The Tardis hummed in contentment as her sister pursued the library, soaking up the new knowledge that her improved mind allowed her to absorb faster than a mere human.
"Sister?" Rose said aloud. "Do you have a name?"
The Tardis's humming paused. "No one has asked my name before," she said sorrowfully. "Not even my thief."
"The Doctor?" Rose asked, her heart clenching at his name.
"The Doctor calls me Sexy, but that is not my name. I was never given one. I was always just the Tardis."
"Would you like to have a name?"
If the Tardis had a face, Rose was certain she would be smiling. "I like Juno," the newly christened Tardis announced after a moment.
Rose smiled. The name seemed to suit her sister. "Well, Juno, where do we go from here? Shall we go get the Doctor?"
"He left us," the Tardis grumbled, her sorrow clear.
"He left you," Rose said. "But he has Reinette to replace me."
"He'll send you away!" The Tardis protested. "He'll destroy me for what I did to you!"
"I won't let him. You're my sister, and I'm leaving you. Even if that means putting up with Reinette and the Doctor together." Sensing the Tardis still wasn't sure, Rose continued. "Please, sister. We can't leave him there. He needs you."
The Tardis made a noise of reluctant agreement, and Rose placed her hands on the console, sending golden energy through it, and the Tardis began to fly through time and space, heading for 18th century France.
Rose glanced at the screen. "Juno," she said slowly. "This isn't France."
The Tardis's lights flickered, and Rose knew what the problem was. The Tardis felt betrayed by the Doctor, because, before Reinette, there was never any question that the Doctor would come back. But this time, he had known he would get stuck. He had known he wouldn't be coming back to his ever faithful Tardis. And Juno couldn't accept that.
"I miss him," Rose said, sitting down at the console seat, images of a Doctor with big ears and a liking of the word 'fantastic!' flashing through her mind.
"He wouldn't have left us," Juno agreed. "He would have stayed."
"I wish I could see him, one last time," Rose whispered.
"You could, if you wanted to. You could remove his memories of the encounter, with his permission, you have the knowledge. Even if nothing changes, at least you'll have told him."
"Let's go."
Rose inputted the coordinates Juno had planted in her mind, before sending the Tardis hurtling through the Time Vortex.
Rose paused at the doors. Outside of the Tardis, her first Doctor was somewhere out there. He was already traveling with her, Rose knew, so he wouldn't be too alarmed by the appearance of a blond girl who knew him. He'd probably still be alarmed, but hopefully he would trust Rose. He had to, because Rose didn't know who else to turn to.
Rose stepped out of the Tardis, surprised to find herself around the corner from Powell Estates. Knowing where the Doctor's Tardis would be located, Rose made for the other Tardis, slipping through its doors, correctly guessing that her past self would be with her mum.
"Doctor?" Rose said softly, the sight of him tinkering with the Tardis console bringing tears to her gold eyes.
"Rose! Are you ready to-" the Doctor trailed off upon seeing Rose, this new Rose, with her golden eyes and different clothing, his eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Rose?"
"Hello, Doctor," Rose said hoarsely, and the Doctor seemed to understand as a tear dripped down her face.
"You're from my future," he guessed, Rose nodding. "And I must have done something terrible for you to risk the timelines like this."
Rose sighed. "I'll have to remove your memories of this encounter, you know that, right? You don't remember in the future."
"You can do that?" The Doctor seemed shocked, and rightfully so. Rose was human in his time, and had yet to become the Bad Wolf.
"I've changed, Doctor. Just as you will."
"Do I regenerate?" He asked.
"Yes. He's different, but he's still you. Or I thought he was. But you would never have done this to me."
The Doctor finally set aside his tinkering toys, and approached Rose, wrapping his strong arms around her. "What did he do, Rose?"
"He left us! Me and the Tardis. He left us for someone better! And now we're all alone! He told me I was different after meeting Sarah Jane, but he lied to me!"
"Oh, Rose," the Doctor said, clutching her tighter against him. "I'm so sorry."
Rose sighed. "It's not your fault. You called Reinette the most accomplished woman on earth. What's a shop girl compared to that?"
"Rose Tyler," the Doctor said forcefully. "You are the most fantastic woman in all of time and space. Don't you ever forget that."
Rose managed a watery smile, before backing out of the Doctor's arms. "I have to go soon, the Tardis is waiting for me. But I need to remove your memories of this encounter. Do you trust me?"
"Always," the Doctor said as Rose entered his mind, carefully making it so that once she disappeared from sight, the Doctor would have no memories of this event, unless Rose decided to give them back to him in the future.
"Goodbye, Doctor," Rose said, standing on her tiptoes to brush her lips against his cheek.
And then, much to the surprise of the Doctor, Rose disappeared in a wisp of gold light.
The Doctor shook his head, his mind suddenly seeming rather fuzzy. The Tardis doors opened, and Rose entered the console room, long blond hair rippling down her back. "What?" She asked, noticing the Doctor staring at her oddly, and with a little sorrow.
"Nothing." The Doctor said. "Now, where to next?"
And Rose just smiled, unknowing that the wonderful man before her, showing her all of time and space, would be the same man to break her heart more than once. But that was the future, and all that mattered to her was the now.
I really wanted to have some 9/Rose interaction, and so this chapter was born. But I couldn't have the Doctor remembering, or else everything would change. Or would it? Who knows, I certainly don't.
Like it? Love it? Despise it? I would love to hear your thoughts!
Kshadow