(AN) I hate to say it, but this chapter is a little shorter than the other ones. I was very busy this week and I didn't have much time for writing. Either way, enjoy!

Rose's mind was a whirlwind as she gaped at this Doctor.

"What do you mean?" she asked him. "That's not what happened." She stepped back. "Th-that's not how it worked, I mean-"

"Oh really!" the Doctor shouted savagely. "Well clearly that is what happened!" He threw his arms wide as he gestured at the entirety of the console room. "You absorbed the energy from the Time Vortex and it completely tore you apart!" He paused, breathing heavilly.

"It tore her apart," he concluded, his voice faded and weary.

"You did something," Rose whispered. "I still can't remember; everything's blurry, but you did something that saved me. But whatever it was, it cost you your life."

And suddenly the Doctor's head was jolting up, and his bloodshot eyes were wide. He ran to her and scrutinized her further, his eyes raking over her face. He took a length of hair in his hand, rubbing it between his fingers, and then dropped it, walking a circle around her. He ended up in front of her again, leaving Rose feeling confused as to what he was doing.

Suddenly, in a manner that completely startled her, the Doctor had his hand on her face, and his eyes were locked on hers. He ran his fingers up and down her cheekbone, and she unconsciously shivered.

"I absorbed the energy into my body," he said hoarsely. And quite suddenly, Rose knew that he wasn't seeing her at all, only that girl, the parallel Rose, that had travelled with him before. She jerked away from him, a little too roughly than necessary. But it hardly seemed to bother him, he still had that absent, dreaming look in his eyes.

She stepped away from him, and then spoke once more. "But how did I exist in this universe in the first place?"

He blinked, turning to her. "Data cloning. There was world war 54:8 in the year 433011, and there wasn't sufficient enough population afterwards to re-form society. Torchwood institute had saved viable DNA samples for thousands of years in preparation for such a thing, and they were able to clone people from years before to recreate the population."

"But I didn't exist in this universe. They couldn't have cloned-" And then it struck Rose. She was living in this universe now, and she had worked for Torchwood. They had most likely attained a sample of her DNA at some point.

The Doctor raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"

"Doctor," she said slowly. "Your Rose, the one you travelled with...She was a clone of me."

The Doctor's eyes widened, but before he could say anything, a banging noise came from outside the TARDIS. Rose ran to the console, away from the sound.

"They're breaking in!" she shouted.

The Doctor stayed put. "You know very well that it would be impossible for them to break into here," he said calmly.

He approached her slowly, his eyes intent as they scanned over her figure. "You are incorrect, Rose," he said softly. "You aren't a human being of this universe, and that's why the clone of you wasn't able to survive. You are wrong, the universe rejected you."

"What does that mean?" Rose breathed.

"It means that it is my duty to take you to the Shadow Proclamation," the Doctor said severely.

"What's the Shadow Proclamation?"

"They are like the universal police. They guard the universe against enemies both within and outside of the universal boundaries."

"What would they do to me?" Rose said cautiously. She was getting a sinking feeling in her stomach.

"They would perform tests on you," The Doctor said flatly. "They would figure out exactly what you are, and if they found something amiss, even the tiniest little thing, they would eradicate you."

Before Rose could even react in the slightest to this horrifying statement, the Doctor had shoved past her, moving to the console and flipping a switch. The TARDIS groaned and rocked, and the crashing noise from outside faded away.

Rose's fate began to settle on her shoulders at this sound. Tears filled her eyes, and she ran to the Doctor.

"Don't do this!" she yelled. "Please, don't take me there!" She grabbed his shoulder, trying in vain to turn him around, to make him see her. "You don't have to do this!"

He made no response to this, jerking away from her grasp. He pushed a few more buttons, and the TARDIS pictched wildly, throwing Rose against the railing against the side. Crying out, she struggled to climb to her feet. The floor beneath her shook, and she found it to be impossible. She looked up, swiping her hair out of her eyes.

The Doctor was staring at her. And his gaze held infinite agony, infinite sorrow. He had stilled at the controls, and Rose could see that his hands were shaking. He pulled another switch, not taking his eyes off of her as he did so. The floor stilled, and the roaring of the TARDIS quieted into a soft hum.

"Doctor?" Rose questioned tentatively.

The Doctor shook his head, staring at her helplessly. "What am I doing?" he asked, and Rose wasn't sure whether he was talking to her or to himself.

He took his hands of the console and walked unsteadily torwards her, offering her a hand. She hesitantly took it, and he pulled her to her feet. She wobbled slightly at the abruptness of it, and he placed a hand on her elbow. She glanced up at him, her heartbeat accelerating at this contact.

"Oh god..." The Doctor said shakily. "You're her...you're Rose..."

Part of Rose was indingated that he hadn't realized this earlier, but all of that was wiped away when he crushed her to his body, his arms clenching her to him as though he though she would disappear any moment. Rose was startled initially, but after a moment she returned the embrace, placing her hands on his broad back.

"I can't take you there," the Doctor said near her ear, his voice muffled.

Rose pressed her head into his shoulder, making no reply to the statement. This all felt so familiar, so right. This man was the same man as her Doctor, only in another universe.

They stood like that for eons, seconds, millenia, and then he released her abruptly, dashing up to the console. Dazed, Rose trailed after him. He pulled a few more switches, and the TARDIS set off again, wheezing and groaning.

"Why can't you take me there, Doctor?" Rose asked. The change in his countenance had been sudden, and she had no idea what had spurred it.

"Because you're her," the Doctor said fervently. He turned to her, eyes blazing with excitement. "You're Rose Tyler, just from another universe!"

Rose felt herself smiling despite herself. He was right. She was Rose Tyler, and he was the Doctor, and against all odds, they had been reunited, just under different circumstances. She looked up at him, to respond, but she froze when she saw him.

He was looking at her again, in that horrified way that he had in the hallway. That look made Rose's stomach drop with fear, and she backed away, glancing behind her. He wasn't quite looking at her face, as he had earlier. His eyes were instead fixed on a point right above her shoulder.

"There's something on your-"

"What is it?" Rose exclaimed. The Doctor's gaze jolted to her face.

"Turn around, Rose," he said cautiously. Rose complied, and in a moment, she felt the Doctor's fingers running up and down her back. Eventually, he drew away, and Rose turned to him, confusion in her eyes.

"Doctor, what is it?" She repeated.

"Oh, it's nothing!" He flashed her a grin, but it was clearly forced. Rose didn't argue, for she wasn't quite sure that she wanted to know what was going on.

"Here, I can show you your room!" he exclaimed. His voice held the same false cheer as his smile. Rose followed him into the dimly lit corindoor leading out of the console room, and Rose knew, with a stomach dropping sensation, that she wouldn't be able to sleep that night.