Chapter One

The streets of London were uncommonly crowded in the late hour, music hanging in the air from the nearby pubs being drown out by the late-night drinkers, reluctant to give up that last few moments of the election celebrations. Paper cups and streamers littered the streets, but were quickly swept away from the gust of hurried footsteps of one individual. Head held high, long legs strided with a determined pace, hands clenched into tight fists causing a tight tension in the shoulder's, adorned perfectly in a fitted dark suit. The tails of his trench coat whistled behind him. The excited festival streets became thinner and thinner with each step until the party-goers and bustling shops were behind him, the street lamps the only beacon that lit his way until those too went dark.

Closer and closer he came, his face masked in darkness yet his urgency clear in his movements. He began to run. His frame became bigger and bigger, his footsteps pounded on the dark cobblestone and echoed down the now quiet streets. His chest heaved up and down as his legs pushed him faster.. So close. His jaw held tight from the grinding of his teeth as propelled himself into a full on sprint. Finally he jerked to a stop, his face coming into focus slowly. His breaths came in quick puffs as his mouth opened slightly as if in wonder, his hair pointing every which way, wind-blown and hanging slightly over his eyes. His face melted in defeat as his shoulders sagged. Those brown swirling eyes, deep and probing in panic as if asking, begging for answers.

His eyes.

Those dark eyes, filling with sadness and longing, so close to the edge of ultimate despair it pained one to look at them.

He took a step forward and tentatively reached out, his fingers shaking slightly. His lip mouthing something before his voice broke out a single strangled word.

"Rose."

Rose bolted awake, her skin thick and shining with sweat.

That dream. It was that dream again, with that man…That man and his eyes. Rose shivered and wrapped her arms around her knees, snapping her eyes shut and begging for the image of those eyes to fade. What did he want with her? Why did she keep having these dreams? Sighing, she uncoiled herself and stood, wrapping herself in her favorite dark red robe. She knew she would have to tell The Doctor she had another vision of him. He would not be pleased. Or perhaps he would, it was always hard to tell when this dream man was concerned. Whoever this man was he seemed to throw The Doctor's emotions more than anyone else.

Reluctantly standing, Rose made her way to The Doctor's temporary office, finding him leaning over the paper strew desk, still in his suit. At the noise of her shuffling feet, The Doctor turned and smiled.

"Ah! Rose! You're here!" Rose smiled wearily. "Trouble sleeping, love?" The Doctor approached her, arms outstretched. He put his hands on her temples, worry furrowing his brow.
"Jus' a bit… I-I had that dream again…about that man." The worry left his eyes, replaced instead with a sickening anger.

"What happened?" He all but sneered.

"Nothin'! Just…Same ol' dark haired man…same ol'… oh, I dunno…" She shifted her weight from one foot to the other. It was always hard telling him about the dreams, and about the man. She was never sure how he would react. "There were his eyes, though…they seemed so…sad. What you reckon that means, Doctor?"

The Doctor turned away, exhaling as he began to pace. He remained silent for a while, his shoes padding on the carpeted floor as walked left and right, his thoughts turned inward. After a few moments, he stopped and looked up at Rose.

"I think, Rose Tyler, that we'll have a guest arriving soon." He grinned as he said this, his eyes flashing with excitement.
"You mean…he's comin'? That man...The one from my dreams? ...The Master?" Fear crawled up her throat as she almost gasped out his name. The Doctor stepped forward, wrapping his arms around her.

"You have nothing to fear. I'm here. I'm going to stop him." Rose barely had time to breathe a sigh of relief before there was a knock at the door. Trish, the assistant, stepped in. "We have to get you ready for your address to the nation, Prime Minister, sir." She looked towards Rose in her gown and robe and blushed slightly before averting her gaze. "Lady."

The Doctor held out his hand. "Well, First Lady, are you ready to change the world?" Rose grinned and grabbed hold of his outstretched hand. "As ready as you are, John Tyler." The Doctor smiled in response before pulling her in for a passionate kiss.

"Time travel without a capsule…That's a killer!" The Doctor cracked his neck before righting himself and heading towards the busy street, Captain Jack and Martha close behind.

Posters were plastered everywhere, people humming and buzzing about, wearing election shirts and happily chirping on their phones.

