When your soulmate's heart breaks, you get a black tally.

LETS PRETEND GIRL IN A FIREPLACE HAPPENED BEFORE SCHOOL REUNION. I mean it is an AU, so it is fiiiiine.

There is a part 2, just let me know if you want it published.

The Doctor thought he was cursed to wonder the universe without anyone. He never got any tallies. He assumed even if he did, his soulmate wouldn't want him. Their body would be so littered with tallies, they would know the true man he was. How broken he was. He lived with that knowledge until he finds a black line on his wrist.

It wasn't exactly him who found it but Sarah Jane. She looked at it with sadness and envy. However, she was a good sport about it. They were visiting America in 1992 when it appeared. The Doctor wondered if he had to be in the time of his soulmate. He spit his theories out at Sarah Jane until she was too confused for his babbling.

Years passed and bodies changed, yet the tallies never changed. A part of him was happy every time we received a new one while the other part realized what it meant. He always covered his marks, so his companions wouldn't question him. Usually, a person only carries a few marks, yet his soulmate gave him ten so far. He chalked it up to time travel. When he traveled to 2001, he gained three. The three he missed between gaps. Sometimes he wouldn't gain any.

"When I am in their timeline, I gain tallies I missed. However, if I am too far out of their timeline or in a different plant, it doesn't work." He tried to explain to one of his companions who saw the tallies.

"That is still a lot of tallies, Doctor. Usually it is only five at most. This person gave you fifteen already." She urged yet the Doctor ignored them. He didn't want to think of their soulmate's horrid life.

It wasn't until he met Rose Tyler that he understood. Rose sat at the console with him. He tinkered away at the old girl as she drank a cup of tea.

"Doctor, do you have any tallies?" The Doctor sighed. The question is always asked, yet he never wanted to answer it. He liked keeping it his own secret. However, he didn't get a chance to answer. "I wish we didn't have them. I mean what good is it to see your soulmate is in pain?"

"Rose, are you alright?" He asked as he came out from underneath the console. "Did something happen?"

"I have a lot of tallies, Doctor, and I can't help them yet." Rose started crying as the Doctor pulled her into a hug. When she finally calmed down, he spoke.

"I have an abnormal amount too. I have 18 tallies." The Doctor whispered as Rose hid her head in his neck. "We might not be able to protect them now, but we will someday."

"Someday." She whispered back. As though it was a secret promise bonding them together.

That night he found himself with another black tally, yet they stayed on the ship the whole day. He shook that thought away. It was a mistake. His Rose was not this broken. She was too innocent and pure.

"Rose, are you okay?" The Doctor asked as Rose sat in the library staring at her phone. Her face was stained with tears as she shook her head. "What happened?"

"My ex-boyfriend, Jimmy Stones, called me." She shook her head as she laughed. "It's all my fault. I thought running away would fix this."

"What did he say?" The Doctor questioned as he sat next to her. Rose leaned against him as she sighed.

"That he was out of prison. He wanted to remind me to keep my doors locked." Rose started crying again. "I need to tell my mum."

That night he heard of her abusive alcoholic ex named Jimmy Stones. She told him of how he kicked her, punched her, and forced her into things. She cried until she fell asleep. While she talked, he felt a tally burn his skin.

Living with the realization, the Doctor made sure to be gentile with Rose. Every touch was light and kind unless she allowed otherwise. When she gripped his hand in fear, he would hold it back just as tight. He became mindful of his 'stupid ape' comments since Rose was never a stupid ape.

"Doctor, I'm not going to break. You can touch me." Rose whispered after one trip. When they got back to the TARDIS, Rose went to huge him. He pulled away quickly claiming to set the TARDIS back to the vertex.

"Doctor, I'm not going to break. You can touch me." Rose whispered as she reached for him. "I know you aren't him. Doctor."

When she pulled him in again, he held her tight. Her body heat invaded him as he hugged her. He missed their touches however rare. She pulled her head away to look into his eyes. Their faces collided until their lips met.

