Title: Brèves de TARDIS - "Better with two".

Number of parts: 1/2.

Pairing: Twelfth Doctor/Rose Tyler/Clara Oswald.

Synopsis: She had made sure to be everywhere he was but he never seemed to see her.

A/N: The characters and the universe don't belong to me. All rights goes to Russell T. Davies, Phil Collinson, Susie Liggat, Steven Moffat and to the BBC. Everything else belongs to my imagination. The original idea is from (dxctors).(queen) on Instagram.


It was strange watching him have no clue of who she was. Her beloved Doctor whom she had worked desperately to find again had absolutely no idea of who she was. It had been far too long in his timeline. Who knew what had happened to him during all those years she was away? She didn't. Time was faster in her universe and yet it seemed to go very slowly. Time in the right order wasn't fun actually. It was better to just pop up here and there, to go everywhere, no matter the time or the planet. All of that ended when he had left her on Bad Wolf Bay but she never stopped trying to come back though she had slowly been losing hope because of the many failures. Years had passed by and she had lost everything in her quest for the Doctor. Until she found the portal to her birth universe. Until she found him again.

She started to make sure she was everywhere he was. Cafes, hotels, even the little corner shops where he'd stop by to buy a small snack. She was nervous every time he was getting close to her but he never noticed her, as if she was invisible. She could have abandoned and let him go but she was too close to give in. She couldn't just let him go now that she had found him. She was sure that if he just took a look at her, he would realize that she's been following him. Maybe he would tell her that she was reminding him of somehow. But he never said anything. She had to move up a gear. One evening, she saw he was going into a little coffee shop. She disguised herself as a waitress and put his favourite cup of coffee on his table before he even ordered. She'd hidden the ring he'd given her a long time ago inside, hoping he'd remember her.

"Waitress' intuition" she said softly, nodding to the cup. "You look like a no sugar kind of guy."

The Doctor raised his head and looked at the waitress. He gave her a small smile and thanked her. Then, he looked down at his coffee. He was too lost in his thoughts to wonder how she got to know that he liked it with no sugar. She felt familiar though, as if they've already met. That was possible. He had been living for so long now and couldn't remember all the persons he met but could clearly name the persons that died because of him. He sighed and took a mouthful.

"Reminds me of how bitter life can be."

He had said that more for him than for her but she understood the feeling. She was thinking the same. She smiled weakly.

"I feel the same way." She agreed, rubbing her arm at bit. "Never can quite get the attention of someone I've been looking for a long time."

She sighed heavily. He looked at her again, surprised by the tone of her voice. He could see that she was nervous and pretty sad. He thought that she looked as broken as he was and that made him sad.

"I wish I would help you. But I'm not even able to help myself lately. Sorry."

He gave her a smile with no joy, his eyes full of sadness. He'd been helping people for a very long time and now he just needed some time for him to heal his own wounds.

"No, I would really like to help you actually." She said softly, carefully sitting down across from him. "See, I know the look of a lost love. I don't know how many you've loved and lost but that sadness is there. I can fix it."

"I don't think you can. Thanks though. It's nice to see that some people still care about others."

He took another mouthful and avoided her look. He didn't need anyone's pity. He didn't need anyone around him. No one survived around him. They all died, disappeared, got hurt or worse. He didn't want to see that anymore. He couldn't bear that anymore.

"I have to go." He said as he got up, leaving his cup half-full.

"Rose Tyler" she said, starting to get up. "Do you remember Rose Tyler?"

She was terrified he wouldn't remember, that he would think she was crazy. He stopped. How did she even know that name? Rose Tyler died in a battle he hadn't wanted her to take a part in. In that universe, she was nothing else but a dead name on an empty grave he had dug. She had been stuck in a parallel world because he had said that it was the best for her. It had been the worst decision he had ever taken and he regretted it every day. His life went on and he hadn't wanted to think about the great life she might have had with the metacrisis Doctor. He still didn't want to know. She probably died a long time ago after living a long and happy life like he had wanted her to. He would never see her again and she never saw him again before her death. He clenched his jaw. He had tried so hard not to think about that. How come a little waitress could know about his Rose?

