A/N: Did y'all like my last chapter? BWAHAHAHA i'm soo evil! thanks for the reviews everyone, but sadly this fanfic is drawing to a close. there is an epilogue still to come though, and i have a few ideas for sequels, so don't fret!
Crisis Time
…"I'm sorry that I had to go like this, I know you and me would both have preferred to die heroically saving the world… I just can't live like this any more…" With these words she closed her eyes and prepared to jump…
"ROSE! NO! What are you doing?"
Rose opened her tear swollen eyes in shock, she must be hearing things! Her mind was playing tricks on her, The Doctor was dead, gone, he couldn't be telling her to stop now… with this thought firmly fixed in her mind she closed her eyes and prepared to jump again.
"Rose, please, I don't know why you're doing this, but please don't, this is no way to go out." She heard footsteps behind her, running, then slowly advancing towards her, so as not to give her a shock. She then felt a pair of arms around her shoulders, and she turned around and her eyes widened in surprise. Standing in front of her was the same Doctor she had traveled with for the last year – his tenth form. She collapsed, sobbing into the Doctor's arms; he sat down with her still in his arms.
"But how? How did you do that? You were dead, you left me again, you said you wouldn't leave me again and you did, you said you would be careful and you weren't!" she wept. "You haven't even regenerated! Is this another trick the Timelords come up with to cheat death?"
"Well, ah, no, actually I did regenerate," replied the doctor sheepishly. "I think I miscounted somewhere along the way, either that or The Master didn't manage to get all of my regenerations after all….maybe even both – so I have one or two regenerations left after this." Rose lifted her head up and looked at him incredulously and sniffled, "So… so I was going… to commit suicide… a-and you could regenerate?"
"Well… yes." Admitted the Doctor. "Oh Rose, I'm sorry. I knew we were in danger, but I didn't want to spoil it for you… that's why I brought you here… to keep us both out of danger." Rose dried her eyes and smiled a watery smile at the Doctor. The Doctor got up, and helped Rose up. He then swept her into a gentle embrace, and she leant her head on his chest. They stood there in this way for a long time, lost in the sense of serenity of their surroundings and their own thoughts.
"Doctor?"
"Hmmm?"
"I love you so much, you know..." The Doctor shifted slightly, and he looked down at Rose, and she could see in his eyes the care he had for her, and something else, something deeper that Rose couldn't work out.
"I love you too, Rose. More than anyone could ever know, even you. There have been so many times I could have told you, but I never had the courage to." And Rose finally understood that hidden emotion he had in his eyes, every time he looked at her. It was Love. Rose opened her mouth to reply, but didn't get the chance, because the Doctor kissed her. Her eyes widened in astonishment but she relaxed into it. They kept that kiss going, in front of the Tranquillian sunset, until the need for oxygen surpassed them. They broke apart. Still feeling the need to be close, they walked back to the TARDIS with arms around each other, Rose's hand in the Doctor's.