For shuntoff

[huffpuffblonde]

It took three weeks to get to that beach, ten minutes to get a broken heart, five and a half hours to leave, three more weeks to get back home, and another month before she bothered to leave her bedroom. Two weeks after that she had an identity established, and started training at Torchwood. Sixteen days and she was a certified field agent. A year

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[shuntoff]

She was clever he'd give her that. She could keep up and to be quite honest she wasn't even all that frightened by it. Whatever was out there didn't have he running up and out of the building. She was confident and that was the most important part of all this right. Keeping calm int he face of danger. You couldn't panic when that kind of thing happened. You had to just keep moving and come up with that Earth saving plan on the move. It really was the only way to handle these types of situations.

"No. It's what I do. You're just a girl with busted toy." From what he had observed it was a nice piece of technology, but there was no way he was going to admit it. They were evolving down here, but it was still a very slow process. It would be sometime before they could admit to living in a world with aliens. Least that was his impression. He could be wrong, but it wasn't likely.

"But you're what? Come on then. Out with it!" He was impatient and curious. A very bad combination. "Rose." He repeated the name and looked her over. Parallel universes. Separation. Lifts. That was all a bit much and to be honest he wasn't sure if he could get her back. He'd need a hole in time. He didn't think he could willingly tear a hole open just to get her back. He could attempt to find one somehow. He didn't know off the top of his head, but he'd figure something out.

He didn't say anything for a moment. He wasn't even sure if he was going to do it, but she needed help and he could try. He opened his mouth, but shut it almost immediately. He stalked toward the stairs with his shoulders square and breezed past her without speaking. Instead he lead the way up.

[huffpuffblonde]

"Right, well to be fair, it wasn't busted to start with, until you turned up in the wrong place, time, and universe." She could see the mental debate going on in his head, braced herself for some sort of comment, and was... heartily disappointed when there was none. He just... swanned off.

She was after him a beat later, one step behind, jogging to keep up with his longer, northern legs. It would figure that he'd sweep into her life, oblivious, swan off, not even acknowledge her or give her time time of day. What she really wanted more than anything at the moment was a hug. Because... he was there, she could go home, and everything could be right again.

"Oi, you can't just go swanning off! This stuff's important," She huffed, trying to keep up. "And what're we gonna do about that thing down there? Someone could get hurt."

[shuntoff]

His universe. This was his universe. He hadn't fallen through any holes in the time vortex and he certainly wasn't universe hopping for the fun of it. She was the one who was apparently in the wrong place. She was asking him to go out of his way to drop her off. He'd give it a shot. He could try to help her, but he wasn't sure if it would get the result that she wanted. She wanted her Doctor. He wasn't that man. He wasn't sure if he'd ever turn into him. He just didn't see that in his future.

He cracked a smile and kept climbing the stairs. Swanning off. He could go swanning off. It was what he was best at. Once he got to the top of the stairs he whirled around to her. "I'll deal with it. I always deal with it. Right now I have no way to deal with it and I left my device to hunt it down there. So I have to go figure out a way to handle it safely up there." He thrust a finger into the air and nodded.

He spun back around and navigated through the first floor for the TARDIS. "No one'll get hurt. Promise." Promises, promises, Doctor. Can't make promises to someone if you're not even sure you can keep them. He'd try his hardest to make sure no one got hurt, but these days it was getting harder to make sure that happened. So hard.

"If you travel with me then why'd I just leave you here?" He was curious. That seemed a bit irresponsible of future him. Just running off and leaving her here on her own.

[huffpuffblonde]

He promised nobody would get hurt, and that was good enough for her. She nodded at him, looking confident. "Okay."

And that was that. She took him at his word and trusted him just like she always did. He'd sort it out. The second question, though, was a bit more complicated, and she scratched at the back of her neck.

"I dunno if I can tell you, actually, since it's in your future, you might... I dunno, change it. But you didn't leave me here, I... sort of... fell. Got trapped, stranded," A frown tugged at her lips. "You were able to send me a message, burnt up a sun to get it through, just a projection, but you said there was... that there was no way back through. The walls were sealed up- but they can't have been, if you're here. Because you've gotta go back, right? I dunno how the whole... timey-wimey crossing over works, but you've gotta go back through to meet in in the first place, yeah?"

