"Doctor! Doctor! Are you there? It's me, Rose! Open up!"
She hammered furiously at the TARDIS door. Once, the Doctor had told her it would keep out the assembled hordes of Genghis Khan; at the time she'd been impressed. But right now, if it could keep her out, that would be something.
She had almost got used to his being gone. The daily routines of work and family had become progressively more real; her time with the Doctor a dream that faded day by day.
That is, until this morning, when she had awakened to the sound of time and space being forced apart: the sound of the TARDIS. In her mad dash to get outside, she had stumbled and scrambled and, quite literally, fallen down the stairs. It didn't matter. She couldn't feel anything but joy. She couldn't think anything but: "It's him. He's come back."
A muffled voice echoed from within the TARDIS, and grew louder. "Hang on a minute, I'm coming, I'm coming--oof!"
The moment the door had opened, Rose had leapt, wrapping her arms about his neck, squeezing him tightly as if to prove he was real. A moment later, he returned her embrace. Presently, however, she became aware of a slight gasping sound. In a strained voice, he said, "You're hugging me a little too tightly, my dear."
"Sorry!" Laughing, Rose released her grasp slightly and gazed up into his twinkling blue eyes.
They were the wrong eyes. In the wrong face.
"Well," he said, breathlessly. "That's rather an enthusiastic way of saying hello for the first--"
She gaped at him in astonishment. "You're--you're not him--you're not the Doctor! " Immediately, she pushed past him into the TARDIS and called, "Doctor, are you in there? Doctor, where are you? Doctor!"
A voice behind her said, "I'm right here. I am the Doctor. No, really, I am. Is there some way that I can help you?"
Rose turned and looked at him. He was a Byronesque figure with a sensitive face and a halo of long ringlets. He wore a long frock coat, a brocaded waistcoat, and a silk cravat. He seemed to be blushing slightly, and smiled at her with a bemused expression. In an instant, she realized what had happened. She laughed, relief and joy spilling over her once more.
"Of course it's you...of course. You've regenerated. But," her expression clouded, "that means you died, didn't you, and came back. Did you die trying to cross the Void? Trying to find me? I'd tell you you shouldn't have done it, but, honestly...I'd have done the same for you,"
"Oh dear," said the Doctor, twisting the chain of his pocket watch between his fingers. "This is awkward."
"No, it's all right," said Rose, taking his hand. "I've got used to the changes by now. Your new face...it's older, but...it'll be fine, really. What's important is that it's you and you're back." She hugged him tightly once again.
"This is very awkward," said the Doctor again, after catching his breath. He raked his fingers through his hair and glanced away. Rose recognized the familiar gesture and beamed.
"I told you," said Rose. "It doesn't matter, you look okay, really, I don't mind, honestly--"
"Time travel can be exceedingly awkward," he interrupted. "Especially when you meet..." He fixed his gaze upon Rose. "Especially when you meet a person whom you haven't yet had the pleasure of meeting."
Rose blinked at him, uncomprehending.
"Let's start again. I'm the Doctor. What is your name?"
"Rose," she murmured, starting to understand.
"Rose," he repeated. "Rose, Rose, Rose. Hmm." He stroked his chin, thinking. "There's an echo of familiarity there...not a memory exactly, but definitely an echo." The Doctor smiled at Rose. "Yes, I think it's quite probable that we will have met at some point in the future. My linear future, that is, actually. We might have met in the past."
"An echo? That's all you remember--an echo?" Rose asked, astonished. "You don't remember...us. You don't remember anything that we... No. No, of course you don't, because it hasn't happened yet. And maybe," she continued, her voice beginning to crack, "Maybe because I've met you now, it's changed something...and I won't ever...we won't ever..." Joy turned to despair. Hot tears stung her eyes. She began to weep.
For a few moments the Doctor shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot, watching her cry. Then, somewhat clumsily, he pulled her into an embrace and patted her.
"Why did you come here," she sobbed, "If it wasn't for me? You said it was impossible to cross between parallel universes."
"Oh, not impossible," he replied. "Just a lot of paperwork, really. Three to six months later, if they haven't lost any of the forms and they don't have any niggling questions and the moons are all in the right phases and if you've paid the proper fee, the Time Lords will condescend to send you a Dimensional Visa, and off you go. More trouble than it's worth most of the time, if you ask me. In any case, I'm afraid I don't quite follow; I haven't crossed the Void--not to get here, at least."
She stepped back, confused. "But you said the Time Lords were all dead and couldn't open up--"
"Time Lords--dead?" He gazed at her in horror. "What are you talking about?"
She put her hand over her mouth. She understood. "You're not my Doctor. You're like...Rickey or Pete. You're this universe's Doctor."
The Doctor blinked at her for a moment, perhaps wondering who Rickey and Pete were. Finally, he smiled brightly and said, "Yes, I am the Doctor." He bowed with a flourish. But when he straightened up again, he was frowning. "Now, Rose, kindly explain what you said about the Time Lords being...dead."
"They were all killed in a War. The Time War. You--well, he is the only one left, in his universe."
The Doctor faltered at the enormity of this revelation. Then, recovering, he shook his head vigorously. "No. You must be mistaken. It's completely, utterly impossible. Perhaps all this excitement has been too much for you. You need some rest. Why don't you lie down for a--"
"I probably shouldn't have mentioned it," said Rose. "I know...if you go mucking about with time too much, try to change the past, the Reapers will come and--"
"Reapers!" cried the Doctor. "Reapers! Nonsense! The very idea! Reapers are held safely beyond the Void--"
"--By the Time Lords, I know," interrupted Rose. "But in my world...my old world, there aren't any Time Lords."
"No Time Lords...it's unimaginable...a universe without Time Lords." The Doctor paced the Control room, his expression grave. "It's been some time since I've been home, you know," he mused. "It's a stuffy, boring old planet, not interesting in the least, but still...it's home. Should stop and say hello...perhaps have a look round to see if...no!" He laughed and waved a hand. "Poppycock. Ridiculous. Nothing could ever punch through Gallifrey's defences. But still," he nodded to himself, "I think I will go home...just for a visit."
"I'm coming with you," said Rose.
The Doctor glanced up surprised. "What? But we...I mean, I'm not--"
"I know," said Rose. "You're not him. It doesn't matter. He's never coming back, he can't come back, he told me so himself. He told me goodbye. Him and me, we had...we had a laugh. But it's over. You aren't him, you aren't my Doctor, but you are the Doctor, and this is the TARDIS. I belong here. So I'm coming with you, and that's final."
"I can't change your mind? You are resolute? Absolutely decided?"
"Yes," said Rose defiantly.
"Marvelous!" The Doctor broke into a wide grin as he twiddled the TARDIS dials and set it in motion. "I do despise travelling alone. As I remarked once to another young person of my acquaintance: somewhere there's danger, somewhere there's injustice, somewhere else the tea's getting cold. Come on Rose; we've got work to do."