, you know?" She told the passing Eighth. And I love you for you, not just because you're one of the herd, I want you to know that, all of your bits need to understand this. I love each Doctor for himself as well as for the whole."
He stared at me in shock. "You are amazing." He told me and I released his hand as he began to glow, though I didn't move away.
I held our soulbond steady, supported it, but didn't restrict it, allowing it to adjust to the Ninth's personality as he moved to the fore. And as he settled, as the glowfire and the sparks faded and I locked eyes with the Ninth again, I knew which of the pair it was, could feel the other Nine swat the back of his head and shove him forward...and felt tears falling unheeded down my face.
"I should've told you." Were his first words to me. "I should have said. I do love you, whatever the body, Rose. And I'm so desperately sorry for making you wait over a thousand years to hear me say it. Ten's an idiot, but I don't have that excuse."
"Doctor...I have loved you with all of my body, my heart and my soul since 'run'."
~Finis~