A Rose by any other name

Big thanks to my beta for giving me inspiration when I felt too emotionally drained to write this. Think it came out quite okay in the end. Hope the Doctor's not too OOC... And apologies, again, for the delay. Going through lots of personal stuff ending in lawyers, grandparents in the hospital and all sorts. Not finished, but feeling a bit better about myself plus more time as my work just dismissed me for, well, spraining my ankle. Anywho, more time to you, which is always a positive and some reviews to cheer me up.

Responses to reviews are at the bottom of the fanfic, but just know this chapter is dedicated to all of you guys and my heartfelt thanks for all your encouragements over the months. I wish I could say we're nearing the finish line, but, as my beta can attest to, I think we're not even half-way yet.

Anyway, enough jibberjabber - have fun and let me know your thoughts pretty please!

Rose watched, still amazed by how seamlessly Jack had integrated himself into their group, forming a trio instead of a duo. Adam had made her more than aware of just how attuned to one another the Doctor and her had become - and, by extension, how difficult it was to insert anyone between them. But Jack - Jack had simply been himself, a part they hadn't known was missing but now Rose found it hard to remember how she and the Doctor had ever made it without him. The Captain had the technical know-how and fascination to actually help the Doctor with repairs to the ship and he had the same incredulous admiration for the Tardis that made both the Doctor and the ship allow him to help fix and improve her.

And with her, the only female aboard the Tardis - well, Jack was brilliant. When the Doctor was once again oblivious to her pretty dresses or sexy shoes, he'd be there to wolf-whistle, admire and flirt which not only gave her a massive confidence boost but, without fail, always made the Doctor jealous and more prone to be close to her. She loved it. Of course, on those days where she wanted to moan about the Doctor - or talk about how oblivious that man was to just how good he looked in tight jeans - Jack was right there with the appropriate admiration for him she could normally only get from Keisha or Shareen. It was - to borrow one of her Doctor's words - simply fantastic.

And when the days came where Jack wondered what he'd done in those two years the Time Agency took from him, he'd be with either her or the Doctor. Rose would coax and flirt, would remind him of the man he was now and the Doctor would remind him that no matter what he had done, he was here now, helping things for the better and that he had been given a second chance, should he have needed it. Sometimes, Rose dearly wished he'd listen to his own advice.

But watching the two of them at Breakfast was definitely one of her favourites. Working on the Tardis, the two were always in synch with one another but now, here, at Breakfast, the two were bantering back and forth. As per usual, the Doctor was grumpy - either due to the time lost by them needing their sleep or because he was bored - and Jack was excited about their upcoming adventure. At this point, there wasn't even a question anymore about whether they were just going out to find a quiet place somewhere to simply relax; that never happened. Jack had quickly come to realise that even the most peaceful of planets seemed to have a revolution prepared just for their arrival. Every time. And he loved it, just as she did.

Her smile softened, watching as Jack unashamedly flirted and teased until even her grumpy Doctor's lips started twitching upwards. A buzzing in her pocket stopped her from joining in and she quickly reached for the phone only to realise it wasn't a call but just a text message.

#Happy B-day! How's 20 feeling? Make sure your hot stud takes you somewhere pretty! Tons of love to the birthday girl! Shareen

For just a moment, Rose was tempted to check the calendar before remembering there was none. They could be wherever they wanted, so it hadn't ever mattered. Nor had it occurred to her to celebrate the Doctor's or Jack's birthday - oh god, what if she had already missed them?

Jack, ever observant, and the Doctor, who always seemed to have one eye on her either way, were now both fully focussed on her.

"Everything alright?" Jack's voice was warm and concerned and the blonde couldn't help but feel grateful for the fantastic people around her. Giving them a bright smile, she nodded quickly.

"Yep, just got to talk to my girl friend for a bit. Give me an hour and we can go, kay?"

Predictably, her Doctor grumbled but didn't protest and Jack just waved her on, though his brows were furrowed and she suspected he knew something wasn't quite right. She rushed to her room, hoping that her plan would work, otherwise she'd have to try a more subtle ploy - and she wasn't the best when it came to being subtle.

"So, erm, hey there. I'm hoping this'll work. Could you... tell me or show me Jack's and the Doctor's birthdays?"

The lights flashed gently and Rose's brows furrowed. If this was the only way of communicating then that would be a bit problematic... or not?

"So, er... Could you flash again, slowly, first for the month and then for the days? Let's start with the Doctor's, yeah?"

The lights remained steady and Rose sighed. Oh well, it had been worth a try. Back to being subtle. She felt an urge to ask for Jack's, but ignored it, not realising the Tardis was attempting to help her. The Doctor's birthday in no way matched Earth's calendar, but Jack's did. Slipping out of her PJ's, she quickly found a skirt and shirt the Tardis had already laid out for her and changed before joining Jack and the Doctor again in the console room.

An adventure and 28 hours later, two very exhausted humans and one Time Lord burst back into the blue box, laughing loudly.

"Now that, that was brilliant!" Rose announced, grinning widely, and kissing Jack on his cheek, narrowly avoiding turning it into a full-blown kiss when he turned, while the Captain pouted at her quick evasion.

"Still not quite sure how or why you ended up naked, but it was brilliant!"

"Not brilliant," the Doctor grumbled, "this will now be part of the yearly re-enactments."

Rose and Jack took one look at one another before bursting into fresh peals of laughter and high-fiving each other.

"Right, well, I'm off. The shower's calling," Rose said, stretching slightly. The moment her eyes landed on Jack's leer, she snorted. "A shower which I'll be having all by myself."

He shrugged, entirely unapologetic and ignoring the Doctor's glare. "Don't have to. I'm very, very good at helping in showers."

The blonde just laughed again, shaking her head. The moment she left the room, the smirk fell off Jack's lips.

"So let's find out what that was about."

The Doctor's dark eyes narrowed. "What what was about?"

Jack's lips twitched. "Do you really wanna start the what what game?" Then, growing serious again, he explained, "All this time, Rose kept talking about months and births... Do you think she's pregnant?"

The Doctor's hearts raced at Jack's question. He'd wondered the same, of course he had. She wasn't, she couldn't be, but that didn't mean his hearts didn't stop beating for a second at the mere thought. If Rose were pregnant, that meant she'd... found someone. He didn't want her to. It would inevitably mean what it always meant; she'd leave him. Just like everyone else always did. And he didn't want her to, not her.

In an effort to distract himself, he glanced at the other man, whose eyes were still on the corridor Rose had just left through. "So you picked up on it too?"

Jack snorted. "Well, she was hardly subtle. Even when running she still tried to quiz me."

The Doctor nodded curtly. He found himself checking the Tardis logs even though he knew it couldn't be, he had to. He had to make sure; at the same time he explained to Jack why it couldn't be true.

"It's highly unlikely. It's been 83 days since she last saw her boyfriend and it's only been 16 days since her last menstruation. Adam left well before then and she's not had time with anyone but you and me since then. Besides, the Tardis - she scans you, every time you step on board for foreign contaminants that could be dangerous to you or her. But more than that, she keeps record of your temperature and the life forms on board. Had Rose been pregnant, she would've alerted me." And there it was. She was fine. No illness, no contaminants and definitely no pregnancy.

