2XMAS – THE RUNAWAY DOCTOR

(I would like to recommend to readers that you listen to tracks from the soundtracks of Series 1, 2, 3 and 4 of Doctor Who, with some from Smith & Capaldi's eras and one from Whitaker's era. Tracks: 'The Doctor's Theme – Series 1', 'Rose's Theme', 'The Lone Dalek', 'Life Among The Distant Stars', 'The Source', 'The Doctor's Theme – Series 4', 'Martha's Theme', 'The Doctor Forever', 'The Dream of a Normal Death', 'Martha Triumphant', 'Song For Four/Home', 'She's The Doctor' (Power of the Doctor version)– Tracks I can think of for now. More later.)

"You're a bit…" Nine said, sizing Ten up. "A bit what?" Ten said. "A bit pretty." Nine said. "It's your fault, you choose this face." Ten said. Thing is, he knows exactly why Nine chooses this face.

"Nope. No chance. Why would I choose that face? I've been pretty before, and once was enough." Nine said. Ten knew what and who Nine was talking about. "You think he's pretty, you should've seen the other one." Nine said, looking at Rose and motioning to Ten.

"Who's he talking about? Another you? Sorry, how many yous have there been? You've never said." Rose said, now very curious. "Ohhh…" Ten began, not actually sure. "Well, there was the grumpy old man, that was the first me. Then there was the cosmic hobo one, he was fun, I liked him. Then there was the one who wore all the frilly shirts, he was the action man." Ten said, chuckling.

"Don't you think the imperative here should be to get me back to my TARDIS and my Rose?" Nine said. "Oh, yes, sorry! Sorry, I always get really distracted when I meet my past or my future, always fun to see who I've been and who I'm going to be." Ten said, grinning. Rose could do nothing but grin at Ten's impish excitement.

"If this is what I'm getting next go around, I'm not too keen, if that's alright with you. Now, let's focus. I've got a nineteen year old girl in a spaceship falling through the time vortex, to get back to." Nine said smiling sarcastically. Ten frowned a bit. "I forgot how grumpy you were. Could give One a run for his money, you." Ten said, as he got to work on the console, sliding the monitor over.

"Brainy specs?" Nine said. "They make me look really clever." Ten said, arching back up. "You said 'My Rose'. And then before you said –" Ten said, as Rose came in. "Step out that door and it's the year 12005." Rose said. Ten looked at Rose, remembering.

"That was when I took you to…" Ten said. "The end of the world." Rose finished, the beginnings of a smile on her face. "That was our first date." Ten said, beginning to smile back. "We had chips." Rose said, grinning more. "I was skint." Ten said, grinning wild. "Tightwad." Rose said, pulling her trademark tongue-tied smile. The smile that made the Doctor weak every time.

"Oi. Focus. You're like a pair of lovestruck teenagers, you two." Nine said, folding his arms, reminding Ten and Rose of his presence. "Oh, yes, sorry again! You know Rose, always the distraction." Ten said. "You're gonna get a smack, you are." Rose said, laughing.

"No, I don't, she was only in the TARDIS five minutes before I popped off. Now she's all alone." Nine said. "Oh trust me, you'll get back to her. You and Rose, ooh you've got loads to do." Ten said. "Then get me back to her, so we can do all those –" Nine said, before the conversation was interrupting by the TARDIS lurching and going haywire.

The TARDIS was shaking. The Doctors and Rose were holding on for dear life. "What's happening to her?!" Nine said, as he clung to one of the pillars next to the ramp. Ten spun the monitor over. "Something's magnetised to the TARDIS. It's dragging her to Earth. We're on a collision course with the Earth!" Ten said, pressing a few buttons on the console.

"But the TARDIS'll land safely, yeah? No one's going to get hurt?" Rose said, worry increasing. "Not if I force something…" Ten said, as he moved himself around the console, fiddling with various buttons and doo-dahs.

"D'you even know what the hell you're doing?!" Nine said. "I'm you, and you're Me. We've been flying this ship for over nine hundred years. D'you think after all that, after everything we've done, that I don't know what I'm doing?!" Ten said. "Yes!" Nine said. Ten grinned wildly. "Correct-a-mundo!" Ten said, as he slammed a lever down like it was the final act of his life, the TARDIS coming a stark halt after he did so.

