There was a long stretch of beach off the harbors of London where lovers went to cuddle and poets went to prophesize. They were huddled into little corners, chuckling or scribbling like madmen onto pieces of paper that no one would read. Words were being wasted from useless tongues and onto forgotten scraps of paper. No one would know what they were doing, nor would anyone care.
Rose Tyler realized this as she stood amidst the small crowd. Their lives had no purpose other than a small one. They would eat, drink, and be merry, but none of it mattered any because it wouldn't affect anything. Life, death, it was all the same now. Everything had changed for her since the Doctor had left. Nothing seemed to matter anymore.
Her mind wandered back to his trembling projected image as he said his final goodbyes to her. "Rose Tyler, I—" His last words, and not even a complete statement. She bit her lower lip as the tears formed once more in her eyes, eyes that had been hardened and wizened by the adventures that she'd had. They'd done everything together, from meeting Queen Victoria to traipsing along Barcelona. And now she was alone.
A warm hand gently gave her shoulder a squeeze. Rose knew who it was without even turning around. "I know, Mum," she said quietly, "I should be getting home."
"C'mon, sweetheart," Jackie cooed. "We'll have some tea and watch some telly awhile, eh?"
She forced a smile and followed. "Yeah, sounds good." Before she left, she cast one final glance towards the beach. She wouldn't be going back there anytime soon.
Jackie led her away by her hand, as though she was a child. In a sense, she was a child. At twenty-one, she was relearning everything she thought she'd mastered at nineteen. Be it relationships or purposes, she found herself questioning everything. A new sense of naivety had overwhelmed her since the Doctor's abrupt departure. Nothing made sense. Everything was up for questioning, awaiting an explanation that would never come.
They reached the apartment and for once Rose was glad her mother hadn't cleaned that day. The room still maintained its familiar musty scent of cheap perfume and laundry detergent—a homely scent. It made her smile as she cuddled next to her mother on the couch. As always, the television was airing cheesy soap operas full of overly dramatic plots and new shows displaying starving children in some third world nation.
In spite of this, Jackie found herself smiling. Sure, the Doctor had been a nice lad and a great companion for Rose, but it had been difficult having her gone so often. It was nice to be able to run her hands through her daughter's hair, to be able to look her in the eyes and see what she was thinking all over again. She, too, was relearning how to live life as normal.
The harmony was quickly shattered by the obnoxious ringing of Rose's cell phone. Almost at once, the girl leapt from her seat and answered it. Jackie sighed in disgust. Her time with Rose had once more been ruined. More than likely, it was a call from her father again at work or else Mickie asking for a date. Either way, Jackie was still angry and couldn't believe someone had decided to interrupt them.
Rose, on the other hand, wasn't laughing or smiling as though she was talking to someone familiar. Instead, her eyes were wide and her face had turned a very pale color. Her soft hands trembled, clutching at one of her braids as she sat down. "W-who is this? I don't recognize this voice."
The silence on the other line lingered over the two women like an oncoming storm. Both waited anxiously, yet warily, for they knew whoever the caller was they meant another change. Once more, their lives would be thrown into some sort of tailspin. Their sanctuary had been invaded, torn to shreds by an unwelcome impostor.
"My name…is Alex Tyler. I'm your little sister."