Relieved, he looked up only to find Jack staring at him, speechless.

"What?" he found himself snapping at his newest companion again who only shook his head slightly in response.

"Well," Jack drawled, eyebrows raised, "I'm not sure where to begin. How about the fact that it's surprisingly creepy to hear you state you know the amount of days since Rose last saw her boyfriend. Jealous much? And about her period? Is the Tardis tracking that for you too? Do you-"

"What? No! The Tardis could monitor but I would never ask her to do something so intrusive. Got superior senses, me, and that includes my nose. Can't help it."

Jack chuckled, watching the Doctor proudly tapping the aforementioned organ. "Oh, a part of me definitely wants to be there if you ever tell her. The other part of me wants to be in a different galaxy when you tell her you sniff her every day."

This time, the Doctor flushed lightly. "I don't - I don't sniff her. It's part of the air I breathe. I can't stop it anymore than I could stop breathing... Well," he amended, "I do have a respiratory bypass, so technically-"

"Yeah, never mind that, Casanova. Just be grateful I know how to swipe someone's phone without them noticing." Jack grinned widely as he fished the phone out of his pockets. "Okay, so she started acting oddly this morning after she received a text... Oh, wow, this is old-school. How do I get to the texts?"

After touching the screen several times without result and complaining about its small size, Jack held the device in front of him and told it, "display texts." The Doctor, who had up until this point watched with rising amusement, snorted and took the phone from him, quickly using the buttons to navigate and display the sought-after text for him and Jack.

"Damn. Her birthday and her twentieth to boot; oh, we're lucky to have made it this far alive."

The Doctor turned to the other man, looking puzzled.

"So? What difference does it make?"

"What difference?" Jack shook his head, realising now what Rose had meant when she told him that the Doctor was out of touch with some of the more mundane parts of human life; like sleeping and, apparently, birthdays. "Well, for starters, we're gonna have to get presents and a cake, celebrate, maybe take her back home if she wants to. Twenty is big - there needs to be a party-"

"This is my ship, my rules. There are no parties. I have never celebrated someone's birthday before and I don't intend to start now just because of you."

Jack snorted. "Well, you're going to make an exception and not for me, but for her, for Rose. She's not complained once even though the resort planet turned into a siege, the beach into mermen abducting people - and yes, I know they're not called mermen. Point is, she's gone along with all of that and not complained once; hell, she saved us a time or two. Now, it's her birthday, she's a girl and you haven't said anything nice to her even once today. Now, whether or not you celebrate your own is your problem, but Rose - she deserves something special. Just take her somewhere nice. What about Zandra? The restaurant's fantastic and she'd get a chance to dress up."

He desperately wanted to say he didn't make exceptions, not even for Rose, but that would be a blatant lie. He'd bent and outright broken many of his own rules since she'd come on board and if it would make her as miserable as Jack seemed to imply - and he had to admit that that man knew women better than almost any other man could profess to - it would be a small sacrifice. Plus he was right, loathe he was to admit it. Rose did deserve it. That and more. But not Zandra, not a planet Jack had suggested. He'd find something better, something perfect.

"I need to make a couple of calls to pick up a present for Rosie, so I'll be back in a couple of hours. Can I trust you to pick a place and double and triple check that there is no revolution, no government being overthrown, no rebels, no mysterious disappearances every hundred years, no poisoned food; that there is nothing, absolutely nothing at all happening when we land?"

Jack privately thought the Doctor had some audacity to look offended at his questioning; he was perfectly within his rights. Places he'd visited over twenty times without problems would suddenly start having problems the moment they landed there with the Doctor. Nevertheless, he kept his mouth shut and went to his room to call in some favours and have a kip. It had been a very, very long day.

The Tardis had landed as silently and smoothly as possible on the various trips the Doctor had made in an effort to make the restaurant reservations and for Jack to pick up his present. He'd had to pick a place which did not discriminate against two men and one woman, which had proven to be another headache and he hoped the truth about the place he was taking Rose didn't come to light.

By the time Rose woke up, he barely had sufficient time to call the restaurant and request a cake - something he had very nearly forgotten. He knocked on her door and patiently waited for her to call him in.

"Rose, the Tardis will lay out an outfit for you. We're going to a place and a planet which has a very specific dress code."

"Okay," her voice was chipper and he found himself smiling in response, despite the fact that he couldn't see her. "but I can wear my hair however I like, yeah? You'd tell me if wearing my hair up and showing my neck was a sign of sexual promiscuity, unlike last time, right? Don't much like being thrown out of a place we're tryin' to rescue. And climbin' through the window was difficult in that long a dress."

He did recall that particular adventure but it hadn't been his fault; the reign of queen Uziye had been extremely short and how was he to know that the king's mistress had short hair especially since the law had been rescinded a mere decade later.

Suddenly the door opened just as he started to defend himself and the blonde, her hair in a pink towel and another one wrapped around her body, came into view, a bright smile on her lips.

"Oh, that dress is beautiful! You're brilliant!" She gave the stunned Time Lord a kiss on the cheek before closing the door again. He'd barely regained his senses and was stepping away from her bedroom, when the door flew open again.

"Oh, and tell Jack thanks and that I want my phone back. Pronto. No seducing my girl friends or he's in big trouble."

Another wide, happy smile and the door closed again but he could hear her humming slightly. Despite the fact that she no doubt knew Jack had to convince him to go along with these plans, he couldn't help but smile softly. Rose, when she was happy, had a way of infusing him with good spirit.

Well, time to get ready... and maybe change his jumper. She did seem to like his dark blue one; not that he was changing because she may or may not prefer one jumper over the other... But, well, it was her birthday.

Her hands slipped into his seamlessly and it took a moment before the Doctor became aware that he'd been staring. Rose was... well, pure Rose. Her makeup was surprisingly minimal and she was wearing a soft pink dress and golden earrings, her neck bare except for the chain holding the key to their - no, his home, not theirs. She wore long white gloves and the dress swirled silently around her, different shades of pink coming to the fore with every move. Her hair was curled, half up and the rest of it cascading down her back, drawing his attention to the bare skin on her back, on display for everyone to see before the dress enveloped her bottom and displayed her waist and breasts in a way that set his skin on fire, made his heart ache and his hands itch to touch her and find out just how soft she would feel beneath his hands.

A mirage, that's what she was; a being so perfect, so close to everything you wanted, everything you've ever dared dream of, she couldn't be real. But her hand in his said differently, the warmth of her heating his skin even through the glove and for just a moment, the barest moment, he wanted to give in, to tell her how she took his breath away, how much she meant to him, how beautiful she was, how she'd lit up the darkness in his mind.

