Disclaimer: Yep, I own it all. I wish. Nah, it's not mine :(

--

Rose Tyler was not happy. Really, really not happy. She'd been on a shift last night, got back before ten, and her mother had still found out. Someone had ratted. It had started the moment she walked home the previous night.

"Hi Mum! You alright?" Perfectly normal, nothing suspicious.

"Sit down." Damn. Rose sighed as she slid into one of the kitchen chairs and put her head on the table.

"Look, Mum, I think I know what this is about…"

"Darn right you do! What's this about you doing another shift! You know it's dangerous, and I don't just mean physically. You know it messes with your head! Honestly Rose…"

Rose sighed as she prepared herself for a lecture. Her mother hated her going on shift changes, because she could guess the ulterior motive. Jackie knew what her daughter was searching for. She wanted Rose to stop looking, to settle down, to be happy with her new family. She didn't understand that even while living there, day after day, Rose still couldn't envision a world without the Doctor.

"Sweetheart, it's because I care about you. I've seen you when you're back from these things. It destroys you bit by bit. You're never gonna find him…"

"I AM." Rose didn't even realise she was crying until her mother wiped at her cheek gently. "You don't know anything. He's out there. Somethings going to happen Mum, I can feel it. He's in trouble." Her voice grew desparate and fearful. "He needs me…"

"If he needed you so badly, why did he dump you here and cop off with some other girl?"

A ringing silence filled the kitchen, louder than anything Rose had ever heard. She sank down to the floor, clutching her chest, physically unable to remain standing. Emotion and speech abandoned her, as the words sliced through her body, her heart, her mind, crippling her. She sat in shock, completely motionless, while Jackie clamped her hand over her mouth.

"Rose, listen love, I didn't –"

"Leave it."

Roses tone was emotionless, her face a blank mask. Without saying a word, she stood up and left the room, heading upstairs. It wasn't until she had the bedroom door shut tight behind her that she breathed again. A shuddering gasp tore at her throat, as she sank to the carpet, and began to sob. Her mother had a point. The Doctor had left her. He'd said it was to save the universe, the only way, but what if he'd just been sick of her? What if it was all a carefully formulated excuse? She had trusted that man with her life, but she'd judged people wrongly before. Flipping heck, she'd fancied Jimmy Stone; no-one could trust her judgement. Could it be true? Were all her memories a lie? All the times he'd hugged her, joked with her, comforted her: was it all an act? She remembered when she had teleported back, after he sent her away. He had seemed almost…angry. Was it because she ruined his plan? And those last moments...

"I lo...I love you."

"Quite right too. And I suppose, if it's my last chance to say it."

Desparation, hope that he felt the same way.

"Rose Tyler-"

She'd assumed, stupidly, that he had been going to reciprocate her feelings. Tell her he loved her. But what if it was all a lie? What if he cut off the transmission on purpose, or what if he'd been planning to say something different? Who could be sure of anything? Thoughts whirled round and round her head, as she dragged herself onto her bed.

"This is really seein' the future, you just leave us behind. Is that what you're gonna do to me?"

"No. Not to you."

She hadn't been able to deny the comfort those words gave her at the time. He'd seemed so sure, so confident that he'd never leave her.

But he did. whispered a little voice in her head. He left you here, all by yourself. And for all you know, he's got another young, pretty new assistant, and he's showing her the whole of time and space.

Rose suppressed a sob as she scrunched the duvet in her hands. Turning onto her side, she looked at the bottle of sleeping pills her mother, concerned about Roses' tiredness, had got from a doctor, to help her sleep after a long days work. She hadn't touched any, preferring to try and sleep by herself, but now she found the bottle in her hand. If he really didn't love her, was there a point of getting up every day? She only went to her job because it reminded her of him, and she hoped one day they'd find each other. If he didn't even want her…if he'd moved on...weighing the small bottle in her palm, Rose squinted at the label through her tears.

'Take two every eight hours."

That would help you sleep for about 12 hours. But what if you wanted to sleep longer than that? A lot longer. Her mothers words came back to her.

"If he needed you so badly why did he dump you here?"

No longer hesitating, Rose struggled with the lid of the bottle. She could hear footsteps.

"Go away!" she shouted out. "I'm going to sleep."

Smiling at the irony of her words, Rose poured the pills onto her palm.

It would be so easy, so simple, to just drift quietly away, and forget the pain…

Rose let a face fill her mind.

"I love you, my Doctor."

Time to sleep.

--

"You be careful ok!" Donna yelled to the Doctor in the window of the Jeep. "And you too!" She giggled coyly at Jack, who winked. Grinning, she turned back and continued walking. As she did so, she reflected on Marthas words. Images and memories flashed through her mind. Hanging on a rope out of a window miles above the ground. A face of stone. Children whose fate it was to die. Ood in slavery, their tragic song. Waving at fat. A little boy ran past her, kicking his football. Birds sang. People washed their cars. A different world. She felt detached, as though she no longer belonged in this life of work and taxes and bills. The Doctor had changed her. But was it for the better? He had shown her amazing sights, places, people. But so much pain. So much suffering. Even in himself. He had lost the person he loved the most in the world, and she could see in his eyes how much it hurt. Donna knew her mother cared for her, in her own way. How must she have felt when Donna just upped and left, fallen off the face of the earth? And what about…

Then she saw him. Her Grandad. The one person who loved her more than anything. Her hand came to her mouth as a torrent of love crashed over her. She felt about six years old again as she flew into his arms and breathed in the familiar scent. And then she knew. No matter what happened, she had to be true to herself. She was worth more than bills and Pringles and temping. A million times more.

