"Hold on" the Doctor yelled as he frantically dashed around the Tardis console, pulling levers and pushing buttons.
Martha held tight to a beam, staring at the monitor. "We're almost at the void!"
"Allright, allright" he muttered, frantically pulling wires. "No choice then." He fused the wires to a large white button with his sonic screwdriver and slammed his hand in the middle.
The Tardis shook, the Doctor and Martha crashing into the walls, then slamming to the floor. The silence was almost more frightening then than the earlier chaotic sounds.
Martha gingerly stood up, looking at the Doctor. "So..where are we?"
The Doctor slid his hands through his hair apprehensively. "I'm not sure. That was an old universe travel button from a few years ago. I..do you remember when I told you about Rose?"
"Rose who was sent thru the void, and stuck there with her family?"
"Yep. That was Rose's button when I tried to send her off with Pete. I couldn't think of any other way for us to avoid getting sucked into the void with the Daleks and the Rani."
Martha raised her eyebrows at him. "So Doctor, are you saying we're in Rose's universe? But, how do we get back to ours? I thought you told me that you would never be able to come here?"
The Doctor walked over to the moniter, staring out at the peaceful greenery outside the Tardis. "I don't know. The button shouldn't have even worked. The Rani helped the Daleks escape from the void. They had nothing to do with this universe this time. I only tried the button because nothing else worked." He sighed, "wherever we're at, if the void's closed, I can't reopen it."
"Well then," Martha said after a short silence, "Let's go see what's out there."
Mickey leaned over the desk, his voice low "Rose, you need a break. The few Daleks that got through have been destroyed. Go home."
Rose sighed. "The void was open, Mickey. How? He told me that couldn't happen." She looked out the window, then back at Mickey. "What if he was wrong? More Cybermen, more Daleks? What if he'd been able…"
"No. Rose, if he'd been able to come back for you, he would have. A small puncture three daleks slid through has sealed up. We don't know why. It probably never opened on that side of the void."
She smiled up at him. "You're right."
Giving her a cocky look, Mickey laughed. "I always am, yeah? Now GO HOME. I'll call you if we need you for anything."
Rose walked down the front steps of Torchwood, enjoying the breeze coming from the nearby woods. It had been 36 hours since the Daleks had slipped through a small hole in the void, creating mass chaos in a village not far away. Fortunately, in the last two years, Pete Tyler, the new head of Torchwood, had focused on training an incredible staff. Rose, Mickey and Jake had spent numerous hours discussing Daleks, Cybermen, Slitheen, and other creatures with the new hires. The Daleks were killed quickly, with only a few human casualties. This truly was a different Earth.
Phrases from the past echoed in her head. "New, new Earth, new, new Doctor", "I'm coming to get you, Rose."
As always, she thought of how they'd been torn apart. If she'd only had a better grip, if he would have come through the void with her. And yet, she had accomplished so much in this alternate world. Her career at Torchwood was flourishing, and she often traveled to other countries, working with their alien defense branches. She had her mother, father, Mickey, and her little sister. Chances she never would have had, if she'd never met the Doctor.
She slid her helmet over her blond hair, and swung onto her motorcycle for the short drive home. The new Torchwood headquarters were in the country, and she had a cottage of her own nearby.
Martha peered around the door of the Tardis. "Well, just looks like we landed in woods of some sort. I suppose that isn't much help."
The Doctor walked out the door behind her. "No idea of what year, what planet, what universe." He gave her a startingly cheerful grin."Nothing like an adventure."
They walked quietly for a while, pushing aside branches and stepping over rocks.
"Martha," the Doctor looked at her seriously. "If we are in the alternate universe, I really don't know how to get us home."
"As long as you've landed us on the alternate Earth in a decent time, we'll be fine. I'm sure they can always use additional doctors, so I can find a job. It's isn't like I had any family left to miss me. What about you? Can you still travel time in this universe?"
"I presume so. This is not my universe, so it will all be different than what I know."
They continued on silently, each lost in their own thoughts.
Eventually, they came to a country road, houses barely visible in the distance. Martha smiled with relief. "Well, it looks fairly normal, and very –"
At the sound of loud engines and squeling tires, they each spun around. Several military jeeps blocked their way.
"Hands up! What are your ID Numbers?"
The Doctor raised his eyebrows. "I'd be glad to show you, if you'll put the guns down."
As the soldiers lowered their guns, he pulled out his psychic paper. "As you can see-"
"Psychic Paper," the soldier announced, and their guns were raised again. "All-right then, in the vehicle. We'll sort this out at headquarters."
Martha's head banged against the Doctor's as she was shoved into the jeep. "How did they know that was psychic paper?"
The Doctor whispered back, "some government places train for basic psychic level. I think that's what happened here."
"Should we ask them where we are?"
"Let's wait and see where they take us. I'm guessing they were able to moniter the Tardis landing somehow."