And she was, beautiful that is. She shone, brighter than the sun, brighter than any star he'd ever seen. He heard Jack say something in the background, but he found himself unable to register the words, his eyes devouring Rose, wanting to memorise her, to burn every single second into his memory forever. He found himself looking at her, just looking, watching as her amber eyes widened, watching as she stepped closer to him until they were barely a breath apart, one hand half-reaching out to him, the other clasping his hand desperately. Rose had never done what he had, had never taken such great pains to hide herself and he could see it, could read her every though and emotion as they flittered through her busy mind. And he loved it. She trusted him, trusted him so wholeheartedly; and that was not something he could or wanted to break. She had been there for him when he had to account, to himself and her, for the horrors he had perpetrated, when he had counted the children lost, forever, and she hadn't run. But he refused to destroy more of her innocence, of her. He was a selfish man; he wanted her all for himself but he knew his darkness would extinguish her light before she'd ever have a chance to shine. And that was not something he was willing to be responsible for.

So, with two heavy hearts, full of regret and words never said, he took a step back from her, watching, pained, as her eyes clouded and darkened even if her smile never faltered.

"Happy Birthday, Rose Tyler."

Jack kept quiet only for a moment before he, determined to cheer her up, stepped closer and told her how beautiful she looked. Words he knew she wanted to hear from him, not Jack. Nevertheless, she smiled at the other man and, before Jack could, the Doctor offered her his arm, feeling relieved when she took it instead of looking to see if she could go with Jack.

He controlled his heartbeat, though it desperately wanted to race, when she, with her arm tucked in his, started to lean against him. Quietly, so Jack didn't hear, she whispered, amber eyes looking up from beneath her lashes.

"Better with two..."

His stomach churned and he wanted to cry, to confess, to kiss her for always understanding, for always forgiving. But he couldn't, he never could. So he just allowed his hand to rest atop of hers, gently squeezing her hand, a silent reaffirmation of something he refused to put words to.

And so he led them out and down the hall, a short walk to the restaurant. Jack entertained with a naked birthday bash and Rose admired the sparkling, vibrant, green ocean within their view, her hands tightening around his arms at times in amusement and other times to draw his attention to her so she could show him one of the sea creatures or ask him questions about the other pedestrians. She didn't need to know that his eyes had not left her for one moment anyway.

"Reservations, please?"

Ah, now this could be problematic. He flushed slightly.

"Err... T-Tyler." He hoped it was something she hadn't picked up on, but he could see the way her smile brightened just a tad, meaning she was now ready to keep the smile on no matter what cover story he'd concocted and the way Jack waggled his eyebrows in scarcely hidden innuendo. The Time Lord suppressed a sigh, realising he would have to confess either way.

"Doctor Tyler, this is my beautiful wife, Rose and this is the suitor, Captain Jack Harkness."

"Of course. Follow me, sirs, ma'am."

Her amber eyes were alit with curiousity but she knew him well enough to wait until the waiter was out of earshot. He pulled her chair out, watching out of the corner of his eyes and Jack seduced the waiter with only his usual wink and introduction.

"So," she started the moment the waiter was gone, "I'm your wife, darling? Shame," she grinned widely, "I can't even remember our wedding night."

Her tongue poked out the corner of her mouth and Jack chuckled lowly. "Not so impressive, now, is he?"

"Oy," he interjected, feeling similarly stunned and offended. He really hadn't expected Rose to accept the cover story quite so easily - nor, he admitted, had he expected the jibe at their wedding night. What he had half-expected, was for her to ask why he wasn't her father instead of the husband. "I'll have you know I'm very impressive!"

Jack smirked lasciviously, "well, feel free to demonstrate any time."

Rose laughed loudly only to stifle it, barely, behind her gloved hand, knowing how many societies didn't appreciate the loud outbursts. He found himself grinning as well, rolling his eyes at Jack but no less grateful for his help in lighting the atmosphere.

"Well, she can't have two suitors taking her to a restaurant at the same time," he found himself explaining, "but she can, if she has marital problems, ask another suitor to come along. Said suitor would be in competition with the husband so the wife could see if she wanted to divorce and marry anew or if she wants to heal her marriage. The only other way would be for us to be in this restaurant is as a family, and, I'm afraid Jack doesn't know how to behave himself well enough for that or it'd be a pretty scandalous family."

Rose's giggles became louder again and the Time Lord found himself smiling, enjoying this vision of her where her cheeks where flushed and her eyes bright and she seemed genuinely happy.

"Not to mention, when they asked me who the suitor was courting, I had to tell them I wasn't entirely sure and that I thought it may be both of us because I couldn't trust Jack to reign himself in even for one night."

He found himself exchanging a smile with Jack when Rose fully burst into laughter, head thrown back and an expression of natural, untamed beauty to her that never failed to draw men like moths to her. His heart felt lighter just for her mere presence, her happy, exuberant spirit and he smiled warmly at the beautiful woman sitting across the table.

Dinner took several hours over banter, happy memories and witty comments, all to keep Rose smiling and giggling all throughout the evening. So many moments he never wanted to forget; how her face lit up when the cake came in - never mind that chocolate here looked green and tasted like apples, a fact he'd forgotten when he asked for a chocolate cake - the way she'd smiled so brilliantly at him when she'd said thank you, the way, the two moons had made her dress seem so much darker and how it had only returned to its pink colour every time her leg touched the fabric and lifted it, the way she had twirled on the balcony in happiness, her dress spiraling around her, hair spinning and lips curled up as she laughed. He thought silently to himself that it was one of the moments where it physically pained him to hold the words 'I love you inside' of himself. It seemed so natural to say them, so intuitive and every breath was lanced with pain, an unbearable urge to tell her what his hearts fairly shouted. Yet he refused to bring Rose down with him, to further expose her to his darkness and so he held onto the words that attempted to claw their way up his throat, suppressed his heartbeats, the longing, the wonder and admiration as far as he could, though every second in her presence only made him hurt more, made the pain of not telling her I love you, a simple admission of emotions he could no longer deny, nigh excruciating. But if there was one thing the Doctor was familiar with, it was pain.

In the end, what he had, had to be enough. And he wanted to remember every single second of that night, wanted to remember it in every dark night he still had to face, in every dark moment that had yet to come. He didn't want to forget what her laughter sounded like, what each of her different smiles meant, how her hand felt in his, how her voice sounded when she said his name, how his hearts skipped every time she ran headfirst into danger, how her presence made him want to impress her, how her touch made him crave touch in a way no Time Lord should, and the way she made him forget all the pain, all the hurt and fight the darkness within himself. He wanted to treasure it, to lock these moments away in time for him and him only to hear, to see, to have.

And that was just why he knew he couldn't have her, couldn't hold her to him, could never tell her just how much she meant to him, how she was his everything. Because everything he had, broke, and everyone he loved, got taken from him. Maybe he could trick the universe, for just a little while, so she could stay with him for a bit longer.

"Tonight - Thank you, again. I know it's not usually your thing, but I loved it. It was fantastic." Her tongue poked out the corner of her mouth and wanted to kiss her. He didn't. He never did.

Jack had already made his way back to the restaurant to spend the night with their waiter - or the chef, or the concierge. To be honest, he hadn't paid that much attention. He had gifted Rose with a bracelet that had a small charm with a moon on it as well as one of a dancing couple. She'd positively beamed at him before sending him on his way.

