A/N: Hoo boy, it's been a while since I've written a fanfiction. Still, I couldn't get this idea out of my head, and I was honestly shocked that nobody had done this before. Seriously, why has nobody thought of this? Now that I think of this, I almost wish they had done this rather than the meta-crisis Doctor. Ah well, here we go!

Disclaimer: I, in no way, shape, or form, own Doctor Who. I'm just a Whooligan.

Rose ran her tongue over her teeth, eyes narrowed as she considered the paperwork in front of her. There was a problem-a big problem. No, she reminded herself. 'A problem' wasn't enough to cover this one. This was a very big problem.

There was an entire alien race that just disappeared. It was as if they had never existed or if they had simply evaporated into the air. But that was, obviously, impossible. Torchwood had been attempting to do just that should any of their diplomats be in trouble with the new aliens who had noticed Earth.

Groaning she leaned back, rubbing the bridge of her nose. Maybe it was time for a vacation. A very long vacation. Hawaii sounded nice. Or India. Maybe Mexico. 'Oh no, not Mexico,' she thought, standing. The last aliens she had had to deal with had been behind a fair amount of, what they felt were, practical jokes. These jokes included a carving that looked like an Incan priest in a rocket, another, the Mayan calendar. If Rose had to be reminded of them she might scream.

The sound, at first, seemed like a nuisance. Like a fly Rose couldn't shoo away. Then she thought she was imagining things-it was impossible for that noise to be echoing down the corridors of Torchwood. Nah, that was completely and utterly impossible. However as it got louder Rose couldn't help the wide smile that spread across her face.

He was here! He was back!

Giving a tiny shriek Rose shot out of her office, darting past co-workers as she ran as quickly as she could towards the noise. Barely noticing it when she hit the street, Rose paused only for a second to reorient herself before following the noise. Slowly, painfully slowly, the TARDIS faded into existence, solidifying before Rose's eyes. For a moment she thought she was going to cry and to stem the tears she pressed a hand to her mouth.

Suddenly the door swung open and the doctor-her doctor slid forward, holding onto the side of the door and looking straight up into the sky. "Earth," he said, face split in two by his grin. "London, Earth. Year: 2007. Oh, this is brilliant." Then he seemed to notice her.

Rose had fantasized about this moment more times than she could count. She had expected him to look shocked, then excited. He'd sweep her up in his arms and hug her and kiss her and she would hug and kiss him back. They would laugh and cry and he would tell her the rest of his unfinished sentence from the worst day of her life. They'd be happy, damn it.

She didn't expect him to look confused, then awkward, scratching the back of his head as he inched farther out of the TARDIS, slipping the door shut. "Um… Hullo," he said, cracking a smile with a jerk of his head. "Can I help you?"

"Doctor," Rose said, all the breath leaving her as if she was punched in the sternum. "It's me, Rose. Don't-You remember me, yeah?"

The Doctor looked confused for a moment, shuffling in a distinctly unDoctor-y way. "Weeell… no, not really. 'Rose', was it? Yeah… no, can't say I've ever met you. Do we know each-omph."

With an angry sob she threw herself at him, wrapping him in a rib crushing hug. "Don't say that," she said, lips trembling. Pulling away Rose swatted at his arm, obviously hurt beyond words. "Don't say that! Don't joke about it! Why'd you think that was funny?"

"I'm not-I'm not joking about anything," he protested, raising his hands. "My life is, ah, complicated so maybe I'll meet you later. Something to look forward to, yeah?"

With something akin to a snarl Rose scowled, shaking her head. "I met you when you were bald and wore black. There's no way that's true." They stood there, considering each other for a time until Rose took a step back, hugging herself. "You… didn't come from the other universe, did you? You still haven't come for me."

The Doctor's brow furrowed, lips beginning to from his second favorite word: 'What?' "I dunno what you're talking about. I can tell you, Ms. Rose, is that travel between universes is impossible. It'll destroy the universe. Though, mind you, it was once possible. You could pop into a parallel universe, have a cuppa-"

"-Tea," Rose finished for him, face carefully neutral. "You could pop in for a cup of tea. I know. You told me."

He huffed through his nose, leaning against the TARDIS, an eyebrow raised. "I did, did I? Well then, you can tell me what my ship is called."

"She's the TARDIS, and she's broken so that she can only be a police box. Somethin' to do with the chameleon circuit. You never did give a good explanation for that one."

"Ok… well then, what is my home planet-"

"Gallifrey," Rose interrupted, a small smug smile curling on her face. "You're a Time-Lord. You're the last of your kind."

"Ah-ha!" the Doctor crowed. "I'm not the last of my kind! The Master is still alive." He sniffed heartily, putting his hands in his pockets. "Which is why I'm here. Need to help you apes out, right?"

He made it sound like a joke, like that word that he had often spat out hatefully was something funny. Giving a rather loud curse word Rose fully stepped back, lips set in a cross line as she considered the Doctor. No, not the Doctor-not her Doctor. A Doctor.

"Never mind," she said, voice a little shaky. "Just forget it, please. Sorry I interrupted your day." Twirling on the balls of her feet, Rose began to leave, breathing heavily to bite back the tears. He isn't her Doctor, she thought desperately. Not her Doctor, not really. He'd never give her those soul aching smiles like he used to. Not grab her hand and drag her out of one danger and into another trilling danger. Never lean in to whisper something and send that wonderful shiver down her spine.

It wasn't until the Doctor, the very not her Doctor Doctor, calls out and startles her into turning around that Rose realizes she's crying. "Would you, ah," he says, stammering. The Doctor never stammered. "Would you like to help me out? Rose, was it? If you do I can take you on a trip." He very sternly holds up a single finger. "Just one trip though. Can't promise more than that." And although she knows she shouldn't agree, although she knows this could easily end in tears, more tears than it has already ended in, and will definitely end with her comparing this Doctor to her Doctor, she gives a shaky grin.

"Yeah," Rose manages past the hands she has once again pressed against her lips in a vain attempt to keep either sobs or laughter, a frown or a grin in check. "Yeah, that'd be awesome."

A/N: I may or may not turn this into a small quick story of snippits between this universe's Doctor and Rose. Dunno. We'll just have to wait and see.