Re-write of Forest of the Dead
Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who, David Tennant, Billie Piper or anyone else. I also do not make a profit from this and do it for my enjoyment.
A/N: This is my first attempt at fanfiction so please be gentle.
"Donna Noble has left the library, Donna Noble has been saved."
"Hey, who turned out the lights?"
"Donna Noble has left the library, Donna Noble has been saved."
"Hey, who turned out the lights? Hey, who turned out the lights?"
Suddenly, as River Song was about to clear a path to safety, the bookshelf adjacent to the crowd toppled over in a sudden burst of blue light. The team backed away in the nick of time, but the approaching Vashta Nerada was knocked over and pinned by the shelf.
The cause of the traipsing bookshelf, a mass of light blonde hair and a blue leather jacket, raises her head and tries to get up. River sees her struggling and helps her up.
"Not to be rude after you saving our lives, but who are you?" River question the young woman, who looked to be in her early twenties.
"That's Rose Tyler," the Doctor replied, his voice quivering slightly. "But, the real question: is how did you get here?"
Rose looked at the Doctor and quipped, "We'll have time for explanations later, for now I think we'd better start running."
"Agreed," River stated and began to lead the group in the opposite direction of a reviving Vashta Nerada, who was starting to get out from under the bookshelf.
"Okay, we've got a clear spot," River declared, "in, in, in! Right in the centre, in the middle of the light. Quickly! Don't let your shadows cross. Doctor..."
At this the Doctor looked up from what he was sonicing and replied, "I'm doing it," and continued working.
River looked up at the ceiling and said, "There's no light here, sunset's coming. We can't stay long. Have you found a live one?" she pestered the Doctor.
"Maybe," he replied. "It's getting harder to tell." His sonic screwdriver started to flicker and make burning noises and he declared, "What's wrong with you?"
River looked at the group and said, "We're going to need a chicken leg. Who's got a chicken leg?"
Rose asked, "Why on Earth do you need a chicken leg, and what are we running from anyway?"
River told her, "It's the Vashta Nerada, piranhas' of the air, and the chicken leg is used to test for it."
Other Dave raised a hand with a chicken leg in it and River thanked him. She removed the wrapping and threw it in the Doctors' direction. The meat disappeared in an instant.
"Oh, my God, how'd it do that?" Rose shouted.
"Okay," River stated, ignoring Rose's question, "Okay, we got a hot one. Watch your feet."
The Doctor rushed to reassure them, "They won't attack until there's enough of them. But they've got our scent now. They're coming." He moved from his position, crouched on the ground, and moved closer to where Rose was standing and began to scan that area.
"River, who is he?" Dave questioned. "You haven't even told us. You just expect us to trust him."
"He's the Doctor," she replied immediately.
"And who is 'The Doctor'?" Mr. Lux retorted.
"The only story you'll ever tell if you survive him," and as River said this, Rose unconsciously moved towards the group to listen.
"You say he's your friend," Anita replied, "but he doesn't even know who you are." At this, Rose switched between watching the Doctor and sizing up River.
"Listen," River demanded in a whisper, "all you need to know is this, I trust that man to the end of the Universe. And actually, we've been."
As the Doctor moved again, Anita commented, "He doesn't act like he trusts you."
River replied, as if it were blatantly obvious, "Yeah. There's a tiny problem. He hasn't met me yet." This statement had Rose flabbergasted, a person from the Doctor's future, she thought, this is sure to be interesting.
River walked towards the Doctor and cast a slightly glare-like glance at Rose, and asked the Doctor, "What's wrong with it?"
He had the sonic beside his head and said, "There's a signal coming from somewhere, interfering with it."
River looked at the Doctor as if he were being stupid and stated, "Well, use the red settings."
"It doesn't have a red setting," he replied, getting frustrated.
"Well, use the dampers," River suggested.
"It doesn't have dampers."
"It will do one day," she replied handing him her sonic.
The Doctor stood up and looked at River quizzically. "So, sometime in the future, I just give you my screwdriver?" he questioned doubtfully.
