"Okay," David said as he pulled himself out from under the teleport. "I think that is it."
Rose was in the house saying her goodbyes to her family, she had invited them over. Elizabeth was looking at him, and he wondered what it was that she was thinking.
He moved closer to her, pulling her into his arms. There was nothing he had wanted to do more in these last moments, but they had both been much too busy. He held her close, her head against his chest and while he couldn't read her mind without trying the bond allowed him a glimpse at her emotions.
"What's wrong, my love?" David asked her.
"I don't know," Elizabeth said, and sighed. "Suppose I'm just going to miss Rose, and I'm worried about the Doctor."
He tried not to flinch at the level of concern in her voice. It wasn't as if he wasn't worried about the Time Lord. He just lived in fear that he was going to lose someone else because he would never be more than an echo.
"Don't be like that, sweetheart," Elizabeth murmured gently.
"I'm sorry," he said, pulling her even closer. "It's just hard."
"I know," she agreed. "But I love you, not him. Always, and only you."
It did his heart good to hear her say that, and he fought back tears. She was his whole world.
Rose entered the room, followed by Pete and Jackie. Jackie gave him a kind smile; she had always been so kind to him and Elizabeth, still treating them like family. Pete too had taken him under his wing, giving him a job, and helping him find his own place.
When Rose had wanted to wait he thought he was going to be all alone in this world, but he had found a family.
"Is it safe?" Jackie asked, but he could tell she wasn't asking for a promise.
She had done this sort of things too many times, and she knew by now that Rose was going either way. It had been this way since that first day, anything for the Doctor, everything for the knew as well, but he tried to give Jackie some peace.
"Yes," he agreed.
Rose was looking at him and Elizabeth, still holding each other, though he was going to have to move soon to activate it.
"Come with me," Rose said. "You should have the chance to go back too."
David looked down at Elizabeth. He missed the stars terribly, missed the thrill of seeing new places and meeting new species, but this was the only home Elizabeth had. He didn't mind too much either, all that he missed could never compare to what he had found in her. Wherever she was, that was home.
"Elizabeth?" he asked.
They had a TARDIS growing, but it was a slow process, and it would still be years before he got the chance to even stand inside.
Elizabeth did a quick spin around the garage, and he felt like maybe he was holding his breath. He didn't know if he really wanted to travel with the Doctor, but if he decided that he didn't he could use the TARDIS to speed up the growth of their own.
If she said yes.
"What about the house, and our jobs?"
That wasn't no, at least not yet. He looked over to Jackie and Pete.
"Dad, Mum?"
That was what those two had become to him, parents, the only parents this him had ever come close to having.
Jackie came close and wrapped him and Elizabeth in a hug. She said, "Of course we will take care of it, you look after the Doctor and Rose, okay?"
David nodded, and Pete came up.
"Losing three of my best people in one day," he murmured. His voice was gruff but David could hear the hurt. He thought maybe Pete had adopted him and Elizabeth into his heart as much as Jackie had. He sighed and added, "Take care of yourself, son. And your pretty girl."
He smiled, and David asked Elizabeth to set the coordinates while he ran to grab the things that they considered essential. With Torchwood you learned to be prepared, and they could leave a place in minutes, and all they had to show for their life was a duffle bag, and a piece of coral.
They all stood in the beam, hands holding each other, smiling at the family who was waving. This was it, David thought. He had no idea what shape they would find the Time Lord in, or if he would be unhappy to have David and Elizabeth tagging along, but there would be no going back.
He felt that strange feeling he had gotten in the test runs of this, but this was going to be the biggest jump yet. He looked at Elizabeth, prayed this wouldn't be a mistake, and felt himself dissolve.
DW
Rose hit the ground with a thud, and let out a groan. She felt dizzy, and it took her a long moment before she could even open her eyes. Above her head was a sight she never thought she would see again. She could hear a familiar welcoming hum, and she tried to sit up.
They had made it, they were there. She stood as quickly as she could pull herself up. She spun around, she was in the console room, but she was alone.
