Disclaimer: Doctor Who and Torchwood and related characters are owned by BBC.

A Body for Rose

By Eugena

Rated: M

After Jack learns of Rose's death, he creates a plan to resurrect her.

Chapter One: Forever No More

Though nanites had healing properties, using them like this was fruitless.

Jack had obtained a hairbrush from Rose about a year before she met The Doctor. Torchwood could clone people, but Jack spent years arguing with himself against it. Finally, he took that brush as a precaution.

Once he saw her name on the list of the dead, he no longer argued.

Ianto took out the keys to the forbidden drawers. Jack did not follow him as he unlocked a storage locker, and entered several combinations.

He gave the hair samples to Tosh, but secretly he kept some.

Tosh began the genetic sequencing program, never asking one thing of Jack. She owed Jack a lot, as did many of the other members of the team.

The world around Jack did not exist. He lived only in his mind, his memories. He felt her in his arms again. He felt the words he had never said:

"I love you, Rose," he said as they danced once again to their song. "I will love you forever."

She stuck her tongue against her teeth, a teasing gesture that endeared her to both Jack and The Doctor. "You keep that promise, Jack. I'll make sure of it."

In the present world, he said her name, "Rose."

"Will you dance with me forever, Rose? I'll show you all the stars in the Universe."

She put her hands to the side of his face, and he wondered if she would kiss him. "I've seen the stars, Jack. The sun, the moon, the day, the night. They don't hurt anymore. He went before me, Jack, and now it doesn't hurt."

Even Tosh heard his grief: "Rose!"

He would have done anything to keep her there, anything to make her stay.

The sun, the moon, the day, the night.

"Don't leave me, Rose."

"I can never leave you Jack. Not even when you die. I left you a gift, and another gift will come soon."

"You, Rose, you. That's all I want."

"I love him, Jack. And now we can be together."

She kissed him deeply, and he wished he could die right there.

"I love you, but there is someone else for you. Someone you will meet very soon."

He kissed her this time, unwilling to let go, or he might never see her again. He held onto her. He wouldn't let her go to her Doctor.

For Tosh and Ianto, thirty minutes had passed. They said nothing to their leader whose face was streaked with endless tears. They heard him again and again, a plea: "Rose."

Ianto felt guilty about protecting his girlfriend. After all, the cybermen had killed Jack's Rose.

Again, the computer in front of Tosh beeped. Now or never, Tosh dared to take his hand.

"She's waiting for you, Jack."

Jack blinked and he no longer held Rose in his embrace.

He looked to the operating table. The nanites, together with cloned samples from Rose slowly formed into a non-descript human female body. For what seemed an eternity, keeping Rose in his mind, he waited for this creation to appear before him.

She would have no soul, but for a while, Jack would lend her some of his he reclaimed after meeting the original Rose.