Chapter 1 – Doom Reversed

Rose hung on for dear life. Her arms strained against the magnetic clamps, her hair whizzing around her face, hundreds and thousands of Daleks and Cybermen rushing past her into the deep, waiting Void. Her eyes kept searching for the Doctor, hanging on to a clamp opposite her. Flinching from the wind and noise, she tried to smile. They'd found a way. He wasn't getting rid of her so easily. She'd told him she was going to stay with him forever, and that was that.

The Doctor was looking back, straining against the force of the pull, his face creased in worry. Suddenly, the lever in front of him started being pushed backwards. Very slowly, it gave in to the rushing energy vortex. "OFFLINE", the computer's voice announced. Rose watched in horror as the Doctor let go of the clamp and reached toward the lever. "HOLD ON!" she yelled over the noise. "DON'T! DOCTOR!"

He slowly let go of the clamp, and fell forwards. He barely held on to the lever. Rose held her breath and could only stare in blank panic. This could not be happening. He pushed the lever back. "Online and locked," confirmed the computer. He gasped against the strain of the vortex. Cold ice crept around Rose's heart. She knew what was happening, and there was nothing she could do. Time seemed to slow down as his hands slipped. Absolute terror gripped Rose. Her entire body strained against the void, holding on for dear life, frozen in dread for the man she loved. "NO! HOLD ON! DOCTOR!"

"Rose," he said, his voice not reaching her ears.

No, no, no, not now, please no her mind begged, uselessly. His hands slipped. Yelling her name, he rushed toward the Vortex.

She screamed. Suddenly, Pete appeared back in front of the Vortex. His face registered total shock as the Doctor slammed into him. He couldn't stay, he'd be pulled in. Rose and his eyes locked. She didn't have to think. She let go of the clamp.

The last thing she heard was the sound of the dimension jump as she slammed heavily into the wall. The breach had closed. The Doctor and Pete were gone.

x

Silence settled over the world. In the distance, sirens wailed, and car alarms beeped, but nothing registered for Rose. She slumped against the white office wall, her entire body aching. "No…" she whispered against the lump in her throat. "No," she said, a bit louder. She scrambled to her feet and hit the wall with her hands. "NO," she yelled. "Come back! You can't take him, bring him back!" She hit the wall until her hands hurt even more. Tears streamed freely down her face. She could almost hear his voice in her ears, whispering her name. She pressed her ear against the wall, but there was only dumb silence. She was alone.

She did not know how much time passed. She heard the building around her slowly coming to life; there were people around, somewhere. She registered that everything hurt: her head, her arms, her chest… she would take away some heavy bruises, and might have a concussion from the collision with the wall. But all of that seemed dull and unimportant right now. The pain in her heart tore at her. He had said it before: The breach would be closed, there was no way back.

Finally, she pushed herself away from the wall, and wiped away a few tears. She didn't want to meet people, least of all anyone connected to Torchwood. But there was still the TARDIS. The last time she had been stranded with that magnificent ship, she'd found a solution, too. She'd find one now. A steely resolution formed in her heart. She would not give up so easily. She ran down the stairs, ignoring the people she saw on the way, rushing to get to her home. She found the TARDIS where she'd left it earlier, it seemed like ages ago. After brushing her sleeve over her eyes again, trying to see through blurred tears, she fumbled with her key and stepped inside.

It was nearly dark. A low, orange glow was all that illuminated the console room. Rose was suddenly assaulted by the smell of the place, so unique and familiar. The Doctor's scent lingered. The most acute pain began slowly creeping up her body, creating a lump in her throat. She stared at the consoles, the many buttons, levers, handles and dead lights, and felt a wave of complete uselessness hit her. She had no idea what to do with the ship, and she had no one to ask, no one to help her. The TARDIS seemed like it was dead without the Doctor. Maybe it was. What was she thinking?

Rose ran past the time rotor and down a corridor to her room. There, she curled up on the bed, and, utterly exhausted, cried herself to sleep.

x

The Doctor heard the sound of a dimension jump, then slammed into a person. He looked straight into the Vortex, seconds before he knew it must consume them both. He turned back and for a split second saw Rose. "How long are you gonna stay with me?" – "Forever." The words echoed through his mind. Her eyes told him what she would do a heartbeat before she let go of the clamp. Then she was gone.

