A/N: So I saw a prompt, saying 'Imagine your OTP as complete strangers to each other. Person A is about to jump off a bridge/building/other high place, and person B tries to talk them out of it.' And since Rose/Doctor has been like the only thing in my head lately, this came forth.
This is really really AU, and Rose and the Doctor are going to be a little (maybe more than a little) OOC. But that's on purpose. You can't have an AU like this without them being OOC.
Trigger Warning: This talks about suicide, a lot.
She ignored the cold, sharp wind cutting into her skin, she ignored the full moon and hundreds of stars in the nighttime sky, she blocked everything out of her mind, and focused down at her feet, and the edge of a rusty old bridge beneath them, and the dark waters below. If one were to jump into those waters, they would be dragged under and swept away in an instant. Even if they did manage to swim, the cold would finish them. To jump would be to die.
Rose Tyler was planning to jump.
Her life had no meaning, not to her. Her dad dead, her mother shortly following her dad. Her boyfriend had left her, and Rose was left with no friends, no family, no job, no anything. She had tried, and she had struggled, and in the end, she had failed. Life had become challenging, and utterly worthless to her.
Taking a deep breath, Rose tucked back a piece of hair the wind blew lose, and looked back at the sky. The last time she'd ever see it.
"This is it," She whispered. Shutting her eyes tight, she edged a little forward, and was about to about to end it, when she felt someone grab her and tug her backwards.
Rose stumbled backwards and pushed herself away from whoever grabbed her, and opened her eyes.
There was a man there, looking at her. He had short hair, and leather jacket, and a concerned look on his face.
"Are you okay?" He asked. Rose took a few steps back.
"Does it matter?" She said, not sure if he understood what she was going to do.
"Well, yes. Why were you so close to the edge anyway?"
Rose cast her glance down at her feet, away from the stranger.
"Um," she said nervously. Understanding flashed across the mans face.
"Oh," he said, realization dawning. "Why would you want to... you know..."
Rose stiffened. She didn't feel like explaining her life to some stranger.
"I have my reasons," she replied.
"But why? What could be so bad that the only solution is to end it all?"
Here it comes, Rose thought. Oh, the beauty of life, why would you want to die? You're beautiful and talented, blah blah blah. She had heard the same argument from therapists and 'friends' alike, but no one knew. No one really, truly knew what it was like for her. They pretended to know, but it was all stereotypical nonsense about 'the fantastic thing called life'.
"Listen, sir, I've tried, and it's just not working. Nothing... nothing's working. I've made my choice, now leave me be," Rose stated firmly, and then moved back to her position at the edge of the bridge. She waited for the man to leave, but she didn't hear his retreating footsteps. Instead, he walked towards her, and stood right next to her.
He reached over and held her hand.
"No."
"No?"
"No, I won't leave you alone. No one should die alone."
"B-but," Rose started, before being interrupted.
"If you're going to jump, then I'll jump with you," the man said, with a half smile.
"But why?" Rose said, gently trying to tug her hand away, but the man just held it tighter, "Don't you have a family or something?"
The stranger shook his head.
"Friends? Co-workers? Something?"
"Nope. No one."
Rose finally succeeded in pulling her hand away.
"It's just not right, you aren't going to do this," Rose said.
"Then neither are you," The man said with a grin.
There was a silence, Rose and the man staring each other down, until the man spoke again.
"Well- what's your name?"
"Rose. Rose Tyler."
"Well then, how about I prove to you life's worth living?"
"And how exactly are you planning to do that?"
"Rose Tyler, I'm gonna show you the universe."
