Rose's Doctor knew what sort of day she was going to have. He had been back to the school and cleared his desk, apologising with the excuse something unexpected had come up and getting away with it. It was when he saw on the news that people were being attacked in the streets by students acting like plastic dummies that he put on his trench coat, locked the door and posted the key in the letter box, leaving everything inside the flat, including the car keys.
He hailed a passing cab even though it wasn't far and made his way to where he remembered landing the Tardis after defeating the Nestene Consciousness and peeked around the corner, just in time to see Mickey stumbling out of the Tardis and cowering behind a pallet by the metal fence. Staying in the shadows, he saw Rose come out, followed by his previous incarnation.
It wasn't that often a Timelord got to see his former self, unless under extreme circumstances so this was going to be interesting to say the least. He tried to remember the conversation that would be going on.
"Fat lot of good you were," Rose was saying. "I saved you back there."
"Yes, you did. Thank you, Rose Tyler. Right, best be off then, unless?"
"Unless what?" Rose dared ask, knowing this was it – he'd either come back if she said no or leave for good and she couldn't exactly ask him if she said no, would he come back?
"I don't know, maybe you could come with me?"
"Is it always that dangerous?"
The other Doctor suddenly decided the dust on his shoes was interesting, even though it was dark.
"Not always. Anyway, it's your choice," he told her. "This ship isn't just hop on, hop off you know, it goes anywhere in the universe."
Mickey looked up at her. "No Rose, don't go, those things, they were alien, he's an alien and what would your boyfriend think?"
"What boyfriend?" the other Doctor asked. "I thought Rickey here was your boyfriend? Besides, he's not invited."
"Aw, he's just confused, take no notice," Rose bluffed, hoping Mickey wouldn't come out with any more. "I'd best not, I have to find my mum and someone has to take this lump home."
"Okay then, see ya around. Take care, Rose Tyler and have a nice life."
With that, he stepped back into the Tardis and Rose felt the wind swirl around the spot the Tardis had been standing in. She wondered if John had arrived yet, her Doctor who would perhaps have his life changed forever if this Doctor didn't come back but surely he'd have more than one way of finding another version of himself?
Then it dawned on her, why her? Why was he so dependant on getting her to get this other Doctor to believe who he was? Surely this other Doctor or another one would come back to Earth at some point and John could get a ride back? As she started to pull Mickey up, she felt the wind again and the blue box re-materialised in almost the same spot.
"Mickey, listen carefully to me. You have to go now and if you see John on your way back, don't ask him any questions, got it?"
The Tardis door remained closed so Rose assumed he was thinking about it. Rose started pushing Mickey off.
"Go on Mickey, I'll see ya around, I'm just gonna talk to him, right?"
"Whatever you say Rose but your boyfriend won't be happy, while he's away and how are ya gonna explain it to him?"
"Never mind but don't say anything if ya see him."
Mickey huffed and began walking up the alley, seeing Rose's Doctor as he rounded the corner.
"Ah, Mickey, have you see Rose? Jackie says she got home and Rose wasn't there and what's been going on? She was raving on something about shop window dummies trying to shoot her, has she been on the gin again?"
"Don't ask me mate, I hardly see Jackie, or Rose, thanks to you. If you want to find Rose, I'd be quick, she was down there a few minutes ago but she might have gone by now."
"Gone where? Where can she get to down an alleyway?"
"Find out for yourself," was all Mickey replied as he headed home.
The Doctor knew exactly where Rose was, by now, she would be in the Tardis trying to persuade his other self to go out and talk to his future self and if she could pull that off, he was halfway there. Did he want to go back though and to what? To face Martha and tell her that was it or should he let her stay? No, Martha was a liability and after six ecstatic months with Rose, he certainly didn't want things to get romantic with the trainee doctor.
The other Doctor had just opened the door, having seen Rose talking to Mickey and was now standing in the Tardis doorway.
"Did I mention it also travels in time?" he asked, a smug look on his face. Then the look faded as he saw a figure approaching. "A friend of yours?" he gestured to behind her.
Rose turned around – what was he thinking? This wasn't what they had talked about.
"John, what are you doing here?"
"Hello Rose, sorry but maybe this is for the best eh? So, Doctor, know who I am yet?"
"How do you know me? Rose, is this some kind of trick? Did you tell someone else about me? I trusted you."
"Don't blame her, we never could blame her. Go on, scan me though how you don't know yet but I suppose it's understandable, under the circumstances."
"Just what I need, another of the 'I know who and what you are brigade'," the other Doctor huffed, about to turn around.
