Author's note: Last chapter of the fic. I apologize in advance for this one, as it hasn't been beta-read. The sequel will come, someday. Thanks for reading and reviewing, it meant a lot to me!

The sun was setting on London when the blue Impala parked in front of Rose's building. It had been a hell of a day for everyone, exhausting and filled with emotions. More than once, Rose thought she was about to die, right there, by the hand of a Dalek, and it probably was a miracle that all of them were still alive – she couldn't say the same about the mobsters they were fighting against, though. She didn't understand how they all managed to sit in the car, Rose next to the Doctor with her feet on the dashboard, Donna happily sitting on Jack's knees, as the Doctor was driving them home one by one. They all said goodbye to Sarah Jane, then to Jack and Martha – who, apparently, was going to spend some time with Torchwood – then ended in front of Rose's flat. It wasn't that much of a surprise, even if the idea of travelling had been on her mind since the moment her eyes had met the Doctor's again.

Donna was tactful enough to stay in the car as Rose and the Doctor got out of it, and the blonde girl took time to fondly stroke the blue car. She'd never had a thing for cars, but this one was different. It was the Tardis, after all, and one always felt attached to it. Travelling wouldn't have the same flavour without this sexy thing. Rose muttered an 'I'll miss you' to the car before looking at the Doctor. He was waiting for her by the sidewalk, hands deep in the pockets of his striped suit, rocking on his feet.

"This is goodbye, isn't it?"

"Well..." He dwelled a little too long on the word, even to his own standards, for it to sound natural. He scratched the back of his head, looking for words. It was such a weird thing to witness, a speechless John Smith. "This whole mission made me realise a thing. Well, two, actually. That I missed you. And that this life is way too dangerous for you, and I wouldn't bear to lose you that way. I guess that's three things, then."

She nodded, looking down as she rubbed the tip of her shoe against the asphalt of the sidewalk. She was waiting for disappointment, sadness, anger, anything really, but nothing came to her. She missed that life, yes, but she no longer needed it.

"What's his name?" She looked up at the Doctor, eyes widened by the surprise. "Oh come on, you know Jack, he never misses an opportunity for gossips."

"Oh." She mentally added 'kill Jack Harkness' to her check-list. "Loki. It's not... He's not..."

"I understand."

"Really?"

"Are you implying I'm the jealous type, Rose Tyler?"

"Two words: Adam Mitchell."

"Well..." Again with scratching his neck and looking away. "Donna, she may speak loudly and all, but she helped me working on myself, getting over... certain things."

"Me."

"Yup. You. You know, Rose, people may call me the Doctor but you're the real healer. You helped me be a better man. And it'd be selfish to keep you to myself. You make people better. So you should keep doing that with him."

"But I..." The tears were unexpected. She shook her head, trying to laugh to hide them, but only a sad sound came out of her mouth. "I love you."

"Quite right, too. And Rose Tyler, I –"

Her hands were on the collar of his suits before he could finish his sentence – she wouldn't allow him to finish, the words were better unspoken – and her lips crashed against his. They'd hugged many times, but never had he held her that tight before, his arms around her almost touching his own ribcage. Her hands ended in his hair, his oh so fabulous hair, which made him hold her tighter if it even was possible. He was about to change his mind, she was about to say yes at everything he could ask her and...

"Rose?"

She led go of the Doctor, with swollen lips and dark eyes, panicking at the sound of this voice she knew way too well. Loki was standing a few feet away, a blue jumper she recognized as hers in his hand. The surprise on his face left place to nothingness, his way of showing anger.

"Why did I bother, really..."

She half-expected him to drop the piece of clothes on the floor but he only turned around and left in a hurry. She made a few steps toward him until she remembered the Doctor was still here. He only nodded, mastering the blank face too, even if his eyes were redder than usual. She was suddenly torn between the two options in front of her, the Doctor's wildness or Loki's coldness, adventure or thief, day or night.

The Doctor was the obvious answer.

But Rose Tyler wasn't one to choose the obvious.

"Loki, wait!"

She ran after him and turned at the street corner, only to find an empty sidewalk. She went backtracked, knowing perfectly well the Impala would no longer be parked in front of her building.

