A/N Thank you everyone for such positive feedback, I love you all! :D You are making it so easy to continue writing for this story! Although, for some reason I found this chapter incredibly difficult to write and this one is about my fourth attempt (.

SO please please forgive me for taking so long. Here's the next chapter, hope it doesn't disappoint. Allons-y!

Disclaimer: I own nothing to do with Doctor Who because if I did Rose would have either not been pulled into the alternate universe or she would have stayed after Journey's End… and Matt Smith definitely wouldn't be the new Doctor.

Chapter 7: the Unexpected

Jackie, struggling to keep her own tears in, stepped forward again. She raised a hand to his cheek gently, stroking away the salty water leaving devastating tracks in their wakes, the only person completely unafraid of the man in front of her.

'I know Doctor but think about it you plum,' she said trying to keep some semblance of normalcy to her voice. 'It's Rose.' His eyes shut in pain and defeat. 'And the TARDIS for that matter,' she continued. 'Do you think this is what she would have wanted?' When he didn't answer she lowered her hand but didn't step away. 'I'll tell you now Doctor; if she were here she'd tell you to save the universe but not like this,' she gestured slightly to the room. 'If this,' she continued, now laying her hand gently on the top of the gun still pointed at Davros who was watching the interaction fearfully, 'is what it took she would tell you not to, to figure out another way like you always do.'

He opened his eyes; they looked weary and unresolved as he stepped away from the woman he almost considered a second mother to him. 'How would you know Jackie?' He grasped at his last thought that might counteract her argument but knew that it was pointless and she was right. 'You weren't ever with us when we travelled; you never saw what I had to do.'

'No, I wasn't.' She said, not backing down but her voice was now harsher than before, running out of some of her patience. 'But I was there when you left her on that beach Doctor, and I saw what it did to her. Did you think that after that day she would just bottle everything up and never speak of it again, that's your way of dealing with things not hers and you should know better. I was there for my daughter when she cried for days, weeks after that meeting. And after that I was there every time she dreamt of you and I would hear your adventures, all of them in the end. Do you want to know something?' She waited a second even though she knew she would receive no response. She had caught his attention, his intense gaze never wavering from her face.

'From the day she joined Torchwood she climbed the ladder, making it to team leader and going out to investigate all those aliens but never, not once, in all that time, no matter how dangerous it got, did she ever even touch one of those.' She said nodding her head in the direction of the gun he was holding.

His eyes widened infinitesimally at the revelation and his grip on the weapon loosened and wavered for the first time. 'But-'

Jackie cut him off again. 'The only reason she had one in this reality was she knew what she was up against. She had years of experience but she was still just a human girl, no match for thousands of Daleks stranded in the middle of Earth. But she NEVER used it apart from on a Dalek,' she cast a quick glance in Davros' direction. 'A real Dalek. Even then, I know she only used it when someone else's life was in danger.'

'But how?' the Doctor spoke, his voice still laden with tears and grief. 'How would know Jackie? You weren't there.'

'Because she told me. She promised it to me because she couldn't to you. She said she never would because you never would and she'd never disappoint you.'

As soon as her last words flew from her mouth his posture changed. His shoulders slumped and simultaneously his head and arms lowered, gun clattering loudly to the ground in the stony silence.

Jackie stepped forward again, without hesitation, and wrapped her arms firmly around him. 'I'm proud of you Doctor.'

He finally brought his arms up to weakly hug her back and yet still his emotions were locked up again. His eyes were back to normal but by all outward appearances he hadn't been crying just a moment ago, nor threatening to kill anyone.

'Jackie-'

But he was never given the chance to say whatever it was as the sound of the universe filled the room impossibly. Everyone turned towards the noise, speechless at hearing something so beautiful that they'd thought was lost forever.

'Impossible,' Davros shuddered out, the thought of losing finally crossing his mind.

Jack heard him and let out a genuine grin, for the first time since Roses "death" and looked right at the monster. 'Brilliant,' he counteracted right as the doors to the TARDIS opened and a shadowy silhouette stepped out to be revealed at Rose Tyler.

The Doctor stared disbelievingly, stunned into silence at seeing her face alive, though unsmiling. She walked forward towards him, her gaze intense, a look on her face he had never seen directed at him before. But his mind finally caught up with him and he remembered Davros, still not entirely powerless.

'Don't!' He shouted, warning Rose, but she did not falter as a beam of electricity rushed towards her. A split second before it made contact she raised her hand and stopped it in a move frightening reminiscent of when she had become the Bad Wolf, her stare flickering to Davros for a moment.

'Rose?' the Doctor whispered out quietly and watched as she swung her gaze back to him, making him flinch as those same harsh emotions were in her eyes.

'No, I am not she,' Rose spoke, looking at the Doctor but directing the words to everyone in the room. She had already taken in the gun lying at the floor by the Doctors feet, the almost cowering position of Davros and the looks of everyone in the room as she had entered. Oh Theta, what have you done.

