Title: Fate

Rating: T

Spoilers: Up to and including 'World War Three'

Set: Tag scene for the end of 'World War Three'

Pairings: Hinting at strong feelings between The Doctor and Rose

Warnings: Mild language

Notes: I haven't given up writing 'After Dark', but no self respecting Doctor/Rose shipper could see WW3 and not want to write something. I just had to finish squealing excitedly over the Dalek preview first…

Rose paused at the door of the TARDIS and almost looked back at her mum and Mickey, but stopped herself halfway, pretending to look at something else instead. She couldn't do it. She wouldn't say 'goodbye'. After all, it was more like a 'see you later' if you really thought about it. She was coming back. She just didn't know when.

Stepping inside, she closed the door quietly behind her and left them in the street to wait. She'd told her mum she'd be back in just ten seconds. Would she wait? Or would she just get on with her life the way Rose hoped she would? Despite her reassurances, Rose knew she couldn't promise anything and although she had every intention of seeing her mum again nothing was certain.

She watched as the Doctor pressed some buttons and pulled various levers. Moments later, the TARDIS juddered into life and she guessed they were on her way.

And in street outside a block of flats, in the London of 2005, her mum stood, waiting to see if she'd come back.

"And the bitch of the year award goes to…," she muttered, slightly disgusted with herself. Some daughter she was.

"Eh?" the Doctor asked in confusion.

Rose shook her head, unable to stop feeling guilty about putting her wants ahead of her mum's feelings.

"I know kids are meant to be a worry to their parents," she said with a heavy sigh, "But I think I might just be taking things the piss."

The Doctor frowned, concerned, "Look, if you don't want to-"

"Don't get me wrong," she immediately interrupted, "I've no intention ofgoing back. There's nothing I want more than to be here, it's just that… I wish I didn't have to upset her anymore than I already have. She's my mum."

"We can always visit," he reassured, before frowning slightly, feeling the need to clarify his meaning, "By that, of course, I mean you visit her and I wait here for you."

Rose laughed, "You're such a wimp."

"I told you I don't-"

"You don't do domestic, I know."

He smiled slightly.

There was silence for a moment as the TARDIS shuddered a little more violently and the Doctor scrambled to pull a few more levers causing it to settle down into a more manageable sway.

"Can I ask you something?" Rose said, when things had calmed down again.

The Doctor nodded, "As long as it's not about my ears."

Rose grinned, "No… Actually I was wondering why you chose me?"

The Doctor stopped what he was doing and starred at her for a long moment as if trying to figure out what sort of response she was after.

"Well, it's a big universe out there", he said lightly, "And it's not much fun exploring it on your own."

"But you must have met hundreds of people. Thousands. Why me?"

"You're more entertaining than most of your species," he said, jokingly, "And I couldn't have you staying with that idiot boyfriend of yours."

"Seriously," Rose said, looking a little cross.

He looked at her steadily once more with that piercing gaze. She wondered what he saw.

"Because of the look in your eyes," he eventually said, with quiet honesty, "Because we were chasing after living plastic that was trying to destroy the world, you'd been attacked more than once, your boyfriend had turned into a mannequin, and you were loving it. A little afraid maybe. Definitely a little freaked out. But you wanted more."

Rose starred straight back at him. Part of her thought she should argueagainst that. It didn't make her sound like a very nice, sensible or sane person. But he was right.

"Besides," he added, "The way I kept bumping into you, I guessed it was meant to be. Fate, if you like. You were meant for greater things than selling clothes, Rose Tyler."

Rose shook her head, looking down at her feet, "I don't know about that. I haven't been much help so far."

"Rose," he said, in amazement at how short sighted humans could be at times, "You would have given up your life back there to stop the Slitheen. Without a second thought. How many others do you think would have been prepared to do that?"

"It wasn't bravery, if that's what you think," said replied, almost a confession, "I was really scared. But it was commonsense. You can't value your own arse over the lives of billions of others, can you?"

The Doctor smiled warmly, but a little sad, "You'd be surprised how many people do.You may not think it was brave of you, but it was selfless. And that's a very rare thing."

Rose shuffled, uncomfortable with such unabashed praise which she didn't think she really warranted. The Doctor was the one saving the world. She was just along for the ride.

"And if you remember," he said, lightening the mood slightly, "It was your bright idea that saved all our lives, yes? So I for one am very glad I picked you up."

She nodded thoughtfully, not really catching on to his attempts to make things seem less serious.

"Look, I'm just going to dump my stuff off," she said, indicating the bag, "Then I'll be right back, okay?"

The Doctor nodded, deciding it was best to let her have her think. She had a lot to take in and sort out in her head after all.

"Don't be long, okay? You don't want to miss this. Trust me."

Rose walked almost in a trance through the rear door and to the room she had taken as her own. Trust him? She certainly did that although she wasn't entirely sure why. There was no real logical reasonfor it. Just her gut feeling, a look in his eye and the way he squeezed her hand so tightly. It was a promise he wouldn't let anything happen to her. Not without a fight anyway.

