AN. I don't own Doctor Who. No matter how much I want to.
Please review.
It had been two days since she had watched the two most important men in her life die. Her father sacrificed himself for her just as the Doctor had hours before. She remembered the relief she'd felt when she'd felt the familiar voice of the Doctor telling her to go to him. She'd ran to her father, doing what she had first vowed to do, not let him die alone.
She'd cried for him then, thinking of the man who'd been a hero to the world and no one would ever know, except herself and the Doctor. It hadn't taken long for her to come to terms with the death of her father, a familiar regret taking the place of the anguish she'd first felt, and a new found respect for the man who was her father.
It had been two days since and she still couldn't look the Doctor in the eye. Feeling the guilt of causing his death and the all consuming grief of watching him die. Once back in the TARDIS she had thought she'd be dumped back in her time, just like he'd done with Adam, but no, he'd just grinned and asked her where she wanted to go next. She had just shrugged and walked to her room.
Yesterday the Doctor had taken her to see the death of a star, she'd watched amazed by the beauty but unable to find any peace. Afterwards they had returned to the TARDIS, and Rose back to her room. Rose finally coming to a decision to relieve herself of some of the guilt and grief, packed her bags silently, tears slipping down her cheeks. She couldn't carry on traveling knowing that she could get him killed.
The night before she had been thinking about what he meant to her, why she still felt so haunted by the image of his death. She had come to the only conclusion possible. She loved him. Was in love with him. So she packed her bags, ready to leave. Knowing she would be unable to stand it if he died because of her stupid mistakes. She was aware that without him, she'd be hollow, a shell. The only comfort being that he'd be alive with out her. So she packed and put her key on the nightstand next to her bed. With her rucksack on her back she walked into the control room. The Doctor was, of course, fixing something that didn't need to be fixed.
He looked up when she walked in. Without looking at him she asked to be taken home, telling him she needed to get a few things and she wanted to see her mum. The Doctor nodded, hoping that after this visit she'd be more like the Rose he knew and loved.
A few moments later she was stepping out of the TARDIS near the block of flats that had served as her home for most of her life. She walked to the flat and entered. After a very happy reunion on her mum's part and a whistful one on Rose's, Rose went to her room to unpack but not before telling her mum not to let in the Doctor. An hour or so later her mobile rang. Looking at the screen she saw that it was the TARDIS calling. She answered.
"So how much longer you gonna be then?" the Doctor asked impatiently.
"A while" Rose answered sighing softly.
"So how long's that then?"
"I'm not coming back. I'm gonna stay here with me mum."
"What? Why?" the Doctor exclaimed.
"Because I love you." Rose answered before hanging up.
The phone rang again but she turned it off. Pulling out the battery so he was unable to call her again.
A few minutes later she heard the door bell ringing. Jackie answered it. "She doesn't want to see you." She said looking into the Doctor's panicked eyes. Feeling pity for the distraught man in front of her she added "If I let you in, will you leave if she asks you to?" The Doctor nodded looking very grateful to Jackie.
He ran into Rose's room seeing her lying on the bed eyes closed, tears rolling silently down her cheeks. He sat at the edge of the bed taking hold of Rose's hand as her eyes sprang open. She tried pulling her hand away but he held on. Catching her eyes he leaned down and brushed his lips against hers.
Pulling away he looked closer, and kissed her again adding more pressure. As she responded he poured all of his feelings for her into the kiss. Pulling away, panting slightly he gazed into her eyes asking the question he couldn't put into words. Slowly Rose smiled and nodded. He grinned "Fantastic".
She grinnedwith himand repacked her stuff and said goodbye to Jackie before she walked out of her mother's flat. She walked back to the TARDIS hand in hand with the Doctor.
Going back to her home with the man she loved and the guilt and grief went by unnoticed for the first time in days, secure that everything would work out for them.
The moral of the story is that it is love not time that is the real healer.
