Echoes of Love

"Why don't you ask her yourself?" Donna whispered. The Doctor froze, staring into Donna's sparkling brown eyes.

Her words finally sank in, and he turned, half afraid that what she was saying was too good to be true.

It wasn't.

Rose. The face he'd thought he'd only see again in his dreams was looking at him from only a few yards away. His hearts skipped a beat.

They began running, closing the gap between time, parallel universes, and their bodies. He imagined their hug, just like the old days; The Doctor and Rose, together again. Unstoppable.

The world needed saving, the fate of humanity about to be determined, but all he cared about in that moment was her. His Rose.

Maybe that was why he didn't see the Dalek, gunstick extended. By the time he noticed the beam of light whizzing towards him, it was too late. All too late. The bolt of energy collided with his body, knocking him to the ground. Searing pain wracked every inch of his being, and he could feel it dragging him into the darkness. The last thing he saw before his eyes closed was her face. His Rose. She'd never stopped running.

He woke up in the TARDIS. They'd brought him here, laid him on the floor. He stood up, forcing himself to ignore the agony coursing through him, and looked around. So many familiar faces. Donna. Jack. And Rose.

This was the last time he would see them through these eyes. Already, he could feel the changes starting, the energy from the beam destroying him, one cell at a time. His gaze met Rose's. Her face displayed a mixture of love and concern, but mostly love. He hated putting her through all this again.

She walked forward and stood in front of him. He enveloped her in a hug. "I've missed you Doctor," she whispered in his ear, her voice barely cracking.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

"Don't be," she replied. "I know what to expect this time. No matter what happens, who you become, you'll always be my Doctor."

The Doctor felt tears forming under his lashes, but he forced them back. He only had moments left with this body, so little time…

But there was something he could do. One last thing that he hadn't been able to do on the bay. The Doctor pulled Rose back, and lifted her face so she was looking straight in his eyes.

He kissed her. When their lips met, it was like every dream, every wish, came true in those few seconds. But the bliss was interrupted. It was time to leave.

The Doctor took a few steps back, his eyes still fixed on Rose. Then, his head was thrown back, the golden streams of light bursting through his flesh. His bio energy discharging. The old was being agonizingly destroyed, making room for the new him. The new Doctor.

But I don't want to go…

Rose watched the transformation silently, biting her lip. It seemed like only yesterday she'd seen him change for the first time, and now…Now she watched again, nothing she could do to stop it.

In the background she could hear the sound of Donna's voice. "Doctor? Doctor!" She didn't understand yet. Didn't understand the pain he was going through. The pain they were all going through. But she had to be strong, for him. The Doctor needed her.

But what about me? I need him too! I need him the way he was!

Those thoughts came just as the glow inside the TARDIS diminished. It was over. Over, but it was just beginning.

"Doctor?" Rose whispered.

"Rose…" It was her name, spoken from a different face. Still The Doctor, but so different. He looked at her, an intense gaze. She could see his former self fading away, saw him push down the grief and smile. She returned the smile, but couldn't stop a few tears from rolling down her cheeks.

No matter what happens, who you become, you'll always be my Doctor.

Had she really meant that? Or was it just to give him comfort…to comfort herself?

Donna stared from the other side of the TARDIS console. "Alright, will somebody explain to me what just happened? Where's The Doctor? What have you done with him?"

Rose stayed silent. He needed to explain it. Donna's reaction brought her back in time like the TARDIS. She'd said the same thing. Who are you? What have you done with him?

Where is the love of my life?

Now she knew. He still stood before her, but a changed man. So very different.

"Now where were we?" The new Doctor asked. "I'm assuming that we and a lot of other people are in danger and-WHAT?" The Doctor caught his reflection in the TARDIS console, and he reached up to run his fingers through his hair. "Still not ginger? You're kidding me right? Long and not ginger…"

That drew a smile from Rose's lips. The Doctor traveled space and time, but didn't seem to know about hair dye.

"Now, what's next here? New clothes! I really do need some new clothes. These are so…the old me." The Doctor took a step forward, but his shoe caught on a piece of hardware protruding from the TARDIS floor. He stumbled forward, but Rose caught him, helping him back up.

"Great, I'm clumsy and not ginger!" The Doctor exclaimed. "How am I supposed to save everybody if I can't even walk across my own TARDIS?"

She laughed and reached out to brush his hair away from his face and they locked eyes. She met him in a hug, pulling him in tight so she couldn't see his new features. She fingered the cloth of his suit, and for a moment it was just like before. But they drew apart and the truth was reflected in the face of a man she didn't know.

"I wouldn't worry about that Doctor, you always save us in the end. Besides, you'll have me to help." She smiled, sensing that he needed reassurance. She only wished there was someone to give her that same reassurance.

The Doctor replied with an energetic grin, and Rose found that this smile touched her heart almost as much as his last had. But it was so strange, so different. Could she get used to a new smile?

"Now, listen up everybody! I just need you to fill me in on what exactly is going on…I'm still The Doctor, I swear, this new brain's still just a little muddled. On second thought, I don't like that word, sounds too much like mud. And I'm not muddy, except for this stupid hair."

Rose stood silently, allowing the others to tell of Davros and his evil plan. She just needed a minute, just a little while to collect her emotions. Collect them and toss them out the TARDIS door. They were no good to her anymore. Because this man was only a shadow of the one she loved, an echo.

Could she grow to love this Doctor? Perhaps, given time. But if she had learned anything in her travels it was that time was the one thing that always ran out. Even in the TARDIS. They had tried to outrun it, but it always caught up. It wasn't a question of if, but when. When would he change again? When would she be forced to leave?

Rose reached up and fingered a strand of her blonde hair, twisting it. She could almost see the wheels inside The Doctor's head turning, formulating a plan. A crazy, ridiculous plan that always seemed to work. She took a deep breath, ready to do her part. Ready to take her place at The Doctor's side once more.

The Doctor. Not her Doctor. Not anymore.