"There we go!" Ten said, sliding the monitor over. "Give the man a medal! London, Earth, Christmas Day 2007, all safe and sound! Ha!" Ten said, walking to the ramp pillars and grabbing the Janis Joplin coat.

"You said something was dragging us to Earth, that it had magnetised itself to the TARDIS. The Earth doesn't have the technology to pull things down from space, not yet. So there's something else here, something alien." Nine said. "And this is my favourite bit, cos we have to go and find them and find out what they want, and then, if they haven't killed us yet, figure out a way to stop them." Ten said, as he and Rose exited the TARDIS.

Nine looked back at the interior as he reached for the door. "Is it me, or did it get grungier in here?" he said, as he exited the ship. Nine came out onto a London street, brimming with people getting in some last minute Christmas shopping. "I was wrong. It's not Christmas Day. It's Christmas Eve. I was a day off." Ten said, hands in his pockets.

"When are we ever precise in landing the TARDIS." Nine said. Ten chuckled. "Good point." Ten said. Nine even let out a small smile. "How do we find it? The thing that pulled us down here." Rose said. "With this!" Ten said, whipping out the Sonic Screwdriver and going to the TARDIS. The whirring noise began as Ten scanned around all sides. As Ten scanned, the TARDIS glittered, a golden hue covering her. "Oohhhh, look at that! That's beautiful!" Ten said, as Nine and Rose turned to see the golden glitter. "Can't be. Impossible." Nine said. Ten grinned, he loved it when people said that. "Oh, but it is, Doctor." Ten said. "Am I the only one wondering what it actually is?" Rose said. Ten whipped around to her. "Yes, sorry! Huon Particles. Don't exist anymore, haven't done for, oh Rose…" Ten said as he and Nine saw the same golden glitter covering Rose. Her eyes glowing gold too.

"What's happening to her? Tell me. Now." Nine said. Ten looked at him grimly. "Something in your future. Don't ask." Ten said, grim. Rose looked at her hands and saw them glowing gold. "What's happening to me? Am I gonna change?" Rose said. "Rose, I promise you, I'm going to find out who's doing this and I'm going to stop them." Ten said, as he stopped sonicing and the golden hue disappeared. "I'll get us a taxi." Ten said, walking off.

Nine took this as his chance and moved to Rose. "I change at some point. Something happens that triggers it and then I change and then you're stuck with him." Nine said. Rose nodded. "Yeah. Why?" Rose said. Nine smiled, small but genuine. "How did you cope with it? Me changing." Nine said.

"I thought you'd left me. I thought you'd run off and left with some stranger, but…he's more you than you." Rose said, piercing into Nine's hearts. "More me than me, what does that mean?" Nine said. How was she going to put this? Rose thought. He was the Doctor, but he was still hurting and healing from the Time War. Her Doctor was still the angry leather man, but more healed and beginning to accept it wasn't all his fault, beginning to be the Doctor again, beginning to live again.

"You're the Doctor, but you're still hurting and healing from the Time War, you're still learning to even like yourself again. He's you, but…he's been through all of that. He's the Doctor again, he's living again. He's you, but he's…" Rose said as Nine chuckled. "He's me but better. It's okay, I understand." Nine said. "And I suppose I've got you to thank for that, Rose Tyler." Nine said, as Ten came back over.

"And quite right, too. She's the one who makes you better. You need her, more than you could ever imagine." Ten said, so serious. Nine looked at Ten, and then at Rose. "You make it sound like she's the most important thing in all creation." Nine said.

"She is." Ten said. Rose felt her heart jump at this. The Doctor had never referred to her as being more important than anything, not outright at least. "Got the signal off the TARDIS?" Nine said. "The what?" Rose said. "Whatever magnetised itself to the TARDIS would've left a trace, the very signal that attached to the TARDIS. The Sonic can pick it up and tell us where to go." Nine said. "Is there anything that screwdriver can't do?" Rose said. "Wood." Ten said.

