Title: The Same, Always

Series: Forever

Author: ShadowNeko003

Rating: T

Pairing: Eleven/Rose, mentions of Nine/Rose, Ten/Rose, TenII/Rose

Characters: Doctors 9-11, Rose, mentions of Amy

Disclaimer: Why would I be writing fanfiction if I owed it? Wanna sue? Take it up with my team of Pikachu lawyers, Chu and Sparky.

Author's Note: So instead of studying for the GRE like I'm supposed to be, I wrote this. I'm American, so I'm not that familiar with British English. Sorry if I got anything wrong.

You can say that this story takes place before my In the End story.

I wrote this for the doctor-rose-fix summer fixation over at livejournal. I ended up combining two prompts.

1) He is the same man, always.

2) And sometimes, when I'm not too busy being angry or strong or even happy for letting you go, I just feel sad. Because I miss you.

The Doctor wandered aimlessly through the corridors of the TARDIS, with no particular destination. Lost in his thoughts, he ended in a familiar hallway that he had not step foot in a quite a long while. He found himself in front a particular door that made his hearts hurt. Although he looked different (along with a few other things,) he was still the same man, and he missed her. He was standing in front of the room of Rose Tyler. He couldn't bear to call it her former room because she would always have a room in the TARDIS for as long as Time continued and he and the TARDIS both existed.

He placed his hand on the doorknob and turned it. The room was as she left it so many years ago on that day that she was forced from this universe; Doomsday, as he had dubbed it later. Her sleepwear was exactly where she had thrown it that morning, along with everything else from before that day. He thought back to the day that he had almost lost everything to that loathed being known as House. He was angry that House had almost killed Amy, Rory, Sexy, and had almost destroyed what little he had left of everything and everyone. (Thankfully, the TARDIS had safely archived everything.) These rooms were all he had left, former shadows of their occupants. They were memories, and the Doctor cherished them and kept them immortal in his memory and ship.

There were only two modifications to her room since that day. The first was the small pile that he gathered from her room at the Powell Estates after Doomsday. And the second was the small, yet bigger on the inside, duffle bag, that he had no doubt that the other him took when he had dropped them in the parallel universe. At first he was mad, that her room was disturbed; however, as the emotion past, he didn't mind, after all, he was him and vice versa, and it did belong to Rose to begin with. And then he felt happy that she had another part of him (along with other him) in that parallel universe. He knew that the other him would love and look after Rose. She deserved a part of him that could offer her his forever in return for hers. It took everything he had to let her go.

The un-neatness of the room brought his hearts to a clench. It wasn't like the Ponds' room, which was neater but still contained a small mess. Rose's room was unique because it was messy and pink…so Rose, so jeopardy friendly. He remembered when he tripped over some of Rose's things and landed face first onto the hard cold floor. He had scolded her to pick up her things. She laughed and helped him up. But he was glad that she never took his advice, because it wasn't her (she disobeyed Rule #1 so many times that he lost count. He thinks she holds the record for it, not that he minded. It was another excuse for him to hold her hand.)

He makes his way around her room, recalling memories of each of the objects that he passes his right hand over. His right hand will always belong to Rose (and that was saying something.) He missed the way her left hand feels in his right. He remembers the first time he touched her. He took her left hand in his right hand, and said one word, "Run." And they ran until they were forced apart. He closed his eyes tightly and he tried not to recall those painful moments.

When he opened his eyes again, the Doctor saw that he had come full circles with Rose's room. He carefully regained his posture and facial features before heading to the door. He turned to look at the room once more. There were times when wondered if Rose would like the new new new (new?) him, with the tweets, bowties, and fezzes. Of course she would. He was still the same man. And there were times when he's wasn't too busy being angry or strong or even happy for letting her go, he just felt sad. Because he missed her. "My hearts will always belong to you, Rose Tyler. I love you…forever." He whispered to the room.

He closed the door to her room, and before he could turn around, he heard Amy's voice echoing through the TARDIS, calling out to him. The Doctor looked at the door to Rose's room one more time, and something told him that it would be alright in the end. He smiled at that thought. Maybe they would eventually get their forever. "Coming Pond!"

Please review/comment. They help me feed my Pikachu lawyers.