Chapter Three

The Doctor wrenched open the panel on the wall and let it clang to the floor, making Rose jump. Pulling out the sonic-screwdriver, he started working, searching for any sign of life. Rose stood behind him in silence, her breathing quiet and even. But every now and then he heard the tell-tale sniff of someone that had been crying. The torch she had been given filled the small area of the corridor with a dull, yellow light that seemed cold and lonely. The Doctor looked at Rose and took her in.

She had changed so much. Not just in looks, but in her nature. The childish gleam that once danced in her honey-comb eyes had gone. Snuffed out in the dark sadness that now swam in them. He wished he knew what had happened to make her this way. Pulling a wire that looked blue, (but it could've been green), he started to try and pry open the second panel.

"So, three years," he said to her calmly, making his voice as warm as possible. "Long time. For you humans, anyway. Honestly, it's not that long. Is it?"

"Human or not, it still feels like a long time," she replied darkly. The Doctor nodded once, trying to fill the silence by making as much noise as possible with the wires and panel. But he couldn't help but ask further.

"How long has it been?" he asked sadly, almost wistfully. Rose shifted a bit, standing up straight instead of leaning against the wall. She faced and him and looked at him questioningly.

"What'd you mean?" her voice faltering, and for a moment, she sounded just like the Rose he knew.

"How long have I been gone out of your life?" The Doctor said, turning back to her once more, this time catching her eyes. Emotions swirled in the honey and chocolate, churning but not quite mixing. She chewed the bottom of her lip nervously, as if trying to think of a right answer. The Doctor tried to read her, but she looked away too soon.

"It's been five years," she answered. The Doctor furrowed his brow.

"But, that John-bloke said it's only been three years," he replied, confused at her statement. Rose shifted uncomfortably again.

"Yeah, well..." She swallowed. "A year in your world, and four here. Five years. Time runs, faster over here so it's only three years in the future for you, and five for me." The Doctor felt his stomach twist awkwardly. He swallowed thickly.

"So, you only travelled with me for a year?" He tried to drown out the hurt in his voice, but it still had a pained shadow to the words. Rose looked up at him again, her eyes shimmering in the dull light. He always thought she'd stay with him for- Well, for longer than a year. Much longer.

"Well, sort of- not really, but... I'm sorry, I really shouldn't say," she said, breaking off and stepping away from him. The Doctor nodded and returned to his search for life amongst the wires. They remained silent for a few moments before The Doctor spoke once more.

"How'd you get here?" he asked before he could stop the words. Rose looked at him, pushing a stray blonde strand behind her ear. "And before you say anything, I mean here. This world. It's impossible to just pop to-and-fro from realities. So there has to be some really good reason you're here."

"I... fell."

"You fell?!" The Doctor exclaimed, dropping the wires to face Rose again, tired of all her cryptic answers. Crossing his arms across his chest he said; "How? You just, sort-of fell into a Parallel world?!"

"Sort-of, yeah!" Rose cried, equally annoyed. They stared at each other for a long time before Rose spoke again. "Look, I know it's frustrating being here. Trapped in this world without any means of leaving it, but you've just got to trust me and John because we're the only people who can help you right now!" The Doctor registered her words carefully as her past irritation died away. They fell into silence again before The Doctor voiced the question that had been aching in his head since he accepted she was the same Rose.

"Why'd you leave?"

"I told you, I fell," she answered, her voice cracking on the last word. Rose raised her hand to the panel and started pulling at a loose wire. "I didn't choose to leave. I just... did."

A tear rolled down her cheek and fell into the dark. The Doctor reached forward, cradling her face in his hand. Rose was watching him, her eyes darting around his face before finally settling on his eyes. He watched as more tears skimmed and leaked out of her eyes, clinging to her eye-lashes. She took a shaky breath, the torch light dancing in her tears. There was something in the air. A scent The Doctor had sensed since he found himself in this Universe.

She smelt of sand and sea. Of a wind blowing and there was a smell of salt. Whether it was from the sea air or her new tears, The Doctor didn't know. But it was strange. Rose shouldn't have such a fragrance. She smelt of home. Not of the sea.

"I just can't... I mean, seeing you, like this," Rose sobbed, biting her lip. The Doctor ran his thumb on her cheek, catching another tear on his fingertips. "I never thought-"

"Oh, Rose," The Doctor sighed. He pulled her to him and held on to her tightly. She seemed so much younger now. Younger than he had ever seen her. Lost and scared. He felt her press her hands into the back of his jacket, trying to force him closer. Five years... That was such a long time. And to think mere hours before, he had been with her. Laughing with her at one of Jack's stupid jokes. One year together. The Doctor shuddered. That was... Suddenly, a realisation hit him and he pulled Rose away.