"Hang on…We missed the election." Martha stopped and slowly looked around. "But it can't be." Before she could say anything further, a broadcast sounded over the crowd, a huge television positioned at the intersection.

"John Tyler has returned from his stay at the Palace…"

"I told you I heard that voice before! I've seen him! We all have!" Martha began to ramble, her astonishment getting the best of her. "That was the voice of John Tyler."

"That's him." The Doctor said grimly. "He's Prime Minister…The Master is Prime Minster of Great Britain."

The image on the teleprompter changed, showing a pink-skinned blonde, laughing, standing dangerously close to the man on the screen. Before going further, the Prime Minister stopped, grinning and pulled her in close, his lips crashing into hers as she gave a surprised squeal.

The Doctor stood, taking it all in…His jaw fell slack, his eyes wide. "Rose." Something inside him broke, came rushing out as he whispered her name over and over again. "Rose…Rose Rose Rose….It can't be…It just…can't."

The kiss on the screen seemed to go on forever before John Tyler broke it and grinned sheepishly at the camera, his eyes challenging. Teeth and fists clenched The Doctor regained whatever composure he could before breaking into a sprint, heading towards the Parliament with no plan in mind. He only knew he had to get to the Parliament, to stop The Master, to find out what his motives were and why his Rose was there and to get her back.

"Doctor! Hey Doctor! Wait up!" Jack rushed after him, Martha struggling behind.

The Doctor stopped and looked around, his hands fisting his hair in frustration as he spun around in circles, trying to gain his bearings. The world around him became a swirl of nonsense, noises blurring into one muted distant sound, until the only thing he could hear were the pounding of his hearts in his ears. Jack grabbed him by the shoulder and steadied him, pulling him back into reality.

"Doc…" Jack struggled to form words and regain his breath at the same time. "I thought you said…That Rose was safe…in a parallel universe."

"She was. I don't know how she got here. She shouldn't be here. It should have ripped a hole in both of the universes! This doesn't make any sense! It's impossible!" He released the fistful of hairs on his head and dragged his hands down to his face, slumping to the ground in defeat. "Oh Rose…I'm sorry…I'm so sorry."

Jack leaned down to him, wrapping his arm around The Doctor's shoulder. "Hey, relax. We'll figure this out. There has to be an explanation."

Martha shifted her feet uncomfortably. "So that's Rose, huh? The one I've always been hearin' about?" She tried to bite back the bitterness in her voice but failed miserably.

"Yes. Yes that's Rose." The Doctor replied, head still buried in his hands.

"Well there's no sense bumming around here moanin' about. C'mon, my flat's nearby."

Sullenly The Doctor stood and followed Martha and Jack down the street, his mind reeling with the impossibilities…and with the very dark and very heartbreaking possibilities.

"Tell me, whatcha got? Computer, laptop, anything!" The Doctor barely avoided barreling over Martha in his effort to get inside and find something, anything, that would explain why in the world Rose was here…with The Master. Popping his glasses on, he took a quick look around the flat before finding what he needed. Jack swiped the computer before The Doctor could lay a hand on it.

"I can show you the John Tyler website, but it hasn't got anything on Rose. I would have noticed, I would have known. I'm sure of it."

"John Tyler has been around forever." Martha stood helplessly in her living room, looking at the two men bending over the tiny laptop screen. "She just hit the news last month…Popped outta nowhere, she did. No one even knew about her until she married that bloke."

The Doctor stiffened and slowly stood. "Married?" Martha looked on speechless, biting her lip in worry. He took a threatening step closer. "What did you say, Martha? What were you talking about?" She could only look on, frozen with fear.

"MARTHA! WHAT DID YOU SAY?!" He grabbed her by the shoulders, shaking her from the anger in his voice.

"YES! YES!...yes…" She choked out. Closing her eyes she steadied herself and took a breath. "Last month. They were very quiet about it…Never said her name or nothing. Not until he changed his last name from Smith to Tyler cuz of her."

The Doctor searched her eyes for once begging that his companion was lying to him, trying to catch any sort of insincerity in her voice. Sighing he released her shoulders and turned.

"Find anything, Jack?"