The Doctor never knew what they were after that. After trips, she would kiss him, yet never too long. He would kiss her when he didn't know if they'd make it. They held each other each night even though he insisted he didn't need it.

"Doctor, are you shagging my daughter?" Jackie asked over tea. He coughed on the hot substance before denying it. "Well, why not? Rose told me how confused she is about you two. She says you kiss and hug, but never talk about it. My daughter deserves better."

The Doctor felt himself turn red as he nodded.

"Jackie, I think I am her soulmate." He claimed bluntly. He was shocked when Jackie rolled her eyes.

"Of course you are. Now, when Rose comes back from the shop, tell her not me." Jackie rolled her eyes. "You must have a lot of tallies."

"How did-"

"Rose has a hard life. Do not make it harder." Jackie threatened until the front door opened.

The Doctor thought about Jackie's words when he sent them back into space. Rose smiled at him as she sat in the chair. The Doctor walked over to her and kissed her.

"I love you, Rose." The Doctor admitted when they broke apart. "You are my soulmate."

"I love you too, Doctor." Rose smiled.

Everything was perfect until it wasn't. He didn't explain regeneration to her. He thought he had more time. Her face was filled with fear and confusion. She asked for him to change back. She didn't want this version of him.

After the battle was won and over, they watched the ash fall. The Doctor held her hand as she admitted she wanted to come. When the entered the TARDIS later that night, she asked him of his marks.

"Does his body still have them?" Rose asked with fear edging her voice. He smiled as he told her those marks stayed with him since his third body. She smiled as she hugged him. They shared a night together exploring his body for the first time.

They seemed to take on everything until he messed up. He chose a French women over her. He didn't realize the effect until he found another tally. Rose smiled at him and claimed it was alright.

"Rose, I didn't think of it as picking her. I needed to save the timeline." The Doctor urged, yet Rose just forced her smile again. The Doctor knew he messed up. He left her with no way back without even a goodbye.

"Madame De Pompadour was more important, Doctor. I get it." She said as she ran away before the tears spilled. The Doctor knew he provoked years of insecurities resurfacing. It was worse that Mickey was right.

"You might be her soulmate, but Rose deserves more, Doctor." Mickey spat when he ran into him.

The Doctor felt his own heartbreak at the thought of hurting Rose. He tried to fix things, yet she just needed her space. When they met Sarah Jane, he wondered if she would forgive him.

"Will you just leave me behind?" Rose asked after leaving the chip shop. "I mean you already tried once, so I shouldn't be surprised."

"I wouldn't leave you, Rose. You are different." The Doctor spoke with severity as he looked at Rose.

"Why, Doctor? Just because of some black tallies?" She questioned before they were interrupted.

He wondered what Sarah Jane said to her. When he walked in on them, she was finally laughing. She looked at him with love instead of hurt. He felt his heart leap in hope as they continued. That night Rose found in in the console room.

"Doctor, I'm sorry." She spoked as she wrapped her arms around him. He felt himself wrap around her with a smile.

"It was my fault, Rose. I shouldn't have done that to you." He spoke honestly as he held her.

"Sarah Jane told me how excited you were about me. I shouldn't have doubted you, Doctor." Rose kissed him with longing and love.

They were happy. When Mickey left, he held her. He promised to never let her go until he did. When she came back to him, she claimed she chose him a long time ago. He felt himself wanting to scream at how unfair it was. She shouldn't need to choose. If he was a better man, he would have sent her back against. In the end it didn't matter since she ended there anyways.

He touched the wall in pain as he let tears fall. He found his way to say goodbye even if he had to burn a sun.

"I didn't gain a tally, Doctor." She spoke without judgement, just observation. He shook his head.

"I didn't either. I'm assuming it only works when are in the same dimension just like before I met you." The Doctor felt his eyes well up again as she cried.

"Doctor, I love you." She cried. His heart broke again. He knew time was running out. He just wanted to tell her one last time.

"Rose Tyler, I-"

He was too late.