"Yeah."
"Why would I do that?"
"I didn't pluck it from your cold, dead hands, if that's what you're worried about."
"And I know that because...?"
"Listen to me," River said calmly, "you've lost your friend, you're angry, and you've just got one back that you thought you'd lost forever, and you're ecstatic, but you need to be less emotional, Doctor, right now-"
"Less... I haven't even shown emotion about Rose, yet... I'm not emotional..."
"There are six people in this room still alive. Focus on that," she shrieked. "Dear God, you're hard work young."
"Young? Who are you?" the Doctor shouted.
"Oh, for heaven's sake!" shouted Mr. Lux. "Look at the pair of you! We're all gonna die right here, and you're just squabbling like an old married couple."
The Doctor and River shared a look, and the realization hit the Doctor.
"Doctor," River said. "One day I'm going to be someone that you trust. Completely. But I can't wait for you to find that out. So I'm going to prove it to you. And I'm sorry. I'm really very sorry." And she whispered something in the Doctor's ear. After that the Doctor stared at River in shock. "Are we good?"River asked. "Doctor, are we good?"
The Doctor let out a hushed "yeah" and nodded his head, "Yeah, we're good."
"River pursed her lips and then said, "Good." Then he gave her back the screwdriver and Stared at her while she walked over to the group.
Then the Doctor starting to ramble, "Now, what's interesting about my screwdriver, very hard to interfere with. Practically nothing's strong enough. Well, some hair dryer's, but I'm working on that. So, there is a very strong signal coming from somewhere, and it wasn't there before. So, what's new? What's changed?"
Rose said, "Could be interference from the connection that I have with torchwood in Pete's World but that hasn't interfered before, has it?"
"Nope, I don't think it's the other universe interfering, but good suggestion. Thinking outside the box, as per usual Ms. Tyler," the Doctor replied giving her a quick wink and a smile which she returned. "Come on! What's new? What's different?"
"I don't know. Nothing," Dave said. "It's getting dark."
"It's a screwdriver," the Doctor replied. "It works in the dark." But after a pause he murmured, "Moonlight." And they all looked up at the moon. "Tell me about the moon," the Doctor asked Mr. Lux. "What's there?"
"It's not real," Mr. Lux stated. "It was built as a part of the library. It's just a doctor moon."
"What's a doctor moon?" the Doctor questioned.
"A virus checker. It supports and maintains the main computer at the core of the planet."
"Well, it's still active," the Doctor commented. "It's signalling, look." And the sonic started to make buzzing noises representing the signal. "Someone somewhere in this library is still alive and communicating with the moon. Or possibly alive and drying their hair. No. Signal is definitely coming from the moon. I'm blocking it but it's trying to break through."
"Doctor," River stated as the image of Donna came into view.
"Donna!" the Doctor shouted.
"Doctor that was your friend. Can you get her back? What was that?" River said frantically.
"Hold on, hold on, hold on," the Doctor chastised, fiddling with the sonic. "Trying to find the wavelength. Argh, it's being blocked!"
"Professor," Anita said softly.
"Just a moment," River said.
"It's important," she replied, with tears streaming down her face. "I have two shadows." At this everyone turned and stared at Anita.
River took charge at this moment. "Helmets on, everyone. Anita, I'll get yours."
"Didn't do Proper Dave any good."
"Just keep it together, okay?"
"Keeping it together. I'm only crying. I'm about to die, it's not an overreaction." River placed her helmet on and backed away quickly.
"Hang on," the Doctor said and soniced her helmet.
"Oh, God, they've got inside." River whispered, looking at the darkened screen of Anita's helmet.
"No, no. I just tinted her visor. Maybe they'll think they're already in there. Leave her alone," the Doctor speculated.
"You think they could be fooled like that?"
"Maybe, I don't know. It's a swarm, it's not like we chat."
Dave shouted over to her, "Can you still see, Anita?"
"Just about," she replied.
"Just stay back," the Doctor cautioned. "Rose stay with Mr. Lux. Professor, quick word please.