Mickey was completing his report on the Dalek situation when a soldier burst thru his door. He looked up, annoyed. "It's too hard to knock, mate?"
"Sorry Sir," the young soldier blurted. "some alien object landed nearby, and we caught two of them. They look human, sir."
Mickey shoved his chair back. "Where are they?" Mickey strode out of the office, the young soldier hurrying to keep up. "Michaels and Jones, come with me," he ordered striding through the main floor towards the holding rooms.
Mickey nodded at the soldiers guarding the room. "What have we got?"
"Two humans it appears, sir. We tracked them from an alien object that landed. Neither have said anything since I saw he had psychic paper."
A frown on Mickey's face, he repeated "psychic paper?" He remembered the Doctor and his psychic paper. That was the only time he'd seen anything like that. Of course, since then, they had all been trained to see through basic psychic tricks.
"Open the door" he ordered.
Stepping in, he made sure he put his coldest look on his face. He had learned the best way to intimidate while fighting Cybermen.
"Let's start with what is your …real…" he froze, staring at the man who had turned when he walked in. "Oh my God, Doctor!"
The Doctor's huge grin spread across his face. "Mickey!" After a moment, they hugged, each laughing. "Glad we found you, Mickey!"
"We?" Mickey stepped back, looking past the Doctor. A beautiful young woman stood there, her dark eyes shining with relief.
She walked forward to shake his hand firmly. "Hello, I'm Martha. It sounds as though you two know each other well."
Mickey smiled at her. "Very well. He did run off with my…with Rose for a few years, and helped us save the world a few times."
The Doctor asked quietly "and Rose, how is she?"
"She's fine. She'd been here for several shifts, so I talked her into going home. She was thinking about you today, Doc. Wondering if you could have come through with the Daleks."
"The Daleks? You had Daleks here as well?"
Mickey nodded. "Just a few. They came from a little rip in the void. In the last few years, Pete…. he took over Torchwood, had everyone train in fighting any aliens Rose and I could think of. We've revamped items from the old Torchwood building, been pretty busy. Our team was able to defeat them pretty quickly."
"I'll tell you what, let me clear you guys. It shouldn't take long, they've all heard about the Doctor. Then we'll go to Pete and Jackie's and you can tell us all what's going on. Let's wait to tell Rose you're here until then. It might be easier with us all there."
Mickey dealt with the soldiers and took the Doctor and Martha up to his office.
The Doctor smiled, looking around. "You certainly made a place for yourself in this world, Mickey."
"Rose and I both. It's a much better world for us here. Rose is a known alien expert, and I'm second in command. Remember Jake? He's in charge of the troops for Torchwood now."
"How are Pete and Jackie?"
"Very well. The have a little girl named Violet now, who's two. She looks just like Rose."
Mickey called Pete, giving him the heads up that the Doctor had returned, and inquired if Pete would call Rose and ask her to come over.
"I'll call her" Pete responded. "But let's wait until she's here to tell her. I don't want her to crash on the way."
The Doctor sat next to Mickey in the Jeep, lost in his memories. Rose's beautiful hair, her tear-stained face as he told her they would never be together again. Her whispered I love you, and the anguish he had felt when he realized he had waited to long to tell her he felt the same.
He had had numerous adventures since they had been parted. Donna the crazy bride, meeting Martha, an intelligent young doctor that yearned to save the world. He and Martha understood each other very well, and he enjoyed traveling with a good friend. However, he missed Rose's incredible sense of adventure, her laugh, even her crazy family.
The car pulled up next to a beautiful house. The door was flung open and Jackie Tyler rushed out the door. "Doctor! How are you? Where have you been? How did you get here?"
He was laughing again, hugging Jackie. "Great. And you, I hear you have another little girl now? Just as adventurous as Rose?"
1"One of my daughters running off with you is enough, thank you. Oh- it is good to see you though." Jackie hugged him once more, stepped back, only then realizing there was another girl standing behind the Doctor. "And who is this then?" she inquired coolly.
"Ah, this is Martha. Martha, this is Rose's mother, Jackie Tyler."
Martha stepped forward, shaking hands with a hesitant Jackie. "I've heard so much about your daughter, Mrs. Tyler. It's a pleasure to meet you."
Jackie was obviously mollified by Martha's calm awareness of Rose. "Well, let's head inside before Rose pulls up and sees us out here."
As the rest settled into the chairs and sofa, The Doctor did his best to explain what had happened.
"Apparently, the Rani, an evil time lord, was working with the Daleks during the time war. She managed to escape with them, but somehow they all ended up in the void. A fair amount of Daleks were left in the void with her as they waited to conquer Earth. But they failed due to you lot and the Cybermen. It took them several years to create a new hole from the void. The Tardis was caught up in the suction as we attempted to seal the void, and finally I hooked up the old transporter button Rose had left behind, hoping to make it somewhere. I had no idea a hole had been punched in your world also."