"It says here Rose Tyler went missing after Canary Wharf and was pronounced dead…that is until John Tyler, previously known as John Smith, announced his marriage to her about a month ago…Apparently the records were considered 'inaccurate' and were changed, no questions asked."

The Doctor grabbed the back of Jacks chair and leaned over. "What else?"

"That's it. She appeared outta nowhere, got married and is now the Great Britain's First Lady." He grind his teeth at the thought. Wife. His wife! It wasn't possible…It just…wasn't…

"Doctor…I thought you said Rose was trapped in an alternate universe. How can she be here? Now?"

"Maybe it's not her, maybe it's a hologram or somethin'." Martha bit her lip, trying her best to give The Doctor any sort of hope to cling onto.

"But that doesn't make any sense." Running his hands through his hair he paced the room. "How did he even know about Rose?"

"Accessed the TARDIS files?" Jack quipped helpfully.

"No…When he was stealing the TARDIS the only thing I could do was freeze the coordinate and lock the system. He could only travel between the year 100 trillion and the last place the TARDIS landed. Which is right here, right now. Well give or take 12 months…18 months tops."

"Well that rules out kidnapping Rose from the past then."

"I was gonna vote for him."

"Yeah….me too…" Martha and Jack eyes unfocused, dazing out as if lost in a dream.

"The Master has always been hypnotic, but this is on a massive scale." The Doctor jumped up, an idea popping into his head, and popping his companions out of theirs.

"What does it mean, Doctor?" Jack gestured towards Martha and himself. "I mean he's got the whole world believing he's this John Tyler guy."

He nodded, ignoring the captain and side-stepping Martha to grab his coat. "Of course, right..." His companions exchanged looks. They both knew he wasn't acting himself, unfocused and not seeing the bigger problem. As he headed towards the door a strange beeping erupted from the laptop.

"Doctor! wait! It's him! The Master is sending out an emergency broadcast!"

"Britain, Britain, Britain. What extraordinary times we've had. Just a few years ago this world was so small. And then they came. Out of the unknown. Falling from the sky. You've seen it happen. Big Ben, destroyed. A spaceship over London. All those ghosts and metal men. The Christmas Star that came to kill. Time and time again, and the government told you nothing. Well not me. Not John Tyler. Because my purpose, here today, is to tell you this. Citizens of Great Britain. I have been contacted. A message for humanity from beyond the stars. Tomorrow our place among the stars will be solidified. Every man, woman and child. Every teacher, dentist and medical student, and oh I don't know...every shop assistant?"

The TV zoomed upon The Master's face as he smiled wickedly relishing in the thought that the Doctor was watching. He had seen enough – whipping his coat on The Doctor rushed out the door, his companions scrambling after him.

"He knows about me, Doctor. What about my family?" Martha choked out as she struggled to keep up with the Doctor's brisk pace towards the car.
Sonic in hand, he began to sonic Martha's car, ignoring her question.

"How is she here? How how how?"
 His mind buzzed with the question, a burning rage threatening to burn over.

"Come on." Without another word, The Doctor threw open the door and started the car.

Rose sat on a small suede couch in a parliament's office. The parliament's office! She could hardly believe it. These past 18 months had been a whirlwind – campaigning, elections, traveling – but not the kind she hopped – not the kind of traveling she had been yearning for with her Doctor.

Her Doctor.

It had to be the strangest turn of events. She had never once in a million years predicted she would be working in the parliament's office as the first lady...the first lady to The Doctor! When he proposed the idea...and then actually proposed she thought her heart would beat out of her chest. This wasn't like him. So affectionate and...grab-y! And never the center of attention. The Doctor never had ambitions to be anything bigger than he already was...no quest for power, no desire to be ruler...so when he suggested he run for office it was an understatement to say she was flabbergasted.

"Oh Doctor, what happened to you while I was away?"

She remembered staring into his eyes the first time since her return...oh how they had aged. The bitterness had return but this time is was clouded by an almost crazed look. But he was still her Doctor. He looked the same, felt the same...but those eyes threw her off balance. She always found comfort there but now she found only confusion...and pain.

"You can't just go barging in ther-"

The office door swung open and a rather made-up woman in a big fur coat waltzed in.

