Long chapter, but I didn't want to split it up. Enjoy.
"You're stubborn," the Doctor told Rose through their telepathic connection. "I tried to keep my distance, but you insisted on following me. I really don't know what to do with you."
"You've always known that I'm stubborn," she said in amusement. "I was terrified at what happened, but I didn't want you to leave. I never wanted you to leave."
"Did you ever learn what actually happened?"
"They said an underground gas line had a leak. They said it was a relatively small one. I guess we're lucky it wasn't bigger."
"I'd call you anything but lucky," he replied.
"I'm still alive after all that," she reminded him.
"Yes, but she doesn't know that all of the things happening to her are my fault." The Doctor was filled with guilt. What would happen if young Rose ever found out that her 'angel' was the reason for everything. An angel begging for demons to be unleashed upon her.
"You're saving me. Saving me now, means saving me in the past, too. You're not the one to blame for any of it. I'm the one releasing them, not you."
"It's just hard to see you suffering. Then and now."
"It'll be alright, love. Just one more. Are you ready?"
"I am," he affirmed.
The Doctor went to the control room and readied the TARDIS. He took a deep breath as he waited for the being's release.
"Just one more," he told himself.
The TARDIS landed in December of 2003. Rose was seventeen.
The Doctor rushed out the door and became worried instantly. He was on the platform of a Tube station. There were many people and he was quickly scanning the crowd for Rose. When he found her, he found chaos. The strap on one man's messenger bag broke, sending the swinging bag under the footstep of a man walking next to him. That man tripped and in his struggle not to fall, he crashed into Rose. The Doctor watched in horror as she fell onto the tracks.
The Doctor surged through the crowd and found Rose picking herself up off the tracks. She hadn't hit her head, or at least not hard enough to do serious damage, and missed being shocked by the third rail. The train was arriving though. People began screaming when they saw the scene. Rose rushed to the platform and began clawing to get up. The Doctor seized her by the arms and hauled her up so quickly that they both fell flat on the floor.
It took Rose a second to pull herself together, but when she did she immediately looked up at the man beside her. He had gotten to his feet and was starting to run.
"No! Wait!" Rose called after him. It was too late. He was out of sight.
The Doctor hadn't seen the shadow being, but he ran off into the crowd in hopes that, for once, Rose wouldn't run after him. He watched from a distance as she entered the train, and then entered further back. He took a seat and looked so see where she was, but then he put his head down, hoping she wouldn't spot him.
The Doctor's shoulders sagged when he heard her approach. He knew it was her before she spoke.
"I know that you follow me, remember?" Rose teased.
The Doctor sighed and looked up at her. "Do you happen to remember that I've told you to pretend I'm not here?"
"I remember. But do you remember-"
"That you're stubborn and don't listen?" the Doctor offered. "Yes, I definitely remember that."
Rose laughed. "So what are we doing today?"
"You're going to do whatever it was you were going to, and I'm going to follow at a distance."
"Nice try," she chuckled. "My plans for the day have just been canceled."
"You shouldn't-"
"I was on my way to meet a friend at the zoo. You think the zoo is a good place for me today? I could fall in with bears or something. You may have saved me from a dog, but are you ready to wrestle a tiger?" she challenged.
The Doctor groaned. "Fine. What are we doing then?"
"Your choice."
"I have no idea. Just pick a place." He waved dismissively.
"Well, are you really familiar with London? Do you visit often? I mean, I don't know how it works. Do you have a territory or just certain people around the globe? Like people in Russia or Egypt or America or something?"
"That's not how it works," the Doctor answered.
"That's what you always say," she huffed. "You mean no you don't have a territory or no you aren't all over the world?"
"You really want to know how this works for me?"
Rose was surprised that he might actually answer and she nodded, hoping he wasn't just going to mess with her.
"The last place I visited was Peckham, January of 2000."
"To see me?" Rose asked in confusion. "That's the last place you were?"
"And before that, summer 1996. Then January 1993 and June 1989."
