It started with the feeling of being watched. My room was dark and silent, except for the occasional snore or sigh from my mother in the bed next to me. She looked so frail and defeated, on the verge of death. Dad had left eight months ago, shortly after we were forcibly trapped in this parallel universe. That's when Mum had fallen ill, and she's been getting weaker and closer to death each day. She refuses to speak to or see anyone, and I haven't been able to find a doctor willing to come see her. We live in the outer bounds of our city, Bloomington, and not many people are willing to cross over the river to come here. The river was poisoned the same day Dad left, causing the epidemic of Mum's virus to take over Bloomington. It produced a heavy fog that is almost impossible to avoid, and it causes me to nearly choke every time I face it.

That's also the same day the dreams started. Every night, just before two in the morning, I dream of a woman who comes to save us. She always appears as a shadow at first, just a dark hooded figure. I know I have never seen her before, yet there is something strangely and almost painfully familiar about her. A feeling of relief and safety washes over me, as if she is a guardian angel that has saved me in a past life. The dreams get fuzzy and I can never seem to remember every detail, but I know that with the woman comes a small flash of green light and the heavy fog lights. Mum's eyes open, the world brightens, and the room is lit up long enough for me to catch a glimpse of the mysterious woman but I always wake up before I can look into her eyes. I've imagined her face a thousand different ways, but her identity is always lost to me. I have even tried taking sleeping pills left over from Dad's surgery before he left to help me sleep longer and finish the dream, but nothing works. I'm trapped here, now in more ways than one.

But the dreams aren't the worst. Being awake is the hardest part. It's not just surviving that's been difficult, it's living. Trying to act normal, trying to get my life back together. I have always been shaped by the people I'm with, and right now I am nobody. Mum is no longer the bubbly, saucy Jackie Tyler that she once was, and her sickness is sucking the life out of me. My travels with the Doctor taught me that I am strong enough to make a difference, to save somebody, to have an impact on the world. Before him, I was a clerk in a department store, and I wasn't destined for much. Marriage, maybe, someday. But nothing great. Nothing brilliant. He changed all of that for me, and now I will never see him again.

After spending another day taking care of Mum, feeding her and bathing her like a child, I finally lay down to sleep, waiting for the only good part of the day: my dream. It's dark and quiet. A gentle, rhythmic snoring comes from Mum's bed. The air grows heavy, and I feel a presence behind me. I slowly turn over and see the outline of a tall, thin woman, wearing a hood in the darkness. A sense of comfort overwhelms me and tears of relief spring to my eyes. She moves closer and places her hand on my shoulder. I wait for the fog to lift and Mum's eyes to open, but this time is different. When the small green light appears, the dream doesn't end. The woman utters a single word: "Run."

My eyes snap open and I know I'm not dreaming. Before I can turn on the lamp on my bedside table, the woman grabs my hand and pulls me out of bed. Disoriented, I feel around for my slippers, but she drags me out of the house and into the dark, cold night. The fog engulfs me and I struggle to breathe. The woman quickly straps a gas mask over my face and continues to drag me further. We stumble out to the road, where the street lamps are still dimly lit. She finally stops pulling me and pauses to let me catch my breath. In the light, I can finally look at her. My blood freezes in my veins as I take in her gentle face, her long black cloak, and… a sonic screwdriver in her hand. It can't be. That's impossible. The Doctor seals off this universe eight months ago…

"Doctor?" I whisper. The woman grins.

"Still not ginger," she replied with a wink. "Come on!" Before I can respond, she grabs my hand again and runs toward the contaminated river. Away from the streetlights, the darkness consumes us once more. I can't see anything, but blindly trust the Doctor as she pulls me behind her. Part of me thinks, A woman? This can't be the Doctor. It's impossible, and yet I know for sure that this woman is indeed the Doctor. I remember him once telling me about another Time Lord that had been a woman a few times, fierce and capable as ever. I was told that she had fought off the Daleks more than once, and was just as strong as any man. Regeneration always brought an element of surprise, but this was huge.

Through the fog, I spot the TARDIS in the distance. My eyes immediately fill with tears and I think to myself, I'm finally home. The Doctor brings me inside the TARDIS and I am relieved to see that everything looks the same. I take off the gas mask and let my eyes adjust to the light. The Doctor watches me silently; I can tell that, for once, she is speechless as well.

"I never thought I'd see you again," I say softly. "But I've had the feeling that you've been here with me."

"Rose, you know that you and your family mean the world to me. I know you must be shocked by my appearance, but I'm still me. Nothing's changed."

I suddenly grow angry. "Doctor, everything's changed. Do you see this poisoned city? Did you see my Mum? Oh god, Mum! We can't just leave her there! Doctor, she's dying!"

I make a run for the door, but the Doctor puts her hand on my shoulder and says, "You stay here. I'll go get her," and disappears into the night. She comes back less than a minute later, carrying Mum in her arms, who is wide awake and screaming. I scramble to my feet and take her from the Doctor.

"Mum!" I exclaim. "What happened? What's wrong?" I lay her down at my feet and sit beside her. "Mum, please say something."

"She's been attacked," said the Doctor gravely, "by someone who's been after us for decades."

"Us?" I say. "What do you mean, 'us'?" Before the Doctor can answer, Mum moans and clutches her wrist. I gently roll her sleeve up and bite back a scream. The words "Bad Wolf" had been branded onto Mum's skin in red, angry letters. "Oh god," I gasp. "This is all my fault. All of this, it's because of me." The Doctor comes and sits beside me.

"No, Rose," she sighs. "It's me. I was the one who put you in danger in the first place." I shake my head and slowly run my fingers across the words on Mum's wrist. As soon as I do, the heart of the TARDIS suddenly opens up, emitting the same blinding bright light that it once had, filling my eyes with the Time Vortex once more.

"Come with me," the Doctor whispers. "The Time Vortex holds the antidote for Jackie. If you want to save your Mum, we need to leave immediately."

I nod slowly, still in shock. As much as I hated the thought, it still came to my mind: the Doctor is back… but she's a woman. Am I still safe? Can she help us as well as she did before?

As if she heard my thoughts, the Doctor comes over the me and takes my hand. "I'm the same as always, Rose. Don't be fooled by my appearance. You should know this best out of anyone." Her eyes pierce through my soul, and my doubts vanish.

"Let's go."