"What?" Rose said. "Wood. It doesn't do wood. You know that. It was useless in the Blitz. Jack and me had a spat about it." Nine said. "Must not have been listening, I don't know." Rose said.

Nine and Ten looked at each other, mutual concern. "No, that's not right. You should remember that." Ten said. "So whatever dragged the TARDIS kicking and screaming down to Earth, is also messing with time. The question is, what for?" Nine said.

"Well then, let's follow the scientific sonic device and find out." Ten said, as he dashed off, Rose following suit. Nine rolled his eyes.

Soon, Rose and the Doctors were sitting in back of a taxi. "Next left up here. Thanks." Ten said. But the driver didn't take the left, he just kept driving forward. "Erm, next left then." Ten said. And again, the driver kept driving forward.

"Either he's deaf or there's something else going on. Hold on…" Nine said, as he reached over and grabbed the driver. When he pulled back, the driver's santa hood came off, revealing the Pilot Fish underneath.

"Pilot Fish. That's two Christmases in a row. Merry Christmas to us." Ten said, grinning at Rose. "Can't be the Sycorax. Harriet Jones killed 'em." Rose said. "So if the Sycorax aren't controlling the Pilot Fish, that begs the question: who's controlling them now?" Ten said, grinning at Rose as they both discovered a mystery in need of solving.

"Now, who wants to bet our driver here is taking us to our deaths? No one? Right, then I suggest, and it is just a suggestion, that we jump out of this taxi." Ten said. Did he go mental in his next regeneration? Nine thought to himself.

"Are you having us on? You want us to jump out of a moving taxi?" Nine said. "Unless you want to regenerate, ooh, seven-eight months too early, I suggest you listen to the older Doctor in the…" Ten said, turning to Rose. "Room? Car?" Ten said to Rose. "Car." Rose said, nodding.

Rose tried to open her door, but it wouldn't budge. Locked. "Well, there goes jumping out the car. Door's are locked, unless…" Rose said, grinning expectantly at Ten. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, Sonic Screwdriver." Ten said, pointing the sonic at Rose's door. Nine soniced his door.

"And jump!" Ten said as he and Rose ducked out through her door and Nine ducked out through his. They watched the Pilot Fish drive on as they got to their feet. "Be a while before he notices we're not even in the back." Nine said. "Giving us plenty of time to find out where the signal's coming from." Ten said. "Would've thought the TARDIS could just get us there, Doctor. Like, plug the sonic in to the console, or something." Rose said.

"I should've thought of that. Why didn't I think of that?" Ten said, as the three went sauntering back to the TARDIS. "Maybe I'm just better than you." Rose said, grinning. Nine let out a grin too. Nice to know Rose was still keeping him grounded, he thought to himself.

"Bang on, like literally, bang on, Rose Tyler! I can plug the sonic in to the console and the TARDIS can download the signal, and ba da boom ba!" Ten said, as the entered the TARDIS and he threw the Janis Joplin coat on the ramp pillar. "Ba da boom ba?" Rose said, laughing. "Ba da boom ba!" Ten said as he plugged the sonic in to the console, pressed a few buttons and slammed down the handbrake.

The TARDIS rocked and shook as they made the journey. "Actually, that is a good point, why didn't you think of this?" Nine said. Ten rolled his eyes and Rose laughed. She found it hilarious to watch the Doctor bicker with himself. "Ohhh, do we have to do this now?" Ten said.

"Do I just turn into a bloody child when I change? Is that the best I get next go around." Nine said. "I'm not childish!" Ten said in protest. "You have your moments." Rose said, grinning. "Oi!" Ten said as the TARDIS came to a halt.

"There we are. Landed. Safe and sound." Ten said. "But she didn't make the noise, the wheezing groaning sound. She always makes that sound when she lands." Rose said. "Because I didn't land her. Whoever soaked the TARDIS in Huon did." Ten said. He and Rose looked at each other, concerned and worried and excited.

