A/N: Thank you for the wonderful reviews, only a couple more chapters to go. Again the violence may up slightly in this chapter but it won't be on the scale of what happened to Rose. Thanks for all your support, hope the end meets up to your expectations.
Curiosity was a very bad thing. That was what Mickey Smith was telling himself as he crawled out of the damp, Whitechapel alleyway and down towards the house on Miller's Court that the Doctor had just entered. He rested his ear against the door but couldn't make out any definite sounds, all he could liken the noise to was when he had held a sea shell to his ear as a child. He raised a tentative hand and stepped inside, crouching down onto his hands and knees, keeping as close to the wall as he could. He rounded the corner and his eyes widened in abject terror but he could not tear them away from the scene. Blood and shadow and the Doctor. He realised then what a powerful presence he had come to know as a friend and knew he was witnessing the end. Silently he began to pray not realising that someone was listening.
The Doctor's perception was shifting further and further towards the shadow world as he tried to fight the Hatrevic. They were strong, having just feasted upon the now dripping carcass of Mary Kelly. The Doctor had toyed with attempting to save her but he needed the Hatrevic powerful to aid his attempts, relying as much on their power as his own. He had never attempted anything like this before and he needed all the help he could get, even if it did mean a life was lost. Another sacrifice of the night. The device he had brought with him lay at his feet, augmenting the power now escaping him and pulling the Hatrevic with him into the shadow world. A few more minutes and he would be able to trap them.
Pain ripped through him as a clawed hand tore at his side, blood pouring forth and being inhaled by the creatures around him. He watched in horror as they managed to smash the small power cell at his feet, leaving him to carry on alone, relying now only on his natural abilities to avoid disaster. He felt his already inexperienced grip on the void fading with each ferocious attack. He bore it as best he could, pain did not matter, he would be dead soon anyway. No regeneration. No second chance. Lost for eternity in a world of nightmares but at least Earth would be safe, Rose would be avenged.
"Release us," demanded on of the Hatrevic, marring the Doctor's cheek with another slash of his claws, "You will perish Time Lord, you will be ours."
The Doctor did not have the strength to reply, gripping on with all his might to the fire and shadow in his mind. Focusing as best he could on his memories of Rose, her smile, her kiss, her laugh, her injuries. The anger gave him greater control, greater determination. He closed his eyes, felt his body begin to give up, only a few more moments.
Mickey watched on in horror at the shadows whirling around the Doctor. He tried once again to shield his eyes from the sight but couldn't, someone had to witness this. The Doctor's body was rigid, his eyes squeezed closed, blood dripping from his body more and more at each pass of the shadow creatures. The noise was a deafening silence and Mickey fought to understand it, how something so peaceful could be so loud. His eyes were drawn to Mary's body, mutilated beyond recognition and remembered how close Rose had been to that fate. He heard the Doctor cry out and shifted his focus back to him. The Doctor was muttering softly again, the light around him increasing and the shadows being pulled deeper into it. Then he cried once more and the sound made Mickey's blood run cold.
"Susan!"
"Susan! Susan! Get back!" cried the Doctor as he saw his grand-daughter in her original form edge towards the swirling Hatrevic. He saw them then, the faces, all the faces he remembered, those he had loved and lost, staring at him with blank, expressionless faces.
"Romana pull her back, please!"
The faces didn't respond, didn't react. All the Doctor could do was watch as his precious grand-child moved closer and closer to oblivion. The shadow creatures surrounding her, Susan remained unharmed by their slashing claws. The Doctor could feel the life draining from him, preventing him from going to her.
"Go back to your own world," cried Susan over the Hatrevics' vicious cries, "Leave this world or I will make you."
"Susan, stop it they'll make you like them," said the Doctor, "However you survived beyond my dimension I don't know but trap them and you will fall to oblivion. Please stop. I can't bear to lose you again."
Susan turned to her grandfather and smiled, her entire face lighting up his hearts as it had done for so many years.
"You always took care of me," she said, tears pricking her eyes, "Now I can take care of you. I walk in silence between dimensions, I have done for so long, mourning and I am tired, oblivion I crave more than anything. I can save you, return you to her, to Rose."
"This is not your choice," said the Doctor, stumbling as one heart faltered and stopped, "I can't let you."
"This is my choice. I love you," said Susan before running to his arms and holding him close. She pulled back and pushed him hard away before leaping back into the swirling shadow with a terrifying scream.
Mickey watched in horror as the Doctor's lifeless body was thrown from the swirling shadow. He had heard his cries but nothing else, pleading with Susan to keep away. The shadows swirled in on themselves to a tiny point of blackness before exploding in a burst of golden fire accompanied by a painful scream. Mickey tried to focus on the Doctor but his sight failed him and the scream deafened him. It was the last thing Mickey heard.
"There's one over here too inspector. Badly injured, worse than the other one but remarkably alive. Looks like Jack didn't just want the ladies after all."
"Help him up Proctor."
"Very good sir."
The Doctor stirred as he heard unfamiliar voices. He opened his eyes and took in the uniform of the man above him. He shook his head but thought better of it as blood got into his eyes, his own he realised.