"Mrs. Tyler, Vivien Rook Sunday Mirror. You've heard of me." Without another word she threw off her coat and handed it absentmindedly to Tish, the assistant.

"Now everyone's talking about John Tyler but I thought what about the wife? All I need is 20 minutes."

Tish made a step forward "I'm going to have to ask you to leav-"

Rose held up a hand. "It's alright, Tish. As long as it's 20 minutes, yeah?"

"Excellent! Now you can leave us alone?" She pushed Tish out the door hurriedly. "There's a good girl, out you go- that's it."

When the door finally clicked shut Vivien twirled on her foot to face Rose. Her entire demeanor had changed – her brow furrowed and her eyes panicked.

"Mrs. Tyler I have reason to believe you are in grave danger. All of us, in fact. Not just the country but the whole world."

Rose felt the bile rise in her throat. How could this woman have known?!

"Your husband is not who he says he is. Its a lie. All a lie. It's all invented."
Vivien took a seat next to Rose. "There was no John Tyler. It's like he mesmerized the whole world."

Rose stood to gain some distance from the woman. "I think you should go..."

"18 months ago he popped out of nowhere. So I'm asking you Rose Tyler, begging you. If you've seen anything, heard anything that would give you the slightest cause to doubt him."

"Eyes." The word left her mouth before Rose had a chance to catch herself.

"What? Just tell me, sweetheart."

She tried to focus. Why had she said that? The Doctor was The Doctor of course...not some John Tyler that they made up for publicity sake. So why did Vivien's words strike such a chord in her?

"My faithful companion...Who do we have here?" The Doctor's voice emerged from an unseen corner of the room. His voice chilly yet playful.

"Oh! Mrs. Tyler and I were just having a bit of fun. I really should be going." Vivien stood, her voice filled with fear.

"Why is she scared?" Rose thought. She tried to focus again on the situation but she felt like her mind was sloshing through quicksand – trying to sludge forward but sinking deeper and deeper until she forgot what she was trying to focus on in the first place.

"Oh but you're absolutely right. John Tyler doesn't exist."

Vivien stood a little taller, her shoulders arched back now that the jig was up. "Tell me ...who are you?"

"I'm The Doctor and this is Rose. Rose, I think I'll have a word with our friend here. In private."

"Wh-what?" Rose put a hand to her head. God, her head was killing her. What was she doing again? Oh right...the woman.

"Why? What are you going to do?"

The Doctor threw his head back and laugh. "Oh why Rose what do you think I'd do? I'm just going to have a talk with her. I'm sure once she hears our side of the story she'll agree to cooperate with us." He flashed her a smile and Rose felt herself let out a little tension.

"R-right...I think I'll lie down for a bit, yeah?" As soon as Rose closed the door behind her she forgot what she had been so worried about.

"Let them go, Tyler! Do you hear me! Let them go!" Martha screamed into the cell phone on the brink of tears. Her warnings for her brother falling short as The Master crashed her call, taunting her. The Doctor grabbed the phone from her shaking hands as Jack steadied her.

"I'm here. What do you want? What have you done with Rose?"

"Doctor" The Master breathed into the phone, relishing in the pain and worry in his nemesis's voice.

"Answer me! What have you done to Rose? Let her go, she's got nothing to do with this." The Master merely chuckled.

"I haven't done anything. I don't know what you mean, Doctor."

"What happened to you? How do you have Rose?"
The Master chuckled. "Your pink little human? Oh she's a special one, that's for sure. But just how much does she mean to you, Doctor?" He all but spat his name.
"Maste-"

"She has been loads of fun...so sweet and soft. I'm sure you've wondered what her lips have tasted like. Allow me to tell you."

"Stop it!" The burning rage in The Doctor snapped to the surface at the thought of The Master's hands on Rose.

"Like honey. And her other parts too. Not bad...for a human, that is."

"Stop it! Just stop! Don't you see all we've got is each other, Master."

He breathed into the phone, letting out a sigh of pleasure. "I love it when you use my name."

"You chose it. Psychiatrist's field day."

"As you chose yours. The man who makes people better. How sanctimonious is that? Tell me Doctor, how does it feel to be so helpless and useless as to save the one person you care so deeply for?"

" We could leave this planet, you and I."