"Is that who's waiting for us out there?" Rose said. "Oh yes." Ten said. "Got any idea who..or what, they are?" Rose said. "Nope. No idea. More fun that way." Ten said, grinning. "We going or what? I'm starting to feel nauseous listening to you two." Nine said, heading for the door.

Ten ran down the ramp, grabbing the Joplin coat, Rose following as the doors opened and the trio stepped out…

In to a laboratory. Dozens of beakers and vials filled with chemicals. Nothing looks broken down or abandoned. It all still looks new. And then there's the thing. The thing that our trio saw as they stepped out of the TARDIS. The 'TORCHWOOD' branding.

"Oooh, a laboratory! I love a laboratory!" Ten said. The trio looked around. "What does it all do?" Rose said. "Particle extrusion. Hold on. Brilliant! They've been manufacturing Huon Particles. Course, my, sorry our, people got rid of Huons. They unravel the atomic structure." Ten said, geeking out.

"And look who's been doing it." Rose said, as the two Doctors saw the branding. It meant nothing to Nine, but everything to Ten. "Torchwood. Of course. Meddle with anything alien, that lot." Ten said. "Still, explains the Huons." Ten said.

"Okay, and what does that have to do with me? Cos it wasn't Huon Particles I took in, it was," Rose said, eyeing Nine. "It was something else." She said. "Huon Particles were destroyed billions and billions of years ago by the Time Lords, cos they deemed them too dangerous to co-exist with the rest of the universe, but the last particle survives in the Heart of the TARDIS. That's why the Huons are…" Nine said, as the realisation hit him.

"You took the Heart of the TARDIS in to your own body?! What reason would you have to do something so incredibly stupid!?" Nine said, enraged. "You." Rose said, a little scared. "What?" Nine said, not understanding. "We send her away, cos we're about to wipe ourself and the daleks out of the sky. She ripped the TARDIS open and took the Heart into herself and became the Bad Wolf. She saved us and burned a billion, billion Daleks in the process." Ten said. Rose reacted. "I don't remember that. I don't remember any of it. Why don't I remember? Doctor?" Rose said. "Because the only way to save you was to wipe it from your memory. Lock it away." Ten said, as he turned to Nine.

"That's why you die. That's why you die and become me." Ten said. "Aaand, I think that's why you were brought here. The Bad Wolf scattered herself through time, to bring you and Rose to Satellite Five at the right time. Whoever's brought us here, tapped in to the Huons sprinkled across your regeneration, but they got the wrong you, you're too early in the timeline, you don't even know what Bad Wolf even means yet." Ten said, piecing it all together as Rose peered over the side and saw the great big hole.

"Doctor, you seen the great big hole in the middle of the Earth? What's that got to do with all this?" Rose said, as Ten came over and peered over. "Ooh, someone's been digging. Oh, very Torchwood. Drilled by laser. Wonder how far down it goes." Ten said. "Down and down, all the way to the centre of the Earth!" a voice said.

The trio reacted to this. "Guess who." Rose said, as she and Ten grinned at each other. "Alien that brought us here would have to be mine." Ten said. Nine stepped forward.

"Only a madman talks to thin air, and trust me, you don't want me angry. Where are you?" Nine said, looking up and around.

"Two Doctors, so alike, and yet so different. The same man yet with different faces. And the pink and yellow girl who fell in love with both and who became so much more than human. How can this be?" the voice said. "Come down here, and we'll tell you all about it, we'll get the kettle on." Ten said.

"We didn't come all this way to talk on the intercom. Come on, let's have a look at ya!" Rose said. "Who are you with such command, young girl?" the voice said. "Rose Tyler. And I'm the Doctor, and so's he, actually." Ten said, motioning to Rose and Nine as he spoke. "Prepare your best medicines, Doctor Men, for you all will be sick at heart." The voice said, as she came down in a blue-ish transmat beam.

"Racnoss? But that's impossible. You're one of the Racnoss?" Ten said, disbelieving. "Empress of the Racnoss!" the Empress said. "If you're the Empress, where's the rest of the Racnoss? Or are you the only one?" Nine said. "Such a sharp mind in two bodies." The Empress said.

