A/N: Yup, I'm finally back.

Chapter 8

She's here.

Oh, god, she's really here.

Captain Jack Harkness was unusually baffled when he found himself standing face-to-face with Rose Tyler, the girl who was supposed to be in another universe, living out her life with the Doctor duplicate. But no, she was here, and- his eyes flitted over to the Doctor, who was sagging in her arms, seemingly unconscious- then back to 'Rose'.

Maybe she wasn't Rose. A psychic alien, disguising herself as Rose, trying to take away the Doctor. Or maybe she was Rose, either back from another universe or the one who is still dimension-hopping.

"How can you be here?!" he demanded. Rose looked a bit dazed; she had to blink several times before registering Jack's sudden appearance. Then a large, relieved grin made its way onto her lips. She tenderly lowered the Doctor's body onto the wheelchair, making sure he was settled in a comfortable position before spinning around to face her old friend.

"Captain Jack Harkness!" she laughed out loud in tearful relief and delight, throwing her arms around Jack's neck. "Oh, I missed you! Okay, when are we? The Earth-being-stolen incident. You've done that, right?"

Okay, that clearly eliminated Option One. Jack's heart stuttered in hope, but he reigned that foolish feeling back in and whipped out his bioscanner. Better be safe than sorry.

"Yes, yes I did. Now, Rose, just hold still; I need to make sure that you aren't some kind of tricky psychic alien."

"Oh."

Rose calmed down a little, nodding. Of course. Having worked in Torchwood- although it was in a different universe- she perfectly understood that such precautions were necessary when people who weren't supposed to exist suddenly reappeared.

She stood still, waiting patiently as Jack ran the bioscanner over her, once, twice, three times. The wariness in his steely blue eyes seemed to dissipate bit by bit as he read the results.

'Species: Human/ DNA identified./ Name: Rose Tyler.'

"Rosie!" he finally exclaimed in joy, flinging the bioscanner away and leaping towards her. Rose allowed herself to smile as he pulled her into a crushing bear hug. Tears welled up in her eyes. Then Jack loosened the embrace and gave her a quick once-over. He frowned.

"No offense, but... you know, before all this happened-" he nodded to the Doctor's limp form, sighing. "He visited me once, just after the Dalek Invasion. He told me that he had left you in another universe with his counterpart- of course, I gave him a piece of my mind, mind you- and now you're just, boom, standing right here." Did something go wrong there? The unsaid question hung heavy in the air.

The pain of losing her John was too fresh in her heart. She took a deep breath, trying to stop the tears from blurring her vision. But she couldn't help but let her voice break as she confessed, her throat tight with sadness.

"His name was John. John Theta Tyler. We were living together for three weeks, and... and... he died. Long story."

"Oh, Rose... I'm so sorry," Jack said, quickly placing a hand on her shoulders and holding her steady. "I should have known better than to ask you."

"No, anyone would have asked. It was only natural," she sighed. She let her eyes drop, and they were filled with even more sadness upon seeing the Doctor's limp body seated on a wheelchair. His face looked younger- even innocent- when he slept. She placed her hand on his head, softly stroking his brown tuft of hair. His head lolled to a side. Like a broken doll. A shell of her Doctor, broken by the cruelty of the Universe.

"Why?" she murmured. She lifted her head, her eyes full of anguish. She took hold of the Doctor's hand. "Why does the Universe have to be so cruel, Jack? What did he do to deserve this. What-" a sob racked her body. "What happened to him?"

Jack opened his mouth. Then closed it back again. His eyes were shady blue, clouded with time and pain and grief.

"It's a long story," he said. He took hold of Rose's hand holding the Doctor's, and gave a gentle, consoling squeeze. "I'm so sorry, Rose. But I promise, we'll be able to fix it. And I'm sorry for what you had to go through, but I'm glad that you're here. He needs you, Rose. Now let's go back to the Hub. I guess a cuppa is in order."

Rose stared at the Doctor for a long time. Then at last, she gave a tiny nod.

"Let's get going," she said. And they started heading back to the hub, Rose holding the Doctor's hand while Jack pushed the wheelchair.


It was Gwen and Ianto's first time to meet Rose face-to-face, and they were quite polite in their greetings. Mickey and Martha were much more enthusiastic; they shouted in joy and disbelief and pulled her into a tight embrace. Rose gladly returned the hug. Jack watched, a tight smile on his lips, as they laughed and talked a little- "Oh my god, so you two are married?! I'm so happy for you!"- and Ianto brought out coffee for everyone.

She'd have preferred tea in other situations, but memories of her mother making tea was still too fresh in her mind, making it hurt. She clutched the cup hard and sat down. When they had all settled around the table, Rose took a deep breath and struggled for a moment. She didn't want to talk about it, but they were going to ask her why she had returned to this universe sometime anyway. Better to be done with it quick.

