DISCLAIMER: Still don't own Doctor Who. Still don't make any money from this. But if he doesn't stop leaving TARDIS prints in my flower bed, we're gonna have words…
SUMMARY: Something goes horribly, horribly wrong in the Parallel Universe and the Doctor's not there to save the day.
A/N: Because I love you...
01100100 01101111 01100011 01110100 01101111 01110010 01110111 01101000 01101111
Jackie Tyler stood in shock outside her daughter's room. She'd called Pete who was rushing over from Torchwood Tower as fast as possible. Her tears had stopped for the moment and the shock of the day made her numb to everything. It was hard to believe she'd lost her daughter, grandchild, and the Doctor all in the last few minutes.
She couldn't bring herself to watch the Doctor die in Rose's arms and so left the room. She'd bring the hospital doctors in soon so they could record time of death.
She caught a sob in the back of her throat and pressed a hand to her mouth. She could have sworn she'd heard Rose's laugh ringing in her head. Her beautiful girl that had done so much for so many. Had given her Pete and Tony, and only asked for her Doctor. Such carefree laughter would be a wonderful way to remember her Rose. A high-pitched squeeling giggle stole through the air, and Jackie covered her ears as if she could stop the memories. It was all in her head then. Had to have been. But... wait... Was that..? Was the Doctor laughing, too?
Jackie barged into the room with the expertise of a mother catching her daughter doing something she shouldn't, only to stop in shock.
"Rose?"
"Mum!"
"Oh, Rose, sweetheart!" She ran to fold her daughter in her arms, both women crying and rocking each other.
After a few minutes of tearful reunion, Jackie pulls back to see the Doctor smiling serenely at Rose, seemingly unable to pull his gaze from her. So he never saw it when Jackie Tyler, in all her bleach-blonde glory, slapped him not once, but twice, then grabbed him into a hug that would have cracked a lesser man's ribs.
"Oof! Jackie!"
"Mum! Leave him!" Rose pried her mother off the Doctor and was immediately engulfed again.
"Oh Rose, I was so worried about you!" Jackie's hands on her shoulders pulled her away to scan her up and down. "Are you okay? Do you need anything? What about the baby?"
Rose laughed, looking at her mother."No, mum, I'm fine." She looked to the Doctor. "We're all fine," she said, rubbing her stomach, then looking up.
"We're going to leave soon, mum. Very soon actually." The Doctor snapped to attention at this, but Rose continued. "I need you to do something for me."
01100100 01101111 01100011 01110100 01101111 01110010 01110111 01101000 01101111
Ten minutes later, after helping Rose dress in something more substantial than a hospital gown, she made absolutley sure she had all of Rose's instructions down. She hugged her daughter once more and wished her luck, then left the room to wait for Pete.
She knew she'd never see her Rose again, but would be oh so sure to tell Tony all about his big sister, out saving the universe with an alien, and traveling in a police box that was bigger on the inside.
01100100 01101111 01100011 01110100 01101111 01110010 01110111 01101000 01101111
After Jackie left, the Doctor, perched back on Rose's bedside, holding her hand and stroking the skin of her knuckles. "I really have no clue how we're going to return," he laughed. "How's that for bad driving?"
She laughed at his nervousness. "Whenever you're ready, my Doctor. We can leave whenever you're ready." She smiled mysteriously at him.
"Really? That's... convenient. Never had a 'convenient' plan before."
"Yes." She leaned into him "Yes, it is." She pressed her smiling lips to his while her open eyes flashed the bright glowing gold of the Wolf, swirled with the deep honey brown of her own.
Without hesitation, she catapulted them through the Void between worlds to her home universe and into the Hub, landing them quite gently on the couch behind Mickey's computer set-up.
As the flash of swirling light and energy faded, their lips parted company and smiled to each other, then laughed uproarously at the many gasps they received from their friends.
Jack, being Jack, broke the silence. "HOW THE HELL LONG WERE YOU OVER THERE?", he yelled staring at Rose's pregnant stomach.
This sent the Doctor into another laughing fit, causing him to slip off the couch and land hard on the floor. He finally gave up trying to stand and just laid back trying to catch his breath.
01100100 01101111 01100011 01110100 01101111 01110010 01110111 01101000 01101111