For now, this will be the final chapter. I'm really not sure I like where this went; it's ceratinly not my best work, but, then again, it served it's purpose! Thanks to everyone who stayed with me - and the story - and I hope you enjoyed reading it! I think, though, I'll stick with one-shots after this. It's too hard to write stuff with actual plot!
Change first came in the form of a flower. It appeared on her doorstep one Tuesday morning, with no note or card, and Rose nearly stepped on it in her haste to get to work on time. She bent down to pick it up and felt a smile grace her lips before she could stop it, before she was even aware of it, and the smile made her freeze in her tracks. She couldn't remember smiling in well over two months, now. But the flower had done it. She knew why, she just didn't want to admit it because she was afraid it would hurt her even more. The flower, the perfect pink rose, looked exactly the same as the ones her Doctor had given her nearly every morning when they were together, when they were still the Doctor and his Rose. Almost angrily now, she threw it down in disgust, holding back tears, and ran down the three flights of stairs to the street, where she hurried to get to her job. She didn't notice the man in the bowtie watching her reaction.
The next morning, anther rose was in the same place. Rose had nearly managed to forget yesterday's flower as her mind had resorted to its normal numbness, but seeing another one caused her to fly into a rage, before she collapsed into tears, resigned to calling in sick in an effort to get a hold of herself.
When Jackie found her there on the front step a few minutes later, she nearly cried too, but in happiness. Even if it wasn't in a positive way, Rose was finally responding to something in her life. She thanked the Lord for whoever had sent that flower.
Change really came when Rose Tyler had decided she had had enough. The flowers had been coming every day for the past two and a half weeks, and the fire that came with a good fight had built up once again within her. It had scared her slightly, at first, to feel such strong emotions after spending so long in the darkness that came with such horrible heartbreak. After some time, though, she had decided it was a good feeling. It was the feeling that came with strength, and if there was one thing Rose Marion Tyler was, she was strong. After all, she told herself, she had stood up to the last Dalek in existence, helped it even. She had brought her best friend back to life, and chased ghosts in Cardiff at Christmas with Charles Dickens. She, Rose Tyler, had helped save an entire race of half-humans and exploited the scheme of some wacky cat – nun – nurse people. She had been knighted by Queen Victoria after saving the queen from a werewolf. She had not given up hope even when she thought her Doctor was dead, alone on Satellite 5. She had seen all of time and lived to tell the tale. She was the Bad Wolf. And she was strong.
So the next day, instead of destroying the flower or ignoring it, Rose carefully placed it in her bag, letting the petals stretch towards the sunlight. At work, she nearly caused her co-workers to have a heart attack when he saw her beautiful smile for the first time in well, ever. It wasn't quite the tongue – between – the – teeth smile that she had given her Doctor so long ago, but she was trying. For the first time since she had returned, she focused on holding a conversation with the people she met instead of trying to get away from them as quickly as possible. Surprisingly, it wasn't quite as hard as she had thought it would be.
The next few weeks saw more roses and more healing on Rose's part. She still hadn't figured out who was sending the flowers, but had learned to expect them each morning. Over time, her life became full again, even better than it had been before the Doctor came. She never quite moved on from him, but no one really expected her to. Her time with him had been wonderful, but, she came to realize, everything must come to an end, eventually. That didn't mean, though, that she didn't stop hoping. She still wanted her Doctor, her love, to come to her again, but now, it wasn't because she needed to be rescued. And that made all the difference.
Merci, again to all who read and reviewed, and please continue to do so. You're support is what helps writers through the tough times:) Let's all hope that this senario never EVER happens to one of the companions, as it was HEARTBREAKING! As, of course, Dreamcatcher49 so deftly pointed out. Apreciate the support dear! I'm going to shut up now, though, and say farewell!
-Reinette