Chapter One
Finally, the moment I've waited for has arrived. A new gap has appeared in the fabric of reality. A gap that leads to the other universe and the prize I have sought since I accepted who I was meant to be and became my true form. I can finally retrieve Rose Tyler and bring her back to my lab onboard the TARDIS. Then once I have caught my tenth incarnation, I can begin to experiment on them both. Through my manipulations, I will not only hasten my own birth, but I will also harness the power that resides within the human child. Then, time and space will finally be mine to conquer and control. No more merciful acts of kindness, no more righting the wrongs of the universe, and no more battling the monsters because now I am the monster. I am evil made flesh, chaos personified, the stuff of nightmares brought to life. Once I was known as the Doctor, but that name holds no meaning for me any more. The light that was the Doctor has been extinguished forever, now there is only darkness and the darkness has a new name.
The Valeyard.
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"Mickey, are you there?"
Rose squatted down behind a shed while she tried to reach Mickey on her two-way radio. Torchwood had sent her to stop a giant man-eating slug that a group of aliens had let loose on the planet. It had quickly killed a family living in a nearby farmhouse and once the authorities had learned about it, they quickly called Torchwood to come and investigate. After ten years working as a field agent, Rose had earned enough trust and respect from her colleagues to be able to bring in outside help when she needed it and so she had brought Mickey and Jake along to assist her.
"I'm here, Rose, what's your location?" she heard Mickey say.
"I'm behind the shed. I think the slug is in the house." She said glancing around the shed at the Ranch style house in front of her.
"Okay, Mickey and I are on the other side of the house. We can't see anything through the windows on this side, but that doesn't mean it isn't in there. Do you want us to go in first?"
"No, I'll go in first and when I need your help I'll call you."
"Are you sure, Rose?" Mickey said, worried.
"Yes, let me handle it."
"Rose, it's alright to ask for help. You aren't the Doctor."
Rose flinched at the mention of his name.
"I know I'm not," She said angrily. "I never said I was the Doctor. It's just that I'm more than capable of handling one giant slug on my own!"
There was silence on the other end for a moment and then Rose could hear Mickey muttering something unintelligible to Jake. Then, she heard a sigh.
"Just be careful, Rose, and please call us when you need us." He said.
"I will, I promise." Rose replied.
She quickly turned off the radio before Mickey said anything further. It wasn't the first time she had heard her friend's worries about her lone wolf attitude and compared her to the Doctor. She supposed in a way she was trying to be like him. She couldn't help it, she had learned from him how to battle monsters and aliens and other evildoers so it was only natural that she had copied his style. Truth be told, she would rather go it alone anyway. She had only invited Mickey and Jake along as a courtesy because she knew they would have thrown a fit if she hadn't. They monitored all Torchwood transmissions so they were aware of what was going on and when she was being sent out on a mission. If she had left them behind and went out on her own she never would have heard the end of it. It was irritating to her after all that she had done and all that she had accomplished fighting alongside the Doctor that they still thought of her as weak and helpless and in need of male assistance. Mickey and Jake were expert fighters, but she had defeated more monsters than the two of them combined, so she felt if anyone should be asking for help, it should be them.
She took a deep breath and cleared her head. She had no time to dwell on any of this; she had a slug to kill. She hesitated a moment readying herself for battle and then charged towards the front door.
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The Valeyard smiled when he noticed on his monitor that he made a successful crossing across the void and was now in the other universe. He glanced up at it while he keyed in a command and searched for any signs of artron energy nearby. He had landed near this universe's London, now all he had to do was find his former lover and get her back to his TARDIS. Then phase one of his plan would be complete.
An evil smile formed on his face when the monitor finally showed him the information he had been seeking. The TARDIS had detected two artron energy signatures several miles outside of town. He requested more details for the two signatures and his smile widened when the data indicated they were two humans, one male, and one female.
"The male must be that insufferable buffoon, Mickey Smith," he said to himself. "And there are only two possibilities for the female, Rose, or her mother. And it's highly unlikely that Jackie Tyler would be voluntarily spending her time with that idiot which leaves only one conclusion."
He chuckled.
