When she had first seen him, she didn't know what to think. She could barely wrap her head around the fact that there were two of them, two Doctors. At first, she guessed that maybe it was a future version of himself. Then he was stopped and became trapped by Davros and that theory went to hell. But Rose had travelled with the Doctor long enough to know that leaving questions unasked would get her nowhere. So she asked.
'Human biological metacrisis,' the second Doctor answered.
Right, she forgot that sometimes the answers were less than helpful. Unfortunately there had been no time for explanation as the whole of reality was about to be decimated. She looked to the Doctor, wanting to say so much and not having any time left to do so. She wanted to reach out and grab his hand, die together, connected, but their holding cells prevented them. For a split second, he caught her eye, and in that moment, she swore she saw it. She could see his true feelings and she knew that he was thinking the same things as her. In that split second, they said everything they needed to say, so they waited for reality to end.
But it didn't.
They looked over and saw Donna pushing button after button, disabling the bomb and the Daleks along with it. She and the two Doctors got to work sending the planets back to their original locations while the others pushed the defenseless Daleks into a corner. The Doctor then ushered them all into the TARDIS. It seemed that Earth would have to hitch a ride.
Once the planet was back in place, it was time for goodbyes, proper ones this time. Rose's to Jack was heartfelt, somehow knowing that she wouldn't see him again. He had Torchwood 3. He no longer needed her or the Doctor. Her goodbye to Mickey had been much more brief. They weren't necessarily on bad terms, but it was hard for Mickey to be around her. She knew that he still loved her, and she wished to God that she could return that love again, but she couldn't. Once she had met the Doctor, that was it. There was no one else. There never would be.
Again they took off, this time they landed on a beach that she knew all too well. The seaside smell invaded her senses. The wind whipped her hair. The waves crashed in her ears, and the memory flew back to her. She hated this beach. She looked ahead and saw her mother talking with the new Doctor. Something tugged at the back of her mind. Something felt off. The Doctor spoke, and as she looked into his eyes, she understood.
He was leaving her there.
And not just her but the new Doctor as well. Tears of frustration formed into her eyes. For years she had worked tirelessly to find him, to get back to him. After all that, how could he just leave her again? And who said it was his choice what she did with her life? Why couldn't she stay with him? And then Donna made the new Doctor explain.
One life. One forever. And he wanted to spend it with her. She reached out and touched his chest, feeling his single heartbeat. Her mind was lurching. He wanted to be with her, forever. He'd just said so. The Doctor, the real Doctor would never say that. He would just assume she knew, which she did, but...it was reassuring to hear it spoken aloud. Suddenly Donna and the Doctor made to leave, but Rose was having none of it. She was determined for this to be her choice, hers and no one else's. It was high time the Doctor was at her mercy rather than her being at his.
So she tested them both. She dared them to say the words, to tell her what she had been robbed of hearing during her first visit to this beach. The Doctor, the original, had deferred, as he usually did. She had expected this. She was used to him hiding parts of himself, his feelings and thoughts. She turned to the second Doctor, waiting. To her surprise, she felt slightly hopeful. He hesitated for a moment before reaching out and gently clutching her elbow. She held her breath when he leaned in and whispered:
I love you, forever.
Hearing that from his lips, with his voice drained all thoughts from her mind. Her heart swelled, and she looked into his eyes and saw something she never encountered with the Doctor. She just saw him, all of him. His thoughts, his feelings, his heart, his one heart. She felt her love overwhelm her entire being as she reached out and grabbed him. At first, he seemed a bit surprised, but a mere moment later, he relaxed into her and held her tightly, urgently. So lost was she in the kiss that she didn't realize that the Doctor, the real Doctor had walked back into the TARDIS with Donna. She heard the door slam and didn't get there in time to prevent the ship from disappearing.
She let her eyes fill with tears. That was it. He was gone. He had left her there, something she never thought he would do. Her heart was beating so loudly and so quickly that she was sure it would explode. The crashing waves and the soft sand masked the sound of footsteps behind her. She hadn't realized that he approached until he grabbed her hand. She turned to face him and her mind screamed at her to let him go because he wasn't the right Doctor. He was just a copy.
