Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, all rights to the BBC, etc., etc.
Author's note:Rose wasn't there for Journey's End, only Mickey. Rose went missing from Pete's World before the dimension cannon happened. Mickey told The Doctor she disappeared and he thinks she's dead.
Rose wasn't having a great day. For one thing, she was exhausted. She'd been having trouble sleeping for a while, but she hadn't slept at all the night before. There were too many nightmares. She'd also spent the last 2 months trying to find The Doctor.
Rose, of course, wasn't thick. She was aware that it would be difficult, if not impossible to find him. But she hoped that once again, the impossible would happen. She after all, was back in her universe because of the impossible.
She still wasn't quite sure how she got back. She vaguely remembered gold light and then darkness. The next thing Rose knew, she was in present day Cardiff. She knew that something was off when she noticed the lack of zeppelins in the sky. The obvious give away was Jack Harkness running towards her. She quickly realised that she was back in the right universe. Jack, who hadn't seen The Doctor since the stars were going out, told her everything he could to help her find him. He let her use his vortex manipulator to help search.
Rose had decided to go to different museums to look for anything that could be related to The Doctor. Many times she had listened to him going on about museums. How they often had alien artifacts and how he liked to visit them to see their mistakes. So she started to search museums. But even with the vortex manipulator, it was taking awhile.
Rose was in Rome. She had just left another museum empty-handed. She had searched all day and found nothing. Hungry and tired, Rose made her way to a café down the side street she had been walking on, and sat at a table outside.
"I just bought a coffee, I'm not buying another!"
"Miss, if you don't buy something-"
"I just bought a coffee!"
"I'm afraid we'll need this table for paying customers."
"I just bought something! I'm not-"
"Get her another coffee," Rose said as she sat down in front of the woman who had been arguing with a waiter. "Here's the money, just take it now."
"You don't have to do that," the woman said.
"No, it's alright."
"I would have bought another," the woman replied, "but I don't have any money left. I forgot my wallet with my husband and I'm waiting for him to bring it. I'll pay you back when he gets here,"
"It's fine."
"Are you sure?"
"Absolutely."
The waiter came back with the coffee and placed it in front of the woman who glared at him.
"Anyway, I'm Amy," she stated.
"Rose Tyler."
"Nice to meet you Rose. So, what are you doing in Rome?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well you're obviously not from Rome with that accent."
"I'm from London. What about you?"
"Leadworth."
They had been sitting in silence for a few minutes when they heard someone yelling for Amy.
"Over here!" she shouted back as the man ran over.
"Here's your wallet. You forgot it again," he said as he leaned in for a quick kiss.
"Thanks. Oh right, Rory this is Rose Tyler. Rose, this is my husband Rory."
Rory stared at Rose in shock, quickly recognizing her.
"Sorry, did you say Rose Tyler?" he asked.
"Yeah, why-"
"I'll be right back- don't go anywhere," Rory replied as he took off running.
Rory ran as fast as he could. He remembered stumbling upon Rose's old room in the TARDIS one day. How it seemed to hurt The Doctor to explain who she was. He never told Amy, knowing there was a reason The Doctor hadn't mentioned Rose before.
He had to tell him that she was here. Rory ran around the corner, relieved to see The Doctor, bowtie and all, leaning again the TARDIS.
"Rory! There you are! I was wondering wh- where's Amy?"
"At that café" Rory replied as he tried to catch his breath. "The one… you told us… about… she's with-"
"Oh, good, you found it! That's great. I wasn't sure that you'd find it-"
"Doctor!"
"Rory!"
"She's with Amy!"
"Who's with Amy? What are you talking about?"
"Rose. Rose Tyler."
The Doctor stared at Rory in shock.
"I know you said you think she's dead. But maybe this is where she disappeared to from the other universe. She looks just like your pictures of her, and Amy said it was her name, and-" Rory was cut off as The Doctor ran the way Rory came.
"So you've only seen the museums here?" Amy asked.
"Basically, yeah," Rose answered.
"You have to come with us; we haven't seen everything we wanted to see and you've barely seen anything."
"Okay," Rose laughed
"Did you come to Rome just look at museums?"
"No, um, I'm actually looking for a friend of mine."
"Where are you supposed to meet your friend?"
"Actually," Rose hesitated, "I don't know where he is. Haven't known for awhile. I'm trying to find him."
"Oh," Amy replied, assuming that Rose's friend went missing.
"Yeah."
They sat in silence as Rose picked at the napkin in front of her, trying to think of something besides The Doctor.
"We could help you!" Amy exclaimed.
"What?" Rose answered as she refocused on the conversation.
"We can help! Rory and I have a friend that would know exactly how to find him."
"Yeah, sure, that'd be great," Rose replied. She knew they probably wouldn't find The Doctor, but she was getting desperate.
She looked around. Rome is quite pretty, she thought, and I guess it wouldn't hurt spending some time relaxing and seeing Rome.
