So here's the next part! Things get a little confusing with two Doctors, so I'm referring to Ten's Metacrisis as 'Rose's Doctor' or 'her Doctor', and Elven is simply 'The Doctor.' Hopefully it makes sense. Anyways, enjoy!
Rose turned and walked back inside, turning to watch him disappear into the police box. Her heart twinged a little, wondering what the TARDIS looked like inside now. She hadn't realized just how badly she missed that life of time travel until she saw the familiar blue wood and Police Public Call Box sign on top. Now she couldn't imagine how she hadn't realized how much it hurt, missing it all.
She put the kettle on the stove to boil, then leaned up against the kitchen counter, her eyes closed. What she really wanted was a good month to figure out what was going on, maybe some time to cry as well, but the Doctor was already opening the back door and waltzing in, looking around.
Rose opened her eyes and brought forth a smile. "So, I think you've got a lot to tell me. I've obviously missed out on a lot."
The Doctor shrugged. "Well, traveling, it's really not so different from what you've seen." He brushed the question off as though she were asking about the weather. She bit her lip and turned to get out mugs for the tea.
"I missed out on that much, then?" She looked up at the ceiling to keep herself from starting to cry again.
"What? No, I—"
"It's okay, Doctor. You shouldn't just stop because you lose someone. You've got to keep going. There's thousands of people out there who need your help." She took a few more deep breaths and was able to turn around to face him again. "And I know what you did for me. You gave me the life I thought I would never have. And it's good. Things are good, really. I just miss it all sometimes. Flying around, saving the world—it's a lot different than living a normal human life."
It was nice a lot of the time. Not having to worry about whether you'd face a near-death situation that day, that sort of thing. But going from access from all of space and time to living day-to-day, from saving worlds to simply living in one—Rose wasn't always sure she would be able to adjust.
"Of course you do. But things had to be like this. You're safer here, and you've still got me. A me that will age with you, who won't constantly put your life in danger. It's better this way."
Rose didn't get a chance to answer, for at that moment the front door opened, and her Doctor came in, holding a bag of groceries.
"Rose? I'm back!" He called out. Rose turned around. "In the kitchen. We've got a visitor." You'll never guess who. She thought silently to herself.
Her Doctor came into the kitchen and set the groceries on the counter before turning to face their visitor.
"Hello. I'm John, I'm sure Rose has mentioned. Very nice to meet you." He said, and offered his hand to the Doctor with a smile. The Doctor shook it.
"Yes, you are." The Doctor grinned, taking in the sight of his Meta crisis. It was odd, seeing his old regeneration. The little details slipped out of his mind. "Look at that hair, I'd forgotten how good the hair was. Not ginger, of course. Still not ginger." He mused.
Rose's Doctor looked at him for a moment in surprise. "Wait. You're—"
"I am!" The Doctor clapped his hands together. "This is all wonderful, seeing you two here, all normal-lifey and humaney-wumaney."
Rose laughed and rolled her eyes. She kissed her Doctor's cheek in greeting, and poured the now-boiling water into cups for them all.
"So you're who I regenerated into." Her Doctor mused, his hand drifting up to feel his chin unconsciously. "Well, that's very… interesting."
"Oi! I'm still you." The Doctor touched his own chin as well and began to say something else, but Rose cut in.
"Both of you go sit down, and try not to start fighting. Honestly, you're like children." She said firmly. The Doctors obeyed. Rose brought the tea over. "Now, why are you here, Doctor?" She asked, once she was seated as well.
"Your universe has a hole. A tiny little hole, right now, but it's been growing. A year ago, my TARDIS wouldn't have fit through it. Things are starting to slip through as it widens." The Doctor leaned back in his chair. "I've been tracking it for a while now, to, uh, just to make sure nothing got out of control." He took a sip of his tea.
"So what's slipping through?" Rose asked.
"Mostly nothing. Void debris, that sort of thing. And one spacecraft—not mine, I suppose the TARDIS makes two—that snuck through about a month ago. It's crash-landed somewhere. Travelling through the void damaged it badly."
