Notes: I'm starting here to give a more detailed background before they are reunited and so that it is understood why she lied about the baby. Things will move fairly quickly on the way towards her return to the Doctor. Please review! And a huge thank you to my TWO betas on this story! Elensari and TheDoctorMulder (on ), they are a huge help!

Chapter One – Darlig Ulv Stranden

Rose got out of Pete's Jeep and stepped onto the freezing beach. He had called her here. She was shocked when she'd heard him telepathically because Rose had only ever heard him like that when he went into her mind while they were making love. To hear it now, when he was a universe away seemed impossible.

Taking a deep breath of the brisk air, she looked around the beach, trying to catch a glimpse of the blue box that she called home. Not seeing it, she kept walking towards the spot that somehow pulled at her. When she reached it, a vision of her husband appeared, but this couldn't be right.

"Where are you?" Rose asked, her voice shaking slightly.

"Inside the TARDIS," he replied sadly. "There's one tiny little gap in the Universe left, just about to close and it takes a lot of power to send this projection. I'm in orbit around a supernova. I'm burning up a sun just to say goodbye."

GOODBYE?! Rose's heart started beating furiously. He couldn't mean goodbye. It couldn't be true that he had given up.

"You look like a ghost," Rose told him as her mind rebelled against what this could mean.

"Hold on," the Doctor said as he adjusted his sonic screwdriver and pointed it toward something beside him. He looked more real now, more solid and she stepped towards him.

"Can I?" Rose asked as she reached out her hand to touch the beautiful face that she had missed so much these last three months.

"I'm still just an image. No touch," he whispered, sounding on the verge of tears.

"Can't you come through properly?" she asked, positive that nothing was beyond the means of her Doctor.

"The whole thing would fracture. Two universes would collapse," he admitted, as if he'd had the same debate with himself a thousand times.

She knew that he couldn't put their personal needs above the needs of the multiverse. Still, she couldn't help asking, "So?" He laughed a bit, knowing that she didn't really want him to destroy everything.

"Where are we? Where did the gap come out?" he questioned. Small talk? He was really going to burn up a sun to make small talk with her now? Fine.

"We're in Norway," Rose told him.

"Norway... right," he said and seemed to look out at the beach around her.

"About fifty miles out of Bergen. It's called Darlig Ulv Stranden," she said, stumbling a bit over the Norwegian words.

"Dalek?" he asked, sounding like he might jump to her aid despite the certainty of fracturing the multiverse.

"Darlig," she clarified, "It's Norwegian for bad. This translates as Bad Wolf Bay."

The Doctor nodded, seeming taken aback a bit by the resurgence of those ominous words. They fell into a brief silence, wasting precious seconds before Rose got a hold of herself, if only slightly.

"How long have we got?" she asked, finally accepting that this might be the last time she ever spoke with her Doctor. Should she tell him?

"About two minutes," he told her sadly.

"I can't think of what to say!" Rose blurted out as she contemplated what he would do if she gave him the news.

Her husband chuckled lightly and looked down before settling on something. He looked behind her, assured that she was being taken care of, and said, "You've still got Mr. Mickey, then?"

"There's five of us now. Mum, Dad, Mickey, and... the baby," she said hesitantly. Would she tell him? Would she lie? She didn't want him to destroy everything, just because she was scared.

"You're not?" he asked quietly with a gaze that held a mixture of hope, fear and utter devastation at the thought of what she was saying.

She couldn't bear it. That devastation in his eyes. She would lie. She had sworn to herself that she would never lie to her husband, but what good would it do for him to know about this when it was impossible for him to ever hold their child. She put on a false smile, though it nearly killed her. She pulled back from the truth, hoping that he would believe her; she was a terrible liar.

"No. It's mum. She's three months gone. More Tylers on the way," she said, trying to laugh at her little joke but the strain in her voice was evident.

He nodded, seeming to accept her answer, if only because the alternative was too painful.

"And what about you? Are you..." he asked, checking to make sure that she would somehow live the fantastic life that he had wanted for her.

"Yeah, I'm back working in the shop," she interrupted before he could suggest that anything other than being with him would be remotely alright.

"Oh," he nodded, clearly thinking that she was far too good for that. "Good for you."

"Shut up. No, I'm not," she scolded, knowing what he thought of her abilities. "There's a Torchwood on this planet. It's open for business. I think I know a thing or two about aliens."

She thought about how she was currently growing one inside of herself. And where else could she go for medical attention? Could she ask him about possible complications? NO. She had decided not to tell him and she had to stick to that decision. She would figure this out.

"Rose Tyler, Defender of the Earth," he said her name in the way that had always melted her heart. He sounded almost proud of her for trying to keep fighting the way they had together. "You're dead, officially, back home," he said, frankly with his hands buried in his pockets. "So many people died that day and you've gone missing. You're on the list of the dead. Here you are, living a life day after day. The one adventure I can never have."

Rose was crying openly now. She could feel that their two minutes were running out and couldn't stand the thought that this was how it would end between them. "Am I ever going to see you again?" she choked out finally.

"You can't," he admitted softly. She could see rare tears glistening in his eyes. His hearts were breaking just as much as hers.

"What're you going to do?" she sobbed.

"Oh, I've got the TARDIS. Same old life, last of the Time Lords," he replied, putting on a brave face.

"On your own?" she asked desperately through her tears and he nodded, unable to voice a reply.