"That's it, the last of your kind. The Racnoss come from the Dark Times, billions of years ago. Billions. They were carnivores, omnivores. They devoured whole planets." Ten said. "Racnoss are born starving. Is that our fault?" the Empress said. "They eat people?" Rose said.

"The hunger of the Racnoss doesn't discriminate, like the hatred of the Dalek." Nine said. Ten shook his head. "You shouldn't exist," Ten said, leaning toward Rose, speaking to her. "Way back in history, the Fledgling Empires went to war against the Racnoss. A brutal, horrible war." Ten said. "What happened? Who won?" Rose said. "War rarely ever has a winner. They were wiped out." Ten said.

"Except for me." the Empress said. "So is that what's inside me? The Huons – uagghhhh!" Rose said, letting out a scream of pain as she clutched her head. Ten took hold of her, staring dagger eyes up at the Empress. "What is it, what have you done to her?" Ten said, as Rose once again glowed gold, her eyes glowing too.

Rose was trapped inside her own head, getting hit over and over, with memory after memory. It was as if a door had been unlocked. Rose saw herself prying open the TARDIS, she saw herself looking into the heart of the TARDIS., she saw herself piloting the TARDIS back up to Satellite Five, she saw the TARDIS doors opening in a blaze of light, revealing her, she saw herself with blazing eyes as she burned all the Daleks away, she saw Nine taking her into his arms and kissing her, taking the Time Vortex out of her. And she could feel the Wolf's power slowly spreading through her body, overtaking her as she heard Ten rage as she felt herself collapse to the ground.

"What's happening to her?" Nine said, as both Doctors observed the glowing golden body that was Rose. "The Racnoss is overloading her with Huons," Ten said, as he whipped around to face the Empress. "YOU'LL KILL HER!" Ten raged. "Then she will be food for my children. Ready for them as they awaken." The Empress said.

"What do you mean children? You're the last of the Racnoss – Oh. Oh, of course. Tell me, Empress, what's hiding down at the bottom of that hole?" Nine said. "My children. Oh, how they starve." The Empress said. "And that's what Torchwood found. They found the Racnoss." Nine said.

"Would've been your lucky day if it was Torchwood you were dealing with, but they went and wiped themselves out, so now you're stuck with me. Well, two of me." Ten said. And then Ten pieced it together, as outside, people all across London looked up to the sky and saw the Racnoss Star.

"Ohhhh! I did wonder, if you and your children are so hungry, why you hadn't tried anything for the last billion years, but that's just it!" Ten said, and then Nine got it too. "Weak. They're weak. They've spent the last billion years in hiding, recuperating, gathering strength until the moment was right." Nine said as Ten dragged Rose into the TARDIS, Nine following them.

Ten dashed about the console as the TARDIS took off. "The Racnoss have been hiding on Earth for the last billion years, but how?" Ten said. "From their original point in time, they would've seen the Earth as it was just beginning, it's infancy – Oh." Nine said. "Oh." Ten said. They both got it now. And they were grinning now.

The TARDIS came to a halt, and Ten and Nine watched via the scanner as the Racnoss Star gathered the rocks, big and small, around it. Hiding itself. "The Racnoss isn't just hiding at the centre of the Earth, the Racnoss is the centre of the Earth." Nine said.

Ten wasn't at the console anymore, he was sat down, legs crossed, staring at Rose as she writhed in the golden shower. "She's still going. I can feel it, just a little, what she's feeling." Ten said, as Nine slammed down the lever. "Then let's pop back and have a chat with the Empress and get her to let Rose go." Nine said as Ten bounced to his feet.

"I've got a better idea!" Ten said, laughing and excited. "We're going to land the TARDIS just a few seconds after we left and force her into leaving Earth, with the element of surprise!" Ten said.

Rose's memory wave was getting worse. Now she was seeing herself trapped in the cellar of Torchwood House in 1879 Scotland, facing the Lupine Wavelength Haemovariform and hearing him say "You've got something of the Wolf about you.", and then her head was filled with images of the man she loved…

Ten raced around the console as the TARDIS landed. He and Nine looked at each other. "Ready?" Ten said. "Any day." Nine said. "You'll distract the Empress with a nice bit of chit-chat…" Ten said, as Nine chimed in. "…And you'll sneak up behind and take control of the Pilot Fish out from under her…" Nine said, as Ten piped up with the finale. "And then we hit her with the ultimatum. Leave the Earth and I'll find a planet for her and her children, or I'll end all of it." Ten said, growing darkly serious.