"We're going to help them, then?" Rose's Doctor asked. He leaned forward, wondering how they hadn't heard any news of the crash. Without the TARDIS, it was hard to find things, he supposed. It was the thing he missed most about living in this alternate universe. He had so many memories of flying the TARDIS, spending days just wandering around inside the TARDIS. The pool and library were two of the things he missed the most. Some days he would wake up after dreaming of being back in that old life, and believe for a second that he was still inside her. He had to fight the urge to get up and run outside now, simply to check up on her.
"But you said we were in trouble." Rose put in. The Doctor nodded.
"You are. The ship is armed, and they didn't come here for tea. So we're going to save the planet. Or I am. And you two as well, if you want." He looked nervous for a moment, unsure if they would agree.
"Of course we're gonna help." Rose jumped in. "We're not going to just let you sweep in and save the world all alone."
The Doctor smiled at her.
"Rose…" Her Doctor looked over at her. "Maybe, with the baby, you shouldn't." His expression was apologetic.
"No way! I'm not leaving you two alone. This is the first time in, what, a year that we've had anything to deal with, I'm not getting left behind."
"But the baby—"
"Will be fine." Rose stared resolutely back at him. There was a long silence, and he finally nodded. "So, what's the plan, then?"
"Well, we sneak into the ship, disable their weapons, and then see what we can't do to return them back to wherever they came from."
"That's it, that's your plan?" Rose's Doctor asked incredulously. "I think we'll need something a little more—"
"Oi, Sandshoes, it's a good plan. It's a perfect plan." The Doctor straightened his bowtie slightly.
"You can't make it up as you go like that, it's too risky."
"When did I get so—" He gestured in the air, looking for the right word, "—uptight?"
Rose's Doctor looked up at him. "We don't risk Rose." He replied, looking straight at the Doctor. "Maybe I didn't see that once, but then I had whole planets and galaxies to worry about. Now I've just got her, so yeah, I'm more careful. I'm not going to lose her again. You worked hard to make sure that would happen, putting us in this alternate universe so we were out of the firing distance. I've only got one life, and I'm not going to spend it alone." He met gaze with the Doctor, his eyes serious.
The Doctor folded his arms and stared at the table. Finally he nodded, his eyes never leaving his tea cup.
"Of course. Sorry, I'd forgotten." He looked up with a sad smile. "You're quite right. We'll need a better plan. But, for now, let's not worry. That spaceship isn't going anywhere. How have you two been, what have I missed?" He leaned forward and folded his hands in front of him. His meta crisis was right.
He could remember back to the day on the beach. It hadn't been much before his regeneration. The TARDIS hadn't liked travelling between the universes, and it had been a challenge to get it through the rip. He'd left her on the beach with his double, never saying the words he wanted too.
That was what bothered him the most. Those three words he had never said.
But he always knew he wouldn't have been able to. He was a Timelord and she was a human. Any life he could offer her would be short and fleeting, no matter how wonderful it would be. When his meta crisis occurred, it was the perfect solution. He could give Rose the life she deserved. An entire lifetime with him, but a him who wouldn't change his face on her or lead her into life-or-death situations.
If he had told her he loved her, she would never have left his side.
She deserved so much better.
His hearts broke a little more that day when he asked her if it needed saying. Because it had, and he knew it.
"Doctor, are you okay?" Rose's voice broke through his thoughts, and he wiped quickly at his cheek to make sure he wasn't crying. There were no tears, just that empty sense of sadness that plagued him more and more often, whenever he slowed in his travels and began thinking about everything he wished he could have done in the past.
"Yes, fine, I'm always fine." He clapped his hands together. "Let's catch up some, shall we?"
Rose smiled. "Well, we've been here. We're having a boy. Haven't decided on a name yet, but he's due in a month or so."
"I still say Alonso." Rose's Doctor muttered. The Doctor grinned.