"...So I just went back home. And here I am, a week later."

Drinking hot tea, Sif only nodded at Rose's words, then lean on her elbows on the kitchen table. It was close to surreal, having a beautiful and delicate creature such as Sif in her flat, with her shiny hair and perfect nails, but Rose tried to disregard it. She was actually relieved to see the brunette, to actually have someone to talk to. Sif nodded once more, a small frown on her brows.

"But what does that mean? 'The stars are going out'?"

"It's a coded message, so the former companions of the Doctor know when something terrible happens to him and he needs help. His own little apocalypse."

"Just like Ragnarok."

"Like what?"

"Ragnarok? Norse mythology?"

Sif pursed her lips as Rose shook her head and both women remained silent for a while, drinking their tea and avoiding one another's eyes. Rose was to return working the following week, not sure if she was ready to wear the badge just yet, after everything that had happened. But she had no other choice and knew her friendship with Sif wouldn't last long. They were enemies, after all, and Rose couldn't compromise her job once more.

She clicked her tongue, trying – and failing – to look casual.

"Do you have news from...?"

"No." Sif might have realised how harsh she sounded, and she softened a bit – as soft as Sif could actually get. "I went to visit my family in Oslo right after you left with him. I only came back this morning."

"Oslo? Norway Oslo?"

Sif raised an eyebrow. "You've known him for months and he never told you we're Scandinavians?"

"Might have forgotten to mention it, yes..." How many more secrets Loki Odinson had kept hidden from her? "Well, that explains the Ragna-thing."

"Ragnarok," Sif corrected, before continuing speaking, unflinching. "I just found an empty flat, all your stuff in a box and a letter asking me to send it all back to you. 'PS: I'm going to New York, don't follow me.' That's all."

With a loud sigh, Rose folded her arms on the table in front of her and placed her head on them, looking like a sad puppy. "He won't come back." It wasn't even a question, she'd known the thief long enough to guess such a thing. But Sif's worried eyes, and the fact she bit her bottom lip, were enough for Rose to get anxious too.

"Remember when we first met, I told you about his brother? I think you leaving him for someone else kind of, er, triggered old feelings. I think he snapped."

"And that's not good, is it?"

"He almost killed someone when it happened... So, no, not good at all."

There was nothing she could do about the Doctor – Jack would keep her update when the Impala popped up on Torchwood's radar and what the heck was he doing in the middle of the desert anyway?

There was nothing she could do about Loki – she would check Interpol's website everyday and her database at least twice a day, weighing up the pros and cons of calling Natasha Romanoff to ask if she knew if something was going on.

There was nothing she could do about Sif – they had said goodbye and the brunette had talked about some vacations in Los Angeles, and she had made sure to say it had absolutely nothing to do with business.

Rose had never felt so alone.

Her work was boring, for she wasn't allowed to do work field just yet and was stuck with paperwork. Nothing Mickey would do to cheer her up was effective and he and Jake had given up on make her smile about three days ago. She would just come in the morning, sat at her desk, do her job, and leave at five, barely saying a word. The only reason she wasn't fired yet was her actual great job, but she was longing for such a thing to happen. Loki had been so right, telling her she loved his life. And she was missing it so much it was physically painful.

She opened the door of her flat with a kick of her foot and dropped her bag on the floor without delicacy. All she wanted was a good bath, Ian Dury out loud, and a glass of wine. She'd deserve it anyway. She was so tired, her body aching from all those hours sitting in the same position, she wouldn't have noticed an elephant crossing her living room. And that's probably why, when she turned on the light, a long and high-pitch noise escaped from her mouth. It wasn't an elephant but a man, in a long black coat – what was it with the coats anyway? – and an eye patch. His valid eye was glaring at her and, as her heart kept racing, she vaguely wondered if facing Alastor Mad-Eye felt like this.

"Rose Tyler?" His voice, deep and low, brought her back to earth.

"That's a private propriety. Get out before I call the police."

He obviously couldn't care less. "I'm Director Nick Fury from the F.B.I. and I'm here to talk to you about Loki Laufeyson."