Author's Thing What That Goes at the Top of the Page: Hello! :D ...That's about all I've got to say, actually. Just don't read this unless you've seen the Season Four finale, and don't worry too much about where Jackie's got off to. Enjoy!

Rose stumbled out of the TARDIS, blinded and bewildered by the sunlight. The tang of salt that pierced her nose was unmistakable, however, as was the sand that slid under her feet while she scrambled to get back inside.

"You're not doin' this to me again, Doctor!" she yelped, trying to muscle past him. Her vision was still a throb of purple and yellow, but she felt his arms tangle around her.

"Rose, Rose," the Doctor said, grasping at her flailing arms. "Rose!"

With an exhausted sob, she collapsed against his chest.

"All that time I spent trying to find you." Her voice broke.

"I know." He hugged her close, whispered into her hair. "I know."

Rose's mind raced, a whirl of lost and stolen time—but now, she said nothing, and just rested in his arms, her heart breaking with every breath of his smell, his warmth. The tears poured freely down her cheeks, a hot haze of grief. Between her own gulping breaths, she heard Donna shuffle across the grating.

"Doctor, the walls, they're—" she stammered, sniffling. "It's closing, Doctor. We can't stay."

"They don't have to."

The voice jarred Rose out of the Doctor's arms, and he swayed backwards. Her weeping blurred the TARDIS' light into a golden fuzz, but she could see the two men glance at each other. A heartbeat, inhale deeply. He brushed past Donna and began throwing switches and slamming buttons, and he grabbed Rose by the shoulders and swung her around so that he was a deep silhouette against the bay's sunlight.

"Think about it, Rose," he said, eyebrows raised.

"Doctor, I told you, I'm not goin' back," she murmured, squinting.

"A whole different universe to save," he persisted. "New skies, new pasts, new flying things with tentacles on, new new new new new new—"

"Without the TARDIS?" She hadn't meant to shout, so she tried again, softly, slowly, sadly. "This one doesn't belong here, I can hear it grumbling as much as you can."

"We can grow another one," the Doctor blurted out, and a chunk of coral whooshed past Rose's hair into his hand. "Cheers, Donna!"

Trying to hide her fleeting smile, Rose glanced downwards. A thin breeze whisked sand past his converse and into the TARDIS.

"We can?"

"You and me," he said, bouncing on his heels. "Farther than we've ever gone before."

Rose peered up at him; his anxious half-smile was just visible inside the shadow.

"Alright then," she beamed. Sheer glee blossomed within her, and that single step out of the TARDIS was light, no burden at all.

"Really?" the Doctor squeaked, and she nodded fervently, her laughter bubbling over. He grinned broadly and swept her up into a hug, swinging her out across the sand and back down to earth.

The TARDIS announced its departure with the rasp of ancient gears, and they stood still for a moment, fingers intertwined, and watched it vanish. No burden.

Rose smiled gently and leaned against the Doctor's shoulder. As her eyes finally adjusted to the light, she raised her head and stared at him. Her heart halted…

"Something wrong, Rose?"

…gazed at the crossroads…

"Your…your suit is blue."

"Under your sun, sure, but you should see it on Ulbriam R—"

…and continued down its path.

"Yeah, I should." She squeezed his hand. "Which way do we go?"