A/N. Why no article in the title? Because it was necessary to keep the name similar to the other two. :) Why not in plural? Because. As the title is similar to both Stuck and Stay, so should be the atmosphere of the story. :) Some angst could not be avoided, but I won't keep it for long, 'kay? The two female companions (and Jack, for good measure) are there for a reason. Can't promise they will be in the story for long, but they are now. Oh, and it's Rose Tyler's birthday today. Really.

Disclaimer: Everything Doctor Who belongs to the BBC.

Star: Chapter One

Broken. That was how Rose had been feeling when her friends and family had kept on assuring her that letting go of the miraculous adventure was for the better. While the girl has learnt relatively soon it was better to appear strong to the outside world, she knew well that she could never forget neither those days with their incredible adventures nor the Doctor and the way he had been smiling at her. The time spent with him had made her believe her existence could be of use. Of use not only to her family and friends, but to the world.

And when one day people from Torchwood presented her with a possibility to contact the Doctor again, Rose clung to it wildly.

Rose's mother was against it – has been ever since her daughter had revealed her plans to her. The dimension cannon was a mysterious, crazy idea doomed to fail, or so it seemed to her. "You cannot break the world apart simply because you want to see him!" The world – possibly not. Multiple universes – very likely. Although Rose knew she should probably just let the idea go, there was this assurance in her that she was able to do much more than they could imagine.

"And you can't know – maybe he's found someone else…"

The very tone in which Jackie said it felt blasphemous. "I hope he has," Rose snapped, never mentioning the idea again for months.

The tears of sorrow became tears of hope, never leaving her mind even when some of the plans seemed to have failed. Rose armed herself with patience and determination. These seemed to be the sole things that kept her going… Until the TARDIS has called her for the first time.

These were strange, the dreams where the TARDIS was calling her. Softly, yet persistently. With a song. A Gallifreyan song, which she could not understand literally, yet somehow knew exactly what it meant. She was needed there, on the other side. Ignoring those was of no use. It was much easier, and much more pleasant to simply wait for the night and sleep to come again.

The same song, always equally inviting, welcoming… and desperate. All Rose needed now was to find a way back… hopefully, much sooner than the dimension cannon got constructed. There was but one way Rose could think of, so she addressed the TARDIS in her sleep. Help me. Tell me what to do. Do I stay patient and keep helping them with the dimension cannon? Is there any other way?

Never losing hope, the young Tyler girl kept repeating the same questions every night, imagining the Doctor's ship was considering the possibilities. And then, some days before her twenty-fourth birthday – was it really possible so much time has passed - Rose saw it. A way to reach him. So many days, weeks, months, years wasted… she wouldn't waste a moment more. All she had to do was wait for the day to actually arrive. It was her birthday – which meant Rose was the only one allowed to cross the void. She had to head for Cardiff for that, but that was never a problem.

"I will find my way back to you, Doctor." Rose whispered, throwing one last glance at the calendar. The day has come, never to return again… and the young woman knew she was ready to do anything. Leave everything, everyone behind her. Only to meet the Doctor again and this time stay with him. Forever.

"What do you mean, goodbye?" Jackie was terrified.

"I'm sorry, Mum." Rose sighed. It might very well turn out a very bad decision… But she had made up her mind long ago.

"It's impossible, Rose! You two can never meet again! You yourself told us there was no way!" Jackie tried to stop her. "Your actions… plans… That's just beyond understanding!"

"Yes, it is. This entire world is. Your persistence to keep me away from it is useless, Mum."

During the years away from the Doctor, the young woman has learnt the only person in this universe whom she could undoubtedly trust was herself.

"But you might die!"

Oh. Rose really hated talking about this, but saw no alternatives. "I am already dead, remember? None of this is supposed to exist," she tried her best not to burst out in tears once again. "The real, the original Rose Tyler is dead."

"The original Pete is also dead," her father came out of the blue. "Allow our Rose choose the way, Jackie. This is her day."