"Blimey, Rose, tell him," nodding his head towards the other him.
"Doctor, meet John Smith or if you like, the Doctor."
"What are you on about? I'm the Doctor. Hang on, are you trying to tell me that's, well, me, a future me?" the other Doctor asked, folding his arms.
"I used to do that a lot," John gestured to Rose.
"What, stand in the doorway with your arms folded?" Rose laughed.
"Glad you two think this is funny," the other Doctor huffed, a bit put out he was now having a conversation with his future self. "Okay, I'll buy it, which one are you then?"
"You know I can't tell you that. Shall we go inside, I've rather missed the old girl."
"She won't like it and if you're from my future, she won't recognise you," his other self tutted.
"Why not let her decide? Besides, we can talk out here but I sort of need you to take me somewhere."
"That's a new one," the other Doctor laughed. "Lost your own Tardis?"
"Doctor, he needs your help. He got sent back in time and he's been waiting for you for the last six months or so," Rose pleaded.
"With you? So he is your boyfriend?"
Rose took her Doctor's hand. "Yeah."
"I expect he's the one who told you what to do today and I thought you were being clever. I should have known."
"She is clever and more than a match for any of us," Rose's Doctor defended his love. "I got sent back, by accident from 2007."
"That was clumsy of you. So how did you manage that?"
Rose thought that was a good sign, at least he'd not refused to help, well not yet.
"Well, Doctor, there are these creatures, you might have heard of them, they're called weeping angels?"
The other Doctor shook his head. "Nope, never heard of them but you'd know that if you really are me. Well?"
"I went to investigate some disappearances and they caught me because I wasn't paying any attention they were creeping up on me."
"That was just plain stupid," the other Doctor mocked. "Why weren't you?"
Rose's Doctor squeezed her hand. "Because I was thinking of how much I still missed Rose."
She squeezed his hand back. "You never told me just how much."
"Well, this is very touching so why are you in a hurry to leave?" the other Doctor, who wasn't known for his patience wanted to know.
"I have to, to set this timeline straight. Rose has to go with you, to do the things she was meant to do before you changed."
"I wasn't planning on changing any time soon. So, you remember all this?"
"No, I only remember meeting Rose for the first time, none of this had happened."
"So, now she knows you missed her which implies she was no longer with you or you wouldn't be here?"
"She knows but not the reason why and before you say I shouldn't have told her, she had the right to know, I gave her no details."
"It's true Doctor, he only told me about his past, before you. So, can you take him back?" Rose asked.
The other Doctor leaned back against the Tardis.
"You accept all this? That you have to travel with me, until I change?" he asked Rose, now with her Doctor's arm around her, to which he'd said originally he didn't want his past self to know about them but that had already gone wrong, what were a few minor details?
"Yeah but I also know it won't be him, this him but we talked about it. We're good."
"Do you want to come with us, to take him back?"
"No, I can't do that, this is hard enough. Can ya give us a few minutes, to say goodbye?"
"Take your time. Did you tell her not to tell me, about the two of you?"
"I thought it would be best or risk things not happening the way they should."
"You thought I'd be jealous?" the other Doctor pointed to himself. "Please, I am not the jealous type."
"Forget it, I was you, remember? You can't fool me," Rose's Doctor scoffed.
Rose smiled at him. "Stop fighting over me, this is embarrassing. Can we get this over with, like I said, this isn't any easier than it was this morning."
The other Doctor went back inside and Rose's Doctor took her around the side of the Tardis.
"He'd better not be watching in there," he smiled, putting his arms around her and kissing her neck.
"Would you be? Hey, we thought it was gonna be harder than this. What are ya gonna tell him?"
"Just where to take me, just before I was stupid enough to go inside that house. Rose, this doesn't change anything and I promise, you'll have such an adventure, with both of us. I love you and I wanted to tell how much I really missed you, you were the reason I ended up here. It could have been worse, I could have landed in 1969 with Martha."
Rose nudged him. "So what are you gonna tell her?"
"Well she'll be annoyed I went off without her, she might get the hint? Maybe she never even missed me, who knows? Remember what I said love, when you meet this me again, at least now he'll know there was something between us, maybe it will work out?"
"He's still not you though," Rose said sadly.
"Yes it will be me, an earlier me but still me. We'll still have fun and get into loads of trouble but that's what we did. At least now, it will be easier for us, me knowing we had something, unless you want me to get that version of me in there to make you forget?"
"I already told ya, that's not an option. You'll remember it, then so will I. How would it make you feel?"
