This is a one-shot set after 'Girl in the fireplace'. Ignores the fact that Mickey was there. I had a strange idea and this is what it grew into.
Disclaimer: Don't own Doctor Who or the tv programme Torchwood. Wish I did.
Maybe love isn't quite enough.
Rose lay quietly on her bed, gazing up at the ceiling. Thoughts were streaming through her mind and tears were pouring from her eyes. He left me, she thought desperately, he just went and left me. He picked another woman over me and just left me. Left me stranded on an alien spaceship with no way to get home.
The worst part wasn't that the Doctor had left her it was that she would never see Earth again, never see home again, never see her mum again. Rose's reverie was disturbed by a light knocking on her bedroom door.
"Rose, can I come in?" asked the Doctor's voice from the other side of the door.
"Um," said Rose grabbing a tissue and dabbing desperately at her eyes "Just a sec."
She tossed the tissue into the bin and smoothed her hair.
"Ok."
The Doctor peered around the door.
"You ok?" he asked.
"Yeah," lied Rose brightly "Why shouldn't I be?"
She flung herself back down onto her bed and sat cross legged, gazing up at the Doctor as he stood nervously in the doorway.
"No reason. It's just. Four and a half hours. It's a long time."
"It's not that long when you think you're going to be waiting all eternity."
She'd said it as a simple fact but the Doctor winced as though she'd slapped him across the face.
"I'm so sorry about that, Rose. I really am."
"It's fine." She said.
There was a moment's silence.
"Could be possibly pop back home for a bit. I wanna see my mum again. I've been missing her." asked Rose.
"Course we can," said the Doctor, obviously eager to do anything that might make Rose forgive him "We are ok though, aren't we?"
"Yeah," said Rose with a fake smile "Course we are."
There was silence again.
"We gonna go then?" hinted Rose.
"Yeah," said the Doctor "I'm right on it."
He dashed from the room. As soon as the door swung shut behind him, the smile dropped from Rose's face and she curled up in a ball tears once more gathering in the corners of her eyes.
The TARDIS shimmered into existence in its usual spot on the Powell Estate. The door swung instantly open and Rose stepped out. Without looking back or waiting for the Doctor, she hurried off towards her mum's flat. Half a minute later the Doctor stepped out of the TARDIS and looked around. Where was Rose? Surely she hadn't gone off without him. True, he did like putting off seeing Jackie Tyler but I really hurt that Rose had just left him. With a pang he realised that that must have been like how Rose had felt when he'd left to save Madame de Pompadour from the clockwork droids. Locking the TARDIS door behind him he headed off to Jackie's flat as slow as he could without actually ceasing forward motion.
When the Doctor reached it the door to the flat was slightly ajar and the sound of Jackie Tyler's voice was floating out of it. Taking a deep breath he pushed the door open and walked into the living room where Jackie was making a huge fuss of Rose.
"Ah," said Jackie when she spotted him standing there "It's you."
The Doctor sighed and nodded praying that his time here wasn't going to be as bad as it was promising to be.
Two days later the Doctor decided that it was time to go. He waited until Jackie was at the shop before telling Rose.
"You ready to go?" he asked as they sat watching a re-run of some strange show called Torchwood.
"Go?" asked Rose feigning stupidity.
"Yes, go. As in travelling. Seeing the stars. You know that sort of thing."
"Oh right. Yeah. I'll just grab a couple of things from my room." She said standing up.
"Rose. Are you ok? You've been acting weird for the past couple of days."
"Yeah I'm fine. Give me ten minutes and I'll be ready."
Just as Rose was shoving the last couple of things into a bag Jackie arrived back from the shops.
"I though I'd do Shepard's pie for tea tonight. Is that ok with you two?" she asked.
There was silence in the flat.
"Um, actually mum. We're gonna head off now," said Rose slinging the bag onto her back and moving to the door "We'll see you soon."
"Ok then. You keep her safe Doctor. Bring her back to me." said Jackie prodding the Doctor in the arm as he moved past her to get the door.
"Yes, Jackie." said the Doctor staring at his shoes like a chastised school boy.
"I'll come and see you off." said Jackie.
The three of them trooped down to the TARDIS. The Doctor unlocked the door and went inside to start her up. Rose stayed outside to say goodbye to her mum.
"I'll be back soon." said Rose, giving her mum a hug.
"You better be." smiled Jackie.
Jackie let go and moved to a safe distance, knowing from experience that you didn't want to be right next to the TARDIS when it took off. Rose turned to look at the TARDIS and for some reason didn't feel particularly eager to step inside. The Doctor opened the door and held it open for her.
"Come on. The universe won't wait forever."
But instead of walking forward Rose took a step away from him.
"Rose?"
"I can't come with you." said Rose.
"What?"
"I can't do it anymore. I can't bear the idea of never coming home."
"Is this about what happened with Madame de Pompadour? Coz, if it is I promise that it will never happen again."
"You can't promise that. If you do, you're a liar. And I don't like liars."
"Please Rose. Don't leave me. I… I love you."
Despite herself, Rose let out a little gasp. He'd said it. He'd actually said it. She almost gave in there and then.
"I love you too." she said.
"Then come with me."
"I can't. I have to stay. We've always this wasn't forever."
"Just because it's not forever, doesn't mean that it has to end now."
"I know. But I have to stay."
"If you love me like you say you do, you'll come with me. I don't want to be without you, Rose." pleaded the Doctor.
"If you really loved me you would stay too, but you won't, will you?"
"You know I could never stay still. I can't stop adventuring. But you can come too."
The Doctor reached out his hand towards Rose and for a moment she hesitated. Could she really leave her Doctor? She reached out toward him but instead of putting her hand in his like so many times before, she placed something on his palm and curled his fingers around it.
"Goodbye. My Doctor" she said and turning away she took her mums hand and walked back towards her flat.
"Rose," called the Doctor "Rose. Please. Rose."
She didn't pause, didn't look back and was soon lost into the gloom of the descending night. The Doctor watched until he could see her no more and then opened his fingers to look at the thing in his hand. Glowing gently against his pale flesh, sat the TARDIS key. He stared at it for a moment before slipping it slowly into his pocket and stepping back into the TARDIS.
Sorry if I upset anyone. Well, other than myself. I've got an idea for a sequel but I don't know if I can be bothered to write it. See that clever little grey purple button just below this. Yeah? Press it.