The Doctor stood on the darkened street corner, snow falling quietly around him.
There she was. Rose Tyler. His Rose.
He could see her through the large front window of her parent's flat, their Christmas tree's lights illuminating the happy family.
Rose was sitting with her mum and dad at the dinner table, laughing at a story Jackie was telling. It was their Christmas Eve dinner. He had been there once with them- it was the only time he'd ever felt like he had a proper family.
He knew he looked like a total nutter standing here, but he couldn't look away. He had missed her so terribly it had felt like a part of him had literally been removed when she was gone. He tried to move on, tried to forget her like the countless other companions he had had over the years. But Rose was different. She just wouldn't leave him alone.
This was all he had asked for, when offered one wish in all of the universe.
Just to see her again.
He remembered how the old magician's face had twisted into a smile.
The Doctor. A sentimental fool, just like the rest of us.
And here he was.
He had seen her, and she was okay. Beautiful as ever. She looked so young still. Most importantly, she looked happy.
And that was all he needed.
The Doctor smiled, starting to turn away.
Suddenly, mid-laugh, Rose looked out the window.
Her wine glass clattered to the ground when she saw him.
He stood there, meeting her eyes, almost sadly, apologetically.
He didn't want her to know he had come. He didn't want to ruin her life again, make her hurt so badly. He had left with such an inadequate goodbye. Maybe she was angry. Maybe she never wanted him to come back. He wouldn't blame her.
Rose got up without a word to her parents, not even grabbing a coat or shoes.
She padded out into the snow in her slippers and pajamas. She looked almost like a little girl as she walked towards him; the streetlights making her messy blond hair look unnaturally bright.
"Doctor?"
"Yes."
She shook her head, as if expecting him to disappear.
"W-What…How?"
"Pretty long story. Magician involved though, adds a bit of fun, I suppose."
She laughed weakly, finally face to face with him.
"You're back for good?"
"No. I've got four hours to be back in the TARDIS, back to my dimension. My fairy godmother insisted."
"Where is it?" She looked around the empty street.
"Couple streets over."
She reached out to touch his face with both hands.
"You're real." She said, looking as if she was about to cry.
"Real as ever."
"Why did you come back?" She didn't look angry, just honestly wondering.
"Had to wish you a Happy Christmas, didn't I?"
Rose laughed, throwing her arms around his neck.
They stood there for a moment, holding on to each other tightly, just like old times.
"I missed you." She said, her breath on his neck.
"I missed you too. All the time."
She blinked, surprised. He had never been much for talking about feelings.
Rose pulled back slightly, looking at him.
"Really?"
Say it, say it. She begged silently.
"Of course. You're the best friend I've ever had. Those two years with you were the best time of my life."
"Me too."
There was a long, tense moment between them. He looked down at her bare arms, rubbing them with his.
"You're shivering, Rose. You must be freezing."
She sighed.
"I'm fine, forget it. Mum will have a thousand and one questions if we go inside. I just want to talk to you."
They stood there for a moment.
"Can we go see the TARDIS?" She said with a small smile.
"Yeah, yeah, of course. Good idea. Bit warmer in there. Do you want to tell them?"
"They already know. They saw you as well. Probably think I'm in a different universe by now."
"Right. Come on, then." He took her cold hand in his, and they set off down the street.
--
"Home sweet home." He opened the door and she hurried inside, clearly freezing.
"Oh, wow. Looks a bit upgraded."
"Few tweaks here and there. Nothing too major. Martha did a lot of it."
"Who's Martha?"
"Young doctor. Medical doctor," He laughed, "Great girl. Traveled with me for a bit last year."
Rose nodded, crossing her arms.
"I'm sure that was nice."
"It was nice. She left rather suddenly. They all leave in the end, I suppose."
There was another silence. Silence felt so unnatural between them.
"I didn't want to leave." Rose said, her voice strained.
"I know." He blinked, surprised.
She suddenly put a hand over her eyes, her shoulders shaking.
He had seen her cry once. Their goodbye. It was awful then, and just as awful now.
He went to her, pulling her into his arms.
"I'm back. Don't cry, Rose."
"You're just leaving again!" She sobbed, holding the lapels of his suit as she cried into his shoulder.
"I don't want to leave. I never want to leave you." He said, feeling his throat suddenly growing tight.
"Then don't!" She looked up at him, her black eye make-up smeared with tears.
"I don't have a choice."
"Just leave it all behind then. Just stay with me." She knew she sounded pathetic, but didn't care.
"I would love that. But a Time Lord…we don't lead normal lives. This is who I am, Rose. It's who I've been all along."
"Take me with you then!"
"You know that's impossible. We're literally in two different dimensions. As soon as this wears off, we don't exist in this same place. We can't."
She suddenly pushed him away from her, her breath coming in short quick stabs.
"What are you doing to me? Why did you even come back?" She cried.
"Because I love you," He threw his hands in the air with a helpless gesture, "I love you, Rose. I had to see you again. I know it was selfish and stupid, and I shouldn't have done it, and I'm sorry."
She leaned against the wall as if hit with a physical blow.
"You can't…you can't just say things like that…" She stammered.
"I mean it. You're the love of my life. All of them."
Rose looked at the ground for a moment, taking a deep, shuddering breath.
The Doctor felt his face growing hot with embarrassment. Was she angry?
"Rose, please say something."
She looked up.
"You know what I think?"
"What?"
"I think we've done quite enough talking."
She took a step forward, throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him hard.