"She's a friend I've lost a long time ago."

Saying it out loud was harder than keeping the thought for him The name brought back a lot of memories. The fear suddenly overwhelmed him as he realized that time passing by, those memories weren't as clear as they used to be. He was slowly losing her. Again. He didn't like that. He didn't want to lose her again.

"The best friend I could ever have."

"She loved you." She said softly, a single tear sliding down her cheek.

She was heartbroken to say the least. A friend. Just a friend. At least, he knew who she was. He still remembered that she had existed in one of his past lives. She had to end the game now. She couldn't bear it anymore.

"I loved you."

The Doctor turned around, surprised by the words of the waitress. How could she know? That was impossible. Rose Tyler was dead a long time ago and he would never see her again. He clenched his fists. His hearts were now full of anger and sadness. No one should ever talk to him about Rose unless they knew who she really was. It was too painful remembering the girl he loved, remembering he never was able to tell her. It was painful to realize that his memories of her were slowly fading away.

"You can't know all those things. You can't know what Rose Tyler really felt about me. No one knew. Not even you. Not even me. I didn't want to see it. Who are you to pretend to know what she and I felt for each other?"

His anger went on and he clenched his fists harder. His body was shaking and didn't like being in such a weak position. He hated that waitress. He hated what she had just done to him. If he wasn't who he was, if he didn't control himself, he would have slapped her. But he couldn't ignore what she said. He could just stand still there, trying to hold back his anger. Who was that girl pretending to know everything about the bound Rose and him had shared?

"You don't know what you're talking about."

He kept his voice very calm but he knew she could feel the anger he was holding back. He hoped she would be afraid. He left, hoping she wouldn't follow him. She emptied the cup of coffee and got the ring back. Then, she stormed after him, frowning deeply and threw it to him. The ring hit his back. The Doctor stopped. He turned around, shot her a dirty look and picked up the ring. He froze when he realized he knew that ring. A simple ring with Gallifreyan symbols. A ring his mom had given him before he married his first wife. A ring he had retrieved on the dead body of his wife before leaving Gallifrey. A ring he had kept with him for years before giving it to the woman he loved more than his own life. He pressed the ring in his hand, holding back the tears that were filling his eyes. The pain was overwhelming him and he was too broken, too weak to reject it.

"I know what I'm talking about because that's who I am! I am the one who loved you more than anything in the world! I am the one who would have given my life to save yours! I am the first one to have ever seen how broken, desperate, mad and lost you were after losing your planet and your people! I have searched for you for many years, I have followed you, I have desperately tried to get your attention but you never saw me!"

She was truly angry but most of all she was hurt. How could he not see that she was right in front of him? How could he not see all she'd done to get back to him?

"It's not… You can't be…"

And yet, while looking at her, memories went through his mind. It was all blurred at first but it became clearer and clearer. Rose's face came back to his mind as clearly as if it was yesterday. And the blonde girl, the waitress that was following him looked exactly like the girl he had loved with the bottom of his hearts. He took a step back, astounded, and almost fell on the TARDIS.

"I can't believe it." He whispered.

He thought he had gone mad, that something was wrong with his mind. She hadn't aged a bit. That was impossible. His Rose Tyler was just a little human. She could not have lived so long. That was beyond logic and the Doctor couldn't believe that was really her in front of him, not after all these years, not after he had lost everything and everyone. Someone was probably tricking him. He stared at her as she watched him sadly, hugging herself.

"I've desperately tried to get you to look at me" she said with a softer voice, a voice in which he could hear her pain and her sadness. "I missed you so much."

"I'm-I'm sorry. It's just… I spent so much time mourning you, so much time convincing myself that it was all over, that I would never see you again except in my memories, memories that are fading away more and more every day. It frightens me because I don't want to forget you, Rose Tyler. All this time, I fought hallucinations. I was seeing your face everywhere I go, in every dream I had. I was always trying to catch your hand but you always disappeared. And now, you just came out of nowhere? That's just unbelievable."