"Five years ago, that means you were twenty when you fell-" Desperation rushed the words and The Doctor felt like the world had dropped out from under his feet when Rose's face changed to a knowing sadness. A look of regretful... acceptance. The Doctor kept going; "And you and me have been travelling for a year now! We celebrated your twentieth-birthday just last week. Me, you and Jack. On Celuba..."

Rose sniffed, stepping away and wiping her eyes. She fixed her jacket, pulling the pink t-shirt that hung out from underneath lower. The light from the torch flashed across the roof as it moved awkwardly in her hands. "I'm sorry, but I don't think I should say any more. You don't quite understand what I mean, and I can't explain. You of all people of should know that. You're not supposed to be here. You were not supposed to meet me here, or even learn of me being here. This is... wrong."

The Doctor said nothing, but continued to watch Rose as she held the torch for him. The situation was certainly wrong. Rose Tyler was not supposed to be locked away in a Parallel world, especially a world where he could not get to her. And if what she said was true, who knows how long he'll have left with her. Suddenly, The Doctor's musings were interrupted as a blue spark burst into life behind a knot of wires. The Doctor cried out happily.

"Life! One, tiny insignificant cell is holding onto energy! Oh, my beautiful ship!" The Doctor patted the TARDIS' wall comfortingly and delved into the panel, retrieving the small crystal that was burning with the smallest blue light. He laughed loudly. "Never underestimate the power of the simple cell, Rose!" With that, he grabbed her softly and kissed her forehead before darting down the corridor back to the console room.

- - -

The Doctor fumbled with one of the levers that jutted out of the TARDIS console. His fingers drifted across the familiar buttons and he suddenly felt overwhelmed with an ache deep within himself. The TARDIS coral radiated from his pocket, but its song seemed quieter now than it had been on the roof; subdued. He let out a shaky breath and tried to concentrate on what was happening. Davros' pocket of time had set the entire Universe out of sync, timelines that should never have even shadowed each other were now crossing, and Rose was going to suffer for it.

He knew that even if his past self found out what had happened, what awaited him in the future; there was still nothing he could do about it. It needed to happen. He needed to regenerate, so Rose would survive. He needed Rose to fall, so he could find Bad Wolf Bay. He needed to leave her there, the words unfinished, so he could meet Donna. And the rest was, as they say, history. Everything in his timeline was fixed; there was no area of flux. Everything that happened needed to happen.

The Doctor pulled off his glasses and started fiddling with them. They weren't as nice as his other pair; these were only used in case of emergency. They weren't as chunky as his favourites, and the black on the pair in his hands was slightly faded. He missed his old ones. Maybe he could go shopping and find new ones. And maybe Janis Joplin was still alive in this Universe. Might get his old coat back. Though of course, it wouldn't be quite the same.

The Doctor looked up as his past self entered, holding up a glowing cell in his hand. He had a triumphant grin across his face and Rose followed behind him. The Doctor watched as the past Doctor held the cell out proudly. It was not unlike the one he himself had found when he, Rose and Mickey found themselves trapped in Pete's World for the first time. A small crystal like thing in a golden ring, glowing faintly in a soft blue.

"People never truly appreciate tiny little cells," the past Doctor said enthusiastically, pocketing the piece and standing before The Doctor. Rose stepped out from behind his past self and up to The Doctor's side. Her eyes were downcast and she looked tired. Who could blame her?

"And how long before you get that working?" The Doctor asked his past self. The leather clad Doctor watched him carefully.

"Twenty-four hours, max," he replied before looking at Rose. The Doctor nodded and got up from the captain's chair, taking Rose's hand.

"We should go," he said softly. Rose looked at him, her eyes questioning. "You need some rest after... today."

"It can wait," Rose countered, looking away. The Doctor sighed and took her other hand.

"Rose, you need some rest. Today was troubling enough, forget how far you travelled before then," The Doctor said, careful not to let too much slip. Rose looked back at him, small bags under her eyes. He reached up and cupped her face, stroking her cheek lightly with his thumb. He gave her his best grin. "How far is your house from here?"

"Just a taxi away," she said, a small laugh gracing the end of her sentence. The Doctor nodded and reached into his pocket. Oh...

"No money," Rose said. It wasn't a question. The Doctor let his hands slip out of Rose's grip.

"Never had a use for it before," he said quietly, watching as Rose shifted into a more independent position. It was then when his past self intervened;

"She can sleep here," he said brightly. The Doctor and Rose both turned to look at him. He grinned. "She camp out in her room, I doubt my Rose will object when I get back." Rose looked at The Doctor, as if waiting for permission. The Doctor would've preferred to leave, let Rose forget about him, the old him and move on with her life. Let time take its course.

But Rose was so tired...

"Alright, a little rest can't hurt," he said at last, smiling tenderly at Rose. She returned his smile and started towards the corridor, The Doctor following closely behind, leaving his past self alone in the TARDIS console room.

Yeah, that chapter was a bit slow. But the next one will be better, I promise. ^^