Chapter Text
Not Gone
1.
The TARDIS has been the first one sending the Doctor warning signals, and she barely ever did. Naturally, the Doctor thought it best to protect his travelling companions from accidentally harming themselves. Just in case, he has warned both Donna and Martha against leaving the ship… And waited.
Soon, without any kind of a prior warning, Jackie Tyler has entered the ship with a bang.
The Doctor could only gape at her. Escaping the parallel universe was not supposed to be possible, besides, what, how?
“Jackie!” He couldn’t hide the mixture of a surprise and dread on his face. “What are you doing here?!” Without Rose?
The sheer panic on his face might have amused Mrs Tyler, any other time.
“Rose is gone and you are the only one who can bring her back,” the mother exhaled, eyeing him challengingly and regretting it the next second, seeing the Doctor’s face lose all colour. Not only that. It looked like he needed to sit down.
“I need more details than that, Jackie,” he remembered himself after a couple of tense seconds which felt like years. “Gone where? How? Why?” With whom?
“These are the exact questions I was about to give you, Doctor,” she grimaced. “I thought you would be more willing to help, with, for the love you must’ve felt for my daughter!”
The Doctor exhaled. “I have never stopped loving her,” he breathed, ashamed. “Not for one moment. If I could, I would turn the entire galaxy upside down, if only to find her and bring her back!” To me!
Jackie nodded. “I know, Doctor. All I need is to be sure she’s safe. If, whenever you find her, Rose decides she wants to stay with you, I won’t do anything to stop you. The two of you, I mean!”
The Time Lord looked at her thankfully. “How is she? Er, I mean, how has she been, before-”
“How do you think?” Jackie sighed heavily. “I keep trying to always keep an eye on her, because Rose is not how she used to be. Ever since some idiot in her working place has accidentally opened a crack in whatever is keeping the two universes… well, separate, it’s-”
The Doctor stared at Jackie Tyler with awe, his eyes suddenly sparkling with excitement. “I could kiss you,” the alien grinned at her. Finding Rose here, in this universe, has suddenly felt like a child’s game.
Jackie backed away. “Don’t you dare. Keep your kisses to my rebellious Rose whenever you find her, yes?”
He nodded. “I haven’t noticed any visible signs of our two universes mingling as of yet-”
“You shouldn’t. Rose has been assured the gap is closing up, only a couple of faithful Torchwood employees keeping it from closing up fully until I return back to my two men,” Jackie smiled to herself.
The Doctor could only think about one person. “What about Rose? Shouldn’t we go looking for her?”
“I think I have done the only thing I should have, Doctor. Finding Rose and taking care of her is supposed to be your responsibility from now on, yeah?”
The Time Lord gaped at her, not having expected that, but nodded.
Jackie shrugged, smiling wrily. “I mean it.”
He did not test his luck any further. “Do you have any idea as to where Rose could possibly be, Jackie? Where could she go?”
“Looking for you, most likely,” the woman exhaled.
“I’d like that. If only it were so simple!”
“It is,” Jackie Tyler shrugged. “Simpler than you think.”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s likely she will be the one coming here first, if you don’t hurry,” the mother said knowingly.
“Hm?”
“You will see,” Jackie spoke kindly. No matter their differences, she understood the Doctor loved her daughter. That was more than enough for her.
“She loves you. You love her. Just try and be happy, for me!”
“That much, I can promise, Jackie.”
She nodded. “I should really get going now. Keep your ship in one place, yes? You wouldn’t want to miss Rose coming to you, yes?”
The alien was puzzled. “Do you want me to go looking for her, or should I stay here and wait?”
“I, an ordinary human person, have found you. I’m sure you don’t need to go anywhere!” Jackie beamed at him.
The Doctor blinked at her. “Wha-”
“Meanwhile I, the said human person, must return home to my family before the gap closes up for good,” Jackie sighed. “Tell Rose her mother loves her.”
The Gallifreyan nodded, still stunned a little. “Er… What if Rose suddenly wishes to return to you?”
Jackie exhaled. “Talk her out of it, maybe?”
“Talk me out of what , Mum?” A sweet familiar voice has asked quietly.
The Doctor breathed in, suddenly understanding what Jackie meant. Rose’s grin took up half of her face. Hello, Doctor. Is forever still an option?
Always, the alien nodded, excited.
“Jackie is in a hurry, dear. Say your goodbyes. She needs to return to the parallel universe,” he explained.
“I know,” Rose breathed, pulling her mum into a tight embrace. “I love you, Mum.”
“I love you, too, my darling! The only thing I can suggest and wish to you is to never stop loving this amorous alien standing right here. “Love and take care of each other,” Jackie smiled at them and rushed out of the ship, to finally get the chance to return to what was now her home.
Rose wiped a lonely teardrop off her face, then gave the Doctor a tiny, if a little tearful smile.
“Is this it? The Doctor and his Rose, inside the TARDIS, together?” She couldn’t brush off the feeling they were not alone on board, making the question sound less hopeful than intended.
“Well… About that-” The Doctor blushed and paled several times in a couple of seconds.
Rose’s face fell, but she has only given him a wide grin. “Oh. What is her name? Where is she?”
Listen to yourself, love. Neither Martha nor Donna means anything to me, not in the way you think. I promise.
Rose nodded, surprised he has even addressed the subject.
Am I getting to meet them, or what? Rose asked him with a grin, feeling she was ready to face it all at once.