Rose watched as the Doctor said goodbye to everyone, one by one, and didn't fail to notice the way his grin deflated slightly with each goodbye. The TARDIS landed with a shudder.
"Just time for one last trip. Darlig Ulv Stranden. Better known as... Bad Wolf Bay."
Rose had barely processed the sentence. Taking mum home, she told herself, but she knew there was something she was missing. They let Jackie out, and she walked off, leaving Rose and the Doctors to their own conversation.
"Hold on, this is... the parallel universe, right?" Rose said, staring at the beach. Oh, how she hated this beach. The day she died - it was here. And she was reborn again, when she found the Doctor. Good thing she'd never see it again, wouldn't have to go back to the zeppelins.
"You're back home." The Doctor said sadly.
Donna babbled on, about something very Doctor-like, but Rose paid no attention.
"No, but I spent all that time, trying to find you! I'm not going back now!" She said, her voice an odd combination of a shout and a whisper. Not after you said that you loved me, in all the ways that matter.
"But you've got to," the Doctor said, ignoring his hearts screaming No!, ignoring the lump that had formed in his throat. "'Cause we saved the universe, but at a cost. And that cost was him." He looked at the meta-crisis Doctor, who knew what was happening, who didn't want to accept it, but was going to. "He destroyed the Daleks. He committed genocide. He's too dangerous to be left on his own."
"You made me!" The New Doctor said, in false anger. They had to convince Rose that he was more dangerous than his Timelord counterpart.
"Exactly. You were born in battle, full of blood and anger and revenge." The Doctor looked to Rose, stuffing his sadness deep down inside him. "Remind you of someone? That's me, when we first met. And you made me better. Now you can do the same for him."
"But he's not you." Rose whispered, knowing where this was going. Knowing that she couldn't change things. Not now.
"He needs you. That's very me." The Doctor said, barely stopping his voice from breaking.
"But it's better than that, though. Don't you see what he's trying to give you? Tell her, go on." Donna said, and this time Rose paid attention. She turned to the Human Doctor.
"I look like him, I think like him, same memories, same thoughts, same everything. Except, I've only got one heart." He admitted. He saw the confusion in Rose's face, and then, a tiny flicker of hope. He shouldn't want this ending, but he did. So much.
"Which means?" Rose asked, almost knowing the answer.
"I'm part human. Specifically, the aging part. I'll grow old and never regenerate. I've only got one life, Rose Tyler. I could spend it with you. If you want." The Human Doctor cursed himself. Giving her false hope. Giving himself false hope.
"You'll grow - grow old... at the same time as me?" Rose asked, bewildered.
"Together." Rose leaned forwards and put her hand to his chest, and it felt wrong that there was the boom-boom, boom-boom of his heart. Where was the other one? The TARDIS made a wheezing noise, and the four turned.
"We've got to go, this reality is sealing itself off... for ever." The Doctor said, turning from Rose, not wanting to see her face.
"But... it's still not right... 'cause the Doctor is still you." She said, stopping the Doctor.
"And I'm him!" He said, willing her to understand. Have a happy life.
"All right. Both of you, answer me this." Rose began. "When I-"
"No." The Human Doctor said suddenly, and grabbed Rose's hands. "Rose Tyler, we both love you. And it might be the closest thing to a happy ending if I went and lived with you now, and we grew old together. I'm him and I would like nothing more than to do that." He said firmly, and the real Doctor blinked. This wasn't the plan. "But, there's a but. I'm not going to do that, because it's not fair on the most important man here." He said, gesturing toward the Doctor. "Like I said, I'm him, and I know how much it will hurt if this happens. Happy Rose, happy me, not-unhappy Donna, fully miserable Doctor. Hardly fair." He said.
"I'll have Donna to keep me company." Lied the Doctor, realising what his human clone was trying to say. Stop Rose from choosing him. The meta-crisis turned to him.
"You'll have both of them, if I get my way." The Human Doctor said seriously, and the Doctor frowned. "I'm sorry, Donna, but Human/Timelord meta-crisises don't work. Think about it." Donna paused, thinking, then gasped.
"Oh, God." She whispered, realising what would happen - and what the Doctor would have to do. Rose stood quietly, unsure of what to say. The Human Doctor walked over to Donna, and whispered something in her ear. It took a while, and Rose moved over to the real Doctor, taking his hand silently.
"Do you think it'll work?" The meta-crisis asked Donna, pulling back. Donna stared at him.
"Without a doubt." She said, but didn't smile. "But, I don't think anyone here'll let you-"
"I'm a clone." He interrupted. "A human clone. Neither universe needs me; no-one needs me. Except you, and no-one's going to stop me from doing this."
"What if I don't want you to do this?" Donna said softly. The Doctor frowned.
"You going to keep us in the dark, or will you say what's going on here?" He asked, and Rose noticed the heavy sadness in his voice had lifted slightly. Hope, she realised. He wanted her to stay with him.
