Hi thanks for opening this, just to let you know this is my first go at this sort of thing in ages, and any feedback would be greatly appreciated, this story has been on my mind since the broadcast of Journey's End and I know that everyone and their dog has had a go, but something has made me want to add my own two cents as well. So I guess the disclaimer is what traditionally follows at this point – not mine I guess, there you go.
The TARDIS dematerialised from Bad Wolf Bay for the first and last time. Rose Tyler eased her hand out of the Doctor's grip; she smiled a soft wistful smile and kissed him gently on the cheek. "I've missed you... I will miss you." With those words she blinked out of existence.
The Doctor gaped for a moment, "What?" The idea of losing a heart, a universe and a Rose Tyler again threatened to overwhelm him. The sound of waves crashing on the shore and the biting frigidity of the cold Norwegian air fading as the focus of his existence centred on the rushing of blood to his head and an incredible sudden shortness of breath. Somewhere deep inside of his subconscious a tiny voice wryly remarked that'll be the respiratory bypass gone then. The Doctor did not pay any heed to that little voice.
A hand gently brushed his blue-clad shoulder, he blinked and the world shimmered back into focus. The owner of that hand did not say anything, Jackie Tyler did not look surprised to have just seen her eldest child blink out of existence for no apparent reason, and in fact the Doctor could swear that she almost looked pleased. That was something else to perplex the Doctor even further; he was in shock, a man with his frankly incredible intelligence, quick wit and unmatched verbal skills and he had lost all power of coherence. Jackie tugged his sleeve lightly and led him away from the shore and the fast rising tide. As they reached the crest of the hill which separated the shore from land he was surprised at the sight which befell him. A full camp was set up vehicles, caravans and tents were sprawled around giving the area a look which was a mix between holiday camp, research base and military operation and from the Torchwood / UNIT regalia plastered about the place he supposed that was just what it was.
A new feeling now pushed its' way forward inside of him, apprehension, was he under threat? His brain kicked back into focus, adrenaline, human response, possible danger, back straighter, self-preservation. "Look Jackie... what the hell is going on?!" He spun around to Rose's mother in agitation, "Rose has just disappeared, and you seem to have taken me to a military base...." Annoyingly Jackie just smiled in understanding with an almost bemused look upon her face and was about to open her mouth to respond when she was cut off by an almighty squeal.
The Doctor spun around to see the source of the noise and was surprised by the very unlikely sight of Rose Tyler. Not the one who had just given him a rather nice snog on the beach, thank you very much, before all of that nasty confusion but Rose closer to how he remembered her the last time he saw her in this setting, via supernova destroying, soul devastating, no touching communication. He boggled again, mouth gasping open like a little fly trap. The little voice inside his head which had so wryly remarked earlier on the absence of his respiratory bypass felt the need to add its two cents again. Was this face going to be the defining feature of this new human form; Big eyed, mouth gaping open in confusion?
All of a sudden his arms were full; she had launched herself at him and landed in the most proper place in any universe for either of them to be, wrapped around each other in warm embrace. The physical reality of this overrode any questions for the moment; a strange sort of contentment which had been eluding him for, oh so long now trickled into the edge of his conscious. His eyes had closed and he hadn't realised, he sprung them back open again and hugged her closer trying to merge their two beings into one lowering his head into the crook of her neck breathing in her scent. This feeling was the one he missed in their earlier reunion; this was quiet joy, solace and absolution. The thoughts of the earlier reunion shunted his brain back online, Rose had just left him on the beach, there was probably some strange karma in that the wry voice in his head remarked again. The thoughts that this voice aired were not the most prevalent however, two Rose's he opened his mouth again to speak but was cut off before he could form any articulate words.
"Oh, I have missed you", Rose exclaimed, there was more than that showing in her eyes though, on both their sides, trying to further articulate or verbalise the emotions of both their separation and reunion which were spiralling around them, almost palpable in the air, would be an injustice, so it was just left at that.
Rose continued "I know I definitely owe you an explanation on this one, quite a hullabaloo really, but just let me hold onto you for a second longer," she began to babble in a manner quite reminiscent of his own. "I know you've already seen me and I guess I will have seen you too then, but..."
She untangled herself then from his embrace still standing closer than what in polite company would seem decorous grasping both of his hands tightly her golden honey eyes captured his warm chocolate ones. "Hello," again her gaze was saying more than the vocabularies of various solar systems and multi-verses could ever aspire to express, hope, joy, uncertainty, disbelief, relief and a kaleidoscope of emotion flickered between them and tears began to trickle from her eyes.
"I mean I knew you were coming, she-I said... but it didn't feel real, I mean how could it? The whole circumstance really was incredibly unbelievable that it simply couldn't be real."
She was babbling again it was different really from the quiet earnestness that he was used to in some of the more poignant moments that shone in his memories, better with two, I'm so glad I met you, forever, I'm never going to leave you, I love you.
"But I can see you now, I can touch you..." Of course this was significant and made her pause; she physically shook her head to dislodge the memories of their last encounter in Norway where only one set of their footprints registered on the cold wet sand. She increased the pressure of her hands in his as if to assure herself of his presence and steeled herself again.
"We seem to have gotten ourselves mixed up in a tiny paradox doctor..." His eyebrows rose at this but he let her continue. "About six months ago I'm sitting at my desk in my office in Torchwood..." her nose crinkled somewhat in the most strangely endearing way at the words 'office' and 'desk'.
"And suddenly I look up and there she is – or well I am, I wasn't sure what to think at first, doppelgangers , imposters, clone I mean we have had an interesting few years of late but then it felt like 1987 again, which was wrong in so many ways and couldn't run away fast enough..." There was a slightly embarrassed grin before she continued, "well future me goes and surrenders herself over to Mickey and volunteers to explain, I couldn't bring myself to be in the same room with her though so we ended up in the interview suite with glass between us..."
To be continued... if you guys think its worth it really, wouldn't want to waste your time let me know. Thanks again.