"Happy Birthday, Rose. I...erm.." He could feel himself flushing, fumbling with the item in his pocket. "I got you something too."

"Oh!" Her smile brightened and she stared at him expectantly.

"Ah, you don't have to wear it if you don't like it."

Her brow furrowed in confusion and it took him a moment to realise she still didn't know what the present was. Flustered, he quickly held out the small box and watched as she fumbled with the lid for a moment before opening it.

He knew what was inside; even now, he still wasn't sure if he'd ever intended to actually give it to her. Whether she knew it or not, the item in her hands was a confession, telling her what he forbade himself to say out loud. A bit more than a month ago, the Doctor had, over a couple of sleepless nights, made this gift. But he'd known that nothing else would do as a present for her birthday, the moment Jack had made mention of giving her a gift. All evening he'd hesitated, wondered what he should say, how much to tell her.

In the end, all it took was one look at her, amber eyes bright with unshed tears, expression curious and hesitant, yet so happy, that he found his restraint breaking slightly. The Time Lord stepped closer, gently retrieving the necklace from the box and holding it out in front of her.

"Look closely," he instructed, watching as she lifted a part of the necklace up to inspect for a moment before her eyes widened. He continued, knowing she'd recognised what he was pointing out to her, "yes. It's a word, a name, over and over again, that's how I made it. Each letter woven into the next. And the material - well, it's from my planet, nigh unbreakable. And the language... It's Gallifreyan, High Gallifreyan to be precise. Your name in my tongue."

He stepped behind her, undoing her current necklace, allowing the key to slip into his hand. He didn't allow himself to question or think about it when he switched out the keys. The key she'd had up until now would've allowed her entrance to this version of the Tardis and, if he regenerated, he could've easily allow it access to that new version as well, but the key he put on the necklace he'd made for her was one of the pilot keys; it granted access to every version of this Tardis, present or future, without restrictions. She was always welcome, even if he didn't have the courage to tell her yet. The new key slid down the chain and he pulled both ends up behind her neck, using the sonic to seamlessly fuse them together. The moment he stepped aside, her eyes sought his and he knew what she was asking even if she didn't dare ask him out loud.

The Doctor's hearts were in his throat as he said a word, a name he hadn't spoken in over a millenia, hoping Rose would understand how much it, how much she, meant to him even if he could never say the words she longed to hear. The words came out in a quiet whisper, his voice rough and blue eyes alit with too many emotions to decipher yet he refused to look away from her, to tarnish the honesty and meaning of his gift by backing down now.

"Arkytior."

Her arms went around behind his neck and her body pressed itself tightly against his own as she whispered a heartfelt thank you in his ear. Still, he refused to let her go, to allow her to escape him, after the appropriate time for a friendly hug was over. He needed a moment, a moment to bury the many emotions she'd evoked, that she had called back to the surface without meaning to, a moment to hide just how much he wanted her, loved her, loved every second with this beautiful, wonderful human. His Rose.

He kept holding her, his arms safely holding her to him, feeling grateful when she, instead of relinquishing her hold on him, only tightened her hug and nuzzled her nose against his neck, equally happy to simply stand there for several minutes, enjoying the contact.

Closing his eyes, he leant his cheek against her hair, inhaled deeply and confessed some of the words he'd been wanting to tell her all evening.

"You looked stunning tonight, Rose."

Her head came up and he was surprised to see a slight redness in her eyes, but her smile was wide and happy.

"Yeah?"

The smile came automatic, soft and warm, some of the walls around his heart disappearing without his say-so.

"Yes. You were...", he found his hand straying to her neck and holding one of the golden strands of her hair, "simply fantastic. And beautiful," he grinned, gently pulling on the strand of hair in his hand, watching as it bounced slightly, "all pink and yellow."

Rose laughed, tongue poking out of her mouth slightly, teasing him, "You smoothtalker, you."

He grinned widely, glad she'd managed to dissipate the too-intimate atmosphere he'd created.

"Now that's not something I've been called before," he furrowed his brows, remembering a time, centuries ago, before the war, when he'd worn a cravat and had been somewhat of a romantic, "well," he amended, reluctantly, "not recently, anyway."

Rose laughed. "Oh, there's definitely a story there."

The Time Lord grinned, knowing that she might very well be the one person he would tell about this if she stayed around him long enough.

"There may be. But not for tonight."

Rose nodded, acquiescing to his request. He was just about to leave when she called his name.

"Doctor?"

He turned around, only a few steps away from her, when she looked up at him shyly.

"Would you teach me? Your language, I mean... You- You don't have to, if you don't want to, but I thought... I thought maybe you'd like to have someone you can talk to, someone else so you know your language isn't forgotten... I... It's just a thought."

He stared. He couldn't help it.

A Time Lord's brain was impressive and at the moment every single bit of it was working very hard on figuring out what it was he wanted. Time Lords and even Gallifreyans in general, regarded humans as inferior, beneath them. Teaching even one of them their language was, well, almost paramount to treason; which, in all fairness, wasn't so much a deterrent as an encouragement to him. But still, high Gallifreyan was regarded as almost sacred. The Tardis and him were the only ones left in the entire universe capable of speaking and writing it... Having someone to talk to, imagining Rose's tongue wrap around the complicated twists and syllables of his language, having her capable of writing in his language... He'd know that no matter what, there would always be someone beside him, that it wouldn't be forgotten; it wasn't something he could, with all the languages in the universe, put into words.

It was almost a sacrilege, but then again, he'd always been a rebel. She wasn't the first companion to ask him to teach them, but back then there had been no reason to and every reason not to. Rose - he believed in her. She wouldn't betray him, not now, not ever. If he taught her, if he taught her, then...

"Yes" it slipped out too fast, a desperate whisper, a fervent desire he hadn't known he had. By Rassilon, he wanted it so badly he couldn't believe she had just... offered. Rose. Everything he wanted and needed, knowing him even when he didn't. God, she had his hearts, both of them, and she didn't know it and yet she seemed to think he was doing her a favour by teaching her. He loved her. The one sentence he'd look forward to teaching her, the one time he could be honest without her knowing just how truly he meant every single syllable of it with all he had.

Her smile was open and her amber eyes shone with relief.

"Great, let me get changed and we can get started."

"I- Now? But it's your birthday."

Her smile was warm and her amber eyes soft, her hand touching his own gently.

"And this is my present, isn't it?"

He stared, even after the door had closed behind her. He was the Doctor and he helped people but he had always known that he needed someone, no matter how much he refused to admit it at times. But he'd never thought he'd ever get to meet someone quite so perfect for him as Rose. A part of him wondered what the other Time Lords would have said if they knew a human spoke and wrote their language. Grinning to himself, he ambled off towards the library, his mind already working on the best way of teaching her the nuances of his culture and language, his hearts feeling lighter than they had just yesterday. Every day, Rose seemed to do something that made the burden of being the last, of being a Time Lord, just that little bit less painful, his future just that little bit less foreboding. And for a heartbeat, just one nanosecond, he wondered what it would be like to immerse his damaged psyche, his darkness, into her shining light; what it would feel like to have this pink and yellow creature light up even the darkest corners of his heart, bring peace to his war-ravaged mind and have her accept even his most darkest of urges. But he dismissed the thought as quickly as it came, refusing to indulge in a fantasy that he would fight to the ends of the universe for, to stop it from ever coming true. He would never, ever, hurt Rose in such a way, nor would he ever allow her to see that much of him.