"What?" River asked.
"Down here."
"What is it?" she questioned, crouching beside the Doctor.
"You said there are six people still alive in this room."
"Yeah, so?"
"So... why are there seven?"
They all turned to face a Vashta Nerada who had just arrived as it said, "Hey, who turned out the lights?"
And the Doctor shouted "Run!"
They ran as it began to give chase, continually saying, "Hey, who turned out the lights?"
As they reached a room the Doctor said to River, "Professor, go ahead. Find a safe spot."
"It's a carnivorous swarm in a suit." She replied. "You can't reason with it."
"Five minutes."
"Other Dave, stay with him. Pull him out when he's too stupid to live."
Rose shouted, "I'll stay with him."
"NO!" the Doctor protested. "You will be well out of harms way until I get back."
"Then you'd best be coming back 'cause I'm not losing you after all I've done to get back to you and we need to have a serious conversation about unfinished sentences."
The Doctor gulped and replied, "Wouldn't miss it for the world." And then Rose moved towards him and gave him a hug that forced his repertory bypass to kick in, and he returned the hug just as enthusiastically. "Stay safe," he whispered.
"Always," she replied and kissed him on the cheek.
"You've got two minutes, Doctor," River said as Rose ran towards the others. Then she followed after leaving the Doctor with Dave as a Vashta Nerada broke through the door.
"Hey, who turned out the lights?"
"You hear that," the Doctor shouted. "Those words? That is the very last thought of the man who wore that suit, before you climbed inside and stripped his flesh. That's a man's soul trapped inside a neural relay, going round and round forever. Now, if you don't have the decency to let him go, how about this? Use him, talk to me. It's easy. Neural relay. Just point and think. Use him, talk to me."
"Hey, who turned out the lights?"
"The Vashta Nerada live on all the worlds in this system, but you hunt in forests. What are you doing in a library?"
"We should go. Doctor!" Dave shouted.
"In a minute," the Doctor replied. "You came to a library to hunt. Why? Just tell me why?"
"We did not..." it said.
"Oh, hello," the Doctor said.
"We did not..."
"Take it easy, you'll get the hang of it. Did not what?"
"We did not come here."
"Well of course you did. Of course you came here."
"We come from here."
"From here?"
"We hatched here."
"But, you hatch from trees, from spores in trees."
"These are our forests."
"You're nowhere near a forest. Look around you."
"These are our forests."
"You're not in a forest. You're in a library. There are no trees in a... Library."
"We should go. Doctor!" Dave insisted.
"Books. You came in the books. Microspores in a million, million books." The Doctor whispered in awe.
"We should go. Doctor!"
"Oh! Look at that! The forest of the Vashta Nerada, pulped and printed and bound. A million, million books hatching shadows."
"We should go. Doctor!"
The Doctor turned and looked at Other Dave and sighed, "Oh, Dave! Oh, Dave, I'm so sorry!" And as the suit leaned forward Dave's skull appeared.
"Hey, who turned out the lights?"
"We should go. Doctor!"
"Thing about me, I'm stupid. I talk too much. I was babbling on. This gob doesn't stop for anything. Want to know the only reason I'm still alive? Always staying near the door." And he soniced a trap door and began to climb towards the corridor where the others had went through.
River was sonicing the floor of the room where they were waiting for the Doctor and said, "You know, it's funny, I keep wishing the Doctor was here."
"But the Doctor is here, he's just trying to reason with the creatures that won't listen to reason, like always," Rose said to River.
"He's coming back, right?" Anita questioned.
River sighed and began, "You know when you see a photograph of someone you know, but it's from years before you knew them? And it's like they're not quite finished. They're not done yet. Well, yes, the Doctor's here. He came when I called, just like he always does. But not my Doctor. Now my Doctor... I've seen whole armies turn and run away, and he'd just swagger off back to his TARDIS and open the doors with a snap of his fingers. The Doctor, in the TARDIS. Next stop everywhere."
