Rose walked towards him, but the Doctor held up his hands.
"Don't," he said, backing away slightly. Rose looked hurt so the Doctor quickly added, "I'm not through yet. I found a way through the void, but if you touch me now, it'll make both universes collapse."
"That's what you said last time," Rose sniffed, the tears somehow finding their way down her cheeks.
"I know," the Doctor replied, his hearts aching at having to see Rose in pain again. "But there is one person I can touch."
The Doctor nodded to someone over Rose's shoulder and the parallel Doctor stepped forward. Rose glanced from one to the other and suddenly things began to slot into place.
"You see by closing the void off I created a whole parallel race of Time Lords," the Doctor continued, regarding his other self. "Of course, they shouldn't exist. The Time Lords were one race that could go from universe to universe, meaning that we existed in every time. So when the Time War destroyed them all, they were wiped from every universe. But somehow they came back into existence in your world when I closed it off."
"It's going against all the Time Laws," the parallel Doctor agreed. "But it happened and we can't stop it now."
"I want top switch places with you," Rose's Doctor said eyes locking with his other self.
The parallel Doctor frowned slightly.
"Leave a world where I have all my friends and family to enter one where I killed them?" The parallel Doctor looked down at his feet. "I don't see what motive I have for doing it."
"Because when you pass over, so will they," the Doctor replied, almost begging. "The universe cannot have me as the Time Lord with a family, if you pass over, they'll all pass with you."
The parallel Doctor looked up pondering. Rose waited with baited breath praying that he would agree.
"Ok," he said finally. "But I warn you now; this process is likely to result in one or both of us regenerating."
"I'm willing to take the risk if you are," the Doctor nodded. "But we have to do it now. This is the only time the void will be in the right state."
The parallel Doctor nodded and Rose's Doctor turned to the black girl that was with him.
"You deserve someone who doesn't mope constantly to travel with you," the Doctor said. "I'm sorry to have to leave you, but I think you'll like the other me better."
The black girl smiled slightly.
"As long as you're happy," Martha said stuffing her hands in her pockets.
"Right, stand back, Rose, Martha," the Doctor instructed and the pair did.
He extended his left arm and the parallel Doctor took his hand with is right. The pair of them exploded in golden light the same way the Doctor had when he'd regenerated. Rose held her breath hoping it would work. She wasn't sure if she'd be able to survive coming so close to getting her friend back only to lose him at the last second.
The light slowly receded to show a single Doctor stood in the now back to normal (how Rose remembered it) TARDIS.
"Whoa… now that is not something I wanna do again in a hurry," the Doctor stumbled slightly, and then looked up at Rose grinning. "Hello."
Rose burst into fully fledged tears, flinging her arms round hi neck and hugging him tightly, feeling like she'd never be able to let go.
Martha watched as the light dimmed and she was now stood in a black and red TARDIS with what she knew was a completely different Doctor in front of her.
"Hello there," the new Doctor said, smiling. "Let's start from the beginning. You know all about me yeah?"
Martha nodded.
"So tell me about you," he said, leaning against the console and listening intently, his brown eyes seeming warmer than Martha remembered.
"So who's this Martha?" Rose asked when she finally managed to let go of the Doctor and look at him properly for the first time in nearly a year.
"Jealous are we?" The Doctor grinned teasingly, his hand seeking out hers.
"No, I just want to know who she is," Rose continued, but the tell tale pink tinge in her cheeks proved she was lying.
"Company," the Doctor replied earnestly. "I thought I'd go mad without someone nattering to me constantly and she helped me defeat Dalek Sec, so I offered her a place on the TARDIS."
"As long as that's all it was," Rose smiled. She squeezed his hand gently. "I've missed you."
"I missed you too," the Doctor said, his eyes locking with hers.
"How long has it been for you?" Rose asked tentatively.
"About the same as it has for you," the Doctor admitted. "I spent the first six months in the vortex, moping."
"I've done the same," Rose said. "I've been at Torchwood trying for ages to get in contact with the Time Lords, hoping that somehow they might be bale to get me back to you."
"I love you," the Doctor said suddenly, taking Rose by surprise.
"I love you too," she grinned.
"Didn't want to miss the second chance I've been given," he continued by way of explanation, ducking his head and kissing her.
"I told… Mum I'd… get back to her," Rose said between kisses of desperation, each needing to feel the other to make sure they weren't dreaming.
"Can't she wait?" The Doctor somehow managed to moan.
"She's just given… birth…" Rose mumbled, her lips finding it more and more difficult to part from the Doctors. "The other you… was there… he was as… reluctant to see my… mother as you… normally are…"
"I've got a Time machine," the Doctor's hand was gently rubbing Rose's back and she was sure her knee's were going to give way under her. "Are you sure she can't wait?"
"Yes," Rose spluttered.
"Oh alright," the Doctor let go of her, making sure that she was steady enough to stand.
He began setting the coordinates for the hospital. Rose ran a hand through her hair, feeling light headed.
"I suppose I've got to suffer he wrath sooner or later," the Doctor grinned, making Rose smile.