The light was dim and it was completely silent. The Doctor immediately jumped away from Pete and ran toward the wall. "NO! Nonono… this isn't right, what did you do?" He turned to Pete. "WHAT DID YOU DO?!" Pete's mouth worked like he wanted to say something. He examined his dimension hopper. "It's dead. You did it. The breach is closed." The Doctor stared at the white wall and pressed his hands flat against it. Every sense, every muscle in his body strained against this reality, this universe, this wrong place. He needed to be back, with the TARDIS, with… "Rose," he whispered. His head leaned against the wall. This was it, he realised. He'd never see her again. He had said so himself in his brilliant, brilliant plan. His eyes closed as a few tears rolled down his cheeks. His mind registered only emptiness; neither the TARDIS' nor Rose's calming presence could be felt. His telepathic mind felt like a void without them. What was it Rose had said? "He had to do it all alone, mum, but now he's got me." The Doctor stifled a painful sob. Now he had nobody. He was utterly alone again.

x

Rose awoke to the sensation of her head and entire body aching. She slowly drifted back into consciousness, and for a second, she couldn't remember where she was and what had happened. The sinking realization hit a moment later, and a few more tears escaped her eyes. More like a machine than a human, she stumbled through her room to her sink, to wash her face and drink some water. She stripped out of her stained sweater and pulled a new t-shirt from the wardrobe in the wall. Then she sat down on the edge of her bed, hands resting on her legs, and started thinking.

What would the Doctor do? He would work some magic with the TARDIS, no doubt. Not an option, Rose figured. He'd use his sonic screwdriver on something; also not an option. She sighed heavily, but this time, she refused to give in to self-pity: Whatever happened, the Doctor always improvised. This was the first reassuring thought she'd had, and she clung to it. This would keep her going. She laid back on the bed and closed her eyes, focussing on everything he'd ever told her about the TARDIS. They shared a special bond, a telepathic connection; it channelled the Time Vortex – an option Rose filed away under "last resort" for now. It could talk and make itself understood to him somehow, and would sometimes even act of its own volition, it seemed. This ship was probably the greatest enigma in the universe, and it was her only asset in her quest to get her Doctor back.

She stood up and started walking. Not to the control room, but simply through the familiar TARDIS corridors. She wandered to the library, past the giant bathroom-with-pool, past the kitchen and dining room, through the wardrobe… and finally found herself in front of the one door she had never opened. It was large and made out of dark, carved wood, worn with age. Her heart constricted and she took a deep breath. Her hands gripped the handle and turned. She entered the Doctor's room.

It was large. On the far wall bookshelves grew up to the ceiling and she saw a large desk in their midst, littered with books and parchments. On the ground, there was a pile of electronic equipment, with a little space in between where Rose imagined the Doctor must have sat many long nights, tinkering. She let her hands trail over his few belongings, wondering if maybe she'd get a message from him or the TARDIS, somehow telling her what to do. The last time she was trapped alone with the ship, back in her own time, the Doctor had left a message for her, telling her to have a fantastic life. But that had been his plan, he had prepared that; this time, there was no plan, and no message.

Finally, she laid down on the large bed, encased in a strange four-poster construction not unlike the coral pillars in the console room. A stab went through her heart as his scent enveloped her. Despite his insistence that he didn't need much sleep, his bed felt like he did at least lie in it regularly. Rose buried her face in the pillow and breathed in. Her thoughts were filled with the Doctor, and she focused her entire being on him. Please, she thought, I need help, I can't do this on my own… I miss him so much. Please…

Rose, someone whispered.

Her eyes snapped open. A shiver went down her spine. She sat up abruptly and looked around. Was there a message from him, a hologram? No… the voice had been too vague. Something about it felt strange, but also eerily familiar. The air seemed to thicken. Was it warmer in here? The faint hum of the TARDIS seemed to grow in intensity.

Rose.

Rose looked around, and softly placed a hand on the wall. It couldn't be, could it?

Rose, help.

"TARDIS …?" Rose almost whispered, incredulous.

