Disclaimers: IdonotownDWIdonotownDWIdonotownDW.

AN: 3 chapters in rapid succession! Only other time I've done this was my AU FF7 short story that was 5 chaps long, too.

Phantom

Chapter 3: Vision

Her breath was choking up more with every pointless exchange of words, every vain attempt to fill the endless space between them, to touch the other with anything at all.

"What're ya gonna do?" Her voice was little more than a whisper, and her eyes burned with so many tears that demanded release. He frowned a moment as if considering, before shrugging and smiling with a forced cheerfulness anyone could have seen through.

"I've got the TARDIS...same old life, I suppose, last of the Time Lords."

She frowned softly, uncaring of the wind that blew her hair wildly into her face. It hurt...it hurt so much to stand there, inches away from him, a universe apart. Where was forever? Where were the fairytales of happiness, and of true love always working out, that her mother always used to tell her?

His smile had vanished almost as quickly as it had come, replaced with that same sadness, that pensiveness she couldn't place. She knew now all too well what it felt like to be standing on either side of a glass wall...except this one was so impossibly thin, and so completely permanent.

"All on your own?" She managed through the choking tears, failing miserably at her attempt at curiousity.

He was so sad...so alone...she would have given anything at all if it meant she could be able to hold him one more time.

"Mickey, you'll wake the dead with that!" Jackie sighed from the base of the stares, frowning at the family friend, who was wrestling with a rather ugly statuette--which she'd been meaning to throw out forever. "Just let the servants get it!"

"No way! I gotta pay my way for stayin' the night!" Mickey countered, maneuvering it down another step with a resounding thump.

"Ooohh, you're going to ruin the marble!" She insisted. "You don't need to pay for spending the night, Mickey! Why the amount of things you've done for me--"

"I'm not a freeloader!" Mickey snapped, glaring up at her. "Now, you said you wanted this outta here, so I'm gonna do it!"

Jackie might have continued arguing, but their scene was interrupted by a sudden yell from Rose's bedroom.

--

Her head moved so quickly upward, the room spun cartwheels in front of her a moment, and she wondered if she might have given herself whiplash. Even before the room quite returned to focus, however, she saw him. And it absolutely was not her fault she gave an undignified yelp at seeing him.

He had that strange, half-sad smile on his face that she remembered from the year before...and he stood not unlike how he had appeared before, as well. His brows knitted in understanding and sympathy, and he reached a hand out toward her.

"Rose..." His voice was distant, faint, and yet it seemed to come from everywhere at once.

It was enough to drive a woman to incoherent sobs, if she wasn't careful.

"Is it...?" She swallowed softly, voice barely audible even in the silence of the room.

His smile softened, and he nodded, stepping closer to the bed, and running the back of his knuckles along her cheek. His hand left a trail of tingly warmth that seemed to spread throughout her body in goosebumps...so familiar, so real.

"I missed you, Rose."

She sniffled back tears. "I missed you, too."

There was that same sadness in his eyes again, speaking of unshed tears, and of tears long ago lost. "I'm sorry I'm late."

She forced a smile, fighting down the urge to lunge forward and pull him close for a long-overdue hug. "You're a Time Lord. You're never late."

He chuckled softly. "I know a few people who'd disagree."

"Are you really here this time? Can I touch you now?"

His mouth opened to speak the moment the door did, causing her to jump and turn toward the two forms that now blocked the doorway.

"Rose?!" Mickey gasped. "Are you okay?!"

She laughed. Mickey was so one-track minded sometimes. Here the Doctor stood, quite obviously the reason for her yelp of surprise (she had gotten out of practice with his sudden appearances), and he had to ask what was wrong with her!

Jackie pushed by him to look through, and Mickey gave Rose a funny look, replying indignantly. "What's so funny? You just scream an scare us all, and you think that's funny?"

She blinked. "Mickey...the Doctor..."

She turned to point at him, in case Mickey had still missed him, but he was no where to be seen.

--

Mickey frowned as Rose looked around the room slowly, with wide and confused eyes. "What about the Doctor?"

"Did you dream about him, Love?" Jackie piped in, looking sympathetic.

Rose looked lost. "But...he...he was here."

"What, the Doctor?" Mickey asked, taken aback, and couldn't resist a quick once over the small room with his eyes, as well.

"He was here..." She said softly. "I saw him...I heard him...I felt him!"

Jackie glanced over at him worriedly, as if to ask 'is it possible?'

"Where'd he go, then, Rose?" Mickey sighed softly. He knew from personal experience the man could be damn elusive when he wanted to be, but this had to be a stretch even for him. Besides, why would he want to hide from them?

Rose opened her mouth a moment, then frowned.

"Sweetheart, it was a dream." Jackie said softly, stepping toward her.

"N-No!" She snapped. "I was awake...I..."

She trailed off, and hugged her knees, eyes glistening with unshed tears.

--

She sighed softly as the door closed behind her friend and mother. It had been a little while until they decided she wasn't listening to them, and then a bit longer before they decided it was okay to leave her in the room.

But what a lovely, real, heartbreaking dream it had been.

"Oh...how long was I gone?"

She had half a mind to give another yelp, but as the last time she had, he vanished, she settled for a small jump and a wide-eyed stare. He looked genuinely apologetic.

"Where did you go, you...you.."

"Rose, this is important, so listen to me." Hands encircled her shoulders, and his dark eyes pinned her in place with an intense stare. "Rose...I'm not here. Not in the conventional sense."

"But...you can't be just a projection...you can touch me!"

He frowned. "Something went wrong, I don't know what. There was a gap for an infintismal nanosecond, one I could slip through without rippling, and in so doing, close it."

"What happened? Where are you?"

"Between Universes."

She swallowed a dry lump in her throat. "But...between universes..."

"Is the Void, yes." He nodded, looking a bit impatient. "I thought that's where I would end up, too. In fact, its possible I am...the TARDIS isn't responding to anything I tell it to do."

"I don't understand..." She frowned.

"Rose...to put it in simple words...as far as either universe is concerned, I only exist in your mind."

AN: Might turn out more like 8 chapters, as its a bit slower pace than I expected, but not sure yet.