Finding Love Again
Rose stood there, watching the TARDIS dematerialising. He'd gone. The Doctor had left her. She'd travelled so far to find him and he had left her again and on the same damn beach.
--
Donna looked over at the Doctor. This was what he'd looked like the very first time she'd seen him. She knew what it had cost him to leave Rose all over again.
"You want to go back."
The Doctor looked at her quizzically before answering.
"Yeah, but how?"
Tapping her head she smiled.
"What's in your head is in my head. I know what Rose means to you, how much you lo……."
"Anyway, I can't. It's too late. Besides, he needs her more than I do."
"Are you sure about that?"
"Donna, that's enough. Please."
Now he just leant back against the TARDIS and watched his friend. He knew what was going to happen but it was a question of when.
--
Rose was still staring at the empty space where the TARDIS had stood. Suddenly she realised that he was holding her hand. Looking over at him she got a jolt. He looked exactly like him, he sounded like him, his hand in hers felt the same but she knew. He wasn't the Doctor, not really. He was a copy, a human copy apparently.
Turning towards her mother, she let go of his hand and walked away. When she reached Jackie she gave her a hug and let the tears fall again.
"He's gone again." She sobbed into her mother's shoulder.
"Not completely sweetheart." Jackie replied.
When Rose lifted her face and looked at her she found that Jackie was looking at the other Doctor. Rose glanced over at him before looking back at her mother.
"He's not the Doctor." She stated.
"Sweetie, look at him. He is the Doctor. Remember what he said. He looks like him, he sounds like him and he has his memories. He knows you sweetie and if I'm not mistaken, he loves you and he told you that, didn't he? Just before you kissed him."
"I don't know mum. Can it really be him?"
"Well you'll never know if you don't give him a chance. You wanted to live your life with him and here is your chance."
Jackie looked up at him and motioned him over.
"Come here you."
Slowly he walked over to them and she took his hand and smiled.
"You can have Mickey's old room. Although we'll have to get you some more clothes. You can't live in that suit for the rest of your life. Now I've already rung Pete and told him where we are and he's on his way but he suggested we head into the nearest town and to ring him when we get there."
"Good idea Jackie, let's go. I can't wait to see Pete again and to meet your man. How old is he now?"
"He's 4 years old now."
"That old already. Time has gone quicker here. It's only been 2 years for me."
"It's been 5 long years for me." Murmured Rose with sadness n her voice.
"I'm sorry Rose. I'm so sorry. I never stopped missing you. You were always on my mind and in my heart."
"No I wasn't. I was in his head and heart. You are something new. You're not my Doctor, not really."
"Rose!"
"It's ok Jackie. She's right, I am new but Rose, I am the Doctor. As I told you before, everything that was in him is in me except for the second heart. I'm not going anywhere. I will win you over, you'll see. You'll never want to let me go."
With that statement he grinned his silly grin and a small piece of her heart thawed. Maybe, just maybe, she thought to herself. She might get her dream after all.
The made their way up to the road and Rose turned in the direction of the nearest town. Jackie asked her if she was sure and Rose nodded. She'd never forgotten the trip that they had taken 5 years ago. The town was about 30 minutes away by car so Rose allowed at least 90 minutes for them to reach the town by foot. She took out her phone and rang Pete, telling him she would ring when they reached the town.
When she ended the call she looked at him and her mother. Thinking she couldn't keep on calling him 'him' she decided to call him Doctor. They were talking as if they were old friends catching up after years of being apart which she supposed they were. Although they seemed to be getting along a lot better than they used to. Rose smiled and shook her head. Ever since Tony had been born her mother was so much happier although she suspected that Pete had quite a lot to do with that as well. They were the perfect match and she had longed for a relationship like that. Just then the Doctor looked over his shoulder and gave her a wink. This made her laugh and with that laugh another piece of her heart melted.
A little under 2 hours after they left the beach they arrived at a café in the middle of the town. While Jackie went to the ladies and then placed their order at the counter Rose stayed outside and rang Pete to tell him that they had arrived safely. She told him exactly where they were. Luckily the café was open 24 hours so they didn't have to find somewhere else to wait. Pete told her that he wasn't that far away. When she finished the call she entered the café and joined the other two at the booth.
"Good thing I had my credit card in my pocket." Jackie said before taking a sip of her tea.
Rose realised that she was famished. Taking a sip of her own tea she waited for the waitress to bring them their food. Sitting across form the Doctor gave her an excuse to study him. She tried to find something that was different but there was nothing. He looked exactly the same, the same chocolate brown eyes, the same nose, ears and all that brown hair with those ridiculously long sideburns. The twinkle was in his eyes as well. That bit of mischief that always lurked beneath the surface. The intelligence and the curiosity were also there. Everything that had attracted her was there.
When their food arrived they all started eating. No-one spoke until they had all finished their meals. As they were finishing Rose heard the blades of a helicopter close by. She looked out of the window and saw it landing in the empty field across the road. As soon as it landed, the engine was cut and then she saw Pete step out. Jackie pushed her way out of the booth and ran towards him. At the last moment she leapt at him and he caught her and gave her a kiss. Rose and the Doctor slowly walked up to them. When Pete saw Rose he released Jackie and gave her a tight hug.
"Where's Mickey? Is he inside?" He asked glancing towards the café. However, his eyes widened when he saw the Doctor. "Doctor, what are you doing here? Where's the TARDIS? Why didn't you drop the girls at home?"
"Pete, slow down. We'll answer your questions but first let's get home. I want to seen Tony and give him a great big hug and kiss. Fly us home sweetie."
"What about Mickey?"
"He stayed behind." Rose replied wrapping her arm around his waist and walking with him towards the helicopter. "Whose chopper is it anyway?"
"I borrowed it from Torchwood. It was quicker than driving all this way. We'll just have to stop to re-fuel a few times. Jackie, sit up front with me. Rose, you and the Doctor jump into the back."
Rose nodded and with a quick look at the Doctor she hopped into the back of the helicopter ahead of him. Once they were all strapped in Pete started the helicopter and headed to the local airfield to re-fuel for the first leg of the journey. The journey back to London was uneventful. They stopped a couple of times to refuel and Rose sat back and listened to her mum and Pete talking. According to Pete they had been gone 2 months yet they had only been in the other universe for a couple of days at most.
Rather than fly to the Torchwood tower, Pete radioed ahead and told them that he would be heading home. He arranged for his assistant to drive a pilot out in Pete's car and then they would fly back to London. The car was already there when they arrived at the house. Jackie waved a quick hello to the two men and then ran inside to see Tony.
Rose smiled at her mum and shook her head before turning to Pete. She knew that he wanted to ask all his question so before he could open his mouth she explained everything, from beginning to end. He looked at the Doctor and stared at him for quite a while before speaking.
"So you're not the Doctor?"
"Yeah I am. Well I have all his memories; I can remember the last time we met. We fought the Cybermen and the Daleks together. You saved Rose when I couldn't." Taking a breath, he looked over at Rose and smiled a small sad smile. "But I only have one heart. I'm half human. I love Rose and I intend to spend the rest of my life with her if she'll have me."
Pete looked at Rose. For all intents, she was his daughter and he knew how much she loved the Doctor, how devastated she was when she'd lost him and how excited she'd been when she knew that she would see him again. However, at the moment she looked confused rather than happy. Yes, he looked like the Doctor but obviously he was a copy, for want of a better word. Seeing that she was bone tired, Pete stepped up and offered to show this Doctor to his room. Rose told him that Jackie had offered him Mickey's old room. Pete nodded and led the way to the house. Rose made her way to the nursery. Her brother always cheered her up.