"Just me?" Rose was stunned and wasn't quite sure what to think. "How does that work though? Do you time travel? Or… where do you go when you're not here?"
"Have you decided where we're going yet?" the Doctor deflected. "As lovely as train rides can be, today's not a good day for you to be taking one. Train crashes aren't pretty and not very easy to prevent."
"Yeah, good point... You really don't care where we go?"
"Your choice."
"Well, I still need to buy Mum a Christmas present. You don't mind if we go shopping, do you?" Rose asked uncertainly.
"That's fine," the Doctor agreed. He was pleased that it got them off at the next stop. He wasn't joking about the underground being dangerous.
Once outside, Rose took his hand as they walked. It made the Doctor slightly nervous. Though her hand always felt like it was made just to fit in his, she was further crossing the boundaries that he'd put in place.
"You know, I was afraid that I was never going to see you again," she confessed. "It's been about four years since I saw you last. I thought maybe you weren't going to come back."
"It's always been years between visits," he reminded her.
"Yeah, but it's been a pretty rough few years. I thought I might have screwed things up with you, too."
"What do you mean?" he asked in confusion.
"Well..." Rose looked down as she walked, and spoke a bit quieter. "I've messed things up pretty bad. I started skipping school. I saw this guy that Mum didn't like, so I left her to go off with him. It was awful. I mean really horrible. And I had to go back to Mum after I treated her so bad. And I had stopped going to school and I... I just thought... Why would you come back to-"
"Everyone makes choices they regret. Sometimes they're little; sometimes they're big," the Doctor spoke gently. "Whether you make good decisions or bad, you learn from them and they help shape the person you are. And you, Rose Tyler, are amazing."
She looked at him skeptically.
"I'm not just saying that. I mean it. You're incredible. You're bright, courageous, playful, and kind. You are worth saving. I wouldn't have come unless I truly believed that."
"You mean you didn't have to come? You chose to?" she asked in confusion.
"It was definitely my choice. In fact, I begged for this task," he said as he thought of his Rose and they he pleaded for this chance. "I know what you've been through. It doesn't make you worth any less. You're a beautiful person, Rose Tyler. Don't ever think any less of yourself."
"Thanks," she said with a small smile.
The Doctor nudged her with his side and she smiled wider.
"So what is it that you're getting your mum?"
Rose led the Doctor through a few shops, searching for the perfect gift. They were both having a nice time, but the Doctor was starting to get pretty worried. There had been no more attacks and he wasn't sure what he should be watching out for. He didn't know what the shadow being was waiting for. The attacks were getting more dangerous. He wasn't able to save her from falling on the tracks. He could only save her after. This being had been able to learn from all the rest and the Doctor feared it was plotting something terrible.
"What about this?" Rose asked, holding up a pink satin dressing gown.
"Ugh, for Jackie?" he grimaced. "I'd rather not picture it."
"It's not revealing," she argued. "And, what, you don't like my mum?"
"Not like that, I don't."
"Like what?"
"You know..." He made a gesture with his hands that made no sense to her at all.
Rose just laughed. Despite the Doctor's opinion, she bought the dressing gown for her mum.
"So what happens now, Rose Tyler?" The Doctor asked as they walked out of the shop and back into the cold December air.
"I don't know," she said as she stopped and looked around. "I didn't think we'd get so much time without a life threatening catastrophe."
"Honestly, neither did I," the Doctor admitted.
"Well, maybe before that happens then," Rose said anxiously as she dropped her bag on the ground at her side. She looked terribly nervous as she stepped up in front of him. The Doctor was confused by her demeanor.
Rose reached up, took the Doctor's face in her hands, and kissed him. The Doctor was stunned and didn't know how to respond. It was Rose, but it wasn't his Rose yet and he wasn't the Doctor; he was her angel. But how could he break off without hurting her? He responded by kissing back for a split second and tried to pull back. Rose didn't relinquish him though, kissing him again and then again, trying to get him to respond. The Doctor gently took her hands from his face, placed a kiss on her knuckles, and held her hands between them.
