Rose's Response
(Sequel to "Letters")
by Kathryn Hart
Rose sat in an overstuffed chair sitting in the corner, looking out the window of her and John's bedroom. Her left hand dangled off the edge, barely grasping a piece of crisp, white paper. There was a stoic look in her eyes, and she bit her lip in silence. She didn't even move as the door behind her opened softly and she heard her fiance's footsteps coming up to her.
"Rose, are you okay?" He asked quietly, bending down to eye level and looking at her. "Ever since you finished the letters you've been kind of quiet." Despite the Doctor's request that they read them together, John knew she would want to process this on her own. Rose turned her brown eyes towards him.
"He really loved me, didn't he?" John lowered his gaze.
"I'm sure he still does. You really changed our lives." Rose grew quiet, turning her face to look out the window again. She felt his fingers brush up against the paper in her hand.
"I wrote him a letter too." She said. John stood up and Rose handed him the piece of paper. His eyes sped over it quickly, and when he was done, he handed it back to her.
"Sounds good. Do you have an idea how to get it to him without crossing the timeline?" Rose nodded, standing up. She faced him and grabbed his hand, loving how it his cold fingers felt between hers.
"And if we hook up the dimension hopper to our growing TARDIS, it should give it enough energy for one trip and back. I'll reroute the coordinates so we'll only travel back in time, not between universes." John nodded.
"You're thinking of when we landed in Pete's world the first time?"
"Yeah." Rose grunted, trying to insert wires into the barely formed TARDIS' console. "When Mickey left us to stay there." John smiled sympathetically at her and knelt down beside her.
"Gently." He took the wires from her and put them in correctly. "You won't have that long to put the letter in the TARDIS you know. Don't want him sensing us there."
"It's my last chance to say goodbye to him John and I'm not messing it up." She looked up at him and he noticed a tear on her cheek.
"Oh Rose." He said, reaching up and wiping it off with his thumb. "It will work out. I promise."
"But he's so alone. He told me so."
"But we're doing what he wants us to do. To have our happy ending." Rose sighed as he embraced her.
"I'm sorry John, I'm really trying to make this work."
"I know." He replied, rubbing her back softly. "It's hard. But he'll find other companions, other distractions. He's good at it." Rose smiled, before turning back to her project.
"It should be done soon. Can you give me a hand?"
"Sure." John sat down beside her.
"Should be set." Rose said, staring at their contraption. "One trip and back."
"You ready?" John asked her. Rose pulled her letter out from her jacket pocket and looked at it one last time, before stuffing it back, a determined look on her face.
"As ready as I'll ever be." She grabbed John's hand and put their hands on top of the time travel device. They shut their eyes tightly as they disappeared in a bright flash of light.
Rose and John crouched behind a hedge, watching the old TARDIS fade into view. Rose held her breath as Mickey stepped out first, followed by her past self and finally the Doctor, wearing his typical brown suit and jacket. John gripped her hand tighter.
"It's the first of February this year. Not exactly far flung is it?"
The two watched as the trio from the past watched the zeppelins, talked about parallel worlds and Rose saw her parallel dad for the first time.
They were forced to wait as the Doctor went back inside to see if he could fix the TARDIS while Mickey and Rose stayed outside. After a minute Mickey went back in.
"What did you two talk about by the way?" Rose asked John.
"I told him that he should have been watching you. See look!" He pointed at her past self as she walked away.
"I was just wanderin' and thinkin' about my dad. Wasn't like I was going to run away to see him."
"Well it didn't matter did it? Now he's your stepdad." Rose giggled softly. Finally the past Doctor ran out the door excitedly clutching a glowing piece of the TARDIS while Mickey followed.
"Alright, now's your chance." John said, pulling Rose up. "They won't be back for a while but if you spend too long inside the TARDIS he'll know someone else was in there. Do you know where to put it?" Rose nodded. "Good luck." He said as she sped across the pavement towards the TARDIS.
Once there she pulled out her old key from around her neck and slipped it into the lock. The doors opened with ease. As soon as Rose stepped inside, the TARDIS seemed to give a small shudder, weak in her current condition but knowing exactly who this Rose was.
"Hey old girl." She whispered. "I'm gonna need your help on something. I have this letter I need to give to him, but without him knowing it's from me just yet." She waited for a second, then she felt a tug on her heart pulling her towards the console. Collapsing down, she pulled a grate up and found a wooden box.
