Something I wrote to correspond with some graphic someone made.
“I know it’s you,” she says, squinting past the smoke. “I’d consider myself a bit of an expert, all things considered.”
He stills. “Rose.”
She drops the gun and runs toward him, but when he doesn’t turn to greet her, she slows.
“Doctor, the stars-”
“It’s too early,” he murmurs, facing her for the first time since she blasted to pieces the choppy droid thing that had been attacking him. “For you, I mean.” He grins a cheeky little grin that makes him look all of five years old. “I’ve already seen your lovely little smile beaming at me from across the street.”
Rose laughs, a blush coloring her cheeks. “So we’ll be in the street, then. Well that’s a bit of a spoiler, I gather.” His smile falters for a beat, but he shakes it off and nods. “Are you… this you when-”
“Oh, right. No. I’m the last me. With the pinstripes,” he flaps his arms around his pants for a moment. “And the hair. Although,” he saunters toward her, leaning down to crowd her space. “I quite like mine. Still not ginger, but it flops around a bit.”
He looks down at the beeping metal disc in her hand. “I never did ask, how long have you been jumping through worlds?”
Hazel eyes teem with questions as she answers. “Technically, I left the other world two weeks ago. But it’s been… about a year for me since then. Damn thing doesn’t really work,” she laughs bitterly, rolling her eyes in suppressed frustration. “Keeps sending me all over your timeline, but never… anyway, am I with you? Or has it been a long time for you?” She frowns, reaching out to touch his face. “You seem older. Your eyes.”
Something flickers in his broad face, but he shrugs. “Rose, you know I can’t tell you that. Or… things will happen.”
“Bad things?”
“Very bad, making-the-universe-go-boom-y things.”
Her lip twitches in amusement. “Is that a technical term like jiggery-pokery?”
“Technical as hullabaloo,” he leans in, winking at her, as he pulls the button from her hand and aiming his sonic screwdriver at it. “Let me fix your aim a bit. You still have some things to do, but you’re almost there.”
“Yeah?” she grins, tongue peeking out from white teeth.
“Yes.” He looks at her pointedly. “You’ll need to get going. I’ve given it a bit of a charge-up to get you on your way.”
“But Doctor,” she asks, sliding her hand into his. “I gather I’m not with you, an’ maybe that’s ‘cause I died or it’s been hundreds of years for you or something, but I just have to know. Are you on your own?”
He shakes his head. “Not anymore. I’ve got the Ponds.”
Rose jumps into his arms and presses a kiss to his cheek. “I’m glad,” she murmurs into his ear.
His eyes crinkle as he tightens his arms around her waist. “Oh, my Rose. Go on and save the universe again.”
“I lov-”
He pulls away and pushes a finger against her cherry lips. “Tell me when you find me.”
She furrows her brow at the building wetness in his eyes as Doctor slips the dimensional jumper into her palm. “Doc-”
He pushes the button, and she’s gone.