The beginning after the end
by the Valiant Child
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When I wake up, yeah I know I'm gonna be,
I'm gonna be the man who wakes up next to you
When I go out, yeah I know I'm gonna be,
I'm gonna be the man who goes along with you
When I'm lonely, yes I know I'm gonna be,
I'm gonna be the man who's lonely without you
When I'm dreaming, yes I know I'm gonna dream,
Dream about the time when I'm with you.
But I would walk 500 miles
And I would walk 500 more
Just to be the man who walked a 1000 miles
To fall down at your door
~The Proclaimers: I'm gonna be (500 miles)
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"You could come with me?"
He remembers their first beginning as clearly as if it were yesterday.
He's standing in an alleyway giving away a piece of himself by asking her to travel with him and she looks down at the crying mess at her feet and breaks his hearts. He nods, closes the TARDIS doors behind him and leaves only to return because he had forgotten to give her a piece of vital information: it also travels in time.
She runs inside in a whirl of colours and life and paints his world with it.
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"I think you need a Doctor."
He remembers their first ending just as clearly as he remembers their beginning.
She's burning in gold and time and he's giving himself away again in a kiss to save her life and damn his. He wants her safe too. So, he burns in her stead. And even though there were so many places he wants to take her, so many things he wants to say to her, so many things he wants to hear from her, he's okay with this. She's alive like she's supposed to be and even though he's dying he's so very glad he met her.
3, 2, 1, here comes his little trick...
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"Oh, I'd love you to come."
He remembers their second beginning with crystal clarity.
He's standing in the snow that is actually ash, holding out his new, new hand towards her, giving away yet another piece. She takes it and smiles and he doesn't know how to stop the grin that breaks into his face. His hearts beat faster than he can ever remember them beating.
It is going to be fantastic.
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"Quite right too."
He remembers their second ending with heartbreaking clarity.
He's burning up a sun and she's giving all of herself away in three words that he already knows and feels with each painful beat of his hearts.
And, he supposes, if this is his last chance to say it, Rose Tyler—
Time's up.
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"I've only got one life, Rose Tyler. I could spend it with you...if you want."
He remembers their third beginning with every single detail his half-human senses can take in.
He's standing on a beach, giving away his single heart and his single life to her, leaning in to whisper the words he couldn't say the last time he was here. She pulls him by the lapels of his blue suit that matches her blue jacket and smashes her lips against his, making his half-human brain shut down and his half-human heart thrum so fast he has to ball his fists to stop himself from wrapping himself around her like an octopus and doing things that Jackie will undoubtedly murder him for.
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"I love you."
For the next few months, he waits for their third ending, because isn't that what always happens to them?
It never comes.
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"You're stuck with me."
Rose sing-songs and thrusts her red duffle bag in his arms as she skips around the new coral console of their new TARDIS. The Doctor stands and watches her, wondering if this time, there isn't an ending for them other than the inevitable final one. He hopes that that's still very far away because there are more beginnings he'd like to begin with her.
"Good," he says firmly.
She laughs and he drops the bag to pull her into a crushing hug. She's still laughing and he soon he is too.
He pulls away and takes a good, long look at her. Rose Tyler. His Rose Tyler. Forever, like she promised.
He gestures at the console and on cue, she wraps her fingers around a lever. He covers her hand with his and together they pull it down and the TARDIS groans as it dematerializes towards its first adventure.
When the Doctor holds his hand out to Rose and she takes it, he slips a silver ring around her finger.
He will remember their fourth beginning until he breathes his last.
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"Tell you what, I bet you're gonna to have a really great year."
In another world, the Doctor finds their final ending before their first beginning.
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A/N: Yes, I know I should be finishing up A Stardust Melody and writing the new chapter for They Dream of the Stars but I couldn't help myself. I was reading an obscene amount of TenII and Rose fics and looking up AU gif sets of them on tumblr that I simply had to write a fic about them. Don't worry though, for all my usual readers, I'll be rushing back to my other fics and posting new chapters very soon (yes, that is a promise). In the meantime, I hope you liked this short piece. Don't forget to leave a review. :)