A Time Lord's brain was quite a complex thing, much more than the average human brain. One could say that due to its functions that a Time Lord was a psychic, but in truth it was much more powerful than that. The brain of a Time Lord could receive messages from the past, future, and present, even from planets and places far, far away, sometimes without the Time Lord even realizing he was receiving these messages.

Also, a Time Lord's brain could detect the presence of others like himself, and in the old days could even link the minds of all the others. Now that there was only one left, the Doctor, this of course wasn't possible, but should another Time Lord exist, he would sense it.

The Master had been around for so long and he hadn't picked up on it, only because of the Master's use of a Chameleon Arch to become human, allowing him to hide from any who might detect him, including the Doctor himself. But then, he'd revealed himself, and the whole bout had ended in tragedy. Humankind was saved, but the Master finally perished, leaving the Doctor as the last Time Lord, and truly, achingly alone.

So needless to say, while running through the streets of parallel London, when he picked up upon the familiar sense of another Time Lord near by, the Doctor was filled with a rush of intrigue, concern, and hope.

It occurred to him that while it seemed impossible, parallel versions of himself and others could exist. Was there a parallel Gallifrey, parallel Time Lords? If so, the energies, while likely different in some way, had to be somewhat the same since he could detect something so familiar. He stopped only to take out his sonic screwdriver, determined to find the source of what he was sensing. It could've been a trick, there could've been something sinister behind it, but then again, perhaps not. Perhaps something good and happy would happen, without consequences. Such thoughts were quickly dashed down by logic; nothing was without consequence.

Following the direction the screwdriver took him in, his sense of this other being like himself grew stronger. And then, it suddenly stopped, just completely disappeared. Well, almost. The feeling was faint, but barely there, and the direction of where it had gone couldn't be detected. There was something here, and it was messing of him, quickly killing all feelings of hope that this might be a good thing. Someone was playing a game.

His attention was again distracted to the warehouse the signal had led him to, collapsed and possibly quite recently given the sounds of approaching sirens. Moving to the open door, he peered inside. The signal had led him here, there had to be some connection. And then, he saw her, lying on the ground, unconscious or dead.

Rose.

He was over by her side in an instant, eyes wide, the worst of fears rushing through him until he touched her neck and felt the pulse. She was alive. Grunting as he pushed debris off of her, he reached underneath her, picking her up and holding her as a groom would his bride, a grim look on his face as he walked her out of the warehouse, parts of which he could still hear were collapsing.

Once outside and far enough from the building, he set her down on the ground as gently as he could, kneeling next to her and touching the side of her face. "Wake up, Rose," he said softly, taking out the stethoscope to listen to her heartbeat. Putting the earphones in, he pressed the chest piece over her heart, listening, his other hand moving behind her head to elevate it slightly. He was happy with what he heard; she wasn't dying.

"Come on Rose, wake up," he said again, wanting her to be alright and also to be able to get some answers as to exactly what had just gone on here.

Before she lost complete consciousness, she gave a last thought as to the whereabouts of the real Doctor, if he was out having the adventures they used to have together, or not. Then everything had gone dark, the cyclonic howling fading into nothingness as she thought she was going to die. A few short minutes later, the cyclone that the Torchwood Killer had started, ended. The shaking stopped and everything became still, more or less.

There, lying under a bunch of debris, was Rose, face-down with most of her small form covered by fallen concrete and wood. The catacombs were destroyed, the warehouse above nearly in shambles about to finish collapsing in on itself. The Torchwood Killer managed to evade capture once more, having disappeared into the night, leaving her without her team, friends and family now. She was alone.

And then the strangest thing happened to her. Unconsciously, she felt as if a familiar presence had appeared. Even in unconsciousness she sensed that someone was over her, touching her, moving her, yet she couldn't do anything about it; couldn't cry out or speak to the person. Movement-

CRASH!!

Shortly after he took her from the warehouse, it finished collapsing, the walls caving in and collapsing the flooring, everything falling into the catacombs below. They were safe though, he had taken her to a safe distance, away from any prominent danger.

"Wake up, Rose."

A voice and more movement, someone was holding her head up and speaking to her. The voice was soft and so familiar. She pushed through her unconsciousness, wanting to find out what was happening, but at the same time she didn't want to wake up; for she didn't believe that there was anything left.