--

"Torchwoods had their eye on UNIT for a while. And UNITS had their eye on this Rattigan academy." Jack explained as the Doctor continued to stare.

"You see, I've sort of been in another universe. Working with Torchwood, but in another universe. We have this shift thing which means we can come across to this world. Kind of dangerous, but necessary."

"They can't do that, the bridge is sealed. Coming across tears the entire structure, the whole universe will collapse!"

"The whole thing would fracture. Two universes would collapse."

"So?"

A smile, a defeated laugh.

"DON'T." The Doctor ordered himself, squeezing his eyes shut before tuning back to Jack.

"Well that's the point, it hasn't. Someone or something wants people to travel between dimensions. They're literally holding the universes together, but why? You can only come across for a while, but we've been using it to keep an eye on UNIT, see if they can figure out what's keeping these worlds together. For now though, our Torchwood has these 'shift changes', people get through. Only side effect is that thoughts can be transferred too. Let me tell you, with some of the young ones, those thoughts are not something you wanna know about…"

The Doctor had stopped listening. Torchwood could travel between universes? People could cross over? But then surely… Jack had paused in his monologue, and looked at the Doctor. He knew what had happened, everyone did. The Doctor had saved the world at the battle of Canary Wharf, but at a cost.

"I'm sorry. She can't come back."

The Doctor jumped. Jack had read his mind. Trying to keep his voice steady, he let one word escape.

"Why?"

Jack had never felt sorrier for anyone, but he didn't want to get the Doctors hopes up.

"I don't know for sure if she's even in the same world. There are hundreds of parallel universes, you know that. Unless I can find her, I can't bring her over. And even if I did there's a limited time to how long she can stay. They don't usually let newbies work the shifts anyway. Though there is this one girl, quite new, really young. I've heard blonde." He winked at the Doctor, who smiled distractedly. Jack cleared his throat. "She's stuck on filing and Research, but she still gets a lot of responsibility. Crosses over a lot, says she's researching. I haven't actually met her, but word is she's good…"

The Doctors mind was elsewhere. For maybe a second, a whole, life changing, glorious second, he had thought it was possible. He could get his angel back. Shaking his head, he was angry with himself. Why did he do this? Why on earth had he let himself believe he would be able to hold her in his arms and feel her heart beating? That he would see her smile, hear her laughter, hold her hand tight in his? Let himself believe he would get the chance to tell her what he should have told her every minute from the moment he met her? That he lo-

"Here we are." Jacks voice cut in as they pulled up. "Now be careful. Geniuses tend to be a little crazy – no offence." He grinned at the Doctor, trying to lighten the atmosphere. But the other man was a million miles away and Jack kicked himself for mentioning Rose. He had hoped maybe the Doctor had moved on with his life, but it was crystal clear that the one thing most important in his life was still Rose Tyler. Jack sighed. How could one small girl cause so much heartache?

--

Donna wiped the tears away as she walked back into the TARDIS. How could she explain it? She adored the Doctor (in a strictly platonic sense,) and she loved travelling, but she was only human. She missed her family too. Wiping her eyes, she turned to Martha, who was looking around her with a strange longing, and Jack, who was preparing to shift back.

"Only a few hours," he was saying to the Doctor. "But I'll find you again don't you worry!" The pair laughed, and Jack slowly faded from view. The Doctor looked after him, eyes full of sadness. If only…

"What about you?" Donna asked Martha. "Plenty of room!"

Martha looked at her. She was so nice. Martha had been fully prepared to detest any assistants the Doctor had, but you couldn't not love Donna. But the ring on her finger tugged her back to reality and practicality.

"I'm needed here." she told them. "But I really have missed all this, so, so much."

The Doctor looked away, half revielved. He loved Martha as a friend, but didn't know if he could handle her romantic implications. All of a sudden, he doubled over.

"Doctor? You alright?" Donna ran to his side. He couldn't speak. He felt an agonising, crippling pain in his hearts. He hadn't hurt like this since that day on the beach. He felt his hearts were breaking, total despair and betrayal.

"I love you my Doctor." The voice, he knew it. Something was wrong.

"Rose." he said it almost silently, but both girls heard it and looked at each other. He knew something was wrong with Rose. "She needs me."

Almost as suddenly as it started, the pain faded away.

"Doctor!" Martha cried. "Whats going on?"

He straightened up. "I dunno." he lied. Rose had been hurting, he knew that. All he wanted was to have her there so he could hold her to him and promise it would all be okay. But then it had stopped. Surely she was okay, she'd been comforted. Tears sprang to his eyes at the thought of someone else looking after her. Swallowing, he tried to act normal.

"Its fine. Nothing. So, Martha. You off?"

"Yep. Sorry Doctor, but some of us like the routine of the Earth you know!"

Martha laughed as she made for the door. Suddenly, it slammed shut and the TARDIS gave a lurch.

"What?" the Doctor cried as the central column began to move. "We're in flight!"

"Doctor you take me home right now!" Martha demanded, but it was to no avail. The TARDIS was out of control, and they were headed into the unknown.

--

"No no my dears. She shall not leave. She is needed. It is all coming together!" A female voice rasped out, as she looked down at the monitor before her. "Closer and closer they come, the web draws tighter, and soon…" she stood and faced her comrade. "There will be no escape."

--

A/N: Hope you liked it! By the way thank you all so, SO much for all the lovely reviews! It really makes a difference to my attitude towards this story!! More soon, please review! :-)