Story Summary: Rose Tyler finally found her way home - to her world, her universe. But she decided looking for the Doctor would be too painful, so she moved on with her life - his face and smile forever a beautiful memory. One morning at a coffee shop changes all that, and Rose decides she's done hiding from what might happen if she opens her heart again.
This story starts with the 11th Doctor first beginning to travel with Amy and Rory. However, there will be lots of changes to what actually happened from beyond that point. For those of you who ship the 11th Doctor/River Song, this is not your story. No River Song here (Don't throw things at me, because honestly, I love her as a character, she just doesn't fit in with this story line).
Anyway, those who ship Rose/Doctor - regardless of regeneration - this is for you. Enjoy!
The muffled sound of a car horn stirred Rose from her sleep. Her muscles ached from sleeping in one position for too long, and as she stretched, she could feel them tightening up. It had been a long day at work yesterday, lifting heavy boxes and stocking shelves. Though she was only twenty-four, Rose found a lot of strenuous work difficult on her body. In the back of her mind, she always wondered if it had anything to do with all her time travel.
Shaking those thoughts away from her mind, she made her way toward her bathroom to get ready for the day. Looking in the mirror, she cringed.
"When did those appear?" She asked herself, touching the dark circles underneath her eyes. Maybe it was just in her imagination, but she thought the reflection staring back at her looked old, worn. Rose had never been vain, but as she scanned her face, she found herself embarrassed. When had she decided not to care about her appearance?
Her alarm clock suddenly went off - interrupting her thought process -, and she quickly ran over to shut it off. The time read 8:00am, and though it was a Saturday - her first Saturday off in over six months - Rose did not want to waste the day. Grabbing some clothes from her closet, she ran back into the bathroom to get ready. Her coffee maker broke several days prior, so if she wanted any caffeine, she needed to go down to the corner coffee shop.
"Bloody rain," She mumbled, pulling the hood of her jacket over her head. The streets, though soaked from the beginnings of the storm, were bustling with people. She had readjusted to the crowds, however, and found it easy to make her way down the street.
It had been four years since she had returned to London - her London. Though most of her family had made a comfortable life for themselves in the parallel world, Rose had never been content. At first, she spent every waking moment trying to find a way to return - to seek out the Doctor and pick up where they left off. However, as the years went by, she found she simply wanted to return to what she had known.
So when Torchwood had reopened the gap between the two worlds, Rose had been ecstatic. She was going home! Yet her Mum and Dad had protested her going. That world didn't need her like they did. Their protests fell on deaf ears though, and the moment Torchwood was ready, she was ready.
At first, the return to her world was a bit of shock. For all intensive purposes, she was dead. Fortunately, her Mum's apartment was still vacant - though it had been gutted when the bills weren't being paid. Rose lived on the floor of that apartment for almost three months until she could scrape up enough cash to buy a bed.
"What can I get you?"
Rose blinked for a moment, coming back to reality. "Coffee, black. Two sugars." She paused. "And one of those blueberry muffins."
As she sat down with her breakfast, the rain began to let up. The sun peaked through the clouds and peered through the window nearest Rose. She sighed, sipping her coffee. Maybe it would be a lovely day after all.
Just then, something caught Rose's eye. There was a small group of people walking down the street, opposite the coffee shop. Two men and one woman. The woman looked to be having an animated discussion with one man, while holding the hand of the other. The man she was holding hands with didn't say much; he simply smiled at her. The second man, however, was fully engaged in the conversation. Hands flapping about and eyes wide - you could tell whatever it was, he thought it was important.
The group stopped for a moment, and as the conversation continued, Rose watched as the wide eyed man did a little spin. She chuckled softly to herself, thinking how silly he looked. What could possibly have him so excited? This question quickly vanished, however, when his full face came into view.
When Rose had returned to her Earth, she fully expected to see the Doctor at some point in her life. She knew how much he loved Earth and had placed it upon himself to protect it. But despite longing to see him, she knew how much time had passed. He probably found another person to travel with him, and didn't need her anymore. Besides, Rose wasn't sure she could take losing him again. So what's the best way to not lose someone?
To never find them in the first place.
But as she looked across the street at this stranger's face, she knew he was no stranger at all. He could regenerate eleven times over and Rose would still know her Doctor.
Once the realization traveled from her head to her heart, Rose knew she couldn't simply let him walk away. All the love she had for him - the love she buried so long ago - had resurfaced in the blink of an eye. It burned within her like a thousand star systems all going out at once. And despite that small voice in the back of her mind cautioning her that she would just get hurt again, Rose pressed on.
She quickly discarded her breakfast (for who had the stomach to eat now), and slowly made her way outside. Though she was anxious to see him, Rose knew she couldn't simply walk up to him. It would be too much of a shock to both their systems - not to mention his new companions.
"His new companions," She whispered to herself.
What was she going to do about the couple? Certainly, Rose had no qualms over meeting them. In fact, she wanted to. The Doctor had chosen these people to travel with him, and she knew how closed off he could be. So, if he chose them, then they were alright with her. It was just...Rose needed to see the Doctor again all on her own. There was so much they needed to say to one another. She had had an audience once, when he said goodbye to her on the beach. The least she was entitled to was a hello without prying eyes and listening ears.
"I want chips," The girl with the Doctor said suddenly. "Rory, let's get some chips."
"We just ate. And besides, it's only nine in the morning. Who's going to have chips?" The man - Rory - said.
"Oh come on," The girl responded, her thick Scottish accent giving gusto to every word. "Live a little."
The rest of their conversation was drowned out by the sound of a car horn, but by the look on both Rory and the young woman's face, Rose knew they were going to get chips. The Doctor said something to them, and sat down on the bench, watching his companions walk down the street and disappear into a small shop.
A mix of excitement and anxiety filled Rose's whole body, and she knew that this was her moment. For the first time in what felt like forever, she was going to be with the Doctor again, if only for a moment.
Rose moved quickly to the other side of the street, keeping herself from his view. The Doctor needed to think that he saw her first, not the other way around. And of course, he probably would. He regenerated, and would never expect Rose to recognize him in his current body. Oh, how little he actually knew.
Another crowd of people was coming up behind her, giving Rose the perfect camouflage. She would remain hidden behind them as they walked, until she was at the perfect spot to distinguish herself from the crowd. Hopefully, by then, he would notice her. There was a bench not ten feet away from the bench he was currently occupying. Rose would make her way to that bench, sit down, and hope for the best.
The crowd passed her and Rose fell in step with them. Not a single one of them noticed her, which was perfect. It gave her time to pull herself together. She could hear her heart beating inside of her chest, and she was certain the Doctor would be able to hear it too. A thousand different introductions were going through her head, and by the time the crowd had reached her bench, Rose was no more put together than a broken vase.
Much to her dismay, the Doctor wasn't even looking her direction when the crowd dissipated, leaving only her and him on that section of the street. It took all her willpower not to laugh, because she noticed he had taken out his sonic screwdriver and was scanning the bench. Same old Doctor.
Despite his lack of attention, Rose decided to press on anyway. She continued to walk until she was almost right in front of him. She pulled out her phone, to make it look like she was focused on that, instead of gauging his reaction. As she passed him, a soft breeze suddenly blew around them. It was at this moment Rose caught a glimpse of his head snapping up.
There was no denying it now.
The Doctor had seen her.