"Are you asking me out on a date, Doctor? I'm afraid I'll have to decline…I'm a bit…involved at the moment."

Desperation clawed at The Doctor as the realization hit that words wouldn't stop The Master, not this time.

"We could fight across the constellations, but not here, not on Earth!" His voice was panicked, rushed.

"Too late." He paused. "Oh look you're on TV! You're on the telly! You and You and your little band, which, by the way, is ticking every demographic box. So, congratulations on that. Look, there you are. You're public enemies number one, two and three. So you better start running. Go on run. Run for your life!"

And they did.

Martha returned to their dirty yet temporary camp under a bridge underpass, bearing food.

"Anything new?" She asked hopefully, looking towards The Doctor.

"I've got this thing tuned into every government wavelength so we can keep track of what John Tyler is doing."

"Yeah, I meant about my family."

"It says here that Rose Tyler's family went missing during the Canary Wharf incident so it doesn't look like he's gotten Jackie."

Martha shook with anger, nearly throwing the food onto the ground before Jack reached over and caught it. Clenching her fists she strode over to The Doctor, his gaze intently fixed on the laptop before him, hardly noticing her presence.

"Doctor." He didn't acknowledge her. "I said: DOCTOR!"

He jumped a bit and looked up at his companion before receiving an earth shattering 'SLAP'. Jack cringed before turning away and eating a few pieces of cold chips, coming to the realization that The Doctor, at this point in time, obviously deserved it.

"That's my family they got, Doctor. And you better start taking it seriously instead of having your head all filled with this Rose girl." She sat down defeated, putting her head in her hands. "I mean, what is it with you lately? You aren't focusing on the bigger picture…you know...the whole saving the world thing? Did you just forget that there are other things at steak other than your past companion?"

Everyone was quiet, the only sound was the breathy intakes of Martha as she attempted to calm down.

"I'm…I'm sorry, Martha. You're right. You're absolutely right." The Doctor jumped up taking Martha and Jack by surprise. "If we can cancel out his perception then everyone will see him for who he really is."

"But how are we going to do that, Doctor" Jack replied, his mouth partly full of chips.

He winked in response. "You'll see. Let's get to work!"

Rose lay in bed, her headache easing. The Doctor in his usual thoughtful self, had a special bedroom set aside in the parliament just for her. Her migraines had become more and more frequent requiring, to her dislike, more and more rest.
"Just the aftereffects from the TARDIS, love. Nothing to worry about." He told her that 18 months ago and they still hadn't let up. In fact they seemed to be getting worse. She reached for her bedside water before her eyes fell to an monogrammed handkerchief: J.T. Prime Minister
The Doctor acting as Prime Minister of Britain. He never did anything so…so human. So domestic. Well as domestic as staying in one spot for more than five minutes let alone eighteen months. Things really did change in her absence; she only hoped it wasn't because of her that things changed. The Doctor…tied down and not traveling all of time and space; stuck on one planet, living day after day on the slow track. She hardly minded it, as different as it was for The Doctor, but how she missed her mum and Pete and hell, even Mickey. She hoped they were okay and not freaking out too badly over her disappearance. Truth be told, however much it hurt her to admit it, there was no other place she rather be than by The Doctor's side.

As if on cue, he peeked his head inside her bedroom.

"How's the head?"
"Mhmm...better. What happened to Vivien?"

The Doctor shouldered himself inside, closing the door behind him before taking a seat next to her on the bed.

"All taken care of. I told you once she heard our side of the story she'd understand." He gave her a once over. "Are you feeling up to a formal meeting this evening?"

Rose rolled towards him. "Who with?"

The Doctor grinned. "The President of the United States."

She bolted upright, almost colliding her head with his. "Yeah? What's it about?"

"Ohh, you know. The usual bureaucracy...Don't do this, don't do that. Mind-numbingly boring human stuff."
Rose hugged her knees. "Doctor...do you think it'll work? Can the Toclafane really fix it?"

"Hush. You needn't worry about that, Rose. Right now we have bigger fish to fry."

"Right...the President of the United States. No small fish, I'd say."

Three hours later Rose found herself standing on a runaway ready to face the President. "I've faced Sithleen, Daleks, Cybermen and Werewolves...what's the President compared to that?"
"Have you met the wife?" The Doctor gently ushered her forward, presenting her before the most powerful man in the United States.