People will come looking. People who know about us. We need to leave.

The voice was clearly in her head this time, and Rose had no doubt. The TARDIS was actually speaking to her. It sounded disembodied and distant, but Rose felt a clear sense of urgency. Right, she thought, they were still in Torchwood, and as far as Rose was concerned, they were the enemy; they were responsible for this whole mess. They would not get their hands on the TARDIS.

"But… I… don't know how," she said. "I cannot fly you like the Doctor can. And he's gone."

I've felt it. There was a sadness in her thoughts. No one else can do it. You need to learn, the TARDIS continued sadly. There is no other way. I need you, Rose Tyler.

"How? I don't even speak his language, and half the things on the consoles are in weird swirly symbols!" Rose jumped off the bed. She walked back in the direction of the console room, looking faintly at the wall and the ceiling as she walked.

I can teach you. You need to look into the time vortex.

Rose stopped dead in her tracks. "What? But the last time I did that, it nearly killed me. It killed him!"

There is no other way. Trust me.

Rose slowly walked on. She had a weird feeling in her stomach. The TARDIS was so alien, and now there was this unearthly voice in her mind, not soothing, not welcoming, only urging and insistent. Rose felt uncomfortable. Was this really the TARDIS speaking to her, or some kind of leftover Cybermen or Dalek mind control? How could she be sure this was even real? Maybe she was hallucinating, out of grief. Maybe she would be stuck in this phone box forever, going insane.

She plopped down on the pilot seat, looking around. "How do I know you're telling the truth?" she demanded. She felt a slight fear creep into her. She suddenly felt very alone, and at the mercy of a ship that was, for all intents and purposes, alive. She felt the TARDIS' panic, and wondered whether the machine would recognize her frailty as something worth protecting; if it meant getting the Doctor back, who was she? She was only human, after all.

The TARDIS seemed to hesitate. Rose had a feeling she was reading the general gist of her thoughts. Rose Tyler, you are the only one who can find him and bring him back. I would not wish you harm.

That sounded reasonable, Rose thought. But then, the Doctor never really wished anyone harm either. But being with him invariably brought people into harm's way. Including herself, her mother, Mickey… Like Queen Victoria and many others, Rose had to face the truth: Being with the Doctor was hazardous to the extreme. Not only because it brought them into harm's way, but also because being with him made people reckless. Daring. Rose knew herself that she would do things for him that she would never have considered. He made people want to impress him.

He knew it, but often disregarded it. He had such a knack of getting out of almost any situation, that he sometimes forgot the people around him weren't unbreakable or endlessly resourceful. What if the TARDIS was the same? She could be desperate to get her pilot back – as was Rose, really – but would she take heed of Rose's well-being or, for that matter, sanity?

But thinking about the Doctor's many exploits, Rose felt a sharp ache in her chest. His smile flashed before her inner eye. His big, brown eyes, staring intensely at her. His warm embrace, his infectious enthusiasm. She needed that man back. Since when wouldn't she do anything to save him? Even if it cost her everything?

The TARDIS hummed softly around her. Rose, it whispered again, you have looked into the time vortex before. We are connected. I need you. And so does our Doctor.

The urgency and need grabbed hold of Rose now. Yes, we need our Doctor back, she thought. She jumped off the seat. "Okay, then, TARDIS, how is looking into the time vortex different now than before? Can you protect me?"

I will shield you, Rose Tyler. But you will need to change.

"Change? How?"

You need to become like him. You need his knowledge, his abilities. Rose's eyes widened. After a small pause, the TARDIS added, I do not know how you will react to this change. I do not know how long it can last. But you will live, and you will find him. We can bring him back.

The voice was crystal clear this time. Rose understood. She might take permanent damage. She might die. But she would find the Doctor first, and that was all that mattered. She saw an image in her mind's eye, herself, dying in the Doctor's arms. She realised with a pang that even that was better than living on without him. She couldn't use the TARDIS as she was now, and she had no one else in the world. Her entire family – that included the Doctor – was trapped in the parallel universe, and if she didn't try to save them, who would? This was probably her only shot at fixing this.