Where was the Doctor? Where were Elizabeth and David? They had been right there with her.
She heard the TARDIS humming loudly, and decided to first search out the Doctor. If he was in trouble she needed to sort that first, and then if David and Elizabeth still hadn't shown up he could figure it out. It wasn't ideal, but she was only one person and she had no idea how that teleport had worked.
She searched all over, not finding either of the people she was seeking. Finally she came to her own bedroom, and she held her breath as she opened the door. She didn't know what she expected, perhaps for it to be empty now, but it wasn't. It was exactly as it was the day she was forced to leave him and the TARDIS.
There were still clothes lying around, thrown in her haste and disorientation of her younger days. She didn't think there was a thing that wasn't in the exact place it was that final day. Except for the fact that the Doctor was lying in the middle of her bed, tucked in on himself, and very still.
Rose rushed over, thinking that maybe they were too late. She reached out to him with trembling hands, checking first for a pulse. The Doctor groaned as she touched him, his skin was burning up, but he was alive.
He opened his eyes, blinking rapidly at her. His eyes were the same familiar brown, but they looked empty and glossy. What had he done to himself?
"Damn," the Doctor whispered.
That was a rare word for the Doctor. He rarely used curse words in English. She wondered if it was her that drew it from his lips, or the situation he was in.
"Doctor?" she asked, trying to get him to stretch out so she could find out what was wrong with him.
He wasn't fighting her, but he was far from cooperating either. He lay there, in a tight of a ball as he had the strength to pull himself into. His head was on her pillow, and she could see that it was wet, and she didn't know if it was from sweat of the tears that seemed to be flowing from his eyes.
"Don't do that," he instructed and she halted her hands. "Don't talk. It makes it harder when I wake up."
Rose felt tears brim in her eyes, but she fought them back. She had to be strong for him, which was what she always tried to be. Even when he was wearing leather she had tried to be his strong little ape.
"You're awake, Doctor," she told him, brushing sweaty hair away from his face. His eyes closed, but she thought he was just trying to linger in a feeling he thought was about to be stolen. "I'm really here."
He opened his eyes again, he was trembling, and she couldn't see any physical indication of what was ailing him.
"Rose," he whispered sadly. "I'm sorry, but I think this is the last time I am going to be able to see you. Even if it's not real."
It was clear his mind wasn't functioning properly.
"Doctor, what did you do? What's wrong?"
He shook his head, his breathing becoming labored. Rose was trying to figure out how she was going to get him to the med- bay all on her own. She longed for Elizabeth and David to show up, they were both geniuses they would know how to fix this.
She had come so far, but she was right now she was that shop girl who needed a hand to hold.
But she seemed to be all alone, and she feared she was about to lose everything. What if she couldn't save the Doctor? What if something had happened and she lost Elizabeth and David?
"Doctor, stay with me, come on," she demanded of him. "Let's go, we are going to the med-bay."
She struggled to get him into a sitting position, noting how light he really was. He couldn't have been eating, and where was Donna? What had happened since the last time she had seen this man, to make him this broken? Surely it couldn't have just been her.
He was pouring out sweat, shaking and she could feel his hearts bouncing erratically inside his chest. Whatever he had done, he was losing the fight. She wouldn't let this happen. She didn't care about the body; if he regenerated she would mourn the loss but move on. She cared about the man that made up the bodies, and that was who she had to save.
He reached up to her, placing a burning hand against her cheek. "My Rose," he said softly, his eye lashes fluttering in an attempt to stay conscious. "If there is anything on the other side, if I've been so wrong my whole life, then you will be there. "
He sounded so sure, but so uncertain.
"I'm here now," she reminded, pulling him into her arms. The best she could do was a half drag, but he didn't complain.
She kept talking to him, mindless chatter, and insistent demands. The med-bay was close, a mercy, and she heaved him up onto a table. It took a couple of tries, and it wasn't gentle, but he was there.
He was still again, and she turned around to grab a scanner when she heard him whisper her name. She spun around, and all around him a glow was beginning.
She bit her lip. She was too late. Too late.