A/N: Okay, so this scene popped into my head on my way to class this morning. I had to write it. This is my first bit of Doctor Who fanfiction, so please take that into consideration when you critique it.

This takes place at some point after "The Angels Take Manhattan" and before "The Snowmen."

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of its characters.


She's Coming

"The Doctor, alone in the TARDIS…as it should be."

The Doctor, who was lying on the floor of the control room, closed his eyes. He wasn't sure where to go from there. River had left him; she had to. And the Ponds…

He couldn't. He couldn't think about it. It had been so long, yet the wound was still as emotionally crippling as it had been that fateful day in New York.

Then, he felt it. Fingers gingerly ran themselves through his hair before lifting up his head. He furrowed his brow in confusion when his head came to rest on something soft and warm.

The fingers continued their work, and the Doctor reluctantly felt himself relax.

"…River? I thought-"

"Shh," came the response.

He was about to open his eyes, but a hand covered them before he could see the other occupant of the TARDIS.

"Who are you?" The Doctor asked, uncertain. It wasn't River. He could sense it.

"Does it need saying?" The mystery person whispered.

Those words stung him for some reason. It was on the tip of his tongue, but for some reason he couldn't figure it out. There was a spark of familiarity that he couldn't explain…this person wasn't River, but he knew her…yes, definitely a her…

"I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry," came the hushed voice again. "You've lost so much…"

The Doctor swallowed hard as the hand began to soothingly stroke his hair again.

"But you've always carried on, since the beginning. No matter what you lost, you continued to fight." The hand in his hair stopped. "What has changed?"

The Doctor tried to keep his voice steady when he replied. "I'm tired," he said simply.

"That never stopped you before."

"Everyone I touch, everyone I love…I lose them all. No matter what I do for the universe, it always takes them from me in the end." The Doctor's lower lip trembled as he came to a terrible realization. "The universe doesn't care."

"But you do," the mystery woman reminded him. "You can hide from it up here in your TARDIS for as long as you want, but you care. That's why the universe needs you. You never stop caring; you never stop loving." The Doctor laid there in wonder as he felt a kiss pressed firmly to his forehead.

"I want to see you," the Doctor told her.

There was a pause. "You can't."

"Why not?" The Doctor challenged in frustration.

Another pause. "The whole thing would fracture," she told him shakily, her voice betraying her emotion. "Two universes would collapse."

A breath hitched in the Doctor's throat. "Rose…"

"Shh," she told him again, "I know."

"Please," the Doctor begged her, reaching up and pulling her hand from his eyes. "I need something."

Rose didn't resist, and when the Doctor opened his eyes, there she was. Her hair had grown longer again; it fell down past her shoulders. She wore a black leather jacket with a white sweater beneath it. She looked just as beautiful as ever.

The Doctor shook his head in absolute wonderment. "How?" He questioned her.

"Does it matter?" She asked him with a breathless laugh. "I'm here."

"Yes, yes you are," the Doctor agreed, leaving his questions behind. He grinned as he brushed the top of her hand with his thumb. "Rose Tyler and the Doctor in the TARDIS…"

"As it should be," she finished for him with another laugh. Her smile melted away, and a sad look took its place. "I don't have much time."

The Doctor's grin also faded. "I should have known," he said, looking away from her.

"She's coming," Rose told him cryptically. "She's coming and you need to be ready."

The Doctor stared at her. "Ready for what?"

Rose looked up at the ceiling. "The Fall," she whispered solemnly before looking back down at him.

The Doctor opened his mouth to ask more questions, but she placed a finger on her lips.

"Fingers on lips," she said, a smile appearing on her face once more.

The Doctor reluctantly obeyed.

"Know this," she told him, beaming. "I'll be seeing you again."

The Doctor didn't know how to react. It just wasn't possible. He wouldn't dare allow himself to hope.

She placed a hand on his cheek. "I love you," she whispered affectionately.

The Doctor smiled. "I-"

Rose began to fade, a grim smile in place. The Doctor felt his hearts ache.

The Doctor then opened his eyes and bolted upright, shouting, "Rose!"

Reality sunk in. It was just a dream.

The Doctor fell back into a laying position. She had never been there, and he wouldn't be seeing her again. She was gone, and the Ponds…

The Doctor sighed sadly and closed his eyes. Rose had been right about one thing though: something was coming. He could feel it. But he didn't care, not anymore.

No. Rose had been right about that, too. He did care. He cared too much.

But he didn't want to care anymore, so he hid himself away.

"The Doctor, alone on the TARDIS…as it should be."


A/N: There are so many parallels between Clara and Rose. They have to be connected somehow. Rose was basically foreshadowing Clara's reappearance as well as her own in the upcoming 50th anniversary episode. I'm so excited for that, you have no idea.

Reviews would be wonderful! Like I said before, I've never written for Doctor Who before, so I'd like to know what the readers think.