"He wants to absorb all the Timelord knowledge out of my head." Donna explained. "It'd work, I'd only forget while I was like this," she gestured to her head, "but it'd kill him."
The Human Doctor smiled. "Happy ending." He said. The Doctor let go of Rose's hand, and walked up to face his clone. They stood, eye-to-eye, staring at each other, neither flinching nor looking away.
"I want to do this." The Human Doctor said quietly, and he knew that Donna and Rose wouldn't be able to hear them. "You know you'd give your life for her. Both of them. Either of them. In a single heartbeat." He said, fully pronouncing the non-plural word. The Doctor held his gaze for another few moments, looking almost angry, then looked down, cursing his selfishness. The meta-crisis needed no more invitation than that, and went straight over to Donna.
"No, I don't want you to do this!" She lied.
"Yes, you do." The human said, and placed his fingers to her temples, and the pair closed their eyes. Rose moved over to the real Doctor, who was still looking down, and squeezed his hand reassuringly. He looked up, and while he wasn't smiling, Rose could see the happiness - no, the hope in his eyes. The Human Doctor collapsed to the ground in a heap, and Donna drew in a shuddering breath, sinking to her knees.
"What the bloody hell happened! Where am I? The Daleks-" She noticed the body on the ground. "Oh, God! Doctor?"
"It's okay Donna, I'm here." The Doctor said sadly, kneeling down beside her. Rose took the other side. "It's over, the Daleks are dead."
"It's over," she repeated, "But... he's the- the hand, yeah?" She asked, still looking shocked. The Doctor nodded. "But he'll be okay?" This time, the Doctor shook his head.
"He saved your life, Donna." Rose said quietly.
Donna bit back a sob, then turned to face the Doctor. "Thank you." She said, looking him in the eye. The TARDIS made more noise, and the Doctor jumped to his feet.
"We have to go." He said.
"What about-" Rose began, but broke off, not sure what to say.
"We'll take him to the TARDIS," the Doctor said, then turned to Rose. "Where are you going to-"
"With you." She whispered, taking his hand. The Doctor looked at her, his face a combination of love and fear and worry and anger and a strange, eternal acceptance. Then, hardly being able to stop himself, leaned down and kissed her. Rose, after a moment of shock, kissed him back passionately. After a few seconds, Donna decided they'd snogged enough, and cleared her throat. When the pair didn't react, she cleared it again, louder. They still didn't seem to hear her.
"Oi, stop with the snogging already!" She cried, and the two of them jumped apart almost guiltily, smiling at each other blissfully. Their faces became sombre after seeing Donna's expression. "We have work to do." She reminded them, looking down at the meta-crisis's body. The three of them picked up the body, and carried it back to the TARDIS, all joy gone from their faces. They were finally back in the TARDIS when the Doctor turned to Rose.
"Your mum," he reminded her. Rose opened the TARDIS doors and came face-to-face with her mum.
"Mum," she began, but Jackie smiled sadly.
"You go, sweetie. You'll be happy with him. Just, I love you. Stay safe for me." Rose smiled sadly, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"I will, mum. I promise, okay?"
"Or, at least, as safe as it gets around him." She amended, and Rose actually laughed.
"Love you, mum." She whispered, giving her a final hug. "Tell dad and Tony I love them too." Rose stepped back and let the TARDIS doors swing closed. The familiar, comforting wheezing sound of the TARDIS began, and she realised she was leaving. Forever. Still staring at the doors, she let out a sob. Rose felt a comforting hand on her shoulder, and turned around to see the Doctor. She threw herself at him without a second thought, and began crying into the side of his neck.
"I still might be able to turn around, if I'm quick." He whispered. "If you've changed your mind, I can-" He was cut off by Rose giving him a good smack on the arm.
"Shut up. I chose you. I'm not going back." She said, managing a smile. The Doctor leaned down, hesitantly, giving Rose every chance to pull away, before pressing his lips to hers. Rose responded immediately, pulling him closer, and kissing him for all she was worth.
"Oi! Stop with the snogging, you two!" Yelled Donna, and the Doctor quickly pulled back, looking over at Donna, who was smiling. "If you two can't keep your hand off each other, at least go somewhere where I can't see you!" She said.
The Doctor didn't say anything, just turned back to Rose with a hesitant half-smile. This time, Rose leaned in and kissed him, and Donna walked off in a huff, but was really quite pleased. Finally, the Doctor would be the closest he could be to happy.
I'm not... entirely pleased with this. Feels wrong, somehow. But I dunno why, so I'm leaving it as is.
So, happy ending? The Doctor and Rose, and Donna, with a dead meta-crisis. Feels flimsy, I suppose. Although, it's almost plausible. Kinda like what Nine did with Rose/Bad Wolf, minus the kissing (that'd be weird).