"I..." she coughed and wiped her eyes as she tried again to say those most important words. They'd said them so rarely, but both of them knew the sentiment ran deep. "I love you."

His tears threatened to fall, but he gave a half-smile that he hoped would give her strength. "Quite right, too," he whispered. His voice was shaking now as he tried to force it into giving her a proper goodbye, "And I suppose, if it's my last chance to say it..."

She gasped through her tears and nodded that she knew as their eyes met.

"Rose Tyler..." he began, then faded away – he was gone.

Her eyes clenched shut as her world crumbled around her. He wasn't coming for them. Rose felt her mother's arms surround her and the cold, wet sand soaked through her trousers. When had she fallen to the ground? What did it matter anyway?

Jackie, Pete and Mickey led her back to the Jeep and she wept in the back seat while clutching at her marriage bracelet. She would never take it off. He said it was impossible, but she refused to give up. For the sake of their unborn child, she would find a way back to him.

After a few hours of driving, she drifted to sleep and dreamed of their wedding.

-'-{ }-'-

They had finally escaped from that horrid planet. Both of them adamantly denying any truth to the words of the Beast. She would NOT die; not now.

Their relationship had finally started moving forward after they came back from the parallel world. The Doctor had finally admitted that he couldn't fight his feelings for her any longer and they decided to allow whatever changes might come in their relationship. That permission turned out to be a slippery slope of chaste kisses that turned far more heated and quickly accelerated into heavy petting.

Now, they were both terrified. So, he took her to a beautiful planet of large rock pillars and shallow puddles of sparkling water. The sky was pink and purple at sunset and they watched giant, singing creatures fly through the clouds.

"How long are you going to stay with me?" he asked her, looking down with a soft smile.

"Forever," she said softly, taking his hand.

They walked silently past the many reflective pools, to a spot where they could sit together without getting wet. He sat close to her with their knees touching and took her hands, turning so that they were facing each other. With a deep breath, he seemed to be steeling himself for a decision and met her eyes with love and sincerity.

"Rose, I know that we just recently decided to allow our relationship to... erm... develop. To allow our feelings to show. I can't hold back any longer. I care about you more than I have ever felt for anyone in my very long life. I don't know how long your forever will be, but you've offered it to me and I refuse to waste another day," he said as he gazed at her lovingly. He didn't say that word specifically, but she knew.

"Rose... be my wife," he said quickly, almost as if he were afraid of the words.

She stared at him disbelievingly for a moment, blinking. Never in her wildest dreams had she imagined that he would ask her that. Rose had considered herself the luckiest woman in the universe when he had consented to kissing her.

Before he could begin to think that she didn't want this for one second, she smiled and shouted, "Yes!"

She threw her arms around him happily and kissed his neck as she felt his arms wrap around her waist. He made a happy sound in the back of his throat and rocked her back and forth in their embrace.

Leaning back to look at her again, they both smiled and he reached into his pocket. He pulled out two bracelets made from a smooth, silvery metal. There were circles and lines engraved all over the surface that she at once recognized as his language from the many post-it notes stuck haphazardly all over the console.

"I know humans are used to wearing rings, but my people used these. They enhance telepathic connections between the wearers when they touch. I know you aren't telepathic, Rose, so it won't be much for you, but when we're holding hands, they'll attract each other and the connection will allow me to feel your emotions. You'll probably feel a tingle of mine as well. If you were telepathic, it would be so much more, but even this with you will be heavenly, Rose," he explained as he let her examine the jewelry.

"Is this like an engagement ring, then?" she asked and watched as he blushed adorably.

"No, Rose. These are like wedding bands. Weddings weren't terribly public among my people, unless they were politically significant or something. What's important now, is what is strictly between us," he said, looking at her for acceptance and approval.

"That sounds lovely, Doctor. Can we wait to tell mum about it. Let her get used to the idea that we're a proper couple first, yeah?" she asked with a reassuring smile.

"Yeah," he answered and kissed her sweetly. "Without any witnesses, there really isn't any need for formal words. I'll make a telepathic link in our minds. You won't really feel it much unless our bracelets are touching, but I'll feel you there, the way I used to feel other Time Lords when they were alive. Just, an awareness of you. And I'll tell you my name."

Rose looked at him curiously. She knew his name; he was the Doctor.

As if reading her mind, he clarified, "My REAL name. Known only to you, my wife, and never to be spoken aloud. Understand?"

She nodded mutely, in awe of the trust that he was placing in her. This nearly immortal god, was telling his biggest secret to a worthless little chav like her.

"Do you consent?" he asked as he raised his hands towards her temples.

"Yes, Doctor," she whispered reverently.

She closed her eyes as she felt him there. Like warm, gentle caresses, sifting through her thoughts. She could feel that he was extremely happy and consumed by the love he had for her, even if he never said the words, she would know. As he made the link between their minds, she felt something uncomfortable for a moment, like poking as a space was made for the bond to live within her. Then it was over and she felt his lips against her forehead in the real world.

Blinking back into awareness, Rose's whiskey coloured eyes gazed into his deep chocolate ones finding everything that had been missing from her life so far. He leaned forward and whispered a long, melodic chain of syllables that she wasn't sure she'd be able to repeat even if she tried. But she felt that special spot in her mind, brand it there and lock it away, safely.

-'-{ }-'-

Rose was startled out of the comforting dream and found herself back in the bumpy Jeep. She was cold and her eyes burned from crying. But she felt a renewed determination burning in her heart. She would find a way back to her husband. They would be together again, somehow.