"Okay, then," Rose stood up straight and looked at the time rotor. Her breathing quickened as the decision was made. She tried to sound braver than she felt. "What do I do?"

Look, Rose Tyler. Look into my heart…

A golden glow began slowly spreading from the console. Rose walked around it to find the opening in the pillar she knew would be there now. Calmness took over, all fear forgotten. She knew what she had to do. The glow became more intense. She faced the heart of the TARDIS and breathed in deeply. Suddenly, memories flashed before her.

Mickey and the tow truck. The voice of the Dalek Emperor.

I can see everything… but why do they hurt…?

Clarity spread through her, the fog of memory lifting. She had never remembered this much about it. It had always been a blur. As the golden glow from the TARDIS enveloped her, everything came back to her. The destruction of the Daleks by her hand. Jack. I bring life… I want you safe. My Doctor. Her Doctor. Rose remembered everything now, as if she lived it again. His lips gently pressed on hers. So even back then, she thought wistfully… She could almost feel it again. Longed for it.

The golden glow suffused her body. She felt light-headed and dizzy, as the power spread its tendrils though her. Her feet seemed to leave the floor, her arms spread out. She glanced at her body. Everything was covered in a golden mist. A tingling worked its way through every vein, every bone, and every atom of her existence. She gasped. The TARDIS was glowing brightly, the humming growing louder and louder. She clenched her eyes shut against the light. Somewhere, Rose registered a console exploding. She felt ready to burst with power. It continued growing. Her head ached. It seemed to expand. Pain shot through her body. "Stop, please…" she heard herself whimper. Tears began rolling down her face, cooling her burning skin.

The TARDIS was relentless, though. No soothing voice made its way into her mind. The pain got worse and worse, and every gut feeling told her that she would die from this.

Her body would give in, she reached a breaking point, this plan would fail. But all of a sudden…

…she felt something in her mind change. The flood of power remained strong, but now channelled itself somehow through her brain. She felt herself harden, steadying, her feet touching the ground again. She breathed in deeply and let out a sigh as her entire being readjusted itself. Her body was cooling down, noticeably so. She sank to the floor in exhaustion. Her head and body were pulsing with a dull ache. But her foggy mind began to clear and she opened her eyes to her new existence.

Rose tried to orientate herself, and reached out to the console. Suddenly, she was assaulted by all kinds of sensory input. She could feel everything. Each little sound in the TARDIS, which before had been just a jumbled noise, was now distinguishable. She could smell the time vortex transformation in the air. She could feel herself, changed. Her mind seemed to have… grown. Bigger on the inside, Rose thought, and let out a chuckle. Then she abruptly stopped and questioned this response. She was surprised to find herself in a strangely giddy mood all of a sudden. She was bursting with energy. "Wow," she managed, and giggled slightly. A bubble of golden mist burst from her lips and evaporated in the air. Magical, she thought. This was… marvellous. Incredible.

It is done, came the voice of the TARDIS in her mind. Hearing her suddenly felt natural and easy, and her previous feeling of discomfort had vanished. This was right. You are ready, she said. Was it pride Rose detected? We need to go, she urged.

"Where?" Rose asked. She got up, steadied herself on the console, ready to work its magic. Every button, every label, looked familiar now, as if an entire manual had imprinted itself on her mind.

There is a crack, the TARDIS said. The last one. We need to contact the Doctor before it closes. I will set the coordinates.

"You weren't always so helpful and chatty, were you?" Rose raised an eyebrow and felt the giddiness bubble up inside her again. She flicked levers and turned handles. Had the Doctor talked to the TARDIS this much? She didn't think so. The ship seemed to consider her question. There was no need, she replied simply.

"Well, keep it up, because I'll be needing your help aaaaall the way," Rose murmured as she pushed the last lever to kick them into action.

As the TARDIS began its flight to a supernova somewhere in the depths of the universe, Rose began examining herself again. Everything seemed normal now, well, as normal as could be expected. There was no golden glow anymore, no dizziness, no unbridled power surging through her. But there was something… there it was again. She tentatively placed a hand on her chest, and almost flinched. The rhythm was unmistakable. Two hearts were now beating steadily inside Rose Tyler's breast.