He took his head into his hands and sat on the floor, his back against the TARDIS. He was overwhelmed by his emotions, pretty certain that that was all a dream or an hallucination, a trick from his broken mind. Or maybe it was all over for him and someone was sending him the only person he needed to see in the world before he died for good. She stepped closer to him, taking his hands.

"Please. See me, Doctor. Let me back into your life like we both desperately need. I miss you more than anything in the whole world, my Doctor."

Her touch surprised him to say the least. He was convinced she was just a product from his imagination but it looked like she was not. Was he mad? Was he hallucinating? Sick? On the edge of death? Her hands were as real as he was, as the TARDIS in his back was, and it was hard to believe for him. He took her hands in his, enjoying her touch. He would have recognized it anywhere; he had held those hands so many times before.

"I have loved you with all my hearts and soul. When you disappeared, my being had been torn apart. I've never been able to put the pieces back together. Look at me, Rose. I'm not the Doctor you used to know anymore. Why would you come back to the man I've become? Why now? Is there something I should know?"

His words were full of pain and despair and he knew she could feel how desperately he needed her in his life again. She rubbed his hands with her thumbs.

"Because now is when we need each other. Now and forever." She moved one of her hands, lightly cupping his cheek. "Please, let me come back. Let's live the forever we promised each other so long ago."

"How could I ever say no when I've been waiting for this day to come?" He said, giving her a small smile.

She smiled in relief, kissing his cheek. The move surprised him. He was not used to those kind of displays. He was pretty sure he was glowing.

"I've missed you so much, Doctor."

She pulled him into a tight hug, burrowing her face into his chest. It felt weird having Rose Tyler in his arms again. He wasn't a hugging type of guy but having Rose in his arms felt right. That's why he hugged her back and closed his eyes, enjoying a moment he thought would never happen. He didn't even care if he was daydreaming, hallucinating or anything. Rose Tyler was all he needed, whether she was real or not.

"So, you're ready to fly through time and space with the old daft and grumpy guy I am?" he whispered in her ear.

"Of course! I'm always ready to travel with my favourite Time Lord." She replied, nodding softly and smiling as brightly as lovingly.

"Fantastic! Allons-y!" He said with a bright smile, remembering the words he used when he travelled with her.

He took her hand and got into the TARDIS with her, ready for a brand new adventure. Now that she was there, life would not be as bitter as before. She smiled, gripping his hand tight as she followed him.

"You have no idea how long I've waited to do this again. To be with you again."

"I can try." He simply said.

Then, he launched the TARDIS to a fix point in space and time they both used to love. His broken hearts were healing slowly thanks to the come back of his long lost love. Nothing could make him happier than travel with his beloved Rose again. She closed her eyes, hugging him and resting her head against his back as he was sliding the ring back where it belonged: on her finger.

"You're not much different than when we first met, you know."

"I'm so much more broken than the day we met, Rose. But, at least, I now know that my planet hasn't been destroyed. Gallifrey is still here, somewhere, and I'm on my way back home. And there's nothing better than going home with the woman you love."

Rose was the only person who could hug him without it to be uncomfortable and unpleasant for him. With her, he definitely felt home and loved and that's something he hadn't feel in a long time. She smiled softly, looking up at him sweetly.

"I get to see the place you lived?"

She couldn't stop thinking about how perfect it was to be with him and how perfect it would be if they settled down on Gallifrey to live happily like they both deserved to.

"Unless you wanna go back on Earth… Which won't happen since I won't let you go, Rose Tyler. You won't go anywhere without me; I hope you know that."

She nodded and giggled. "I want to stay with you forever. No point in going back there."

"Then, let's go where we both belong: space."

He had said that with a smile as he pressed some button on the console. She nodded and smiled happily, kissing his cheek gently.

"Doctor, I have a very serious question that I feel is important to ask."

"You're not gonna put one knee down, aren't you?"

He was half-joking but his face was now serious. The question got him worried. She smiled weakly, shaking his head.

"I know how uncomfortable that would make you. I only want to know… Have there been others? And not just companions, I mean people who have loved you. Whom you loved."