Jack didn't lift his eyes but listened intently as Rose started on her story. Ianto absently stirred his coffee as she told how the duplicate Doctor named himself John and proceeded to settle down in that Universe surprisingly well. Mickey's mouth dropped when she mentioned how he started to burn up, how he'd built an enhanced dimension cannon aimed at Cardiff in the prime universe as a farewell present. And when she had finally finished her side of the story, with her leaving her mom and almost immediately running into the broken Doctor, Gwen was covering her mouth in horror.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Martha said sincerely, breaking the frozen silence. Being as compassionate as ever, she couldn't help but move next to her and give the poor girl a much-needed hug. Rose dropped her eyes, struggling to keep back the tears. Jack noted that Rose's hand was trembling slightly.

Looks like the universe had a way of breaking many people at the same time, he thought sadly, leaning over the table and squeezing Rose's hand in comfort. It clearly wasn't okay, so he couldn't say it's okay, it will be all right. So all he did say was,

"Sometimes we just have to move on."

"Yes," Rose agreed, smiling a little. She wiped away the tears from her red-rimmed eyes and sighed. "I was- I was trying to. You know, move on. But the worst thing is, from my point of view, the universe has been worse on the Doctor than it has been on me. What-" she choked. No matter how hard she tried to keep strong, this subject was always hard to talk about. "What happened to him?"

Mickey and Jack quickly exchanged glances. Then Jack spoke up in a heavy voice.

"He was locked up in a box-shaped prison called Pandorica by someone. He was forced to stay there for a long time... two thousand years, almost... unable to move a muscle, strapped onto a chair. And he was alone, Rose. I found him in the end by pure chance, but I was too late. I'm sorry. He's still the Doctor, of course, but..." he let out a long sigh, rubbing his temples. "-I think he lost his mind."

"Oh, god-" Rose's heart sank, and she gripped her cup in horror. She'd heard the term Pandorica from the Doctor himself, she'd heard that the Doctor had been locked up for a long time... but to hear it from her friends like this... she was beyond horrified. Guilt sharply prodded at her heart for a second. Why did she have to arrive so late?

"He's suffering from an intensive kind of trauma," Martha supplied, looking grim. "He's strong. He'll get better, but- all we could do was keep him company and help him recover his physical strength and mobility."

Mickey nodded, patting her shoulder. "The Doctor will come back. He always does. But he needs you, Rose," he paused. "...Stay with him."

"Of course I will," Rose murmured, stroking his silky hair. Then she moved on to hold his hand and lifted it to her heart. "I'll stay with him. Always. Forever."

Looking down at the Doctor's unconscious form, she was reminded of that Christmas when the Doctor had regenerated. And the Sycorax invasion. She had been so scared that the Doctor was a changed man then, but he had proven to her that he was the same and defeated the Sycorax. Then they had dinner together, him and her and Jackie and Mickey. Like a proper happy ending.

But this time, she wasn't even sure if it was possible at all. A 'happy ending'.

-Well, she would have to try her best.

So when they had moved the sleeping Doctor to a more comfortable place, a proper bed, Rose stayed with him. And taking his hand, she murmured into his ear:

"I'm here, Doctor. I'm always here. I'll be here when you wake up. You are not alone."

The Doctor stirred a little, shifted the posture of his head and slept on. Rose sat by his bedside leaned her head against his, and with a sigh, her eyes fluttered shut, too.


He was drowning in fire and darkness. Pain was consuming his heart as he stepped onto the burning ground of Gallifrey, its red grass crackling in flames. He didn't notice as the ground shifted to the red land of Mars. He simply watched, horror and fury building up in his heart, as people screamed in terror and ran. Death was everywhere...

No, I have to save them. I can't just stand back like this! I have to- I have-

He clutched his throat in fear, unable to speak. Then he heard quiet footsteps approaching him from behind. He spun around, expecting to see a Dalek or the Flood- but coming face-to-face with the man he feared the most. Himself, as the man who fought in the Time War. He slowly backed away, a terrified scream caught in his throat. The old, weary man was advancing on him, a gun in his hand.

"What I did was in the name of peace and sanity."

"No, no, no, no, you are wrong, no-"

"And look what you have done in the name of the Doctor."

The man suddenly blurred and shifted his form- into himself. This very incarnation. He was wearing an orange spacesuit, like he had done so on Mars, and was grinning like a madman. Insane. Drenched in blood and pain. The Time Lord Victorious, forged from the fire and death.

"Once upon a time there were people in charge of those laws, but they died. They all died. Do you know who that leaves? Me! It's taken me all these years to realise the Laws of Time are mine, and they will obey me!" he laughed, his eyes flashing with madness. "And look at me. I am you, Time Lord. Destroyer of Worlds."

"NO!" the Doctor screamed, lashing his arm out. The moment he made contact with his counterpart, everything disappeared, including him. He chocked as darkness crashed down around him, erasing everything. Pitch-black dark engulfed him, and he was drowning, it was so cold and dark and alone, he needed someone to stop him- what had he done?

The darkness morphed.

He blinked.

The Stormcage.

