The Return

Sometimes the biggest things start out so incredibly small. The Doctor thought that he had gotten all of the time vortex out of his pink and yellow human. What he didn't know was that Bad Wolf had made sure that the tiniest piece was left in Rose, and it was half the size of a molecule. After the Doctor said his goodbye at Bad Wolf Bay that tiny piece started to grow. For the most part she got the life she wanted with the Doctors duplicate, but as that tiny piece of the vortex grew her age began to slow until it stopped altogether. For every ten years that the Doctors duplicate aged Rose would biologically age only one year. When finally the Doctors duplicate figured out what was going with his dear wife he was knocking on deaths door, but he didn't want to burden Rose with this knowledge plus it would take away from what little time he had left with her. He was an old man now and he was coming to the end of his life and Rose had managed to talk him into going to hospital so they could stretch out what time he had. Then without any warning came the night that the phone rang and Rose wish that she never picked up.

Rose answered the phone "Hello this is Doctor White at the University Hospital of Whales is this Miss Tyler?" Rose felt like her heart came to a standstill. She answered "Yes this is her, is something wrong with my husband doctor?" She heard her husband's doctor clear his throat and answer " Well Miss Tyler I'm sorry to say that he doesn't have much time so you should get here quick as you can." as soon as he finished the sentence she just said she was on her way and left her house at a run. She got to her car with her keys in her hand on impulse and not really thinking about. She peeled out and set out for the hospital. She had her foot down on the accelerator and thought of the shortest route to the hospital from her families' estate. For the most part she was correct on which route to take but at that time of day it was the second busiest street in all of England. She turned a corner to see nothing but a sea of tail lights as far as her vision could see.

She knew time was against her so she just put her car into to park then shut it off. Rose flung herself out of her car and ran. She ran. She ran so she would not miss the time she needed to tell her husband goodbye. She ran. She ran because she wanted to tell him it was ok for him to go. Eventually she ran so far that her muscles screamed with pain and her veins were pumping battery acid. All the running reminded her of her time with the original doctor and how she missed him, but she pushed that thought out of her mind because she had to get to her husband. She plowed through the lobby and to the elevators. She kept pressing the button thinking like most do that if you press the floor you want enough times you will get to that floor faster. However like in all cases the elevator went as fast as it always had. She made it to the right floor and bolted out of the elevator as soon as the doors had opened enough. Rose slowed down and caught he breath as she came to her husbands' room. Tears began to fall as Rose came into his room.

Johnathon Smith Noble smiled as he saw his wife coming into his hospital room. "Hey you, the doctor told me that he called you. I'm glad you came because I'd hate to leave and not say goodbye." Rose wiped the recent tears that were falling from her face and said "I don't understand what happened it's supposed to be both of us in here not just you." John nodded in agreement with what she said. "I know my dear but such is the way of things but let's not dwell on what should have been just be here and now with me, please Rose. I might not look it but I'm scared out of mind. Having over 900 years of his memories and not one of them is of him wondering what comes next, oh sure he always had regeneration but those don't last forever. So I'm scared Rose." Rose whipped her eyes again and sniffled. She looked at John and said "I'm sorry love I told myself I'd come in here and leave all that selfishness back at home please forgive me." John smiled "Already done dear." He reached out his hand and it was met with hers. This one basic intimate thing that we take for granted meant more to them than any amount of kisses, it even had more meaning than sex. It was as if two destined souls became as one when they held hands. They talked of what had been and what should have been. Then as the new day dawned and the sunlight came over the horizon and into the hospital room it seemed to take John with it. John didn't say a word he looked up at Rose and did everything he could to smile as brightly as he had for all the years that they were together. Then when she smiled back he knew it was time and he let go. The silent hospital floor became startled with the sounds of Roses mournful cries.

An hour or so had passed since John had died and Rose was sitting in the hallway still crying when one of the nurses came up to her and said "Excuse me Miss Tyler I was given instructions to give you this after Mister Noble had passed." Through the tears she looked up, and raised a curious eyebrow. "Thank you so much." She said and took the envelope. Rose opened it with a slight hesitation but pulled out the letter and began to read.