"Spoilers!" Shouted the Doctor's voice, echoing in the small room. "Nobody can open a TARDIS by snapping their fingers. Doesn't work like that."
"It does for the Doctor," River replied.
"I am the Doctor."
"Yeah. Someday."
"What the hell are you at?" Rose screeched at River. "He's as much the Doctor as your Doctor and every other regeneration, maybe more because of what he has yet to go through, and you cannot say that you care for the Doctor one single scrap if you can't respect him in each incarnation. Did I make my self clear, or do I need to repeat?"
"No, you are crystal clear, Ms. Tyler," River replied.
The Doctor turned to Anita and asked, "How're you doing?"
"Where's Other Dave?" River asked.
"Not coming, sorry," was his short reply.
"Well, if they've taken him, why haven't they gotten me yet?" Anita inquired.
"I don't know," he replied. "Maybe tinting your visor's making a difference."
"It's making a difference all right. No one's ever gonna see my face again."
"Can I get you anything?"
"An old age would be nice. Anything you can do?"
"I'm all over it."
"Doctor," she said as he turned away, he immediately turned back to face her. "When we first met you, you didn't trust Professor Song. And then she whispered a word in your ear, and you did. My life so far, I could do with a word like that. What did she say?" Anita chuckled as the Doctor stayed silent. "Give a dead girl a break. Your secrets are safe with me."
"Safe," he murmured distractedly.
"What?"
"Safe. You don't say 'saved'. Nobody says 'saved'. You say 'safe'. The data fragment, what did it say?"
"4,022 people saved. No survivors," replied Mr. Lux.
"Doctor?" River said.
"Nobody says 'saved'. Nutters say 'saved'. You say 'safe', but it didn't mean safe it meant... It literally meant saved!"
The Doctor brought them over to the Library Archive File. "See, there it is. Right there. 100 years ago, massive power surge. All the teleports going at once. Soon as the Vashta Nerada hit their hatching cycle, they attack. Someone hits the alarm. The computer tries to teleport everyone out."
"It tried to teleport 4,022 people?" River questioned.
"Succeeded, pulled them all out. But then what? Nowhere to send them. Nowhere safe in the whole library. Vashta Nerada growing in every shadow. 4,022 people all beamed up and nowhere to go. They're stuck in the system, waiting to be sent, like emails. So, what's a computer to do? What does a computer always do?"
"It saved them," River replied.
The Doctor nodded, moved to a table, moved the books and took out a marker and drew a large circle, "The library, a whole world of books." Then he drew a smaller circle within the circle and shaded it in. "And right at the core, the biggest hard drive in history. The index to everything ever written; backup copies of every single book. The computer saved 4,022 people the only way a computer can. It saved them to the hard drive."
Then the alarm started blaring.
"What is it? What's wrong?" Mr. Lux asked.
"Auto destruct enabled in 20 minutes."
"What's maximum erasure?" River asked.
"In 20 minutes this planet's gonna crack like an egg," the Doctor replied.
"No. No, it's all right. The doctor moon will stop it. It's programmed to protect CAL," Mr. Lux stated calmly.
Then the screen went off. The Doctor begged, "No, no, no, no, no!"
"All library systems are permanently offline. Sorry for any inconvenience..."
"We need to stop this," Mr. Lux demanded. "We gotta save CAL!"
"What is it? What is CAL?" the Doctor asked.
"We need to get to the main computer. I'll show you."
"It's at the core of the planet?" the Doctor inquired.
"Well then, let's go," River said.
"Allons-y," Rose said, and the Doctor smiled at her as River opened the tunnel to the core of the planet.
"Gravity platform," River stated.
"I bet I like you," the Doctor said.
"Oh, you do," she replied.
And the boarded and descended to the core.
"Auto destruct in 15 minutes."
"The data core," the Doctor commented as they stood under the bright orange core of the planet. "Over 4,000 living minds trapped inside it."
"Yeah, well, they won't be living for much longer. We're running out of time." River stated grimly.
They ran through the core to the control matrixes.
"Help me. Please help me."
"What's that?" River asked.