"Alonso, brilliant name, you should definitely name him Alonso."
"You two haven't changed at all." Rose put a hand on her stomach and rolled her eyes. "We're not naming him Alonso. You," she pointed at her Doctor, "would never stop with your little 'Allon-sy Alonso!' bit."
"We'll wear her down." He smiled at the Doctor, who nodded back.
"But what about you, Doctor? You've been traveling all over. We've just been here. You've got to have some stories to tell us."
The Doctor shrugged. He suspected that tales of his adventures would not, in fact, make Rose feel better. "Well… I met the TARDIS. She was put into human form for a little while." He smiled at that memory. "And—oh, the Daleks came back. A couple times, they don't seem like they're going to die out any time soon. And the plasticine, I've run into that a couple times as well. Rory got turned into a plasticine Roman, actually. That was interesting." He mused.
Rose smiled as she listened. "And who's Rory? Is she your new companion?"
"Rory? Well yes, I suppose he is. He and Amy, I just dropped them both off back home. It was time for them to leave, go live out their lives, you know. Time to settle down. And there was River—you'd remember her, Doctor."
Rose's Doctor leaned back, and nodded. "River Song, yes. I remember the library. Who did she turn out to be?"
"She's my—Amy and Rory's daughter. It's a funny story, very complicated, and extremely confusing." Rose's Doctor looked sharply over at the Doctor. He frowned. Those first stumbling words had passed over Rose's head, but he had an idea of what the Doctor was going to say, and he recognized that brief expression of confliction. Rose did, however, catch her Doctor's frown.
"Something the matter?" He shook his head.
"No, no. I was just wondering—where's that photo album we had? We could show the Doctor."
"It's upstairs. I'll go get it. You two can catch up while I do." Rose replied after a quick pause. She got up and made her way up the stairs, sensing that there was something the two wanted to talk about.
Once she had left the room, her Doctor let his neutral expression drop. "Who is River Song? Really."
The Doctor closed his eyes briefly. "She's my… wife. It was extenuating circumstances, and things happened, and—"
"You moved on." Rose's Doctor said softly. "Did you find her right after you'd regenerated, or did you give yourself more time to forget Rose?" His voice was laced with suppressed anger.
"Rose was happy here with you. I gave you two the life I couldn't have. It's no use waiting when she has someone." He snapped back, angering as well.
"You did. You forgot. You swept all those painful memories into a little corner, and you forgot." Rose's Doctor leaned forward, his rage building. "How could you forget her? How is there anyone out there that could replace her?"
"I don't expect you to understand. You're a human, and you don't have to make those choices. I'll remind you I wasn't the only one who forgot things. Or don't you remember back on Gallifrey, when we had a family? Back then you would have said the same thing to yourself now. But look how things change." The Doctor said quietly. It was a low blow, reminding him of the family he had once had, or the fact he could no longer be a Time Lord.
Rose returned with the picture album before her Doctor could respond. She sat back down and set it on the table. "Something the matter?" She asked with a forced smile, trying to lessen the tension. Both Doctors shook their heads at the same time.
"Nothing." Her Doctor put an arm around her shoulders, and slid the picture album over so that the Doctor could see it.
"We started it after the wedding. We do a lot of traveling, you know, seeing the world and all that. A lot of little things are different here if you know what to look for. It's like playing spot the difference." Rose explained. "It was weird, at first, feeling like you're so far away from home, even though you're in the same place. I'm still not quite used to it." She frowned slightly, then flipped one of the pages. "Oh, and here's Anthony. He's what, five now?" Her Doctor nodded. "He looks just like my dad. And he's got the same inventor genes. He's already mixing tonics. They taste horrible, of course, but he says he's gonna be just like Dad one day." She laughed.
The Doctor watched her continue talking about the pictures, flipping through the pages and explaining carefully. She was happy. Really, truly happy, not just putting on a front for his benefit. It was good to see, to know he had made the right decision in the end.