The TARDIS vanished from view, the familiar, heartbreaking, stomach turning sound of grounding engines rang through the air, and it was gone. Gone for good. It was just her and him. Him and her. Hands held. Jackie was in the background, arms crossed, looking stern. But neither of them noticed her.
Rose pulled her hand away, her heart beating so quickly it felt like it would jump up and out of her throat, she was staring at the man she had just kissed. It had been a kiss full of passion, of longing, craving, desire-driven hunger for the man she loved. But this wasn't him, was it? The man who she had loved had just left her, left her here on this beach with another….another him. It made her eyes glassy. He had just left her. Then again, a voice in her head told her, she had just kissed another man- well, a man who was him but wasn't him at the same time. It still wasn't him though. Not her Doctor.
The man in front of her looked like him. Smelt like him. Dressed a little differently, but still in the same style. He had the same eyes, the same hair, the same nose, the same body, the same everything. But it wasn't him. He was a….duplicate of him. But the real him was still out there, searching the stars and picking up companions, he would fall in love again, she would be replaced. She swallowed. Was this why he had left her this other version of him? As a sort of 'goodbye' present? His way of telling her that he couldn't be with her forever, but this….other man could be?
Her eyes met his for a second and she felt a sickening punch to the stomach, guilt, shame and remorse were tugging at her heart as he watched her. This man….he was the Doctor, right? He was still the Doctor, but she just couldn't help but think that it wasn't the Doctor! She felt like crying, in fact, she was crying. Silent tears were falling down her cheeks, and she didn't even bother to wipe them away as she stared at…the man in the blue suit. The Doctor.
'You know….the only reason he…' He paused, looking thoughtful for a moment. 'The only reason he left me with you, is because I love you.'
'Why couldn't he stay with me though?' She tried to stop herself from saying it, but the words escaped her mouth before she could. He looked hurt for a moment, and she felt the stabbing guilt in her stomach again, but he merely shrugged it off, and put on that adorable, award winning grin of his.
'Because he loves you too.'
The words were enough to make her break down into his arms.