The question caught him off-guard. He hadn't expected it and yet, he should have. He remembered that one time they'd met Sarah Jane. Rose had been jealous but also angry and hurt. She had thought he would abandon her and all he could answer at the moment was that it was his curse. Nothing to reassure her. And he did abandon her in the end. And he did travel with other people he had loved, but not the way he had loved her.

"I travelled alone for some time before a new companion came. I loved them in a way. Not like I love you. They were friends, very good friends. And I've lost all of them. They left, they forgot me, they got lost in time and space. Losing them always reminded me of your loss. But I've never let anyone know how much I was in pain. You would have loved them. They were clever, sassy, funny. But they never took your place. No one can do that."

She smiled, very relieved. "If I were able to stay here and never leave you again… Would-would you love me forever?"

"Does it need saying?"

The answer was obvious to him. He didn't need to be saying. She smiled brightly, biting down her lip. She was about to say something that would definitively change their relationship.

"Good, because… Because I'm unable to die, Doctor. I've lived multiple centuries now."

"Good thing I can't die either." He said but Rose's answer raised a question. "Is the Bad Wolf involved in this miracle?"

She nodded softly, still biting her lip. "It gave me life. Much more life than I was expecting to have."

"I was afraid this would happen. I didn't want you to live with that burden, to see your friends and family die while you keep living." He hugged her to comfort her. It must have been hard for her. "But I will forever be there for you. I promise to never leave you whatever happens."

She hugged onto him, a few tears sliding down her cheeks. "I had a child, Doctor. She looked so much like you." She smiled weakly. "Once I lost her, I knew I needed to find you again."

"Sorry to hear that." He said as he wiped away her tears. "I know how hard it is. I'm glad that you found a way to come back to me. We'll deal with that together. Better with two, right? I bet your little girl was as beautiful and clever as her mother."

"She was lovely."

Rose closed her eyes to hide the tears coming. She would never forget her little girl. She had asked so many questions about her mother. Rose was a mystery to other people. She often had to move because people were wondering why she wasn't aging. She had had to watch her mother, her father, Tony, Mickey, Tentoo and her daughter grow old and die until she had nothing left. She had told her daughter everything about her and the Doctor. The girl had wanted to meet him and died with all her dreams. Rose still couldn't bear the sad smile her daughter had when she passed away. She had promised her to find the Doctor, to get back to him and to tell him about her. She had promised to get back to him and to take her to the stars. Fate had decided to grant their wishes.

"It's-It's against the laws of Time but if you want we could go back in time and-and save her. We could travel with her, be a family."

A family with Rose, that was what he wanted the most. They could have that. They could have their own family and they'd all live on Gallifrey. They'd be happy together. Rose shook her head weakly.

"Even though she had dreamt of meeting you, she had a good, long life. I… I think we should have a family of our own."

"Having little Time Lords? With me? I guess you love challenges!" He said, laughing. "I want a family with you too. I never thought this dream would come true."

She giggled and hugged him tighter. "I never thought it would happen either."

"And here we are, about to build a brighter future. If I were told that a few years ago, I wouldn't have believed it."

"I'm so happy to have you in my life again." She said, smiling sweetly, gently cupping his cheek.

"You're the best thing that ever happened to me, Rose Tyler. I'd be lost if I didn't have you. See what I've become when you were gone."

She smiled sweetly but the sadness of those past years were visible in his eyes. He would have given up if it wasn't for her. How did he manage to go that far after she got stuck in that universe? Who helped him through the solitude of his life of last Time Lord?

"Perhaps a kiss would make you feel better."

It was a shy offer. She didn't know how he would respond to that. He still was the Doctor she knew but she didn't know that regeneration that well. What if he wasn't a demonstrative kind of guy? He put his hand on her cheek, looking at her tenderly.

"We won't know if we don't try."

And he kissed her on the lips with all the love he had for her and even more. She kissed him back, deeply, pretty close. Never had she felt so at home before than when she was with him at that moment. The Doctor enjoyed the kiss. He was happy. There was no other word for how he was feeling right now. Everything he had wished for all those years became real. And there was nothing better to him than living the rest of his very long life with the only woman he had truly loved.

