A/N: This is my first time writing in Nine's POV. I hope I got him in-character - I don't usually write 9. Anyone who's read my Doctor Who fics knows that I write fics featuring 10. Anywhoo, this is just a little drabble featuring that wonderful moment in the ep "Bad Wolf" when he realizes that Rose was still alive.
It had all happened so fast, and to be honest, he hadn't really been paying attention to most of it. Not since he saw the disintegration ray hit her. He could still hear her scream as every cell in her body was vaporized.
At first he had felt empty. Then, as they went to confront the Controller, he was furious. Finally, as he talked with the Game Station operators, he felt both angry and empty. He had felt this way after the Time War, of course, after he had to destroy Gallifrey, but Rose had made those feelings go away, or at least, her light had suppressed them enough for him to actually enjoy living and going on adventures. But when she was disintegrated right in front of him, those feelings returned full force.
Not even Jack's news that he had located the TARDIS could cheer him up. Time and space seemed so empty now, and if he had the energy, he shuddered at the sudden thought of whatever the hell Jackie Tyler would do to him when he told her what had happened to her daughter.
When Jack performed his little "experiment" on Lynda, he snapped out of his reverie enough to be angry. Hadn't enough people died at the hands of that damned ray? But when Lynda reappeared at his side, he was shocked. It wasn't a real disintegration ray? But that meant...
"Doctor, Rose is still alive!" Jack grinned.
Joy. Pure, unaltered joy swept through him, once again holding back the anger, emptiness, and loneliness. Yes, Rose wasn't by his side yet, but that would soon change. After all, now that he knew that she was still alive, nothing, not even an army of Daleks would stop him from getting her back.
Four words had never seemed so blessed.