Disclaimer – Back in the Prologue.

Chapter 1

"He's gone." Rose whispered, the last remnants of the TARDIS disappearing. The wheezing, chugging sound gradually gave way to the sound of the waves on the isolated beach where the Doctor and Donna had left them.

"I'm here." The 10th Doctor…the Duplicate…replied just as softly, reaching for Rose's hand. He found a bit of comfort in that she didn't pull away, although she didn't exactly return the slight pressure from his fingers. "Well, I am, but not."

"But…" Rose spun around, feeling the sand churn beneath her feet. She stared at the man she had just kissed, a rebellious way to make a decision and she wondered if she had made a horrible mistake. This wasn't HER Doctor. Who was she to teach this man to become the man she had grown to love?

"I'm exactly like him…with his memories and feelings, but none of the inabilities or incapacities. All in all, I'd say I'm the user-friendly model." The quip from the Duplicate did not generate the expected smile from Rose.

Jackie Tyler studied her daughter and the man who looked like the Doctor. Questions were etched on her face, but she wasn't sure how to ask them. The pain and confusion emanating from Rose cautioned the older woman to bite her tongue, but then sanity kicked in.

"Does someone want to tell me what's going on?" Jackie piped up. Rose and the Duplicate turned having momentarily forgotten about her.

"Lovely day to come to the beach, isn't it, Jackie?" The Doctor said politely and stretched, raising his free hand above his head.

Jackie frowned at the man. She wasn't really sure what had just happened. One moment there were the Daleks…the next there was a mouthy woman from Chiswick…and the Doctor's twin…and now they were back here on the beach. Jackie recognized the beach; it was the one where the Doctor had said goodbye to her Rose. He had broken her heart and Jackie wasn't sure she had ever forgiven him for that. Mickey was gone, having returned to their home dimension. For a brief moment, that had appealed to Jackie but her life was back here with her husband and new son and, of course, Rose.

"He's him…but not him." Rose said, wiping her eyes. It went without saying which 'him' Rose was referring to. "He's part human…but has all the memories of…him."

"And that's quite a bit for this human brain to process. Not to mention, I'll get old. Not sure how I'll handle that…getting old. I've never really had to consider it before. How does one grow old?"

"Are you here to stay?" Jackie's eyes screwed up at the idea of the Not-Quite-the-Doctor Doctor. Other dimensions. Aliens. Her Not-Quite-Her-Husband alive. It was a wonder she hadn't keeled over from all the confusion in her life over the past few years.

" 'Spose so." The Duplicate conceded. "Not much of a choice in that matter by the sounds of things. Oh dear…I'll need to get a job, won't I? What's out there for a part human with Time Lord memories but none of his skills…or a car?"

Rose ignored the question and turned back to where the TARDIS had stood just moments ago.

"He's really…gone." She slumped.

The Duplicate Doctor squeezed Rose's hand lightly, wordlessly reminding her that she was not alone. Rose looked down at their entwined fingers and frowned slightly. It felt like him but something in her heart new that it wasn't the Doctor she had come to love. Still, it was something connected to him…a part of him (quite literally)…and she wasn't quite willing to sever all of her connections to the Doctor just yet.

"I've a chance to do normal things now, Rose. Work. Sleep." He paused and tilted her face up to meet his. "Love. And all with you. What he feels, I feel. But I'm not afraid or too proud to admit that I have those feelings. Granted, this isn't quite how I had imagined it would all turn out."

"You and me both." Rose agreed, shifting her head so that it didn't rest on the Duplicate's finger. "It's like you're a parting gift. Thanks for coming out, Rose Tyler, and playing…here's your lovely prize."

"Beats what was behind Door Number 2." The Doctor quipped, only to be met with two cold stares from the two Tyler women. "It's quite understandable to feel that way. But he said I couldn't stay back there. I killed the Daleks. I do not regret it. I cannot regret it…especially if it meant saving your life. And we can be together now, Rose. No Time Lord and Human issues between us."

"You don't know me!" Rose shouted out, tears of frustration streaking down her face. "You just met me!"

"Physically…in this form…yes." The Duplicate nodded but then tapped his head. "Up here, though, I've know you for a long time. I even remember when we first met. To this day, I smile whenever I see plastic. I was going to tell you that I love back then…when I, he, was projected…and I'm telling you that I love you now."

Rose gnawed her lip and ducked her head. It was too good to be true. She knew that. Things just didn't work out for Rose Tyler in the long run. The Universes had it out for her.

"Wait a second…how can you have all of his memories? You came from his hand that was lopped with those…Sicko things." Jackie protested. "You haven't experienced what the Doctor experienced."

Rose stared at her mother. Every now and then her mother amazed her with some astute comment…like right now.

"Sycorax." Rose whispered and then turned her head to look at the Duplicate Doctor, silently waiting for a response.

"Time Vortex transfer goes both ways. I helped him to regenerate (or not regenerate) once upon a time…sat near the core of the TARDIS. She's a chatterbox, by the way. Lots of talking and sharing of knowledge. Toss in some Donna-ishness and I know everything he knows. I experienced everything he experienced, even though, technically I wasn't there. "

"That's right. You weren't there, were you? You're replica…a duplicate…an imitation. You're like some stuffed toy won at the Grabber machine in the arcade." Rose's eyes were filled with pain. "You look like him. You sound like him. You even feel like him."

The two looked down at their unclasped hands.

"Then give me the chance to prove that I am him…and me…" The Duplicate pleaded gently. "…and yours."

Jackie's hand flew up to her mouth. That was, by far, one of the sweetest implorations she had ever heard, by far topping anything she had seen on a daytime soap opera.

Rose's head tilted, as if giving the request some thought. It could be so easy to forget that he was a Duplicate and to accept a life with this man who was, in almost every way, the man she had fallen in love with.

"No need to answer just yet." The Doctor looked around, his dark brown eyes suddenly turning serious. "We should probably get out of here. I don't know if we should just be standing out here…in the open."

Jackie nodded.

"So, how do we get a ride?"

"I'll call Pete." Rose's mum offered, reaching inside her jacket for her phone. "Road's up there."

Nodding in agreement, Rose started to lead the Duplicate Doctor away from where the TARDIS had been. The trio was halfway up the beach when a noise, almost like delicate wind chimes floated across the beach to them. Rose and the Duplicate turned and watched, much to their astonishment, as a small blue-and-yellow striped cabana appeared.