Revenge. Wake up.

Eyes fluttered beneath closed lids, a soft groan of pain emitting from slightly parted lips as the voice came once more, seemingly less and less farther away, "come on Rose, wake up."

Beginning to feel more, as she was coming to, she groaned again, her head shifting in his hand as her eyes fluttered open for a split second and then closed again. She had caught a glimpse of the man who was holding her head up, and as the brief sight registered in her mind, her hazel eyes flew open, focusing all of their attention on him.

"No…" she said, her voice coming out as a hoarse, harsh whisper. Hazel eyes wide, she stumbled in a vain attempt to get away from this man. This man looked like The Doctor, but he could just be the Torchwood Killer trying to trick her again. During the vain, stumbling attempt, she felt an immense pain in the back of her head, where she had been struck by the falling debris and it caused her to stop. If this man was the Torchwood Killer, she was at his mercy now; she hoped he made her death quick, she didn't want to suffer.

"Why?" she asked hoarsely, "haven't you taken everything from me already? There's nothing more to take, you made sure of that already." Her eyes were cold, but pained as she stared at The Doctor, unaware that she was really face-to-face with him after all of these years. He'd finally found her and the reunion was, probably, not what he had expected.

"Wake up."

He glanced up quickly towards the building as the rest of it collapsed, instinctively hovering over her more to protect her, even though they were a safe enough distance away. Others could've been inside, but life could not be sensed. If they were in there, likely they were dead. Rose was lucky, very lucky. Had he not arrived moments earlier, she'd have been dead, and he'd have truly lost her forever.

His hearts twinged with pain at that thought, which was quickly brushed aside as she began to stir. A wide smile plastered itself across his face, his happiness at being here with her, seeing her and holding her taking over all other current feelings. "Hello," he said softly to her as her eyes opened, whereupon he became quite shocked at her reaction once she saw him.

He moved back and watched her in great surprise as she fought despite her injuries to get away from him. Something was not right. He was the same as he'd been the last time she'd seen him, yet she was terrified of his appearance. Two and two began to be put together in his head, especially at her words. The other Time Lord he sensed could very well have been some kind of imposter.

"Rose, listen to me," he said, very calmly, holding out his hands and taking a step closer to her. "I'm not one hundred percent sure of exactly what's happened here, but I'm guessing someone's been posing as me. I'm not him, it's me, the Doctor. The real Doctor."

An anger filled him at what must've been happening if she was so scared. It would be difficult, convincing her of who he was. He didn't even know if he was correct in assuming there was some sort of imposter about; it was a lucky guess. He'd hurt her though, and whoever it was, he would pay.

He slowly drew closer, hands where she could see them, his eyes locked on hers. Mind link? It might work, but there was no telling if she'd really believe it or not. She was no fool, and she'd certainly suspect he might be tricking her. There had to be a way.

"Rose, believe me. It's really me."

The man spoke to her, trying to convince her that he was the real Doctor, but she wasn't falling for it. She watched the man before her, as he backed off from her; she took this chance to scuttle backwards a bit more, her back finally hitting something solid behind her. She was outside, only beginning to notice it now; the sky was dark and overcast. Rain threatened with its scent in the air.

Putting a hand behind her, she grabbed a hold of what was behind her, feeling that it was a parked car. She was out in the parking lot of the warehouse with this man! Facing the man, who now had his hands out and taking a step towards her, she noted the demolished warehouse behind him. Her eyes didn't stay there long as she focused all of her attention on the man before her, as she slowly attempted to move around the car.

"Drop the act," she said coldly, trying to hide the deep set fear within her. She couldn't allow him to see how bad he scared her, that's what he would want. "I may not understand why you want to destroy us, but I give you my word, I will stop you. I know who, what you are, and I can stop you. You may flit about in your machine, but I will always find you. You will pay for all the lives you've taken, for there are worse things than death."

Now at the edge of the car, she saw that it was blue, out of the corner of her eye. Her head hurt, she wanted so badly to just sit and rest, but not as long as the Torchwood Killer was in front of her. She wouldn't risk it. "I'm not falling for it. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me." Her vision began to fade in and out, from the whack on the head, but she wasn't going to let it get the best of her. "You've pulled this trick before and I'm not going to fall for it again."

