A/N: I couldn't decide if I wanted to do another chapter in this, so I did. I hope it isn't too off course, I'm going to start Season 3 in a little bit, so for now, thins are going to be AU. I hope that doesn't offend anyone. Thanks for reading!

X

Slap Jack

"Rose, why do you like this game? It's so bloody boring. All you do is slap the jack over and over until somebody wins. What's the point?" The Doctor asked, obviously frustrated with this game, mainly because he had yet to win a round.

"Because it's the only game I'm good at! Can't play poker, am no good at Go Fish. Can't do Black Jack. Slap Jack is the only one I am good at!"

"How are you no good at Go Fish? That's the easiest game in probably the entire universe!"

"I dunno, never was." Watching the cards, she flipped her card over carefully, the Doctor flipped over his card, seeing it was a Jack, Rose hit the card square on the pile. "Slap Jack!" she called out. A grin spreading across her lips as she saw how frustrated the Doctor was getting. He was a brilliant man, but not so good at Slap Jack.

"You're cheating! What are you doing?! Is the TARDIS helping you? Oh, I bet she is!" he said, smiling as well. Flopping the cards down, he closed the gap between them, hands reaching out to her sides and he began tickling her.

"NO! NO! NO! Don't' tickle me-!" The laughter interrupted anything she was going to say. Laughter was the sound echoing through the TARDIS.

"Rose! Say I win! Say it, Rose!"

"Rose! Hey! Rose! Snap out of it!"

The sound of the snapping in front of her face snapped her back to reality. "Huh?" she asked, looking around her. It wasn't the TARDIS, it was a café. The café she was a regular at. Mickey was sitting across from her, cards in hand. "Your turn. You a'ight?" he asked, concern crossing his face.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." She said, flipping the card over.

"You were thinking about him again, weren't you?"

"No, I'm fine. Will you just go?" she snapped.

"Will you stop?! We've done everything we can to console you. We know, you miss the Doctor. We get it. He's gone, Rose! He's not coming back! He left you just like he's left all his other companions. Don't you see? He's not coming back. Now stop mourning over him and move on with your life."

"Don't you dare say that! He wouldn't leave me behind!"

"Why isn't he coming to get you then? Huh? Enough is enough, Rose."

"You can't travel between parallel dimensions, Mickey! You know that. That's what he said! That's—Oh forget it! I wouldn't expect you to understand." She said, pushing her chair back and throwing the cards down on the table. "Just stop." It was taking all her willpower not to cry, scream or hit Mickey in the face. Maybe she'd do all 3 at the same time. Grabbing her coat, she hastily put it on and walked out the door, not caring if it slammed behind her. Maybe she'd go to Torchwood. It was Saturday, but surely there was something she could work on. Some spaceship to be torn apart, some specimen to be examined, something. Anything to take her mind off The Doctor.

Torchwood wasn't exactly busy. There were a few people examining a spaceship found a few miles off the coast, there wasn't much in it, it was merely a shell. It had burned when it entered the atmosphere. It was a quiet day, most people took Saturday off to spend time with their families or just to relax. Rose should do the same, but she needed to do something. "Ida! Ida! I'm here!" Rose called out. Where was the director when you needed her?

"In here, Rose!" came a voice from a room across the hall.

Rose pulled on her lab coat as she walked across the hall, flashing her badge at the door to open it. Ida, who was an older woman, grey hair tied up in a tight bun on the top of her head, glasses that were always hung on a chain or perched on her head, and the only jewelry she ever wore was a simple silver band on her right middle finger. She had taken Rose under her wing when she arrived. Rose was bright, she just needed to be put in the right situation, applied too much pressure, Rose got nervous and overthought everything. Didn't apply enough pressure, Rose got too cocky with her knowledge. "Rose, I have a question for you." Ida said, as she looked through the large magnifying glass at the dimension jumper that Pete had used to bring Rose here. It was not broken, the button cracked down the middle. It had been removed and she was going through what was left of it with a small screwdriver.

"Yeah?"

"Do you recognize this?"

Rose scooted over to the magnifying glass, peering in, she gasped for a moment. "That's-That's what brought me here. The dimension jumper?" she questioned. "I thought those had been destroyed?"

"They had. The Preachers made sure that all of them were destroyed .To assure that nobody could travel between dimensions again. Pete managed to save this one though. Gave it to me."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying, what would you do if you could have one last day with your Doctor?"

Rose was speechless. "You're not supposed to be able to travel between dimensions though. The Doctor sealed the bridge." She explained hurriedly. It was impossible. It couldn't be done. These thoughts needed to be thought so she didn't get her hopes up.

"We examined the bridge. There's one tiny hole left. Not enough to cause anything catastrophic, but we might just be able to transport through it, without much damage." Ida said, looking up at Rose from the magnifying glass. "I want you to try it. It's dangerous, you might not be able to get through but there if there is a chance you can, then this could change things forever. We could actually make this work."

"The Doctor said-"

"Will you forget what the Doctor said?! For just a moment, Rose. Listen to me, child! I know what it's like to lose the one you love. I lost my husband years ago in an accident. While I can't ever get him back, I know what it's like to not have them. You're angry, upset, you want nothing more than to cling onto what memories you have. Travel back in time. Bring them back. You lay in bed and surround yourselves with pillows and blankets and pretend it's them you're laying with. Right?"

"Yeah."

"You're miserable here, Rose. I can see it. You aren't meant to be in this world. I'm offering you a chance to go find your Doctor. I've tried my best to help you in this world, but you just aren't happy. Are you?"

Rose was speechless. Ida had hit the nail right on the head. While she could pretend she was happy, she was never quite truly happy here. She had just been trudging along. Hoping for something to happen.

"What do you say then?"

If she agreed to this, it might mean she could go back to The Doctor, even if it was just for a day. She could be back with him again. She could feel his embrace again, see that goofy grin of his, feel his rough hands. Just for a day. It was all she had wanted.

"I'll do it."