Because, deep in his heart, he knew that even she would run. But for now, she was still here. For now, she could still make him smile, could still make him forget. And soon, soon she'd talk to him in a language that had only ever been spoken on one planet, a language of the dead, a language that had been lost, for too long, to anyone but him. And inevitably, Rose would conquer and hold onto yet another part of him, hide another part of herself deep inside his hearts that he would never allow anyone else to see, that he could never give anyone else.

The Doctor never had told her his birthday; instead, she'd coaxed him into celebrating the day they first met. And Jack, well, he'd only been too happy for everyone to know and the Doctor had, as his present, left him on a real pleasure planet for two weeks. He'd never told her what exactly that entailed but Jack hadn't stopped grinning for a month afterwards.

And now the entire world was watching her. ... Okay, so that was an exaggeration. The general population didn't know what was being done. All they knew was that Torchwood was working on something that would save them. Presidents and prime ministers all over the world had decided, for once relatively unanimously, that the world at large needed to remain unaware that their scientists and armies were completely useless and unable to find a solution; that their only way out was finding a man on another world - one world among billions and billions. They didn't need to know just how small their actual chance of survival was.

Rose and Pete had decided that Jackie, especially, couldn't know. Oh, she knew Rose would be travelling via the dimension cannon in the hope of finding the Doctor. They had told her that much and she had easily figured out that chances were slim; she knew both Rose and Pete too well for them to be able to lie about that.

But she didn't understand just how slim, didn't understand just how different the other dimensions could be, how little hope there was that Rose would manage all those jumps herself, that she'd return alive every time. It had caused several rather severe rows between her and her dad. In the end, it had been Mickey who had backed her, Mickey who had explained what she couldn't; that she wasn't fully human anymore. Pete was the only one who knew, apart from Mickey, and he'd accepted her as his daughter regardless; it had earned him Rose's respect and her loyalty even if he didn't know it yet.

The governments had been easy to convince, despite the fact that there was a surplus of volunteers. Politicians, above all else, understood the need for leverage; and, in their eyes, that's precisely what Rose was. Pete had disclosed to them that she had travelled with the man, that she was the reason he'd become entangled in their fight in the first place and that he was the reason the Cybermen were now in a place people called hell. Rose had voiced very little in the matter, understanding that whatever connection they imagined there to be between her and the Doctor would only aid them. She had been chosen with very little protest, especially once she'd explained that she would be able to tell if the dimension was the right one almost instantly.

So here she was, staring up at the building the public only knew as Torchwood Tower. The place she'd entered into this universe and the place she'd leave from. Pete had left hours before, being in the unenviable position of having to greet foreign dignitaries and watching her, from a glass window, as she travelled to other dimensions.

Her heart was heavy. The pain in her head and her entire body made it difficult to walk in a straight line. Mickey, Pete and Jake were the only ones who fully understood what the concept of different worlds, different dimensions, actually meant. So many people who took part in the project had latched onto the fact that the Doctor's world was fairly similar to their own. They didn't understand that the places Rose would land in could have no earth, no humans or a place where their entire race had been subjugated by aliens, where their planet had become collateral damage in a way or a place which aliens would claim as theirs in an effort to rebuild their own planet.

The Doctor and her, together they had stopped so many attempts on earth, on their planet, so many ways in which human race could have been eradicated entirely, so many ways where she could find herself in the midst of war or on the run. The chance that their lovely planet was intact and invasion-free was miniscule compared to the millions of other possibilities. They were the only ones who knew what she was actually going into, what she might face; some of the scientist had hypothesised but too many refused to believe that anything could be worse to what their world had experienced. Rose had no way of telling them, not without disclosing where she was from, and that would put her family at risk, so that idea had been dismissed before it ever truly had a chance to form fully.

It was odd, being back here after all this time. What had first been her own, personal hell, a reminder of everything she'd lost, was now a way of finding him again, of returning to his side. Every single memory in her head since she'd carefully rebuilt them, was now crystal-clear, not vague snippets of conversations or a faint idea of a face nearly forgotten, but rather almost like a series of images, a voice so clear it felt as if they were standing, whispering into her ear. And the one thing she remembered, above all else, was that empty, white room and the five and a half days she'd waited.

It was stupid, she tried to reprimand herself, yet it was difficult to force her feet to move towards the place she loathed. Over half an hour she'd dithered, staying outside of it rather than entering the place she feared. It was another adventure, she tried to tell herself, a new place to explore, somewhere to run, somewhere that no one would know her, somewhere that would finally take the pain away. And she'd see him again.

Unbidden, she remembered another time she had been separated from, a memory of the words she'd once said to her mum and Mickey, in what felt like a lifetime ago.

"But it was, it was a better life. I don't mean all the travelling and seeing aliens and spaceships and things. That don't matter. The Doctor showed me a better way of living your life. You know, he showed you too. You don't just give up. You don't just let things happen. You make a stand. You say "no." You have the guts to do what's right when everyone else just runs away, and I just can't!"

It was what finally gave her the strength to cross the street, to face what she dreaded. Her feet led her closer, ever closer to the building whose title still made her want to cry. Torchwood. She shook, her hands fastened around the handle that would open the door to pain, to tears, to the unknown she'd be facing all on her own with no one at her side, no one to hold her hand.

Closing her eyes, she recalled the words a newly regenerated Doctor had once told her mum, needing something to remember why she was doing all this, why she wasn't just giving in. Rose could almost hear his voice whispering in her ear, could see his wide smile, his eyes glimmering with excitement. "Trouble's just the bits-in-between! It's all waiting out there, Jackie. And it's brand new to me- all those planets and creatures and horizons! I haven't seen them yet, not with these eyes. And it is gonna be... fantastic!"

Yes, it would be. Fantastic. Her and the Doctor. Her hand firmed around the door handle and this time there was no holding back. She might end up facing horrors, nightmares, be terrified - but she'd also see wonders, beautiful new things, new people, new friends. Uncountable new adventures awaited her and after all of them, she'd find him. Her Doctor.

Smiling softly, Rose waved to the receptionist and was waved through the security without problems. Behind the security guards and metal detectors, both Jake and Mickey were already waiting for her.

"Less grumpy than I thought for being here this early," Mickey teased, grinning at her. Giggling slightly, Rose gave him a wide smile.

"I dare you to tell that to my dad."

