The Lord and His Lady
Epilogue
Jackie Tyler had been having dreams for nearly a month. Dreams where her daughter called her name, called for her to come, to see her.
She told Pete, and he finally told her what had happened that day, when her daughter left her. When her daughter was taken from her.
But that only strengthened her resolve. She knew, beyond any shadow of a doubt, that the Doctor wouldn't abandon Rose. That he would go through Hell and high water, figuratively or literally, to make sure Rose was safe.
And now she was having dreams where her daughter called out to her. Why now, after she'd been here more than two months already? There was no way to blame it on denial - she'd honestly thought Rose was alive and safe until a few days ago.
So they'd packed up, and started driving. Over the Channel and across hundreds of miles, 'til they ended up in a little bay in Norway. And it was here that her daughter seemed to shimmer into being, transparent as a ghost, but still there all the same. Standing next to her was the Doctor, just the same as always.
"Rose!" Jackie cried out, "I knew you were alive! Pete didn't tell me what happened 'til I started having dreams, but even then," she looked at the Doctor, "I KNEW you were still alive! But how are you here? And why do you look like ghosts?"
"Oh! Hold on a minute!"
The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver, and then his arm disappeared, as though behind an invisible wall. She heard a sound and they seemed to solidify.
"There we go! We're," the Doctor pointed between himself and Rose, "just an image, projected into your world. I found one last little crack between our worlds, and we thought we should at least say goodbye." he trailed off, embarrassed, and stuck his hands in his pockets.
"Why'd you wait so long?" Jackie asked them, "We've already been here three and a half months!"
"Well -, the Doctor found the crack," Rose explained, "but we needed a power source too. And besides, I wanted to call you myself, and it took a while for the Doctor to teach me how to do that."
Jackie didn't miss that odd little pause. So, he's finally told her his name, she thought. About time! And Rose wasn't saying it. Well, it seemed to be a pretty important gesture to him. Must be some alien thing.
Pete stepped forward, unbelievably happy to see her alive. She may not have really been his daughter, but even if some part of him, deep in his gut, hadn't still recognized her as his flesh and blood, he'd have been happy for Jackie. For the woman he loved. But now, he had to know something. He looked at the Doctor and asked him, "How? How is she alive? Does this mean the Cybermen, and those Dalek things can get out too?"
"No. You don't have to worry about them. They're gone for good," the Doctor replied, "And by the way, where are we? Where'd the crack come out?"
"Norway," said Jackie, "some little cove. I can't remember what it's called, but it translates to 'Bad Wolf Bay'," she told him with a raised brow.
"Huh! Well, fancy that!"
"And as for how I'm alive," Rose interjected, "that's a long story. One we don't have time to tell. The power source I mentioned is a super nova. We're burning up a sun to send you a message, and it won't last much longer." She smiled at her mother. "Just know that I'll live the rest of my life with the Doctor, and it'll be a long, long, very happy life!"
"Alright, darling," Jackie replied, tears streaming down her cheeks, "But if there's not much time, I need to tell you two a couple things!"
She gathered herself together, and smiled at Rose.
"I'm pregnant. Nearly three months along, so we don't know what it'll be yet. I guess you won't ever get to meet the little tyke, but you're going to have a little sibling in another world! And I'll be sure to tell him or her, whichever it is, all about Big Sister Rose!
"And YOU!" she turned to the Doctor before Rose could reply, "before you go on even one more adventure, you marry my daughter!"
Rose seemed to choke for a moment.
"What?" the Doctor yelled, backpedaling, clearly shocked.
"MUM!" Rose said, blushing at her mother's demand.
"Well don't you love her?" Jackie asked the Doctor, "Don't you?" she asked again, more forcefully, when he didn't answer fast enough.
"Well, um, that is," the Doctor stuttered until he looked at Rose. He seemed to transform as he turned back to Jackie, from flustered to determined in a flash.
"Yes," he said, very clearly, "Yes I do, very much."
"Then marry her. No more running half way across the universe, practically strangers! You're going to spend the rest of your lives together, and you're going to do it proper! Do you understand?"
Neither replied immediately.
"Well, do you?"
They opened their mouths to say something, and vanished. The super nova was over.
Realizing that they'd been saved by the bell, so to speak, the Doctor and Rose shared a moment to laugh.
Wiping her eyes, Rose turned to the Doctor and told him, "You know, you don't have to marry me just yet."
The Doctor turned to face her, his expression quickly returning to seriousness. "Actually, I think it's a great idea!"
He quickly kneeled and continued, "I don't have a ring, but Rose Tyler, will you ma-"
"Um, Doctor?" Rose interrupted.
"What? I was right in the middle of-"
"Doctor, behind you!"
The Doctor turned to look over his shoulder, still kneeling, and saw what Rose had seen over his head. There, in the T.A.R.D.I.S., stood a red haired woman, wearing a wedding dress of all things! Very odd, especially considering the topic of their interrupted conversation!
"Wha?" asked the bride, her voice quivering.
"What?" asked the Doctor, immensely confused.
"Who are you?" yelled the bride, "Where am I?"
A/N: Aaaaand cue the ending theme! That's all folks! If you want to imagine where it goes from there, that's up to you. And if anyone wants to write more of this all I ask is that you tell me when it's finished and where to look for it, 'cause I'd certainly like to read it!