"Was that a child? Rose questioned, her voice rising in pitch because of her shock.
"The computer's in sleep mode." The Doctor said, slightly confused at the fact, but typing furiously. "I can't wake it up. I'm trying."
"Doctor, these readings..." River trailed off.
"I know. You'd think it was... Dreaming."
"It is dreaming, of a normal life," Mr. Lux said quietly. "And a lovely dad, and of every book ever written."
"Computer's don't dream," Anita retorted.
"Help me. Please help me."
"No," Mr. Lux replied. "But little girls do." He then pulled a switch that made noises that did not sound good to anyone. And ran back to the core, where a machine turned around with the face of a little girl.
"Please help me. Please help me." It begged.
"Oh, my God," Rose whispered.
"It's the little girl," Anita added. "The girl we saw in the computer."
Mr. Lux replied, "She's not in the computer. In a way, she is the computer. The main command node. This is CAL."
"CAL is a child!" the Doctor said, disgusted. "A child hooked up to a mainframe! Why didn't you tell me this? I needed to know this!"
"Because she's family!" Lux screamed. "CAL. Charlotte Abigail Lux. My grandfather's youngest daughter. She was dying, so we built her a library and put her living mind inside. The moon to watch over her, and all of human history to pass the time. Any era to live in. Any book to read. She loved books more than anything. And he gave her them all. He asked only that she be left in peace. A secret. Not a freak show." He had tears running down his cheeks.
"So you weren't protecting a patent," the Doctor said with understanding in his voice. "You were protecting her."
"Hers was only half a life, of course," Lux continued. "But it's forever."
"And then the shadows came." The Doctor stated.
"The shadows. I have to... I have to save... Have to save... "
"And she saved them," the Doctor whispered. "She saved everyone in the library. Folded them into her dreams and kept them safe."
"Then why didn't she tell us?" Anita demanded.
"Because she's forgotten," the Doctor said. "She's got over 4,000 living minds chatting away inside her head. It must be like being, well... Me."
"So what do we do?" River asked.
"Auto destruct in 10 minutes."
"Easy," the Doctor breathed. "Beam the people out of the data core. The computer will reset, stop the countdown. Difficult. Charlotte doesn't have enough memory space to make the transfer. Easy! I'll hook myself up to the computer. She can borrow my memory space."
"Difficult. It'll kill you stone dead." River interjected while stopping the Doctor from grabbing the wires to hook himself up to the machine.
"Easy to criticise," he said to River.
"It'll burn out both your hearts. And don't think you'll regenerate!"
"I'll try my hardest not to die. Honestly, it's my main thing."
"Doctor-"
"If I'm right, this'll work. Shut up. Now listen, you, Lux and Rose go back up to the main library. Prime any data cells that you can find for maximum download. And before you say anything else, Professor, can I mention just in passing as you're here, shut up!"
"I hate you sometimes!"
"I know."
"Mr. Lux and Rose, with me. Anita, if he dies, I'll kill him!"
"What about the Vashta Nerada?" Anita asked.
And that was the last thing that Rose and Mr Lux heard from down in the core.
As they made their way to the gravity platform Rose asked, "Will it really kill him River?"
And the naivety of the question made her stop. River replied, "I'm going back to make sure that doesn't happen, and don't even think about coming down here until those 4,022 people are back, clear?"
"Crystal, come on Mr. Lux. Time to prime cells for maximum download, and River?"
"Yes?"
"If he dies, kill him for me too."
River let out a chuckle and said, "I'll make sure of that." Then she ran back to the core to help the Doctor.
They were typing furiously at their computers, doing just what the Doctor said when suddenly; a man's voice said "Excuse me, what happened? How did we get here?" The library was filled with people again.
"They're back!" Mr. Lux shouted. "They're all back!"
"He did it," Rose whispered, then, a little louder she said, "The Doctor did it!"
Mr. Lux went around hugging the people and Rose went straight to the gravity platform to see the Doctor and River.
Rose ran into the control room to see Anita lying on the floor, and she crouched beside her and whispered, "Sleep well, Anita."