But she felt his skin against her own. And their hands fit together perfectly. Despite her mind's wishes, her body refused to comply. For the first time in years, she felt comfort and safety and belonging. As these emotions rushed into her, she let her tears fall. He reached up to brush them away, but before he could, she turned and began walking back towards her mum, not letting go of his hand. All the way back to London, she refused to let go. She didn't want him to disappear because even though he wasn't the right Doctor, he was still a Doctor and that was better than none.
It had been a long day. Once they landed in London, she and Jackie got in a row. She hadn't meant to snap, but the second Jackie remained adamant that Rose and the Doctor stay at the mansion for a while, her daughter responded, in no uncertain terms, that that would not happen. She hadn't meant to be as loud as she was. Of course, that started Jackie on a whole new tirade about what an ungrateful daughter she had and how she was only concerned for them. She kept on for about ten minutes. Rose's response was to look towards Pete, ask for a full week off of work, and storm off out of the house, tugging the Doctor behind her.
He assumed that he would be sleeping in the guest bedroom that night, but she hadn't let him. She needed to be near him for the time being. Now that they had left the beach, the confusion had set in. She was painfully aware of the fact that her Doctor was in a different universe and not standing right next to her, but this Doctor was. She needed to be around him, to get used to him. Wordlessly, she led him to her bedroom and lay them down on top of her duvet. She turned on her side to face him, and he followed suit. Maintaining the silence, she wiggled slightly to move as close to him as she could get before pressing her head to his chest and closing her eyes. Just as she was falling asleep, she felt him pull their enclosed hands to his lips and drape his free arm around her.
Day one together was mainly spent in awkward conversation, neither knowing what to say to each other. Both had numerous questions, but they each wanted the other to break the ice first. On day two, the ice shattered and everything that was said between them was laced with sarcasm or disdain or anger. The rest of the week was spent in the same fashion, but through all that, she refused to let him leave and she refused to let him sleep alone.
Day eight was the day Rose went back to work. She brought the Doctor with her and together they decided that it was time for him to get a proper identity and a proper job. Day eight was also the day that Rose wept for Donna. She had only known the fiery redhead for a short time, but even then Rose was able to see how amazing Donna Noble was, how wonderful she had become all because she had travelled with the Doctor. Rose could relate to that. Day nine was her first full day living with John Noble.
They had been back for a full two weeks before they appeared in a tabloid. She had been more angry than him. Here was the press, clinging to the idea that she and John were a couple when she didn't even know what they were. Since he started working at Torchwood with her, they had fought less, rather falling into a comfortable living arrangement. She had hoped, though she knew it to be in vain, that their lack of PDA or even public outings would make them less interesting, but the press didn't seem to think so. A further two weeks saw their stories maintaining curiosity and caused awkwardness between the two of them. She had subconsciously begun to distance herself from John. She wanted the stories to stop. She wanted to end the rumors.
With all the tension she had in her, she was completely taken aback when he snapped first.
They fought, they shouted, they cried, they threw things.
But after all of that, they talked. They shared their first honest conversation which included their fears, their doubts, their desires, and their hopes. That night they shared their first kiss since the beach, and by the next morning, the rumors about Rose and John being a couple were true.
A squeal of delight brought Rose back to her present surroundings. They were back on that beach. She and John took a holiday in Norway once a year, returning to the beach to remind themselves of where they started and how far they had come. And what a journey it had been. At first, they would just sit on a blanket and talk about the year that had passed, but that only lasted a few visits. Things were so different now.
She watched as John chased their little girl through the waves. Tanya was five now and was constantly looking less and less like her mother and more of John was bursting through her features. Her hair, once her mother's blond, was now a rich brunette, the copy of her father's. She was constantly above average for height, and her eyes, though inexplicably blue, were shaped like John's and had his little spark in them.
Rose's hand drifted down to the toddler napping beside her. Sammy was completely different. His hair was lighter, permanently so. His eyes were his mum's chocolate color, and his features were all her. At first they thought he might change like Tanya had, but she had started to alter by around 20 months. At three years old, Sammy was probably going to stay the same. Rose smiled and stroked her son's hair before her hand moved back to her stomach.
She smiled. John didn't know yet. She had wanted to wait for today before she told him. As if sensing her thoughts, her husband appeared next to her, carrying a giggling Tanya. Once the little girl wriggled herself free, she moved to the sand and began to build a sand castle.
John sat beside his wife and asked what she was so smiley about.
She whispered in his ear.
He placed his hand on hers before kissing her soundly.