"I'm sorry, but it can't be like that," he said softly.
"I knew you'd say that." Rose looked wounded. She had realized by his response to her kiss that she was being rejected, but she didn't want to accept it. She was trying now to keep herself together and make sure she didn't succumb to tears.
"Why though?" Rose asked desperately. "I love you. I've loved you since I was ten years old. I've waited for you. There were many times that I actually hoped my life would be threatened just so that I could see you again. In fact, there were a few times I seriously considered putting myself in danger just so you'd show up."
"No. Never do that," the Doctor said severely.
"See, and that. You care about me, too. You said I'm the only one that you look out for and that you really want to. You like me and care about me so why-"
"I can't explain," the Doctor quietly replied. "You're right that I care about you very much. But nothing like that can happen between us. I'm sorry, Rose."
"I just... I don't want... I just want you."
The Doctor pulled Rose into an embrace. She tried to fight against it at first, too hurt by him to want comfort, but quickly gave in. It felt so good to be that close to him that it was worth the heartache later. The Doctor kissed the top of her head and pulled back.
"Perhaps you'd like some dinner now?" he asked.
"Oh no! I'm supposed to meet Shareen at the pub!" Rose suddenly exclaimed.
"I thought you were supposed to meet someone at the zoo?" the Doctor asked dubiously.
"I was," she said with a testy attitude because of his suspicion. "I made plans for the zoo after I already made plans with Shareen. I just forgot. She's got this bloke she likes and wants my opinion."
The Doctor rolled his eyes but Rose didn't see it because she was checking her watch.
"We've still got time," she sighed in relief. "We still have to get going."
"We don't have to take the Tube, do we?"
Rose smiled. "No, it's just on the other side of the bridge. I thought we'd walk... if that's alright?"
"I like walking," he agreed.
"No, from what I've seen, you like running," she chided. She was still feeling heartbroken, but she masked it the best that she could. She didn't want to ruin this time with him.
They started down the street and the Doctor took her hand. It was companionable, but its main purpose was to better protect her. An accident still hadn't occurred and he was getting more and more anxious. With all the traffic, it felt better to have the ability to pull her from harm.
"So, I'm sure you're still not going to give me your name, so how am I supposed to introduce you at the pub?" Rose asked him.
"I'm not supposed to exist, remember? I'll take a seat by myself while you socialize," the Doctor said seriously.
"And then I come over to your table and introduce myself as Rose Tyler and you introduce yourself as…"
"Why must you make this so difficult?" he moaned.
"You're the one that always makes things difficult. We both know that I'm not good at choosing a name for you, so what'll be? Or are you going to surprise me when I do actually come up to you and introduce myself?"
"Fine. I don't know… Ian? Is that alright? Do you think I could pull off 'Ian'?"
"Yeah, I think Ian would work. But how do I introduce you to my friends? We just met or you're an old friend or-"
"Not doing that, remember? I'm sitting alone."
"Alright," she conceded. "So, change of subject. I know you're not allowed to say much about yourself, but I'm wondering... Is there anything you do for fun?"
"Of course. I do loads of fun stuff. I..." the Doctor paused. What could he tell her about? "I'm an excellent footballer."
"You?" Rose said incredulously.
"What's that supposed to mean? Yes, me. I'm quite good. Wish I had a ball to show you now. Well, maybe not right here. The middle of London Bridge isn't exactly the best place to play football. But I can and-"
"Okay. Alright, I believe you. I just never thought of angels playing football. Do you have teams?"
"Can't talk about angels," the Doctor said quietly.
"I don't know if I wonder more when you don't tell me anything, or if I wonder more when you do start talking," Rose chuckled. "I swear, if you-"
"Watch out!" the Doctor shouted. A pair of headlights raced right for them. The way Rose had turned to look put her right in the center. The Doctor wouldn't be able to pull them both clear in time so he shoved her back and dived in the opposite direction. The car smashed between them, right into the side wall of London Bridge.
