One-Hundred and Forty

by Lumendea

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who and gain nothing from the creation of this story

AN: Anyone who has purchased my second book digitally I encourage you to update your version as the second printing is now available with corrections to several errors that made it past the editors the first time around.

…..

Rose Tyler was one-hundred and forty years old when she found the TARDIS sitting on a street corner in the middle of London. She had stared at it in surprise for a long time, remembering all the Police Boxes she had seen during the 1950s, but this was 2021. Rose didn't smile as she dusted off her long tan coat and fixed her red scarf. She had been disappointed before and didn't wish to be again. Moving forward with a purposeful stride she pulled out a chain from around her neck and brought it over her head.

Stopping in front of the box she placed a bare hand on it and shivered at the feel of the energy from it. Then she allowed herself to smile as tears glinted in her eyes. Taking a deep breath she unlocked the door and walked inside. The TARDIS was quiet, only the soft hum of the ship itself broke the silence. Rose dropped the rucksack from her back and pulled off the long coat and scarf. She draped them over the railing before pulling out a small book from her bag. Holding it carefully she walked over to the jumpseat and sat down to wait for the Doctor.

It was one-hundred and forty minutes later that the Doctor walked into the TARDIS and tossed his coat over a long tan one on the rails. He stopped and looked at the other coat with a frown before she heard the TARDIS give a meaningful hum. Looking toward the controls he could see someone on the other side of them. His frown deepened and he walked around the controls curiously before he froze.

He blinked. Then he blinked again. Then he closed his eyes and shook his head for good minute before he looked again. Rose was asleep in the chair, a photo album open on her lap and look of peace on her features despite her awkward position. After another long moment the Doctor approached her, waiting for the image to vanish, but it didn't. Carefully he touched her shoulder and she mumbled something in her sleep.

The Doctor pulled his hand back quickly as Rose stirred slightly and the photo album tumbled from her lap. Catching the falling book, the Doctor gaped at one of the photos. It was him, well it wasn't, it was the other him, the human him and Rose. Judging from the white dress that Rose was in, the happy look on her Mum's face behind her and the tux the human him was in he guessed it was a wedding. Risking a glance at Rose, the Doctor leaned against the rail and flipped through the book. The photos were old and some showed the wear of love on them, but what worried him the most was the aging that appeared on his other self's face over the progress of the photos until he bore a strong resemblance to what the Master had turned him into. Rose however in the photos barely changed, her hair remained vibrant, her face smooth and her hand stayed clashed with his human self's hand.

"He was worried when I didn't age," Rose told him softly surprising him so much that he jumped. She smiled softly at him as she looked at the photos he had opened the book to, "We faked my death after a few years and moved all over the place to keep me safe. When he started... dying," she paused, "when he knew I was going to be alone he started working on a way to bring me back here. It took him years, but he did it."

"How?"

"Don't know," Rose shrugged, "He just made me promise to use it once he was gone. I mourned him until Torchwood came looking for me." She sighed, "Big surprise he got the timing wrong, I landed in the 1950s in Cleveland. Ended up working for the American branch of UNIT until the 1970s. Didn't want to risk meeting you even with an ocean between us."

The Doctor swallowed, "Rose…" What he wanted to say died on his tongue as she looked at him with a soft and sad smile. "I sorry," he whispered.

"Don't be," she told him firmly. "We had a good life and I wouldn't have missed it for the world."

"He sent you back here."

"Yeah, based on my aging he estimated I had about 2000 years in me," she told him with a calm shrug. "I think I'm about 140 now, gets hard to keep track."

"Yeah it does," he agreed, shoving his hands in his pockets. "So you've been waiting for me?"

"Had to make sure it wasn't you in my past and all that," Rose told him. "I wasn't expecting to find you today."

The Doctor didn't like the situation he was being presented with. This wasn't how it was supposed to go. He had died to remove the Time Vortex and yet a tiny spark had alluded him and ruined his plan for her and his human self. The universe never seemed to be done tormenting him. Rose looked at him with a frown and shook her head.

"You're a git you know that, right?"

"What?"

"Don't you understand what he was trying to give you?"

"What?"

"He didn't want either of us to have to be alone Doctor. He didn't want me to wander the Earth for hundreds of years alone and he worried about you over the years. He felt guilty for having the life you never could." Rose shook her head, took the photo album and shoved it into her bag. She leaned forward and kissed him quickly on the cheek before heading down the hallway. "I'm going to go get unpacked," Rose announced. "Pick someplace that will involve lots of running."

"What?!"