"What if we never see her again?"

Her dad shrugged. "At least we wouldn't be carrying the sin of breaking down her life."

"Breaking down her life? What nonsense are you talking about? It's about saving her life! Just when I think you are the one fully reasonable, you show your real face!"

Rose came out of the room quietly. She did not intend to listen to quarrels of those she loved so much. Why couldn't her mum understand? The Doctor was everything for her. Even the thought of missing the one possibility was painful. Primarily having wanted to scribble a goodbye letter, the young Tyler thought better. She could not allow herself to cry. As selfish as it felt, Rose left but a short note on the table, "I'm so sorry" being the greater part of it… and left.

Cardiff it is.

"I still don't know what you're doing here."

"Are you always this grumpy whenever you are about to get involved in mundane activities?" Jack teased, meeting a crushing look from the Doctor. He might have expected a grimace, a glare, but not that kind of reaction.

"It's her birthday today," The Doctor muttered, refusing to look at the man. "I need some time for myself." The Gallifreyan suppressed a sigh, knowing he should have been happy about having three companions of his coming to cheer him up… But that was not what he needed. There was a good reason why he refused to take anyone else with him now.

Jack noticed that - for a brief moment – the Time Lord seemed utterly broken. The conversation was doomed to end before it began. "Sorry about that." He decided to shuffle off the blame of Martha, Donna and himself all being in the TARDIS onto mere coincidence. Some things were better left alone. And the subject of Rose Tyler was always better left alone. How on earth could they have known that this day happened to be Rose's birthday?

"What about we leave you alone for a while and go shopping? You said you needed something? Groceries?"

"What, all three of you?" The Time Lord grimaced.

"Problem?"

Of course that wasn't a problem. They merely tried to be helpful. Jack did, at least. "No."

The man shuddered, the look in the Doctor's dark eyes implying anything but agreement. "We can stay here, if you like."

"Yes."

"Someone still needs to do the shopping," Jack shrugged, hoping to at least see a trace of grin on his face. No such luck.

"Listen. As intended, I'll bring the necessary things. The three of you, whom I don't remember inviting," the Doctor grunted, "stay here and wait for me."

"Not a very nice way to treat your guests, eh?"

The Time Lord glared at him. "My TARDIS, my rules. You should be happy I didn't kick you lot out." Of course, he should be thankful for some company. But he needed to get away from everyone, or lose himself in a crowd of plain, annoying, tiring human beings, where nobody cared.

"I'll be back soon." Or not. The Doctor waved them all goodbye and left, making sure nobody was following him.

"Hello," Rose threw a quick look around the console room. Hardly anything has changed, it seemed. No, there were changes. She noticed three people were gaping at her, apparently too stunned to speak. Two women, neither of whom she recognised… And Jack (alive and well, it seemed – she chose to put the questioning away for some other time).

No sign of the Doctor. Rose knew none of the terrifying scenarios she'd been imagining in her head were actually true, but asked anyway.

"Not too late, am I?"

Jack sent her a flirtatious look, his mind filled with various reasons for her unexpected appearance in the TARDIS, today of all days. He had always hoped she would warn someone about her arrival. The fact she had most certainly been in another dimension was a different thing entirely, but he was not the Doctor and never wasted too much of his time thinking about things he was not fully sure about. What Jack was sure about was that Rose Tyler has just stepped through the door. "Late for what, my beautiful thing?"

Rose grinned, surprised he asked, but the look she sent him was both terrified and pleading. While she could remember Sarah Jane and assumed the Doctor had not spoken about her to anyone – possibly not even once – she felt safer not having the women know her name.

Before the man had the chance to speak again, she put a finger to her lips.

"Jack! So nice to see you again, and with company," she spoke gleefully, her eyes never leaving his. Luckily, one of the women, the ginger one, spoke, breaking the tension.

"I'm sorry, but – who are you?"

