"This can't be happening..." she asked, crying as she held the hand of the man she loved.

"I never wanted to cause you pain," he assured, his human heart breaking.

"I know," she answered gripping his hand tighter. "But you're the Doctor."

"Not really," he argued weakly. "And you know that."

"I know that I love you," she insisted. "Nothing will change that."

"Everything will change," the human Doctor assured. "Once you find him."

"He may be different."

"I was different," he pointed out. "Yet always the same."

"I love you," she stated, stressing the last word.

The human Doctor nodded. "I know Rose, and I love you."

…

That had been six months ago, six terrible months ago. Moments later the human Doctor's single heart had given out and Rose Tyler had once again been left alone. Plunged into the deepest grief that she had experienced since coming to the alternate world she wouldn't speak to anyone; not her mother and father who loved her dearly, nor any of her friends. She just sat day after day on the corner where her beloved Doctor had met his end, until the answer came to her.

It would be dangerous.

It would be risky.

It could destroy everything she held dear—but her heart knew no bounds and it needed so desperately to be healed and there was only one way to make that happen.

…

Amy Pond was completely freaking out. In the short time that she had been travelling with the Doctor she had quickly become accustomed to the TARDIS and the strange noises that it made, but now it was making a noise that she had never heard before and she could tell from the confusion and worry on the Doctor's face that something was going wrong. But he wouldn't tell her what it was.

Suddenly the TARDIS landed with a jolt and the Doctor looked on the screen to view the world outside.

"But that can't be possible," he muttered and without another word he rushed outside. Amy made her way to the screen and saw the Doctor running towards a blonde woman who had tears running down her face.

…

For Rose Tyler this moment was the culmination of six months hard work. The calculations had to be just right so as to ensure the stability of all the worlds. There had been a part of her who thought that punching a whole through the universes was never going to work, but another part of her knew that it would work and that she would see the Doctor again. But as the doors to the TARDIS opened she was somewhat shocked to see that he was different—again.

He ran towards her, stopping just inches away. For a moment the silence hung heavily between them until finally he moved. Without a word he swooped in for a soul-crushing kiss, something that had always haunted him since he had left Rose on these very shores. He had vowed to himself that if the opportunity ever came again that he would tell her how he really felt and wouldn't rely on a half-human part of him to do the deed.

Rose, was stunned for a moment but a split second later she returned the kiss with the same amount of passion and longing. She had loved the human Doctor dearly but he hadn't been her Doctor, and even though the Doctor before her didn't look like the one that had left her it didn't really matter. He had not worn the same face of the man whom she had fallen in love with and she had long ago learned to deal with that. The faces of the Doctor would come and go, but the soul would forever remain the same.

Rose finally pulled away, smiling as the Doctor cupped her face with his hands. "I've been waiting a long time to do that," she whispered tenderly. "Too long."

"I thought that I'd never see you again," the Doctor whispered back. "What happened t-"

"Dead," she interrupted quickly so as not to bring up the pain.

"When?"

"A year ago to the day."

The Doctor's face crumpled in sympathy. "My dear Rose."

"It's alright," she assured as she gripped his forearms with her hands. "I have you."

"Excuse me," Amy broke in, her Scottish accent sounding harsh against the stillness of the air. "I don't mean to be rude but, who are you?"

Rose looked around the Doctor to see the red-headed Amy standing there. For a moment jealousy flared up but then she remembered how the Doctor always needed a companion, and how that companion didn't always have romantic feelings for him.

"I'm Rose Tyler," she answered simply.

"She was the first companion I had after the fall of my people," the Doctor added.

"And I take it that you two were close,"

Rose smiled and entwined her fingers with the Doctor's. "We were," she answered. "Until we were separated by the Void."

"I don't understand," Amy stated.

The Doctor shook his head. "You don't need to."

"She might actually," Rose interjected, "We will need her to get home."

"What do you mean home," Amy asked. "This is Earth, isn't it."

"It is," Rose answered, turning back to Amy. "But not our Earth."

"Not. Our. Earth." Amy said each word slowly, trying to understand what it meant, but she didn't understand.

"We are in a parallel world," the Doctor explained. "Like ours in so many ways but different in so many as well," he paused and looked down at Rose. "Are you sure you don't want to stay here with your family?"

Rose shook her head. "You know that I made that decision a long time ago and I will cherish the years with BOTH my parents. But I made you a promise a long time ago. I promised you that I would stay by your side forever."

"Forever for me—"

"Forever for me," Rose interjected not backing down now. "Besides, you told me that I was going to have a good year and while you obliged I have had several horrible years in the interim I would very much like many, many more."

"I'm sorry," Amy interjected once more. "I don't understand."

Rose smiled sympathetically at the girl. "You don't need to," she assured.

"And why is that?"

"He's my Doctor,"

And it was true. There had never been another in his two hearts. Rose belonged to the Doctor and the Doctor belonged to her. The love that had developed between each other was so pure and so strong that it brought the universes together not once but twice and now there was no going back.

With Amy's help the trio was able to return home and seal up the breach that Rose had caused. Amy for her part showed little difficulty adjusting to Rose's presence, but Rose could sense the underlying jealousy. Amy had begun to fall for the Doctor, but he still scared her immensely and that fledgling feeling would soon vanish.

And it did. Amy returned to her own time to get married to the man she had promised to wed while the Doctor and Rose spun off into time and space together.