The Doctors head lowered in shame for a millisecond before realizing she had not spoken aloud and quickly meeting her gaze. It only took another fraction of a second to notice that not only did it use his true name but the voice in his head was not Roses; instead it was one even more strikingly familiar, if that was possible.

'TARDIS?' He spoke aloud, looking at her curiously, shifting his weight nervously.

Everyone's eyes raised in surprise, especially those who still held to the idea the TARDIS was not a living being. They couldn't deny that the person in front of them wasn't their Rose. Of course she looked exactly the same but for one thing she had not yet tried to gain physical contact with the Doctor, hadn't spoken with him directly and her posture was stiff and ridged, almost she wasn't used to having a human body, or as the case may suggest, a body at all.

She nodded in confirmation before speaking, stepping forward even more towards him before turning and facing the majority of the people in this room as that she could speak to them all. 'Rose has been changed and because she shares a part of me I am able to control her for a short amount of time without suppressing her to death. But I don't have time to explain. I took hold of this body so that I may help in this struggle and while Rose may have been a great help she is too weak from all that has happened. She is resting and healing as we speak. '

She spun once again to look at the Doctor. She looked briefly down at the gun then back to his eyes. 'You disappoint me my Doctor, just be thankful it is I who have witnessed this and not our Rose for I doubt you would still be standing if it were her.' The TARDIS made Roses mouth quirk up in a tiny half smile at that knowing later she would know of this. 'But we must stop this now and I'll leave you to be dealt with later. She will not remember your true name after this Theta,' she added in her mind and sending it out to her Doctor, knowing it was important to him.

He nodded slightly silently in thanks and followed her as she walked calmly over to the control panel, ignoring the voice of a Dalek calling: 'Detonation in twenty rels!'

'Oh... closing all Z-Neutrino relay loops using an internalized synchronous back-feed reversal loop.' The TARDIS spoke calmly as she flicked a switch and everyone looked on in awe. She sighed slightly in content at finally being able to use some of her knowledge, to be free in a body, even if it would only be for a few more minutes. She looked over at her Doctor, ignoring the wailing of Dalek voices over the communications.

She had gone easy on him because of all that he had gone through. She was disappointed this had happened, but not surprised. It was something she had been expecting since Rose left. But now they had her back and she was just as happy as the Doctor.

'You will suffer for this.' Davros shrieked, angry that everything was falling apart and he was now powerless as the remaining Daleks cried out that the systems had shut-down.

The TARDIS looked up at him doubtfully and flicked another switch, disabling his arm but not causing him any pain. Both she and the tiny part of Rose that was still conscious during all this did not want to cause any pain that wasn't necessary, even to their enemies. The TARDIS smiled, knowing only Rose would think like that and knowing she and her Doctor had licked the right human.

'Macro transmission of a K-filter wavelength blocking Dalek weaponry in a self-replicating energy blindfold matrix.' She spoke, pushing down something and flicking yet another switch, disabling all the Daleks.

'But how did you figure that out?' the Doctor asked, incredulously.

'There are many things about me even you do not know my Doctor, one is that my knowledge spans wider than you could ever imagine but some knowledge can not be told to others for the consequences to the balance would be severe.' She explained, knowing he would want to know why she had never told him before.

'Holding cell deactivated.' She announced cheerfully and watched as Donna moved from her place over to the others, standing quite close to Jack, who looked slightly uncomfortable with the arrangement.

'And seal the Vault.' She looked up at the Doctor at the other side of the panel. 'Well, don't just stand there, I'm going to need some help,' she demanded.

He snapped instantly into action and everyone watched as they worked side by side, synchronized in the strangest way.

'Is it just me or do you get the feeling they'd be like that anyway even if it were Rose?' Martha whispered to the other who all nodded their heads in agreement, thankful to be able to lighten up just slightly.

Jack disappeared for a moment inside the… TARDIS? Or shell of the TARDIS at least and re-emerged with his gun, pointing it directly at Davros, just in case.

'Don't move,' he ordered gleefully.

They had missed a few moments of whatever the Rose and the Doctor where talking about and when finally they drew their attention back it was Rose, or the TARDIS, who was speaking.

'Ready?' the Doctor nodded. 'And reverse.' They both slowly pulled out two rods from the controls.

'Off you go, Clom.' The Doctor spoke, his familiar grin starting to light up his face again, beginning to be able to believe that all of this was actually happening.

'Back home, Adipose Three!' Rose cried out, reveling in the long lost jubilance of the Doctor and joining in it.

'Shallacatop! Pyrovillia! The Lost Moon of Poosh. Topping. Ha!' the Doctor continued, raising his foot comically to push another lever as his hands where busy.

'Was he always like this?' Martha and Donna asked at the same time, looking slightly surprised at each other. Martha finished, 'when he travelled with her.'

They watched as he bounced around the panel, flicking switches and pushing buttons every once in a while.