[shuntoff]

That was different. She sounded like she trusted him. Not many people trusted him when they met him. Then again she said she knew him. Future him. Right. His future self who apparently toted around a small blonde with a clever mind. Not usually his style, but things did change for him. He wasn't even sure he actually believed her yet. It all seemed so hard to fathom. It seemed like a future he could never have.

There it was. The walls. The vortex. Time-wimey talk. That was his word. His term. How she got on her hands on it wasn't exactly proof. She did know a lot, but what she was saying made no sense.

He came 'round a corner to find the TARDIS. He stopped in front of her doors and looked over his shoulder at her. "This is my universe." His tone was flat. This was nothing new to him. He dug out his key from his pocket and unlocked the doors. He pushed it open and stalked inside. If they were going to sort this out they might as well do it somewhere safe. Some place without prying eyes or ears.

He made his way to the console, but stopped just short of his controls. "When did you meet me--future me?" Maybe that could shed some light on this situation. He could compare that to his current timeline which was long, but something could click.

[huffpuffblonde]

She did trust him. He just didn't trust her to trust him yet. She was confident that he eventually would. She strode quickly to keep up, much like she'd done when they first met, there in her flat, and he swanned off. Her, nearly out of breath trying to keep up with his long legs as he headed back to the-

The TARDIS. She paused outside of it, pressing her hand against the wooden paneling. Four years since she'd seen the old girl, and there it finally was. Her home. She stroked her thumb across the wood a second before ultimately following him in and up the ramp, heading for the jump seat like it was all well and normal. Except the humming in her mind, though fond and friendly, felt a bit... different. She wrote it off as having spent so long without her, with the time lines being all wonky.

"I met you in two thousand and five. You blew up my job," The last was said rather pointedly, and she gave him a look that was a combination of fond, amused, and accusatory. Something he said drew her up short, though, and she frowned. "Hang on- what did you mean by 'this is my universe'? Don't be daft, of course it isn't. How're you even getting the TARDIS to work? The last time we came through here, it nearly killed her."

[shuntoff]

He peered around his controls at her. She wasn't phased by the inside at all. Anyone who hadn't been inside of his ship would have said it by now. They always said it. He was a bit frustrated that it hadn't come up. This was honestly his favorite part. He ducked back behind the controls and bowed his head. So she had been inside the TARDIS before, but that didn't make her his future. There could be lots of explanations which is why he wasn't clinging to anything just yet. He had to be absolutely certain. He wanted to be certain.

That perked him up a bit. She gave him a year and what he did. Sounded like him. In fact that was him. He distinctly remembered that as if he had already done it. Why did he remember it? Because he had already done it. Unless she was some invisible girl as well as clever he didn't remember seeing her with him. She seemed to honestly believe everything she was telling him which lead him to believe he wasn't her Doctor at all. He wasn't even her past Doctor. He was no one's Doctor. Certainly not hers.

"I've already done that. Big boom." He threw his hands outwards to emphasis that. Why? Because he could. "Got a bit dodgy when I had to deal with the Nestene Consciousness. That lot--very accusatory." He shook his head and went to work on the controls. "Unless you've been slinking about and watching my every move I very much doubt you and me traveled together." He side stepped around the controls until his back was to her. "It works cause this is where she draws her power from. This is her universe. My universe." His hands stilled. "I believe---I'm not your Doctor."

[huffpuffblonde]

She started shaking her head in denial, and moved to correct him about half way through his speech. She hadn't- he hadn't, how could he have-- but the more he talked, the less she moved, and her jaw fell open as she stared at him. Wasn't her Doctor? How could he not be her Doctor? That was clearly him. In the TARDIS. Northern and ears and leather and the Nestene Conciousness.