"Sorry. Well, best not keep myself waiting, I wasn't so patient back then."
"Can you tell me how long I have to wait?"
"You know I can't love but I promise, you'll love every minute of it."
"Yeah, I know he's still you, I have to accept that. So, this is finally it, this is goodbye for now?"
She reached up and clung hold of his neck while he put his arms around her waist.
"I love you Doctor."
"I love you too Rose and now, you'll never wonder, if I don't get around to saying it."
"You will though, won't you?"
This time, he'd have no regrets he'd left her standing on that beach in Norway.
"I just have. Goodbye, my love and thank you for looking after me, it was better than that experience I had in 1913."
"You mean with Martha looking after you? Are ya sure I'll never get to meet her?"
"Well, you might, one day, who knows? Now, get ready for your adventures and break the news gently to your mother, although Mickey might be a bit hard to get rid of now."
They kissed for the last time as he was now and Rose walked around to the door with him. He pushed it open and stood with one foot in the doorway and he actually thought he couldn't do this, just leave her like that. Rose seemed to sense.
"Go on, not scared of facing Martha are ya?" Rose joked.
"Of course not, I just hate leaving you like this."
"Aw, you're such an old softy."
"Less of the old," the other Doctor remarked from inside.
Rose's Doctor smiled. "Told you."
"I heard that, my hearing's not gone either."
Rose giggled. "See ya soon then lover?"
"You can bet on that and don't go getting friendly with the other me."
"Jealous of yourself?" Rose teased. "He's not my type."
"That's what Martha said and look where that got me?"
"Back to me?"
"Yes, I suppose I should go thank her for that? No, best not let on I've been living in the past for six months with you, she'd never believe me. She'd check me for concussion or lock me up."
"Yeah, she might. Bye then, stay out of trouble and you never know, some temporal loop might bring us back together again."
"Yes, you never know. Bye love and tell your mother, thanks for letting me stay that time when I had just arrived and tell her to go easy on the other me, I really wasn't that bad."
"Yeah, I'll tell her but I can't promise anything."
"Stand back love, I'll send him right back for you or do you want to go see your mother first?"
Rose shook her head, she couldn't face her mother going on about shop window dummies trying to kill her.
"She needn't think I'm taking her home every five minutes," the other Doctor complained.
"Well she got it from somewhere," Rose's Doctor laughed.
Just as he was about to turn, he couldn't resist one last kiss. "Bye love."
"Bye, try not to change too soon will ya?"
He shook his head, he had no intentions of changing, not without a fight but he'd just had an idea, about maybe not giving Rose up so easily this time.
Rose tried her best not to cry as she stepped back. Once inside, her Doctor wasted no time joining his other self at the console.
"I've missed this. So, may I enter the co-ordinates?"
"Be my guest, you seem to know your way around so I take it you made no alterations and made it look like the fun-house at Blackpool Pleasure Beach?"
"Mmm, you've been then? No, Rose liked it the way it was, why would I change it?"
"You're really gone on her aren't you? Don't worry, I'll look after her for you, she's all yours, you're better than that Rickey. So, was I supposed to know all that?" he asked, seeing Rose on the monitor. "We'd best move, Rose is still there, unless you want to break her heart even more than you've already done?"
"No, she doesn't deserve that, I'm ready and I doubt we'll see each other again."
"Nope, don't suppose we will," he replied as Rose's Doctor went around the console then released the handbrake, watching Rose as they faded from her view.
Rose was wondering what was taking so long but they were probably arguing with each other until she heard a thud and the wheezing noise, then she wondered how the ship was still capable of moving.
Just as Rose's Doctor landed within feet of his own Tardis, he turned to his other self.
"I know this is breaking the rules but you might just see me again, watch out for me."
"Take care of yourself, don't worry about Rose and I can see now why she was so insistent on keeping me around. She had to make sure you got back. Weeping angels then? Best look them up."
"Yeah, I might have avoided them," Rose's Doctor grinned, opening the door and seeing his Tardis where he'd left it.
If he had avoided them, he'd never have got to experience what he'd missed out on the first time and he was now determined he wouldn't miss out the next time around.
"Never fixed the chameleon circuit then? No, don't tell me, Rose liked it."
Her Doctor smiled and stepped outside. He watched his other self disappear and was just making some adjustments when he saw Martha pull up and slip through the gates but the Tardis was out of view now whereas previously, the angels had carted it off, since they intended using it as a power source. Now he had to wait until she left, since he wasn't in the mood for any confrontations, leaving Rose for the second time had been bad enough.