"Rose," the Doctor whimpered. "Can you unchain me?"
She walked over to the Doctor and used the sonic on the handcuffs and asked, "Where's River?"
"She sacrificed herself so that I could still have a future with her; she died when the library was downloaded into her head. She's gone."
"Oh, my God, I hope it was quick so that she didn't suffer as much. An even though it was a rough start I actually liked her."
"She was nice when she wasn't being condescending or ominous with her 'Spoilers'." They both let out a soft laugh at that.
"We'd better go get Donna before she rips out your hair for sending her away."
"You're right, but how did you know about that?"
"River told me everything while you were 'reasoning' with the Vashta Nerada and decided to refuse me staying with you because it was 'too dangerous'. Why are we protective all of a sudden?"
"Because I only just got you back and I'm not going to lose you again."
"Is that a promise?"
"Yes, it is, because you are just so jeopardy friendly."
"Oi, leave me alone. Not my fault you like your companions to be 'damsels in distress '."
"I do not!"
"Do too!"
"Do not!"
"Do too!"
"Do not!"
"Do too!"
Donna spotted him, leaning against the wall with a pretty blonde by his side and she said, "You ever send me away for my own good I will slap you silly! Now, won't you introduce me to your friend?"
"Donna Noble, this is Rose Tyler, Rose this is the one and only Donna Noble."
"Nice to meet you," Rose said offering her hand, but Donna just gaped at her.
"Rose, as in the Rose, as in 'I had this friend' and 'Her name was Rose', Rose! Are you flipping kidding me?" Donna screeched. "Come here love, it's nice to finally meet you, but how are you here if you were 'lost' as he says?"
"Oh, it's a really long story and it's been a really tiring day."
"Well, you two can sit here while I look for the man who was my husband in that dream world."
*1 hour later*
"Any luck?" the Doctor asked.
Donna shook her head, "there wasn't even anyone called Lee in the library that day. I suppose he could have had a different name out here but... Let's be honest, he wasn't real, was he?"
"Maybe not," the Doctor replied.
"I made up the perfect man. Gorgeous, adores me, and hardly able to speak a word. What does that say about me?"
"Everything," the Doctor stated and Rose elbowed him in the stomach, while Donna glared at him. "Sorry, did I say 'everything'? I meant to say 'nothing'. I was aiming for 'nothing', I accidentally said 'everything'."
"What about you? You all right?" Donna questioned.
"I'm always all right," he replied.
"Is 'all right' special Time Lord code for 'really not all right at all'?"
"Why?"
"'Cause I'm all right, too."
"Come on," the Doctor stated after a short pause. Then, he grabbed each of their hands and walked towards the balcony overlooking the Library. The Doctor took out River's diary and set it on the ledge. He rested his hand on it and stared at it.
"Your friend," Donna said. "Professor Song. She knew you in the future, but she didn't know me. What happens to me?"
"She didn't know me either," Rose added. "But she knew my name, and each time she looked at me it was with pity."
"When she heard my name, the way she looked at me..." Donna trailed off.
"Donna. This is her diary," the Doctor answered. "My future. I could look you up. What do you think? Shall we peek at the end?"
"Spoilers, right?" Donna replied.
"Right." He whispered, smiling at her, then, he took out the future sonic screwdriver and rested it on top of the diary. "Come on," he said as they began to walk up the stairs towards the TARDIS. "The next chapter's this way." But, as they reached the door the Doctor ran back and picked up the sonic. "Why? Why would I give her my screwdriver? Why would I do that? Thing is, future me had years to think about it. All those years to think of a way to save her. What he did was give her a screwdriver. Why would I do that?" Then, he lifted up a piece of the screwdriver and saw the flashing lights. "Oh! Oh! Oh! Look at that! I'm very good!"
"What have you done?" Donna questioned.
"Saved her!" The Doctor proclaimed. He began to run towards the gravity platform, leaving Rose and Donna behind.
