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It hurt, was the first thing he realized as he held her hand at the bay. It hurt much more than it should. You would think now that he only had one very human heart the pain would be less. Or maybe it was more because humans amplify every feeling so that they get the most out of their limited time.
The Doctor wasn't sure he'd felt a pain quite like this before. And for a moment he could hear the sound of his own slightly hysterical laughter in his head, and was glad he hadn't actually laughed. Could he even call himself The Doctor anymore? It wasn't very human name to go by and thats what he was, human.
And he could feel the warmth in his hand; the warmth of his beautiful, brilliant Miss Rose Tyler and he knew he should be happy. He wasn't. Finally he had gotten Rose back, but she didn't want him. She wanted the other Doctor.
He didn't think that he could try to explain again that they were the same. Well barring the whole ones a time lord thing. Because in his head he didn't know. Was he really still The Doctor?
He brought his free hand to his chest and felt the single heartbeat.
He tried to think of all the genius things he'd done before, but the knowledge of how was gone.
He tried to concentrate on the light hum in the back of his mind that let him know the Tardis was there.
It was gone.
And at that moment this Nameless man with The Doctor's face and The Doctor's memories and The Doctor's utterly complete love for one Rose Tyler wanted to cry. Because maybe in the end she was the greatest prize, worth his knowledge, immortality and maybe even worth his beloved Tardis. But she didn't want some Nameless man. She wanted The Doctor.
And he wasn't sure he could do that, but he loved her.
So he would try.
And he did what he thought The Doctor would have done. He squeezed her hand and he smiled at her and he said, "I guess this means I really will have to get a mortgage."
Bound: Ugh I have very mixed feelings about Journey's End. Because I wanted Rose to go back with The Doctor even though I knew it wasn't going to happen. And Donna, poor Donna. I loved her too. So I went and read what other people were feeling and I heard numerous things but nothing about the Alt!Doctor.
All I can say is poor Alt!Doctor. He isn't a time lord anymore. He's lost the Tardis. He isn't the one Rose wants. And there's no way that he can go by the name he's had for 900 years. And no matter what both Doctor's were saying he's not exactly the same, because each regeneration has their own way about them. And even if he looks exactly the same it doesn't mean he is on the inside.