Disclaimer: All rights belong to the BBC.
Prologue.
"The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep…"
-Robert Frost
POV: Rose
Date: November 23, 2013
Silence will fall.
Those words had haunted me ever since that day I had once again played a part in the destruction of Canary Wharf. They whispered in my ear during my every waking moment, and echoed through every one of my dreams.
But there were other words—new words I had not heard before that now ghosted their way across the universe to rustle across my ears.
No more.
I heard them everywhere; they were burnt into the very fabric of time and space. They were a single point in the timeline that called—almost reached out for me with one grasping hand.
I had a job to do, and it was only just beginning.
Sometimes I would wonder what had happened to my family. Not the one I had now, but the one I left behind on the beach. The one I still sometimes believed had died.
Sometimes I thought knowing that I wasn't human was the ultimate curse. Knowing that, really, my mum hadn't been my mum and that family I left on the beach wasn't really my own. Knowing that I was, indeed, alien to them now and still alien to my Doctor—and even my own children—felt like the ultimate curse. I didn't belong anywhere. And that hurt. More than it should.
I was what came before the Time Lords, and being so close to sharing the same lineage as the Doctor without actually being able to stake that claim hurt me in ways I hadn't known were possible.
I was a species that called itself "the Quo," and most of the time I was alright with that. I could see what the Doctor saw now—the very turn of the universe. I saw what was, what is, what could be, and what will inevitably come to pass. Seeing the future had a cost though. One I still wasn't sure I was willing to pay.
One that had brought me here.
She stared at me from across the room, her eyes so much older than my own, and filled with a sadness I had not yet come to understand. One that part of me foolishly hoped I would never understand.
She jerked her head to the side, and I stood to follow.
"Where are you going?" Clara asked.
I glanced over at her. She was so young, but I could see it. The same love in her eyes. She knew the part she had played in his life, but as I looked down at her, I came to realize that she was unaware of the one she had played in mine.
I gave her a slight smile—letting my tongue peek out from between my teeth. "I think our boys here can handle this. There's something I need to do."
She reached out to squeeze my hand, and I could see it then. She knew. I had no idea how, but she knew what was about to happen. The fact that she knew, while I didn't, was more than a little unsettling.
"Be careful," she told me. "He needs you."
I glanced over to the negotiation table. The warrior was hanging back with a slight smile on his wrinkled face as he watched his older selves finish each other's sentences. Eleven looked over at me, and I caught the small lump that he swallowed down.
I gave him a small nod, and allowed myself one last glance at my family. I could feel my Doctor's jittery excitement, he was in his element. I couldn't steal that away now. No matter how badly I wanted to say goodbye.
I watched for a moment as he leaned over to whisper something in Jenny's ear, and smiled when she giggled.
Finally, I turned to go.
Mara stopped me with one hand before I could walk out of the door. "Where are you going?"
I paused, and glanced back at her. Her expression was one of worry. The deep creases under her eyes had made a path all the way up to her forehead.
I sighed, and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "Don't be afraid. I'm coming back. I promise, okay? I'll be back."
She smiled slightly, and I kissed her cheek. "I love you, Mum," she said.
"Be brave, Sweetheart," I whispered, and hurriedly made my way to the exit.
I didn't stop walking until I was far away from the archive. I turned into an alleyway that was tucked behind a building where no one else would see me.
I closed my eyes. "I'm here."
I felt it when she appeared in front of me. When I opened my eyes, she gave me a sad smile. "So you are."
"We can't stay like this for long, the paradox would be…" I shuddered.
She laughed, but the sound was hollow. "I know, I know. Are you ready?"
I bit my lip, but nodded. "I am."
She gave me a serious look. "Do you know what you must do?"
I nodded. "I do."
"I can keep the timeline open for you for only so long. You will need to pass through as quickly as you can. The vortex will push you out as hard as it can in an attempt to keep you away. Let it. And then get back in as quickly as you can. Got it?"
"Got it," I confirmed, and closed my eyes to concentrate. Transporting myself into the vortex was becoming easier the more I tried it, and by now I was able to easily open the tear I would need to get inside.
I tensed my muscles to leave, when she stopped me. "There is one last thing."
"What?" I demanded curtly.
Her expression seemed to fall as she stared at me, and I could see hints of that ancient sadness again. "The Doctor can save you, it's true, but when he can…"
"What?" I grunted as I felt the tear trying to force itself closed again. "I don't exactly have a lot of time for riddles here."
"He's not going to want to save you, Rose," she said, and pushed me into the vortex.