Disclaimer: Doctor Who and its characters belong to the BBC.

A/N: I'd just like to point out that I know the Doctor appears in this story rather quickly, but there is a reason for it. If I hadn't done it this way the story would have gone on forever, and while that's not necessarily a bad thing, I'm in the midst of planning my wedding and simply do not have time! But what I have in mind for this story hasn't even come to light let, although I do hope you'll enjoy it when it finally does, and enjoy what is written in the lead-up. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed my previous stories and left so many encouraging words. It is much appriciated. :)

Rose Tyler stared dispassionately at the carnage in front of her. Her face was blank, causing Mickey, who had been standing behind the object of her anger, to approach her with caution.

'Rose?'

Rose blinked and slowly looked up at him.

'Rose? It's ok. Put the gun down. It's over.'

Was it? Was it ever over? No matter how many times they had defeated them before, no matter how many times they thought they were gone for good, they always came back.

Rose had felt it. Had felt the shift in the universe that told her something bad was going to happen. She hadn't known how or when it would happen, and for days beforehand she had walked around constantly looking over her shoulder and feeling as far from comfortable as was possible.

Temporal shift.

That's how the Dalek explained what had happened, how it had got through, hell bent on once again trying to destroy the universe. But it only had itself, and whilst some unfortunate souls had lost their lives by being in the wrong place at the wrong time, it was only a matter of time before the Dalek would have to face the music.

It had all happened so fast. Rose had rushed down to Torchwood's basement with Mickey, and as Mickey had gone to grab his weapon of choice, Rose had taken the closest thing to her, a supersonic G58 Lightening Blaster Gun. The gun was a fairly recent discovery, and was still being tested on to determine just exactly how much damage in could cause. By the time Mickey had turned round, Rose was gone. And what happened next was just a blur. Rose had run back up to Level 6, where the Dalek had been fighting against members of the security team, and without stalling, lifted the gun and pointed it directly at the Dalek's eye stalk. Just as Mickey had been stepping out of the lift behind the Dalek, Rose had pulled the trigger. There had been a huge flash of light and a thunderous bang. The Dalekgot completely annihilated, tiny bits of it strewn all around the room.

'Rose?'

Mickey was right in front of her now and slowly took hold of the gun, placing it carefully on the floor. Rose shook her head and brought herself back to reality.

'Yeah. It's over.' She gave him a weak smile and walked away from the carnage. It wasn't until the lift doors had closed and she was safely separated from Mickey that she let unshed tears spill over her lids and down her cheeks.

The Doctor held on for dear life as the TARDIS fell through nothingness. It shook and lurched and threw him from one end of the control room to the other, bouncing him off of the floor, the walls and anything else he came into contact with. In a last ditch attempt to find something secure to cling to before the timeship crashed, he threw his weight to the right and flung himself at a railing before the machine had time to further bash him around its insides. There was an almighty crash; then silence. The Doctor heaved himself up and carefully picked his way through the bits of broken machinery that lay twisted on the floor. Reaching the door, he yanked it open and stepped outside.

'Oops.'

'Come on sweetheart, eat up.' Jackie looked at her oldest daughter desperately as she sat with a plateful of untouched food in front of her.

'I'm just not hungry mum.'

Well you've got to eat something love. We can't have you wasting away.'

'I'm fine, will you stop going on!' Rose regretted what she said as soon as she saw the hurt look on her mother's face. 'I'm sorry. It's just…'

'The last time Daleks were around, the Doctor was there.'

'Yeah.'

Jackie moved round the table and pulled Rose into a hug. 'You know he would have been proud of you, don't you?'

'Would he?' Rose looked up at her mother. 'I once persuaded him not to kill what he thought was the last Dalek. Told him he was better than that.'

'But you didn't have him with you this time and there was no other way to stop it.'

'I suppose.' She thought for a second. 'Do you really think he would be proud of me?'

'Of course! Sweetheart, look how far you've come in the last five years. You've got a good position at Torchwood, good friends, you've helped save the earth more times than I care to remember. You've negotiated with aliens, helped protect other planets. He would be enormously proud of you, just as I am. Just as we all are.'

Rose smiled and hugged Jackie tighter. 'Thanks mum. That means a lot.'

'Everything ok?' The two women looked up to see Pete walking towards them with a small girl in his arms dressed in a pink leotard and tutu.

'Yeah, everything's fine,' Rose said as Jackie got up to kiss her husband. 'Hi munchkin!' She took the girl out of Pete's arms and gave her a big hug. 'How was your dance class?'

'I hate Anne-Marie. She smells,' she said indignantly. The adults chuckled.

'What's she done now darling?' Jackie said, humouring her.

'She said Marnie was a horrible kitten just cos she scratched her but I said she was just a baby and was playing but she said Marnie was nasty and we shouldn't love her but I do love Marnie and I don't want her sent away!' The child said this in such a rush that when she did stop for breath, she burst into tears. Rose cradled her and smoothed her hair out of her face.

'Don't worry sweetie, Marnie isn't going anywhere. She was just playing is all.'

Jackie smiled at her small daughter.

'Come on you, time for bed.'

'Can Marnie come?' The girl said with a sniff.

'I'll bring her up when you've had a wash,' Jackie replied.

Pete ruffled the girl's hair lovingly and placed a kiss on her head. 'Night night Gracie.'

'Night night Daddy.'

Rose carried Grace out of the dining room and into the hall. She was about to start climbing the stairs when the doorbell rang.

'I'll get it!' Rose called to her parents.

'Who's that?' Grace asked.

Rose opened the door.

And her eyes widened.

'Rosie, who's that man?' Grace asked again.

Rose put the girl down without taking her eyes off the person in front of her.

'Go to mummy.'

'But…'

'Gracie.'

The little girl sighed. 'Ok.'

Rose broke eye contact for a second just to make sure Gracie was going where she was supposed to, then turned her attention back to the man at the door, her eyes filling with tears. She tried to speak, but could barely manage a whisper.

'How…?'

'I don't know.'