DocRating: PG-13 (rating subject to change)

Coupling: 10/R

Spoilers: Doomsday

Summary: The walls between universes are more fragile than they seem. Once again it falls to the Doctor to save more than one universe...but can he fight what he wants the most? And who is this unseen enemy? A post-Doomsday reunion, of sorts.



Disclaimer: Don't own DW. If I did, I mean, I'd at least make this an official novel or something.

AN: Bit of a hiatus there, consisting of hiding from the fic and such, as my mind is wont to do. But me back! Me back! And look, I haven't forgotten about Rose! (and I bet you thought I did :P)

Alright, so the lovely lady who betas this fic has been very busy, so I decided I'd use my own (bit rusty) pair of eyes for this chapter, so as not to bug her until she's got time again. ^^ Feel free to be harsh!

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One Times Infinity

Chapter 2: Concurrence


She thought her heart had frozen, but perhaps it simply could not manage to beat properly while it was so constricted in her throat. Then again, it might never have been beating, since this was just a dreamworld anyway. How else could she have heard him just now?

She might have pinched herself, but judging from the suddenly harsh pain in her chest, that would only add to her discomfort. It was a dream, it had to be a dream. A horrible, terrible, beautiful dream she never wanted to end. Tears already burned her eyes at the thought of how she would cry in the morning...

A firm, familiar hand squeezed her shoulder softly. "Rose?"

His voice was so soft, so full of care and love, and suddenly the tears could not be held at bay. It didn't matter if it was real or a dream, or who might stare at the spectacle, all that mattered was he was here. Warm, solid, real. And she could touch him. She could touch him.

It barely even registered to her that she had turned around and was now clutching to him for dear life, sobbing rather pitifully into his familiar pinstripe jacket. A soothing hand ran along her hair gently, and unintelligible murmured words of comfort seemed to pull her back to a semblance of calm just as surely as a mother's arms might an infant.

After a moment, the Doctor extricated himself from her grip, and turned her face up to look at his--presumably to explain how long and hard he had searched for something to come back, and then how he eventually compromised his great principals, and threw caution to the wind to sweep her away, because he couldn't stand being alone any longer. Or maybe...

Her cheeks warmed up slightly as her eyes met his.

Maybe he would finish what he was going to say the last time they had met.

He frowned down at her in silence a moment, before a look of sadness--it couldn't be disappointment, could it?--passed across his face, and his hands fell from her shoulders.

"Doctor?" Her stomach twisted unpleasantly, what could be wrong?

He gave a small regretful smile, speaking just as softly as before. Only this time the words did anything but warm her heart. "Not yours."

Curious how her cheeks could be so wet yet her throat so dry. Not that she was very interested in the world's wonders at this moment. How could she properly process anything when she could not even decide just what she was feeling at the moment? It was such a confusing chaos of emotions...and none of them were good. One thing was certain, however...the cold reality of this impossible situation meant only one thing.

This was no dream.

"Not...mine?" It was all she could manage, really. What could he mean? Why was he so sad now? Was this...was this the Doctor of this universe? No... There was no Rose in this universe, he could not have known her. Then...did he mean he had...

She could not bear to finish the thought.

"I'm not the Doctor you know." He said simply. "And you're not the Rose I was looking for."

She blinked, mind finally beginning to work around the overwhelming wash of emotions that had swallowed her. "You mean...you're from another world--another Earth? Not this one nor the one I came from?"

His expression had smoothed to simply a serious frown, and he nodded.

"Where..." She licked her now dry lips. "Where is she? Is she here somewhere?"

He frowned and glaced over the crowd. "No. No...not if you are here."

"But...I'm not originally from here, maybe--"

He shook his head. "That's not how it works. No more than one or two a universe. Any more and things would destabilize."

Her eyes widened slightly. "There isn't a Rose in this universe! Maybe yours is after all! Do...how did you get here?"

"I could ask you the same and get a similar answer, I think." He smiled at her, it was a shallower smile than her Doctor, but she couldn't help smiling back at him just a bit. "She was pulled away, and I never let go of her hand. When it seemed like we would both perish in the void, there was a light, and here I am."

Again the smile, wider this time. Was she closing her eyes to hide from the smile, or to prevent the horrifying memory of that day from resurfacing? Even she did not know.

"You..." She swallowed softly. "You were pulled in, too? Why didn't you stay put?"

"What? You mean let her go and save myself?" He frowned, then grinned. "I'd sooner die."

"But..your universe! It needed you!" She was not certain exactly why she was yelling at the increasingly confused looking Time Lord in the middle of the street, with people staring in concern or irritation as they passed. All she was certain was that the lump in her throat that had never fully gone away was getting hard to ignore, almost hard to breathe around.

Unbidden, images of his diminishing face, of his hand reaching futilely far away from her. What if he had let go to reach for her? She had never dared to let herself consider it before. It was a silly thought, child's fantasy. The universe needed him...it needed him to live more than her, that was the cold fact, and she accepted it. But here, staring her in the face was the real truth. Just like Sarah Jane had been. He could have let go. He had a choice. And he didn't choose her.

Her lips formed a thin line as she fought an increasingly hopeless battle for composure, but her mind wouldn't rest...wouldn't give up until she crumpled under its assault.

And if he had? They would have both been caught by Pete, they would be together right now. There would have been no goodbye. He would have finished what he was going to say. Wouldn't he? Couldn't he? Why didn't he?

"Rose?" Hands gripped her shoulders gently again.

"Don't..." She shook her head. "Please don't call me that."

He arched an eyebrow. "And what should I call you? Miss Tyler?"

"I don't care...just please..." She sighed, and shook her head.

"I'm sorry...whatever happened."

"It's...it's okay." She smiled up at him. "He...you both made the choice you had to make."

He only frowned.

"What about her?"

A ghost of the previous sadness crossed his expression. "I don't know. She wasn't with me once I arrived...I was hoping I could find her if I looked around...but its been days. If she were here, I would have found her."

"Days?" Her eyes widened slightly, mind recalling suddenly the assignment she was presently supposed to be working on. "Four days?"

He gave a slight smile. "Torchwood?"

In spite of herself, she grinned. "Shop wasn't hiring."

The grin that bloomed across his face was so familiar she could have sworn this had to be her Doctor. Even through the small differences she was beginning to notice, like the slight shagginess of his hair that her Doctor would diligently cut, the more pronounced ears that were remniscent of his last regeneration, and the set that leaned toward muscular rather than lean. Apparently his grin was always the same, no matter what universe.

It was all she could do not to hug him back with her everything when he suddenly enveloped her in his arms and spoke with such glowing pride. "There's the Rose Tyler I know! Defender of the Earth, she is!"

She laughed slightly. He was so similar it was either she laugh or she cry. "At least I don't have to look forward to another fruitless afternoon investigating that explosion."

He pulled away just to arms-length, grinnning down at her. "Does that mean you're off for the afternoon? Because if it does, I've been craving a cup of tea for days."

She couldn't resist returning his grin, if a bit hesitantly. "I've got a fresh pot at home."

"Then lead the way, Miss Tyler!" He said grandly.

She frowned slightly, chewing her bottom lip a moment. "Doctor?"

"Yes?"

"Call me Rose."

He smiled.

TBC

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AN: There we go! A bit shorter this time, I know, but I'm more trying to establish the pace of both sides here at the moment.

And about that harsh thing...:P Give Rose a bit of space with her emotions, she'll settle down once she gets over the whole overwhelming shock of it all.

-Yusagi