"Rose?!" the Doctor shouted, looking over the front of the car. Rose stood up and looked around. When she saw another set of headlights, she panicked and jumped on the front of the crashed car. Her leg had barely cleared when the second car hit.
"Come here," the Doctor ordered, trying to coax her off in his direction.
"Look out!" Rose exclaimed, pointing at another car coming from the Doctor's side. The Doctor managed to escape just in time. The first car, the one she was crouching on, was pinned on both sides by the other two vehicles. Rose looked around warily for a few moments before she even considered climbing across the cars toward the Doctor. The very second she moved out of her crouched position, a fourth car smashed into the rear of the first car. The force threw Rose backward and the Doctor watched in horror as Rose fell backward and plummeted toward the water.
The Doctor's hearts were pounding. This could be it. Jumping from London Bridge was rarely fatal, but she hadn't jumped; she fell. There was a huge difference. Going in feet first, your legs absorb impact. Falling at an odd angle had the ability to knock a person unconscious, cause brain damage, or cause other internal injuries. Even if she escaped that, she'd be swimming with a heavy winter coat. The water was frigid. All the dangers of the fall came to the Doctor in just a split second. In the next second, he was jumping over the edge himself.
The Doctor landed close and took hold of her immediately. She was conscious and flailing as she tried to keep her head up, fighting against her heavy clothes which were pulling her down. The Doctor let her go and helped to remove her heavy coat. As soon as she was free, he grabbed her from behind and started swimming to the side. A group of onlookers were there and the Doctor was shouting for someone to call 999. When they reached the side, the Doctor climbed out first and then helped Rose out.
"Are you alright?" he asked. "Are you hurt? Where does it hurt?"
"I'm so cold, it hurts everywhere," she answered with chattering teeth.
"I know. That damn ambulance better show up soon." The Doctor looked around helplessly. Hypothermia wasn't something he could magically fix. She needed to get warm and fast. "Come on," he coaxed. "Let's head up to the road."
Rose stood and followed at his side, but her steps were slow. When the Doctor saw the ambulance arriving, he scooped Rose up in his arms and carried her the rest of the way. As soon as she was inside, she was laid on a gurney and wrapped in multiple blankets. When they saw that the Doctor was soaked, too, they offered him a blanket before he even got in. He climbed in easily and they stared at him like he was mad when he used the blanket just to dry himself off.
"Sir, you have to keep the blanket on. You're in great danger of-"
"I'm fine," he told them. "Worry about her. Keep still, Rose. Don't move around too much."
"But-" one of the paramedics started.
"I'm not going to get hypothermia. Just worry about her!" the Doctor demanded.
It was a fast ride to the hospital and Rose was quickly wheeled in and surrounded by a doctor and a few nurses.
"I thought you said there were two that fell in," one of the doctors questioned.
"There were," the Doctor said as he jogged in. "Sorry, just had to tie my shoe."
He didn't wait for a response and just went to catch up with Rose. He watched as they transferred her from the gurney to a bed in one of the emergency rooms.
"Hello, love," one of the nurses spoke to her. "Can you give us your name?"
"R-Rose," she answered, shivering even more violently than before.
"Alright, Rose, I'm going to ask you a few questions, but first, is there someone you'd like us to call for you?"
"Y-yeah. M-my Mum."
"It's Jackie Tyler," the Doctor assisted her. He quickly rattled off Jackie's phone number as he removed Rose's soaked shoes.
"Sir, you can't do that. You're going to have to leave the room," another nurse demanded.
"Alright. I'll be just outside the door, Rose."
The Doctor stepped out into the hall and leaned against wall where he could listen to the progress and also keep an eye out for the shadow being.
The doctor that he'd spoken to when he entered the hospital approached him, looking quite displeased. "There you are. You can't just go wandering in like that. You need to be assessed and treated when-"
"I don't want to be treated. I'm just here for my friend," he explained.
"You've just fallen into the Thames in December! You need to be treated. Do you understand just how serious hypothermia can be? It could-"
"I know. Ventricular tachycardia, atrial fibrillation, cardiac arrest, chilblains, coma, hypoxia, liver failure. I know. That's why I'd like to stay here and see how Rose is doing. I'm fine and I'm not leaving this spot."
