The Beginning Is The End Is The Beginning

The Beginning Is The End Is The Beginning

Disclaimer: I'm so sure there's no need for this. If only I had the force of will to properly read the rules of Fanfiction. Oh, fine. Fine. Make me say it. Pour salt on my wounds. Nothing is mine. You happy now? Look, you've made me cry. ::hugs teddy and sobs::

Spoilers : Takes place after 2x06 (The Age of Steel), but has ambiguous references to the entire of season 2.

Summary: It's not right that he just died like that. She deserves a goodbye, and the ability to choose her destiny would be nice, too. Or, in shorter, more articulate words, Rose gets closure, finally.

Ships: 10\Rose, 9\Rose, but not in the dirty way you're thinking about.

-

What?

You're so different.

I'm the new New Doctor.

Rose woke up to the familiar hum of the TRADIS, her personal lullaby most of the time. Her watch said eight hours had passed, a good, healthy sleep. She used to look for a window. Two months it took to get rid of that habit. Other habits took more time, like getting dressed for work and going outside to fetch a newspaper.

She showered, long and leisurely like a woman that rushed to nowhere, and wasn't surprised in the least to find the Doctor sitting on her bed, flipping through a magazine. He was a little blurry on the whole boundaries issue, which was why she got used to towel robes instead of just short, skimpy towels, after several awkward incidents.

"Hello!" he chirped.

Short hair, and then suddenly thick, shampoo hair. Big ears, cute glasses. Different teeth. Eventually, they were just the same, her two Doctors, with that hello of theirs, only now with a faint Scottish accent.

"Morning, Doctor," she greeted, going through her wardrobe for clothes.

He picked up a book she bought at the last stop on earth, some epic novel, and started blabbering about to no one in particular. He thought it was an unreliable portrayal of the era, that the plague would take care of that problem, and like anyone would have time for that with the revolution going on, sad ending. Yeah, and thanks for ruining that one, she thought. What was she gonna do with a sad ending, anyway.

Sad ending , she remembered that from somewhere. Said in a northern accent, the second time they met, with proper coffee and plastic hands trying to kill them. If she closed her eyes tight, they were pretty much the same, but it was hard to think of the same as the same same. More like brothers, or best friends, exchanging her from hand to hand.

-

Can you change back?

Do you want me to?

Yeah.

Oh. Sorry, no.

After the initial shock of regeneration, after he wrapped him mind around his new personality, urges, slightly different opinions but not really, he looked at Rose and loved her just the same as before, if not more so. Broke the rules of time, broke into the heart of TARDIS, absorbed the entire of time, just to keep him safe. Destroying the Dalek race seemed like just a bonus in her eyes. In her mind it was all for him. She didn't even acknowledge that she was a hero.

Rose Tyler, defender of the earth.

He thought she needed a doctor. He was her doctor, and he kissed her even though he technically didn't have to. How unethical of him.

"Were you serious back there, about not knowing who you were?" she asked afterwards, removing traces of dead aliens from her hair. "D'you really not know?"

He chuckled, hopping about, still jazzed, "What, do you think I just talk for my own amusement?"

She flashed him their special smile, first time in ages, "Absolutely."

He grinned back, somewhat relieved that she had moved to teasing now. "Well, I wasn't. Everything feels different. The same, but different."

The look on her face told him that maybe he should have said something before, about the possibility of regeneration. Maybe if she knew then she wouldn't be like this, awkward like in a first meeting, and after everything they've been through. His new hearts broke apart in his chest. She looked at him like a stranger, like he hadn't been right there with her throughout everything.

"How d'you mean?" she asked, making conversation, getting to know him. "What's different?"

He shrugged, "Dunno, guess we'll find out in time. That is, if you're staying."

Rose lowered her eyes, smile turning meek. "I'll stay if you… give me some time to get used to this. I mean, I can see you're him, I guess, I just can't see you're you yet, you know?" she tilted her head, asking for understanding.

A cheeky grin brightened his face, "Of course. Tell you what, we'll go to Barcelona, do something domestic. A vacation! Let's have one of those beach vacation things! No bathing suits for me, though. Be too weird. What d'you say?"

"Start the car, I'll get my bathing suit." Winking, she added, "Just because you're an old git, doesn't mean I can't get to have any fun."