He watched, hands in his pockets, watching silently with hardened eyes as the renowned prison fell. Flames were crackling wildly, lapping up the remains of it. Electronic security scanners were no more than chunks of metal rolling on the ground. He glanced at the handcuffs they had forced on him and easily soniced it off. It fell on the floor with a loud clatter. Storm perpetually raged overhead.

A prison in the 52nd century of the highest security, according to the original timelines, it should have housed thousands of highly dangerous criminals. Instead, something had triggered a change on the timelines, altering some things. Stormcage had changed irreversably; now established due to an unknown reason, it had captured perfectly innocent people, imprisoned, tortured, experimented on them endlessly.

He tried to fix the timelines, but he couldn't. He had no choice but to go there and stop their cruelty. Stormcage fell. They tried to capture him, of course, but he was the Doctor; nothing stopped him. He helped every innocent prisoners escape and return to their home planet, and then came back here. He didn't know why he had come back. He just felt like it.

An image of Bowie Base One, burning, flashed before his eyes; he clasped them tight and shook the memory away. No. He was the Doctor, and he wasn't going to look back. It was a mistake. A mistake. He wasn't going to feel guilty about it all. He just had to run, just as he had done before, time and again... after the Time War...

All of a sudden, he heard someone chuckle menacingly. He looked down. A disarmed guard, his hands bound behind his back, was sprawled on the ground right beside his feet. Insanity glinted in his eyes as he lifted his head to stare at the Doctor. The corners of his lips quirked up into a grin, and then he started laughing again. Fire crackled around them. The last remains of the Stormcage burst into fire.

"I should have known," the man rasped. "I should have known. The Oncoming Storm. They've warned about you."

"Ah. So you know me. Hello," the Doctor replied sarcastically. "I'm the Doctor. And that means your fun time is over. But I guess you would have already noticed. Capturing innocent people like that! In case you're asking, I'm not giving your gang a ride home, find your own-"

"Unfortunately, it seems they're a bit late to get you," the man continued, rolling onto his back as if he had heard nothing. He laughed again, his voice sharper and higher than ever. "So the Doctor doesn't know! The Doctor in the TARDIS doesn't know, doesn't know! He doesn't know why we exist! He doesn't know that we were created because of him!"

The Doctor froze, and turned his steely gaze towards the man. "Excuse me?"

"Stormcage. A prison meant to cage the storm. Don't you understand?" the man grinned, a droplet of blood trickling from his forehead to his cheek. "Time Lord Victorious, Meddler of Time, Threat to the Universe. We know. We always know. The Universe echoes and shudders. You have broken the Shadow Proclamation, Storm. The Laws of Time has been disregarded by its creator. And now we are coming."

The Doctor's eyes widened. His hearts skipped a beat. Time Lord Victorious.

They knew.

Almost by instinct, he took a step back. And another. Then he abruptly turned around and ran towards the TARDIS. The terrible man was laughing uncontrollably now.

"RUN!" he yelled. "Run as much as you want, Time Lord. You are dangerous. The Universe is afraid of you. We are scared. We are going to stop you. A prison has been prepared, one more perfect than this one. And you shall be sentenced! The prison will close with four knocks!"

Four knocks.

No, no, no, no, no, that can't be happening, he wasn't ready yet, no one was going to catch him, he was the Doctor, he always ran, always won, nothing's going to stop him! The Doctor pulled a few knobs here and there in a frantic manner, turned a handle there, pushed two buttons, set the coordinates to the Vortex, got the console working, when the Cloister Bell started ringing. He froze. His eyes widened. Did he really just think that nothing could stop him? Hadn't he learned from the Bowie Base One incidnet? What had he been thinking?

What kind of monster was he turning into?

The image of Adelaide Brooke flashed before his eyes. The suicide. He was the cause for that. And Bowie Base One. It fell in flames. The twisted timelines and the Stormcage. He was the reason why the timelines had been altered so horribly. He wasn't being the Doctor... he was just an idiot who traveled in a box and saved people. Now he was trying to control. He couldn't have that.

So he ran.

Trying to remember the man he used to be, he traveled far and wide, away from his mistakes, away, away. He saw the Phosphorous Carousel of the Great Magellan Gestadt, saved a planet from the Red Carnivorous Maw, named a galaxy Alison. He ran and ran and ran. Never stop. Never look back.

Weeks passed. Nothing was happening. He almost felt silly. That guard at Stormcage- he had no reason to believe him, did he?

Feeling better, he decided to go back to being the Doctor. Saving planets and galaxies and the universe with his own wit and intelligence. If he went back to doing that, the Time Lord Victorious could be left in the past, forgotten by everyone in the Universe. Fine!

So when he received a Silurian distress call from the Stonehenge, he, of course, decided to investigate. Helping a lost Silurian return to his- or her- home. A normal day for the Doctor, right? Setting the coordinates, he grinned.

Besides, what could possibly happen there?


A/N: Long time no see, thanks for the long wait! Please review if you want a quick update of the next chapter :)