"I will always love you, Rose." He whispered.

"I love you too." She whispered, kissing his cheek gently. "And I will always be there for you."

"So will I."

He kissed her again. Everything felt right. He was finally home in the arms of the woman he loved. She kissed him, smiling adoringly.

"My handsome Doctor."

"My beautiful Rose." He simply said, holding her tighter. "We're finally both home."

She kept on smiling and giggled shyly. He kissed her forehead and smiled as the TARDIS landed where their new story was about to start. She kissed him softly.

"We have so much catching up to do."

"We better start now before troubles knock on our door like they always do."

They both know that it would happen. Troubles followed the Doctor everywhere he was going. He hadn't spent a normal Christmas for years. However, he would never forget the one he had spent with Rose's family. He had just regenerated to his tenth form and was still wondering what kind of man he was. The best Christmas he ever had on Earth. The best Christmas he ever had at all. Rose nodded and smiled, kissing his cheek once again.

"How about we catching up over a nice picnic?"

"I'm in! Only if there are chips! Oh, and bananas! And fish fingers with custard!" He said with excitement.

"Fish fingers with custard?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. "Doctor, what kind of things have you gotten yourself into?"

The Doctor didn't answer immediately. Fish fingers and custard were something he used to share with two of his previous companions. Amelia and Rory. Nobody had understood their weird love for two things that just didn't belong together. But he loved it and still did.

"My past self loved this and somehow, I do too. People always think that it's a joke. Amy didn't. She's the one who gave me fish fingers and custard in the first place." He finally said with a sad smile.

"Who's Amy?" She asked gently, biting down her lip.

"After I last saw you on Bad Wolf Bay, a lot of things happened. I had to erase Donna's memories to save her life. But I was involved in last mission including the Master, an old friend of mine who was supposed to be dead, and Wilf, Donna's grandfather. Remember that night, January 1st 2005?"

He'd been decades since that day. It was the last time he saw her and the first time she ever saw him. He was in pain, could barely walk or talk but he had felt the need to say one last goodbye to the girl he loved before dying, before becoming a whole new man. Rose nodded and smiled softly. She would always remember the day she had met the Doctor. Well, he was just a drunk and weird stranger to her at that time.

"The first day I ever saw you."

"I was about to regenerate but I needed to see you one last time though I was in a lot of pain. That regeneration was the worst I ever had and when I finally got my new face, my TARDIS crashed down in little Amy's garden. I wanted an apple for some reason. She let me get into her house and gave me food. The only thing I could eat was fish fingers with custard." He had a small laugh. "After that, I got to the TARDIS and said I'd be back in a few minutes. It happened to be years. She had waited for me and hated me for disappearing that way. I travelled with her and Rory, her husband, somehow ended up married to their daughter, River who died to save me. That part of my life is a mess, I might admit."

"Married?" She frowned, looking a little upset. "I thought you said there was no one else."

"There wasn't. Timey wimey thing. She was raised to kill me actually. Marrying her was a way to keep me alive."

"I don't understand." She said as she frowned deeply and crossed her arms.

"River's name is Melody Pond. Amy and Rory conceived her in the TARDIS" he explained with a funny face. "That's why she's half human, half Time Lady and knows how to drive this sexy girl." He added, tenderly hitting the console. "She was taken away from her parents when she was just a little girl by the Silence. They raised her with one aim: killing me. I tried to prevent her from doing so but that was impossible. I was meant to die that day. And I died. Not a pleasant experience."

"I'm sorry" was the only thing she could reply to that explanation. The Doctor's life had always been weird. She thought she had seen everything but she had still some things to learn about him. She smiled weakly and hugged him to remind herself that she was his. She always had been his. From the beginning to the end.

"She got married to a double of myself created by the Telesecta team. Long story. When River and I kissed, time went back to his normal flux. The Silence thought I was dead while I kept on travelling. River's timeline is different from mine. She's my future, I'm her past. It wasn't love, just some kind of admiration."