"But you- there aren't parallel Time Lords, there're only the ones, and they're... there's only you, anymore, you said so yourself." Or, apparently, his other self said so his other self. That couldn't be. Even as she denied it, she looked... shut down. Her eyes flicked away from him, to stare down at the grating. "But that means I'm still stuck here, then. I can't get back to him, can I?"

[shuntoff]

His life had been long. It was filled with blood and destruction. She was the opposite of all that. She seemed to be filled with life and wit. He would have remembered her. She was a stranger. A stranger he never had the privilege of meeting. His answer was wobbly at best. He wasn't even sure it was possible, but it was all he had. It was the only thing that even made sense right now. He had defeated the Nestene Consciousness and blown up a shop in the progress. She wasn't there. He never saved her.

"Oi!" He spun around to her. "You don't think I know that? I handled the Nestene Consciousness. You weren't there. I dealt with that lot alone." Alone was what he was best at. The war had taught him that. Last Great Time War. It taught him more things than he was willing to admit just yet. He knew better than to let anyone depend on him because of that. It was just simpler that way.

He stepped away from the controls and stopped in front of her. "Don't know." He shifted his gaze around the TARDIS slowly. He wasn't sure he could look her in the eyes and say no. Felt a bit wrong. But then just like that he came to a different decision. He looked down at her and that manic grin appeared. "I could give it a shot."

[huffpuffblonde]

For a long second, it felt like everything was crashing down around her. Like the universe was playing some cruel joke on her, taunting her with this other Doctor in his other TARDIS, who seemed very much uninterested in her sob story, at least at precursory glance.

Alone. He dealt with it alone, though. That... tugged at something inside her, and she frowned. He shouldn't have to be alone. She realized, then, what it meant. This universe never had a Rose. She was never there for him. He never met her at Henrick's, never took her along. He never had anybody else, no other companions. He carried on alone. With nobody.

She was shaken from her reverie, though, by a haunting, beautiful, manic smile. Oh, she remembered that, and she couldn't keep her own off of her face. "What- really? Take me back? You're gonna--!"

She couldn't help it. For the second time, she lurched forward and threw her arms around his neck. Brilliant, wonderful man no matter what universe he was from.

[shuntoff]

The hug came as a bit of a shock. Another one? So soon? All he had offered to do was try to get her home. Didn't necessarily mean he would succeed. For a moment he contemplated cutting that hug short, but he didn't. Instead his arms lifted slowly to lock around her and he leaned back to lift her off the ground. His hands pressed flat against her back. It was nice. When she had hugged him before it had come as a bit of a shock. It was strange. Being on your own meant there wasn't too many people you could go around hugging for the fun of it. He liked it though.

Not hers. Just like that he was reminded that he wasn't her Doctor she was looking for. His arms got stiff and seemed to loosen their hold around her. He put her back on her own feet and drew back to look at her. "I'll see if I can get you back to that Doctor of yours." It was strange saying that. He wasn't him. He wasn't even close to being him. He couldn't even imagine it really. Regeneration could change him into anything really, but the man she seemed dead set to find wasn't him in so many ways.

He nodded quickly and spun back around to his controls. "One question though--is this other me fantastic? 'Cause if he's not then honestly what's the point." This was his way own way of finding out what this other Doctor was like. He wouldn't come right out and ask for differences ever. Knowing couldn't hurt because his future wasn't his future. Right?

[huffpuffblonde]

She felt the hesitancy. To be honest, she hadn't even considered the fact that her hug might be unwelcome, like the first one was, because hugging him was just... natural. Granted, it was a bit less natural, having been separated from him for nearly two years, but now that he was here, it was flooding back as if no time at all had passed. The fact that he hugged her back... well, that was just brilliant, and she squeezed her eyes shut a moment, beaming into his shoulder.

She tugged back when the moment was up, watching him work on the controls with a lightness she hadn't felt in ages. She was going to go home. She was finally going to see him again.

"Wouldn't be you if he wasn't fantastic, would he?" She grinned, tongue poking out from between her teeth. Granted, she didn't actually know this version, but her instincts told her that this man was brilliant, and she trusted her instincts- and him- indefinitely. "That your way of nosing in, then? Because you can just ask, if you like, now that I know it's not gonna tear a hole in time and space."

