A/N: Hello! Long time no see! Yes, I'm still alive, I know I haven't shown much sign of life on this site for... a year and a month. Oops... doesn't feel like that long. Life is busy and unexpected, you know?

A note to any HTTYD fans who got notified about a new story only to be disappointed to see it's not even HTTYD: No, this isn't some weird April Fools joke. This is a Doctor Who fic, which isn't my normal fandom. I'm sorry if I disappointed you, but rest assured: this isn't a switch. I haven't abandoned the fandom (my username is still httydfangirl123 after all), I just so happen to have written two Doctor Who fics in the year I've been away. So those will be coming your way, but I already have another HTTYD fic in progress which will also come your way some time soon, I promise. I keep my profile updated with info so keep an eye on that if you want. I love you guys and I haven't forgotten you!

This is my second Doctor Who fic, but the first one to be uploaded (wibbly-wobbly-timey-whimey). My first one is being beta-read by a good friend of mine and will be out as soon as that is done. Then it's back to a HTTYD fic :)

Anyway, I've probably bored you enough by now, enjoy!

In the Nick of Time

Chapter 1: A streak of luck

The Doctor stared in disbelief at the console screen. He couldn't believe it. He genuinely couldn't believe it. It was impossible! And even though it was, apparently, possible, it wasn't at all safe. In fact, two whole universes were potentially in danger. All because of one tiny crack in the walls between parallel worlds. Well… it wasn't exactly a tiny crack. The one he'd sent his projection through to Bad Wolf Bay had been tiny. This one was small. But that was enough to be dangerous.

Either way, the Doctor couldn't believe it. He had to be sure. And with the pressing of a few buttons, the TARDIS started rescanning the barrier. She hummed as the results came in. There was a crack, alright. A big enough one for something to pass through. That meant that anything could come from the other universe to this one, or from this one to that one. He dared not think about what had happened last time trans-universal exchanges occurred. The Cybermen, the Daleks, the Void, Rose…

His face fell at the thought of her. It had been a few months now since he dropped Rose off on Bad Wolf Bay with his human clone. And although he would never admit it, his hearts still hurt. It's for the best, he told himself every time. Rose deserves someone who can love her for all their human life. Sometimes he wondered whether it was best for him too. Occasionally he convinced himself it was.

He took another look at the scan results. It wasn't big enough to cause a collapse or anything else drastic, but it was growing. It would reach an almost critical level in about 12 hours. He needed to close it before then and while it remained open, anything could pass through. Any alien, any naïve probing scientist, any virus. Or…

The Doctor shook his head. No, he shouldn't start thinking like that. If he just closed the walls, two universes would be safe. He would be safe, his clone would be safe, Rose would be safe. But he could…

He ran a hand through his hair as he argued with himself. It was dangerous and wrong but terribly, terribly enticing. Too good to be true. A whole day to see Rose and see how she was doing. A whole day to see everyone before he'd close the walls and keep the universes safe, leaving the meta-crisis and Rose to their happy, human life. No death, no walls collapsing, no worlds colliding.

But what if the scanner was wrong? What if the hole were to grow exponentially and while he's with Rose the walls collapse, and everything gets pulled into eternal hell? He'd be the one responsible. And even if the walls stayed open for the whole 12 hours, what if something passed through? There could be a whole new incident with Cybermen or even worse… not that he could think of much worse at that moment.

But Rose. Rose. That word seemed to echo in his head, like a beckoning voice. He could see her again, he could hug her again, he could kiss her, properly this time. He'd tell her that he loved her and that he was sorry for how things turned out but that she would live a fantastic life with the meta-crisis and that that was enough. And she would tell him that she was happy and then he could leave in peace.

The Doctor reached out his head towards the lever, visibly trembling – not that there was anyone to see it. Everyone was gone. Half of his conscious screamed at him to stop and even the TARDIS hummed in an uncertain tone. But he couldn't turn back now, not when he had seen it all in his head. He had teased himself too much. Now he needed to see it with his eyes.

And so, his fingers closed around the lever, his eyes closed. And as he pushed the lever down, causing the TARDIS to lurch as it crossed dimensions, he prayed to whichever deity happened to be listening that he wouldn't regret this. But he believed in Rose. Rose… the word echoed through his head again and her face was all he could think of.

A sigh of relief escaped the Doctor's lips as the TARDIS landed. He'd made it. He was in Pete's World once again. He peered at the screen, sincerely hoping that he hadn't shown up in Norway on that dreaded beach. But much to his relief, the image of the Tyler mansion was displayed. Once again, the TARDIS knew exactly where he needed to be. He took a deep breath, feeling his double heartbeat accelerating. It still hadn't quite sunken in. Inside those four walls was the woman he loved so deeply with both of his hearts, even if this mouth that never spoken the words. And although the words didn't need saying, he dearly wanted her to hear them said from his mouth. There was no reason she shouldn't.