"Okay", she sighed, shutting her eyes.

"You've always been the one. No matter how many companions I've had after. I-I didn't want to talk about you because that was painful but every time I did, they all understood what you meant to me. Even the TARDIS knows it. In dark times, she was always sending me your image. You don't have to worry."

He knew that she was hurt by the fact he had had other companions. Being alone wasn't something he was able to do. He always needed someone by his side. But, even when there were others, he had always been thinking about her. He could never forget his Rose, the pink and yellow girl who gave him hope, who fixed the broken mess he was when she had met him in that shop. He felt her hugging him tight and listened to her breathing slowly.

"I'm not going to leave you ever again. I promise you."

"Hold on to me, Rose Tyler."

He had whispered those few words afraid of losing her again and hugged her back. His mind was somewhere else, lost in dull memories he had involuntary reawakened. She clung onto him tightly, shaking. She whispered an "I love you" in his ear but he didn't answer because he knew she could feel how strong his feelings for her were.

"We were talking about a picnic, weren't we? We have a lot to talk about. Good thing I'm the master of Time, right?"

She nodded softly. "And I'm the Bad Wolf."

"My Bad Wolf to be exact."

He smiled at her. She kissed his nose, smiling sweetly. They were both so happy right now. Only Death would have been able to pull them apart and they had already proved that they could cheat with the Grim Reaper. He hummed something in her ear, making her smile. He was still holding her, not wanting to let her go. Then, he took her hand and led her outside.

"Let's eat something. We gotta be fighting fit to find Gallifrey and start our lovely family."

"Eating sounds really nice, actually. Now that you mention it." She grinned at him.

"I know where we can get the best chips in all the universe. You gotta taste them."

He walked in the streets of the planet they had landed on. Holding Rose's hand felt so right. She smiled softly, following him happily. It reminded her of all the past adventured they had lived together.

"Oh?"

He took her to a little shop and ordered two meals. Chips weren't such a great thing but they both loved it and reminded them of a past life. They ate chips for their first "date". He had taken her far away in the future to show her the planet she had always lived on burn. He didn't even know why he had done that. At that time, he was still a broken and bitter man. Maybe he had wanted her to feel his pain. Maybe he had wanted her to understand what he had lived. Later, he had realized how selfish it had been and had been totally astounded by the way she had put up with it. Rose Tyler was truly fantastic.

"I must do better than chips for our next date."

"You can't possibly do better."

"Don't bet on it. I can do better." He said with a bright smile as chips were put in front of them.

"You're ridiculous."

She was joking. She loved how her Doctor was still the same, how he was always looking for a way to be a better man for her, to offer her the best he could. He pretended to be offended by her words.

"Not ridiculous, impressive."

"Whatever you say my dear" she granted, smiling.

He remained silent and ate a chip, enjoying the taste on his tongue. He spent a few minutes looking at his beautiful Rose who wasn't quite the same as before.

"Tell me everything my beloved, what happened to you? Was the half-me treating you right? How did you find me?"

He was curious about how his lovely girl had gone through all those years they were apart, how was her life with metacrisis Doctor, how she had found a way to come back in that universe without ripping everything.

"Everything was fine." She said quietly, leaning on him and eating chips. "We lived happily, until he joined the war effort. Then things changed and… Well, I had nothing until I found you. I got through the portal."

"Never heard about a portal. I would have come sooner if I had known. I wouldn't have let you on your own."

"That's okay. I found you."

"You were in a lot of pain because of me"

And he wasn't able to forgive himself for ruining her life. Maybe he should have erased her memories just like Donna's. But then, how would have she been able to find again?

"I'm fine." She softly said.

"And I can't be more thankful for that."

He put his arm around her shoulders to get her closer to him. He would never let her go again. He'd rather die than live that situation again. He knew he wouldn't be strong enough to bear her absence again. She kissed his cheek and he smiled.

"To have you again is a miracle."