Nine raced out first, as Ten knelt down to Rose. "Rose, it's all about to be over, I promise you. The pain will go away, I will make it go away." Ten said, as he kissed her on the head gently. But when he kissed her, he got a flash of the memories she was reliving. He recoiled back, staring at her. "What?" he said. "WHAT?" he said.

"Do I have an audience with the Empress of the Racnoss?" Nine bellowed. "Have you readied your best medicines, Doctor man?" the Empress said. "That's one way to put it, yeah." Nine said, as Ten snuck out of the TARDIS, who's front door was parked facing away to the right of the Empress, meaning she didn't see Ten as he snuck around.

"I know how you hid from the war, how you survived." Nine said. The Empress looked amused. "We were forced to hide. Cast out from the universe because the Racnoss are born hungry." The Empress said. Nine watched behind the Empress, as Ten came up behind the lead Pilot Fish and disarmed him of the controller. "And you created an entire planet just to hide yourself. That's why you want to end it all. The Earth has outlived it's purpose, a purpose it didn't know it had. Shame. The Racnoss were a beautiful species, so hungry and bountiful." Nine said, wistfully and sadly, as Ten readied himself, nodding at Nine.

"You act as though you are ready to die, Doctor man." The Empress said. Nine shrugged. "Maybe I am. But I'm wise enough to know that everything has it's time, and everything dies. Even you." Nine said. "Even you. At arms! Take aim at the Doctor man! And –" the Empress said, as the Pilot Fish took aim, and Ten spoke. "- Relax." Ten said, as the Fish slumped. Nine grinned. "What've you got?" Nine said, sarcastically. "Oh you know, just your standard Roboform Controller. Nothing too special or flash." Ten said, cocky.

"Roboforms are not necessary. My children may feast on human flesh!" the Empress said. "Ohhh, but I'm not human and I'm not from Earth. And neither is he." Ten said, motioning to Nine. "Then where?" the Empress. "Our home planet is far away and long since gone…" Ten said, as Rose writhed in the TARDIS.

"But it's name lives on. Gallifrey." Ten said, as Rose's eyes snapped open, and the Racnoss screamed. Rose's eyes burned with the power of time and space, the power of the Bad Wolf. Ten stood on the platform, hand raised, sonicing. The walls breaking and the water flooding.

The Racnoss screamed and the Doctor's were soaked as the TARDIS doors snapped open, golden light soaring from them, as a figure bathed in it. "Rose…" Nine said. "No…" Ten said, remembering Satellite Five. "The Wolf. The Wolf has come to feast on the Racnoss!" the Empress screamed. Ten reacted. "How do you…" Ten said, before turning to Nine. "Doctor! Stop her! NOW!" Ten said.

Nine whipped around to face Ten, both Doctors knowing there was only one way to stop Rose. "You know I can't. There's only one way to do that, and I'm not there yet and you're so far beyond it." Nine said, as Rose outstretched her arms.

"I am the Bad Wolf. I create myself, I resurrect myself, and I can stop myself." Rose said, turning her attention to the Empress. "You, the Empress of the Racnoss, you are the Empress of a dead race, you are the Empress of nothing. I can make you nothing, and I can make you everything." Rose said, as Ten dashed down from the platform to her.

"Rose, you don't have to do this. Just..Just stop it, okay. Just stop it, and we can go back to the TARDIS and…" Ten said, as Rose whipped her head to face him. "I am the Bad Wolf. I create myself. I exist to protect the one I love. My Doctor. My immortal warrior. So broken and shattered by the Time War." Rose said, looking deep into Ten's eyes.

"Rose, you've got to stop this. You've got to stop this now. You've got the entirety of the time vortex running through your head again. You're going to burn up all over again." Ten said. "I want you safe. My Doctor. Protected from the false Empress." Rose said, as she turned her attention to the Empress. Water drowning the laboratory.

