Everything Changes By Gallifreyan Rocker

Everything Changes By Gallifreyan Rocker

"Impossible."
He thought, "It’s impossible." He paced back and forth, his feet making quiet thuds on the metal deck of the Tardis. He couldn't just drag her into this, the life he lived, but some part of him yearned for her. Maybe it was the first time she saved him or him her, or the way her eyes lit up when she walked out of the Tardis and onto another world. Maybe it could have even been the way she teased him, about everything and nothing, or the way she always insisted on wearing something new every time she left the ship, or the way she always braided her hair in someway. It could have been her smile, or the way she held his hand when they were in danger, or the way she called his name when she was scared. It could have been anything; but nothing could make him let go of Rose. Nothing.

He loved her, but he couldn’t say it. He saw the look on her face when they had been made to say their goodbyes. The pain in her eyes, the sadness written into every line of her face. Every time, he got attached, it always ended badly, "That’s why I travel alone," he'd once said.
Although he craved for company, not just any, but hers. He could just picture her standing next to him, prattling on about something, he might hardly notice, but he enjoyed every word of her nonsense. The thought of all this haunted the Doctor, when and if he slept, when he was alone or if he were about to die. He promised to keep her safe, and that is what he would do, even if it meant tearing the universe in half. He couldn’t let her get hurt. Not his Rose.

The door of the Tardis opened, and Rose walked in slowly, sweeping her blonde hair out of her beautiful brown eyes. He sighed contently and leaned back onto the central console. She smiled at him and set her bag on the lower part of the deck, and walked over to the chair behind the console. He smiled at her and followed suit, flopping down on the comfortable three seater, leaning a bit closer to Rose as he set his feet on the console under the monitor. Everything was fine, like he had never left.

"So," she smiled excitedly, "Where are we headed to next?"
He sighed and thought for a moment. Stroking his chin dramatically and playing around with the sonic screwdriver as he teased her.

"How about, Japan, Tokyo 2026? There’s a festival going on," he smiled at her, flicking his eyebrows and jumping up to the controls.
"What did you say?" she asked politely.
Theo pressed a few buttons and set the coordinates walking back towards her once all was done.

"What kind of festival?" she asked, her eyebrows furrowing as she thought deeply about it.

"Well..." he said tauntingly “lets find out,” He threw the lever and they were off. She taunted him, smiling happily and holding his hand in hers as the Tardis rocketed off into time. Her closeness never seemed to fail at surprising him. It always set his hearts off, and his stomach fluttering with butterflies. Finally, the Tardis rocked to a stop in a small alley behind a sushi bar; they stepped out, holding hands, into the middle of the bustling streets of Tokyo.

Even after 20 years for Rose’s time, not much really changed about Tokyo. Still full of people, kind of cold, and pleasantly full of technology. They walked hand in hand to a few shops, he watched Rose's face light up every time she saw some small exquisite trinket. Every time, he watched her, watching every inch of her face fill with glee at the wonders around her. But if she looked up at him, he would only linger eye contact with her for a moment, before smiling and pointing at another direction or shop. They walked all around, stopping by various shops, all the while getting closer to their destination.

"I hear…" he began, walking further into the alley, finally finding a ladder to the roof of the building and climbing up, "at this time of year, the view is spectacular." They reached the top and leaned on the edge, looking up into the night sky.

"It’s so beautiful....I thought Tokyo was really polluted," she said, looking up at the stars at nothing but clear skies.

"It was; by 2010 the pollution was so bad, the news told people when it was safe to breathe, and by 2012, the hydrogen car was completed, and the pollution lowered. It wasn’t until 2020 that the scientists discovered a way to clear the polluted air, and now, 2026, nothing but clear skies," he said softly, gazing intently at the stars above them. He looked for it. His home, even knowing he wouldn’t find it, he always looked. He sighed and looked away again.

“You miss them, don’t you?" Rose said, leaning on him, laying her head close to him. "Your family....your people?"

"Yes. A lot," he sighed, leaning back on Rose, taking her hand in his.
“I wish I could have saved them...all of them," he admitted painfully, his throat stinging with the effort of speaking. He always wanted to save them but they died for a better cause. They saved the universe, killing the Daleks and many other threats, destroying themselves in the process.
"And now I’m the last," he thought. “The last of the Time Lords". It was a lonely existence of itself, though it had served its uses.

"I’m sorry," Rose said, hugging him from behind. "I wish there was something I could do," she sighed into his hair. He held her hands tight to his chest.

"Thanks," he said. Fighting the urge to breakdown. "Thank you" he whispered. He could feel her heart beating on his back. Steadily, and strongly. A loud bang exploded above them as the fireworks started. They stood there, silent and still in an embrace that could last a life time, when he turned to face her, still holding her hand. He smiled brightly, and swallowed heavily. He needed her. Every thing about her. The way she smiled, how she cried, how she talked, the way she argued, the way she smelled, the way only she understood him. He loved her, she was, his Rose. He brushed his hand across her jaw, holding her head in his hand, feeling her hair in his fingers. She sighed and closed her eyes, pulling one hand up to hold his hand to her face. She opened her eyes, and they looked at each other, quietly they stood there. And they both understood. He leaned in close, and pressed his lips to hers.

Another loud bang from above as the fireworks continued. They stayed there, eyes closed, lips pressed gently together, he could feel her warmth in his hands, the fluster of her skin, and the steady beat of her heart. They parted and breathed deeply. He held her close to his chest, not wanting to let her go, never again. She was the only one. He could live a thousand lives, but he only wanted to live them with her. They both embraced, the world halting around them. The whole universe didn’t matter, all but one thing, which should have been clear all along.

"I love you," he whispered into her ear. His eyes and throat stinging. She squeezed his hand and held him closer, his hearts beating in unison with hers.

"I love you too," she whispered back, finding that she finally knew….she wasn't alone.