A/N: A one-shot written for insidethevoid. Hope you like it!
Rose took a deep breath as she stared at the blue paint in front of her, highlighting the grain from the solid and very real wood before her. She still hadn't touched it. It had been ten years since she had last seen that color blue, and it overwhelmed her to see it again.
The blue was different in only that it was bolder and bluer than ever. The strength, dignity, and respect of that color washed over her as memories flooded her mind; all the joy and laughter, all the pain and loss, and all those little moments that made this color home.
Grasping the metal handle, she ignored the sign and pushed the door open. Inside was different than she remembered. Gone were the neutral colors of brown and cream with tints of green, and now a florescent orange glowed with streaks of green and yellow reflected across the many mirrored surfaces. The open and airy main console room with hidden doors was replaced by a futuristic cacophony of staircases and secret hideaways beneath glass floors.
As Rose finally took her steps into the empty console room, she noticed the little things that had remained the same. The main console was still broken up into sections for multiple drivers, though she doubted the Doctor ever let anyone else drive all that much, and there were remnants of companions still in little places. Rose would always be leaving coats and scarves around the main console, draping them over the branch-like support beams or the railings. Now though, there was a pair of women's shoes in the corner near the door piled next to what looked like Roman sandals. A bag that was the same bold blue had pale orange giraffes embroidered on the side with the name "Melody" in white underneath. Rose knew that kind of bag and stared at it in shock. It was a baby's diaper bag. She'd carried one enough for her baby brother when she and John, her Doctor at home, were left babysitting. That brought another wave of familiar longing that she quickly shoved back into the recesses of her mind. John Smith, the Doctor that had stayed with her after the Daleks had stolen the Earth, was truly the love of her life, and she could not ask for anything more. However, it didn't keep her from missing her time in the TARDIS with The Doctor and the other companions.
Moving further into the console room and chose the stairs to her right to follow up into the bowels of the TARDIS. Even the hallways were designed differently, keeping with the futuristic space theme the rest of the interior had taken on during its transformation.
She came to a door on the right hand side of the hall that read "The Ponds" and she poked her head inside. A set of adult-sized bunk beds sat in the corner of the room, two dressers along the walls, and a door which apparently led to a bathroom. Along one wall was a large Scottish flag that proudly screamed the origin of at least one of the inhabitants of the room. A comfortable-looking rocking chair was in one corner amongst a plush carpet and some bookshelves lined the walls, filled with children's books. Along the adjoining wall was a changing table that was stocked to the brim with everything needed, and next to that sat a little wooden baby's crib, with a wooden mobile of stars and planets. Old Gallifreian script was inscribed across the front of the cradle, the beautiful gold design humming happily to her.
Rose examined the room quietly before closing the door behind her and moving down the hall. She continued along, opening doors and searching the place. She found the library, the swimming pool, the kitchen, the lounge, and the movie theater (even The Doctor liked to take some time out and watch human films). When she came upon a door to the laundry, she stopped before opening it. One of her favorite memories had happened in that room, and she wasn't sure she wanted to change those by seeing the new laundry room. She slowly backed away from the door and turned to return down the hall when she ran into a man standing a few yards down from her, between light sconces. His face was slightly hidden in the shadows and Rose took a step towards him.
"Hello? Sorry, I was just-"
"I know what you were doing, Rose Tyler," the man said. He stepped forward and Rose saw the newest regeneration of the Doctor before her. He was shorter, and had more hair, if that was possible. Gone was the suit and Converse to be replaced by a tweed jacket and a bowtie. In his eyes, though, that glint of humor and recognition and remembrance, clouded by the darkness that she knew had begun to consume him towards the end was still there, though the darkness had receded a bit.
Rose smiled at him. "Hello, Doctor."
She took another tentative step forward before he opened his arms to her and she ran into them for the strange yet familiar embrace.
"Oh, it's good to see you again, Rose Tyler!" he exclaimed, holding her tight.
Rose laughed as she hugged him. She couldn't help it. Even though he'd regenerated, it felt so right to be hugging The Doctor in the TARDIS.
They moved their reunion to the console room, and Rose sat in the aviator chair next to The Doctor, taking in the glowing green glass chimney-like centerpiece and the liquid underbelly of the controls. They sat and chatted, catching up. Rose told him how Tony was growing up well, and how Jackie and Peter were getting on as being parents again, with the little bundle running around on his own now. They talked about Mickey and Martha getting married, and about Sarah Jane sadly passing away from cancer, with Luke and his friends working to keep the planet safe from the minor alien threats. They talked about the good times and the bad; about Captain Jack and his gangly crew, and about Donna's life after he left her. Finally, the discussion turned to Rose and John Smith.
"John is, well, he's great, Doctor. I love him."
The Doctor's eyebrow rose. "I guess that's no real surprise, considering everything that's happened since we last spoke."