He felt an unfamiliar thrill coursing through his body as he kissed her back. Rose was pulling at his clothes, sliding his jacket off his shoulders. Before he knew what was happening, their clothes were littered around the floor as they made their way to where he slept. Rose pulled her shirt over her head, throwing it over her shoulder, going to kiss him again. He stopped her, holding her face in his hands, a bit dumbfounded.
"What's wrong, Doctor?" She grinned, "Seen a girl in her skivvies before haven't you?"
He tried to formulate a response. It didn't go well. She laughed, her familiar, easy laugh, and suddenly he didn't feel so nervous.
It all became a bit of a blur as he slowly allowed his mind to grow quiet. Time seemed to cease existing for once. It was just him and Rose, just as he always wanted it to be. And, in that moment, all that mattered was that she was there in his arms, realer than anything he had ever known or seen.
--
Rose and the Doctor walked back to her house, her arm wrapped tightly around his.
"You're awfully quiet." She said, leaning her head against his shoulder.
"I'm sorry. I'm just…thinking."
"What about?"
"Well, firstly, that we should have done THAT quite some time ago."
She laughed.
"Agreed. What else?"
"Just that- it's just never going to be normal for us, is it? All these happy little families, couples, mates- they don't know how lucky they are." He waved his hand at the houses they passed.
"I think we're pretty lucky."
"How so?"
"We had a life most people could only dream about. We saw everything, did it all."
"I don't want it anymore. I just want this." He said quietly.
She didn't reply, rubbing his arm with her hand.
They had reached her house, and stood at the doorway for a moment, looking at Jackie's Christmas wreath.
"Tacky thing, really. Mum insisted we make it ourselves. I'm rubbish at crafts."
"I like it."
She grinned, taking it off the nail in the door.
"Take it then. Happy Christmas."
"Just what I wanted." He smiled, slipping it over his arm.
"How much longer have you got?"
He took her hand, looking at the watch on her wrist.
"About an hour. Midnight's my curfew, apparently."
"A right little princess." She giggled.
"If that's supposed to offend me, it's not working." He shrugged.
"Come in then. Mum and Dad'll be thrilled."
"All right. They're still up?"
"Of course. Probably desperate to see you." She said, reaching for the key above the doorframe.
As she slid it into the lock, he suddenly caught her arm.
"Wait, Rose."
"What?" She looked at him, alarmed by how serious he sounded.
He leaned forward, kissing her. She wrapped her arms around his neck again, and it was a long moment before they parted.
"Thank you. Thank you for this." He said quietly.
She smiled.
"I always knew we'd see each other again. Somehow. I just knew it."
"If there's any way I can ever come back…I'll do it. I'll do anything."
She raised up on her tiptoes, kissing his forehead.
"I'll be here."
"I love you, Rose Tyler."
"I love you."
Holding hands tightly, they stepped inside the warm house. In seconds, Jackie practically tackled him with a hug, and in minutes, he was holding Rose's baby sister, hearing family stories, and looking at photo albums around the fireplace with Rose snuggled up against his shoulder
At 11:58, he rose to his feet.
"I've really got to go. Those blasted magician spells are pretty strict, I've heard."
"Bye, love." Jackie kissed his cheek,
"You take care of yourself." He said, receiving a gruff handshake from her father.
"I'll do my best." He said.
Rose was very quiet as she got his coat and they headed for the door. He gave her parents a little wave.
"Bye then, everyone. Thanks for the wreath, the TARDIS could use a little decoration."
He pulled on his coat, waiting for just a moment as she looked at her feet.
Rose finally looked up at him, a fierce, mature look in her eyes that made her look suddenly so much older.
"Goodbye, Doctor."
That was all she needed to say. They had said it all that night; there was no need for anything more.
"Bye, Rose."
And he was gone.
--
Some time later…
--
Rose lay on her back, shivering slightly.
"It's cold." She giggled.
"I know, sorry dear, it's the only way we can get a clear picture." The nurse smiled sympathetically.
She nodded, holding her mother's hand tightly.
"And there we go…" The nurse pointed to the vague outline of the shape of a head, a foot, a hand, "That's your baby."
Rose felt tears welling up in her eyes.
Their baby. His baby.
"Would you like to know the sex? I could tell you right now."
"Sure, why not." Rose shrugged.
The nurse pointed to the screen.
"Looks like you're having a little boy, Miss Tyler."
"Oh, brilliant! That's great." Rose smiled, feeling like she was about to cry.
"Gorgeous already, I can tell. She won't tell me who the bleeding father is, but what can you do." Jackie squeezed her daughter's hand.
Suddenly, the nurse stopped. All three of them heard it at once. The tiny whooshing noise of the baby's heartbeat was joined by another.
"Two heartbeats…twins, right?" Jackie looked at the nurse with wide eyes.
The nurse looked confused.
"What's wrong?"
"Well…it's just, there's only one baby shown in your ultrasound. But I can hear two distinct heartbeats," She looked completely confounded, "I might just…nip out and get another opinion on this, if that's all right."
"Perfectly fine. We'll be here."
The nurse stepped outside.
Jackie looked at Rose.
"Twins? Can you believe it?"
"I'm not having twins, mum."
"But two heartbeats, you can hear it plain as day."
"That's right. Two heartbeats. Just like his father."
Rose could barely hear her mother's shocked reply.
He said he'd back someday. And he'd never lied to her before.
Someday, he'd meet his child.
Someday, they'd all three be together.
Someday.
--