Jake laughed, slinging his arms around her shoulders, a hug she allowed herself to momentarily relax into. Everyone in Pete's world thought that Rose Tyler refused or hated human touch; a rumour caused by the cautious distance her mother and Mickey always held between them - and everyone thought they were doing her a favour by going out of their way to not initiate contact. Coffee in coffee shops got placed on the till rather than being handed to her, people moved around her rather than accidentally touching her and there was nothing she could do about it. Jake was her saviour, hugging and touching her whenever he saw her; and that had been before she'd told him the truth about why exactly her mother and best friend avoided her touch. His boyfriend had raised a fuss at first, before he understood that their relationship was purely platonic and, of course, that Jake would not stop, no matter what he said. After a couple of rows - which ended with Rose feeling immensely guilty - they'd actually met and she had rapidly ended up friends with him, too.

Rose, leaning against Jake, grinned at Mickey.

"We had to get up at 4 a.m. and mum was already stirring. I blame Tony for waking her up at all hours of the night. She wouldn't have let us leave had we staid any longer; you know mum."

Mickey laughed. "Boy, do I ever."

Rose chuckled. "Yeah, so we had to run. Dad didn't even have his shirt on yet and I hadn't taken off yesterday's makeup yet. It was hilarious!"

Jake's lips twitched and Rose enjoyed the more relaxed atmosphere. All three knew what would happen today, that there was no guarantee she'd come back alive, but no one mentioned it and for that she couldn't have been more grateful.

A part of her wanted to fidget, but she knew that they couldn't know she was nervous. Rose knew she had to appear certain, confident even, that she would succeed against the odds. All eyes were on her. The watch was securely in place; it was her link back to the dimension cannon and had been biolocked to Jake so it could only be opened by him; a security measure against thieves.

Giving her brightest smile, she strode into the middle of the white room, turning so her eyes were fixed on her dad, the other politicians in her peripheral vision, hidden behind the security glass. One by one, the scientists left the room and she heard the spinning and roaring, as machine after machine was launched. They called it a dimension cannon, but at the moment it was more like five separate parts which had to be fired at the exact same moment at her. It was four parts dumb luck and one part science, Mickey had said. He wasn't wrong. Activated in the wrong order or if one machine was launched before the others, she'd be either severely burnt or, more likely, be incinerated in an instant. Neither option was very good but best efforts had been made to lessen the risk of human error and time was running out, so she hadn't been given the luxury of waiting for more refinements to be made.

A risk had to be taken, and despite her parent's best efforts and arguments, it was still hers to take.

"Ready," she announced to the room at large, heart pounding in her chest, fear coursing through her veins, but yet refusing to back down. She barely heard the head scientist give the go ahead, her hands clammy and shaking, her entire focus on remaining where she was. When the bright lights came she only had a moment to close her eyes before she was engulfed in it.

She stumbled, the energy still lingering around her, crackling in the air. Rose didn't even need to take a breath to know that she was in another universe, nor did she need to open her eyes, to know that it wasn't the right one. But, for the first time, there was no almost debilitating pain in her head, nothing that tried to destroy her, to erase her from the universe.

Another step, a breath in, her eyes opened, then widened as she choked. Her stomach revolted, and her legs gave way as she sank to the ground, vomiting. Her head spun and her skin felt as though it had been pricked by a thousand needles, incredibly sore and sensitive to touch. Rose only managed to crawl two steps away before her arms gave way, the shaking having become unbearable, and she sank into the grass, her eyes fixed on the blue sky, filled with ominous grey clouds, attempting to simply breathe in and out, focusing on willing away the pain.

Well, she could now definitively say that this was worse than a transmat beam and vortex manipulator combined. The Tardis was superior, by far, she just had never appreciated just how much of an improvement she was over this. Rose stayed like that for several minutes, allowing her body the time to recuperate and acclimatise. During that time she ascertained that yep, the sky was definitely blue and those dark, grey rainclouds certainly reminded her of England.

Once the pain had mostly passed, she stood upright again, taking in her surroundings for the first time. There was no one nearby, just green grass and a forest. It all certainly looked like both Pete's world and her own, but that didn't mean it was inhabited by humans - and even if it were, she didn't know where in their development they were; advanced, like Jack, or more like her own time? Or further in the past, the time of witch hunts - in which case, she probably wanted to hide her watch and find some more time-appropriate clothing. And what language was spoken... maybe she'd have to pretend to be mute; while she didn't have a gob quite like the Doctor, she'd certainly never been good at being quiet. Her teachers in primary and secondary had definitely never encouraged her to be more vocal.

Oh well, she only had to survive three hours. Seeing as there were no people around and the air was breathable, Rose had to admit that no matter how jeopardy-friendly she was, her chances were pretty damn good.

Her eyes flitted to the watch before she did a double-take and took a closer look at the watch. Mickey was going to pay when she was back home; seriously, nano-seconds?

002:03:16:10:23:18

Shaking her head, lips curled up in amusement, Rose picked a random direction and started walking. Maybe she'd find some people or interesting creatures before returning to Pete's world.

She had made it past the bridge, across a road and down a small path between two wheat fields before the rain started. Cursing, taking a longing look back at the forest she'd now left well behind her, Rose started jogging down the path, growing increasingly irritated as the path became muddier and slippier and by the time she'd slipped and slid down the mud three times, she was decidedly unhappy. Oh, she'd give them hell once she'd gotten back. And no matter what they said, she was taking an umbrella next time. Damn stupid England. Always raining and always, without fail, when there was no shelter in sight.

Groaning, Rose stood up again, giving a desperate look at her mud-caked clothing and hair, before rubbing her undoubtedly bruised hip. It felt like she'd been here for hours! Using the slightly less muddy inside of her sleeve, she brushed off the dirt covering up the numbers on her watch. Another moment passed, she blinked, her heart in her throat as she stared at the numbers, the rain making the numbers swim but they were stuck in her head either way. It couldn't be. No, no, it couldn't be.

But even as she watched, the last numbers kept slowly changing, the seconds ticking away under her eyes, a dreadful certainty slowly growing that she refused to give name to at first.

002:03:16:07:49:04

002:03:16:07:49:03

002:03:16:07:49:02

002:03:16:07:49:01

002:03:16:07:49:00

002:03:16:07:48:59

In stunned disbelief, she watched as slowly the numbers kept ticking down and with it came a horrifying realisation that only slowly started to turn into a terrifying certainty even she could no longer deny. It wasn't counting down hours or even days. It was counting down years! 2 years, 3 months, 16 days, 7 hours, 48 minutes and 58 seconds left until she'd go back.

Amber eyes wide with, she stared out at the seemingly endless wheat fields, the rain drenching her until she was shivering, and yet she couldn't shake the fear clawing at her throat, couldn't stop the tears running down her face, mixing with the rain until they were indistinguishable from one another. Alone. That's what she was. There was no one and nothing here to help her. It would be up to her and her alone in a foreign world, surviving for two years... She couldn't do it.

For a moment, just a moment, she wanted to give up. It was just the first trip, but she'd fought for so long and so hard to make it even just this far; she was tired. This was not supposed to happen. Three hours she could do, but two years was just too long, was asking too much of her.

She sank, gratefully, into the muddy ground. It was okay. All she had to do, was go to sleep. It would be okay... But who would go in her stead? Spend years in other worlds? And could she really entrust them with her mum's, her brother's life? Her dad's and Mickey's? Jake's? Could she give up on the Doctor, forever? Her hands shook, but she knew the answer to the question already. She couldn't. Not as long as she still had some fight left in her; she couldn't just abandon them, any of them.