"You know the risks so you know you need to be treated. If you don't come with me we'll have to have someone come and restrain you. It is the responsibility of the hospital to treat those with life-threatening conditions. Consent in the matter-"
"A person's refusal for treatment can be overlooked if it appears that they are in critical condition and not of sound mind to make that decision. I am of sound mind and exhibit no signs of critical condition. No confusion, shivering, drowsiness, and I have perfect coordination. You try forcing treatment on me without my consent, and I will force a huge lawsuit on this hospital," the Doctor threatened. "Now, if you don't mind, I'm trying to listen to what's going on in there."
"If you're not a patient, then you have no right being over here," she argued.
"I have every right. I'm with her."
"Only family members-"
"I am family."
"You said you were a friend."
"You're not friends with your family?" he challenged.
"Sir," the woman said angrily.
The Doctor poked his head around the door frame. "Rose, am I family?"
Her voice was muffled, likely by an oxygen mask, but she replied, "yes."
"See," said the Doctor.
"Fine. If that's the case, then you can fill out a little bit of paperwork."
The Doctor grimaced but nodded.
"I'm also going to need your name," she told him.
"Sorry, I can't do that," he said, dropping his arrogant manner for a moment.
"It's not optional. I need a name," she insisted.
"Alright, Joe Bloggs," he replied.
"A real name," she said irritably.
"What's wrong with Joe Bloggs? It's what you call everyone else here that doesn't have name," the Doctor argued. "They use John Doe in other countries. Would that be better?"
"I need a real name," she said angrily.
"Pamela Lawrence," he said.
"That's my name!"
"I know. It's a good name. That's why I chose it."
"You know what? This just isn't worth it," the woman huffed. She walked away looking like she'd never been so harassed in her life. Though he knew he should feel sorry, the Doctor was pleased with himself. He never liked pushy hospitals and their rules. Not only that, arguing had gotten him out of doing paperwork.
Now that the woman was gone, he could hear what was going on inside the room. Rose was getting warm oxygen and mildly heated IV fluids. He could tell by the sound of the monitor that her heart wasn't out of sync. Her heart rate still wasn't at a desired pace, but it was steady.
"Ma'am! "Ma'am!" one of the hospital staff called down the hallway. "You can't just go looking for the patient. You need to-"
"She's with me," the Doctor shouted back. The staff person stopped, their shoulders slumped, and they rolled their eyes. It seemed that he had already developed a reputation.
Jackie spotted him as soon as he'd called out.
"It's you," she said. "You're the one that went in after her? Don't answer that. Of course you were. Is she alright?"
"She's got hypothermia, but they're warming her up. It sounds like she'll be just fine," the Doctor informed her.
"But what about the cars? They said she fell because of a four car collision. She didn't-"
"She's alright. It was a narrow escape, but she made it. No injuries. She's just cold from the water," he assured her.
"Can I see her?"
"They won't let us in, but if you're quick, you might be able to get a peek around the curtain."
Jackie did just that and came back out with a whimper. "My poor Rose."
"Believe me, I know."
When the doctors believed that Rose was warm enough and truly stable, she was moved to another room so that she could be watched overnight. Jackie was finally able to see her and sat at her bedside. Jackie told the Doctor that Rose really wanted him to come in and see her, but the Doctor stood guard outside the door. The day wasn't through. The shadow being was out there and he'd have to show himself in the hall to be able to influence anything in Rose's hospital room.
"You're looking out for something, aren't you?" Jackie asked as she joined him by the door.
"Her bad luck isn't through yet," the Doctor explained.
"Then shouldn't you be in here protecting her?"
"I'm close enough to stop anything inside the room, but I need to make sure that nothing out here happens that could hurt her."
"Why is this happening though?" Jackie asked in dismay. "Why Rose? I just can't figure it out. It doesn't happen to anyone else I know. Why my daughter?"