"Well, he was meant to be with me, wasn't he? He was meant to be the one I fell in love with; the one I grew old with."
"And how is growing old, Rose Tyler?"
She met his eyes, hers growing wetter by the moment. "It's magical. I miss this, though," she said, gesturing to the open space of the console room. "Who are your new companions?"
"The Ponds? You would love them, Rose, really you would. Would you like to meet them?"
Before she could respond, however, the door to the TARDIS opened and the light from outside illuminated the TARDIS interior. Rose focused on a young woman with bright ginger hair walking through the doorway, a baby carrier in her left hand and a large fountain soda in her right. A baby was wrapped up tightly in a blanket and swung happily from her mother's arm. A tall man followed in from behind, carrying what looked like thirty shopping bags through the narrow TARDIS door.
"You know, Rory, the other door opens, too," the woman said, he Scottish accent thick and proud. The man mumbled something and moved to put his burden on the floor next to the door.
"Don't put them there, Rory!" The Doctor shouted, jumping up from his seat to stop him.
"Well, where would you have me put them? There isn't enough room in our bedroom."
"That's why you have bunk beds! Beds with ladders, and more floor space! You can't beat that."
"Is it so bad to want to sleep next to my wife?"
"Hello," the ginger woman said, suddenly spotting Rose sitting in the aviator chair around the console. She sounded unsure and gripped the carrier with her baby a little tighter.
"Hi, I'm-"
"Ah, my bad. Introductions are in order, yes?" At the woman's pointed look, he went on. "Amelia Pond, Rory Pond, and Melody Pond, may I present Rose Tyler?"
"Wait, the Rose Tyler? The one you were always talking about before?"
He grinned. "The one in the same!"
"But how did she get here?" Rory asked, confused. He had dropped the bags at the base of the stairs Rose had taken earlier as he watched the interactions unfolding before him.
"Oh, that doesn't matter, Rory!" the Time Lord exclaimed, his excitement clearly written across his face as his new companions met his old one.
"I'm so excited to be able to meet you," Amy said, catching a wicked glint in her eye. "You can help clear up some things about what he says when you were here."
The Doctor's face suddenly got full of dread as he realized what she was implying. "What? No, none of that. Come along, Ponds, don't you have to put Melody down for her nap or something?"
"You simply must stay for dinner," Amy said, ignoring The Doctor's push against her shoulder to get her out of the console room and to stop her talking. Rose laughed. "I'd like that, thanks."
Rose did stay for dinner, and she got to know the Ponds very well. As the time wore on, however, she began to miss her own dimension, and John. As Rory and Amy went to put Melody to bed, Rose looked to The Doctor, sitting across from her in his striped shirt, tweed jacket and bowtie. He was still him, but he looked so…different. "Doctor," she started off quietly. "I have loved this, but I need to go home."
"What are you talking about, Rose?"
"Doctor? Please send me home. I miss John, and my mum."
"Rose?"
The Doctor's voice began to fade, and a white light erupted in her vision. She jerked her eyes open in surprise to find herself in her bed at home, John resting himself on one elbow, staring down at her with confusion written on his face. "Are you alright?" he asked her, his voice familiar and warm, yet concerned.
Rose sat up a bit and John followed suit, the quilt on their bed sliding down to reveal his bare chest and her t-shirt pajama top. The sun was filtering in through the open window, which explained where the bright white light in her dream had come from. It had to have been a dream…right?
"I'm fine, I think."
He pulled her close and kissed the top of her head, hugging her tight. Rose cuddled up next to him, happy to have him back. "I love you."
"And I love you, Rose Tyler. Now," he said, pulling away a little and moving to get out of bed, "breakfast!"
Amy climbed out of the upper bunk and tiptoed across the room to the door, slipping out without waking either Rory or Melody. She padded along to the console room and found The Doctor sitting in the same chair he had been the night before. "Doctor," she asked, announcing her presence at the same time, "who was Rose, really?"
He met her with sad eyes that truly showed how much he had loved her, and how much he truly had lost. "She was a friend…just a friend. And old friend, really."
Amy came and sat down next to him in the spare chair. "She was more than that. Don't try to deny it, because I can tell she was special."
"All my friends are special," he retorted, hating that he was so obviously easy to read.
"Yes, but she was extra special, wasn't she?"
When he didn't answer, Amy made herself comfortable in her seat and simply said, "Tell me about her."
It took The Doctor a moment, but he sighed and began, almost wistfully. "I had detected something strange in the area, and I went to investigate. I was in a basement of a department store, and the manikins were living plastic! Oh, I know it doesn't sound so ridiculous now, but back then it was quite something! I was tracking this signal, and I ran into this girl who was getting cornered by the manikins. She was backed up against the wall, completely rooted to the spot in terror. I grabbed her hand and she looked at me with those big brown-hazel eyes and I said one word. Run."