Her eyes were dark with pain and hopelessness, the intimate understanding that this world wouldn't be the only one she'd be spending years in, all too clear in her head, but she walked on, tightening her grip on her jacket, hoping to stave of the cold and the rain, hoping that somehow, she'd find civilisation and a way into a warm place despite her lack of money.

Still, the walk seemed endless and by the time she reached paved road, Rose was ready to burst with desperation. Her feet leapt into an almost-jog without her intent but only moments later, she found herself running, panic biting at her heels until she fairly felt as though she were flying, blood rushing in her ears, feet rhythmically pounding into the hard ground, heart hammering against her ribcage as she forced herself faster and faster until finally, her foot caught on something and for just the barest second she was airborne, her entire body flying through the air before she hit the ground with what felt like twice the impact she was expecting and she could feel her head hit and bounce, arms pushed out too late to protect herself.

For a moment she lay still, allowing the world a moment to stop spinning, feeling the pain rise and instantly suppressing it, knowing from experience that it would subdue to a minimal amount if she ignored it as best as she could. Despite the fact that he hadn't been with her in over a year, despite the fact that she, for a time, hadn't remembered the smell of him, the timbre of his voice when he spoke her name or the rough calluses in his hands when they held her own, she almost expected to see him bending down beside her, head oddly upside down as he would attempt to see if she was conscious and if she was alright. When he'd figure out that it was only a couple of scratches, he'd grin and joke about battle scars or plop down beside her and ruminate on how inferior human eyes were to his or about the composition of rocks or why grass smelt the way it did. He'd distract her, make her laugh until she forgot that they hadn't just decided to lie on the ground but rather that she'd fallen. Then he'd stand beside her, hand outstretched, all ready to pull her entire body up should she lack the strength or ready to continue running if that's what she wanted. Because he'd always done that, when there wasn't a crisis, he'd read her so she didn't need to say when she needed a distraction; he was just there, always there. Whatever she wanted, whenever and wherever, as long as it didn't involve anything domestic, he'd do whatever she asked of him; even if he complained and grumbled while doing so.

And maybe that was why, even now, even here, she'd expected to reach up and find him at her side, because that's where he always was. Closing her eyes, calming her breathing, she reached out behind her, blindly and could only barely suppress a sob when she found no one. No hand. No Doctor. Just her, alone, in an empty road. Shaking, she stood up, eyes desolate, pace slow, cradling her arm and carrying onwards, following the road with no specific destination in mind, knowing there was nothing else she could do. Not if she wanted to survive. And if she wanted any, even the smallest, slightest chance of seeing him again, that's exactly what she had to do. Survive. The way she'd always done.

Rose had been more than lucky; she had found a small village and Allison had found her. In exchange for work around the farm / hotel, she was allowed to stay at their house and eat meals.

It was... interesting. She'd never lived in the country before, nor did she ever have such exposure to animals other than cats and dogs. But she welcomed the change. With no identity, it was the easiest way to live and not be on the streets. And she'd always been a quick learner when she wanted to be. The world wasn't much different from her own or Pete's. It was behind on some issues and yet more advanced in technology. And, luckily, they spoke English. For two years, Rose was allowed to forget that in Pete's world she was an heiress, she was allowed to forget that she knew aliens existed. Politics, changes in regimes, nothing ever seemed to affect her life on the farm. It was a relief, being able to just live day to day, unconcerned by anything. Then, one night, she watched as a star disappeared. The next morning, her last day in this world - Allison's world - she looked in the mirror after her shower and suddenly it hit her.

Rose Tyler still looked like Rose Tyler - not a twenty six year old woman but a 20 year old girl. There were no new lines around her mouth or eyes, nothing to show that she had aged, at all, since her time with the Doctor... or, to be more to the point, since her time in the Tardis. Unfortunately, that only made it so much clearer that she was the only one who could travel through the dimension - because, apparently, time passing didn't affect her, or at least not to any visible degree.

With only quarter an hour left, she said her goodbye to the family that had welcomed her when she had nothing - nothing to barter with, nothing to give. Good people could be found everywhere; you just had to keep looking.

Smiling widely, Rose waved goodbye to the small family and made her way up the hill and out of sight. The time away had eased her in a way nothing her mum had done had been able to; her heart was lighter and the lack of responsibility had lifted her spirits. It was time to go back, but no matter what, she could handle it now, she could deal with whatever the world decided to throw at her.

Even the time vortex in this world hadn't given her pain and she theorised that unless she attempted to interfere directly, time would only attempt to phase her out the universe very slowly; it was the reason why her Bad Wolf counterpart had hidden herself so deeply inside of her, rather than taking control.

A flash of light, a sensation as though every part of her was being simultaneously pulled apart just before being roughly pushed back together, and then she was back. Back in front of a mass of politicians and scientists - and her dad, Mickey and Jake.

Rose felt her face light up and within moments her arms were around Jake, who, laughing loudly, hugged her back. Her head was spinning, but none of that mattered. She had missed him, missed them. Moments later, her father's voice came over the speaker, his voice cracking slightly before he cleared his throat.

"Well, we'll debrief in 10."

She waved at him, giving him a wide smile and he nodded, his grin equally wide.

There was no way she could tell them that it had been more than three hours, no way she could tell them that it looked as if she wouldn't die of old age, that if she remained in this world, eventually she'd watch all her friends and family wither away and die, that she'd watch Tony grow up and fade away. Instead, Rose brightened her smile and told Jake funny stories about the purple cows and the orange pigs with bushy tails.

Life... Life was good. It could have been a lot worse, far worse.

Her next few jumps were unremarkable and never lasted more than a few days at most, some only minutes. She forced Torchwood to spend as little time as possible in between the jumps and the politicians agreed with the caveat of her being cleared by a doctor prior to each jump. By now she'd seen over thirty different dimensions. Luckily the one with the dinosaurs she'd only seen a glimpse of before the watch had already transported her back.

Most people were only just starting to realise the sheer number of dimensions she'd have to travel through. The politicians had long since stopped coming. The stars were starting to disappear close to their solar system now and the public was growing restless.

Another jump. She could hear the shout behind her that let her know the machines were being activated. A bright flash and a moment later she was somewhere else. Still not the right one, though.

When she opened her eyes, she thought at first it was night; then, with a gasp, the blonde realised that that wasn't it. The sky was dark from the smoke and ash, the smell of burning was in the air and ash and dust swirled in clouds around the ground, making it hard to breathe. The smoke, the screams, the flashes of lights, sounds of guns and bombs; it was everywhere.

Rose stared, glad, suddenly, that her body had acclimatised, of sorts, to the travelling; this was not the moment to be standing around, watching. But she was too disorientated, knowing she had to run, to get away and out, but not knowing which direction to go to.

"Miss! What are you doing?"