"I have returned for you at last, my Rose, although you might not like the new me or the way I do things now."
Homing in on her energy signature, he programmed the coordinates into the TARDIS and headed for her location.
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Rose gasped as the slug lunged for her. She had found it in the basement feeding on what had once been the family dog and had tried to sneak up on it. Unfortunately, the vibrations that her feet made from walking on the wooden steps alerted the slug to her presence and it reared up its head. She tried to shoot it with her laser blaster, but the creature had been faster than she anticipated and Rose found herself running through the house shooting at it while it tried to swallow her whole. She hadn't screamed and had tried to keep the noise to a minimum not wanting to involve Mickey or Jake, but the slug had bumped into tables and knocked over vases and furniture trying to dodge the laser blasts and both boys were now running into the house, blasters drawn. The slug felt their vibrations and turned to pursue them. Both boys stopped in the doorway, raised their blasters, and began shooting simultaneously. Rose joined in, hitting it from the back. The barrage proved to be too much and the creature let out an unearthly howl of pain and anger before it finally succumbed to its injuries. The three combatants approached the black, smoking body warily, their blasters pointed at it in case it reared up and struck again. But the creature remained motionless and after a few experimental nudges with their feet, they decided it was dead.
"Are you alright, Rose?" Jake asked.
"Yeah, I'm okay."
"Well, it's a good thing we got here in time or you wouldn't have been," Mickey said angrily. "You promised you would call for us if it got to be too much for ya!"
"I forgot, alright?" Rose lied. "I was so busy fighting this thing and trying to stay alive that I didn't want to stop to call for you or Jake."
She could tell they weren't buying it, but she didn't care. She cared deeply for Mickey and Jake, but sometimes she wished she had kept her grip on the lever just a minute longer so she could still be in the other universe with her Doctor instead of stuck here with them. But after ten long years of praying and hoping, she finally had resigned herself to a life without him. She figured if the Doctor knew a way to get back to her, he would have been over by now. No, he was gone forever and now that she had finally accepted that fact, it was time to leave the past behind for good and concentrate on having the fantastic life the Doctor wanted her to have. She only hoped he had gotten over her and had managed to move on too.
As she opened the door and stepped out onto the porch, she noticed someone standing in the yard several feet away staring at her. She stared back. The man was dressed head to toe in a black outfit with white trim and a flowing black cape with white lining. He had thinning brown hair and looked like he was in his early fifties. Rose had never seen the man before. As she continued to stare at him, she heard the door open and felt Mickey and Jake come up behind her.
"Who's that?" Jake asked.
"Dunno, but I'm guessing he's not from Earth with that getup of his." Mickey replied.
"Well, only one way to find out for sure." Rose muttered.
Before Mickey or Jake could protest, she walked off the porch and went over to him.
The man smiled as she approached.
"My Rose." He said warmly as he opened his arms.
Rose stopped short and stared at him warily.
"Do I know you?" she said.
The man walked up to her.
"It's me, my love, it's the Doctor," he said. "I've finally found a way to come back to you."
Rose's heart caught in her throat. It couldn't be true. This couldn't be the Doctor. She shied away from him, hesitant to embrace this strange man.
"It's not possible. You can't be the Doctor," she said backing up towards the porch. "He said crossing the void was impossible, all the gaps had closed."
"Ah, but one finally opened again and I was able to use it to get back here." He said following her. "I've spent centuries waiting for just the right opportunity and finally I got it."
"How can I be sure it's you?" Rose murmured. "You've…regenerated again."
"Yes, I have, three times in fact. I'm now on my thirteenth life."
"You're on your last life." Rose said softly.
"Yes, my angel, it took that long to find a way back, but I finally did and now we can be together at last."
He smiled warmly and took her hand.
"That is, if you still want me." He said, looking into her eyes. "I realize it's been awhile since we were last together. I'm not sure exactly how long it has been for you, but, as I said, it's been centuries for me and time didn't lessen my feelings for you. I love you just as much as I did when we faced one another on the beach at Bad Wolf Bay and said our goodbyes. But, if you no longer want me, I'll get back in my TARDIS and leave you in peace."
