Rose was going to hear the end of that sentence if it killed her. She had not borne her heart to him to hear him say her name one last time. She had to get back to him. They'd broken through the walls between universes before, and they could do it again. It might just take a while to do it safely.

In the end, it took 4 years to build the dimension cannon, less than half the time Torchwood's best scientists had estimated. The godly golden power that visited Rose in her dreams had a lot to do with that. Rose had been ready to start jumping through the void, the second the first drone returned, but Jackie begged her to stay one more day.

Rose slept in her parents' home that night, instead of her own apartment. She felt she owed her mother that much. However, Bad Wolf made another appearance in her dreams that night, and she had other plans. Plans that meant Rose needed much more patience than she currently had.

"You have to wait," the golden figure appeared right as Rose closed her eyes.

"I have to see him," Rose countered, knowing exactly what her other self meant. "I've already lost almost five years of the little time I could have with him."

"No, you have gained almost five years of time you wouldn't have with your parents and Tony." A mirror appeared in front of Rose. "It has been over six years since you looked into the heart of the TARDIS, but it does not shown on your face, and it never will." Rose reached out to touch her won reflection, and she knew the Wolf was right. "Events will soon unfold in his universe, and they will need our power, but you are not yet ready. I will guide you to the right spot in his timeline, but only when I have finished my work with you." Bad Wolf began to fade from her mind.

"Excuse me! Wait a minute! What do you mean 'when you have finished you work with me?' What-" It was no use. Bad Wolf had retreated further into Rose's mind, and Rose slipped into a dreamless sleep.

~.~

Some of the "work" Bad Wolf had been referring to had become somewhat obvious over time. She started needing less sleep than she used to, and she still hadn't aged. It took her mother and Mickey a few more years to notice that change, but she suspected it was willful ignorance. The "events" the Wolf had mentioned, seemed a little clearer too. The stars had started going out. Torchwood had used the dimension cannon to send drones to other worlds and saw the problem over and over again. But the stars were disappearing at a much slower rate in Pete's world. Rose suspected Bad Wolf was somehow keeping the mysterious destructive force at bay in her current universe for the same reasons she was keeping Rose there, but Rose knew better than to complain.

In the end, it was another 50 years after the dimension cannon was finished that Bad Wolf told Rose she could finally go home to the TARDIS. Jackie had passed away peacefully the year before, surrounded by her husband and two children. Pete passed away a few months later, not ready to live without Jackie again for any length of time. Tony was living happily with his own family, he didn't need his big sister anymore, though he did give her one of the tightest hugs of her life when she told him she was leaving. Rose no longer had a personal stake in this universe, and she was desperate to reunite with the love of her life. It was finally time to go.

~.~

When Rose appeared in the TARDIS, it was dark, like the TARDIS was sleeping. The Doctor's face appeared on the monitor as if he had been paused. Rose ran her hand over the image of his face before rewinding and playing the video. The video offered Rose more questions than answers, plus a hint of jealousy that she tried to tamp down. She didn't even know how long it had been for him. All she had to go on was that he hadn't regenerated yet. Martha might not mean anything to him. Or she could be his everything, her traitorous mind supplied.

Rose's eyes began to droop, signifying that Bad Wolf was willing to talk, so she headed off to her old bedroom and got ready for bed.

"The Doctor is hiding from a Family of aliens. He has temporarily changed his biology to blend in with the humans, and he has taken a job at a nearby school. His memories are not real. He will not know you. They are expecting a new librarian to arrive tomorrow morning. Do not tell the Doctor anything yet. It is not time. You must hide as well." The golden voice warned.

"Is he in danger? What do I do if the Family finds him?" Rose questioned quickly, surprised that the Wolf had stayed around to hear her questions. Might she actually get a straightforward answer this time?

"You have been his partner long enough to figure some things out on your own, but Martha will be there to help."

Rose rolled her eyes at the lack of answer. She should've known better.

"Wait, librarian? I don't know how to be a librarian."

"I will guide you through you work. It will feel natural for you." With that final promise, the golden light faded from Rose's mind.

When Rose awoke a few hours later, a dark brown wig, a dress, a newspaper, and a packed suitcase were sitting on and by her vanity.

"1913? I hope he doesn't plan on hiding for too much longer." Rose grumbled to herself. She got dressed and put on the wig, only stopping to make a cup of tea before stepping out of the TARDIS and into the woods. She found she already knew the way to the school she was meant to work in. "I've already waited 54 years to see him, at your insistence, Bad Wolf. Why couldn't you let me find him at a time when he'd remember me?" There was no answer.