The voice was too young, too childish and yet the panic seemed in keeping with the situation. A hand slid into hers, a tiny one, and a small girl came into view, not older than five but yet firm when she pulled Rose off into the dark cloud, certain of her direction. Knowing that her options were slim, the Blonde followed, aware that this could be a potential trap, but also aware that it could be someone who'd help her, especially here and now, when she didn't know who was friend and who was foe.

"Run!" The girl admonished, her tiny legs eating up the ground and still making more progress than Rose. Shaking her head, realising that this was not the time to be second-guessing her choices, she started running fully, making sure she kept pace with the smaller girl. Suddenly they came to a stop outside of a small barn and the girl pointed to a small trapdoor in the ground. Rose did her best to lift the heavy door, allowing the child to slip through first before following her down into the dark.

It took a moment before her eyes acclimatised to the much darker surroundings, only lit by small torches and several guns and similar weapons, all pointed at her.

Lifting her hands, in what she desperately hoped was a universal and transdimensional sign for being unarmed, she nervously licked her lips, staring at the people around her. They were all human, both young and old, female and male, but decidedly human. Rose had yet to determine whether that was good or not.

"Who are you?"

She had learned rather quickly that her own name garnered a lot of unwanted attention. No matter what planet, what dimension or world, there was no other Rose Tyler anywhere; so she lived off aliases.

"Sarah-Jane," she decided. Her name for this adventure, however long it were to last.

To be continued...

Everyone, you're fantastic, thanks for the reviews; I would love to hear from you. I always aim to tug at people's heartstrings, so I'd really like to hear from you if I've managed that. And please, please, someone, pick up on the pink and yellow comment :) Anyway, below are my responses to the reviews:

readmered

Hi! I'm glad you're enjoying the story. Your wish is my command; the first 5000-odd words are a flashback with Nine in it. I hope you enjoyed it and I hope you don't think I went too OOC with his character. Let me know what you think. I would love to hear your thoughts and I hope you'll enjoy the next few chapters.

AppleGrass15

Definitely continuing, got some time just now so I'll work on the next chapter next week. I do hope you enjoyed this chapter and I would love to hear from you. So please share in another review :)

TooLazyToLogIn

Yay! A new fan! Love your username :) Sorry for testing your patience, but hope you stayed with me! I did my best for this chapter and I hope it's still excellent work. Please do review, I'd love to hear from you again.

CoryAvellana

Yay! Hi Cory. So glad you're enjoying the story and my Rose. She's going to have to go through some more stuff which will help her grow as a person into a more diverse character and, hopefully, a bit better matched to deal with the Doctor's good and dark sides. Anyway, would love to hear your thoughts on my latest work! Please leave a review!

draccmalfoy

Yay! So glad you like it. I do try to pace my fanfic so a lot of things are happening but you still feel the emotional aspects of it all. So, I'm glad you're enjoying it and I've got lots of things planned for the next few chapters. That's as much as I can say, unfortunately, without giving too much away. That and there's going to be a few more jumps, some of them I'll go into detail about. So yeah, would love to hear your thoughts on my latest work and Rose's first jump.

Meghan Thalia Jackson

Yay! Thank you so much! I'm glad you're enjoying the fanfic so far. Unfortunately, as you could probably tell, the reunion's still a bit off. Sorry about that. But I hope you do enjoy the bits in the middle until then just as much. Let me know your thoughts and keep reviewing, please!

Anna221B

Yay, we fully agree on that. The Doctor and Rose do need to be together. Unfortunately, it's going to take some time and tens of thousands of words, but yay, at some point they'll be reunited. As a quick one to your username, I did think of putting Rose into Sherlock's universe as Molly Hopper. I mean, what do our resident geniuses never notice or completely disregard? Love, specifically, someone in love with them. So what better way for Rose to avoid too much attention from both Sherlock and Mycroft? Alas, I thought it would diverge too much and put too much confusion into this, but what do you think? Would love a review!

Motherhen22

Yay, so glad you're enjoying and YAY! A new fan! I prefer writing in a way that makes you feel along with the characters, so I'm glad you thought I succeeded. I have to admit, parts of GITF never quite made sense and I think Madame de Pompadour is truly amazing, but, more than anything, I wanted a stronger Rose, someone who'd grow to challenge him, who'd feel abandoned and left behind but who would rationalise and support him. Anyway, thanks for the review. Hope you continue enjoying the story. Leave me another review, please! I live off these things!

Guest

You love my story? Yay! Thank you! I'm so glad. Up there's the update for you. I do hope you'll continue reading and reviewing!

MuppetKatie

Wow, this is an incredible review and I'm intensely flattered (I don't know how to make a blushing smiley, so just imagine one right here). It was such fun writing it, especially as she unravelled her own memories it pretty much wrote itself and all the emotions and thoughts that came with it. So glad you like my Bad Wolf; I wrote her like the Tardis was when she was in a human body; it was quite fun writing it like an outsider perspective on humanity. I don't quite know how to say it, but I really, honestly appreciate your detailed review and that you let me know you liked the way I unfolded everything stage by stage. I wasn't sure if I was jumping too fast, so thank you. I do hope you continued reading and that you're still enjoying my fanfic. I would love another review from you and thanks for all the hard work! I know how hard reviewing can be and grabbing bits of a long chapter you've just read... so yeah, just,...Thank you.

Guest

Brilliant, thanks! Hope you enjoyed this chapter as well and like the plot I've got in mind :)

cecilehem

Hey! I do love nice surprises, I aim to give you another one with an update next week. There is always pain. Pain, love, they do go hand in hand for these two. And yeah, no reunion in this or the next chapter. Not yet. More growing and understanding for Rose needs to come first. We don't really understand what she can do yet - but we will.

I can't fully say I won't allow the Doctor to make decisions on her behalf, but, if it helps, she will know what he's doing before he's done it and complies with it due to timey-wimey stuff... Now, that probably made little to no sense, but in 2-3 chapters, you'll hopefully have an ah-ha moment. Agreed, the Doctor needed to save her. He was as enamoured with the Madame de Pompadour, I think, as he normally is with most fascinating things, like the clockwork robots for example or the dogs with no noses.

I would absolutely love to hear from you again after this chapter. Please leave me a review. I promise, next update will be quicker.

Darkwolfberlin

Ha! Just noticed your nickname's Berlin. I used to live in Berlin for a couple of months; it's quite cool. Sorry, meant to say - thanks for the review. Not sure where to pitch Jenny yet, I'll admit, but I did have a similar thought to what you had. I can't quite share everything I'm planning and it's a bit off yet before the Doctor returns in anything other than flashbacks, hopefully I'll wrap that bit up in two chapters or so, but who knows. Anyway, thank you for your input, it's great and I always look for people's thoughts on where this could go. Would love to hear from you again!

popie92

Yay! Thank you. So glad you enjoyed my cliffhanger and my bad wolf. Wasn't sure how well this would go down. I wrote Bad Wolf mostly like the Tardis in human form, so that was quite fun. Anyway, I'm hoping for another review. Let me know what you think of this chapter!

SassyFrassKerr

Talk about perfect timing! I was starting to reply to the reviews when yours came in! Glad you're enjoying the story and voila, an update! Let me know what you think!