A/N: First off I really want to thank everyone who took the time to review. You are too kind, really and as soon as i figure out how to send replies the the review (the links in the e-mail alerts don't seem to work for me) I will. I hope this doesn't turn into a big disappointment... with that said, I must now admit that this chapter makes me a terrible person… if you read, you'll see why… Also, I need to mention that I got the bit about the field from an episode of Fringe I think.

x13x

The hope that surged up inside him was almost too much to contain. It paralyzed him. He finally closed his eyes and let it wash over him. Tears fell in relief. The Doctor stared at the portal for some time after it closed reliving his conversation.

"Doctor? Are you really here?" He heard the hope and disbelief in her voice. "Please Doctor, where are you?" Even now he didn't know how he stifled the urge to try and force his way through the portal to her after hearing her call to him.

He fell into his usual babble instead, eager to talk to her, to tell her of his discovery, to see her reaction when he told her that he figured it out, that finally, finally she could come back to him, she could come home.

She interrupted him mid stream, it was like nothing had changed, like they were never parted. At that moment it didn't matter that they were universes apart. He was the Doctor and she was Rose Tyler and nothing in this world or the next could truly separate them.

"What do you mean I can come back?"

But they were a universe apart and it hurt. He was like an addict who'd gone too long without a fix and now it was so near he almost couldn't stand it. He remembered feeling almost idiotic that he hadn't thought of it sooner. That anything was truly possible, that persuasion is better than force. Work with the cosmos instead of against it.

And as if it wasn't blatantly clear by now, again life was telling him he couldn't do it alone, that he needed a teammate, a companion, he needed her.

"Guess it's a good thing we always made a good team then Doctor."

They were better together than apart, she always knew that. He was the one slow to acknowledge it. But if she decided to do this she had to know the risks. And there were risks, there were always risks. Even he didn't really know how high the costs could be. But he had to tell her, he had to be sure she knew that there was a real possibility of danger in coming back to him.

And then she reminded him again that she was always going to put him first. He'd never tire of hearing her say she wanted to come back to him. A small laugh burst out of him at her reaction, it had been so long since he felt anything at all that he couldn't contain it.

But he couldn't shake reality. And in reality he was a Time Lord, and time was running out for them. The star's power was rapidly being depleted and he still needed to tell her how, and where, and what. And she just read his mind, as usual.

"What do I have to do?"

He had a suspicion that the portal, when actually transporting a being from one universe to another, would need energy from both sides. Sacrificing life, no matter how insignificant grated on him. He needed to minimize any forfeit so he told her to go somewhere deserted, imagining a field of green grass turning brown as she walked through, or some small ocean life surrendering for his salvation.

"I have to say goodbye, to my mum, to Mickey, to Pete."

It nearly ripped him in half to be the reason for this. He would have given anything to be able to come to her. He would have forsaken this universe for her, and while that scared him, he wished he could be the one, the one to take the risk, the one to have to leave it all behind. He wanted to say something to her. To apologize for ever making her choose, to fall at her feet and thank her for caring about him this much.

"I'll be ready Doctor." The last words she said as the portal closed. She was going to come back to him.

Except for knowing how much work there was to be done in order to open the doorway in five days he would have carried on in his daydreams for an eternity. He felt as if he could fly everywhere at once and only his skin was keeping him in one piece. The excitement bubbling inside him made him almost totally useless.

But he had work to do. A significant amount of work actually. And he had promised her six weeks, which meant five days. Five short days and yet he knew they'd feel like an eternity. He'd barely have time to breathe and yet the time could not pass fast enough.

x13x

He was ready. He hoped she was.

He took a deep breath and powered up the doorway and she came slowly into focus again. The portal was behind her. She sat on the sand staring out toward the sea.

"Rose." He called.

She whipped around quickly and stood up. "You're late Doctor." She said with a watery smile.

"How late?"

"About four days. Some Time Lord." She laughed. Then sighed, and stared.

"Rose, are you sure?" He had to ask one more time. "There's no way to get back."

"Doctor, I wouldn't be here if I wasn't sure. I've already made my decision. You're it."

He released the breath he didn't know he'd been holding. "Right then. I'm going to adjust the power to the portal. You should see a silver light shining down. Just walk through."

"How about if I run?" It hit him again how much he missed her. He took out his sonic to make the modification and heard her gasp. "I can see you. Didn't think I'd ever get the chance again."

With that she took off toward the portal, toward him. It took less than five seconds for her to reach the gateway, but to him it was eons. He was anxious and excited. Breathless, hearts pounding, palms sweating. Everything he never knew he always wanted was going to land in his arms. They did it.

Just as she passed the event horizon explosions started. The white dwarf star powering the portal abruptly went supernova and died out completely. The machinery installed in the TARDIS burst into flames and the smoke was enough to choke even his respiratory bypass system. The portal flickered and the TARDIS shook violently. But she was through. She was with him, finally.

"Doctor…" She whispered then fell silent.

Something was wrong, terribly wrong. She was too pale. She wasn't breathing.

He ran from the console room to the infirmary. But it was too late. He tried and tried. Using all the knowledge of human physiology he could think of. He hooked her to machines to breathe for her, machines to pump her blood for her, shot her full of adrenaline. The whole time repeating, "Please, please don't leave me."

But there was nothing he could do. The last Rose petal fell.

He fell over her prone body, sobbing. "I'm so sorry Rose. I'm so sorry."

x13x

A/N: See, I'm a terrible person. But I promise it's not over, I definitely will finish this… and I feel the need to quote Mrs. Potts from Disney's Beauty and the Beast "Cheer up child. It'll turn out all right in the end. You'll see."