"Because she's special," he answered seriously.
"Of course she's special; she's my Rose. But-"
"No, Jackie, she's very special."
"I don't understand. How do you mean?" she asked.
The Doctor sighed. "Do you want me to tell you?"
"Of course."
"You can never tell a soul, not ever, especially Rose," he said with great seriousness.
"Especially Rose? You're making me nervous." And Jackie looked it. She appeared terribly worried as she looked around.
The Doctor shook his head. "It was a bad idea anyway. I have to be careful not to-"
"Tell me," Jackie pleaded. "If it's important, I really want to know. You can't leave me wondering now."
The Doctor looked in the room to be sure Rose was asleep and spoke to Jackie in hushed tones. "Your daughter is much more special than you could ever have imagined. Rose Tyler is going to save the world."
"Come off," Jackie huffed in irritation.
"I'm serious. It will come sooner than you think. Rose Tyler will save the planet. No one but her will ever know that she was involved. Well, you'll know, and three others. You'll know without a doubt. She'll receive no recognition, but as incredible as she is, that won't bother her at all."
"You can see the future? You're actually sure of this?" Jackie asked nervously.
"I'm not an oracle, if that's what you mean. But Rose Tyler is a legend that I know very, very well," he claimed.
"Is that why you save her then? Just so she can save the world?" Jackie accused.
"It's vital that she stay safe so she can do that. But I swear to you in all honesty, if that wasn't the case, she would still be worth saving, worth dying for. It's the person she is that makes her special. Believe me; she will surprise you."
"It sounds like I should be proud, but really it just scares me." Jackie looked at her daughter with deep concern.
"I'm sorry, but it will scare you more. That's what mothers do; they worry," he said apologetically. He thought of the year Rose went missing. He said twelve hours, but it had been twelve months. He wasn't concerned about it then, but he'd come to respect Jackie and felt sorry for the worry it caused her. "I'll tell you one last thing …"
"What?" she asked in fear.
"She's going to be alright. Things will get frightening, but she's going to be okay," he assured her. "I'm sorry that I've scared you. I just thought it might help if you were prepared."
Jackie nodded.
"You were about to go get some tea. Why don't you? Might make you feel a bit better."
Jackie nodded again and slowly started down the hall. The Doctor worried that maybe he revealed too much, but something in him told him that it was for the best. Nothing that Jackie could do would talk Rose out of traveling with him when the time came.
As Jackie rounded the corner, the Doctor caught sight of a man standing near the nurse's station. He had the same intense stare as all of the other shadow beings and he was staring in the direction of Rose's room. This was it. The shadow being had become reckless. The Pantheon of Discord were not known to be patient. That's why the Doctor had been concerned when his and Rose's shopping trip had gone smoothly. He knew the being had been waiting for an opportunity to do his worst. But the waiting was too much for it. Waiting during the shopping trip and then waiting far longer at the hospital. It was too impatient and was now being reckless.
The Doctor's hand dived into his bag and brought out the antiverse portal. He checked the mirror to be sure he was correct. The disguised being began raising his hand with the intent of destruction, but the Doctor was able to fire first. The being vanished instantly. The nurses at the nurse's station looked terrified and confused, but the Doctor didn't care. He watched as the last shadow being was cast into the timeless antiverse. Rose, both in the hospital and on the TARDIS, would not be harmed by them again.
Now that his mission had been completed, it was time for him to go. But first, he needed to speak to Rose. The Doctor stared at the beautiful seventeen-year-old asleep in the bed. She was a treasure. From birth to the time they shared together in the TARDIS now. Something about her at this age though... He felt terrible leaving her. She was so unsure of herself. She felt defined by her poverty, her abandoned education, her job as a shop girl. She felt stuck and thought she could never rise above that, that she could never have better. Her 'angel' made her feel worth something and now he'd have to leave. It was heartbreaking.
"Rose?" he said softly as he sat on the edge of her bed.
Rose's eyes fluttered open and a small smile appeared at the sight of him. When she saw the look on his face though, she instantly became worried.
