On the Beach
Rose suddenly broke away from the man kissing her, the one who understood that it did need to be said, and who had finally given her the words that she had waited so long to hear. She turned away from him, though, in order to watch the TARDIS disappear for the last time.
"Well," she said, her voice thick with emotion and her eyes shiny with unshed tears. "I should have expected that. The Doctor has always been good at running, after all."
The attractive blue-suited man with extremely tousled hair stepped closer to her and reached for her hand. "Rose, I'm so s…"
"No!" she said emphatically, as she shook her head and cut him off in mid-apology. However, to his great relief, she did accept his hand and held it tightly as she continued to talk. "This is not your fault – none of it is! It can't be your fault because - no matter what the two of you said - you're not him! You're something new. You're someone new." She paused for a moment before wiping her eyes with her free hand, squaring her shoulders, and meeting his concerned gaze with her own now-steady one. "But that's okay…and do you know why?" She looked, suddenly confident, at this new human version of the Doctor. He just shook his head, confused. Therefore, she continued. "It's okay - because I am also someone new. I'm definitely not the same girl who found herself on the wrong side of a white wall almost five years ago."
"It's been five years for you?" he asked incredulously, finally remembering that sometimes time moved differently between dimensions. Even though it had seemed like an eternity without her, he knew that it had only been about two linear years for him (or for the full-Time Lord version of him, at any rate). He then also realized how very little time that he (in either form) had been able to speak with Rose before this. Everything had just moved so quickly – even for one whose species had mastered Time. It seemed as if one minute he had been overjoyed to see her standing on the other end of the street and the next minute they had been left together on this beach – with him in a new human body. Therefore, he finally took the opportunity and looked at her carefully. She was still gorgeous, but this time he was able to distinguish the differences between the younger, more innocent Rose and this older, tougher, and more experienced one. How had he failed to notice her new leaner and toned frame, the confident and authoritative way she moved and spoke, and the wealth of experience in her eyes and face? She has changed! he thought to himself as he suddenly remembered the casual way in which she had held that huge weapon on the street.
"Yes," she continued, fully aware of his intense scrutiny, "and it is important for you to really understand what that means. If there is any chance, at all, of this working," here she paused to gesture between them, "then I think that we have to decide right here and now that we are not the same people that we were before. We may have fond memories of them. However, that's all they are now…just memories."
He quickly realized that she was right and a wave of guilt and sadness over what could have been, what should have been, flooded his soul – somehow feeling even more intense in this human body than such feelings ever had in his fully Time Lord form. However, at the same time, new emotions were also pushing to the front of the line and making themselves known. Feelings of hope, excitement, anticipation, and…what could only be love… bubbled up inside of him. After all, he had truly meant those words he had whispered to her just a few minutes ago. He then looked into her deep brown eyes and realized, not unhappily, that he was going to have the honor of getting to know Rose Tyler all over again. It didn't take him long to realize that he couldn't wait to learn more about the obviously amazing and complex woman that she had become.
He recognized the fact that those were also things that needed to be said – and he was never going to make that kind of mistake again - so he told her exactly what was on his mind. When he did so, he was rewarded with a gorgeous smile that swept across her face - and it was as if the sun had come out from behind the clouds. It wasn't the same carefree tongue-touched one from their past that he remembered so fondly, but he felt himself responding to its pull all the same. Therefore, he moved closer to her and cupped her face with his free hand.
"You're going to need a name," she murmured softly, leaning into his touch. "I don't think that I can use… the other one…at least not for a little while."
"I understand," he said honestly. "What would you like to call me?" he then asked with a slightly mischievous grin.
"Anything but John Smith!" she exclaimed – and this time when she smiled, her tongue did make an appearance.
He found that he couldn't contain the whoop of excited laughter that came out of his mouth right then as the tension that he had been holding suddenly released. Nor could he resist the urge to pick her up and swing her into an exuberant hug which she returned just as enthusiastically. After a moment, though, she pulled away and looked at him seriously.
"It won't be easy," she warned and he nodded in agreement. When had anything ever been easy for them? "Learning to live life on the slow path is going to take some time for you..." she continued, but her voice trailed off as she sadly realized just how much he had given up to stay there with her.
He knew that, too, but his next words were still honest and heartfelt. "However, it will be worth it – as long as we're together!" he acknowledged and knew without a doubt that he was right about that when she responded by suddenly pulling his head down for another kiss. Their first one been almost desperate – and was over all too quickly since they had been interrupted by the sounds of the departing TARDIS. However, they took their time with this kiss. It was soft and sensual and it soon made him very aware of some of the benefits (and obvious drawbacks) of his new body! He found that he could only hope that they would have a chance to explore that situation later as Rose pulled away slightly and gently smiled at his…predicament.
"Let's go home," she said and he wondered if that slightly suggestive tone he heard in her voice was more than just a figment of his wistful imagination - when he suddenly became aware of Jackie – who had just choked back what had sounded suspiciously like a sob. She had apparently been watching them from a short distance the entire time and now had a tender look on her face at the sight of their kiss. He felt a surge of affection and gratitude for the woman for giving them those few minutes of much needed privacy in order to work things out. Apparently, he and Rose were not the only ones who had changed a lot in the last five years – especially since the old Jackie that he knew from before would have been right there between them – probably chattering away about something nonsensical. At any rate, he and Rose turned and started walking towards her - still holding hands.
"So, how's all this going to work then?" Jackie asked speculatively, looking at their joined hands, as they approached.
"We don't know yet, Mum," Rose answered. "But…"
He decided to finish the statement for her. "We can't wait to find out!"
The smile that the two of them then shared could have lit up the sun - and it was all the answer that Jackie needed as she pulled them both into her arms.