"Mister Saxon, I'm not sure what your game is but there are provisions at the United Nations to have you removed from office unless you are very, very careful. Is that understood?"

She nudged him discretely trying to stop from gaping at him as he mimicked locking his lips.

"Are you taking this seriously, Prime Minister?" The President demanded. He nodded comically.

"Right, off to business."

The discussion between her husband and president, began to fade away as the hairs on the back of her neck began to stand on end. Rose felt unbalanced as if there were some force keeping her from concentrating. It was dizzying, and her mind began to ache. Before she knew it the president was returning to his aircraft and she had no idea what her doctor had just agreed to.

"Well that was easy! We should be on the valiant before the hour. How about a kiss for your brilliant husband?" Rose shook herself into focusing.

"What? Oh yes…Of course." She had no idea why 'The Doctor' was being so affectionate lately, especially in public. It wasn't like him or her for that matter, to flaunt around their marriage. She didn't mind so much, it's just that he had gotten so unpredictable (well more unpredictable) that she hardly had time to –

His lips descended on hers, his hands snaking to her temples before everything went black.

The Doctor shook with anger as he watched the scene unfold. Here he was, The Master presenting Rose as his wife and showing her off like some piece of candy. And yet…it seemed like she was uncomfortable…shaking her head back and forth and even from a distance The Doctor could tell she was in pain. She looked around as if she sensed they were there, although it was nearly impossible with their newly made TARDIS key perception filters. But what hurt more was the fear she held that lie so very close to the surface. The way she bit her lip and glanced around nervously, squeezing The Master's hand for comfort. It drove him mad.

"Easy there, tiger." Jack put an arm out, stopping The Doctor from charging The Master and tearing his hand away from Rose's.

When the president made his retreat, The Master looked at Rose in the eye with such unmasked maliciousness though she hardly noticed, still lost in her fear and thoughts. She was abruptly pulled into The Master as he roughly pushed his lips against hers. She looked shocked as her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she promptly collapsed in his arms. The Master merely threw her helpless body to one of his guards before turning and welcoming his recently arrived prisoners; Martha's family. Jack could hardly contain his two friends as they both shook with rage and frustration.

"Let me go, Jack! They have my family!"

"Stop it! Both of you! Do you want to break the spell and alert The Master we're here?!"

They both stopped, their eyes both locked on the people they cared so deeply for; Martha's parents fighting against their captors and her ferocious sister spitting out swears and kicking whatever guard came close, and Rose, lying unconscious, thrown into the arms of a nearby bodyguard as if she was just another piece of garbage.

"Just get me on that ship, Jack."

Jack knew better than to argue.

"Oh! That thing is rough!" Martha held her head painfully trying to steady herself after Jack's vortex manipulator teleported them onto the Valiant.

"I've had worse nights. Welcome to the Valiant." Jack flashed his trademark grin.

"We've got to find the Tardis. Come on!" The Doctor stood and began to run down the nearest corridor. He had to find Rose, he had to check to make sure she was okay - to make sure she was even real and not some twisted figment of The Masters' creating. But deep down...he felt it, he knew. That was his Rose. He could feel her presence back in the world like a puzzle piece fitting into place. She was home. He thought of The Master's snaking hands on her temples, his lips on hers. The Doctor clenched his teeth and pushed himself into a sprint. Throwing open the storage doors he found what he suspected – The Tardis shining brightly.

"Yes!" Jack nearly jumped with excitement.

The three of them spared no time opening the time machine's doors their excitement dwindling when their eyes landed on the aftermath of The Master's tinkering.

"What the hell has he done to it?"

"Don't touch it!" The Doctor reached into his pocket and grabbed his sonic screwdriver.

"Whats he done to it? It sounds like its...sick." Martha glanced anxiously around, folding her arms over to comfort herself.

"It can't be...no no no no no no no no. It can't be!" The Doctor ran to the other side of the console and began to sonic the dashboard.

"He's cannibalized the Tardis...It's a paradox machine."

"What does that mean, Doctor?" Martha asked.

He ignored her- his thoughts elsewhere. The poor gal, The Master had changed her...killed her. She was dying. And Rose...