Pete leaned forward, "But the hole was resealed, right? On our side of the universe?"
The Doctor nodded. "Yes. It seems like the Tardis just cleared the hole as it sealed."
"So you're stuck here? In this universe?"
"It seems so, yes."
Pete exchanged looks with Jackie, sitting back. "And Rose, how does she fit in now? Will you travel in this universe?"
"Well, this universe truly is all new to me, but hold on. Let's take it one step at a time. There's a lot that needs sorted out."
The front door slammed, and Rose's voice echoed thru the downstairs. "Mum, Dad? Mickey? Where are you?" She rounded the corner into the family room. "Mum, I..." Her voice broke as she stared at the man leaning against the fireplace.
"Doctor?" she whispered, her face paling.
"Rose," his voice equally quiet. He stepped forward. "Rose Tyler." Suddenly his arms opened, and with no hesitation, she ran into them. They held each other silently. Suddenly he whispered in her ear. "Rose Tyler, I love you." She began to laugh and cry all at once, her mascara running down her face. "Did you come all this way to finally tell me that?"
He grinned happily at her, "Well, it seemed appropriate, since the last time I tried on this planet, I was cut off."
Sniffling she reached up to cup his face in her hands. Her voice rough, she asked "How did you come back? The rip in the void?"
He nodded. "Apparently the Daleks punched a hole in your universe while attempting to escape into mine."
"And..and are you leaving again?"
His serious dark eyes met hers, "It appears we're stuck here like you."
He looked around, only to realize her family and Martha had quietly left the room. "Well, that's definitely the quietest your mother's ever been."
She laughed, wiping her cheeks with her sleeves. "Tell me everything. How did you get here? How have you been?"
He gave her his huge grin. "And you, Rose Tyler, defender of the earth. You've been busy."
She pulled him over to the sofa, tugging him down with her. "Everything, Doctor. Now"
Taking a deep breath, he began. "Rose, I'm traveling with someone now. Not like you. She's a friend. Her name is Martha."
For the next two hours, they talked. About everything from Martha to Mickey, the Rani to the Daleks, Rose's life on this Earth to her little sister.
"When you told me about the baby, I thought.."
She grinned, "I could tell exactly what you thought. Have you met Violet?"
The Doctor shook his head. "Not yet. I'm told she's like you. You were a cute baby."
"Was that before or after I almost destroyed the world?"
"Ah- before, definitely before."
Hungry after hours of talking, they went to scrounge in the kitchen. Rose was describing a recent adventure, both of them interrupting each others sentences, and laughing.
"Come on, let's go sit on the patio, it's a beautiful evening."
Stepping outside with a mouthful of chips, they stopped, looking at the group of people seated on the lawn chairs.
The Doctor swallowed quickly. "Ooh, sorry about that."
Rose's cheeks flushed, "Yeah, we sorta lost track of time." She realized there was a strange young woman seated next to Mickey. "You must be Martha. I'm Rose." She walked over to a chair across from her and sat down. "Are you okay with this whole parallel thing? It really threw Mickey and I the first time we were here."
Martha nodded. "Mickey has told me all about it. How this planet has been rebuilding, what Torchwood does, what has happened in the last few years."
"It's been a challenge trying to be prepared for anything and everything," Pete frowned.
"The Cybermen really brought this planet to the notice of other aliens,"
"So- you've been invaded a few times?" The doctor inquired.
"Scouts, we think. Torchwood can handle a few aliens, but our knowledge is so limited in what's out there. We wouldn't be as prepared as we are if we didn't have Rose and Mickey."
"Wose, Wose" a little voice yelled as a blond toddler shot into the room. Rose grabbed Violet as she leaped towards her.
"Slow down," she announced, laughing. "Violet, you're gonna hurt yourself."
Pete smiled at his wife as she followed Violet onto the patio. "I take it she had a good nap?" he asked wryly.
"She's just like Rose at that age, I tell ya. Into everything, and always something to say."
Jackie turned to the Doctor. "Did you and Martha need to stay here for the night?"
"You might want to," Mickey added. "We can clean up and move the Tardis tomorrow."
The Doctor raised his eyebrows at Martha.
"Sure."
The little girl had edged over to the Doctor. He looked down at her and smiled. She really did look like a miniature Rose.
"Hewwo. Who are you?"
He crouched down to her level. "I'm the Doctor. You must be Violet."
She nodded.
"I'm friends with your sister."
At this, the little girl tipped her head. "You made her cry," she announced.
The Doctor froze, then said quietly, "Yes, I did. I'm sorry. I never meant to make her sad."
Rose walked over, taking Violet's hand. "Let's go make you a sandwich." She leaned down towards the Doctor. "Don't even think of leaving."