That was why she'd had no hesitation at agreeing to his plan back in the cabinet office. He wouldn't have suggested something that would endanger her unless their situation was desperate.

The long moment she had starred into his eyes had spoken volumes.

She was working on autopilot as she reached her room, their conversation from earlier playing through her mind.

"That's the thing. If I don't dare, everyone dies."

He had had such a dark look on his face, like the one when he had allowed Cassandra to dry out and explode. He was facing a decision he did not want to make, but he had to because that was what he did.

"Do it."

She'd barely even thought about her answer. What was there to think about? Either way they were probably dead, but least this way they were giving everyone else a chance.

"You don't even know what it is and you'd just let me."

He looked at her as though he was part awed andpart expected it. In those moments she could feel that he admired and respected her more than at any time since she'd met him. Inside that had made her feel slightly better about the whole situation.

"Yeah."

It was a confirmation. She trusted him. He'd neverput her life at riskunless he had no choice.

"Please, Doctor. Please. She's my daughter. She's just a kid."

Her mum's voice, desperate and pleading across the phone line. But she didn't understand. Or she didn't want to. If they didn't do this, they were all dead anyway. What other choice did they have?

"Do you think I don't know that? Cos this is my life, Jackie. It's not fun, it's not smart, it's just standing up and making a decision. Because nobody else will."

The tension in his voice was palpable. As though he had been here too many times before. Had to make these decisions before and it had cost someone else dear. But he didn't have to do it on his own now, that was whatshe was here for. She may not be the brains of the partnership, but she liked to think she was the heart. If she could just be there to reassure and support him, maybe that was the most important thing she could do.

"Then what you waiting for?"

She was afraid of dying. But it'd be worse to live and watch everyone else die, knowing she could have done something about it.

"I could save the world but lose you."

She had been shocked at such brutal honesty. At the pain in his voice. He'd always been kind and friendly to her, always been there when she'd got in trouble, but she'd never realised just how much affection he had for her. He was hesitating because he couldn't seem to decide if saving the world was worth it if she died. It was a humbling thought.

She'd held eye contact with him for so long, she didn't think it was going to stop. Maybe if they just kept looking at each other, everything around them would go away and they'd been all right. This couldn't be it - they weren't ready to say goodbye.

How could a nine hundred year old Time Lord and a nineteen year old shop assistant be soul mates?

Then Harriet had interrupted them and the moment was lost.

By this time she found herself entering the control room of the TARDIS once more, the bag dumped unceremoniously on her floor, but her head still full of thoughts. The Doctor looked up as she entered.

"You alright?" he asked, in a slightly vague manner before his gaze switched back to the console he was carefully studying.

Was she alright? Yeah, she guessed she was. Or at least she would be once she got things straight in her head. One thought just wouldn't stop nagging her mind though and she decided she had to tell him. They had to know where they both stood.

"Doctor?" she said quietly, trying to catch his attention as she stepped up beside him.

"Yeah?" he asked, looking up again.

"You're not going to lose me," she intoned firmly, "Never, okay? No matter how much you try. I refuse to go anywhere and I'm really stubborn once my mind is made up."

He sighed softly, both delighted by and apprehensive of her little speech. Yes, of course he wanted her with him. But surely it was wrong to jeopardise her life to do that? She said she wanted to be here and he made no move to stop her, but she couldn't possibly have a true idea of what that may involve.

But didn't that mean he'd have to spend the rest of his days alone?

"It's not that easy, Rose," he said, trying to make it clear to her that this wasn't going be a joyride by any stretch of the imagination, "Mickey was right about me. When I'm around people die."

She shrugged, not blasé about the matter, just accepting of it.

"People die everyday," she reasoned, "And I'd bet most of them never get a chance to travel in a time machine with an alien. I could stay at home, go out tomorrow and get hit by a bus and I never would have done anything wonderful with my life. And if I have to chose between living one year with you and 80 years on earth, I choose you."

The Doctor starred at her in shock, almost a little afraid of what she meant by that.

Rose immediately picked up on this.

"I didn't mean it like that," she said with a slightly playful smile, "You're my friend, I like being with you and I care about what happens to you."

Her smile broadened, and she put her hand on his, "You're my companion."

The Doctor smiled back, placing one of his large hands over hers and squeezing tightly, "I wouldn't have it any other way."

"And we're in this together, right?" she stated firmly, telling him rather than asking.

"Always," he affirmed.

"Good," she said, "Now didn't you mention something about a plasma storm with fires ten million miles wide?"

He nodded, grinning excitedly.

She threw him a cheeky smile, "Oh yeah, and some bull about being able to fly the TARDIS right into the middle of it."

"You don't think I can do it?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

She paused for a moment, looking steadily at him.

"Show me what you got, Doctor."