A/n: So here we are Chapter 12 and the final chapter. Can I just say Oh my gosh ONE HUNDRED AND THREE reviews!! :O. I am so ecstatic, I really am so amazingly pleased with how many reviews I have got. I mean over one hundred!! Yay!
So thankyou so so so so so much to everyone who reviewed. And thanks to everyone who even read my story. I hope you enjoy the final chapter. THANKS, AND PLEASE ENJOY.
"I love you"
Rose looked up, her eyes widening immediately, suddenly the cold seemed to disappear into nothingness.
"What did you just say?" Rose asked, staring stunned at the Doctor. His eyes seemed to look past her, gazing over her shoulder and into the smouldering cold of the ocean. The Doctor seemed taken aback by the words that had left his mouth.
"Hello, is anybody out there?" A voice boomed across the seas, making Rose jump- The Doctor whipping around sharply. He studied the area around him, his eyes falling upon a small bobbing light in the distance.
"They've come back Rose!" He declared, before pulling his sonic screwdriver from his pocket. Rose didn't move, her breath a little sturdier, realising that safety was imminent. But her heart was fluttering, her head spinning, had she head correctly? She was weak and so cold, maybe she had just imagined it, after all they were the words she had wanted to hear most in the entire universe.
Suddenly a deafening high-pitched noise was dispersed from the screwdriver, causing Rose to be pulled back into reality, wincing as the noise crashed against her eardrums.
"Quick over there" The pair heard the deep voice shout.
Rose felt the urge to smile, she had survived the sinking Titanic, and so had The Doctor, but she couldn't, her lips refusing to meet her demands. She tried to slide her hand forwards towards The Doctor's but the coldness had taken over and she was no longer able to move anything. And then darkness engulfed her.
"They're coming Rose, we're going to make it" The Doctor turned back to Rose, his voice hoarse. "Rose?" He looked down at her, her body limp, one arm drooping into the water, eyes shut tightly. "Rose!" He stretched out his arms, pulling her towards his body, resting her on his lap as he embraced her. His heart stopped as he realised just how cold she was. "Rose, please wake up" He rested his hand softly on her cheek, patting it slightly as he rocked her body back and fourth.
"There!" The Doctor turned to see the lifeboat approaching, four men occupying it. He watched the boat crash against the door slightly. The Doctor pushed the coldness to the back of his mind, as he lifted Rose into the boat, clambering in after her.
"Is- is she alive?" One of the men asked nervously.
"Yes" The Doctor snapped, before grabbing a blanket from the corner of the boat and laying it across her unconscious body. "Come on Rose, Don't leave me now, not now" The men watched silently as the pale man, tried to warm the young girl, they admired the stranger but felt his attempts would end in failure.
"Right, let's carry on" One of the workers said finally snapping into action as the group began to row in synchronisation.
- - -
Rose awoke confusion engulfing her as she felt herself moving, her eyes seemed too heavy to even attempt opening. Rose's body throbbed with a bitter numb feeling, her fingers tingling slightly as they adjusted to the warmer temperature. She could feel a light weight across her and could hear voices. It was The Doctor. He sounded scared, and was telling people to go faster. Rose finally twigged that she was in the lifeboat.
Rose's heart leapt slightly as she vaguely remembered The Doctors confession. He'd told her he loved her. Hadn't he? Rose began a new battle within her mind, had her ears deceived her, had she merely dreamt this, had she been unconscious longer than she had first thought?
"Please Rose, come on" Rose heard The Doctor say, she felt her hand be lifted and held tightly within The Doctors. "just hold on for me Rose"
Rose soaked up the emotion in his voice, trying to work out every feeling he was projecting onto her. His voice was thick and hard, darkened by Rose's apparent unconscious. Remembering she was the reason for his sadness, Rose forced herself to lift her eyes wearily.
"Hey" The Doctor whispered as he breathed out a sigh of relief, he was crouched down next her, studying her face.
"Hi" Rose replied, shocked by the husky tone.
"How you feeling?" He asked, his eyes betraying his soft smile.
"Cold" Rose giggled slightly. "Tired" She added. The Doctor looked down at her sympathy and guilt pouring from him. He pulled her body up, letting her head fall, fatigued, against his chest.
"S'ok Rose, go back to sleep. We'll be home soon" He wrapped the blanket lovingly around her, holding her tightly to him.
Rose couldn't help the small smile that played against her lips as she lay in the arms of the man she loved, both trying to battle against the frosty wind. They would be back at the TARDIS soon, everything back to normal; but was that what Rose wanted?