"We should meet him at the TARDIS," Donna said. "It's this way. Follow me." They began to walk to the room where the TARDIS was and when they arrived, Donna unlocked it and they walked inside. "So," Donna began. "Are you jealous?"
"Of what?" Rose replied.
"River, of course. The Doctor will love her in the future."
"Oh. I guess I am, but it's not like we were together or anything." Rose stated. As much as I wanted it to be different, she thought.
"But you love him, right?"
"Yes, why else would I cross universes to get back to him?"
"But how were you not together? The way he talks about you, and how he looks at you. The man's infatuated! So, why weren't you two together?"
"He's not infatuated! I mean, the last time I saw him, I thought that he might have been, but he could have been saying anything, he doesn't love me!"
"Yes. He does. I met him just after he lost you, and he was a mess and was killing children, murderous children, but children nonetheless. And he seemed like he was better the second time I met him, but now he's got you again, he's got hope. And no matter how much he has denied it in the past to himself and to you, he loves y-"
The doors to the TARDIS popped open and the Doctor stood outside with a small smile on his face. As he walked in the girls smiled at him. Then, turned to face the doors again and snapped his fingers, and the doors closed again.
"So," the Doctor started. "Where to next?"
"Can we have a break?" Donna asked. "That trip was very terrifying and draining, I need to rest before we start running again."
"Sure, we can float in the Vortex for a bit."
At this, Donna walked out of the console room to head to her bedroom, but on her way out, she mouthed at Rose, "Talk to him."
"Are you hungry?" the Doctor asked her.
"Yes, I guess travel between universes takes its' toll on ones stomach." He chuckled dryly at that and they made their way to the kitchen. The Doctor began to make tea and Rose started to make sandwiches, easily going back to their old routine. As they sat at the table, the Doctor looked at Rose, taking in her features like he might never see her again. After she swallowed her first bite of sandwich he asked, "How long has it been?"
"Two years, three months, nine days and a few hours, since Bad Wolf Bay," she replied without emotion. "What about you?"
"Two years, nine months, six weeks, three days, seven hours, eight minutes and 4.8752 seconds, give or take a decimal." He whispered, gazing deep into her eyes. "But, that is counting a year that never existed, and that's a long story for later. I missed you Rose."
She smiled softly at him. "I missed you too. And I'm sorry about River. I know you wanted to get to know her, but at least you'll meet her in the future."
"Yeah, I'm upset that she was innocent and had to die, but she did save me so I could see you again. Listen, I'm sorry about the connection running out on Bad Wolf Bay, and I have regretted not saying this since I realised it. So, Rose Tyler... I love you. And I have for a long time and I know that I will love you for a long time after you..."
Rose felt her world freeze and she forgot how to breathe. He finished the sentence, she thought. He loves me... Oh, my God, he loves me!
"Rose, breathe. Please, I only just got you back so don't go dying on me."
She burst into a fit of hysterical giggles, murmuring repeatedly, "He loves me." The Doctor wrapped his arms around her and sat her in his lap. He moved her hair back from her face and looked into her eyes.
"Yes, I love you, my Rose."
"I love you too, my Doctor," she replied, finally able to find her voice. The Doctor smiled at her and pressed his lips to hers softly, applying the slightest pressure. She responded by pressing her lips back harder and soon the kiss deepened.
They broke apart when Donna walked into the kitchen whistling. She looked over at them and saw Rose sitting on the Doctor's lap and smiled. "Sorry for interrupting, lovebirds."
The two blushed at this, and when Donna left the Doctor looked at Rose and asked, "Would you like to accompany me to my room, Dame Tyler?"
"I would love to, Sir Doctor."
And when the time came, and they landed on a market planet, Rose pointed out that Bad Wolf was everywhere and they saved the Multi-Verse from Davros' plan to detonate the reality bomb without a metacrisis. The tenth incarnation of the Doctor stayed with Rose until she eventually died of old age, and when he faced the End of Time, he welcomed death as an old friend and the Tenth went to the Time Lord equivalent of heaven and want with his Rose for all eternity.
THE END