This is it, thinks Rose. If I don't tell him now, I'll never get the chance again.

"I…I love you!"

And in typical Doctor style, he can't just come out and say it himself. He's got to beat around the bush. But she can see it in his eyes — he loves her back; she doesn't need the words. It doesn't make it any easier though, when he disappears, vanishing from her life forever before he's even given a chance to say it out loud.

She feels as though she's crumpling inside. When she met him, she'd never have dreamed that some random stranger could become a 900-year-old alien from the far reaches of space, and that that 900-year-old alien could become someone she'd love so much, she'd die for.

Almost did die for, she reminds herself, and he did become all that.
She turns towards her family, about to leave him behind forever. Doubts she'd ever feel pain like this again as her mum runs over and gathers her into a hug.

Then it happens.

Somewhere behind her, there's a cry, and something that sounds like an explosion, and they fall to the ground, sand covering their faces. It takes a few moments to get back to their feet and turn around, but when they do, they can't believe what they're seeing. That light…Rose recognises it from somewhere, but where?

In amongst the gold swirls of light, there's someone lying on the ground, and she untangles herself from her mum's arms and tries to help. The light's blinding, burning, but she still tries to get closer. It's a woman. Rose can't see her face, but it's definitely a woman, struggling to push herself up and look at her. Red hair falling into her face, and she hasn't got the strength to brush it away.

"Help him," she manages, her hand gesturing weakly behind her. Jackie runs over, terrified, and Mickey too, and they run behind the woman with arms shielding their eyes, disappearing from view as the light engulfs them for a second. They reappear, dragging another person between them who's clearly stunned.
"Doctor…"

Rose looks at the woman again, and now the light's fading. She can see her face, and she doesn't look well. Tears are falling down the woman's face, but she's smiling.
"I did it…"

"Who are you?" Rose asks. "What did you do?" She should be frightened, but she's not. Not after all the things she's seen, and she knows that this is different somehow.

The woman looks at the Doctor, who's staring back at her, horrified, grief-stricken.

"No…don't do this to me," he begs, but it's too late.

"Had to send you back. Had to…help you. Never told you…I love you. Be happy. A message…" She smiles, all her light gone now. Rose and her family can only watch as the Doctor, now recovered from whatever has happened, falls to the ground and pulls the dying woman to him, crying and begging her not to leave him. But he can't help her, and Rose keeps watching as faint lines of that gold light appear all over the woman, and she cracks like a mirror, turning to dust and falling away on a breeze. The Doctor grabs at the empty air, looking around frantically, before his eyes settle on Rose.

She goes to him, a million questions running through her mind. But all she can manage is to say his name as she throws her arms around him, kneeling by him on the ground as he cries, shaking with sobs. Rose looks around over his shoulder, then realises something's missing.
"Doctor, how did you get back? Where's the TARDIS?"

"That was her…" he chokes, still crying. "She sent me back, and it killed her."

"A message…" Rose smiles despite the situation, remembering what she said on the satellite. "Bad Wolf Bay."