Disclaimer : Haven't done one of these in awhile. Thought it'd be good for the soul. Or something. Not owning Doctor Who is bad for the soul. I do not own Doctor Who. Ergo…bad soul.

A/N: AU Journey's End. What might have happened had Nine returned instead of a Ten clone. Not perfect but not terrible either. I'm off to go looking for banana flavored cereal. Heard a rumour 'bout one.

What Would Nine.5 Do: JE edition

Donna's eyes widened as a form materialized right in front of her. A…naked form? A man. Definitely a man. But who? He sat up, and she staggered backwards.

"Who are you?" She exclaimed.

He looked up at her in confusion. "Donna, what are you on about? It's me." He paused, hands at his throat. "Hold on. That's not right." His hands travelled up to his ears. He smiled widely suddenly. "Oh yes! I'm back!"

He looked back up at Donna seriously then. "Donna, this is going to be hard to believe even after everything you've seen…but it's me. I'm the Doctor. I can prove it. On the Planet of the Ood, I let you hear their song, and it was so sad and heartbreaking that it reminded you of your old dad, and you just wanted to go home. But you stayed because…" He paused and gave her a ten wattage smile. "Well, because you're amazing."

Her eyes sparkled with tears. "How'd you know I was thinking of Dad?"

He titled his head. "Time Lord."

"Doctor," she played with the word.

"Yup, that's me," he poked himself in his chest with his thumb.

"No," she hesitated. "Doctor, you're naked!"

He looked down and frowned. "Well, that's embarrassing."

Rose almost laughed with mirth. If the TARDIS was safe, that meant Donna was safe, which meant there was hope. When the doors of the TARDIS crashed open, her smile faded. I must be losing my mind, she thought. She shut her eyes tightly and opened them again, but the leather jacket clad figure still stood there.

"What-." She managed.

But he was out the door, flying across the floor before she could even begin to try to understand. Suddenly, he was hit by a blast of light.

"No!" Rose heard herself shout as if from very far away. Unable to move more than a few inches, she craned her neck to see him sprawled across the floor, but moving, alive.

Moments later, he was trapped like the rest of them. He looked directly at her. His eyes were dark and unreadable. "Hello, Rose. Long time no see."

"How-." She tripped over the simple word.

"Oh, just a simple instantaneous biological metacrisis. Bit complicated."

"Well, that explains it." Like the rest of them who were familiar with the face, the Doctor had been just as flummoxed.

"Oh, there you are pretty boy," her first Doctor replied cheekily.

"Oi," her second said. "Least I've got nice sized ears."

"Yeah, I can see. Nice enough for Madame de Pompadour to notice leastways."

"Hey," Ten exclaimed, hurt.

"Both of you, just stop," Rose cut in.

"Well I'm not the one that goes around kissing anything that moves," Nine quipped.

"No," Jack grinned in the background. "That would be me."

"Well I wouldn't have left her trapped in a nuclear fallout shelter with the last Dalek in existence." Ten snapped.

Nine's eyes flashed. "And I wouldn't have left her stranded on some beach."

"There was nothing I could do," Ten said darkly.

"Plenty I would've-."

"Stop it, the bof' of ya!" Rose shouted.

"Seriously," Martha grimaced. "End of reality and the two of you're fighting over the nearest blonde."

"Oi," Rose frowned.

"Sorry," Martha apologized, "but you're a force to reckon with when it comes to him."

Rose didn't get a chance to answer because that's when Donna was hit by a flash of light. The next several minutes passed in a blur. When her first Doctor was at the controls, she knew what he was going to do. Because he was doing it for her, at least partly. Like she had done before for him, her Doctor. When she'd absorbed the Time Vortex. Became Bad Wolf.

On the TARDIS, there was too much chaos as they towed the Earth home for her to arrange her thoughts. But she stood between them both and at one point, she lost her balance, and they'd both reached out to steady her. Their glares were comparable. Once on Earth, hugs abounded.

She turned just as Ten tripped over Nine's outstretched leg. "Oops. Sorry about that." Then Nine smiled. "No. No, wait. No, I'm not." He crossed his arms at his next regeneration. "That's for leaving her in the year 5000 with only Mickey the Idiot as company."

As he stood, her second Doctor glared.

Rose sidled between them. "Now's not the time, the both of ya."

"Rose!" Jack exclaimed, laughing, tugging her hand. She hadn't gotten a proper chance to hug him yet. As they embraced, he whispered in her ear. "If I were you…well, three words, ménage a trois." He smiled wickedly.

Rose burst out laughing. "Shut up!" She shoved him, and he just laughed.

Jack turned to Nine now, grinning. "Well, old man. Guess it's goodbye for good this time."

"Looks like it," Nine grinned back. "What?" He teased as he returned Jack's hug. "No kiss this time?"

Jack grinned and slapped his cheek. "Don't tempt me." He turned to Rose, his smile faltering. "If I never see you again," he started.

"Jack-."