Rose gazed over to where Rory had run off, wondering where he was and why he had acted so odd. She was about to ask Amy if he was always like that when she noticed a man, standing at the end of the road, looking at her. He had dark floppy hair, that fell on one side of his face. He was wearing a tweed coat, black pants and a blue bowtie.
"Amy?"
"Yeah?" Amy replied as she looked up. "Why are you standing up? Do you have to go?"
"Do you know that guy?"
"Who?"
"Look behind you. The one in the bowtie."
Amy turned to look at the man.
"Oh there he is," Amy said as she waved. "That's my friend, The Doctor."
"What did you just say?"
"The Doctor."
Rose gasped, her hands went to her mouth in shock.
"Don't know why he's standing there, though."
Rose slowly moved around the table and took a few steps toward him.
"When you said he was The Doctor," Rose slowly stated as she turned to look at Amy, "did you mean that was his name?"
"Yeah, why?"
She couldn't believe it. It's him, Rose thought, it's actually him. She took one look and ran toward him.
He started running and met her halfway. She ran into his arms as he pulled her close and lifted her off her feet. Tears falling, Rose buried her face in The Doctor's shoulder.
"Hello Rose Tyler," The Doctor murmured into Rose's blonde hair.
Rose let out a choked sob.
"You changed again," she said as she pulled back a bit.
"New, new Doctor," he replied. "Still the same man, though."
She nestled her head against his chest.
"I missed you."
"Oh, Rose Tyler," he sighed as he leaned down to kiss the top of her head, "I missed you too."
They stood, wrapped in each others arms, refusing to let go.
"Do you guys want to explain what's going on," Amy questioned as she walked over to them.
"Hello Pond. This… this is my Rose. I mean Rose," The Doctor answered.
"I know that's her name, but why- wait, where's Rory?"
"Back at the TARDIS. Speaking of which, I think we should head there now," The Doctor replied as he grabbed Rose's hand and led the way.
They walked back to the TARDIS in silence, occasionally sneaking glances at each other. Amy wondered what had happened between the two people next to her.
"You found her!" Rory exclaimed as he saw The Doctor, Rose and Amy walking towards him,
"You're pointing out the obvious again, Rory," The Doctor stated as he walked past and unlocked the TARDIS door.
"That's not what I m-"
"The TARDIS changed too!" Rose interrupted.
"…Yes, when I regenerated," The Doctor responded. "…Do you like it?"
"Yeah, it's different."
"Bad different or good different?"
Rose smiled, "Just… different."
They stood staring at each other until Rory coughed loudly.
"I think Amy and I'll head to bed now," Rory stated.
"Wait, I want to find out-" Amy protested.
"I'll explain later. Just come on," Rory whispered as he lead Amy out of the console room.
"How are you here Rose?" The Doctor asked.
"I don't know. All I remember before I woke up in this universe, was some gold light," Rose replied.
"Gold light?"
"Yeah. Sort of like… like the heart of the TARDIS."
"What?!"
"What is it?" Rose questioned as The Doctor flicked a few switches on the TARDIS console.
"My beautiful ship!" The Doctor exclaimed. "Thank you!"
"Did the TARDIS have something to do with me getting back?"
"She had everything to do with it! Did you happen to disappear in Cardiff?"
"Yeah."
"And did you reappear in Cardiff?"
"Yeah. I saw Jack there and he lent me his vortex manipulator," she answered as she help up her wrist.
"Could I see that?"
"Sure?"
"Thanks. I'll have to remember to fix that so he can't mess up any timelines," The Doctor stated as he put it in his pocket. "Anyway, the TARDIS sensed you were on the rift in Pete's World, so she took the opportunity to bring you back."
"How'd she know I was there?"
"Good question!" The Doctor replied as he flashed the sonic screwdriver in front of her face.
He changed the sonic too, Rose though.
"Huon particles!" he exclaimed. "Same things that are in the heart of the TARDIS. You've got loads of them."
"Are they dangerous?"
"Normally, yes. But with you… they have a different effect," he slowed as he realised what had happened.
"What is it, Doctor? What's wrong?"
"I'm sorry."
"Doctor?"
"When you looked into the heart of the TARDIS, she changed you."
There was a pause.
"Am… Am I going to die?"
"Oh, Rose. You're going to be alive for a very long time."
"How long?"
"You're connected to the TARDIS. Which, when put simply, means you'll live for as long as the TARDIS."
"How long is that?"
"About as long as I'll live."
He stared at her, feeling guilty.
"Then isn't that a good thing?"
"What do you mean?"
"You don't have to be alone anymore, Doctor. You'll have me!"
"You'd stay?"
"Unless, you don't want me to, then…"
"My beautiful Rose, how could I not want you?"
Rose grabbed The Doctor's coat and pulled his lips to hers. He cupped her face in his hand and wrapped his other arm around her. She flung her arms around his neck and played with the hair on the back of his neck. It was slow and sweet- better than Rose could have imagined. They were both disappointed when Rose had to pull to breathe. They rested their foreheads together, breathing heavily.
"Rose Tyler, I love you."