"Tuck it under the lining of the lid." She felt a voice whisper quietly in her head. She slipped her letter in said spot and returned the box to its' place.
"Let him find it when he needs it most." She said, looking up at the ceiling. "When all hope is lost and he needs to hear my words." The TARDIS rumbled in response and Rose went to the door. As she opened it she gave one last look at the inside. Wiping a stray tear away from her eye, she whispered.
"Thanks." before shutting the door gently.
"I have got a time machine, Dorium. It's all still going on. For me it never stops. Liz the First is still waiting in a glade to elope with me. I could help Rose Tyler with her homework! I could go
on all Jack's stag parties in one night."
"Time catches up with us all, Doctor!"
"Well it has never laid a glove on me!"
As the Doctor held the blue envelopes in his hands, he knew what he should do. He just didn't want to.
"Just one more thing." He said, tucking the envelopes back in his pocket. "I need to clean under the TARDIS before I go. She'll never forgive me if I don't." He leapt down and began to furiously pull things out.
"Doctor." Dorium implored him again.
"No!" The Doctor shouted, feeling a sudden desperation as he threw up a glass panel in the corner. As he pulled out his keepsake box, he felt a strange feeling. As if in slow motion, he opened it. His hand immediately went to the lining of the lid. Sticking his nimble fingers behind it, he drew out a piece of old, worn paper. His eyes opened wide as his nose caught the scent.
"Rose Tyler." He whispered, holding the item in both hands. "Now how did you get this here?"
"What is it?" Dorium asked him, but the Doctor ignored him as he slid his shaking fingers under the tape that kept it folded. It opened easily and the Doctor read it slowly, savoring each word and hearing her voice in his head.
My Dear Doctor:
If you're reading this, then you're in a pivotal time in your life. I've asked the TARDIS to reveal this letter to you when you need it most, when you're in a time of uncertainty or when all hope is lost.
It's been three months since you left me and your clone in the alternate universe. But if the TARDIS has done what I've asked, probably a lot more time has passed for you.
John and I's relationship is well for the most part, albeit a bit strained. It's still hard to see him as you. He acts so different sometimes, with those genes he got from Donna. But most of the time I see that he's just like you, and every once in a while I even forget that he's human like me. We're trying desperately to make this work, I know it's what you wanted most for us.
I've read through the letters you wrote for me numerous times. I see your pain, heartaches and the passion that you put into them. John was always willing to explain something that I didn't understand. Just the other day I asked him how long it took you to recover from your insides being burned alive from that living sun. He said a long while. Wish I had been there to make the pain more bearable for you.
I bet you're wondering how I got this letter here. Remember that day we first landed in the parallel universe, me, you and Mickey? I slipped into the TARDIS just after you found the glowing piece of TARDIS that got us out. I fixed the dimension hopper so that it just traveled in time. Wouldn't do us any good to punch a hole between universes again just so I could give you this. I wish I could see you again though, but I know I can't. I have John, and I hope you have someone now too.
That's right. I'm ready to let you go. I still miss you with all my heart, but now you've given me everything I need, so I want the same for you. Find a girl, and make her life complete, just like you did mine. Just don't be alone.
Some days it feels like it's difficult to go on. I keep wondering why we never got our happy ending. I know I'm just a withering human and you're a nine hundred year-old Time Lord, but what would have happened if our circumstances were different? Could I truly have give you forever?
It's not productive to keep thinking things like that, so that's why I wrote this letter. As a final goodbye. John and I are getting married in the summer, my favorite time of year. Our TARDIS will be done growing by then and we hope our family will be growing soon also.
I wish you the best, but don't forget me. If it's all I ask, don't let me become like Sarah Jane, forgotten in your memories. Speak my name once in a while. If it's not too painful, maybe mention me to a future companion every hundred years. Just please don't let me slip away. I have my happiness, and you told me yourself that I gave you happiness for two years as well, so thank me by keeping a special place for me in your heart. I know I'll do the same for you.
All my best
Rose Tyler
"Well?" Dorium asked as the Doctor lowered the letter. He turned away as tears formed in his green eyes. He stuffed the letter in his pocket and stood up, setting coordinates on the TARDIS. No more running.
"Don't forget me."
"I never will Rose Tyler."
~End~