It seemed as if years had passed. Each day that the Doctor thought of Rose, he missed her so much. He remembered the beach where he had last seen her face. There wasn't a day that went by when he didn't try to think of ways to rescue her, to hold her in his arms once more. All this - and thinking of how not to mess up the time fields of the universe while he did it.
Wiping the tears from his face again, he stood up and made his way to the console of the TARDIS. "Where to today?" he wondered. None of it seemed as exciting as it once had. Rose had given his life meaning, showing him things that no mere time machine could. He had saved countless worlds, and yet it was not the same.
With that thought, he flipped a few switches and pulled the dematerialisation lever. The TARDIS swooshed and hummed and, in a flash, was gone.
For Rose, too, many months had passed. Each day she roamed - taking it one step at time. Readjusting to life again on Earth.
Sure, she had friends around her to keep her spirits up. But it was not as it had been with what she and the Doctor shared. Nothing seemed to take that place. She had seen so many things – Daleks, Cybermen, werewolves and even clock droids - but the most important thing that the Doctor had showed her was true love. She knew what the Doctor wanted to say on that beach just before he disappeared - but it wasn't the same. She wanted to hear them from his lips to her ears. Those words.
"Rose Tyler, I love you."
She remembered the Doctor's face, fading away. Afterwards, she had run for comfort in her mother's arms. For days, she'd hardly spoken. Waking up each day, wishing it was her room back on the TARDIS; never giving up hope. Until one day she realised it was all just a dream.
She had her Mum, Dad and Mickey. That's all that mattered. Her family was finally complete. She had never seen her mum so happy. Family was what helped her break away from the depression, and out back to the world she had once known. A regular-class human again.
Until one day…
Rose was waiting, taking her break from work in the park where she was to meet Mickey. Suddenly, she had a chill - as if someone was watching her. Looking around, she saw only the normal families and such. Yet unknown to her there was a tall figure behind the trees, watching her. A man in the shadows. She shook it off. Mickey arrived and they ate - then back to work.
Later that night, back home, she was getting ready for bed when she felt the same feeling again. As if being watched. Walking over to her window she looked out, but no-one was there. Well, to her eyes, there wasn't. Yet the shadow man was there. Who could he be?
When she heard it, Rose suddenly awoke from a sound sleep. Something she could never forget. The swooshing and humming of the place she once called home - the TARDIS. Jumping from her bed, she ran to the window and opened it, but the night was silent. Nothing but the air, and a few crickets.
Was she dreaming? Must have. She knew that the Doctor was gone forever. If only she could just hear the Doctor's voice one more time; to have him hold her in his arms for eternity. She could imagine…
Suddenly a loud ringing brought her out of her dream. It was her alarm clock. Time to get up and ready for work. Another day: another one without him.
Later in the day Rose went to take her break in the park. She was sitting silently, waiting for Mickey, when the feeling hit her again. This time she turned suddenly and saw the man in the shadows. She couldn't see who he was. Just him watching her. Standing up, she began to walk towards him and he quickly moved away.
She ran to catch him, down a long path in the woods and back out onto a street, then down an alley that ended in a dead end. She turned to head back when she noticed a wooden gate. Pushing it open, she stepped back in disbelief.
There was the TARDIS.
But it couldn't be. Was she still in bed sleeping? Was it a dream?
She walked up to the box and reached forwards. The smooth surface... It was real.
Rose found herself walking around the side to the doors. One way to find out. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the TARDIS key. Reaching forward, she placed it into the lock and turned. With a click the door opened. She moved into the opening.
It was the TARDIS console room, but it felt different. Walking further, she yelled "Doctor, where are you? It's me, Rose, Doctor."
Suddenly, from the shadows stepped the Doctor. Only he wasn't dressed as the Doctor, wearing a black jacket and dark jeans and a button-down dress shirt.
"Yes, I'm here. I've been expecting you," he said.
"What do you mean?" Rose asked. "Don't you remember me?"
"No," he replied. "You're mistaking me for the Doctor you once knew. I'm the Doctor of this universe."
"What?" she said, stepping back. "Come on, Doctor, enough of the jokes."
"It's no joke," he said. "I'm what you might say is 'the Doctorx'. I've come to help you get back to your Doctor."
Silence took over the room. Rose stood looking at this Doctorx, then spoke.
"How?" she asked. "The void is forever closed."
"Yes," he agreed. "It is, but there's a way to bridge the between here and there without destroying the time fields. A time bridge."
Rose walked over to the Doctor and shook her head. Yes, if there was a way to get back to hers, then she would do it.
The Doctorx began to walk over to the console, and it was then that Rose grabbed him and pulled him to her, where she kissed him. Just as suddenly, she pulled back.
"What was that for?" he asked.
She looked at him and replied.
"I had to make sure you weren't the Doctor playing a trick, but after that kiss I can say you're not."
"Good, we've got that established. So off we go."
"First, I need to go back to my house - and let my mum and dad and Mickey know where I'm going."
Within minutes the TARDIS materialized outside the Tyler house. Rushing in, Rose found Jackie and Pete sitting down for lunch. Seeing here, they scrambled to their feet.
As the Doctorx followed her in, Rose spoke.
"Mum, Dad, I'm leaving again with him. He's the alternate version of the Doctor and he can get me back to him."
"But Rose, you've just gotten back to a normal life." Jackie protested. "But I can't say no to you. I know, truly, it's what you want. So I wish you all the luck."
Rose walked over and hugged her mum, and then her dad.
"Both of you. If it works then I may never see either of you again. I want you both to know I love you."
Some time later, the Doctorx and Rose entered the TARDIS. Pete and Jackie, with tears in their eyes, watched it disappear.
"Well, Rose," the Doctor said. "We need to head to a supernova. I've got one plotted but it's going to take some time to get there."
"Well, what you waiting for?" she laughed.
He pressed a few buttons and pulled a lever, and the TARDIS swirled away heading for the supernova.
Suddenly the TARDIS rocked. The Doctorx and Rose fell to the floor.
"What's happening?" she asked.
"I dunno," he replied. "The TARDIS is caught in some sort of field. We're being pulled into something."
The "something" was a large swirling disk, tinted in orange and blue. The TARDIS approached and entered it, and the shaking stopped abruptly.
"We've landed," said the Doctorx shortly, getting to his feet.
"Where now?" asked Rose, as she scrambled up from the floor.
"It's some sort of planet but I don't know where it is. Nowhere on my charts, or in the TARDIS data banks. This part of space isn't even on here, either. Well, let's have a look,"
Together, the Doctoxr and Rose walked to the door and stepped out.
Outside was a green, lush planet. The TARDIS was standing in the middle of a field.
"Doctor," Rose said. "We need to leave here."
"Well," he said. "I'll have to tell you now. There's something here holding the TARDIS down and it can't leave. So what say we find this source, or whatever is holding us?"
He set off down a path, Rose barely a step behind. And with that, an adventure began, as did Rose's journey to find her Doctor and get back to his side.
Every journey has adventures along the way.