- - - - - - - -
Rose awoke for the second time that morning, she groaned a little as her body revelled in the warmer temperatures that surrounded her. She opened her eyes reluctantly, pushing herself into a seated position on the small bench she had been placed on.
Rose looked around, she was on another ship, hundreds of people surrounded her, most crying hysterically as they wrapped themselves in various cloths.
"I need to take you're name miss" Rose heard a young sailor ask another passenger. The woman was huddled on the floor, rocking herself slowly as she wiped away her never-ending stream of tears. Rose gasped a little as she noticed the sailor's features.
"James" She whispered under her breath, relief exploding within her. It was a bittersweet victory, yes, James had survived but so many others hadn't. She then noted a red head a few metres in front of her, recalling her as Rose, the women who had tried to warn her.
She was crying as she clung to a man, blonde and astoundingly attractive. Rose watched as he whispered sweet nothing's into the girl's ear, trying to calm her.
Rose smiled delicately to herself as she stepped up from her bench, groaning slightly as her overused muscles screamed in protest. She ignored them as she wandered over to the railing of the ship. Looking out at the calm ocean and the approaching Statue of Liberty.
She stared up in awe as the phenomenal figure towered above her, holding her torch with honour and glory.
"Rose?" Rose spun around, watching The Doctor call her name, noticing the unoccupied bench.
"Over here" She replied, her voice rasping slightly. He looked up, smiling a little in relief as he strolled towards her, hands in his pockets.
"So we made it then." Rose murmured as she looked out at the approaching land. America. She turned at the Doctor smiling a minutely.
"Yep" He replied popping the 'P' just like he always did. "Are you ok?" He asked, his face suddenly revolving into seriousness.
"Yeah, I'm fine" She replied honestly as she pulled the blanket more securely around her shoulders.
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry Rose. I shouldn't have taken you somewhere so dangerous" Rose laughed a little.
"Everywhere you take me is dangerous" The Doctor winced slightly at the comment. "But that's why I love it so much, that's why I wouldn't miss it for the world" She replied, The Doctor's eyes met hers as a diminutive smile played on his lips.
"Brilliant" He remarked clapping his hands together triumphantly. "Now we'll have to stay in America for a little while, then get the next ship back to England. It should be in about a week or so, then we can find the TARDIS. Where do you want to go next?" He beamed at Rose.
And there it was, everything was back to normal, how it should be.
But it didn't have to be, if Rose was brave enough.
"Doctor, back there, in the water...You- you said something to me" She mumbled looking down at her feet.
"Did I? Well I say a lot of things Rose" He chuckled, scratching the back of his neck.
"I thought- I thought you said something about how you feel about- me" The Doctor stared at her for a second, his hand sliding down to pull on his ear lobe as he forced his brow to furrow.
"I- erm -I don't think so" He lied.
"Oh ok, I must have heard wrong" Rose replied, swallowing the lump in her throat as she begged herself not to cry. She smiled once more, unconvincingly.
The silence stretched out among the pair as they, in turn, shuffled uncomfortably.
"Look Rose" He began as Rose looked up at him hopefully. "I-I" He began once more but found the words at a loss to him. He never usually found himself speechless, but when it came to his feelings it was a whole other matter.
Of course he could express his feelings in a life or death situation. But right now; right now it wasn't, they were both safe from danger. Rose was very much alive, and standing in front him, her eyes begging, pleading with him not to lie.
"I" He said once more. He knew he couldn't say it. He couldn't be with her, she would eventually die and leave him. He couldn't deepen their relationship just to have her torn away from him; the pain would be unbearable.
But even if he didn't venture further with her, he would still feel the same way. Her loss would still cause crippling pain. Why didn't he just make the most of his time with her?
And with that he kissed her, softly and abruptly before pulling away a second later. Leaving Rose stunned to a silence, her mouth slightly agape.
"Does that give you your answer?" The Doctor spoke cautiously, taking a step back, had he done the wrong thing succumbing to his emotions?
"I love you" Rose spoke breathlessly, her heart fluttering as her mind tried to establish what had just happened. The Doctor smiled as he pulled Rose into an embrace, kissing the top of her head lightly.
The Doctor knew he would one day lose her, it was inevitable, but right now he didn't care. He would not be swamped with guilt and resentment when that fateful day arrived. Because he had plucked up the courage to do what he had dreamt of doing since the day they had met. It didn't matter that he would one day be alone again, because at this moment all that mattered was here and now. And Rose was exactly that, his here and his now, and his entire universe.