Tears flowed down Rose's face.
"No, don't leave me, please." She said. "I still love you. I've never cared what you looked like, you're still the same man I fell in love with. Please let me travel with you again."
He embraced her.
"You don't have to ask, Rose," he purred in her ear. "You are always welcome in the TARDIS and I would be thrilled to have you travel with me again."
Rose sobbed with joy and laid her head on his shoulder. He rubbed her back and looked up at Mickey and Jake who were standing a few feet away from him.
"Mickey, Jake, it's good to see you two again." He said to them.
Mickey nodded.
"Good to see you too boss." He replied.
He gestured to his outfit.
"What's with the robe though, you look goofy in that."
"No, I don't. I think it makes me look regal."
"Um, no, regal isn't the first word that comes to mind." Mickey muttered.
Rose glanced at the Doctor's face and sighed when she saw his anger.
"Doctor, Mickey was only kidding," she said turning his face to hers. "He didn't mean it."
"Like hell I didn't." Mickey muttered to Jake.
"Do you like it, Rose?"
Rose considered that.
"It'll take some getting used to, Doctor," She said looking at his outfit. "I'm used to seeing you in your suits and trainers."
"Bah, I no longer like that kind of look. Suits are too restrictive and trainers look tacky."
"And that doesn't look tacky?" Jake muttered to Mickey.
Mickey snickered softly.
"No, as I got older and got closer to my death, I began to reflect back on my heritage as a Time Lord and eventually I chose to wear the robes that my people wore as a link to my past. I am the last representative of my people after all. Plus, I have to admit, this is extremely comfortable," he added.
He took her hands.
"But never mind that, now that I have found you once more, it is time for you to reclaim your past and travel at my side once more."
"I'd love to, I just have to go home for a minute and tell mum I'm leaving---"
"No, Rose, we have to go now!"
Rose frowned while Mickey and Jake looked at each other.
"Now?" Rose asked.
"Yes, Rose, the gap will not stay open forever. We only have about ten more minutes before it closes and then who knows how long we'll have to wait until another opens up. We must leave now before it's too late!"
Rose was unsure what to do. She was torn between wanting to leave with the Doctor and needing to tell her mother and Pete that she was going.
"Rose, please, I can't stay here. I must go back to the other universe and I don't want to go without you. Mickey can tell your mother you're going, can't he?"
Rose looked back at Mickey.
"Will you, Mickey?" she asked.
Mickey gave the Doctor a skeptical look.
"You sure you have to leave right now?" Mickey asked him.
"Yes, you imbecile, didn't you hear what I just said?" he spat out.
Mickey, Rose, and Jake were shocked into silence.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be so rude. That's one thing that has carried over since my tenth life and sometimes I can't control my mouth. But, I am telling the truth, Mickey. We have to leave now! Can you please tell Jackie for her?"
Mickey sighed and nodded.
"Yeah, go ahead." He muttered.
Rose flew into his arms and hugged him tight.
"Thanks, Mickey." She said kissing his cheek.
She broke away and hugged Jake.
"Let Torchwood know where I went too?" she asked him.
"I will. Good luck, Rose." He said.
"You too. Keep an eye on my family."
"We will, you can count on it." Jake said.
She broke away from him and gave Mickey's hand one more squeeze.
"Okay, I'm ready." She said walking over and taking the Doctor's hand.
"Excellent, let's go then, we haven't a moment to spare!"
"Yup, just like old times." Rose murmured.
She waved at Mickey and Jake as she ran alongside him. Mickey looked at Jake.
"Man, I hope Rose knows what she's doing." He said to him.
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Rose wept with joy when she saw the police box resting at the bottom of a hill.
"Oh God, I've missed her so much!" she said.
"She's missed you too. We both have." He said.
He took her hand and they hurried towards the TARDIS. He opened the door for her and ushered her inside. He smirked as he watched her squealing with joy at being back inside the time ship. He chuckled to himself as he murmured under his breath.
"And now that I have captured my ex-lover, it's time to go get my sappy, sentimental former self and once I have him onboard, then the final part of my plan can finally begin."