Her eyes darkened a bit as the memories of what the Torchwood Killer had done to her family, Mickey, teammates and even her. "You killed them," she said, pain and hatred filling her voice. "You took them all away from me. Everything!"

Tears rimmed her eyes as her voice rose up, "I'm stuck on this parallel world, alone, no family or friends! You made sure of that! And I swear, you won't kill me as easily as you killed them! I will fight back! I will take you down!" Without a second thought she lunged at the man, still unaware he was not the evil maniac.

"You murdered them! Right in front of me! You're a murderer!!" Rose closed a fist as she lunged towards him, bringing it up, fully intent on going down fighting. At least she will die an honorable death; she will fight till her last breath.

She didn't believe him, that was something clear as day by the look in her eyes. He couldn't blame her, in one sense, though the exact whys remained unknown. The sky turned overcast, obvious to the Doctor without the need to look up by the shadows movement, the light dimming, and the scent of rain. It was a sadly poetic match to the events occurring right before him.

He moved closer, not wanting to crowd her, but wanting to be near in case she ran. She was injured likely, and should she run she risked more injury to herself. As scared as she was of him, as much venom and hate as she shot at him, and as much as it hurt to see such emotions coming from her being directed towards him, he wouldn't allow her to be hurt anymore.

"It's not an act. I am who I say I am. I swear I am."

He had to reach her, had to touch her, had to get into her mind to find out the exact truth of it and show her his own mind, that it was him. It was the only way.

She startled him as suddenly she lunged at him, his eyes widening as her fist made sharp contact with his jaw, the pain intense for a moment, quickly ignored as he fought to take hold of her arms and stop her.

"Rose! Rose! Stop it now! I'm not going to hurt you!"

It felt so redundant saying those words over and over again, but she wasn't listening. He struggled with her, forcibly turning her around and pulling her back against his front, holding down her arms against his body with all his strength, which was a lot more than it would appear to be with him. "Just calm down," he said softly into her ear. To do a full mind link, he'd need to have both hands free, but that was a bit tricky right now. An idea struck him, and he rested his head against her own, closing his eyes and entering her mind, the door way full open for her to see inside his own as well.

He saw it all. The imposter, the murders. Everyone she ever loved here, dead. He felt her pain, her rage, her obsession with revenge.

"I'm sorry...I'm so sorry," he whispered to her as he looked through her thoughts. "I don't know who this man is but I'm going to find him, and stop him. I promise you I will."

"Liar!!" She shouted in response to his words, feeling her fist connect with his jaw. Fury and rage were driving her now, fueling her. She wasn't fast enough to dodge his next movements though; giving a shout as he spun her around, her back to him, holding her arms down. She continued to struggle and fight against him, refusing to allow him to get the upper hand.

"No! Let me go!" She shouted loudly, knowing no one else would hear them, but not caring in the least. She heard him whisper in her ear and the tears that had been brimming in her eyes began to fall. It was pointless to struggle now, he has won. The Torchwood Killer had the upper hand now; Rose Tyler, leader of Torchwood 3, was at his mercy, at last.

Then she felt it, him entering her mind. Her eyes squeezed shut as a loud, scream came from the depths of her soul, echoing upon the night air. As he delved into her mind, into her memories, the sound of thunder cracked overhead, the sky lighting up brightly from the lightening. "Please…" her voice pleading as her body shook with fear and pain of her losses.

She saw everything, her recent memories of the past couple of months. She saw her parents, Mickey and her baby brother murdered before her eyes again, herself tied to a chair as she watched The Doctor of this world cut and torture them. She watched what happened recently with Owen, Ianto, Gwen and Tosh. Their deaths were on her hands, all of them were; all because she had fallen for the Torchwood Killer's plot. The fact that he knew so much about The Doctor, how the Torchwood Killer pretended to be him, faking having found a way to this world, only to get inside the Hub.

"…make it stop…" she whispered as she suddenly began to see some of his memories.

Oh God, it was really was him! She had punched the man she had fallen in love with all those years ago! She stopped struggling completely, her body sagging in his arms as the sky opened up and the rain began to pour down over them both. She heard him whisper that he'd stop the Torchwood Killer.