"I'm sorry to wake you, but I thought I should say goodbye."
"No." Her worry turned to panic and desperation. "You can't leave. Please don't go. Please."
"I have to," he said gently. "The bad luck that's haunted you is gone. I have to go."
"No, but I don't want to have to wait four more years to see you. If you don't look after anyone but me, can't you just stay?"
It hurt him deeply to say it, but he had to. "When I say the bad luck is gone, I mean completely. You won't be hurt by it anymore. It means I'm not coming back. This is goodbye."
"No! No, you can't do this. You can't just leave me. I can't... You just can't." Rose spoke quickly and in frantic distress. Tears started falling down her cheeks. "I need you."
"I know it's hard. That's part of why I tried to keep my distance. I don't want you to miss me. I'm not supposed to mean anything to you."
"But you mean everything. No one's ever cared about my like you. No one's ever thought I was worth anything. When you're not here, I'm nothing. You-"
"You're worth so very much. I hope you start believing that yourself. You don't need my protection anymore though, so I have to leave."
"But what if I do need your protection? What if-"
"You won't. Your bad luck days are gone. Now I want you to listen carefully. You said before that you seriously considered putting your life in danger so that I would come. You cannot do that. I cannot, under any circumstance, come back. I've worked very hard to protect you. It would utterly destroy me to find out you've purposely brought harm to yourself. Please take care of yourself."
Rose nodded, finding it hard to speak through her tears.
"I don't want you to be sad about me leaving. Better times are coming."
Rose shook her head in disbelief.
"They are," he fervently assured her. "You don't need an angel to protect you because someone else is coming that will protect you. He's far better than some angel because he'll always be there. He won't come and go; he'll stay by your side."
"No one can be better," she disagreed.
"Believe me. He'll see just how wonderful you are and help you see just how fantastic life can be. A new phase of your life is coming and coming soon."
"How do you know?" she asked weakly.
"I can't say, but I promise it's the truth. 2005, Rose Tyler. That's your year. Your life will change and you will love it."
"But I still don't want you to go," she said miserably.
"I have to. Please don't be sad. Please. I want you to be happy. You deserve to be happy." The Doctor lifted her hand and kissed her knuckles. It didn't feel like enough. He stood and leaned down to kiss her on the head.
He was at the door when she called out to him one last time. "I'll never forget you. Please... Please don't forget me."
"Forget you? Never ever." The Doctor gave her a small warm smile and left her room.
It was a long journey back to the TARDIS so the Doctor took the Tube. It gave him time to think and time to hurt. He really hoped that Rose wouldn't miss him too much. He wanted her to be happy. He didn't want to return to the TARDIS and hear from his Rose that she became depressed after he left. He hoped that she lived in anticipation of the brilliant future that he'd promised her.
When he got off at his stop, he hurried to the TARDIS. Though he was still worried over young Rose, his Rose now was a bigger concern. The Pantheon of Discord had departed from her, but there was still the matter of undoing the transformation that the Bad Wolf had performed. He wasn't sure where to start, but Rose would be able to tell him more.
The Doctor entered the zero room and froze. It was empty. Rose was gone.
The Doctor ran through the corridors shouting her name.
"I'm in the kitchen!"
When her reply came, the Doctor tripped and then bounced back on his feet in excitement.
"Rose?" he said as he poked his head through the door. "You weren't in the zero room. Both my hearts almost stopped. I didn't think you'd be awake."
"Bad Wolf is the one that changed me. One little thought, a tiny flare, and I was back to me," she said with a smile.
"How are you though? Are you alright? Are there any side effects?"
"I'm starving," she ardently declared around a bite of food.
"That's it? You're hungry?" the Doctor asked incredulously.
"Other than extreme hunger, I feel fine." Rose got to her feet and they threw their arms around each other.
"Oh, I missed you," he said quietly.
"I know. I'm so sorry that I upset you. I never, never want to hurt you."
"I'm not going to say it was alright, but we're okay now. So long as you're okay. Really no side effects?"