"I think the same. Looks like fate decided to reunite the two of us after all. How are we gonna take revenge on this bitch? Almost killed me with all those bad news, and losses, and solitude.

He pretended to be thinking about a possible revenge while eating Rose's chips. She raised an eyebrow and hit his hand.

"What are you talking about?"

"Time to show to this freaking bitch that we were meant to be together from the beginning, time to show it how happy we can be, don't you think?"

"Okay then" she replied, laughing.

"My last companion, Clara, used to tod me I wasn't a warrior but somehow, I feel like I am. I chose to be the Doctor because it felt right, because I wanted to help people but… Since the war, since I've lost you and the other companions, I'm full of rage, and pain. I have felt like I had to get a revenge on life. But now that you're back, I just don't know what to do with all those feelings consuming me for decades." He admitted, playing with a strand of her hair.

"We'll find a way to channel it."

"Any people would be afraid of all the darkness I have. Not you. You're wonderful, you know? Have I ever told you that?"

"In various forms…"

"You were fantastic, absolutely fantastic!" I remember that one. It was a hard time."

"And it will never happen again. It's going to be me and you forever." She promised, hugging his torso.

"Don't let me die then. I'm living my last life. I can't regenerate anymore. And you know how much I love flirting with Death." He confessed.

"Oh God…" she said, biting her lip. "I can't lose you."

"I've warned you travelling with me was dangerous. I've never been able to take care of myself. Too much running to do, too many threats to defeat."

"Too many women to love and protect." She teased, nuzzling him.

"I also travelled with men!" He said, pretending to be hurt again by her words.

She snorted and kissed him. She knew it. They both travelled with Captain Jack Harkness because she had insisted to save him. The Doctor didn't like the guy that much at first but had to admit he had been a fantastic companion too and someone he could always trust. He laughed, remembering all the good moments he had when he used to travel with Jack and Rose. It felt good. He was starting to feel nostalgic when something caught his attention. The silence. Everything was loud and agitated when they came in. Why was everything so silently all of a sudden? The Doctor raised an eyebrow. Rose nuzzled him gently and closed her eyes.

"I'm exhausted, love."

"Something's strange."

He didn't really hear what she said focused on the sudden silence. Nothing had changed around him. Everything seemed normal. But why was everything so silent suddenly?

"Don't you notice it?"

"No" she replied, shaking her head a bit.

"I must be paranoid. Been running for too long. Always thinking there's some danger here and there."

"We'll be okay." She reassured him, kissing his cheek.

"You should have met my eleventh form. He was the optimistic one. I'm the grumpy paranoid one."

"This form is my favourite." She said gently.

"Oh, don't tell Jack I've lost the bet. I said your favourite form was the tenth. You know, the foxy one."

She giggled but was surprised to hear about Jack. She knew the Bad Wolf had saved him from Death but the Doctor let her know that he was still alive. Was it possible that the Bad Wolf actually gave more life than necessary to him too? Were they both unable to die?

"He was lovely, but you're the one I have now."

"Somehow I have the feeling that my final hour has come and that you're just an hallucination here to help me accept my final death. Whether it's true or not, I don't care. I have you and that's all that matters." He said as he held her tighter in his arms.

"I'm real. I promise."

She leaned against his torso and closed her eyes. She was finally home. Nothing ever felt so right for a long time. She had finally found her way back to the Doctor after so many years of false hopes, after losing everyone. It was about time they both met each other again. She knew the Doctor thought the same. They didn't see each other in ages but nothing seemed to have changed between them. They still loved each other and that was the only thing that mattered. She finally fell asleep, happy to be in his arms again. He smiled at her.

"She's right. She's real. But I've never seen someone so discerning before you, Doctor. You've immediately sensed that something was wrong."

The Doctor's smile disappeared as a plump guy sat down across from him. The embers of his rage reawakened when he realised that he knew the guy. Someone from his past. Someone he never wanted to see again. When he was around, it meant that something really bad was gonna happen. The Doctor held Rose tighter. Whatever was going to happen now, he would not lose her again. That would never happen again. Even if he had to die for good.

– To be continued –


"Love is not an emotion."