"I'm looking for the Doctor," Rose said, unwilling to give away her identity before she knew she could trust them. Jack, yes. Both of the women seemed (and should have been, she understood) interested in her. The blonde hoped the one flirting with everybody could keep his mouth shut.

"Was that why you came? To see him?" Jack ignored both Martha and Donna, smiling at the blonde encouragingly.

Rose nodded. "Is he- is he all right?"

"Not by his standards," Donna joined the conversation. Apparently, if the very attractive and very, very untrustworthy Jack Harkness knew the woman and did not shoot her on sight (the Doctor was not there to look after him, after all), there was nothing to worry about.

The questioning look on Rose's face made Donna snort. "I don't know who you are, but, as it might be known to you, he hates being sent away to refill the food supplies."

Rose tried hard not to burst out laughing. "Not a nice experience for someone who hates anything domestic," she agreed.

Martha addressed Jack. "Will you introduce us?"

"R-" The blonde sent him a pleading look, which was understood. "Right. These two dazzling women are, or have been at some time, different time, as it turns out, the Doctor's companions." Rose was listening, her eyes wide, but said nothing. Her mind was connecting the dots for her. Could it be true the Doctor found new companions so soon? Making simple calculations in her head, she counted the approximate amount of time the Time Lord must have spent with them – without her. So soon… Too soon, but maybe that was only her problem. Rose sighed.

"After you, that is," the charmer assured her with a small smile. "But never quite like you. I'm sure the Doctor will be very pleasantly surprised. And he wasn't really sent to buy anything, you know. I wouldn't be surprised if he returned empty-handed…"

"Jack, keep to what you began," Donna glared at him. As handsome as the man was, he could be persistently annoying.

"My bad, with so many beautiful ladies around me…" he winked, receiving disapproving glares from all three of them.

"So, as I was saying. This," he motioned at Martha, who waved at Rose uncertainly, "is Martha Jones. She's famous for- what are you famous for again, Martha?" The girl shook her head. Apparently, Jack was never going to stop flirting, with her or with anybody. "For resisting your charms," she muttered.

"Right," he smirked at Rose, who was still trying to accept the fact so much has happened since she was away. New companions… New life. Maybe even a better one.

"So… As the Doctor's companion, Martha's famous for saving the world. Multiple times. Donna Noble – and trust me when I say her last name does not always correspond with her behaviour – is famous for…"

"For the very same thing. Shut up and introduce her to us?" Donna was running out of patience. So was Martha. "If you two are so against letting us know who you are," the dark-skinned woman spoke, apparently not ready to trust the blonde girl, "what makes you believe we think you're trustworthy?"

"Nothing." Rose peered at her, able to see why the Doctor chose to take this Martha up as a companion. The one known as Donna was smiling at her sadly, possibly knowing more than she was showing. She could read the pain in her eyes – the alien hardly ever mentioned his previous companions, except for one...

"Three of you, in the TARDIS, without the Doctor…" Rose spoke, afraid of the possible outcome of the Doctor being on his own. Knowing him, a simple shopping trip could become a tragedy. "Are you sure this was a good idea?"

The man did not answer her question. All of a sudden, he noticed how sad her eyes were, no matter the grin. "The Doctor should be here any second now."

"Yeah…"

It had to be bad luck. She had given herself blindly to the idea of meeting the Doctor again, whatever the cost. All she had wanted was come in and see him… remind him of their forever. As friends, if the Doctor could not take their relationship any other way.

All she wanted now was the unwelcome doubts to go away. Teeth clenched, eyes wide, thoughts mingled, Rose was uselessly trying to concentrate. She had done it. Had found a way to his universe. Had found his TARDIS without so much as intentionally looking for it…

Just then, the TARDIS door opened.

The two bags the Doctor had been carrying fell down to the floor.

Rose.

A/N. Three is a nice number. :) In a lot of senses. Trilogy is a nice word, too. Of course, I'm not stopping with my DW fics. Just maybe no more St-ories.

Your reviews are always welcome! :) If the story feels kind of rushed... it was.