"Hungry," Rose repeated. The Doctor released her and playfully pushed her in the direction of her chair and her plate.
"But what about Bad Wolf?" The Doctor took a seat across from her.
"Safe and locked away." She smiled at him warmly. "I-"
"What do you mean by safe and locked away?" he worried.
"I used her for just a second, just a little flare, to put me back to rights. Then I suppressed her."
"Just suppressed her? You can still call her at will? Rose, you can't do that. She's too powerful. She's rash and-"
"She's me," Rose reminded him.
"But look at what she did to you!"
"I thought I explained it before. I'm Bad Wolf. I changed me. Bad Wolf lets me see things and know things that I can't on my own. She gives me power to change things, but it's still me that decides. Bad Wolf isn't nearly as powerful as the first time and I've learned from the first time."
"It's still dangerous. Extremely dangerous. Please let me lock those memories again. I don't want to chance something like this again."
"I know it's dangerous. I don't want to use it. I still consider it forbidden. I would rather regenerate than use it, but I stand by the decision I made to trap the Pantheon of Discord. I saw all of the possibilities. It was the only way to save the universe."
"I could have-"
"There was nothing you could've done," she disagreed. "I hadn't seen the possibilities for after I imprisoned them, but I saw all of your efforts to fight them before I trapped them. Anything you could have tried, would've failed. Bad Wolf and my time sense are locked deep inside. I promise you, I have no desire to unlock it again. Ever. But in case a threat ever arises again, something so cosmically, catastrophically terrible that is unable to be fixed by any other means, Bad Wolf is there."
"I still don't like it," he said quietly.
"Doctor... I'm sorry," Rose said with deep sincerity. "I know that this scares you. I know that I hurt you. I know that I hurt you a lot. I never meant to do that to you."
"I just couldn't bear the thought of you being locked away like that. Locked away forever. I couldn't let it be. Rose Tyler is too important to be lost like that and will always be worth saving."
"And so will you. Releasing the shadows was definitely against my better judgment, but I couldn't stand the thought of you being so lonely."
"Against your better judgment? Didn't I say that I could do it?" the Doctor challenged.
"You were incredible, but it was still risky," Rose stated. "Thank you, Doctor."
"I felt terrible leaving your younger self the way that I did. I didn't mean for you to get attached to me back then. Tell me you weren't sad for long."
"I was sort of. I really did fall in love with you. It seems silly because I barely knew you, but you made me feel special and cared for. I pushed through it," she said with a shrug. "And I did listen to what you promised me."
"What do you mean?" the Doctor asked curiously.
"Well, think about our first adventure. Think about when you asked me if I wanted to come with you. What happened differently?"
The Doctor had to think about it. It was their own timelines that they changed so they remembered how it happened before and after those changes.
"I didn't have to ask you twice," he answered with a smile. "I asked if you wanted to come with me and you ran through the door without a second thought."
"I realized that the Doctor was the man that would change my life. I never forgot my 'angel' though. Do you remember that, too?"
The Doctor thought about it again and laughed out loud. "It wasn't long after we met. You asked if I knew anything about angels and I laughed at you. You got pretty upset and tried to tell me about the angel that kept saving you. I didn't listen properly and dismissed it as some helpful strangers and a jeopardy friendly girl. You were really angry and ignored me for awhile out of spite."
"And don't you look silly for it now?" she chided.
"You figured it out as soon as you came back to this universe then."
"No, I figured it out in Pete's World with my Doctor there." Rose told him. "I told him about it again and we talked through the possibilities. We decided it must have been future Doctor rewriting things. Rewriting things is so confusing, having two sets of memories."
"It was worth it. It was all worth it. So very worth it." The Doctor reached across the table and stroked Rose's cheek. "This right here is how things are supposed to be."
"The Doctor and Rose Tyler in the TARDIS."
"The stuff of legends."
The End
I really hope you liked it. Please review.
I have three more completed stories to post after this one. In a day or two, I'm going to start posting one called "Odium of the Innocent"