Chapter 2 - The Other Ghost Floor
Rose had slapped the transport button even before Pete could set her on her feet. Nothing. Ripping it from his hand, she ran over to the counterpart of the lever she'd slipped from, slapping the button again. Twice, three times, she was still here. "No!" she screamed, throwing it to the floor and running towards the now closed breach. "No!" Her fists slammed into the wall over her head, before the rest of her body followed, colliding helplessly against it. She felt her tears flowing freely now, as she slapped and beat at the wall, sobbing. "Take me back!" she screamed, willing the breach to open again and carry her through. "Take me back!" But even as she yelled it, she knew it was impossible. This is what they were trying to do. Send the Cybermen and every last Dalek into the void, then seal the breach forever. "Take me back," she cried, despite herself.
Behind her, she heard Pete echo her worst fears. "It's stopped working. He did it. He closed the breach."
"No," she sobbed at the wall, but knew it was true. So terribly true. After all the times she'd almost died, after all the Doctor's attempts to keep her safe, she'd gone back to him. And now, she was torn from him forever.
"Rose." Like a whisper in her mind, the voice stilled her. She laid her cheek against the wall, straining to hear. As if the Doctor were just on the other side, she heard it again. "Rose."
She wasn't imagining. "I'm here," she whispered through her tears. She could feel him. Only now did she realize how empty she'd felt for the past few minutes, only now when that emptiness was suddenly filled again. But the pain - it was like an echo of her own, redoubled and reflected back across the void.
"Do you know, Rose? Do you know how much it killed me to send you away? How much I love you?"
She felt another sob escape at that.
"Why did I hide it? Why did I wait? Why couldn't I tell you? My Rose."
"Doctor," she cried, but he didn't answer. "I love you." Nothing. He couldn't hear her, she realized. Then, all too abruptly, he was gone.
She leaned against the wall, trying to calm her shuddering breaths. Weakly, she turned to see the trio that stood behind her. Pete, who didn't seem to have a clue what to do; Mickey, who looked like he wished he could just take her pain away; her Mum, the only one who really knew how she must feel, but standing somewhat guiltily beside her own second chance.
Rose would never get a second chance.
She let that thought soak in, while her breaths slowed, pressing her head against the wall. She would never see him again. Never ever.
Never say "never ever".
Just a memory this time, but the Doctor's words startled her. She had said something about the two of them never ever being split apart. But now, they were apart. Hopelessly so. But still, never say "never ever".
Rose fisted her hands at her sides, forcing the tears to stop. With a last, weak gasp, she turned and walked away from the wall.
She watched her Mum pull her hands away from the men on either side of her, then run forward to cover the few steps between them. Rose let herself be held, just focusing on breathing, just breathing.
To be continued...