"Just listen. If I don't…the greatest pleasure in my entire life has been to know you." A tear glistened on her face. He wiped it away and kissed her forehead. He looked back at Nine. "The both of you." He grinned. "Even if you left me stranded in some godforsaken future year without a problem."

Nine chuckled, patting Jack's back as he took his leave.

Mickey appeared in his place, and Rose grew fresh tears. "I'm off then," he said.

"Mickey the Idiot," Nine put in suddenly. "A hero. Who would've thought?"

Mickey burst out laughing and threw his arms around Nine. "Won't ever get me to admit it again, but I missed ya."

Nine smiled gently as Mickey turned to Rose.

"Don't know what to say," he said.

She cupped his face. "Think about it and let me know next time, yeah?" She said on the verge of crying. It was easier for them both to simply pretend, so he agreed and planted one last kiss on her cheek.

"You take care of her," Mickey said to Nine before he left.

Rose had turned away and was crying into her sleeves. She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned into Ten's arms. She was too bleary eyes to notice the way Nine tensed.

"Come on," Ten said. "Time for one last trip."

Minutes later, Rose tumbled with confusion onto a too familiar beach. She needed some fresh air, or she'd never have left the TARDIS. Her mum and Donna stood off to one side. She turned to see her Doctors standing shoulder to shoulder. Her throat felt swollen shut. "What now?" She asked.

The two looked at each other, an understanding having been reached. "Well," Ten dragged out the word. "I've got to close these last gaps between universes. Again."

Rose took a shaky breath and turned to Nine. "What 'bout you?"

He looked back inside the TARDIS. "Well, there's a universe out there that needs saving, I've missed the TARDIS. But-." He hesitated and turned back to her. "I've missed you more."

Her breath caught at the intensity in his gaze. She noticed Ten look away. Even Donna and her mum. Only she seemed to be able to take it because only she knew the exact feeling.

"And I'll follow you wherever you go, Rose Tyler." Nine murmured.

Rose looked swiftly at Ten, searching his face. When he looked back, the sorrow there broke her heart. The moment passed. He cupped the back on his neck with one hand in thought. "And I reckon this TARDIS is too small for two Time Lords, so," he dragged out the syllable as usual, then pulled out something that looked remarkably like a tree root. "TARDIS of your own." He handed it to Nine. "This universe needs its own pair of defenders. What do you think?" This was directed at Rose.

She paused. "But you-." She couldn't go on.

"Oh, I'm always alright. And I've got Donna!"

Donna had tears in her eyes for him.

"But-." Rose. Oh, his Rose. Always fighting back.

"What?" He asked softly. He knew he shouldn't. He knew he should let go, that the pain from this would later kill him quite possibly.

"You've been everything," she whispered, breaking down.

He looked down, his composure threatening to run away. "No." He denied. "You have, Rose." He looked up with a wide, curious smile. "Crossed the universe just to get back to me. But," his voice broke. "But I can't give you everything."

He looked over at Nine. From the side, Donna spoke. "Tell her."

Rose followed her line of vision to Nine who stepped towards her. He picked up her hand gently and held it to the left side of his chest. She could feel one heart beating against her palm there. He shifted her hand to his right side. Nothing.

"What-." Rose started.

"Part human, part Time Lord." Donna stated triumphantly, but Rose hardly heard her, as she stared up into his eyes.

"I've only got one life, Rose Tyler. And I could spend it with you if you'd like."

She was at a loss for words, but she couldn't let it go that easily. She looked over his shoulder at Ten who was ushering Donna inside the TARDIS. "Wait!" Rose called.

Hands in his pockets, Ten obeyed. "Last time we were here, you were going to tell me something. What was it?" Her voice broke.

He stared at her sadly, then glanced at Nine who looked back. Ten looked back at Rose. "Does it need saying?"

She looked away, clenching Nine's hand. She knew he was giving her a gift by staying silent, but she simply didn't want to accept it.

"Tell her," Donna's muffled voice spoke

Nine took Rose's chin in one hand and tilted her head up. He lowered his head, his lips brushing her skin, her hair, her ear. Ten could hardly bare to watch as Rose grasped Nine by his jacket and kissed him hard. Nine responded in kind, pulling Rose to him by her hips.

Ten turned on the scene and closed the TARDIS door behind him. He walked slowly up the ramp without a word. Donna, understanding as ever, flipped the controls, powering the TARDIS engines to life. She opened her mouth to speak when the door swished open behind him.

Her turned just as Rose threw her arms around him. Her lips smothered his in a quick, desperate kiss. "Thank you," she whispered breathlessly in his ear. She pressed her lips to his one last time, then was gone swiftly as she'd appeared. For a moment, he wondered if he hadn't been just dreaming the occurrence. Then Donna spoke, and he knew it was as painfully real as it felt.

"I'm sorry," she said.

A/N: Maybe it would have been exactly like that. Maybe it would have been completely different. And the world will never know…UNTIL Doctor Who: The Movie. Hahaha…but ImaginE!