He knew what he had to do. She was burning up. He wished she wasn't; she could have been just like him. Bad Wolf. It would have been a perfect name for her. Together, The Doctor and Bad Wolf could have traveled all of space and time. But even the heart of the TARDIS could not make the impossible happen. Rose was human and would remain that way. All she would do is burn and he couldn't let that happen.
But at the same time, he would die for this. Maybe he would regenerate, maybe not. His last regeneration had not happened that long ago. He really should have gotten a few more decades at least out of this form. After all, he was limited in number. Did he want to rush his eventual death on this one stupid ape? What was she in comparison to a mighty Time Lord? If he died, his race would forever be extinct.
It was a weak argument, the results of his barely repressed anger. His mind was flood with his memories of Rose. Her smiles and laughter, the way her eyes lit up at the new places they went, her legitimate concern for him. She had saved him, taught him to be happy again. Of course he would risk all for her. He would be her hero, hopefully not for the last time. He didn't necessarily have to kiss her, but if he was about to die, it was his last chance. He'd wanted to for awhile now. They stayed like that for just a few seconds as the energy transfered from her to him. As his cells began to scream in agony, Rose regained consciousness, appearing to have awoken from a deep sleep. How much of this she would remember, who knew. Hopefully she didn't know about Jack. That had to be avoided.
They went into the TARDIS and he tried to make everything as normal as possible. He set the coordinates for Earth as he rambled about Barcelona, the planet, not the city. She got a kick out of the dogs with no noises. It was quite a hilarious sight. Would he ever see it again? A new wave of pain came over him and he knew what it meant. He would continue on, but not with this daft face. He needed to warn her. Of course, the moment he tries to regenerate, everything goes fuzzy and he is sure she's confused. He confused himself. He takes a breath as the wave passes for just a second. Before he changes, there is one last thing he should say, just in case the new him isn't as nice. He looks into those beautiful brown eyes, absorbing more of the pain she feels, and it potentially hurts more than the radiation.
"Rose, before I go I just wanna tell you - you were fantastic... absolutely fantastic." The works are insignificant, and he wishes he could tell her just how fantastic and that he is proud to know her. It's coming quickly. Best to go out with a laugh. "And d'you know what?" he asks with a goofy grin. "So was I." The fire engulfs him. It was a good death. He went out as her hero.
XXX
"I love you," she sobbed. His hearts broke once again. He wanted to run to her, hold her, take away the pain like he had a year ago, even if that meant another regeneration for her. This time, he could not be what she needed. They were forever separated and she would have to go on by herself. She would do it, and she would be brilliant! You were fantastic a ghost voice whispers deep in the recesses of his mind. He had said that to her once, and how true it was. Rose Tyler: fantastic and brilliant young woman. How she'd grown these two years! He was even more proud of her than during the Bad Wolf incident.
There's only one thing he can do for her, one thing he never could bring himself to do. It's his last chance after all. The universe will seal in only a minute. It's hard, partially because he's trying not to cry. The tears have already begun. "Rose Tyler..." a sob tries to overwhelm him, "I-" and she's gone. The tears fall more rapidly. One simple thing, let her know how much he cared for her, and he failed. Last chance to see her, and no. Where was her big-eared hero when she needed one? He would have succeeded.
A/N: So this is my first Doctor Who fic. It came to me yesterday while listening to "Hero." It just seemed to fit Rose and The Doctor. Please tell me what you think. I really want to make sure I'm portraying these two correctly for future reference.