DISCLAIMER: Still don't own Doctor Who. Still don't make any money from this. But if he doesn't stop leaving TARDIS prints in my flower bed, we're gonna have words…

SUMMARY: Something goes horribly, horribly wrong in the Parallel Universe and the Doctor's not there to save the day.

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Jackie left the room and the Doctor wasted no more of his precious time before he was pulled away from Rose permanently. She could die here. And the child... Best not think of that right now.

The Doctor sat on the side of Rose's bed and placed his fingertips to her temples, resting his palms on her cheeks. He reveled in the softness of her skin while, at the same time, initiating a psychic link and diving into her mind.

He wanted to scream at the nothingness, so similar to the Void he thought he'd lost her to so many years before. His fear of finally losing her almost overshadowed the brush against his mind, but he grabbed it and held on tight, pulling himself closer and closer to the golden light that was Rose Tyler.

Rose Tyler-Storm, he continually had to remind himself.

Suddenly, he found himself standing at the base of a mountain, in a field dotted with silver-leafed trees and covered in red grass. He stood in awe as the two suns shone brightly overhead and reflected off of the Citadel in the distance.

His knees went weak for a second time that day, but this time he fell to the ground, grasping the red bits in his clenching fists.

Gallifrey.

"I used to think this place was a figment of my over-active imagination."

He whipped his head to the side and saw Rose. His Rose. As lovely as he'd ever seen her, in flowing red and cream robes stitched with the Gallifreyan symbols of his House.

"Then I remembered you describing it to me once. It was so beautiful." She looked at him now. "Regenerated again, I see." She smiled at him, poking her tongue between her teeth in THAT smile, the one reserved just for him.

"New, new, new Doctor."

She laughed, the sound clear and beautiful. "Still my Doctor, though." She sat down next to him, arranging her robes more comfortably. "Always my Doctor, no matter the face." She looked off into the distance. "I heard you speaking to me. Out there. Heard mum, too. I'm pregnant."

"Yes, you are. And you're so beautiful."

She looked at him and smiled ruefully. "Yeah, I bet," and looked back toward the setting suns, smile fading. "I'd go with you if I could. Me and the baby. If you wanted us... Just can't seem to find my way back is all."

The Doctor reached for her hand, twining their fingers together. A perfect fit. "I always want you. Never doubt that."

Tears plopped onto her cheeks. "I know why you left us. I do. And I understand it. Doesn't make things better. Doesn't mean it didn't hurt so much I actually wished to die for a bit." She squeezed his hand. "But I understand. And I forgive you."

He pulled her to his chest then, holding her the way he always wanted, but she pulled away and looked him in the eye, a glimmer of Bad Wolf showing through.

"But if you ever, and I mean EVER, do it again, I'll regenerate you faster than you can say Raxicoricofallipatorius."

He laughed long and loud at that, knowing she was perfectly serious."Never again. I promise you that." He brushed the tears from her face, cupped her cheek and pressed his forehead to hers. "I love you, Rose Tyler. For all my lives, I love you."

He barely gets the last words out before her lips are on his. So soft but so firm, warm, and wet. He'd wanted this for so so long. His hands traced her face and buried themselves in her hair, holding her to him, no hints of the reserve he'd felt when River had kissed him.

Rose groaned into his mouth and pulled him closer, her own arms around him then, pulling herself into his lap. He smiled into the kiss and moved quickly to place her on the silk-soft red grass. The sudden movement made her squeak in surprise and clutch him harder so that he landed with one leg tucked between hers.

He pulled his head back and laughed down at her.

"Oi! Watch it you!" The mirth in her admonishment belied any anger she tried to put into it. She took in his new features and traced a hand through his hair and down his cheek where he nuzzled into her hand. "So different but still so much the same," she mumured.

His light green eyes bored into hers, shining with happiness at just being near her. Her golden brown gaze met his just as intently.

"I love you, Doctor."