"Doctor…I'm sorry…" were the only words that came from her now, repeating them over and over as the tears streaming down her face mixed with the torrential rainfall; she couldn't have asked for better weather to suit her mood. How was she going to make this up to him? How was she going to make up for punching him, for going insane on him?

He saw she realized he was who he said he was, but he still didn't let go of her. He held her close and tight, soon enough closing the link with her mind, simply holding her and resting against her as the rain began to pour down upon them, soaking and chilling through the clothes right down to the bone.

"You don't need to apologize. I'm the one who's sorry. I should've gotten you out of here, away from...away from all of this. I'm sorry."

He slowly shifted her to try to turn her around to face him, turning his head to glance behind them as the ambulances and police came screeching up to the collapsed building. Turning back to her, he set her against the blue car, reaching down and taking her chin, lifting up her face.

"Whatever's happened here I'm going to do what I can to fix it. I can't bring your family back but I can stop this...this other me."

He wondered if the alternate version of him was the only Time Lord, whatever this world's equivalent of it was. He could sense him, and if there were others they were too far off. A longing for his home world pained him, with the knowledge that in this version of the Universe it could exist. But he reminded himself, it wasn't his home. It wasn't the real Gallifrey.

It would give him an advantage though if everything, well, almost everything, was the same about this alternate Doctor. He'd know how to fight him, know his weaknesses. In the end though, his fate had to be determined.
Rose would want him dead, did want him dead, but the Doctor wouldn't kill him if he could avoid it. If it came to that...he hoped it wouldn't. He'd killed enough of his own kind as it was. He didn't need to add the parallel ones to it. Some kind of suitable prison would have to be found. Somehow.

Turning his attention to her again, he stroked her cheek slowly. "Where's somewhere safe we can go? I don't have the T.A.R.D.I.S. It's back on Earth, the real Earth. Some cyclone caught me and carried me over here. I don't know exactly what happened, and I'm not sure yet how to get back."

She heard his words, his apologies, but he had no reason to apologize. What had happened to trap her here, it had been an accident; she couldn't hold on, lost her grip. If it hadn't been for Pete, her dad, she would have disappeared into the void, right along with the Daleks and Cybermen; that would have been a fate worse than death.

Allowing him to turn her around, she gazed up at him, seeing, as much as hearing the emergency vehicles pulling up behind them. "You have no need to apologize," she said as he moved her to the blue car, letting herself slid down it to rest on the ground.

Her head was really beginning to pound now, her vision fading in and out, but no loss of consciousness, at least not yet. She let her face be lifted up to gaze into his eyes. "I've tried, Doctor. He's ruthless, brutal. He is the exact, polar opposite of you. I mean, when I first saw him…" her voice cracked, trailing off as she let her eyes dart away from his briefly. She had thought he was him, her Doctor, but it had all been a trick and she had fallen for it.

The Torchwood Killer played off of her feelings, her love for The Doctor, all in an attempt to get her out of the picture. But, she was more resourceful that he had planned. She had been able to avoid death, allowing her lust for revenge to drive her to do things she never would have done before, even kill.

The Doctor stroking her cheek snapped her out of her thoughts and she gazed up at him once more, nodding. Then, she understood something. He said a cyclone had brought him here. That means that what she had thought the Torchwood Killer was trying to do was wrong. He was planning something else.

"Yeah, the Hub. It's the only semi-safe place left. My flat was compromised about a month ago, so I've been living there lately. It…It's where I work. I work for Torchwood." Her voice was a bit flat, but she conveyed the truth.

Rubbing the back of her head, she rose to her feet, using the blue car to balance herself. "We better get out of here before the police and medics notice us. The last person I want to see is Doctor Jones." Her voice was bitter when she said the name, Doctor Jones, but she had every right to be. However, she'd explain that to him at a later time. "Besides, I may be able to tell you what brought you here. I know of this cyclone you're talking about."

With those words, she gave one last glance at the emergency vehicles and then motioned for him to follow her towards a nearby tree. They could use the tree to shelter themselves from sight so they could get to her SUV and get back to the Hub. "My SUV should be about a block from here. The keys are in the ignition. I had it ready in case I needed to make a quick getaway."