"You cannot harm me. I am the Empress of the Racnoss!" the Empress said. "You are nothing. You are tiny. I can see the whole of time and space. Every single atom of your existence, and I divide them." Rose said, as the Pilot Fish disintegrated gently. "Everything begins as dust, and everything must end so. All things. Everything lives, and everything dies. The War between the Racnoss and the Time Lords ends. My love is safe." Rose said, as the Racnoss began to disintegrate gently.

"I will not die. My children will not die. The Racnoss will not meet extinction!" the Empress roared as she and her babies disappeared in golden clouds of dust.

Ten turned to Rose. "Okay. That's it. You've done it. The Racnoss are gone. They're all gone now. We're all safe. You've done it." Ten said. "My Doctor is safe. The reason for my existence is sound. The Bad Wolf shall rest until she is needed once more." Rose said, as the golden light faded from her eyes and disappeared from her. The Bad Wolf had gone to rest.

oOoOo

The Doctors and Rose were back in the TARDIS. Ten was leaning back on the console facing Rose, Nine was stood facing Rose. "Remember anything from the laboratory? Anything at all?" Ten said. Rose nodded. "I remember all of it, Doctor. But there was something else. When I was under the Empress's influence, I saw other things, old memories. Doctor, I saw what I did on Satellite Five. I saw myself wiping out the Daleks. I did it to save you." Rose said, clearly a bit scared.

"You did. I need to know what else you saw, but we'll save all that for that later, cos he needs to get back to his Rose." Ten said, looking at Nine. "And now that the Racnoss is gone, and everything's been set right, you'll go back any second." Ten said.

"I quite liked it. Getting a little glimpse of my future. Not half bad." Nine said. "I am you!" Ten said, as Rose sniggered. Nine looked between Ten and Rose thoughtfully. "How long's she gonna stay with us?" Nine said. "Forever." Rose said, without a second thought.

"For what it's worth, it wasn't all doom and gloom being you. Some of it was fun. Mainly cos of her." Ten said, motioning to Rose. "Rose, Doctor, before I go I just want to say, you were fantastic. Both of you. Absolutely fantastic. And d'you know what?" Nine said, smiling. "So were you." Ten said, smiling sadly as Nine faded away.

The Doctor and Rose turned to each other and fell into each other's arms.

oOoOo

The Doctor leaned back in the jump chair as Rose sat leaning on the console, facing each other. The TARDIS was orbiting a black hole, using the energy to refuel. The Doctor had just run some medical tests on Rose in the TARDIS's med-bay. They were mulling it over.

"That's impossible. That's completely impossible. This should never've happened, but it did." The Doctor said, incredulous over the results of the tests. "Doctor, what do the tests say? Tell me." Rose said. "That not only is the Bad Wolf entity permanently part of your biological makeup, it was always part of you. You were never that human to begin with. You don't have the lifespan of a human, or..anything else in the universe, except…" The Doctor said, trailing off, scared to say, because he knew what it meant.

"Except what, Doctor?" Rose said, just as scared. "Me." He said. "Except me. TARDIS is telling me you can live as long as me, and I really don't know how long I can live." The Doctor said. "Does that mean…" Rose said. "What?" The Doctor said. "Does that mean we can be together, the way we couldn't before?" Rose asked, earnestly.

"Rose, we can travel together, and we can be together, I s'pose, but you lost everything cos of me. Your mother, your new father, Mickey…" The Doctor said, as Rose cut him off. "None of that is your fault. I gave them up for you, and it was all my choice, and I made that choice a long time ago. I said I was going to give you forever, and that's what I want to do. You need someone who won't ever leave you, cos you're not you when you're all on your own, and I never really did belong on Earth, and now we know why. I was always meant to end up here, with you, in the TARDIS. You're my home. Let me be yours." Rose said, as she took his hand.

She knew he was scared to do this, but she also knew he wanted to. "Oh Rose…" Ten said, as another frenzied and angsty kiss followed, as they made their way out of the control room and down the corridor…

END OF EPISODE