[shuntoff]

He smiled to himself despite his heavy hearts. She was something else that girl. She wasn't a stupid ape. She had a certain charm about her. She was smart as well which was a rare thing around here. So many people were wrapped up in their own business they never noticed the world turning under their feet. They didn't notice the multiple invasions they had almost been victim to. They had all been stopped by him and not a single one of them noticed. Granted they didn't know what they were looking at so could he really judge them?

He shook his head quietly at her question. She had caught him. Smart girl. She knew him well. He must have kept her around for some time. He must have allowed to her to get close enough to him to actually learn things. That didn't sound like him here, but who could say what he was like in her world.

"Alright." He turned and pressed his back into the console. He crossed his arms over his chest and tilted his head. "What's he like?" She seemed to genuinely trust him and that meant that maybe he did as well. If he had met her during the Nestene Consciousness that meant he wasn't all rainbows and sunshine. Judging by her personality here she would of had to have worked hard to get him to stop being a miserable bastard.

[huffpuffblonde]

She grinned a bit as he turned around, crossed his arms in his 'trying to be casual' way, and asked. She knew he would. Couldn't resist hearing about himself, that man. She tugged her legs up, crossing them beneath her, and tilted her head to the side as she pondered the question.

"Well, for starters, he regenerated. So, if you mean the first go, he was you. Your face. Complete nutter," She teased, before reverting back to serious. "Bit lonely, at first, but not so much, after a while. Clever, all manic energy and dashing about and nearly getting himself blown up. I think he wanted to, at first, because he wasn't... he didn't have anybody else. Until he got stuck with me, anyway."

She was dancing around, trying to say things without saying them. He was sad, and lonely, but he had her. And she loved him. "And then, after he regenerated, he was a bit pretty. Skinny, great hair. Happier, I think, most of the time. Just as nutters as the first go, but less... hurt. Still the same man, though, both of them. They save the world. The universe. All the time. Made me better. And now he's alone." She shifted her eyes downward again.

[shuntoff]

Regenerated. He was tempted to ask how he even wound up dying, but he decided against it. It wouldn't ruin anything, but it would really put a damper on his mood. Everything she was saying sounded fairly accurate. He was lonely and clever. She was right about one thing his life was not a top priority. Dying was not something he feared. He didn't really have anyone to go on for. It was a sad and ridiculous notion, but it was completely true. There was no one he was running back to after every adventure. It was just him and the TARDIS. Would she miss him if he just up and died? Bit silly of him to think and downright human, but he couldn't help himself sometimes. It just happened.

He leaned forward a bit when she talked about his regeneration. That'd be his tenth. He sounded quite different than how he was now. She must have really changed him. She must have given him a reason and that was something he'd probably admire her for. There was a part of him that would have loved to have been less hurt. To have all the pain from the Time War ease into something he could live with. He had things he didn't though. He had her and a different world. What'd he have?

"Right. Well I'll try an get you back. Then you won't be alone and he won't be alone." But he'd be back to being alone. He could handle that though. He had been alone for a long time. He knew how to be alone. He had the TARDIS to talk to. She would listen to his stories and indulge his insanity. He didn't need someone. "Problem solved." Always running, but with no one to run to.

[huffpuffblonde]

Something about the way he said it was tainted. She wouldn't be alone, her Doctor wouldn't be alone, but this man... he'd still be alone. She couldn't think like that. She had her own version to get back to. Her own Doctor a universe away, waiting for her. They weren't interchangeable. They couldn't swap out like parts. It wasn't the same.

Still, something inherently Rose protested that he was inherently Doctor, and should therefor not be made to be alone. She paused, worrying her lip with her teeth.

"If it turns out that we can't... get through. D'you think I could--" Eyes anywhere but on him. "Stay on for a bit? Not really the stationary sort, me. Too much to see."

And maybe, if he wanted, he could drag out sending her back. It was a time machine , after all, and he looked... so alone. Like he could use a friend.