Inspired by the idea (NO idea how legit it is) that people who are really close to each other can sense when their loved one leaves the world.


The sheets were sweaty, but Rose rolled out of bed shivering, her face wet with perspiration and tears.

"No," she sobbed. "He's dying! Oh, someone help him! Help!"

The door opened, and Rose recoiled, shying away from the light, putting her hands up, curling against the wall.

"Rose, what's going on?"

She grasped at the voice's owner blindly in the dark. "Doctor! The Doctor! Someone-"

"Shh…" comforting arms curled around her and pressed her against a familiar chest. "Rose, it's alright. Just a nightmare."

"The Doctor," she said, hysterical with grief. "Where's the Doctor?"

She could see the pain flash in his deep brown eyes. "That's me," he whispered.

"The Doctor, the other Doctor, where is he?"

"Rose, it'll be okay! It was just a nightmare, calm down."

"Where is he?"

"Sweetheart, shh. He's fine. And you've got me now."

"No, he's not fine, he's not! He's dying! The Doctor is dying!"

"How do you know?"

"Dream - but it wasn't a dream - and I'm just so sure it's real!"

She looked up into the ancient eyes, so like the ones failing and closing so far away. Exactly like.

"You believe in impossible things," she told her Doctor. "Please, listen to me."

"I'm listening," he said, and held her closer.

"His song is ending - he knocked. Four times, the knocking, four ... and four."

"Rose -"

"The heartbeat of a Time Lord."

There was pain in his face again, her Doctor. "Isn't one heart enough for you?" he said.

"It's not like that. It's - he's dying! He's hurting, and he's dying now, because of those four beats -"

"Rose, please. Calm down. We both have bad dreams, don't we, and we've always pulled through before. Just focus on everything you remember about him - me - focus on the wonderful times, okay? I've got you."

Rose closed her eyes, let out a trembling breath, and relaxed in his arms…

And a memory came.

"He visited me. Oh my- he was dying! He is dying!" She started to struggle, her breathing picking up again, pushing against her comforter's arms. "He's dying! He was dying! That's why he was - he was in pain, and I asked him if he was drunk, oh, oh, he was regenerating… the Doctor is dying! He's -"

She stopped, and for a tense moment, the world was still and dark and silent.

"Gone," she whispered, and grasped desperately at the man holding her, weeping into his shoulder. Her whole body shook violently.

He cried, too. "Rose, can't you let him go? I'm here."

"He's dead, let me cry. He's dead. Don't you go, too."

"I'm sorry."

"You can't die, too, you're all I have left."

"I'm not going anywhere."

The pain stayed on his face, this time. He wanted to take her and kiss her and ask her if, honestly, when it came down to it, that was all he was to her. A shadow of the past life. But she was crying. The other Doctor was dead, and so he stayed quiet. A minute of silence that lasted beyond sixty seconds.

Hours, and he let her cry.


Yeah... not a very happy one-shot... review?

Thanks to:

Chameleon Circuit for their song "The Doctor is Dying" - I stole the name, and I listened to it while I wrote. Amazing.

The brilliant author Kelenloth for changing my view of the 10th Doctor Duplicate from "Ten Two" to "Ten, Too". Making me see him as really the Doctor, not just some random guy who stole Rose. I really appreciate it and it definitely affected this story :)

And Russell T Davies for the End of Time and making me cry so hard I had a headache today.