My dearest Rose

If you're reading this then, well I'm sorry to leave you alone. I knew after Tony died that you were scared of not having anybody left in your life. I think that is why you held on so tightly to our relationship these past few years. Even though I know your full heart wasn't into a true romantic relationship. I know you really couldn't commit fully to the idea because I wasn't him. Just know that even with that being the case I wouldn't have changed a thing about the life we had. I had hoped to leave you with a fully functional TARDIS. All the conditions were right to grow it from that piece Donna gave us, but it just refused to grow. However there is something most of all that I want to tell you. Last week before I got so sick that I had to be brought here I found the answer Rose I found out why you stopped aging. When the Doctor took the vortex out of you the tiniest of pieces forced its way back and stayed there, and like a seed it grew. What else it has done to you I can't say. My dear Rose you are a living breathing manifestation of the time vortex from your universe. What this means, I have no idea. Maybe you can use it to get back to your home universe. If I only had more time to find out. That sentence alone scares me more than you know my dear. I want you to do one thing for me, live. Try and live every day to its fullest that you can and you'll make me happy from wherever I end up.

Love you eternally

John

He was right, she only hung on to the relationship so tight because John was all that she had left. She really had wanted to be intimate with him but she just could let her feeling for the Doctor go. Maybe it was because she was always reminded because John was the Doctors copy. Which meant even looking at him made her heart sore for the Doctor. She truthfully didn't know why she couldn't fully commit to John. However the part of her heart that did care for John had died with him.

Rose buried John in the family cemetery on the estate. She put john right next to tony because they had become almost like brothers after Rose and Tony's parents had died. Rose then mourned for her loss, she mourned for three centuries. Then one day she went for a walk in the park. She came upon the basketball courts when she saw it. Those words that have haunted for so long. In the middle of the court in big letters was BAD WOLF. Her jaw fell open as her eyes went over each letter that had been painted. Something happened though as she looked at the graffiti. She began to notice a tingle starting behind her eyes then it quickly began to turn into a dull pain. This pain stared to worsen and worsen until it put Rose on her knees. Then as if someone had hit a valve the pain seemed to be release and flow through all threw out her body which made her pass out. As Rose started to come to she saw that she wasn't in the park anymore. It was dark at first, she couldn't see anything. Then a bright light appeared and a figure formed from it. Realizing who it was the only thing that she could say was "It's you." Rose Tyler saw the figure that looked like her smile and then replied "Yes Rose Tyler, did you always think that being Bad Wolf was a onetime thing? No, it is your destiny to be Bad Wolf for all time." Rose became kind of uneasy as she was being told this, then a question formed in her mind so she asked "So what now?" the Bad Wolf Roses smile left and she became very serious "It's time to go back the Doctor will need you more than he has ever needed anyone before and Bad Wolf must keep him safe, always. So claim what has always been yours Rose." Bad Wolf Rose held out her arms as if wanting to hug Rose, she accepted the embrace and the two came together in a brilliant bright flash.

The crowd gathered round the lady that passed out was blinded by that same light. The body levitated and brought the lady to her feet. Then the light faded and the woman seem to wake up as if she had been a napping, she looked around saw that a group and gathered and not wanting to answer any questions she brushed her outfit off smiled at those that had gathered and walked away. As she was walking home she began to feel things that she never had before. It started with a caterpillar on a nearby tree. She didn't know what she was feeling at first, she could actually feel how it was alive but there was something else. The impulse suddenly came over her to touch it, and once she did she was overcome with a rush of images that all involved this caterpillar. She became aware that these were not images but it was the life of that caterpillar, and not only was she seeing it but she was there with it living life with this fuzzy creature. She reeled back in astonishment.

As she walked into the doors of the estate Rose could hear the Bad Wolf in her head telling her "Find something from your universe Rose and use it to tether yourself there. You will have to concentrate hard to find a weakness in between the universes but with the tether it should be easy." She nodded in acceptance and knew right away what she was going to use, The TARDIS key she had. With key in hand she walked out into the estates garden and seated herself on the bench that was in the middle of it, then she drew in a deep breath and let her eyes close. She focused on the TARDIS and trying to find it but all she could feel were walls. She couldn't get over how it felt to be traveling without moving but she was thankful for this gift and whatever other gifts she had yet to discover. She moved along the walls between the universes search for some way through. She searched for the tiniest of gaps or something. Finally after what she felt like was a hundred lifetimes so found a gap in the wall about the size of a pin head and forced her way through. The feeling of being back made her feel happier and also made her feel stronger.

She brought her focus back to the key in her hand and finding the Doctor, then from nowhere there was a voice saying " Here wolf cub, we are here and we need you. He needs you. He needs you more than he did before HURRY." She realized it was the TARDIS. She saw in full view the planet and started to push herself threw. As she did this she could feel her body tingle and seem to start fade away. She smiled and said out loud "See you soon my doctor."