He froze and she watched as a huge grin lit him up from the inside out. He leaned down to nuzzle her cheek and neck, drawing a giggle and sigh from her. "I love you too, Rose Tyler-Storm.

Sadness clouded her eyes then and he could've kicked himself for finally remembering her martial status.

"Is he.. John… Is he really…?" She swallowed convulsively.

He closed his eyes and took a breath, then nodded. Her sobs cut through him and he pulled her close, pressing his forhead to hers. "I'm so sorry, Rose. I wish…" He caught himself and his own throat closed in sorrow at the brother he never knew, but really knew better than anyone.

Rose gathered herself then and took a shuddering breath. "It's alright. I know it is. He'd know it, too. It's the Doctor and Rose, no matter the species."

"Quite right. OW!" He flinched back as she walloped him hard in the arm. "Alright, I guess I deserved that, but really, Rose. Ow!" He rubbed his arm and pouted before looking down at her seriously. "Rose. I need you. Really properly need you. Please. Please come home."

Rose smiled softly. "I need you too, Doctor, but I can't. I've tried." Her hands had started wandering up and down his arms as he propped himself over her, trailed to his chest to feel his hearts beat into her hand. He leaned to the side, supporting himself on one arm, and held her hand to the left heart he'd gven her so long ago.

"I can help you with that."

She lit up like fireworks. "Please! Oh yes, please!" She grasped his tweed jacket reflexively, making a mental note to chide his wardrobe choices later. "I wanna go with you, Doctor!" His grin exploded again and she just couldn't seem to help herself as she pulled him back down. This time his mouth opened to allow his tongue to swipe and hers and draw a helpless moan from them both at their respective tastes.

Tea and time, love and happiness. Rose and the Doctor.

Her hands drifted into his jacket and pushed it from his shoulders, catching his suspenders – suspenders? Really, Doctor? – to drag them down his arms before attacking the shirt buttons.

He shrugged out of it without removing himself from her lips – He may never part from her mouth again! – then dove to wind his own hands through the robes she wore.

Hands met skin and both gasped much need air into starved lungs. Her hands on his abdomen, tracing up to his chest then around to his back. His hands parting her robes, stroking the flesh at her side before drawing his hand up to brush against her breast.

He dove back down for more of her before remembering. "Rose. Wait." It took everything in him to pull away from her, but he managed. Barely. He closed his eyes, drew a deep breath, and started again. "If we keep on with this, it'll bond us. We'll be in each others heads, and I know how you feel about that, but I can teach you to shield yourself, 'cause who'd want to have someone poking around in their brains. I mean, well, you know, in a bad way. But this could be good, yeah? Of course, it'd take some time to get used to, but…"

Rose stopped him with fingers pressed to his lips. "Stop. Doctor, listen to me. I've loved you since you were big ears, Northern accent, and leather. I've loved you since 'Run!'. Don't think, ever, that I wouldn't want this. Want you. Forever."

He smiled softly and kissed her fingers before dragging them from his face. "Rose Tyler."

She smiled that smile again.

"I've waited more than a thousand years for you. And I'm never letting you go, never leaving you again. I swear it to you."

"Good," then dragged him back down to finish what they'd begun so many years before.

What felt like hours – years – later, Rose laid over the Doctor's bare chest, trailing fingers over the baby-soft skin and humming happily. The Doctor whispered fingertips up the back to her arm, then brushed away hair that had blown into her face by the breeze in her mindscape. He'd be sad to leave this peaceful respite, but oh so pleased to get her home so he could really touch her.

He felt the red-gold brush of her mind in his, wrapping his silver-blue presence in a warmth such as he'd never felt with his own people.

"I can bring you home now. You can follow the bond link and come back to me, to your mum and dad, your little brother. We can go home, Rose." He smiled down at her. "Jack misses you. Mickey, too."

Rose threw her head back laughed at him, grabbing his head and pulling him over for a kiss. "You don't have to bribe me with them. I'm ready to go home, Doctor." She smiled even wider. "I want to meet my baby."

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