Jack smiled fondly. 'Oh yeah.' Both he, Jackie and Mickey responded, grinning at each other.

'We need more power,' the TARDIS spoke, Roses face still smiling softly at the Doctor.

'Is anyone going to tell us what's going on?' Donna asked, hands on hips with a half stern look on her face.

Her grin widened at the question and she shot the Doctor a mischievous look, causing his expression to match hers. 'Nope,' they shot back at the indignant red-head.

'We'll explain later,' the Doctor said as he saw her about to complain.

'You promised me, Dalek Caan. Why did you not foresee this?' Came Davros' sudden interruption.

'Oh I think he did,' the Doctor said instead. 'Something's been manipulating the timelines for ages... getting Rose Tyler to the right place at the right time. Out of all the universes she could have landed in and it just happens to be this one. Oh, I don't think so,' he stared at Dalek Caan with something akin to awe in his expression.

'This would always have happened. I only helped, Doctor.' Dalek Caan finally spoke, sounding much less insane than before.

'You... betrayed the Daleks?' Davros asked deprecatingly.

'I SAW the Daleks. What we have done throughout time and space. I saw the truth of us, Creator,' he spat the title out like a bad taste, 'and I decreed "no more".'

'Heads Up,' came Jacks voice suddenly and they all turned to see the Supreme Dalek lowering into the vault.

'Davros, you have betrayed us,' it accused him.

'It was Dalek Caan,' Davros spoke fearfully, still trying to preserve his own life.

'The Vault will be purged! You will all be exterminated.' As he spoke he sent a death ray towards the panel, sending mini explosions and sparks in all directions.

'Oho, I don't think so,' Jack said smugly, turning his gun to the Dalek away from Davros and blowing his top off without hesitation.

The Doctor went back to examining the central column, a frown coming to his face. 'Oh, we've lost the magnetron! And there's only one planet left oh –' he laughed sarcastically and looked over at the TARDIS, quickly looking away again and to the rest of the group, finding it extremely difficult to look at her face and know it wasn't her he was speaking to. He felt a wave of sympathy wash over him, courtesy of the TARDIS and ignored it. 'Guess which one. Look, we can use the TARDIS!'

He turned back to the TARDIS in Roses body and raised his eyebrows. 'Time to go,' he stated simply.

She merely nodded and gave him a small smile. She took a deep breath in and as she exhaled a golden fog withdrew from her mouth and fingertips, floating across the air and back into the real TARDIS.

The Doctor scrambled forward and caught Rose as she fell. He looked down at her face only to find her unconscious and picked her up completely, taken aback slightly at the feel of holding her in his arms again.

He carried her into the TARDIS and laid her across the captain's seat before going to the console and frantically flipping switches.

He finished quickly before rushing back out again and back to the controls.

'Holding Earth stability... maintaining atmospheric shell.' He muttered to himself, just loud enough for everyone to hear, not that they really understood what was going on.

'The prophecy must complete.' Caan shouted urgently, flailing erratically in his seat.

'Don't listen to him.' Davros spoke, knowing this would be the end of him.

'I have seen the end of everything Dalek, and you must make it happen, Doctor.'

The Doctor looked up, denial bright in his eyes. 'But I can't… not after-'he cut himself off and swallowed heavily, glancing down at the gun still lying on the floor. 'It's murder.' He whispered, staring, wide-eyed at the Dalek. 'But… He's right. Because with or without a Reality Bomb, this Dalek Empire's big enough to slaughter the cosmos. They've got to be stopped.' There was no joy in his voice as he spoke, only resignation.

He went to pull a lever but was stopped by a familiar voice. 'Wait Doctor,' Donna said, desperate to make him think of something else, anything else. 'Couldn't you just, send them somewhere – trap them in a place they couldn't hurt anyone.

He started to shake his head remorsefully until an idea popped into his head. His eyes lit up and he bounded back into the TARDIS, staring at the ceiling.

I know what you are thinking my Doctor, the TARDIS spoke to him. But I can not do the same as I did for Margaret. She had a specific birth and order to her life, these creatures were made. Even if I could they are too great in number. I am afraid that would take more power than even I have Theta. He looked at the ground in disappointment and lost hope, knowing he shouldn't have expected any more.

But, she started up again; I could take them into me. They are such dark creatures my light would destroy them. I know you don't like killing Theta but it would be merciful to them. They have already lost their minds just like those you met with the Emperor… They hate their own existence just as thoroughly as the one did in Van Stattens.

'But what will it do to you?' He asked, stoking the console gently, not wanting to cause the old girl any harm.

I will retain enough energy to bring Earth home. But after that you will need to take me to the Rift to re-fuel.

He nodded and stepped back.

A/N I know that's a weird place to end it but I'm putting the next chapter up straight away since the two were actually only one chapter but I thought it was way too long and just divided it half way. Even though they are both going up at about the same time, I hope you will review both, I really want to hear what you think of everything.

Thanks.

Review.