"What's going on?"
"Sir, he's conscious and coherent," said the Victorian police officer above him before kneeling to help him to sitting, "Are you in pain?"
"Everywhere," groaned the Doctor, his memory slowly returning and having to swallow a sob, "What time is it?"
"Just before five in the morning sir," said a more distinguished looking gentleman coming to his side, "I am Inspector Abberline and you are a very lucky man."
"I wouldn't say that," said the Doctor recognising the face before him.
"Well you and your companion seem to be the first to survive the Ripper, although the poor girl over there wasn't so lucky."
"Mary Kelly," said the Doctor looking over at the body currently being examined by several officers.
"Do you know the girl?" said Abberline, aiding the Doctor as he attempted to stand.
"Barely," said the Doctor before limping over to a familiar form, sat on the floor being tended to by another officer, "I thought I told you to go home."
Mickey looked up at him, glad to see however long they had been unconscious had rendered the Doctor time to heal somewhat from his injuries thanks to his Gallifreyan metabolism.
"Didn't want to let you die alone," said Mickey pushing to his feet, "But I guess I could have stayed away. What…?"
"I don't want to talk about it," said the Doctor, "Mickey promise me what you saw and heard tonight will go no further than between us two."
"I promise," said Mickey, laying a hand over his heart, "Can we go back, Rose will be worried."
"Yeah, we can," said the Doctor, leaning on the boy's shoulder for support as they moved to leave the building, "Thanks Mickey."
"That's…"
"Excuse me sir," said Abberline, "But where are you going?"
"Home," said the Doctor.
"But…"
"I can't help you with your investigation Inspector, we saw nothing," said the Doctor.
"I can't let you wander off without proper medical attention."
"Trust me, we'll be fine," said the Doctor, trying not to lean as heavily on Mickey's shoulder, "Good luck with the investigation. Its been a pleasure to meet you."
Mickey laughed at Abberline's shocked expression as the Doctor turned them away and began to walk to the door. He shot a look at the Doctor and saw the familiar unreadable expression but for once he wouldn't question him.
"Inspector Abberline," said Mickey, "A committed Ripperologist's dream hey?"
The Doctor gave a half hearted smile but didn't speak. Together they made their way through the Whitechapel streets in silence, not needing to speak, merely content in the knowledge that a chapter in their life had ended for the better.
"Ow! Ow! Ow! Watch the arm!" cried the Doctor as Rose pulled him into a possessive hug.
"Don't you ever, ever do that to me again! Do you here me? One more stupid plan like that and I will kill you myself," she said before crushing her lips to his in a desperate kiss, "What did you think you were doing?"
The Doctor looked over at Mickey who was laughing at the his predicament and smiled, "Doesn't matter now, its all been dealt with," he said softly, "Now please let me get to the med bay before the TARDIS electrocutes me for getting blood on the wiring. Mickey do you still have my note."
Mickey pulled it out of his pocket and waved it at him before opening it and reading.
"You know what to do," said the Doctor, before limping off, with Rose at his heels. He heard the sonic screwdriver click and then the familiar hum of the TARDIS engines as they leapt into flight. He lay an arm over Rose's shoulder and finally collapsed gratefully onto the med suite bed. Uttering a silent prayer to his saviour.
Later that night the Doctor entered his bedroom to see Rose curled on the bed re reading the letter he had left her. His body had stopped protesting to movement since the dermo-regenerator had worked its magic so he leapt over the bed and grabbed the letter from her hand before holding it in the flame of one of the candles lighting the room. The letters burned away to nothing in his hand before he dropped it into the litter bin. The TARDIS sent a spurt of water and an annoyed groan from the ceiling to dowse the flames as the Doctor climbed on to the bed next to Rose.
"Are you ever going to tell me what happened?" said Rose, gently running a finger down the nearly formed skin on his cheek, "Why you left that letter?"
"Some things should remain a mystery," said the Doctor pulling her into a hug, "I've learnt that these passed few weeks. No more chasing unsolved crimes for me."
"Until next time," sighed Rose, her breath dancing across his neck. He felt his body respond to her but pushed the feeling away as soon as it arose. However Rose's lips on his neck did nothing to help the issue.
"Theta?" she murmured softly against his skin. The Doctor started at the name but relaxed as she continued her kisses. He laughed softly, she better not plan on using that name beyond the confines of their bedroom. He felt her hands searching the skin beneath his jumper and groaned softly.
"Call me baby," said the Doctor as Rose pulled his jumper over his head and planted a trail of kisses across his chest. She giggled against him.
"Theta, baby," she said tracing her kisses back up his neck and onto his lips.
The Doctor pulled back and grinned at her wickedly, "Yes Rose, honey."
"Shut up and make love to me."
Rose squealed as he pulled her down into the covers, showering her with butterfly kisses murmuring words that would make anyone blush in her ear.
Yes, definitely such a filthy mouth.
A:N/ Only one more chapter to go. What am I going to do with myself when this is over? Please review.