He only realised his fingers were still trembling when he pulled his coat on and walked down the ramp. As he opened the door, an odd feeling of unfamiliarity hit him. This wasn't just a parallel universe – it felt like a parallel universe. His body could sense that this was wrong and for a moment that made him hesitate. But as he closed the door behind him and patted the blue door thankfully, he realised that that had never stopped him before. So why should it now?

And so he strolled out into the gardens of the massive house that the Doctor knew all too well from when he and Rose had snuck in as servants with his psychic paper. His heart seemed to pump faster and faster the closer he got to the door, and when he'd finally got there, he rang the doorbell and waited in nervous anticipation. Jackie's voice was the first he heard, and he couldn't help but grin as he heard her voice. She clearly hadn't changed a bit.

"We weren't expecting anyone, were we, Pete? No, I didn't think so either. I'll check anyway," She shouted, and the Doctor could already see her silhouette through the frosted glass window in the door. Then the door clicked and was swung open.

"Jackie!" He greeted happily, a big childish grin on his face. Jackie froze, her mouth hanging open. The Doctor watched her silently for a few seconds, letting the shock sink in before he asked to see her daughter. "There was a crack in-" He started to explain, but she cut him off.

"I know there was a crack in your ribs, that's why you should be in the hospital, you muppet!" She shouted at him, sounding simultaneously exasperated, worried and annoyed. The Doctor furrowed his forehead in confusion. Out of all the reactions, he'd been expecting, this hadn't been one of them.

"What?" He exclaimed.

"Oh, don't be stupid! Don't pretend that you're all better after breaking three ribs! I'm not having you wander around with Rose when you can barely stand up on your own!" Oh, the Doctor thought in realisation. She thinks I'm the meta-crisis… what on earth did he do to get himself three broken ribs?

"No, no, no, Jackie, you don't understand!"

"Don't patronise me, I know full well- "

"I have two hearts," He said simply, opening his coat as if somehow, she could see where his hearts were. "It's me. The original, you might say." And once again, Jackie's mouth hung wide open.

"Well, then what the hell are you doin' 'ere?"

"There was a crack in the walls of universes. Normally it would be either too small to pass through or so big I'd have to close it up immediately. But this one was just the right size for me to come through for the day. Just 12 hours and I'll be gone," The Doctor explained, decidedly leaving out the bit about the danger. That was his own responsibility. "But I thought that, um, since I can come through for a bit, that I could, maybe," He coughed nervously. "I could check on Rose." Jackie stared at him in silence for a few seconds.

"Well, it's good you're 'ere then," She muttered to herself when she finally seemed recovered, glancing at the floor. The Doctor thought he could see a glint of worried sadness in her eyes and furrowed his forehead again.

"Why? What's wrong?" He queried.

"It's Rose. John Smith, as everyone calls 'im now, got in an accident a few weeks ago. Broke a few ribs, ended up in hospital. He's only coming out next week, I think, because of the operation. Rose went to visit him every day, but then a few days later she got ill, so ill she could hardly get out of bed. I tried to convince her to come home so I could look after her, but she refuses to let me help. I don't know what's wrong with her," The Doctor frowned at Jackie's explanation. It wasn't like Rose to get very ill, nor was it like her to refuse help when she really needed it.

"Where does she live now?" He asked, deducing from her explanation that Rose wasn't living with Jackie and Pete anymore. Understandable, he thought to himself wryly.

"54 Lattimer Place, down in Chiswick. They got their own place last year," Jackie answered. Last year?

"How long has it been?"

"Two years. Why? How long's it been for you?" The Doctor swallowed.

"Only a few months. But, please tell me, Jackie, was Rose happy before she got ill? Was she happy with him?" He asked. Of course, he would need to hear it from Rose herself, but hearing it from her mother would help settle his worry. Jackie met his sincere gaze.

"Yeah. It took a while to get used to it all, but eventually, they were happy, yeah," The Doctor nodded, feeling a small amount of relief. "Now you tell me, Doctor, when you go and see her now, you're going to make her better, right? Can you promise me that?" He could see in her eyes that she didn't think it was just a regular virus, and the Doctor hoped that he'd be able to keep his word.

"I promise, Jackie." They both paused as they held each other's gaze until Jackie threw her arms around him in a hug. The Doctor returned the embrace, though he sincerely hoped she wouldn't attempt to kiss him as well like last time, and much to his relief, she simply let him go and walked back inside.

"Bye, then, Doctor," She said as she closed the door.

"Goodbye, Jackie," He mumbled past the lump in his throat as he walked back towards the TARDIS. 11 hours and 30 minutes to go.

So much for a danger-free 12 hours.

A/N: Let me know what you think. Chapter 2 should be uploaded in two days' time. No flames, please, I am relatively new to the fandom, but thoughts would be appreciated. Reviews do tend to make my day :)

Till next time (and stay safe!)

~httydfangirl123