"30 minutes until 1st contact" The TV news reporter blared as Rose jolted awake. She immediately doubled over in pain, clenching her head. She breathed into her palms as she tried to gauge her surroundings. She was sitting on a leather chair. There was a table. Others were around her. Lots of others actually. She heard a deep voice resonate off in the distance. The President. What had happened? She finally looked up to see her Doctor flashing her a grin.

"You're missing all the fun."

"Doctor...What happened? Why do I keep blacking out? And my head..."

The Doctor put a finger to her lips. "Shh...they are about to start!"

Rose sat back anxious over her unanswered questions but eager to have everything back to normal. Soon everything would be fixed. The Toclafane would fix the gap and her and The Doctor could go back to traveling the universe like old times. She just had to hold on a bit longer. They would be safe soon. So why didn't she feel safe? Her thoughts were interrupted as the clock struck 8 o'clock. The President gave a sweeping gesture after some speech Rose missed.

"I give you the Toclafane!"

The orbs appeared and Rose felt a chill pass through her. These things might be what saved the universe but she didn't like them. They seemed...cruel. But that was ridiculous. They were only robots, made by The Doctor. They held no real emotion and presented no threat. As soon as the thought left her mind Rose felt a pressing sensation hit her in the back of her mind. The hairs on her neck and arms tickled and she felt her breath catch. A knot formed in her throat as she shut her eyes against the sensation.

"Rose."

The image of those brown swirling eyes flashed in mind's eye. They were dangerous and passionate and so so sad. Rose gasped and opened her eyes looking around and finding nothing.

The Doctor, Martha and Jack slipped into the room, their low level perception filters shielding them from anyone noticing. Except her. He saw her straight away and noticed her body go frigid. The Doctor's heart formed a knot as she saw her close her eyes and snap them back open in a panic. There was his Rose. All dressed up as first lady all the way from across universes and just a few mere feet from him. He wanted to go to her, he wanted to comfort her and shake her and hold her. "You shouldn't be here!" He wanted to scream. "Oh god Rose...I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry."

"You're not The Doctor. We like Mr. Doctor. We don't like you!" The Toclafane spun around The President. "This man is stupid. Doctor is my friend. Where is my Doctor?" The thing sounded so sweet and innocent it was impossible not to trust it, but Rose didn't.

"Oh, alright then! It's me!" The Doctor jumped up from next to her and ascended the stairs to the President. "Sorry sorry! I have this effect. People just get obsessed with me!" He looked down and winked at Rose. "I'm taking control, Uncle Sam. People of the Earth! Please attend carefully." The Doctor closed his eyes and smiled before pointing to the corner of the room. "Stop them."

Soldiers rushed into the room as Rose jumped to her feet. They surrounded what seemed to be three normal looking people until – yanking off the keys on his necks Rose saw the man standing in front clearly for the first time. It was those eyes...it was him! It was that man!"

"DOCTOR!" Rose all but screeched it. The Doctor's eyes lit up a small smile tugging at his lips as he saw Rose scream his name. The smile vanished as he saw she said his name not to him but to the man behind her. She turned and ran to him as he opened his arms and enveloped her. The Master smiled wickedly in return.

"Doctor! Its him! What is he doing here?! The Master!" She clenched at The Master's shirt as her eyes met The Doctor's. He saw no recognition there – only fear.

"Rose! Rose it's me! The Doctor!" The Doctor stepped forward and stopped when he saw her recoil in fear and retreat further into The Master's arms. The Doctor straightened his shoulders back with resolve and met the Master's eyes.

"I don't know what you've done to Rose but I will stop you. I will stop all of this!"

"Hey! Rose! It's me! Jack!" Jack waved from the back of the room, his tone cutting the anxiety in the room.

"J-Jack?" Rose took a tentative step forward, her hand reached out to him.

"Nu-huh-huh! I've got you." The Master yanked her hand back and twirled her around. His lips smashed against hers roughly. Rose felt like her mind took a swing from a sledgehammer – pain reverberated every pore in her body as she felt herself slip into unconsciousness. The last thing she saw before blackness was that man...who The Doctor called Master. His eyes were pleading and fearful as he reached towards her before she succumbed to nothingness.