Time Petals Prompts: Rose x Tentoo New Year's Resolutions

I apologize in advance for the angst. I've been in one of those moods today. I also think of this as a kind of love song to all of the Doctor x Rose shippers out there who, like me, are still struggling to accept that Rose is not coming back and the Doctor has indeed moved on and forgotten her.

I also do not own Doctor Who. It is the property of the BBC.

"5…4…3…2…1… Happy New Year!" Fireworks lit up the sky and party goers everywhere turned to their significant other and drew them in for a snog. It seemed that everyone had someone - everyone, that is, except for the Doctor.

The Doctor stood alone in the corner, party hat perched at a rakish angle on his head, drink in one hand, a noisemaker in the other, a big smile plastered on his face. He looked for all the world like a happy party goer - until you looked at his eyes. Where once there was a sparkle and joy at the wonders of the universe, now his eyes were blank, empty, and haunted.

2016. It was 2016 now. He would turn eight years old this year, not that anyone would believe him if he told them. (Conversely, he could also say that he would turn 914 this year, but no one would believe him if he told them that, either.) Eight years of life as a human. Eight years on the slow path. Eight years without a TARDIS. Eight very long years - without Rose.

Oh, he had been full of hope at first. Being that they used to be the same person, he caught his full Time Lord counterpart's intentions when returning to Pete's World after his creation. As was expected, Rose was not too keen on being intentionally left behind. Unfortunately, as was very unexpected, Rose did not warm up to the human Doctor the way he'd hoped. No, she had blamed him for being left behind.

As well she should. After all, if he hadn't been created, Rose would likely still be with her Time Lord now. He was nothing, really. Just a duplicate. A copy. Oh, he tried to be patient with her. He gave her space to adjust. He reminded her that he was still the same man and that he loved her and would wait for her as long as she needed….

Eight years later, and he was still waiting.

His new year's resolution: let her go.

—

Somewhere across London at another party, Rose Tyler stood alone in a corner - party hat on her head, drink in her hand, and empty eyes staring up at the night sky. Eight years, and her Doctor had not returned. Granted, eight years for a Time Lord was nothing in the grand scheme of things. Perhaps he had come for her and just got the landing a little off.

Of course, for all she knew, considering that time in her universe is different from the one in his, and considering that he is capable of time travel - in the eight years that she had lived here, he could have lived hundreds, thousands, millions, or billions of years, even. He could have regenerated, more than once. He could have had new adventures, new friends to travel with, or even a new love.

He could have forgotten about her.

Yes, the more she thought about it, that was definitely the more likely scenario. Much as it broke her heart to consider it, she finally accepted the reality: the Doctor had left her behind forever.

Or had he?

As Rose reflected on her life over the past eight years, she recognized that she was surrounded by her friends and family who loved her, but there was someone else, too. The Doctor was there, always there, politely standing on the sidelines. As time wore on, he was there less and less, but he was by no means absent, a constant companion.

It was true that he wasn't her Time Lord. He only had one heart, and no TARDIS, no regenerations, and not even a sonic screwdriver. But… he had the same face that he had had when she lost him and was never going to change. He had the same personality - mostly. Donna had left her mark after all. He had the same odd personality quirks like eating jam with his fingers, licking random objects to find out their molecular components, saying random foreign phrases such as "Allons-y!" and "Molto bene", and always bringing bananas to parties. He had the same memories. And… and he loved her. Of this, she had no doubt.

And he had stayed. He didn't abandon her on a beach. She had abandonedhim!

With this realization, her glass slipped from her hands, shattering to the floor and spilling champagne all over the carpet. But she didn't notice. Instead, she felt around the inside of her pocket and fished out her mobile. It had been so long since she called him, she wasn't even sure if he still had the same number, but she had to try.

Her new year's resolution: get him back.

—-

Hello?

"Hello, Doctor. It's me, Rose. Before you say anything, just… I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I have been nothing but horrible to you since the day we were left on the beach, longing for something that I can't have, and I've been blind to see what I have right in front of me… Can you ever forgive me?

(long pause. silence)

"Am I too late?"

(more silence, she begins to cry)

"Oh please don't let me be too late!"

(shaky heavy breathing on the other end of the line, like someone is trying not to cry)

Rose Tyler…

(his voice is very shaky)

No, it's not too late. Of course I forgive you. We'll start over again, alright?

"Okay. Even though I don't deserve it."

I don't exactly have a great record of not hurting you in the past, either. Let's call it even and say that we're both scumbags who deserve each other.

(they both chuckle)

"Happy new year, Doctor."

Indeed it is, Rose. Indeed it is.