A prequel to Bridging the Gap. Inspired by a Youtube video about the Human Doctor and Rose set to "Fix You" by Coldplay. Tennant's Coldplay love makes it all the better, I think. I don't own Doctor Who or the songs used.

Note: Sorry it's taken a while. I was taking final exams, and then my apartment building locked the WI-FI, so I had to go get a password. But I'm back!

The Scientist

Nobody said it was easy
It's such a shame for us to part
No one ever said it would be so hard
Oh take me back to the start

"The Scientist" -Coldplay

He was angry. That was all. He was upset and angry and his head hurt. All of this knowledge was cramped in his tiny, insignificant human brain, and he felt as though he would soon explode. Whether from the anger or the pain, he didn't know. Anger at the Doctor for leaving him. Anger at himself for having committed a genocide. Sure, they were damn Daleks, but he was a murderer, simple as that. Anger at her for not being able to look at him in the eye. Pain in his single heart because of her. He wanted the TARDIS, to zip off into space and never hear Earth's name again. Never hear her name again. But despite him wanting it, he loved her too much to leave. Not again.

He sat across from her at the dinner table, staring blankly. She looked down, focused on her meal. She was in a mood, moping about the entire day. She wouldn't respond to his queries. All she did was sift through some files from work. 'Gettting a headstart' as she put it. She avoided him like the plague, as if looking into his eyes burned her. He knew she was looking for a way back. Back to her Earth. Back to him.

Wasn't he enough? She had her memories, she had him. What more could she want? The time he spent away form her nearly killed him. He was a mess without her. Every adventure they had, from the first yelled "Run!" played through his mind. He thought she had finally accepted him, finally loved him. He supposed he was wrong. Maybe it was too much to ask of her, to love a copy. But he was still himself! She even said it. But did she mean it?

"Doctor," she looked up, eyes red and puffy. She had been crying, it was obvious. She waged an internal battle with herself.

"Stop it. I'm John Smith now. I'm not the Doctor," he hissed, closing his eyes. Oh how he wished to go back to that fateful day she let go of the lever, to get her back. Then they'd never be in this mess. But then he'd have to watch her age while he stayed the same.

"Yes, yes you are," Rose slammed her fork on the table, enraged. He is the Doctor. Part human be damned. There was still the old loveable chatterbox in him, and she needed to see it again. Not this quiet, solemn mess.

"If I was, I'd be able to leave this damned planet," he stood from the table, pushing the chair aside. He was frustrated, taking the anger out on her.

Rose watched him with a frightened expression. He would leave her, again. Just up and abandon her.

"You can't just leave me," she said in a small voice.

He shook his head, not wanting another fight. He wouldn't leave her. Couldn't. Another round of tears. Another night spent holding her, the both of them emotionally exhausted. Another day they tried to work through their issues. She could be so selfish sometimes, it sickened him. She didn't realise that it could be much worse. That at least she'd have her memories, if nothing else. She got the better deal. Unlike Donna. Brilliant, lovely Donna was without her memory of him. She'd never remember saving the world. It drove him mad to think that she'd be a shell of her former self, living a simple life in Chiswick. She could've had so much more. Done so much more.

"Oh, always thinking about yourself. Again," he sighed, clutching the top of the chair. His knuckles turned white and the vein in his neck began to pop out. Weeks of silence was bubbling onto the surface.

"Stop it! Just stop it! I'm doing my best to adjust," she frowned.

He ran a hand through his hair, turning around. He whipped back around, facing her.

"You make it sound like you have this terrible life. You have me. Isn't that enough?" the Doctor John asked.

"I could ask you the same thing," she said quietly, looking into his brown eyes, searching for some spark of regret. Regret that he was with her. She didn't see it and she felt a bit relieved, but still wanting to know what was bothering him. He had been avoiding her for days, and when it was her turn to ignore him, he decides to pitch a fit.

"Don't you pin this on me. Don't you play the neglected, or the forgotten. You've never been forgotten."

"You left me!" she shouted, standing up, shaking.

"And I'm sorry, so sorry. If I could go and change it, I would! But I can't. We need to accept the life we have. Together," he sounded almost pleading.

Rose remained silent.

"I'm just so sick of you moping around. We're both angry and nervous. But remember, Rose. Remember everything. The first time we met. All we've been through. At least we have that. Some of us aren't so lucky."

"I don't understand," Rose muttured.

"My headaches. I got the scan back from Torchwood about a week ago. A Time Lord Human is impossible. The knowledge Donna has from the megacrisis will burn her brain, if it already hasn't" he explained shortly, slumping into a seat.

A small gasp escaped Rose.

"She has to forget all about me, the Doctor, us. Or she will die, Rose. My best friend will die if she even remembers me," he looked to Rose, tears pricking his eyes.

She understood now. She knew why he was on edge, so angry. Not at her, just the world. She suddenly felt violently ill. If Donna would die, then he...

"Not you," she stated, but it came out as more of a question.

"I honestly don't know," he responded defeatedly.

Rose hated herself at that very moment. Her awful mood was uncalled for. Her indifferent attitude toward the love of her life was just spite. Spite that he could leave her broken once again. So she attempted to break him back. Breaking each other all day, all week, all month. It needed to end. At least she had her memories of the Doctor, and she had this one. Poor Donna had nothing. So, Rose Tyler moved to John, her Doctor. She hugged him tightly, letting him cry.

"I couldn't save her. If I wasn't alive, she'd be okay," he whispered.

"It's not your fault. You couldn't have known," Rose assured him.

"One day. One day we'll fix this," he promised.

Rose wasn't sure if he was talking about their relationship or Donna or both. Whatever it was, she would do anything to help him across the way. Together.

So, a bit sappy, but I like it well enough. So, who thought the Doctor's Wife was a brilliant episode? I did, especially because Rory's the "Pretty One". And bunkbeds are cool.

I added a bit to this chapter after watching The Rebel Flesh/Almost People. It bugged me that Rose could be so accepting. Seeing Amy question it was better, only to prove that the two Doctors were one in the same. Oh, and the end of the episode was brilliant. The look on poor Rory's face. Gah.

As I said, this isn't necessarily in chronological order. The next chapter will be of Torchwood and a few faces we may recognise will pop up, but Rose and her Doctor won't.

Please review. I greatly appreciate it. The lack of reviews had gotten me a bit down, but I'll keep writing.